Sealed With a Kiss

Fans of Netflix's Virgin River series will love this small-town, feel-good romance!

When Rachel agrees to tutor John’s young daughter, Bella, the last thing she expects is to fall in love with the reclusive billionaire. He’s sweet, kind, and tormented by the tragic death of his wife.

As they spend more time together, Rachel discovers a shared longing for connection, for the empathy and solidarity that are missing from each of their lives.

But, as Christmas approaches, a threat looms, placing Bella in harm's way and forcing John to confront his deepest fears. In the face of danger, he's prepared to sacrifice anything to protect his daughter—even if it costs him the chance at a love he never expected to find.

Will Rachel and John discover that sometimes, the most profound love stories begin with a simple willingness to open your heart to the unexpected? Or will an uncertain future tear them apart? This is a story of hope, resilience, and the transformative power of love waiting just beyond the horizon.

Rachel parked her car outside her friend’s apartment. For the entire ride across town, she’d been thinking about the envelope sitting on the seat beside her, the exciting news that would bring a smile to Annie’s face.

For the last couple of months, Rachel had been helping a group of friends who’d started The Bridesmaids Club. They gave donated bridesmaids’ dresses to women who couldn’t afford to buy their own. 

Most weeks, at least a dozen dresses were sent to her friends, packed in boxes, bags, and anything in-between. Sometimes she helped with the dress fittings, but her main job was to sort through the letters they received. She made appointments for the bridesmaids to see the dresses and contacted the people they couldn’t help. 

Nearly a year ago, a letter had arrived from a little girl called Bella. Rachel’s friends had spent weeks trying to find her, but it wasn’t easy. With no return address and no last name, the glittery card with sparkling jewels had become their mystery card. The only clue to where she lived was the Bozeman postmark on the envelope.

Bella’s big, round handwriting made them smile, and her request had touched their hearts. She didn’t want a bridesmaid’s dress. She wanted a bride for her daddy. 

Rachel picked up Bella’s envelope. She was almost positive she’d found the little girl they’d been searching for. 

Stepping out of her car, she headed toward Annie’s apartment. The cold October wind tore through her coat and left her shivering on the doorstep. They were lucky it hadn’t started snowing. Montana’s weather could be unpredictable at the best of times but, during the fall, they could have four seasons in one week. 

Annie opened her front door just as Rachel was about to knock. “Tell me you have good news.” 

“What’s happened?” Closing the door behind her, she stared at the boxes scattered around the living room. Annie was getting married the following weekend. After lots of careful planning, she was determined not to get stressed or give in to the last-minute pre-wedding nerves most brides seemed to develop. 

Annie ran her hands through her hair. “Dylan’s mom’s driving me insane. She doesn’t like the table favors we’ve chosen. I knew we should have waited until next April to get married. Why did I want to have a short engagement?”

“Because you love Dylan and couldn’t wait to be his wife.” Rachel glanced at the tulle and ribbon bags they’d filled two nights before. “What’s wrong with peppermint creams? I thought Dylan’s mom liked peppermint.”

“So did I, but she’s found a company in Vermont that makes maple toffee crunch brownies. One of her friend’s daughters got married last weekend. The brownies were the most delicious thing she’d ever tasted. They come in individual boxes, gift-wrapped with ribbon, to match the theme of the wedding.”

“But this is Montana, not Vermont,” Rachel said carefully. She didn’t want to get between Annie and her mother-in-law but, with one week left before the wedding, it wasn’t the time to be changing anything.

“Precisely. But is she listening to me? No. Dylan called her this morning, but she’s determined to have the brownies. She called the company and they can send enough boxes to us by Friday. She even offered to pay for them. What am I going to do?”

Rachel took off her coat and scarf and left them on the back of a chair. “What difference does it make if you have the brownies?”

“Nothing, if they arrive in time. We could give the sixty bags of peppermint creams to someone else. But it’s the principle that counts. Dylan and I have spent months getting everything ready.”

“Do you want my advice?”

Annie nodded. “You’re the sanest person in the room at the moment.”

“Go with the brownies. No one will be worried if they don’t get peppermint creams.”

Annie moved two pairs of shoes off a chair and sat down. “I suppose you’re right. It’s just so annoying.”

“Welcome to the world of families. Dylan’s mom probably had the best of intentions when she mentioned the brownies.”

“If she’d had those same intentions two months ago, it would have been better,” Annie grumbled.

“I have some news that’s better than the brownies.”

Annie frowned. “Did you find the animal costumes from last year’s Christmas play?”

“I don’t think we’ll ever see them again. A teacher must have left them in a box somewhere. This is more exciting than lost costumes.” She waved Bella’s envelope in the air. “Do you remember this?”

Annie looked closely at the brightly colored envelope. “Is that Bella’s card?”

Rachel nodded and smiled. 

Annie’s eyes widened. “You’ve found her? How did you do that? We spent weeks searching for her.”

“The reason we couldn’t find her is because she’s homeschooled. Her dad travels around a lot with his job. She has a tutor who goes with them when they need to leave Montana.”

“Does Bella’s dad really need a bride?”

“I don’t know. I haven’t spoken to him.”

Annie grinned. “I’d like to hear that conversation.”

“You can if you want to.”

“Let me guess…Molly, Tess, and Sally didn’t want to go with you?”

Rachel really hoped her friend took pity on her. “Molly’s getting ready for another exhibition, Tess is baking like crazy for a Halloween party, and Sally’s busy teaching.”

“Sounds like it’s you and me, then.”

“Only if you can spare the time,” Rachel said quickly. “I know Bella’s last name, but I don’t know where she lives or what her father’s name is. If it takes more than a few days to find him, you’ll be well and truly on your honeymoon.” 

Annie walked across to the kitchen. “Bozeman isn’t a big city. It shouldn’t take too long.” 

“I hope you’re right.” Pulling the pretty card out of the envelope, she re-read the message. Dear Bridesmaids Club. Can you please help my daddy find a bride? 

Bella’s words had brought back so many unhappy memories, that she had to find her. After weeks of searching through every public record she could get her hands on, she’d almost given up. Then, amazingly, Bella had walked into Rachel’s classroom.

Hopefully, finding the little girl’s father would be easy. 

The hard part would be telling him his daughter was looking for a mom.

* * *

John Fletcher stared at the release form in front of him. He’d been working with the Department of Defense for the last year, creating a prototype drone that would change the way surveillance operations were carried out around the world.

The drone had passed the field tests and they’d provided all the information the Special Ops Unit wanted. Now all he had to do was sign on the dotted line and his bank account would be millions of dollars better off.

“Are you going to keep staring at the contract or sign it?” Tank, his friend and one of the former Navy SEALs who worked with him, wasn’t known for his patience off the battlefield. But leave him in the middle of an alligator-infested swamp, and he could stay still for hours.

“Did Connor encrypt the schematics?”

“All done.”

“And Sam sent the files through to Tanner?”

Tank focused his flat stare on him. “What’s wrong?”

John wasn’t going to admit he’d had misgivings about this project long before they’d started the design phase. Tank didn’t need to know about the conversations he’d had with top-ranked officials in the Department of Defense or the issues that kept him awake.

He picked up a pen and signed the contract. “Make sure this leaves here today. I don’t want it getting into the wrong hands.”

Tank slid the document into a brown envelope. “It’s safe with me.” 

John didn’t believe anything was safe. He’d learned a long time ago to listen to his instincts, and his instincts were screaming at him to be careful. “Take Connor with you. He knows his way around the Pentagon.”

Tank didn’t bother saying anything. The look he sent him said it all. 

“And don’t spend too much time in Virginia. I have another job for you.”

Tank grunted. “Middle East or Europe?”

“Neither. Texas. A senator needs an escort to New York City in three days’ time.”

“I’ll call you when I get back. Try to get some sleep tonight.”

Tank left and John sat back in his chair. He turned toward his first-floor window and looked across the garden. 

Fletcher Security was based in a historic building on the outskirts of town. It had been built in the 1860s as Montana’s first flour mill. When he’d bought the property, it was derelict and in serious need of repair. Over the following two years, he’d rebuilt most of the interior, keeping as much of the character as he could, and recreating the rest. 

No one seeing the red-brick building would know what went on inside the property. He provided high-risk security services for clients around the world. He’d gathered together an elite group of men and women, mostly ex-military, all dedicated to their roles in his company. Their list of clients, past and present, was impressive. 

John didn’t advertise—he didn’t need to. Word of mouth traveled faster than an ad in the New York Times. The uber-rich of the world knew how to find him. What most people didn’t know was the other side of his business. The side that had been giving him sleepless nights for the last few weeks.

Developing state-of-the-art surveillance software was a side product of what they did. Out of necessity, they’d had to look at other ways of keeping track of their clients and their property. When Samantha Jones joined his company, she’d quickly slipped into the role of Technical Development Manager. She had a PhD in electrical engineering from one of the most prestigious universities in the world and a mind that was never content with the word ‘no’.

Sam pushed the limits of whatever project she was working on, and the drone was no exception.

The phone on his desk rang and John reluctantly answered it. He’d told his secretary not to put any calls through unless they were urgent. Apart from World War III breaking out or anything to do with his daughter, he was hoping to have a few hours to work on another project.

“What is it, Gloria?”

“Sorry to bother you, but a Rachel McReedy is here to see you. It’s about Bella.”

The hair on the back of John’s neck stood on end. “What’s happened?”

“I don’t know.”

He ran through Bella’s schedule for the day. She’d still be at home. Her ballet class didn’t start for another hour and the people looking after her would have contacted him if something was wrong. He’d made sure nothing concerning his daughter turned into a life or death situation. Ever.

He glanced at the folders on his desk. “Send her through, but warn her I don’t have a lot of time.”

He walked toward his office door. Whatever his visitor had to say would have to be quick. He had a project plan to work through and clients he needed to contact.

If he finished early, he’d meet Bella at her ballet class. Tutus and pink tights had to be better than worrying about surveillance drones. And a lot less dangerous, too.