Previously published by Harlequin Books Single mother Samantha Dean doesn't have time for Christmas. Or romance, for that matter. She is weeks away from opening her own catering business, the most important part of her plan to provide her certified genius daughter Patty with all the wonderful things she deserves. Except Patty doesn't want to go to a fancy boarding school. She wants a father and when she meets bartender Murphy O'Rourke at her fourth grade Career Day presentation, she knows she's met the man of her mother's dreams! But can she convince her Mrs. Scrooge of a mom that it was time to give Christmas—and love—a second chance? Acclaim for the novels of Barbara Bretton “Bretton’s characters are always real and their conflicts believable.” — Chicago Sun-Times “Soul warming... A powerful relationship drama [for] anyone who enjoys a passionate look inside the hearts and souls of the prime players.” — Midwest Book Review “[Bretton] excels in her portrayal of the sometimes sweet, sometimes stifling ties of a small community. The town’s tight network of loving, eccentric friends and family infuses the tale with a gently comic note that perfectly balances the darker dramas of the romance.” — Publishers Weekly “A tender love story about two people who, when they find something special, will go to any length to keep it.” — Booklist “Honest, witty... absolutely unforgettable.” — Rendezvous “A classic adult fairy tale.” — Affaire de Coeur “Dialogue flows easily and characters spring quickly to life.” — Rocky Mountain News