The Magic of Christmas

Fans of Pamela Kelley and Robyn Carr will love this small-town, feel-good Christmas romance!

Chloe thought she had the perfect life—until her husband left her and took everything they owned. Determined to make the most of each day, she moved to Sapphire Bay with her six-year-old son, Oscar, seeking a fresh start.

Liam’s recording the stories of small-town America for a book he’s writing. Despite herself, Chloe’s drawn to his passion for storytelling. When he asks her to help him uncover the truth behind a woman's disappearance more than one hundred years ago, she's as excited as he is.

But as Chloe grows closer to Liam, she faces a difficult decision. Liam’s nomadic lifestyle doesn’t provide the stability she needs for herself or her son.

With Christmas approaching, can she reconcile her feelings for Liam with the life she wants to build in Sapphire Bay? Or will she have to choose between love and the home she's always dreamed about?

In this heartwarming story, Chloe and Liam learn that sometimes, the perfect plan isn’t the one you create, but the one you find along the way.

THE MAGIC OF CHRISTMAS is the fourth book in the Love on Anchor Lane series and can easily be read as a stand-alone. All of Leeanna's series are linked. If you find a character you like, they could be in another novel.

Chapter One of The Magic of Christmas.

Chloe pushed open the door to her cottage on Anchor Lane, balancing the last box of fabric from the local elementary school on her hip.
With a smile, she gently nudged the door closed.

The smell of the chocolate chip cookies she’d made with her six-year-old son, Oscar, still lingered in the air. It made their cottage feel warm and cozy, and exactly like the home she wanted to create for them.

Until the 1930s, their cottage had been a vacation home for
people working on the steamboats crossing Flathead Lake. After decades of neglect, the last four cottages on Anchor Lane were remodeled and converted
into community housing. The third house on the lane was now her refuge, a safe
haven for her and Oscar after the horrible year they’d faced.

Chloe set the box down on the dining table. It was covered
with sketches and sewing supplies for the elf costumes she was making for the
school production. Oscar was on the floor, engrossed in a game with his toy
dinosaurs. His big, brown eyes sparkled with mischief as he made growly noises
and maneuvered his toys through an imaginary forest.

Before she’d moved to Sapphire Bay, Chloe’s life was
completely different. As the part-time Collections Development Manager at The
Smithsonian’s National Museum of American History in Washington, D.C, she’d led
projects that most people dreamed about.

Now, she was a part-time waitress in a small Montana town, and volunteered at the
local church.

“Mom, look!” Oscar exclaimed, holding up one of his dinosaurs
triumphantly. “This is the boss of everything!”

Chloe smiled. “Is he now? And what makes him the boss?”

“Because he’s the biggest and the strongest,” Oscar declared with the kind of certainty only a six-year-old could muster. “He can move the biggest rocks and keep the other dinosaurs away from his house.”

Chloe crouched beside him. “Well, it sounds like he’s a busy dinosaur. Maybe you and your dinosaurs can help me with the elf costumes later?”

Oscar’s eyes widened with excitement. “Can I make the hats?”

“Of course, sweetie. Between you, me, and your dinosaurs, we’ll make the best elf hats ever,” she assured him, ruffling his hair affectionately.

As she stood up, Chloe’s thoughts drifted back to the
soul-destroying divorce that had brought her here. She’d been married to Paul for eight years. His departure had been sudden and painful, leaving her to navigate a sea of uncertainty and change. She’d moved out of their home in
Washington, D.C. and flew halfway across the country, determined to create a stable, loving environment for Oscar. Every day was a step toward healing and rebuilding their lives.

A knock on the front door pulled Chloe’s thoughts out of the past. When she saw her next door neighbor standing on the veranda, she smiled.
From the day they’d moved into the cottage, Owen had been super friendly and
was happy to help with anything she couldn’t manage on her own.

He held up an empty measuring cup and wore an apologetic smile. “Hey, Chloe. I hate to bother you, but do you have a cup of flour I could use? Harper’s coming over for dinner and I’m making a cake for dessert.”

Chloe smiled. Owen and Harper had become engaged a few months ago, and she couldn’t be happier for them. “Of course, you can. Come in.”

Owen stepped inside, glancing at the boxes of fabric and the half-finished tunics sitting on the table. “It looks like Santa’s workshop in
here.”

“I’m making elf costumes for the school play,” Chloe told him as she took his empty cup. “Oscar’s really excited about it.”

Owen’s eyes softened as he watched Oscar. “Hey, buddy. How’s it going?”

Oscar looked up, beaming. “Hi, Owen! I’m playing with my
dinosaurs. Do you want to see the boss?”

“Absolutely,” Owen replied, crouching to inspect the toy. “That’s one impressive dinosaur you’ve got there.”

“It’s a T-Rex. My friend Tommy says it’s the strongest
dinosaur in the whole world,” Oscar said proudly, holding it toward Owen. “Do you want to play with me?”

Owen smiled. “I’d love to, but I have to finish baking a cake
for Harper. Maybe another time?”

Oscar nodded solemnly. “Okay. But you have to promise to play next time.”

“I promise,” Owen said, shaking Oscar’s tiny hand with mock seriousness. “And you can show me all your dinosaurs then.”

Chloe walked into the kitchen and filled Owen’s cup with
flour. By the time she returned, Oscar was showing him his toy trucks.

“Here you go, Owen.”

“Thanks. I appreciate it.” Owen stood and took the cup. “Harper’s been working a lot of extra hours. I wanted to surprise her with something
nice.”

“She’ll love it. If you need anything else, you know where to find me.”

Owen gave her a grateful nod. “Thanks. Have a good night, and good luck with the costumes.”

After Owen left, Chloe closed the front door and returned to
the living room. Oscar was still playing with his dinosaurs and humming a happy tune. Despite arriving in Sapphire Bay with almost nothing, she was proud of the new life they were building.

“All right, dinosaur man,” she said as she kneeled on the
floor beside her son. “Let’s make the elf hats.”

Oscar’s face lit up with joy. “Yeah! This is going to be the
best play ever.”

Chloe hugged him close and sighed. “I think so, too.”