The Christmas Wedding Swap. Allyson Charles
>
“He’s single, of legal age, and wearing black boots. You promised you’d flirt with the first man who fit that description.”
She managed to twist so she landed on her hands and her hip, a sharp pain arcing down her side bringing a sting to her eyes and a filthy word to her lips. Her shopping bags landed upside down, scattering cellophane bags of pastel-colored Jordan almonds and boxes of white votive candles onto the cold concrete.
Perfect. Just flipping perfect. If that just wasn’t the cherry on this craptastic morning, she didn’t know what was.
Until a pair of worn black motorcycle boots stepped in front of her. Then she knew that as bad as turfing it on the sidewalk in the middle of downtown was, it didn’t compare to being caught ass up by the next man she was supposed to flirt with.
He squatted, the faded denim at his knees pulling tight, exposing another inch of the pair of sexy boots. Two straps of butter-soft leather held a round silver buckle in place at the ankle. Small scuff marks were etched around the squared-off toes. She loved the squared-off toe on men’s boots.
“Are you all right?” he asked, his voice a soothing rumble and genuine concern lacing his words. “Do you need me to call an ambulance?”
Allison sat back on her feet and sighed. She wanted nothing more than to retreat to her restaurant and grab a bag of ice for her hip and a shot of whiskey from the bottle she kept in her office. But a deal was a deal. Time to get her flirt on. “I’m fine. I just…” Her eyes caught up with her mouth, and she froze. He was beautiful, the hottest man she’d ever seen in person.
Cover Copy
SOMETIMES YOU GET WHAT YOU NEED . . .
Allison Stuart has always been the odd-woman-out of her family. She wears her jeans a little too tight, colors her hair a little too blonde, and instead of going into medicine and law like her sisters, she runs a diner. She’s also the only single sibling left. And while she won’t change her style, and her meatloaf is to die for, thank you very much, she wouldn’t mind her share of wedded bliss. So she makes an early New Year’s resolution: No more meaningless flings.
Drop-dead sexy Luke Hamilton is everything Allison has sworn off. His only serious relationship has been with his five-star restaurant, Le Cygne Noir, in Chicago. When he’s threatened by a lawsuit, Luke decides to hide out in Pineville, Michigan, until the statute of limitations runs out. The small town is filled with Christmas charm, but he can’t imagine living there. Heating things up with the hottie who owns the local diner would make his exile bearable—if he can convince her to give up her ridiculous resolution . . .
Visit us at www.kensingtonbooks.com
Also by Allyson Charles
Putting Out Old Flames
The Christmas Tree
Why Did It Have to Be You?
And read more Allyson Charles in That Mistletoe Moment
The Christmas Wedding Swap
Allyson Charles
LYRICAL SHINE
Kensington Publishing Corp.
www.kensingtonbooks.com
Copyright
Lyrical Press books are published by
Kensington Publishing Corp. 119 West 40th Street New York, NY 10018
Copyright © 2017 by Allyson Charles
All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced in any form or by any means without the prior written consent of the Publisher, excepting brief quotes used in reviews.
All Kensington titles, imprints, and distributed lines are available at special quantity discounts for bulk purchases for sales promotion, premiums, fund-raising, and educational or institutional use.
To the extent that the image or images on the cover of this book depict a person or persons, such person or persons are merely models, and are not intended to portray any character or characters featured in the book.
Special book excerpts or customized printings can also be created to fit specific needs. For details, write or phone the office of the Kensington Special Sales Manager:
Kensington Publishing Corp.
119 West 40th Street
New York, NY 10018
Attn. Special Sales Department. Phone: 1-800-221-2647.
Kensington and the K logo Reg. U.S. Pat. & TM Off.
LYRICAL PRESS Reg. U.S. Pat. & TM Off.
Lyrical Press and the L logo are trademarks of Kensington Publishing Corp
First Electronic Edition: October 2017
eISBN-13: 978-1-60183-609-0
eISBN-10: 1-60183-609-0
First Print Edition: October 2017
ISBN-13: 978-1-60183-610-6
ISBN-10: 1-60183-610-4
Printed in the United States of America
Chapter One
Black Friday was a hopping day for her diner, The Pantry. Tired Pineville shoppers stopped by in droves, happily dumping their bags and getting off their feet before diving back into the competitive sport of sales shopping. The bell on her register rang enough times to outfit heaven with an entire army of angels, which was why Allison Stuart was more than a little surprised to find herself not in her bustling restaurant, where she belonged, but out with the mob of other Christmas shoppers, mired in consumerism and 50 percent off deals.
Even more shocking was the half-nelson she had wrapped around a middle-aged woman wearing a sweatshirt with a smirking gingerbread man. Emblazoned across the front in a bold, red font were the words “Bite Me.” Allison seriously considered following the advice.
“Let go of me, you crazy b—oosh.” The woman went limp in her arms as a teenage boy dressed like an elf tripped over her flailing legs and landed with a thud on her stomach, knocking the wind out of her.
Never one to miss an opportunity, Allison grabbed the Caty Cowgirl doll, the cardboard box only slightly dented when the rabid mother had torn it from her hands. She rolled out from under the woman, scuttling away like a crab, her prize clutched to her chest. Her niece, Molly, wanted this damn doll, and she, as the doting auntie she was, was damned well going to give it to her. It wasn’t her fault it was the last one on the shelf or that the other woman had been too short to grab it from its high perch. The woman shouldn’t have walked down the aisle of Tinker Tots to look for something to stand on, not if she had been determined to land the prize. Nope, Allison had won the doll fair and square, and she was going to keep it.
The woman rolled onto her hands and knees, gathering her breath. When the woman drew herself to her feet, Allison was quick to jump to hers as well. She held the doll tighter and searched for something to defend herself with. A basketful of Wiffle ball bats stood at the end of the aisle, and Allison inched toward it. The way her opponent was eyeing her, she was going to need a weapon. Gingerbread Woman might have been short, but she was fierce.
The elf rubbed his elbow. “I’m sure I can help you both find just the toys you’re looking for. At Tinker Tots, we aim to make your shopping dreams come true.” The sing-songy slogan of Pineville’s premier toy store came out a little shaky as the teenager backed away.
Gingerbread Woman never took her eyes off Allison. “Do you have any more Caty Cowgirl dolls in the back?”
The elf tugged at his red-and-white-striped turtleneck. “Uh, no. All our inventory for that item is on the shelf, but—”
“Then the only way my shopping dream is going to come true is if I get that doll.” She leaped toward Allison, her fingers clawing the air inches