Claiming His Christmas Inheritance Read online

  “I was an interesting child, to say the least.” Zed chuckled.

  “You obviously haven’t changed.”

  He gazed at her. “Should I take that as a compliment?”

  “Most definitely.”

  He warmed at her kind words, and an idea came to him. “Tasha, question for you. Do your friends give you a hard time about not being married?”

  “Uh, yeah. All the time.”

  “Mine, too. Ad nauseam.” He whooshed out a long breath. “What if I told you I may have a way for you to make some substantial cash to achieve your business dream, as well as get your friends off your back about marriage once and for all?”

  A flicker of concern flashed across her face, and he sensed her guard was going up. He got it. He was virtually a stranger and she didn’t know where he was going with the conversation.

  Zed gulped, as if readying himself to be submerged under water for a lengthy period, then uttered words he never thought he’d say. “I was thinking we could get married.”

  C.J. Carroll loves movies, history, literature and the arts. She is a hopeless romantic who first started telling stories as a child with her sixty-plus Barbie and Ken doll collection. C.J. loves chick lit and believes chocolate should top the food pyramid. Additionally, C.J. is a huge aerospace and NASA fan. She hopes that her stories entertain and uplift, and that her readers feel the loving touch of God’s hand. C.J. resides in Denver, Colorado, with her cat, Monkey.

  Books by C.J. Carroll

  Love Inspired

  Claiming His Christmas Inheritance

  Visit the Author Profile page at Harlequin.com.

  CLAIMING HIS CHRISTMAS INHERITANCE

  C.J. Carroll

  And the Lord answered me, and said,Write the vision, and make it plain upon tables, that he may run that readeth it.

  —Habakkuk 2:2

  This book is dedicated to my mom, M.J. Carroll, who always believed in my dream to become an author and who is now my guardian angel.

  Acknowledgments

  I’d like to thank “my girls,” who always believed and supported my writing dream: Tamera Trueblood, Dina Kauffman, Cantel Brown, Maryann San Antonio, Latrievette Garcia, Anjali Baughman, Cassandra France, Diane Nelson, Sydney White, Diane Thornton, Kim Church, Tamara Conley, Judy Sherman, Helen Gray, Alex Robinson, Carmine Lapsley Haynes, Katie Ford, Vicky Hildner, Claire Brownell, Nancy Nicely, Bonnie Hahn, Allison Riola, Haley Osborn, Freddie Davis, Cindy Fane, Bridget Arend, Ginger Maloney, Mary Marcus, Michele Towers, Jendayi Harris, Shelly Urban, Kathy Keairns, Kathy Matzen, Beverly Jones, Karen Drew, Bettina Klattfaistnauer and Jodi James.

  Also, thanks to Carolyn and Isaiah Roach, Leta and Steve Strom, Gina and Don Burman, Pam and John McDermott, Ray and Lonna Whitaker.

  And thank you Antonio McGee (my best guy friend), Taylor Ohlsen, John McCloud (and Ansley), Jim Williams, Ron Olin, Chris Fry, Tom Radigan and my CU/DU crew!

  Finally, I’d like to thank my editor, Dina Davis, who has an amazing editor’s eye, has been wonderfully supportive and took a chance on me.

  Contents

  Chapter One

  Chapter Two

  Chapter Three

  Chapter Four

  Chapter Five

  Chapter Six

  Chapter Seven

  Chapter Eight

  Chapter Nine

  Chapter Ten

  Chapter Eleven

  Chapter Twelve

  Chapter Thirteen

  Chapter Fourteen

  Chapter Fifteen

  Dear Reader

  Excerpt from An Amish Baby for Christmas by Vannetta Chapman

  Chapter One

  Tasha Jenkins’s heart fluttered wildly, like the tiny wings of a baby bird. She squeezed her eyelids shut. “You can do it, girl. You got this.”

  It’s my first Christmas alone in the world.

  Her eyes flickered open, and she stared at the familiar purple Victorian in front of her. A salmon-stained sky, dotted with wispy, cotton-ball clouds, provided a splendid backdrop to the spectacular structure.

  Every Christmas since Tasha was eight, she and her single mother had visited the historic Avenue Parkway neighborhood of Vista Peak, Colorado. They loved to admire the turn-of-the-twentieth-century homes’ holiday decorations.

  Although it wasn’t the fanciest or most ornately decorated house in the neighborhood, the purple Victorian was their favorite. Its charming amenities, unusual color and the sense of home and family it evoked for them contributed to the special feeling they both had about the place.

  But this time there was an empty spot beside her where her mom used to stand, clasping her hand.

  Tasha admired the house’s wraparound porch, decorative turret and scalloped shingles. Her gaze roamed lovingly over the carved columns, spindles, ornate molding and lavender trim. Three massive evergreens, lightly dusted with snow, surrounded the house like stoic sentinels.

  A large white wreath hung on the front door. Multicolored ornaments filled several oversize vintage lanterns on the porch. Giant red-and-green peppermints on sticks, a nativity scene and a miniature Christmas village were displayed in the yard.

  She bit her lip and peered heavenward. Lord, I miss my mom. She was my North Star. Sorrow at the unfairness of her mother’s untimely death, after a hard life, threatened to consume her. Can You hear me, Lord? Do You really care? Grief shredded her heart.

  A vehicle door abruptly slammed behind her, and Tasha turned to discover a tall, brown-skinned man exiting a silver Ford F-150 truck.

  She quickly wiped away rogue tears.

  “Miss, are you okay?” The inherent kindness gleaming from his eyes nearly did her in.

  “Yeah. I will be,” she said.

  Narrowly built, but muscular and defined, the man appeared well over six feet tall. While his crisp white shirt, a forest green-and-red plaid sweater-vest, gold bow tie, black pants and vintage wingtip shoes he wore harkened to another era, the stranger appeared to be around her age—in his mid to late thirties.

  “Quite a beauty,” he said.

  Shocked at his full-frontal approach, Tasha blushed at the compliment. She was grateful her cinnamon-brown skin hid physical signs of embarrassment—especially when she realized he was looking past her.

  Oh my, he meant the house, not me.

  Tasha quickly recovered. “That it is,” she replied as if she understood his intent all along.

  He scrutinized her. Understanding lit his features, and he grinned. “You thought I was complimenting you.”

  She winced. She’d never mastered keeping a neutral face. “Guilty as charged.”

  A deep-throated, hardy chuckle escaped his lips. Irises the color of sunlight shimmering through honey observed her. “Wait one moment while I uninsert my foot from my mouth.”

  She raised her hand in protest. “No worries.”

  “You know, the compliment most definitely works both ways.” His eyes grazed her face like a gentle breeze caressing a flower.

  Tasha willed her heart to continue to beat normally. Oh, the brotha’s got game. Slow your roll, playa-playa. Your charm won’t work on me. Even if you are as fine as Mr. Michael B. Jordan, Mr. Bradley Cooper and Mr. Idris Elba combined. With a cherry on top.

  Nevertheless, she had to acknowledge his kudos was nice. “Thank you,” she replied.

  Embarrassed and eager to move on, Tasha earnestly returned her attention to the grand edifice in front of them. She hugged herself against the brisk air. “Visi
ting this house has been a Christmas tradition for me since childhood. I used to come here with my mom, Violet-Sage. She died in January. This is my first Christmas without her.” Her throat tightened.

  The stranger’s expression radiated compassion. “I’m sorry for your loss.” His deep voice, tenderized by sympathy, touched her.

  “Thank you. Coming here for the first time without her is hard. Visiting this Victorian and Union Station in Denver afterward was our annual Christmas holiday ritual. That’s where I’m headed next.”

  His happy countenance dissolved at the mention of Union Station. Why? Most people loved the iconic, historic place.

  Emotions swirled within her at the thought of her new normal without her mother, and fresh tears filled her eyes.

  The man produced a crisp white handkerchief from his pocket. She couldn’t hide her surprise at his outdated gesture. She’d only seen men use handkerchiefs in old movies.

  He grinned. Killer dimples appeared, more potent than kryptonite. “I’m kinda old-school.” He handed her the handkerchief.

  Tasha took the hankie and dabbed her eyes. The crisply folded cotton material smelled faintly of his woodsy cologne, and she resisted the urge to deeply inhale the wonderful scent.

  She returned it to him. “Thank you.”

  He placed the handkerchief in his pocket. “The holidays must be hard without your mom.”

  “My only consolation is that she is in no pain now and that she’s with God, and one day I’ll see her again. She was my true north, my only family.” Tasha heard the warble in her voice.

  “I get it.” His countenance darkened. “Both my parents are gone, too.”

  She sensed further subtext in his statement, but he didn’t elaborate.

  Tasha tried to collect herself. “My dad was never in the picture. I think my mom’s secret fantasy was to meet someone someday, fall hopelessly in love and live in a grand house like this one.”

  The man studied the Victorian before gazing up at the patches of blue sky, which peeked between the pink clouds. His view finally settled back on her. “Maybe your mom’s looking down from heaven, praying the same thing for you one day.”

  Tasha half chuckled, half snorted. Mortification engulfed her. Her awkward, quirky cackle was not pleasant. “Uh, yeah—no. She’d know that would be a waste of time.” She’d had her heart sliced, diced and served back to her cold one too many times by men to care anymore. Rejection had shattered her hopes.

  The guy’s eyebrows leaped in apparent surprise.

  Chin defiantly elevated, she met his gaze. “Marriage is not the endgame for every woman,” she sternly declared.

  He raised his hands in surrender, regret rolling across his face. “Sorry. My bad. I shouldn’t have presumed.”

  Her heart melted. She hadn’t meant to sound so testy. “It’s okay. I should be used to such assumptions by now. The idea about my mom watching over me was a nice thought, though.” She produced a smile, hoping it softened her blunt words.

  Down the street a large truck with a tractor bed chugged toward them. It roared past, rumbling like an angry mechanical beast. The massive vehicle left a charcoal-black cloud of smoke as a parting gift.

  Tasha guessed the big rig was probably headed somewhere in the neighborhood, carrying cargo to build yet another modern plywood-boxed McMansion—functional, yet devoid of character. Sadly, even small towns like Vista Peak weren’t immune to the rapidly changing landscape of neighborhoods that bigger cities like Denver were facing.

  They covered their mouths against the noxious fumes, until the haze dissipated.

  The stranger held out his hand. “I’m Zedrick, by the way. My friends call me Zed.”

  Tasha shook his hand. She liked the way his big, sturdy hand, corded with robust veins, swallowed her slender fingers in a secure grip.

  She noticed he didn’t offer a last name. Maybe his off-the-chart good looks made him an easy target for lady social media trackers.

  If her assumption was correct, he needn’t have worried. She considered love a four-letter word. Tasha knew people found this a bit ironic, considering her profession as a wedding planner.

  Truth be told, she was a hopeless romantic—when it came to other people. I’m the vaccine to love. I’m immune, playa.

  “I’m Tasha,” she replied. Two can play at your no-last-name game. She returned her gaze to the house, before observing him again. “Are you a fan of the place, too?”

  An odd look flashed across his face. It quickly disappeared. His jaw flexed. “You could say that.”

  Zed’s phone chimed, and he removed it from his pants pocket and peered at the screen. A look of regret crossed his face. “Sorry. I should take this call.”

  “No worries,” she said. “I should probably get going. Nice meeting you.”

  “You, too,” he replied.

  Tasha headed toward her royal blue Mini Cooper parked across the street. Climbing into the vehicle, she watched Zed as he stood in front of the Victorian. He was certainly a fine-looking man with his high forehead, sharp-edged square fade haircut and chiseled features highlighted by a wide, flat nose.

  However, she noticed the once-light expression on his face had turned serious. The call had obviously sobered him.

  Even though he was a stranger, the call and the break in their meeting had disappointed her, and she couldn’t quite figure out why.

  She finally fired up the car’s engine, eager to fulfill her second holiday tradition for the day, as well as celebrate her birthday. After doing a U-turn, she zipped through Vista Peak’s downtown square and headed to the highway toward Denver.

  When she arrived in downtown Denver and pulled into a parking place, her phone pinged. She looked at the number. Tasha rolled her eyes in exasperation. Another bill collector hot on her trail. “You can’t draw blood from a turnip,” she yelled at the ringing device. Frustration and weariness rolled through her.

  You’re not gonna bother me today. It’s my birthday and I won’t let you ruin it. I’m taking a vacay from all my cares and worries. She hurled the phone back in her purse.

  Tasha exited her vehicle and fed the meter. She took a few deep breaths to calm her nerves and headed down the block to Union Station.

  Upon approaching the building, Tasha stopped in her tracks, captivated by its majestic beauty. The stately structure stood like a proud grand dame at the edge of Denver’s glittering skyscrapers. The building’s Italianate design made of rhyolite, pink lava stone and limestone was even more glorious during the Christmas season because it was festooned with decorations. She lovingly observed one of her favorite features, the building’s tall, narrow windows, framed by arches bearing carved columbines—Colorado’s state flower.

  Tasha entered the building. The loveliness of the train station’s interior always left her breathless. She admired the ornately carved cream-colored crown molding and breathtaking, sparkling chandeliers.

  A large Christmas tree with festive oversize ornaments towered over the east entrance. A line of people stood waiting to take selfies by the tree. Most appeared to be families. They laughed and posed, their eyes glistening with apparent love and holiday cheer.

  Loneliness washed over Tasha.

  Her neck tensed. Tasha soothed the muscle kink with her fingers. The worrisome bill collector had stressed her, making her long even more to be a part of the festive, carefree holiday celebrations she was witnessing. She’d once dreamed of having a family and reveling in holiday cheer, too. But that dream was dead.

  * * *

  The gloomy clouds in Zed’s brain, temporarily held at bay by the happy diversion of meeting Tasha, regrouped and settled.

  He’d wasted no words with his lawyer, Michael Shanahan, whose call had ended his conversation with Tasha. “Tell me you’ve got good news.”

  A long sigh sounded on the other e
nd. “Sorry, buddy. The will is iron-tight. There’s no way around it.”

  Zed groaned. “Seriously, dude. This is ludicrous. It’s as if I’m in some bad made-for-TV movie. This is unreal.”

  “I beg to differ, man. It’s very real. Your late aunt’s stipulation is that you can’t have the house unless you’re married for at least three months and live in the Victorian with your wife during that time. If you choose not to do so, the home is to be sold to developers to tear down and rebuild as they see fit. She was very specific about that, too.”

  Zed gazed at the purple Victorian standing in front of him—his childhood family home. Dual love and irritation at his aunt assaulted him.

  Upon his parents’ untimely deaths, when he was nineteen, Zora, who’d become a second mom to him, had obtained full ownership of the home. Because she lived out of state, she’d rented it out and deemed him a makeshift property manager of the place.

  When his aunt died, he’d fully expected his beloved childhood home to become his, free and clear. It had been vacant of tenants for a few months.

  “Aunt Zora,” he whispered, shaking his head. Even in death, she hadn’t given up on her dream to marry him off. While her over-the-top actions might seem irrational to anyone looking in from the outside, it was totally her MO. His aunt never did anything halfway. She’d obviously wanted him to know how serious she was about forcing him to at least give marriage a try. And she knew the only way she could force his hand was by making the stakes extremely high.

  The will laid out a deadline for him to get married, which made sense. She knew his tendency to drag his feet. He now had less than two weeks to find a bride, because he’d dillydallied.

  “Zed, are you still there?” Michael asked.

  Zed shook free from his reverie. “Sorry, man. Yeah, I’m here. Thanks for trying to find an out. Catch you later.” Zed ended the call.

  His gaze roamed over the house. He’d felt obligated to continue to decorate the house for Christmas even though he hadn’t lived in the place for years. Many people, like Tasha, stopped by annually to admire the place during the holidays.