In the spirit of Christmas and to celebrate my upcoming book release on December 21, I’m sharing another excerpt from Rocks and Flowers in a Box (a Christmas scene!):

You can order it on Amazon in Kindle e-book or paperback here.

Please note that the paperbacks are already available for shipment. If you preorder the e-book, it will be delivered to your Kindle on Dec. 21. Know a book lover? Why not gift them my book? They will receive the e-book right on their Kindle on release day if you click that little gift button on the Amazon page! Or a paperback makes a lovely present!

Although this is the second book in the Lorna and Tristan series, you can totally read and understand it just find without reading the first book (Lorna versus Laura), but if you want to get the first book, too, that would be wonderful! 😉

Tristan and I lounged on the couch. My eyes lingered on the tree, the warm glow of the strands of lights the only source of illumination. Beyond the window where I once watched Tristan pace among his rocks in what seemed like another lifetime, snow fell in a whimsical ballet in the silent night.

The snow had been coming down when we stepped out of church at midnight an hour ago. When we arrived home, we stood hand in hand in the driveway and listened to the stillness. A world at peace. A world not at war for the first Christmas in six years.

“How are you not asleep?” I whispered to Tristan, nuzzling his ear with my nose.

He chuckled. “Some nights are worth staying up.”

“Tell me your favorite Christmas memory.”

He kissed the top of my head and placed his hand on my stomach. “This one, right here.”

“But this isn’t a memory yet.”

“It will be, one day. Every moment that passes pushes it into the past.”

“Don’t wish it away so quickly.”

“On the contrary, my darling. I’m cherishing it.” He cupped my chin with his hand and brought his lips to mine in a gentle kiss.

When we parted, I rested my hand on his cheek. I gazed into the low light dancing in his eyes. He closed his eyes as he leaned into my touch.

“Do you remember when we saw Meet Me in St. Louis last year?” I asked.

Tristan’s eyes popped open. “Sure. Why?”

“The song Judy Garland sang…‘Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas’…do you remember it?”

Tristan laughed. “I hope you’re not asking me to sing.”

I giggled. “Of course not. I was just remembering the lyrics. I can’t recall all of them, but something about all our troubles being out of sight in the following year.”

“It spoke of hope. You cried during that part of the film.”

I nodded. “I was hoping, you know…with it being Christmas and all, Chucky would come home.”

“I know and I’m sorry.”

“Would it be too much to wish for one more miracle? You’re alive. I’m pregnant. Now, if only he were here, why, it would make the perfect Christmas.”

“Do you want to pray?”

I took Tristan’s hand and squeezed it, nodding, my tears on the verge of spilling over.

He enclosed my hands in his and whispered, “God, I’m not good at this. I don’t know the right words, but my beautiful wife tells me You don’t expect us to come with poetic words. I’m a writer. I’m used to writing eloquently, but when I speak, I mess it up. What I’m trying to say is…thank You. Thank You for everything. It’s more than I could’ve imagined. Me, especially me. Now, if You could bring back my darling’s brother safe and sound, that’d be great. I see the sadness in her eyes, even when she smiles. Thanks for listening…and thanks for Christmas and what it means. You know what I’m getting at. Um…amen.”

“Thank you.” I kissed him. “That was the sweetest thing.”

“I sounded like a fool.” Tristan yawned. “Maybe I’m too tired to think straight.”

“You got it right.”

“I got it right when I met you.”

We share a lingering kiss. Then Tristan took my hand, pulled me to standing, and guided me to our bedroom.