Christmas at the Farmhouse

Their bargain could destroy the family rift he's trying to repair.

To keep her boutique store from closing its doors, Allie needs a leg-up...

Her grandparents bequeathed her cousin, Belle, their collection of valuable, antique Christmas ornaments. These vintage ornaments would fetch a high price. But convincing Belle to hand them over isn't likely. What she needs is an "in," especially since Belle is about to get married the day after Christmas.

Dating the groom's brother would do the trick.

The problem is, Bryce Holden and his brother Luke aren't on the best of terms either.

Will Allie help her cause by entering a fake relationship with him--or make things worse for them both?

If you like the heartwarming, small-town feel of Jessie Gussman and the enthralling romance of Liz Isaacson, then you'll devour this addictively moving series.

Buy CHRISTMAS AT THE FARMHOUSE, book three in Catelyn Meadows' stirring cowboy romance series, to enjoy this charming story today!

Chapter One

I stared at the notebook paper in front of me, and it stared back. Blankly.

So much for brainstorming. No matter how hard I tried to conjure them, no ideas were forthcoming.

It was probably the stress of the situation. The more you forced something, the more stubborn that thing seemed to get.

“I’m trying too hard,” I muttered.

Sitting on the table beside my notebook with her paws curled beneath her, Sunny gave an agreeable meow. With the onset of winter, the orange tabby’s fur had thickened, making her a little puffier than usual.

Happened to the best of us this time of year, I supposed, smiling as I scratched beneath her ears.

“How can I not try hard, though?” I went on, talking to the cat as though she were a viable contributor to my dilemma. “Everything I’ve done so far hasn’t worked—but I just know it will.”

My resolve had gotten me through many tough scrapes before. It’d helped me take action to secure my place on the cheer squad in high school; it’d helped me get my associate degree; it’d even helped me push through opening my business despite the surprise of Dad’s passing two years ago.

I wasn’t a quitter. I didn’t give up on things.

I wasn’t giving up on The Flora and Fauna.

I’d put too much into the store to let all of my efforts fail now. It’d taken money to invest in the building, to purchase inventory, not to mention the shelving and the racks for displaying that inventory.

I’d spent my savings on branding, on advertising—I’d even hired a second employee to help man the store, so I didn’t have to be there all the freaking time.

I was not giving up.

Store hours were done for the day. I’d closed at four—mostly because customers rarely came in that late in the afternoon—and had come home to work on some marketing ideas, but I’d made little headway. From the grumble in my stomach and the clock ticking beside the door, it would soon be time to heat up some dinner.

Frustrated by my lack of progress, I folded my arms on the notebook and rested my forehead against them. Sunny’s throat rumbled and she rubbed her head against mine.

My dad always said everything would be better by Christmas. It didn’t matter what the problem was or even what time of year it was when problems occurred.

The quarterback broke my heart? It’ll be better by Christmas.

Sprained my ankle during cheer practice? It’ll be better by Christmas.

I’d held onto that adage with everything I’d faced thus far in my twenty-three years of life. And this conundrum with my store was no different—though, really, Christmas was in four weeks.

I’d hoped the holiday season would drive up sales, but it hadn’t. I couldn’t see how I could save The Flora and Fauna in that timeframe.

When I lifted my head to pet Sunny, movement stole my attention. Through the open blinds, I caught sight of my neighbors moseying to their unit across the courtyard from mine.

Bex Cutler—now Bex Holden—wasn’t just my neighbor; she was my employee. She and her cute kids had moved into the Wayfair Apartments last spring.

The handsome cowboy she’d eloped with last June, after she’d moved in, held one end of a tall pine while she and her young son handled the tip, and they scuffled step by step closer to their apartment.

The sight of them hauling a Christmas tree, with her two little girls toddling alongside them, warmed my heart.

Bex and her kids had had that effect on me since I met her. She was kind and had this calming persona that made me instantly like her.

She felt like she was an older sister, somehow, like Leigh. Like someone I could look up to and ask for advice. When I found out she was my new neighbor and that she needed work? I couldn’t help myself.

At the time, I knew I couldn’t afford to hire her, but my hope had overridden sense and I’d offered her a position anyway. We’d managed to make things work.

I wouldn’t say ends were meeting. In fact, despite the many different ways Bex had tried helping me, finances were tighter than ever.

I wasn’t about to tell her that, though.