Free Cowboy Christmas (A Henley Christmas Novella) (Down Under Cowboy series) by Kasey Millstead

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
    Troy – God blessed the broken road that led me straight to you... 
    To my four beautiful babies – I love you beyond measure.
    To Mel and Wurry, I think “ I II III IV III II ” says it all. Mwah.
    Thanks to Meri for listening to me rant and rave and for letting me bounce ideas of you.
    Thanks to my mum and dad, the best parents, ever.   And an extra special thanks to my mum who implanted a deep love of reading in me at a young age by reading The Adventures of Blinky Bill & Nutsy to me every night when I was a little girl. 
     
    “If you don't have time to read, you don't have the time (or the tools) to write. Simple as that.”
    Stephen King
     
    Thank you to Emily, again, you’ve gone above and beyond for me.  Never underestimate the depth of my appreciation for you and everything you do for me.  I’ll never be able to thank you enough!
    Kylie at Give Me Books blog – You. Are. Amazing!  You’ve become a great friend and I can’t wait to work with you more. Your dedication, hard work, professionalism and honesty is an inspiration.  You are one of the most devoted and enthusiastic bloggers I’ve ever met and I’m so glad I found you.
    Lisa Watmough at Rock Wat Designs – you are unbelievably talented and creative.  Thanks for keeping me stocked with unique swag.
    Thank you to the super talented Ari at Cover It! Designs for creating such a beautiful cover.
    To each and every blogger that participates in my cover reveals, blog tours and book blitzes – THANK YOU!!!  I wish I could list you all individually, but that would be a novel on its own!  Thank you for everything you do.  Your hard work never goes unnoticed and it’s appreciated from the bottom of my heart.
    To the girls in 101 – Wow! You ladies are such knowledgeable, friendly, helpful people.  I’ve learnt so much since I found y’all, and I’m so very grateful. <3
    Lastly, thank you to each and every one of you that reads this book.  You are making my dreams come true.
    A whole bunch of readers requested this book be written, so here it is. I hope you enjoy spending Christmas with the Henley’s and with your loved ones.
     
    Www.authorkaseymillstead.com
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    Goodreads.com – Kasey Millstead
    If you liked Fighting to Stay, please consider leaving a review on Amazon and Goodreads.

Chapter 1
    One Year after The Double Wedding
    JACKSON
    Merry fucking Christmas.
    It’s stinking hot outside – must be forty five degrees in the shade – it’s humid as Hell and to make matters worse, there’s a filthy hot breeze blowing.  You’d think I’d be inside, relaxing with my woman and kid, enjoying the coolness that only an air conditioner can provide.  But no, not me.  I’m outside in the heat, standing on a ladder and hanging fucking Christmas decorations from my guttering. 
    It’s December first and according to Edie, come rain, hail or shine, we have to put the decorations up today . I grab a rag off the top shelf of the ladder and wipe it across my face and chest to collect the river of sweat that is running down my body.  I take one of the little plastic clip things that Edie brought, and attach it to the gutters.  Then, I thread through the Christmas lights and repeat.  It’s the same process around the entire exterior of our house.  Edie went batshit crazy buying a couple hundred meters of lights and a whole bunch of other shit I don’t even want to look at, but I know I’ll have to put it all together after I finish here.
    I sigh.  Lucky I love the woman.  Be fucked if I’d be caught up here otherwise.
    “How’s it goin’, mate?”  Jeremy walks up and rests his ladder against a tree.
    “’Bout time you got here, a sshole.”  According to Edie, she and Ava had decided that the Christmas Light Operation (she had named it this) would be put into effect over two weekends.  Jeremy would help me at our house on the first