Christmas Wishes (A Holiday Billionaire Love Story)

Christmas Wishes (A Holiday Billionaire Love Story)

last updateLast Updated : 2022-05-27
By:  Krista LakesOngoing
Language: English
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Molly absolutely loves Christmas. Candy canes, egg nog, mistletoe, the works. She can't get enough of it. And so it's only natural that she works at the local Christmas store, Christmas Wishes. But when the Scrooge-like Nicholas comes to town, looking to sell his father's business out from under him, it looks like Molly's dream job is disappearing. Worse yet, she's starting to fall for Nicholas, despite everything telling her not to. With one last chance to save the store, Molly appeals to the power of Christmas itself, attempting to convert Nicholas to seeing the beauty of the holiday. Can Christmas magic really make Christmas Wishes come true? Fans of Hallmark Christmas movies will be swept away by Christmas Wishes, a small-town standalone holiday romance with mistletoe and magic. Grab a glass of eggnog, sit by a warm fire, and enjoy!

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Chapter 1

Chapter One

Molly

This was going to be the best Christmas ever.

Molly grinned as she pulled out her master key for the shop, slid it into the lock, and opened the door. The scents of pine and cinnamon filled her nose as the Christmas spirit washed over her. It was time to open up the shop for the day. Every day since Thanksgiving seemed to get better when she was in the store.

Christmas Wishes was the best Christmas store in town and possibly in the entire United States. Molly would even guess it ranked in the top five best Christmas stores in the world. The only one that could possibly beat them might be a Christmas store in Alaska that was actually near the North Pole.

As she closed the door behind her, she spotted Mrs. Kerstman, the store owner, up on a tall ladder. She was putting the finishing touches on a display Christmas tree. Mrs. Kerstman was a thin woman with auburn hair, her warm nature matching the reddish warmth in her curls. She played Mrs. Claus every year for the children in the town and Molly couldn't imagine anyone better suited to it. Mrs. Kerstman took a moment to wave down at Molly before going back to adjusting the ornaments on the tree.

“Mrs. Kerstman? Why are you still here? Shouldn’t you be getting on an airplane?” Molly’s tone was accusatory yet good-natured as she stared up at Mrs. Claus. “I thought you, Santa, and my parents were all flying south for the winter. I was supposed to open the shop today. That's why you planned for the trip this week. I'm on break from teaching, so I can be here full time while you frolic in the sun.”

“We're leaving! I promise!” Mr. Kerstman replied, appearing from the back of the shop with an overstuffed suitcase. “We were supposed to leave with your parents earlier, but Mrs. Claus insisted on finishing up decorations around the store.”

Mr. Kerstman was tall and broad, and Molly suspected that he’d been an athlete in his youth. He loved playing Santa for all the local kids. He had a fluffy white beard that made him perfect for the part. Today, with his Hawaiian shirt and sunglasses, he looked like Santa about to go on vacation.

“It’s not that I don’t trust you, Molly!” Ms. Kerstman called down from the store’s ladder. “It’s just that I always have so much trouble with these tree displays. I just wanted to save you some time.”

“I fear that Mrs. Claus has forgotten how to take a vacation,” Mr. Kerstman whispered loudly to Molly. “Hopefully she remembers how much she used to love the beach. I think twelve Christmases back to back has turned her into a snow person.”

“Hey! I'm a snow person. There’s nothing wrong with being a snow person. Snow people rock,” Molly said with a laugh. “So, are you two going to go over the list of rules and a few emergency numbers to call again?”

The Kertmans ran the store while Molly taught second grade during the weeks after Thanksgiving, but come winter break, Molly worked full time at the store. However, this was the first time the Kerstmans had left their store during the holiday period. Despite the fact that Molly had worked at the store for years, they'd been nervous to go out of town. This store was their pride and joy, so Molly didn't take it too personally that they were a little anxious about leaving it.

“No rules. No numbers. You're are Head Elf. You know this store just as well as we do. Heck, maybe even a little bit more,” Mr. Kerstman said with a fatherly smile. “We trust you, 100%. Well, I trust you 100%. Mrs. Claus may be hovering around 76%.”

“No, I trust Molly 100%, too!” Ms. Kerstman replied, making her way down the ladder. “But I certainly do not trust these difficult trees.”

“Thank you for believing in me. I’m not going to let you down,” Molly said. She loved that instead of being “store manager” she was called “Head Elf.” It just sounded so much better to her ears. “I promise. This is going to be the best Christmas ever.”

Molly was excited to have the store to herself for a week. She had some ideas for decorating that Mrs. Kerstman would love when she got back. Those difficult trees had a future in Molly's mind.

“And maybe with your parents out of your hair for a week, you could go on a date. I heard that Mr. Williams nephew is coming to town. Maybe you two could go see that new superhero movie?” Mrs. Kerstman asked in an innocent voice. She stepped off the ladder and put her hand on Molly's shoulder. “It just doesn’t make any sense for you to be a single woman, dear. Look at you.”

Molly took a moment to look down at her rather comical outfit, noting the shiny black shoes, the bright green stockings, the red and green skirt and its matching top. She wore a very shiny red and green Elf hat, none of which screamed “date me” to sane men.

“No, I’m not talking about your outfit. You know what I mean,” Mrs. Kerstman said, rolling her eyes and then wrapping an arm behind her husband’s back. “You’re a beautiful young woman, Molly, inside and out. Men should be throwing engagement rings at you in the street.”

“That sounds painful,” Molly told her, keeping a straight face. “And trust me, I’ve looked and looked and looked. I've tried. You do not want to open any dating apps in this town. It's downright scary.”

“But Mr. William's nephew? I hear he's single,” Mrs. Kerstman pressed.

“I also hear he's gay,” Mr. Kerstman replied. He moved the suitcases a little bit closer to the door, in an attempt to slowly keep his wife heading toward their flight.

Mrs. Kerstman gave him a dirty look.

“Have you tried wishing for a good man?” Mrs. Kerstman asked, nodding towards Mr. Kerstman, but not moving toward the door like he wanted her to. “This Santa has a pretty good record for wishes coming true, but only if—”

“Only if I believe. I know, I know.” Molly shrugged. She didn't have anything to lose, so she stepped closer to Mr. Kerstman. “Hey, Santa, got enough time for an elf to make a wish?”

Mr. Kerstman nudged the suitcases just a little bit closer to the door before he grinning at Molly. “Anything for my favorite elf on the planet. Tell Santa what you most desire for Christmas. Give me your Christmas wish.”

“I want... a boyfriend?” Molly looked over at Mrs. Kerstman, who shook her head no. “Okay. Um... I want a good man?”

“She wants a sweet, loving man with good, upstanding morals who’s undoubtedly single and has a reasonable job and who wants to have lots of babies so we can have lots of little elves to help us around the shop,” Mrs. Kerstman said, finishing Molly’s wish for her. She patted her husband on the shoulder. “You got all that Santa? Are we good for this year?”

“All that depends on Molly and how much she believes in me this Christmas season,” Mr. Kerstman replied. He grabbed his suitcase as he gave Molly a wink. “Although, Christmas wishes are a very powerful thing. You should always be careful about what you wish for. You just might get it.”

 “Yeah? Bring it on, Santa Claus,” Molly replied, adjusting her green and red checkered elf hat. “What could be so bad about finally finding the right guy?”

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Comments

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graciela.castano.l
I’m a fan of hallmark’s Christmas movies and reading this novel was fun imagining those scenes like one of those sweet, lovable movies! Great job author.
2023-10-05 10:46:06
0
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Stacey Buchanan Shouse
Good hallmark love story that leaves you hanging for the next step. If you love watching the hallmark Christmas movies then you will love reading this book.
2023-01-31 11:45:22
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Nicole Wells
Just love it
2022-12-17 23:46:16
0
45 Chapters
Chapter One
MollyThis was going to be the best Christmas ever.Molly grinned as she pulled out her master key for the shop, slid it into the lock, and opened the door. The scents of pine and cinnamon filled her nose as the Christmas spirit washed over her. It was time to open up the shop for the day. Every day since Thanksgiving seemed to get better when she was in the store.Christmas Wishes was the best Christmas store in town and possibly in the entire United States. Molly would even guess it ranked in the top five best Christmas stores in the world. The only one that could possibly beat them might be a Christmas store in Alaska that was actually near the North Pole.As she closed the door behind her, she spotted Mrs. Kerstman, the store owner, up on a tall ladder. She was putting the finishing touches on a display Christmas tree. Mrs. Kerstman was a thin woman with auburn hair, her warm nature matching the reddish warmth in her curls. She played Mrs. Claus every year for the children in the
last updateLast Updated : 2022-05-25
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Chapter Two
Nicholas“Merry Christmas!” shouted a smiling street performer, handing out small candy canes.“No, thank you,” Nicholas Kerstman said, shaking his head as he walked past.“But it's Christmas time! Take one,” the performer urged. “Embrace the season.”Nicholas sighed. Why did Christmas have to come every year?“Sure. Why not?” Nicholas said with a shrug as he took the candy cane into his hand. When he thought the street performer couldn't see him, he threw the candy cane into the nearest trashcan.However, it turned out the street performer had decided to keep his eyes on Nicholas, and saw him toss it.“Jerk,” the street performer yelled out. Nicholas frowned, but he didn't feel too bad. He had told the performer he didn't want it in the first place.Nicholas shook his head and kept walking. Just holding the candy cane made him want to go brush his teeth. He hated this time of year with a passion. Just once, he'd like to go through a December without having to deal with candy canes.H
last updateLast Updated : 2022-05-25
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Chapter Three
MollyMolly was making her last rounds through Christmas Wishes, wanting the store to be perfect for the day's opening. She'd finally gotten the trees the way she wanted and they'd sold twice as fast. The Kerstmans had been gone for a few days, and to Mrs. Kerstman’s surprise, the place hadn’t burned down without her there. In fact, Christmas Wishes was flowing better than ever with Molly’s expert guidance keeping the shop up and running. With a free reign, Molly was selling more trees and ornaments than ever.“Christmas ornaments unboxed?” Liam asked.Making rounds beside her was seven year old Liam Miller, Christmas Wishes' Head Elf in Training. Liam was one of Molly’s second grade students. She watched him over the holiday season as a favor to his parents, but secretly she loved having him there to help her with the store.“Check,” she replied, fixing a loose ornament on the shelf.Liam marked the list on his clipboard and grinned up at her“Rudolph and the reindeer?”“Check.”“Sno
last updateLast Updated : 2022-05-25
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Chapter Four
Nicholas“Empires crumble. Mergers fall through. Businesses plans fail.” Nicholas was on the phone in his office, finishing up the days' calls as he twirled every now and then in his leather chair. “But not if we can prevent it. Insight and foresight, that’s all that matters. We are here to set your business up for success. We're here to make sure your business stays around. That’s what makes the Kerstman difference.”Nicholas bit into his green apple as he nodded along with the response on the other end of the line. He didn’t need to listen too closely because the response was always the same. They always signed up with him.His clients were local businesses, started by hardworking people who’d at long last gotten the break they’d always deserved. With more opportunity came more risk and more things to worry about. Now that they were beginning to ramp up business, they were terrified of the future, terrified of losing everything they'd worked so hard for.And it was Nicholas’ job to
last updateLast Updated : 2022-05-25
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Chapter Five
Molly“This tastes amazing!” Molly moaned, stuffing the rest of the cupcake into her mouth. “Hannah, I think this is the best thing I’ve ever tasted in my life.”“Really? You’re not just saying that?” Hannah wrung her hands as she watched Molly finish chewing. “Tell me the truth. Is it good? Or is it BakeTown good?”“This is You-Should-Be-Rachel-Ray’s-New-Best-Friend good,” Molly told her, licking her fingers for any missed crumbs. “Do you have anything else you need me to sample?”“Actually, if you’re still hungry, I was working on a new cherry pie recipe—”“Yes. Pie. Yes. Good.” Molly nodded along with Hannah’s words. “So you know, you are definitely the reason I gain five pounds every Christmas. This is my dinner and I don't even care what the calorie count is.”“Whatever! Chasing the kids around when you’re back to school in January will get you right back to normal,” Hannah said as she pulled a pie out of the oven behind her. “How’s the kids’ choir looking for the Christmas servi
last updateLast Updated : 2022-05-25
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Chapter Six
NicholasMs. Head Elf was cute.It’d been the first thing that Nicholas had noticed about her.Looking past her borderline ridiculous outfit, he thought that her long legs, curly chestnut hair, and dark brown eyes all complemented each other. She was beautiful in a girl-next-door way.When he'd first walked into the bakery, Nicholas had assumed that Molly’s Christmas-themed get-up had something to do with the annual parade in town, though he’d been certain that wasn’t for a few days’ time.He’d never expected that she worked for his parents, just like he’d never expected that one of the first things he’d say to her would be such a harsh insult about her chosen line of work.Nicholas blamed his foot-in-mouth disease on his lack of proper coffee. The flight out had been delayed due to weather. The coffee shop at the airport had been closed. When he'd arrived in town, the lack of coffee shops was startling. It was one of the many reasons he hated coming back here.Nicholas reluctantly to
last updateLast Updated : 2022-05-25
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Chapter Seven
NicholasNicholas stood off to the side of the action as he watched a crowd of children and adults gather around a towering Christmas tree in the center of the town square. He tried to keep to himself while offering the occasional polite wave or nod when parents would wave or nod at him first.As soon as they arrived, Liam had broken away from his own hold on both Nicholas and Molly’s hands, and chose to run off towards a chattering group of children.Molly had broken away from Nicholas, too, and it appeared that she was being bombarded with attention from both parents and kids alike. Everyone seemed to know her and want to say hello.And she was smiling the whole way through it.That smile.There was something about it.Working in the business world, Nicholas was accustomed to fake, phony smiles. The kind that he himself often had to put on after working fourteen hours straight so his clients would still find him agreeable. He wasn’t used to genuine smiles, the type that come from th
last updateLast Updated : 2022-05-25
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Chapter Eight
MollyMolly stood in front of her dishes in the sink, wearing her pajamas and tapping her toes in time with a Christmas playlist blared over her headphones.She often found that she did some of her best thinking while not thinking at all. The more she used her mental energy on another task, the more her thoughts flowed right through her.And cleaning dishes seemed like a great way not to think about the Nicholas Kerstman problem.She didn't want to think about what would happen to the store. She could feel it in her bones that the store wouldn't be Christmas Wishes without the Kerstmans running it. The town definitely wouldn't be the same Christmas-loving town without it.She'd seen another store in town get sold the way Nicholas had explained. It had been a small hardware store that started doing well enough to attract attention from one of the big chains. Things had been fine for the first year or so, but then things changed. The employees weren't as well-trained. The quality of pro
last updateLast Updated : 2022-05-25
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Chapter Nine
MollyMolly went to work the next day feeling invigorated and hopeful.She had an answer to the Nicholas Kerstman problem, even if she didn't have all the details exactly figured out yet. It would come to her.She whistled as she walked down the street to the store. As she came closer, she noticed that it was already open for business. She frowned, checking her watch and seeing that she wasn't late.She then spotted Nicholas working behind the counter, smiling at customers as he checked out their items, and nodding over towards Liam when someone asked for a bag of candy to-go.Molly felt taken aback, not expecting Nicholas to have any familiarity with working retail. The fancy suit certainly didn't suggest retail work.She slowly approached the counter, watching Nicholas smile and greet customers. “Good morning? Nicholas Kerstman, right? You’re actually Nicholas Kerstman?”“Ha, ha. Very funny, Ms. Molly,” Nicholas said. He didn’t turn to look at Molly, keeping his eyes on a gift he wa
last updateLast Updated : 2022-05-25
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Chapter Ten
Nicholas“It’s so nice to see you again, Mr. Brownstone,” Molly said, embracing a thin older man. “We’ve missed you at Christmas Wishes this year.”“Ah, you know how it is. The older you get, the less you can stand the cold.” Mr. Brownstone imitated a shiver once he pulled away from Molly’s embrace. “Your parents had the right idea, Molly. Miami might be calling me and the missus’ name pretty soon, too.”Nicholas took a quick look around the home as Molly continued to make small talk with Mr. Brownstone. They were standing in the living room, and there was a large Christmas tree leaning against a far corner. The tree was decorated with tinsel and what looked to be family photographs, every picture within a snowflake-shaped frame.Nicholas could smell something sweet coming from the kitchen, and he unconsciously brought a hand to his stomach. It grumbled.It was lunchtime after all.Mrs. Brownstone soon appeared with a tray of Bundt cake slices, each one decorated with vanilla-white ic
last updateLast Updated : 2022-05-25
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