It Started One Christmas Read online

  One crisp December night, Keira Carlesso takes in yet another stray—this time, a man. Dalton is a brilliant scientist with no home for the holidays. As Christmas works its magic, two strangers become friends, then best friends, then something much, much more...

  Susan Mallery’s heartwarming charmer proves that true love is the greatest Christmas gift of all!

  “Heartwarming...this book is sweet and will appeal to readers who enjoy the intricacies of family drama.”

  —Publishers Weekly on When We Found Home

  Praise for New York Times bestselling author Susan Mallery

  SECRETS OF THE TULIP SISTERS

  ~An Amazon Best Book of the Month~

  “Mallery blends the friend-and-family relationships and self-actualization focus common to women’s fiction [with the] happy ending of a contemporary romance, making this an excellent summer read for fans of both genres.”

  —Booklist

  “Mallery creates a cute and charming world in Tulpen Crossing, and her three main characters are immensely likable and sympathetic.”

  —Kirkus Reviews

  “Verdict: [a] charming tale of love unrequited (maybe), love ignited, and wild sex with naked cooking. The men here are pretty awesome, while the gals have a lot to learn about facing the truth. For romance fans and admirers of fresh women’s fiction.”

  —Library Journal

  DAUGHTERS OF THE BRIDE

  ~An Amazon Best Book of the Month~

  “Susan Mallery never disappoints and with Daughters of the Bride she is at her storytelling best.”

  —Debbie Macomber, #1 New York Times bestselling author

  “[Mallery] will appeal to fans of women’s fiction, especially such friendship books as Karen Joy Fowler’s The Jane Austen Book Club.”

  —Booklist

  “Heartfelt, funny, and utterly charming all the way through!”

  —Susan Elizabeth Phillips, New York Times bestselling author

  Also by Susan Mallery

  When We Found Home

  Secrets of the Tulip Sisters

  Daughters of the Bride

  Happily Inc

  Not Quite Over You

  Why Not Tonight

  Second Chance Girl

  You Say It First

  Mischief Bay

  Sisters Like Us

  A Million Little Things

  The Friends We Keep

  The Girls of Mischief Bay

  Fool’s Gold

  Best of My Love

  Marry Me at Christmas

  Thrill Me

  Kiss Me

  Hold Me

  Until We Touch

  Before We Kiss

  When We Met

  Christmas on 4th Street

  Three Little Words

  Two of a Kind

  Just One Kiss

  A Fool’s Gold Christmas

  All Summer Long

  Summer Nights

  Summer Days

  Only His

  Only Yours

  Only Mine

  Finding Perfect

  Almost Perfect

  Chasing Perfect

  For a complete list of titles available from Susan Mallery,

  please visit www.susanmallery.com.

  It Started One Christmas

  Susan Mallery

  #1 New York Times bestselling author Susan Mallery writes heartwarming and humorous novels about the relationships that define women’s lives—family, friendship and romance. She’s best known for putting nuanced characters into emotionally complex, real-life situations with twists that surprise and delight readers. Because Susan is passionate about animal welfare, pets play a big role in her books. Beloved by millions of readers worldwide, her books have been translated into twenty-eight languages.

  Susan lives in Washington State with her husband, two cats and a small poodle with delusions of grandeur. Visit her at susanmallery.com.

  Contents

  CHAPTER ONE

  CHAPTER TWO

  CHAPTER THREE

  CHAPTER FOUR

  CHAPTER FIVE

  CHAPTER SIX

  CHAPTER SEVEN

  EPILOGUE

  EXCERPT FROM CALIFORNIA GIRLS BY SUSAN MALLERY

  CHAPTER ONE

  Freshman year—the absolute very last day to make up missed labs. Really.

  “I THINK OUR lab guy just fainted,” April Herskovic murmured as she put two beakers back in the drawer.

  Keira Carlesso spun around to check out the guy sitting at the desk at the front of the lab. Okay, not sitting—he was kind of slumped, but still. As she watched, he shifted to a more upright position. Thank goodness—they only had a couple more items on their list and then they were done with their makeup lab. The last thing she wanted was to fail the assignment because some lab tech passed out.

  “He’s moving. Let’s get this done and then we are out of here.”

  As she spoke, she realized she wasn’t being the least bit compassionate. What if the guy was really sick? What if he was all alone in the world with no one to take care of him? What if—

  She groaned. No. No! She would not be distracted. It was humiliating enough that she and April had to make up the lab in the first place to get this required course out of the way, but they did and they were and it was nearly Christmas and honestly, she just wanted to get done and get home.

  “Tongs, three sizes,” Keira said.

  April held up three sizes of tongs.

  “Triple beam balance.”

  They both looked around the lab. Keira spotted it first.

  “It’s right there.” She grabbed her pen and paper and raced over to write down the serial number to prove that yes, she’d seen it, touched it, cuddled it and knew what it was. On her way back, she passed by the front desk. The guy there, all pale and sweaty, moaned.

  Uh-oh, she thought, returning to their station.

  “Done,” she said, waving the paper. “We just need it signed off.”

  April glanced doubtfully at the lab guy. “I don’t want him touching my pen. Do you have hand sanitizer?”

  Keira pulled out the piña colada–scented gel she always carried because, hey, it was college and the dorms were nothing if not germ incubators. Plus, college-age guys were fairly disgusting when it came to hygiene. She shuddered. Thank goodness she’d been smart enough to request a women-only floor. She did not want to share a bathroom with a bunch of guys.

  She and April put away the rest of the supplies, then walked to get their lab report signed as proof that they had completed the assignment. As it really was the very last day of makeups, there had only been a handful of students who had shown up, and the rest of them had already left. She and April were the last students standing, so to speak.

  “Finished?” the guy asked, his voice low and husky. Keira noticed his white lab coat had a name badge that read Dalton.

  April handed over the paper with both their names on it. He glanced at the sheet.

  “You missed the first lab of the quarter?” Dalton asked. “How did you do that?”

  April and Keira exchanged a look of frustration. Everyone always asked the same question. It was so embarrassing.

  “We didn’t give ourselves enough time to get to the lab,” Keira said with a sigh. “And then we got lost. We were twelve minutes late, and our lab assistant had already locked the door.”

  “Huygens,” Dalton said. “He’s a jerk who enjoys torturing freshmen.”

&nb
sp; “And you don’t?” Keira asked.

  “I have better things to do with my time.” He pulled a pen out of his white jacket pocket and signed their paperwork. “You are done for the quarter, ladies. At least with your science lab. Have a good holiday.”

  “You, too,” April said as she headed to the door.

  Keira hesitated. She couldn’t help noticing the sweat on Dalton’s forehead and the pallor to his skin. He didn’t look well.

  “Are you feeling all right?” she asked.

  “Not really.”

  April paused, one foot in the hallway. “Keira, come on. I have a plane to catch.”

  April lived in eastern Washington and was flying home for Christmas break. Keira had a very short drive to her house, and she would be taking a cab.

  “You go ahead,” Keira told her. “I want to make sure Dalton gets to his place okay.” She had to do something to make up for her selfish thoughts from before.

  April nodded. “Have a good break. I’ll text you.”

  “Bye.”

  Dalton put his arms on the desk and his head on his arms. “Just go. I’ll be fine.”

  “You look awful. Come on. I’ll help you to your car or apartment or whatever. You need to get into bed.”

  She half expected an awful leer at her last remark—she’d encountered plenty since starting at the university. But Dalton didn’t stir.

  “No, thank you.”

  “You’re really sick.”

  “I’m aware of that, however, I am perfectly capable of taking care of myself.”

  “All evidence to the contrary? Yeah, I’m not leaving, so you might as well give in. Just as an FYI, I’m really bossy and stubborn. You can ask anyone, so surrender to the inevitable. It will be easier, trust me.”

  For a long moment, Dalton simply stayed where he was. Keira had time to notice his too-long hair was a pretty shade of dark brown before worrying he’d passed out. Finally he raised his head, pushed up his glasses and sighed.

  “Yes, I’m sick, but I will recover. The human body has amazing recuperative powers, mine more so than most. I appreciate your concern, but it’s unnecessary. Have a good holiday. You are free to go.”

  “Uh-huh, so what part of stubborn wasn’t clear?”

  She expected him to shout at her or something. What she didn’t expect was him to blush. He was so pale that the sudden flush of color contrasted significantly with his clammy skin.

  “It’s complicated,” he mumbled. “Please, just go.”

  “Nope, I’m curious.” She perched on the corner of the desk. “What’s the real story? I have all the time in the world.”

  “Lucky me.”

  She smiled, determined to wait him out.

  “My apartment is rented for the holidays,” he began. “To the visiting family of one of my professors.”

  “That’s very nice of you.”

  He cleared his throat. “I was supposed to be going to Aspen with my girlfriend for the holidays.”

  “I hear Aspen is lovely this time of year.”

  He returned his head to his arms. “Yes, that’s what I hear, too.”

  “I take it you’re not going to Aspen?”

  “She dumped me.”

  “Did you do something dumpworthy?”

  He raised his head again. The color was gone, and he looked close to passing out. “I didn’t have to. She’s beautiful. I mean, startlingly beautiful. I never had a chance with her.”

  “But she was your girlfriend.”

  “For two weeks.” The head dropped again. “It’s my failing. I’m incredibly smart. Seriously, I’m probably the smartest guy you’ve ever met. I started college when I was fourteen. I’ve already been to medical school, and now I’m getting a PhD. But when it comes to women, I’m an idiot.”

  “You mean when it comes to beautiful women,” she teased. “You have a thing for them. It’s cute.”

  “Thanks.”

  “So you have no home, no girlfriend and you can’t go to Aspen until you feel better.”

  “I can’t go at all. She stole my ticket and, I think, the ski clothes I bought.”

  “She sounds amazing. I wish I’d met her.”

  “She wasn’t amazing. She was just...”

  “Beautiful.”

  “Yes, that.”

  She considered the situation. “Where were you planning to spend the holidays?”

  “In my car. It’s not so bad. I’ve done it before.”

  “I thought you were smart.”

  “I am, but I’m also poor. It’s not as great a combination as you’d think.”

  Keira swung her backpack over her shoulder. “Come on, Dalton. Get your stuff.”

  “You’re going to walk me to my car?”

  “Yes, then I’m going to take you home with me. We have a spare room. You can recover there. No one should live in their car over Christmas.”

  “Maybe I’m Jewish.”

  “Fine. Then over Hanukkah.”

  He looked at her, his gaze out of focus. “I’m not Jewish, but I like what you said. You’re very accepting.”

  “For me, it’s the spirit of the season, not the religion. But then, what do I know? I’m eighteen years old.” She frowned. “How old are you?”

  “Twenty-four.”

  “And you’ve really graduated from medical school?”

  “Yes.”

  “But you’re not a doctor.”

  “I’m going into research. I want to cure cancer.”

  She held in a laugh. “Of course you do.”

  His blurry eyes narrowed. “Did I mention my intelligence?”

  “More than once. You’re going to need a new topic of conversation. My family is going to have expectations.”

  He winced. “You have a family. Of course. I can’t impose.”

  “Not to worry. They’re used to me dragging home strays.” Dalton would be the first human stray, but she doubted anyone would be surprised.

  “I live with my sister and her husband and their kids. Frick and Frack are two and four years old.”

  “They named their children Frick and Frack?”

  She laughed and helped him to his feet. “No. I just wanted to know if you were really listening or if all your energy was taken up in being so very, very smart.”

  “Book smart,” he told her, staggering only a little. “Not life smart. Hence the beautiful girlfriend who abandoned me.”

  “Hence. Have you thought about dating someone more normal? It might work out better.”

  “I have tried, but it’s not the same. There’s something about a beautiful woman.”

  “For someone as smart as you claim to be, you’re kind of an idiot.”

  “Tell me about it.”

  CHAPTER TWO

  AS KEIRA PULLED into the driveway of the hundred-year-old, three-story house on the edge of Lake Washington, she felt a zing of relief combined with happiness. Everything was exactly as she remembered from her last visit. Although, as she’d been home for dinner a mere two weeks ago, a case could be made that she should stop worrying.

  Keira knew she couldn’t help it. She wasn’t like a lot of other people her age—she was a worrier. Until age twelve, she’d never been sure about being loved and welcomed. She wanted to take things for granted like everybody else, but sometimes it was hard not to assume the worst.

  After she parked Dalton’s car by the steps leading up to the front door, she glanced at her sleeping passenger. He was still pale and sweaty and looked like crap. She was pretty sure he had the flu or something equally normal, but if he wasn’t better in the morning, she was going to drag his butt to an urgent-care center.

  She left him where he was and went inside the house. After breezing through the huge two-story entry decorate
d with a twelve-foot tree, wreaths and lit pine garland draped along the staircase banister, she went directly to the kitchen, where she knew she would find her sister. Visiting with her niece and nephew would have to wait—Callie ran a tight ship, so to speak, and Keira had arrived during mandatory nap time.

  Sure enough, Callie Trejo stood at the huge island, expertly chopping vegetables into perfectly equal pieces. It was Thursday and therefore spaghetti night. Questionable ingredients, like vegetables, were often discreetly placed into otherwise kid-friendly dishes.

  “I’m home,” Keira said. She grinned at her sister, then took a step back as Callie started to put down the knife. “Let me wash my hands before we hug. I might have icky flu germs on me and I don’t want to spread them.”

  Callie chuckled. “I continue to be amazed at how perfect you are.”

  Keira rolled her eyes. “Then you need to look at raising your standards.” She washed her hands at the sink and dried them before turning and hugging Callie.

  The two women were about the same height and of similar build. They both had blond hair, blue eyes and lots of freckles. While they had different mothers, they shared a father and were nearly thirteen years apart in age.

  Almost six years ago, Keira had been plucked from foster care in Los Angeles and brought to Seattle to live with previously unknown relatives on her late father’s side. At first she’d lived with her half brother Malcolm, her grandfather Alberto and the housekeeper, Carmen. A few months later, Callie had been found and joined them. Theirs had been a rocky start as a family, but now they were close and perhaps just a little too involved in each other’s lives.

  “So who’s the guy?” Callie asked, returning to her vegetables. “I didn’t know you were seeing anyone.”

  Keira fought a wave of guilt. When she’d called to ask if she could bring Dalton for the holidays, she’d sort of implied that they were possibly involved.

  “Yes, well, it’s not like that.”

  Callie made a little moue of disappointment. “Here I was hoping you’d finally taken the plunge and decided to find yourself a boyfriend.”

  “No. Yuck. Why?”