in his pocket and pulled out the new car he’d picked up at the Hungry Bear. He tore open the package. Then, careful not to knock himself over, he leaned down and set it on the top of Beau’s tombstone. “I bought you a new car. A Ferrari. Thought you might like it.” He looked over to see his wife, child, and dog at Izzie’s grave and realized he wasn’t alone anymore in his pain. “Listen, little brother,” he said to Beau, “I just wanted to stop by. It’s a new year and all.” A better year. “I’ve got everything I’ve ever wanted . . . and needed. You were right. You let me know that first day that I had to forgive Hope. I love her so much, you know? And Ella, too. I’m such a lucky man.” A breeze whipped up the snow in reply. “I miss you, Beau.”
“Dad?” Ella yelled as she ran to the car. “Are you ready to go?” She looked down at the dog, who was running beside her. “Boomer’s cold.”
“I doubt that,” Donovan hollered back. Berners were born for this weather. Donovan was, too. “I’m coming.”
Hope came up beside him and they kissed for a long moment, something they’d been doing a lot since he’d come to his senses.
“Break it up,” Ella hollered. “You’re the ones who said how important today was. You said the Sisterhood of the Quilt always used to come over on New Year’s Day. A big sew-in is what you said. The Chicas are probably already there!”
Donovan reluctantly pulled away from the kiss. “We better go.” His grandmother would be so pleased that the New Year’s Day tradition was continuing. “Back to real life.”
“And what a wonderful life it is!” Hope said, beaming up at him.
Donovan couldn’t help himself and kissed her again until his kid started yelling. His kid! His wife! He still couldn’t believe it. “I owe you everything, Hope.”
With her hand gently touching his arm, she walked beside him while he hobbled, both of them looking forward.
Acknowledgments
A published book does not come about by one person alone but is created by a team of people. First and foremost, I want to thank Tracy Bernstein for the amazing edits and lasting friendship. Thank you, Claire Zion, for making the back-cover copy sing and choosing the happy couple for the front cover. Thanks to Michelle Kasper and Amy Schneider and all the people at Berkley who brought One Snowy Night to life. Thank you to the quilt shops in Alaska who were so kind to speak with me, and to Kris Hansell for your invaluable input. As always, thanks to Kevan Lyon, my faithful agent. And last but not least, to Kathleen Baldwin for being a most wonderful friend in life and in writing.
Turn the page for a preview of
Once
Upon a
Cabin
Coming from Jove in November 2021
VICTORIA ST. JAMES gripped the chair in the lawyer’s office as she and her sister McKenna glanced at each other nervously.
Terrence, their great-uncle’s lawyer, opened the door and wheeled in a big-screen TV.
“Please tell us what’s going on,” Victoria implored. “Is Uncle Monty okay?”
“Montgomery is well.” Terrence plugged in the television.
“Then why all the secrecy?” McKenna asked. “Why were we summoned?”
The sisters feared the worst. Uncle Monty was their last living relative. Having him meant more than the large inheritance they were to receive when he passed away.
“All will be revealed on the recording,” Terrence said calmly. He stood back and hit play.
Uncle Monty appeared on the screen. “Hello, girls.”
They were hardly girls. Victoria was twenty-eight and McKenna was twenty-nine; they were only eleven months apart.
“I’ve made plans for the both of you,” Uncle Monty continued.
Victoria’s worry turned to excitement. The last time Uncle Monty made plans, she and McKenna were whisked off to Monaco for a month.
“I’ve sublet your condo. Make peace with it,” Uncle Monty said.
“Wait a minute.” Victoria was confused. This wasn’t the uncle they knew. “Pause the video.”
Terrence clicked the remote.
“Is our uncle ill?” McKenna asked.
“He doesn’t seem like himself,” Victoria added.
“He’s fine and of sound mind,” the lawyer said. He turned the video back on.
But Uncle Monty looked a little pale. “I’ve decided it’s time you two stood on your own two feet.”
“I bet it was Peggy who decided,” McKenna said under her breath. Peggy was Uncle Monty’s new girlfriend. At least she was a fiftysomething hussy instead of the thirtysomething hussies he usually dated. Peggy had been shocked when she found out that the St. James sisters