Total pages in book: 89
Estimated words: 87181 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 436(@200wpm)___ 349(@250wpm)___ 291(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 87181 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 436(@200wpm)___ 349(@250wpm)___ 291(@300wpm)
All he wanted was for her to take her crappy first dates elsewhere…
Quirky Holly Jackson was unlucky in love, yet her romantic heart refused to give up her search for companionship—even after her fiancé left her at the altar on Christmas Eve.
Grumpy restaurant owner Kai Kane wanted nothing to do with love after his last relationship crashed and burned. Romance was the last thing on his mind. Unfortunately for him, when an eccentric Holly kept entering his restaurant nightly with a different first date, his annoyance grew.
When Kai volunteered to help Holly find a suitor it was for one reason only: to get her out of his restaurant and on to a second date with someone at a different location.
Once Kai became Holly’s dating coach, her confidence grew.
It was all going great until Kai became increasingly jealous of the connection Holly developed with another man. The more Holly fell for Kai’s pick for her, the more overprotective he became.
Kai quickly realized that all wasn’t fair when it came to love and the holidays.
He was going to have to step up his game if he wanted a shot at the ultimate prize—being Holly’s favorite date.
*The Holly Dates is a steamy, full-length romantic comedy that will put you right in the holiday spirit.*
*************FULL BOOK START HERE*************
PROLOGUE
Holly
Christmas Eve
“Are you sure about this?” Cassie asked as she fixed my wedding veil. I stood in front of a full-length mirror, staring at myself. I looked like my mother on her wedding day. That alone almost made me tear up.
My mom was the most beautiful woman I’d ever seen, so the fact that I saw a few of her characteristics against my face felt like a gift. My dark brown skin was the same shade as hers. My button nose and heart-shaped face matched hers, too.
I also had her smile, but my eyes belonged to Dad. Deep brown with traces of gold specks.
Mom was in the dressing room with me not too long ago, but she had to excuse herself because she kept tearing up, saying, “My baby’s getting married.”
If my emotions were like a river stream, Mom’s were like an ocean—expansive, complexed, and full of depth.
My heart raced as I stood in the most beautiful wedding gown.
Cassie continued to speak to me as my mind spun. “Because marriage is a big commitment, and we’re still so young, Holly, and—”
“I love him,” I told her, turning as my heart burst out of my chest. I glanced down at the engagement ring sitting on my finger. Warmth filled my chest as joy danced through my heartbeats. I knew I was making the right decision. I was choosing the man who chose me. “We’ve been together for years, and I don’t see the point in waiting. So, I understand you are giving me the best friend ‘last chance to run’ speech, but don’t worry. I picked the right one. There won’t be a runaway bride today.”
“Good,” she said, smoothing out her crimson silk dress. “Because the whole town is in the church right now waiting for you to walk down the aisle, and I didn’t want to have to deliver a maid of honor speech about how you ditched the whole ceremony.”
I snapped my fingers. “Oh, speaking of ceremonies….” I lifted my heavy gown into my arms and hurried over to my oversized purse. I pulled out a stack of papers and held them out toward Cassie. “I finished the chapters you sent me and made my edits.”
“What does that have to do with ceremonies?”
It had nothing to do with ceremonies, but with how my brain worked, I made odd connections. “You know there’s no real connection, but I remembered I had the chapters to give you.”
Cassie shook her head. “Are you working the day of your wedding?” She chuckled. “Mere minutes before you walk down the aisle?”
“What can I say? I’m passionate about what I do.” I grabbed a pen from my purse and took a few pages from her. “I thought about what we could add—”
“Holly,” Cassie scolded, snatching the papers back from me. “No work today.”
I pouted. “Only marriage today?”
“Only marriage today.”
“Fine, but back to work the second the day is over.”
“Maybe we should take Christmas day off, too.”
“Don’t be ridiculous. Romance novels aren’t going to write themselves.”
Since we were teenagers, Cassie and I had been co-writing books. We’d found early success with our pen name H.C. Harvey. We were currently on a very tight deadline with our publisher. That wasn’t shocking, though, because we were always on a tight deadline.
We’d been best friends since we were in grade school and grew up in the same small town of Birch Lake, Wisconsin, where everybody not only knew your name, but they knew your middle name, too, and probably the last four digits of your social security number. I moved out to Chicago a few years ago with Daniel, but I knew I always wanted to get married in our small town with our family and friends.
My address might’ve described me as a city girl, but my heart always had a soft spot for rural Wisconsin and my townspeople. All three hundred and two—correction—three individuals. I forgot that Kelly from the local bakery recently had her third baby last Sunday.
What better way to celebrate Christmas Eve than with a Birch Lake massive wedding?
“Okay, well, let’s keep focusing on the current situation. Let’s get you married,” Cassie said, not allowing any more work conversation. She handed me my bouquet, looking like she was on the verge of tears.
“What is it?” I asked her.
“Nothing, nothing. It feels real now, you know? Seeing you in the dress. I’m just terrified I’m going to lose my best friend.”
“Oh gosh, Cass. Don’t cry. I know you and Daniel hate each other’s guts, but I promise you won’t lose me. Besides, you’re half of H.C. Harvey. You literally can’t lose me. Otherwise, my bank account would suffer.”
She laughed gently and wiped the tears that were falling down her cheeks. “For the record, I don’t hate Daniel. I just didn’t think he was the one for you.”