Free Christmas Wishes and Mistletoe Kisses: A feel good Christmas romance novel by Jenny Hale Page A

just as smoothly. Abbey had a wonderfully colorful list of furniture to look for, and she couldn’t believe she was going to buy so much. Before she left each room, she checked the closets just in case there was anything in there that she could use. They’d been empty, and she almost didn’t check the one in the third room, thinking it, too, was probably bare. But something made her check, and was she glad she did.
    Abbey let out a gasp as she squatted down in front of the most gorgeous framed picture of a landscape. At first, she wondered why it wasn’t hanging up somewhere, but then she realized that Nick’s ex-wife had taken all the furniture, so why would he have this one picture up anyway? She pulled it out to get a better look. The picture itself had an overall green tone to it, the landscape full of trees and underbrush with the most incredible white waterfall slamming down onto jagged rocks below. It was some sort of print, she figured, but it was absolutely amazing—the scene looking more like streaks of color than an actual waterfall, even though it was clear that it was real.
    As she looked at her plan for the room, she realized that she’d gotten this room wrong. This picture needed to be the focal point. It was perfect in every way, and she couldn’t believe it had been abandoned in a closet. Since it was already there, it also boosted her confidence. This picture was certainly elegant enough; it had a dark wood frame and creamy-white matting. Abbey imagined gauzy fabrics in white with green accents, perhaps a lamp with the tiniest floral pattern on it. She saw bookshelves and dark wood furniture, a bright white oval rug to cover the dark hardwoods. She flipped her page over and began sketching, the picture inspiring her.
    When she was finished, she slid it back into the closet. This would be her surprise. Finally, she’d found something of Nick’s to include in her decorating. Even if it meant nothing to him, he’d said she could have free rein of the house, and it moved her. It was the perfect piece to include—almost like putting her stamp on the room. Abbey would pull his personality into this house any way she could. She felt such a need to make it his.
    With a smile, she closed her sketchpad and left to buy furniture, paint, and décor.
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    W hen Abbey returned , Richard informed her that her dinner had been prepared yet again, and Mr. Sinclair was waiting for her in the dining room. She didn’t want to be excited, but the truth of the matter was that she was happy about seeing him again. If it continued, however, she would have to mention that she should have some say in the matter. What if she’d already eaten?
    Abbey walked into the dining room and found Nick sitting in the same spot as last time, to the right of her plate. He stood up, greeting her with a smile. She sat down, and he followed suit.
    “Thank you for having dinner with me,” he said.
    “You’re welcome.” She was trying hard to act like this was a totally regular occurrence.
    “I took the liberty of having dinner prepared, hoping that you hadn’t eaten while you were out.”
    “I haven’t,” she said. “But I do promise I’ll start packing food so that you don’t have to keep feeding me.”
    He smiled again, his face amused. “You don’t have to pack lunches and dinners for yourself. Richard can easily have meals arranged.”
    “Are you sure?”
    “Yes.” He took a sip of his iced tea. She took in the flecks of silver in his blue eyes, the slight auburn strands in his dark hair, the masculinity of his hands up close.
    “Did your horse win?”
    He smiled. “No. I’m sorry.”
    She smiled back, trying not to think about the fact that he’d lost that money. She couldn’t even imagine what it would be like to have the loss of a thousand dollars have no impact on her life.
    “The reason I’ve asked you to dinner tonight is because I wanted to discuss what you think is going on with my grandmother. I went