Book excerpt: Christmas is the worst time of the year for Hope Hardcastle. Recovering from a disastrous divorce, every thought, every child’s voice reminds her of the daughter she was forced to leave behind. To make matters worse, her new neighbor is a handsome single guy, with a daughter about the same age as her own. Just speaking to either of them is an exercise in pain, so it’s easiest to simply ignore them and hope they’ll go away. Joshua Michaels is a single dad, struggling to get through the holidays after the death of his wife. He’s not looking for a new relationship, but the lady next door intrigues him enough to consider it. And a little feminine companionship would be nice, too. With the holidays rapidly approaching, Hope and Josh are thrown together to get through the season but when he discovers her darkest secrets, he’s determined to give her a holiday she’ll never forget.