Lakeshore Chronicles [10] Candlelight Christmas Read Online Free PDF

Collins.”
    “Huntley’s older brother. How is everyone handling that?” asked India.
    “We’re all so terribly civilized about it. My folks and the Collinses go way back to their college days. We are meant to get along no matter what.”
    Darcy had not been able to bring herself to tell her family about the cheating. They had no idea how hard it was for her to simply grit her teeth and pretend she had smoothly moved on with her life, to pretend that the Collinses’ son Huntley had not shredded her heart into irreparable bits. “I’m already dreading the holidays,” she confessed. “Our families have been swapping host duties for decades. My mom and Rachel Collins are already planning the usual joint celebration at Thanksgiving.”
    “You could spend the holidays with us,” India said.
    Darcy imagined her family’s horror at the prospect of her defection. Their holiday traditions were chiseled in stone. The season always started off with a Thanksgiving feast that would make Martha Stewart green as collectible glass with envy. After that, the holidays kicked into high gear—the plans, the shopping, the food, the music. The previous year, she had made the mistake of trying to join in, and the stress had nearly wrecked her. The prospect of enduring even a salmon mousse canapé in the presence of her ex-husband made her nauseated.
    “What do you say?” asked India. “I swear, my family would love to have you.”
    “Seriously?”
    “Sure. We usually all go to my folks’ place in Florida, at Paradise Cove. The house is huge, and located right on a private beach, a surfer’s mecca. You can sit on the sugar-fine sand, sipping a fruity drink, and let your ex deal with the mess he made.”
    “Surfing? Do you know how tempting that sounds?”
    “That’s the idea—to tempt you.”
    “I might take you up on it. Wait a second. Is your brother going to be there?”
    “Yep.”
    Darcy couldn’t stop herself from flashing on an image of Logan O’Donnell in board shorts and flip flops, on a sugar-sand Florida beach.
    “I’ll think about it,” she said. She probably wouldn’t be able to stop thinking about it.
    India peered at the shady street ahead and switched on the headlamps. “Hey, do me a favor and see if the hotel brochure has directions. We’re staying at the Inn at Willow Lake.”
    Darcy found a colorful flyer and angled it toward the light. “There’s an annex in the middle of town, and the main location is on the lake.”
    “We’re staying at the one on the lake.”
    “It’s easy to find, then. Just stay on the Lakeshore Road and we’ll come right to it. Looks gorgeous in the brochure.”
    “I’m sure it is. Just as an aside—the owners, Nina and Greg Bellamy, are Logan’s former in-laws.”
    “Wait, what? His ex is their daughter?”
    “Hazard of life in a small town—eventually, everyone is connected.”
    “So, was he married to Charlie’s mother for long?”
    “No. They tried to make it work for Charlie’s sake, but they realized it wasn’t right and never would be. It was hard, watching him struggle to hold them together. There was...drama. Maybe someday Logan will tell you all about it.”
    “Assuming I want him to tell me. Assuming he wants to.”
    “Ah, Darce. I know you’re still raw, but I promise, things will get better. After his breakup, Logan was kind of a mess for a while, but he came out of the fog.”
    “Meaning he climbed right back on the horse, so to speak.”
    “I think it’s a guy thing. They tend to start dating right away. He hasn’t had a serious relationship yet, though. Just a string of...distractions, I guess you’d call them. Daisy, his ex, is remarried now, living in Oklahoma with her new husband. That’s why Logan’s time with Charlie is so precious—he has to split custody with Charlie’s mom.”
    Darcy pictured the little boy, an adorable mixture of sweetness and mischief, his wavy red hair matching his father’s. “Just so you know,