Their Yuletide Promise Read online

  Evie’s life is all work.

  Until she invites Griffin to play!

  Workaholic Evie McClaren will do anything to prevent the sale of her family’s hotel. Even fake a holiday romance! Wealthy charmer—and prospective buyer—Griffin James seems delighted to play along...providing steamy, realistic PDAs under the mistletoe. Wait. Was that last kiss real? All Evie wants for Christmas is the Hillcrest House Hotel. And all Griffin wants...is Evie by his side—for real.

  “So, what is this offer?”

  “Me.”

  Evie’s dark brows gathered in an adorable frown as she tried to work out what Griffin was saying. “Yes,” she agreed, before stating, “your offer. What is it?”

  “No, sweetheart, you don’t understand. I’m offering you my...services.”

  Her jaw dropped, and it took all the strength he had not to erase the distance between them and press a kiss against her parted pink lips. He contented himself with pulling her close enough to feel the softness of her breasts against his chest and the brush of her thigh between his own.

  “I’m offering to help you find a balance between your professional and personal lives.” He congratulated himself on a phrasing that would appeal to Evie’s logical mind.

  “So we’d—what, exactly? Pretend to go out to fool my aunt into thinking I have a life?”

  He couldn’t help it. He laughed. “Or we could simply go out together with no subterfuge involved. Take tonight for example—hanging out at a bar, having a few drinks, dancing... This is what having a life feels like, Evie.”

  And yet for all the living he’d done during his teens and twenties, he’d never felt anything quite like holding Evie McClaren in his arms.

  * * *

  HILLCREST HOUSE:

  Destination...romance

  Dear Reader,

  Christmas books will always have a special place in my heart, not only because I love to read them but because my very first Special Edition had a Christmas theme. I’m thrilled to be revisiting the most wonderful time of the year in Their Yuletide Promise!

  From the beginning of my Hillcrest House series, no-nonsense, strictly business Evie McClaren has been hard at work in the background. Nothing is going to distract her from her goal of one day running the family hotel—certainly not a flirtatious playboy like Griffin James.

  But when her aunt worries that Evie is spending too much time focusing on business, Evie comes up with the perfect plan for the holidays. All she has to do is follow the four f’s—family, friends, fun and falling in love—to prove to her aunt that she can run the hotel and still have a life. Burned by love in the past, Evie doesn’t have any intention of actually opening her heart, but this is the season of miracles...

  Though Evie doesn’t know it, Griffin James has a plan of his own. Griffin has been intrigued by Evie since the first time they met, and if she’s looking for a boyfriend to kiss beneath the mistletoe, he’s the man for the job! But will an agreement that’s meant to last only through the holidays ring in a New Year and new life together for Evie and Griffin?

  I hope you enjoy Their Yuletide Promise, the final book in the Hillcrest House series. If you’ve missed the previous books, you can find both The Best Man Takes a Bride and How to Be a Blissful Bride online.

  I always love hearing from readers at [email protected] or on Facebook.

  Hoping all your yuletide wishes come true!

  Stacy Connelly

  Their Yuletide Promise

  Stacy Connelly

  Stacy Connelly has dreamed of publishing books since writing stories about a girl and her horse. Eventually, boys made it onto the page as she discovered a love of romance novels. She is thrilled that her novel Once Upon a Wedding was recently turned into a movie titled Christmas Wedding Planner.

  Stacy lives in Arizona with her two spoiled dogs. She loves to hear from readers at [email protected], at stacyconnelly.com or on Facebook.

  Books by Stacy Connelly

  Harlequin Special Edition

  Hillcrest House

  The Best Man Takes a Bride

  How to Be a Blissful Bride

  Furever Yours

  Not Just the Girl Next Door

  The Pirelli Brothers

  His Secret Son

  Romancing the Rancher

  Small-Town Cinderella

  Daddy Says, “I Do!”

  Darcy and the Single Dad

  Her Fill-In Fiancé

  Temporary Boss...Forever Husband

  Visit the Author Profile page at Harlequin.com for more titles.

  Join Harlequin My Rewards today and earn a FREE ebook!

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  To all the Special Edition authors I’ve had the pleasure to meet over the years... I’m thrilled to be counted among such talented writers!

  Contents

  Prologue

  Chapter One

  Chapter Two

  Chapter Three

  Chapter Four

  Chapter Five

  Chapter Six

  Chapter Seven

  Chapter Eight

  Chapter Nine

  Chapter Ten

  Chapter Eleven

  Chapter Twelve

  Chapter Thirteen

  Chapter Fourteen

  Chapter Fifteen

  Chapter Sixteen

  Chapter Seventeen

  Excerpt from A Man of His Word by Sandra Steffen

  Prologue

  “Are you sure you don’t want me to stay?”

  Evie McClaren glanced up from her computer screen, surprised to see her cousin biting her lower lip as she stood in the doorway. It was a sign Rory was worried when she had no reason to be.

  “I’ve got this,” Evie reassured her. “I’ve done the math.” She placed a hand on the business plan she’d printed out. “With the work you’ve done establishing Hillcrest House as an all-inclusive wedding destination, occupancy rates—and profits—are up. Once I show Aunt E the projections, she’ll forget all about selling the hotel.”

  Her stomach hollowed out as she said the words. Selling Hillcrest House... She still couldn’t believe her aunt was even considering an offer from a national chain. One that would turn the unique Victorian with its floral-themed suites into a bland, carbon-copy hotel where all the rooms would look the same whether in Portland, Oregon, or Portland, Maine.

  “I can’t even imagine losing this place. I mean, I thought we loved it when we were kids...” Rory’s voice trailed off. As young girls, they had roamed the halls of Hillcrest like it was their very own fairy-tale castle, weaving once upon a times and never doubting one day their princes would come. “It means even more to me now.”

  Rory had never lost her belief in happily-ever-after, a faith that had only grown since she’d found the love of her life. Evie was glad for her cousin. She really was. She simply didn’t have time to hear about it. Again.

  So before Rory could start in on how romantic it was that she’d met her now fiancé at one of the weddings she’d coordinated, or how her brother, Chance, and his bride-to-be, Alexa, had reunited right here at Hillcrest House, where the elegant hotel brought two hearts together with its blend of magic and romance and blah, blah, blah—Evie reminded Rory of an upcoming appointment with a potential bride and ushered her cousin out of the small office.

  Settling back at her computer, she clicked the mouse. A slideshow of colorful graphs and cha
rts flashed across the large monitor. Maybe she should have had the meeting in one of the hotel’s larger rooms and used a projector for bigger impact.

  But with her aunt arriving in five minutes, it was too late to second-guess herself. Besides, her aunt didn’t want bells and whistles. Cold, hard numbers were the way to go. Evie was sure of it.

  Half an hour later, Evie was no longer sure of anything.

  Staring at her aunt, she sputtered, “But the numbers...” She gestured to her business plan—one that detailed the hotel’s occupancy rate, the increased revenue, the growth projections for the next five years. The one her aunt had barely glanced at before setting the spiral-bound document aside.

  “I know what the numbers say, hon.” Reaching up, the older woman tucked a short strand of hair behind her ear. A few months after chemotherapy, Evelyn’s once-color-treated auburn hair had grown back into an almost-pixie style with a wisp of silver-streaked bangs falling across her forehead.

  The small sign of victory over the deadly disease filled Evie with a sense of relief and pride. Her aunt was a fighter and no one in the family was surprised that she’d beaten cancer. But Evie was still getting used to her aunt’s new look...and new outlook.

  Because Evelyn’s hair and more casual clothes—today, a colorful broomstick skirt and peach tunic sweater—weren’t the only changes. Everything about her aunt was more comfortable and relaxed. All of which made Evie feel strangely on edge.

  “Running the hotel takes a level of commitment, of...sacrifice,” Evelyn began.

  “I know how hard you’ve worked all these years, but that’s why my idea is so perfect. I’m ready for the challenge. This job, Hillcrest...” Though Evie reminded herself this was a business meeting and she was a professional, she couldn’t help the tremor of emotion as she said, “It means everything to me.”

  Though she had always scoffed at her cousin’s belief in the hotel’s magic, Evie had fallen in love. She’d fallen for the history, the stability, the permanence of the gorgeous Victorian mansion.

  Crunching the numbers, overseeing the staff and managing the business side of the historic hotel did more than simply satisfy her CPA brain. Her success—after public and private failures—had started to heal her broken spirit. She felt that she’d come full circle, that all the heartbreak of the past had led her back to Hillcrest House and to a future running the hotel.

  Her aunt’s smile was tinged with a sadness Evie recognized but didn’t understand. “And that’s the problem,” Evelyn said.

  Evie shook her head, refocusing on the logic of her argument. “No, Aunt E, there’s no problem. I’ve done the research—”

  “Evie, sweetie, I’m not talking about the research. I’m talking about you.”

  “Me?” She was the problem? There wasn’t a single equation where Evie hadn’t factored in turning Hillcrest House into an even bigger success. How could she be the problem? “I—I don’t understand.”

  “You’re a young woman, and it’s a Saturday night. You should be out.”

  “Out? Out where?” With her head spinning, Evie was unable to silence the inane question. None of this made sense.

  “Out with friends. Out having a good time.”

  “I don’t have any friends here. I haven’t had...”

  “Time?” her aunt filled in when Evie’s voice trailed away as she realized a split second too late that she was adding to, rather than subtracting from, her aunt’s argument. “If this illness has taught me anything, it’s that there’s more to life than work. There’s family and friends and falling in love.”

  With her thoughts still reeling, Evie had no idea what they talked about before her aunt said her goodbyes. Dropping back into her chair, she stared at her computer until the screen blurred and tears burned her vision.

  Eyestrain. Nothing more than eyestrain.

  Evie wasn’t the emotional type. Certainly not someone who would break down and cry just because her aunt, her namesake, the woman she had admired and emulated her entire adult life, didn’t think she was the right person to take over the family hotel.

  And the ridiculous reason why her Aunt Evelyn didn’t want Evie taking over? Well, that was almost enough to make her laugh.

  Love?

  Once upon a time, Evie had believed in love. She’d spent the past two years paying for that mistake.

  The PowerPoint slide shifted, the colorful graphs and charts flashing her five-year plan across the screen and making a mockery of all her hard work. She’d built the business model step-by-step and...

  Leaning forward, she reached for the mouse and hit the button to freeze the slides. She blinked a few times to clear the darn eyestrain. If there was one thing Evie knew, it was how to follow through on a plan. This time she didn’t even need to formulate the steps to success. Her aunt had already given her specific instructions. If Evie wanted to take over Hillcrest House, all she needed to do was to prove to her aunt that she could run the hotel and have a life.

  Straightening her shoulders, she rolled her chair closer to the computer and got down to business. Determination burned through her disappointment like wildfire. “I’ve got this,” she muttered beneath her breath.

  Family...friends...fun...falling in love...

  How hard could it be?

  Chapter One

  Four weeks later, Evie realized her plan was not going to be as easy to pull off as she’d hoped. And if her aunt thought sitting in her office alone on a Saturday night was pathetic? Well, Evie had discovered something far worse.

  Sitting in a bar alone on a Saturday night.

  As she stared at the bottom of her martini glass, ignoring the conversation and laughter ringing out all around her, Evie had to give herself a little bit of credit. She had actually made some progress on the first three items of what she was calling her 4-F plan.

  Evie had made sure she attended the McClaren family Thanksgiving gathering though leaving the office hadn’t been easy. After all, she’d had inventory to reconcile, monthly invoices to review, financials to prepare for the upcoming year-end audit.

  Even so, she’d been only half an hour late to dinner. And she had made sure to keep her phone on Vibrate during the meal, though she had needed to excuse herself a few times during dessert to take calls from the hotel staff.

  On the friends front, she’d gone shopping on Black Friday with Rory and, well, Rory’s friends. How her cousin had already forged such strong ties baffled Evie, but the other women had welcomed her warmly even though she was well aware she was leeching off her cousin’s friendships.

  She might have even had fun, ticking off the third item, had her single status not become more and more apparent as the women shopped for their significant others. Evie had no one special to shop for and, standing around in the men’s section, listening to their romantic plans for the upcoming holidays, that final F—falling in love—had never seemed more out of reach.

  Which brought a fifth F to mind.

  Failure.

  Evie shoved the thought from her mind. She would not fail. Not this time. Not that she had any intention of actually falling in love.

  Pressure filled her chest, and Evie sucked in a deep breath to keep the unwanted, messy mix of emotions from exploding. All she needed to do was prove to her aunt that she was putting herself out there. That she was spending time with family and friends and...dating.

  That was the goal Evie had set for herself: securing a date for both her cousin Chance’s Christmas Eve wedding to Alexa Mayhew and the upcoming New Year’s Eve Ball. Her aunt would be on hand for both events, and Evie would not—could not—go alone.

  She had the perfect plan. Now she needed the perfect man.

  But with the wedding a week away, Evie was no closer to finding a date than she was to finding a magical unicorn. And instead of embracing the holiday spirit, she felt fa
r more like the Grinch trying to find a way to keep Christmas from coming.

  Honestly, did people actually enjoy doing this kind of thing?

  Not that she’d intended to be sitting alone in a bar on a Saturday night. She was supposed to be on a second date with a guy she’d met online. Only he’d canceled at the last minute. Evie couldn’t blame him. She’d delayed their initial coffee date twice and then an emergency at the hotel had called her back before her espresso had cooled enough for her to take more than a single sip. This time, a problem with his own business had forced Wade to no-show. Evie supposed that was what she got for trying to find a man too similar to herself.

  Maybe she needed to look for someone who was a little less of a workaholic. Someone a little more...fun.

  Evie was in the right place for it. Clearville’s Bar and Grille was decked out for the holidays with an odd mix of wreaths and garlands hung amid the neon beer signs. Rock-and-roll Christmas carols blasted from the jukebox. Groups of men and women filled the high-top tables and the length of the bar. The appetizers ordered by the couples on either side of her were typical bar food; the scent of the battered onion rings and buffalo wings alone was probably enough to clog her arteries. But the drinks...

  Evie tipped back the wide sugarcoated rim of her glass, somewhat surprised to find herself down to her last swallow of the candy-cane-garnished peppermint martini. She waved to capture the bartender’s attention.

  “It’s happy hour,” he announced over the loud music as he set two empty glasses in front of her. “Two for one.”

  “Perfect,” she muttered. Even drinks came in pairs nowadays.

  A loud cheer rose from the crowd gathered around the garish garland-draped pool table, and Evie glanced across the bar. High fives and money were exchanged as one of the players was declared a winner.

  “Time to put your money where your mouth is, Travis! The guy ran the table on you!” one of the bystanders announced as he took the pool cue from his dark-haired friend.