Amanda Wellsby is known at her boarding house and throughout town for her wonderful desserts, but on Christmas Eve, her special apple cream cake disappears. She catches Marshal Everett Bodine--the man she's loved forever--with a piece of the missing cake and accuses him of thievery. But Everett is innocent. Has Amanda ruined all chances of winning his heart?
They set a trap for the thief and catch a starving sister and brother. Orphans with nowhere to go. Suddenly, Amanda has something she had given up hope of every experiencing--two children in her care. If she could win Everett's love as well, her Christmas would be the best ever.
Charlene Raddon began writing western historical romance novels in 1980. Her book Tender Touch was a Golden Heart Finalist. Forever Mine received a Romantic Times Reviewer's Choice Award nomination. Her books have received other awards and won or placed in several contests. She loves hearing from readers. When not writing, Charlene loves to travel, do genealogy, needlepoint, crochet or dye Ukrainian style eggs. She also designs book covers for other authors at www.silversagebookcovers.com.
Amanda has guests and town folk at her boarding house for Christmas Eve. When it is time for desert she walks into the kitchen and about drops her tray when she sees Marshal Bodine with a small piece of her apple cream cake. She blames him for ruining her desert for the guest.
Everett storms off and then gores back to to get a cake from the bakery. How can this sweet man doing something like that? She knows he didn’t do it so they set up a plan to catch who did.
To their surprise, it is a little girl and her brother who have been taking the food to eat. Knowing Hettie and Tad need a place to stay and knowing she owes Everett an apology what can happen?
Loved this short story by the author. Amanda wants love and she has loved the Marshall for a long time. Everett has also loved Amanda and they each show that love over the children and themselves.
The recipes are great that are included at the end. I will have to try them all they sound so good.
Great characters that made the story. Mouthy Amanda backed herself into a corner and discovered it was exactly where she wanted to be. The book is worth getting for the recipes alone.