Oct 14, 20203 min read

A Family for Christmas by Nola Cross - "Genuine Love" - Excerpt

"You’ll find a likable, believable couple, an adorable kid, and the magic called love that ties them all together. Take a chance, pick this one up, and discover this part of Last Stand, Texas for yourself." —Keeper Bookshelf

A Family for Christmas

He never thought he’d have a real family Christmas…

For the past eight years, Bill Smith has been unable to set down roots. But he never forgot the magical night he spent with an auburn-haired beauty in Last Stand, Texas. When she finally tracked him down, he was more than happy to donate a kidney to AJ, the son he never knew he had. But now that AJ is better, Bill wants more time with him and his mother. He wants a family.

Annie Burleson can’t help but be grateful to this almost-stranger for saving AJ’s life. Still, she’s a little wary. AJ has already been through so much—what if Bill leaves again? And with Christmas in full swing, it’s difficult to discern which emotions are festive and which are forever.

As Annie and Bill’s lives collide, their mutual love for AJ makes this more than a marriage of convenience. But is it enough to give them the family Christmas they all deserve?

Enjoy an Excerpt from

A Family for Christmas

That night after the fishing expedition, Bill found himself lying awake, staring at the ceiling and thinking about the boy’s request for a brother. It was a natural thing for a child to ask about, but he himself had managed to push all thoughts of sex with Annie deep to the back of his mind. Now that he allowed the idea to bloom in his head, the memories of their one time together, all those years ago, came flooding through him.

This time he let himself remember everything: the silk of her skin, the scent of her hair, the plaintive sounds she made as he touched her. The way she had moved beneath him, welcomed him inside her. The more he let himself remember, the worse his body ached. Then Lucky began to snore, two beds away, and Bill knew all possibility of sleep was gone.

He stood up and took his jeans from the chair beside the bed, pulled them on, and put on his boots and jacket. Then he quietly made his way to the door. Outside, the Texas sky was black and clear and lit with a million stars. The land rolled, dark and mysterious, for more miles than he could see. Up on the ridge, a coyote began to sing, the eerie notes quivering as they echoed against the barn. He shivered. He knew how that coyote felt. He’d been alone for a good part of his life. But now he had the chance for something different. He had a son. And next Saturday he’d have a wife, too, if in name only.

Is that what he wanted?

Meet the Author

Nola Cross began writing before she even started school and won her first writing contest at the age of nine. It’s always been her dream to be an author, and in recent years she’s been blessed to be living that dream. Her stories focus on emotion, spirit, and true love, stories she hopes her readers will relate to and want to read more than once. Small town America is her favorite fictional setting.

Nola lives with her husband and youngest son in a comfortable old fixer-upper in the foothills of the Cascade Mountains, in southwest Washington state. She loves to connect on social media with readers, authors and other friendly folks.

Connect with the Author: nolacross.com | Facebook | Twitter

Series: Contemporary Western Romance

Series: The Burlesons of Texas, book 2

Publisher: Tule Publishing

Release Date: October 8, 2020

Type: Novel

Content Rating: 5 Hearts

View our rating system

Nola Cross will be awarding a $10 Amazon/BN GC to five randomly drawn winners via Rafflecopter during the tour. Must be 18 years or older to enter. Void where prohibited by law. This giveaway is sponsored by the author and organized by Goddess Fish Promotions.

Thank you for visiting and reading!

Feel inspired? Want others to experience the book magic? We hope you'll support this author by sharing with your friends. Have you read the book? Let us know your thoughts!