Blurb:
Army veteran
Alessandra Castillo just wants to be left alone. Life has been tough since her
deployment in Afghanistan, and the holiday season makes it even more difficult.
Unemployed and homeless, she’s currently living with her brother, who refuses
to let her avoid all things social.
Enter Brad Kovac,
youth pastor and good friend of Alessandra’s brother. He’s tall, gorgeous, and
outgoing, three things guaranteed to catch Alessandra’s interest. At least they
would have caught her interest before she survived an assault by a fellow
soldier. Now all she wants to do is run from him and avoid anything resembling
a relationship.
Will God provide a
miracle in time for Christmas, or will Alessandra lose her chance for romance?
Author:
E.A. West,
award-winning author of sweet and inspirational romance, is a lifelong lover of
books and storytelling. In high school, she picked up her pen in a creative
writing class and hasn’t laid it down yet. When she isn’t writing, she enjoys
reading, knitting, and crocheting. She lives in Indiana with her family and a
small zoo of pets.
For more information
visit: http://eawest.mcphitty.com
Excerpt:
Chapter One
“I can’t believe I let
you talk me into this.” Alessandra Castillo glared at her older brother and
tugged on her coat. “I need a job and an apartment, not a social life.”
“Actually, you need
one of those too.” Tony picked up the box of craft supplies sitting on the
kitchen counter and shoved it into her arms. “Besides, you like kids.”
“Kids, yes. But what do
I know about teenagers?” She shifted the large cardboard box, getting a better
grip on it. “I’ve never worked with them.”
“You used to be one,
and not that long ago, so you know enough.” He hefted a second box and guided
her toward the door that led into the garage. “Besides, it’s not like you’re
going to be all alone with them. The youth pastor is going to be there.”
Alessandra sighed as
she passed through the door he held open. “I have a great idea. Why don’t you
help the teenagers make wreaths, and I’ll untangle the Christmas lights?”
“Sorry. You know I’m
hopeless when it comes to crafts. Besides, I already told Brad you were going
to help him.” Tony popped the trunk of his dark green sedan and set his box
inside. “He’s looking forward to meeting you.”
“So you’ve said.” She
nestled her box beside his then stepped back and crossed her arms. “But you
still haven’t given me a good reason why I should want to meet him.”
“Because he’s a good
man and a strong Christian. Just the kind of man you need in your life.” Tony
closed the trunk and headed for the driver’s door.
Alessandra fought the
urge to follow him and smack him upside the head. As if she didn’t get enough
grief from every woman in their family about her singleness. She didn’t need
her brother playing matchmaker as well. He should know better, anyway,
considering she’d caught her last boyfriend with another woman. She hadn’t
bothered to tell him about the sexual assault she had dealt with from a guy in
her company after that, but the cheating boyfriend should have been enough to
get through to him.
He opened his door,
and then looked at her. “Let’s go.”
She blew out a breath
and climbed into the front passenger seat. As he pressed the button on the
remote to open the garage door, she turned toward him. “I know this Brad guy is
your friend and works at your church, but please don’t try to fix me up with
him. A relationship is the last thing I need right now.”
“Can I at least
introduce you to people so you can make some friends?” Tony glanced at her as
he started the engine.
“You’re not going to
let that social life thing go, are you?”
“Nope. Everybody needs
people they can count on. People they can hang out with and relax around.”
She stared out the
window at a stack of boxes containing her belongings as he backed out of the
garage. “I had that.”
“Yeah, but you don’t
have that here.” He braked and laid a hand on her shoulder. “I know things are
tough for you right now, but I’m trying to help.”
“I know.” She sighed
and glanced at him. “I do appreciate everything you’re doing for me, but this
time of year is hard.”
“And that’s why I’m
trying to keep you busy and get you connected with other people.” Tony gave her
shoulder a squeeze, and then backed down the drive. “You’ve got to get out of
your head to find Christmas cheer.”
“Christmas
cheer...right.” She looked at her car sitting on one side of the drive and
wished she was in it instead of stuck with her brother.
Thankfully, he let the
sarcastic comment slide. He lived for the Christmas season, as did most of
their family, but she couldn’t do it this year. She hadn’t been able to do it
last year or the year before either. Something about being deployed in
Afghanistan and dealing with the constant threat of death and violence had
killed holidays for her. Or maybe it was the friends she’d lost over the years.
Memories of her childhood best friend drifted through her mind.
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