December Brings Me Back to You: The Carringtons

By Erin Berkeley

Meet THE CARRINGTONS and then fall in love with them.  They are a family of strong, determined alpha males and passionate, feisty females who fall in love with their perfect match.  Each book is set in a charming small town and even though they are all connected, they can be read as a standalone.

BOOK DESCRIPTION:  A young widow haunted by the ghosts of Christmas past.

Noelle Winters is dreading Christmas, the anniversary of her husband's death. But she puts on a brave face. She has to. Her son, Aiden, depends on her. She's determined to make Christmas merry for both of them. But her best intentions might not prove enough. Her dream of opening her own bakery, Puff n Stuff, might not come to fruition if the bank doesn't approve her request for a loan.

Even worse, her husband's best friend shows up on her doorstep. She hasn't seen Shane Carrington in years and his visit is a complete surprise. His concern touches something inside Noelle's heart. Shane is kind. Gentle. He makes her feel cherished and her heart stirs for the man who has always been so dear to her.

Shane is also a blessing to Aiden since he has become the role model her son needs, especially as Aiden has been getting himself into trouble lately. 

Unsure and afraid to risk her heart on a fleeting flirtation, Noelle wants nothing more than to brush off the attraction. But Shane isn't going to let the ghosts of the past steal Noelle and his happily ever after.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Erin Berkeley
• Release date: Dec 9, 2017
• ISBN: 9781386405931

Book preview

CHAPTER ONE

Whoever said Christmas was a season for merriment, hope and joy, probably needed to spend a day—heck, maybe a week—in her shoes.

While she prepared the icing for the cupcakes that were cooling on the rack, Noelle glanced out of the window. Snow fell in big, heavy flakes. The yard looked glorious, blanketed in all white. But she didn’t have time to enjoy it all. She was on a tight schedule. In an hour, she needed to leave for her meeting at the bank.

Mom, I found the mittens, Aiden, her son, announced as he marched into the kitchen. They were under my bed.

Noelle turned towards the only light in her life. Her twelve-year old son—the reason she lived and breathed.

A tall boy with curly hair, his cheeks retained the baby fat that would soon disappear. He would be a teen next year and those round cheeks would fade away.

For now though, he was her little boy, her rock—she loved to take care of him. A smile curved over her lips at his rueful expression. Honey, if you’d cleaned the room yesterday like I asked you, you would have found them.

His grin looked sheepish, but also a little naughty. Yes, mom.

Now, you need to pop the second tray of cupcakes into the oven. She filled the icing in the tube, ready to prepare the first batch. And then whisk the batter for the third batch.

Awww, mom! He groaned. I wanted to watch a show on Discovery.

If you hadn’t earned a punishment, you could’ve been doing that right now. Expertly, she applied the emerald-green icing on the cupcakes. She picked up the sprinkles, dropping them on top. Perfect. Her baking skills were legendary. That’s why, despite holding two jobs, Noelle took orders on the side for parties and other events. Of course, her ultimate goal was something else. She wanted to open her own bakery, Puff n Stuff, and she’d already set things in motion. If everything went as she expected at the meeting with the bank, she would be able to quit her jobs and start her own business within a matter of weeks.

When she glanced at her son, who seemed to be studiously whisking the batter, love welled in her heart. Her pride and joy, but sometimes—like most pre-teens, he messed up. After having been caught smoking pot in school with some older kids, he was grounded for two weeks and enlisted to help fulfill her pre-Christmas orders. It would be a good lesson, he could learn the value of hard work, figure out that it didn’t pay to defy his elders and hopefully, never do it again.

Raising a child single-handedly wasn’t the easiest job, but she always felt up for the challenge. Today, she was filled with optimism and hope. If the meeting went well...it became her mantra. The meeting will go well...She kept repeating it in her head as she boxed the first batch of chocolate fudge cupcakes.

Together, they worked at a brisk speed, mother and son.

The doorbell chimed. Noelle took out the second batch and left it on the cooling rack. Let me see who that is. She pointed her finger at her son. You keep whisking that batter, Mister.

When she opened the door, her heart began to race. Shane! Come in. Noelle stepped aside to allow him to enter. Oh, my God! How are you? She grabbed his arm. It’s been too long.

The handsome, hunky Shane Carrington had been one of her husband’s oldest friends. They joined the army together after high school. Noelle was a year younger than they were, but she hung out with them often enough in school, especially after Liam and she started dating.

The years were kind to Shane. His wide, angular face looked slightly thinner than she remembered, but the vibrancy in his aquamarine-blue eyes seemed to be the same. They were startlingly sharp and bright. He wore his sable hair, a rich dark brown color that looked almost black, a lot longer than she remembered, but it added to his allure. Shane Carrington never lacked female company and when he got married, there were many women who were left with broken hearts.

Shane almost looks good enough to eat. The thought popped through her head, unannounced and unwanted. In comparison, she probably looked old and dowdy.

Noelle, you look great. He negated her thought almost as if he’d heard it.

But of course, that wasn’t possible.

Thank you. She laughed, still feeling a bit self conscious. When did you come back? How long are you here for? The question no army wife or friend dared to ask, because the time was always too short. When Liam was in the army, she never asked the duration of his holiday. It became a taboo question. He would offhandedly tell her at some point and she would be grateful for the couple of weeks she had with him.

Shane’s lips lifted in a smile that didn’t quite reach his eyes. I took an early retirement from the army, he declared. Got some—things to work on.

Noelle told herself not to ask any questions. She couldn’t. Not with her history. That’s great, Shane. Welcome back. Where had he been posted? Iraq? Afghanistan? She didn’t know. She heard the clatter of dishes in the kitchen. Aiden. Suddenly remembered her cupcakes. Come on into the kitchen. I was just doing some baking.

While she led Shane into the kitchen, memories flooded in. Of him with Liam, of all of them. Their picnics together, of a road trip they went to before Shane got married. He’d been very close to Liam and understood her pain. He missed Liam terribly after his death and spent a lot of time at their house, hanging out, helping her with chores, or just sitting there, letting her know he was around and available for assistance. She appreciated his concern, even relied on him on those early days to get her through, but then he went away—and she learnt to make do without any support.

Now, since he was back, she wondered what their relationship would be like. It wasn’t a vacation for him. He’d be here for good. Then like all others, he would get busy with his job and family. She would hardly see him. The thought of how she would lose him to the everyday grind of life sent a lance of pain straight through her heart. The feeling was unexpected and strange. She didn’t have any claim over him. He belonged to another woman.

Yeah, he replied. Something sure smells delicious! At the door, he halted and stared at the tall boy, who quickly gulped down the cupcake he’d inhaled in his mother’s absence. Wow! Is that Aiden? Look how he’s grown.

Noelle forgave her son for eating the cupcake. She’d made some extras. Isn’t he? He’s twelve years old. She ruffled his hair and grinned. Pretty soon, I’m going to have a teenager on my hands.

Aiden shot her a look that said, ‘Mom, why are telling this dude my business?’

Shane shook his head. He sure does look like—Liam, you know. The resemblance is uncanny.

Noelle dared not glance at her son. He didn’t like when people compared him to his father. She could understand his ire though. Liam died five years ago when Aiden was only seven. Then for most of his childhood, Liam had been posted abroad. He didn’t remember his father or anything much that he did with his old man. Yeah, he is, Noelle finally spoke, thinking she needed to change the subject to something safer. So, how is Ava?

There. That should do it.

I haven’t seen her yet.

Say what? She didn’t know how to react. Not seen her yet? Something’s off, way off.

He laughed.

Though, once again, she felt as if he was faking it. What the heck was going on?

I just came directly from the airport. I’m going home now. Just thought I would drop by to say hello...

A man, who hadn’t seen his wife for more than a year, didn’t drop in somewhere else unless there were issues that needed to be sorted out at home. Is there trouble in his marriage? Noelle didn’t keep in touch with Ava. Although, Liam and Shane were close friends, somehow Ava and she never hit it off. They met socially with the men, but they were just too different. Ava was younger and a little pampered, too. As an only child of rich parents, she boasted an air of entitlement that Noelle could only dream of.

The proverbial privileged child of over-indulgent parents.

In many ways, she was Noelle’s opposite. She was one of four children who’d started part-time work at fifteen. In college, she worked throughout to support herself. There’d never been a time in her life when she didn’t have to earn money. Even when Liam was working, she worked as a sales assistant in a boutique and on weekends as a chef’s apprentice.

Noelle poured the last batch of cupcakes into the molds and popped them into the oven. She plucked a plate from the cupboard and placed some cupcakes on it. I’m sure she’ll be happy to see you. And now that you’re back, you can have a normal life.

One that I never had a chance to live.

Yeah, sure. Shane’s gaze traveled to Aiden who still hadn’t said a word. How are you doing?

Fine, thank you. Aiden’s glance toward his mother looked secretive, but a little hostile.

Noelle understood his concerns. For some odd reason, he’d become fiercely protective and didn’t like any man who hovered near her. But Shane was Liam’s friend. There wasn’t anything Aiden needed to worry about.

Or was there?

Why did Shane come here instead of going home? Weird. She saw his gaze settle over her as she covered the cupcakes with foil. Shane was a nice guy. She liked him. But this was a strange situation. She didn’t want him to confide anything about his marriage to her. At least not yet. Hopefully...not ever. For one, he’s married and two, he was her husband’s oldest friend. Why did he show up here? Did he want to talk about Liam? Well, she didn’t. At least, not now. Would you like some coffee? she offered. A cupcake?

No, thanks. I just wanted to see you. Shane appeared to be at a loss for words.

She could see he’d also caught on to the incongruity of the situation.

Still, he made no move to go. Are you working? he asked then shook his head. "Sorry. Silly question—I meant, where are you working?"

At a bakery downtown and on weekends, I go over to the hospital to work in the cafeteria. I took a day off today. The look in his eyes was enough to convey his sympathy. She didn’t want it. Sure, she had to work harder than others did, but not so much more than many single mothers, she knew who spent most of their time putting food on the table. The money is good.

And the cupcakes?

Just a side order, she said in a breezy voice. It was for a purpose, however. Her desire was to save enough money to buy one of the electronic games Aiden wanted for Christmas. He’d had his eye on it for a long time, but she simply didn’t have enough cash to buy it...Now she would. With this and a couple of other pre-Christmas orders, she would make it work. Her son wasn’t going to be deprived of things just because he didn’t have a father. She was quite willing and able to fill in both roles.

That’s great. Shane stood. I—well, I should go.

Aiden shifted slightly as if he longed to seize the man’s hand and drag him to the door. Mom wants to open her own bakery, he blurted out, the first thing he’d said since Shane stepped into the room. Soon.

Shane lifted his eyebrow, perhaps sensing the resentment in the boy’s tone. Yeah? That’s great.

Noelle felt a bit nervous about how he just blurted it out, but yeah, it was her secret dream. I’m working on it. She picked up the plate she’d prepared and held it out to Shane. Here, take this with you. And give my love to Ava. It’s been a long time.

Yeah, it has. He smiled that sweet smile of his. Now that I’m back, maybe we can hang out again?

Noelle saw the scowl on Aiden’s face. Not happening with her son around. He wouldn’t like it. Sure, she said easily. As if Ava would let him spend time with a widow and her son in any case. She moved in different circles, but she could tell that Shane needed to hear it. Was it because he still wasn’t over Liam’s death? She sure hoped that wasn’t the case. Noelle didn’t have the energy to devote to his grief. She had her own issues to sort out.

When he reached forward to take the plate from her hand, his fingers brushed over hers. It was an innocent gesture, a subconscious one. But she felt a sizzle and burn. It seemed so unexpected, so bizarre, that she snatched her hand away even before he could hold the plate properly.

It wobbled but he gripped it before it fell on the floor. His gaze immediately darted to hers.

She could see that he was on to her. For an instant, she saw something in his eyes as if he wanted to snatch her hand back and draw her forward, but then the look disappeared. Maybe she imagined it, or was projecting her feelings on to him. A burst of desire? Something she long buried. Noelle hadn’t allowed herself to think about another man ever since Liam died. She didn’t have the time to indulge in a meaningless relationship. Aiden was the man in the house. For now, it was enough.

Does Shane feel something, too?

If she faced some facts, she would admit their chemistry was old. She’d felt it ever since they first met, but Liam was the one who won her heart. She loved him, but Noelle was always aware that Shane liked her. He never made a move, never even hinted, but she knew it with a woman’s intuition. Now, the feeling seemed even more intensified.

Then there’s the fact that he’s married. He just came back from army duty and probably had his own demons to fight. Well, she couldn’t help him with that. Not after what happened to Liam. Then, to top it off, she was the mother of a pre-teen son.  

Nothing could ever happen between them.

Thank you.

She could tell he wanted to say much more, but didn’t quite have the words. Good. She also didn’t want to raise those issues. Goodbye, Shane.

He nodded,