HIS FIRST COUNTRY CHRISTMAS
ISBN: 978-1335529251
Release Date: September 29, 2026
Publisher: Love Inspired
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His First Country Christmas
Christmas has a way of revealing what truly matters…
Interior designer Meena Hudson longs for opportunities beyond Fairwood, Wyoming. But when gorgeous, driven Colton Brassard persuades her to renovate the cabins on his sprawling ranch, she agrees to stay through the holidays, vowing not to fall for her work-obsessed client. Yet Colton is drawn to the warmth Meena brings, especially as she creates a world of Christmas wonder for his lonely young son. As Meena’s big-city ambitions draw nearer, Colton will have to discover the true meaning of success—and fight for the love and family they could be if she stayed.
EXTRAS
Excerpt:
Read a Full Excerpt HERE!
Chapter One:
Everyone’s plans were moving forward except for hers. Meena Hudson’s life had been stuck in neutral for far too long. She wasn’t going to sit around a minute longer hoping it would improve on its own.
“This isn’t working for me.” Meena stood in front of the sectional. A hush fell over the living room of the ranch’s main house where her brothers and cousins had gathered for their monthly Hudson Ranch Incorporated business meeting. The six of them had inherited the company from their grandfather last fall. One year ago, in mid-October, they’d had their first meeting on a gorgeous day similar to this one.
“What isn’t working?” Brody, her thirty-three-year-old brother and CEO of the company, had his frowny face on.
Unsure how to put her thoughts into words, she clasped her hands so tightly her knuckles turned white.
Her two brothers and three cousins—the squad—were sure to interrogate her about her decision, and she didn’t know if she had the willpower to stand firm.
She shrugged. “My job is unfulfilling.”
“What’s new?” The snide remark from her brother Cooper, two years older than her at thirty-one, didn’t bother her.
“If I have to take one more video call and virtually design a room I never actually get to see, I’ll scream. I wasn’t made for remote work. I’ll never get promoted if I stay here.”
“You’re leaving?” Brody’s calm tone didn’t fool her. He, out of everyone, would put up the biggest fight.
“Not right this minute,” she said quickly. “But I am applying for other jobs.”
“Where?” Kylie, her twenty-nine-year-old cousin and best friend, had a this-can’t-be-happening look in her eyes. They were both the babies in their families and only a few months apart in age. They texted or FaceTimed each other every day. Kylie was the only squad member who hadn’t moved to the ranch yet.
“Wherever a reputable interior design firm has an opening,” Meena said.
“But what about our agreement?” Her cousin Hayden, the president of the company and ranch manager, was a few months younger than Brody. He tended to find the negative in every situation.
Meena had prepared herself for questioning but responding was proving more difficult than she’d anticipated. She loosened the death grip on her hands to push her hair behind her ear. “I know we’re all supposed to find our purpose here in Fairwood, Wyoming, and live happily ever after, but it hasn’t worked out for me. And the longer I stay, the less likely I am to find what I’m looking for.”
Tears threatened. She’d be the first to admit she could be overly dramatic, especially when it involved a lack of coffee, but she rarely cried. Maybe the change of seasons and the anniversary of their taking over the company was affecting her more than she’d realized.
“What would make you happy?” Seth’s understanding tone eased her frayed nerves. He’d always been on the quiet side. A former service dog trainer, her cousin had recently opened a dog boarding center in Fairwood and had fallen in love with his high school crush, Caroline. They were engaged to be married on Valentine’s Day weekend.
“I want to do hands-on interior design. No more remote work.” And be promoted to principal designer someday. Her current work-from-home, entry-level position would not get her there. All her college friends were moving up in their careers, buying homes, getting engaged or married, and a few were even having babies. But not her.
The road she was on led to a dead end.
***
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