Operation Mistletoe

Victoria Spencer hates Christmas.

For the last ten years, disaster has struck on Christmas Eve, leaving Tori dreading the holidays. When she’s assigned to cover the light displays for her newspaper, she’s determined to spend as little time on the article as possible. Especially once she realizes she’s to feature frat boy Gabe “The Babe” Robertson, her former college crush.

Gabe Robertson is a different man than he was in college. Every December, he transforms his acreage into a winter wonderland designed to celebrate the birth of Christ and share God’s love with the community. He also uses the lights to raise money for Operation Mistletoe, an organization that sends Christmas to troops stationed overseas.

Unable to set aside her prejudice, Tori looks for ulterior motives in Gabe’s actions and determines to dig deeper. Will her investigations destroy any chance of a Merry Christmas?

Tori Spencer slammed down a stack of file folders and stood. Her chair shot back and
smacked into the wall. If steam wasn’t coming out of her ears, it should be. Who, exactly, did Ryan Morrison think he was?

She yanked at the bottom edge of her blazer and, teeth clenched, strode through the maze of low-walled cubicles to the offices that lined the windows. She gave a cursory
rap on the open door and crossed her arms.

Ryan looked up from his computer and slid his glasses down his nose. “Victoria?”

The Christmas light feature?”

“What about it?” Ryan took off his glasses and laid them on his desk before gesturing to a
chair.

“I don’t do fluff pieces. You know that. That’s not what I was hired for. Can’t someone else do this? Jeri? An intern?” Tori crossed the room but didn’t sit. Once he agreed with her and apologized for his momentary lapse, she was leaving.

He pinched the bridge of his nose. “Shut the door and sit down.”

She furrowed her brow. The tone of his voice bordered on ominous. Huffing out a breath,
she did as instructed.

“Look. This isn’t a fluff piece. It’s one of the most read articles during this season. Add in the fact that we’re doing a feature spread on one of the guys, Gabriel Robertson.” Ryan pushed papers around on his desk until he unearthed a stack of orange sticky notes. He paged through them
and finally pulled one off, offering it to her. “Here’s his contact info. He takes all the proceeds from his display and uses them to send Christmas to the troops deployed overseas. It’s a good special
interest angle and is something a little different than the retreads we usually end up with this time of year.”

Gabe Robertson...no way. There was absolutely no way. Not like her college crush on him still lingered. But still. Tori shook her head, sending her ponytail swinging violently. “So get someone else to do it and give me something that’s worth my time. You know I’m a better journalist than this...”

“Can it, Tori. You and I both know why you’re working here instead of for a major paper
doing exposes on politicians on Capitol Hill. So take your assignment, make some calls, set up appointments, and get me my feature.” Ryan’s fist slammed down on his desk, sharpened pencils rattling in the mug where he kept them.

Her chest constricted and she fought to keep her face straight. “Do I at least get a
photographer?”

Ryan pursed his lips and stared at her. The old-fashioned school clock ticked loudly from its position on the wall. “You can check out a camera. I don’t have anyone free right now, but if you get me a good feature with decent snaps of your own, maybe I’ll send someone out for follow up
pics.”

Heat washed over her. Now she was a reporter and a photographer? What was next? Doing her own editing? Nah. He’d never let a chance to wield his red pencil slip by. “Fine.”

“Good.” When she didn’t move, Ryan arched an eyebrow. “Was there something else?”

Tori stifled a groan. The set of Ryan’s mouth had her shaking her head as she stood instead
of asking for a different assignment one more time. He was serious. Perfect. Just. Perfect.

“All right then. Close the door on your way out.”