|
A Christmas Smile
Short Story
Tom Montgomery returned to Virginia after years in a Yankee prison camp, to discover the wife who said she'd love him forever had mistakenly learned he'd been killed, and married another man. Seven years later, Tom, needing to heal the breach with his family, returns Texas, to find Elizabeth living at his grandfather's ranch. Can a Christmas miracle head the pain of betrayal and bring their two hearts together again.
Read Excerpt | Read Reviews
BUY Amazon |
True love and loss permeate this story. The twist and turns love takes these characters on is heart felt. I enjoyed reading this sweet story. Reviewed by Rita, Reviewer for Night Owl Romance, Rated 3.75
"A Christmas Smile was a poignant romance certain to move any reader. ...I loved this story, adored the hero, but wish there hadn't been so many wasted years..."
Reviewed by Kathy Andrico @ Kathy's Review Corner A Christmas Smile is featured as a KRC 2009 Gem.
Not Rated
"Ms. Kathy Otten has written a fabulous story about a man and his soul mate... This poignant story is so emotionally remarkable that I read straight through. ...The characters suffered so greatly that the book was moving. ...I cannot say enough about this historical romance. Anyone would love to read it, regardless of genre. I applaud this author for her way with words."
Reviewed by Brenda Talley @ The Romance Studio
Rated 5 Hearts
"True love and loss permeate this story. The twist and turns love taked these characters on is heart felt. I enjoyed reading this sweet story."
Reviewed by Rita @ Night Owl Romance
Rated 3.75/5 An Excellent Read
Later that night Beth tiptoed down the hall to knock lightly on Mr. Smith’s door. She wanted to thank him for getting Mr. Wessel to drop his charges. When she got back to her room earlier, she’d wanted to take the boys over to the hotel for something to eat, as it was past the time Mrs. Moffat
served supper, but they told her Mr. Smith had already bought them a meal. It was then they mentioned their new friend hadn’t eaten. He’d told the boys he wasn’t hungry, but Joshua thought Mr. Smith’s leg was hurting too much. Jason explained how he’d tripped over it this morning, and Mr. Smith had been limping badly since.
Which was why, Beth found herself standing outside his door, waiting for him to answer her knock, hoping Mrs. Moffat didn’t catch her and not caring if she did. She heard the squeak of the bed springs and his mumbled oath, just before the door opened.
She had obviously wakened him, and though she felt a twinge of guilt for doing so, she craved any excuse to see him again. His brown hair was damp from a recent bath, although he hadn’t taken the time to shave. Nor had he bothered to put on his shirt or eye patch.
The room behind him was dark, but enough light shone from the hall lamps she was able to see how the jagged scar twisted its way from his forehead, down through where his eye had been, into the thick whiskers along his jaw. He bore other, smaller scars too, across his left pectoral muscle, under his arm, another across the lower left side of his rib cage, and one which started just above his hip then disappeared beneath the waistband of his pants. She knew she was staring, but she couldn’t seem to help herself.
"Seen enough?" He snapped bitterly. "Come on in. I’ll take off my pants, and you can see the rest of my scars."
|
