A Wish for the Single Dad Veteran

Sam Behr didn’t think finding work would be so hard after moving closer to family for his young daughter’s sake. But with Christmas only weeks away and money tight, he might have to pack up, leave town, and ask for his old job back if he can’t catch a break. Giving up hope of his daughter developing strong family ties won’t be easy, but he’ll do whatever it takes to provide for her.

Joanna Becker will never concede defeat where her failing family bakery is concerned. Business might be bad, but Christmas has filled her heart with hope. She knows there’s a way to turn things around before her cousin decides to sell, and she’s determined to find it.

When a mutual friend suggests that Sam might be able to help, Joanna hires him on the spot. The chemistry between them is hotter than a pre-heated oven and sweeter than buttercream frosting. But the lingering grief this single dad has carried for years might be a romantic hurdle too big for either of them to overcome.

After Joanna receives dire news about her bakery, Sam must choose whether to hold onto his grief or rise to the challenge and find a way to preserve a legacy.

Enjoy this 2023 Swoony Award-winning, sweet, single dad, Christmas romance. Perfect for fans of Hallmark-style holiday movies and romantic reads. One night under the Christmas lights in the park. Two big wishes at the town wishing well. Three hearts destined to come together as one.

SNEAK PEEK of Chapter One

A new life in a new town. Sam Behr had known it wouldn’t be easy, but he hadn’t counted on it being quite this tough. 


“Can we go in, Daddy?”


Sam smiled down at his six-year-old daughter as she tugged him along the sidewalk and toward a door with a sign that read Becker’s Bakery. He glanced down Sweet Bloom, Texas’s curved Main Street. Evergreen garlands wrapped the wrought-iron lampposts that decorated the large town circle. Wreaths hung in every doorway, and shop windows were filled with jolly displays, reminding passersby that the Christmas season was in full swing. 
 

“Don’t you want to keep exploring? I see Christmas trees over there.” He jabbed his thumb over his shoulder toward the park situated in the center of the town circle. 


Emmie beamed up at her father, flashing a smile that was missing a single front tooth. Sam lived for that smile and would do anything to keep it there. “There are cookies inside,” she said. The blonde curls framing her face bounced as she let go of her father’s hand and trotted to the window. She cupped her hands around her eyes and peeked inside. 


Sam sighed. This was supposed to be a sightseeing trip around the town circle—nothing more than window shopping. He instinctively slid his hand into the back pocket where he kept his wallet. It didn’t have quite the buying power it once had. The past few weeks spent out of work were beginning to take their toll. 


But he couldn’t let Emmie know that. She’d had to deal with enough grown-up problems in her short life. He wouldn’t clue her in on their financial difficulties as well, especially not when there were only three weeks left before Christmas. As far as Emmie was concerned, they were staying with her Uncle Jace because he was a fun guy, not because Sam was trying to conserve their cash until he could find a job.


A woman with round cheeks and a bright smile walked out of the bakery carrying a stack of boxes Sam could only imagine were filled with delectable treats. She greeted them with a warm “Merry Christmas” as three children followed in her wake, gnawing on cookies, their cheeks covered in icing and crumbs. 


Sam nodded in reply, smiling as he held the door for the youngest of the children. The heavenly aroma of freshly baked goods wafted out before it closed behind them, intensifying Emmie’s need to go inside. “All right,” he said, giving in to his little girl’s hopeful gaze, “I guess we can go in, but only if you promise not to drool on the cookies like Chewy.

”
Emmie burst out into laughter. “I’m not a dog.”


“You’ve got to promise,” he teased, holding his hand out to her. 


“I promise.” She slipped her tiny hand into his and held on tight.


A bell chimed when Sam pulled the door open, and the woman behind the counter turned to greet them. A bright-red Santa cap sat crooked on the top of her head, allowing her brunette bun to peek out from beneath it. 


Of all the friendly smiles that had greeted them since moving to Sweet Bloom, hers was the warmest. Her smile widened as she addressed Emmie, causing a soft dimple to make an appearance on her cheek. “And what can I do for you today?”


“Cookies, please.”


Sam held a hand up. “Uh, we’re just looking for now.”


The woman captured his gaze with her light-green eyes and offered an understanding nod. “Take your time. Let me know if there’s anything I can help you with.” 


Emmie wandered to the display case where the iced Christmas cookies were kept. Sam kept his attention on his daughter but couldn’t get the woman’s eyes out of his mind. The thought of them caused his breath to catch. He cast a glance over his shoulder, hoping for another glimpse of them, but the woman had disappeared.


A moment later, she reappeared with a large box in her arms. She walked around the counter and paused a moment, struggling to lift it higher.


“Here, let me help you with that,” Sam offered. 


The woman grunted against the weight and nodded her acceptance. Sam took the box from her hands, and she sighed. “Thanks. It’s nice to have some help around here. I have to remember to pack lighter at the end of this season.”


Sam tested the weight of the box. “What’s in here? Your brick collection?”


The woman’s laughter hit him in the stomach with a tickling sensation he hadn’t felt in years. It wasn’t unpleasant. 


“It’s a manger scene. You can set it over there.” She pointed to a narrow table situated in front of one of the wide windows of her storefront. 


“Can we get these?” Emmie called out, pointing to a tray full of cookies, iced to perfection in all the festive colors of the season.


Sam set the box down and walked over to the case to check their price. None was posted. “How much for the Christmas tree cookies?” 


“A dollar seventy-five for a single large cookie or nine ninety-five for a baker’s dozen,” she answered, pulling the lid of the box open. 


Sam scrubbed his fingers over his closely cropped hair, his mouth screwing to the side. He hated the fact that he was hesitant to spend a measly buck seventy-five on his little girl. But he still hadn’t heard back from a single job he’d applied for. His life felt like one big hourglass where the sand was made of money—and it was running out. “We’ll take one for now.”


The woman’s gaze shifted between Sam and his daughter, her eyes even kinder than before. The tips of his ears heated. She knew. Somehow, she knew he was more preoccupied with the cost of a single cookie than he should be, but he didn’t feel an ounce of judgement coming from her. 


“Did I forget to tell you that I’m offering a special zero-dollar price tag on the Christmas tree cookies for today only?”


He smiled but shook his head. “I appreciate that, but I can pay for my daughter.” It was hard enough for Sam to accept charity from his brother-in-law and live with Jace rent-free until he found his footing in Sweet Bloom. It was another thing entirely to accept it from a perfect stranger. 


A stranger with a perfect smile. 


Perfect hair.


And perfect eyes.


Sam froze, his heart racing in his chest and sending blood whooshing through his ears. There was only one woman who’d ever had that effect on him before. Kimberly, the wife he’d lost to tragedy four years ago. Not once in all the years since had he been drawn to another woman. 


Until now. 


“I’m not offering your daughter a freebie,” the woman said. “I’m offering her a job.” Her smile was so filled with genuine kindness, Sam couldn’t refuse her. 


She gazed down at Emmie, those magnetic eyes sparkling. “How would you like to help me decorate the window for the contest?”


Emmie hurried to the woman’s side. “Decorate for Christmas?” her little voice squeaked.


The woman stooped over with her hands resting on her knees and nodded with almost as much enthusiasm as Emmie. The corner of Sam’s mouth turned up into a smile. They were like two versions of the same person. The only difference between them was the years separating them.


They were adorable.


Something pinched his heart. He reached up to his neck and toyed with the necklace he’d worn since the day he’d buried his young wife. His simple silver wedding band was threaded through the chain. The word Evermore was inscribed inside it, reminding him of the pledge he’d made to Kimberly the day they’d said their vows on the beach. 


Looking at another woman and finding her to be adorable felt… wrong.


One by one, Emmie and the woman pulled figurines from the box and unwrapped them. So far, they’d liberated a cow, a donkey, and an angel from bubble wrap and set them aside. “Be very careful,” the woman said. “These are older than me.”


Emmie’s jaw dropped. “That’s o-o-old,” she drew the ‘o’ sound out, emphasizing her wonder at the beautiful woman’s advanced age. Sam held back his smile, but the woman, who couldn’t have been a day over thirty, let her infectious laughter ring out. 


“So old,” she said, still laughing. “These used to belong to my grandmother. I helped her decorate this very window with them every Christmas when I was a little girl.”


“This is your bakery, then?” Sam asked.


“It’s my family’s bakery. It’s not in my name, but I run the day-to-day operations.” She stood a little taller, her smile holding just the right amount of proprietary pride. “It’s been in the family for four generations.”


Sam’s brows rose. “What a legacy. Roots are so important.” His gaze fell on his daughter. Roots were the very reason he was jobless and starting over in an unfamiliar place. His wife had been a native Sweet Bloomer, as she’d jokingly put it. Her parents and extended family all still lived in town or nearby. He’d felt disconnected from the family since he lost Kimberly, but Emmie belonged here. 


He’d made the hard decision to leave their home and his steady job in Liberty Cove so Emmie could tap into that family root system and thrive. She deserved to have a close relationship with her mother’s parents, with her uncle, and all the extended family scattered around the countryside.


“I’m Joanna, by the way.” She extended a hand in greeting, her dimple showing up on her rosy cheek—for him this time.


He took her hand, trying not to jump at the shockwave her touch sent up his arm. “I’m Sam.” He let go and tucked his hand into his pocket, working his fingers and trying to alleviate the tingling sensation in them. 


“I know.” She looked at his daughter. “And you’re Emmie, right?”


Emmie’s jaw dropped for the second time. “You know my name?”


“Yep.” She pointed to the Santa hat on her head. “My buddy, Santa, told me you moved to town recently. He has to keep track of all the kids for Christmas, you know.”


Emmie shook her head, a single brow rising on her forehead. “Santa isn’t real, and he didn’t make Christmas.”


Joanna tucked her chin and looked up at Sam with wide eyes. Was she impressed with his parenting skills that focused on reality and reasonable expectations? He didn’t know why, but he hoped she was.


“I see we have a little realist on our hands here.” Joanna unwrapped the smallest figurine yet and set it on the table. 


Emmie picked it up, cooing over the figure of a chubby baby lying in a manger. She held it up for Joanna to see. “He made Christmas.”


“You are absolutely right. How did you get so smart?”


“I have a good brain,” Emmie said with a shrug as she began to arrange the figures into the familiar Christmas scene. 


Joanna grinned and glanced Sam’s way. “And a good dad, too, I think.”


Heat rocketed into his face from somewhere deep inside. Now that he knew she approved of him, all he could think of was shifting the focus away from himself. “I’m curious now. How did you know our names?”


“I’m your neighbor. I live right across the street from Jace. We talk all the time. He was beyond excited when you two decided to move to Sweet Bloom.” 


Neighbor? How could he have been living so close to this gorgeous woman and not know?
“

I should’ve stopped by sooner to welcome you to town,” Joanna said.
“

No need to apologize. It goes both ways. I don’t think I’ve ever seen you.”


“The hazards of running a business by yourself. Crazy hours.” She sighed, a contented smile resting on her lips. “But I love this place. It’s worth every bit of effort it takes to keep the doors open.”


“All done,” Emmie said, splaying her hands wide.


Joanna placed a hand over her heart and gasped. “Well, if that isn’t an award-winning Christmas window display, I don’t know what is. Do you do this professionally?”


Emmie’s laughter mingled with Joanna’s, drawing yet another smile onto Sam’s lips. He ran a hand over his face, massaging cheeks that hadn’t gotten such a workout in ages. 


“Come on,” Joanna waved Emmie along to follow her to the cookie case, “time to collect your pay.

”
Emmie pointed out her choice of a Christmas tree-shaped cookie, ecstatic that it was decorated with a pink and gold color scheme. Joanna took one extra cookie from the case. It was an angel with its wings spread wide. She walked out from behind the case and offered it to Sam. “An angel for my guardian angel.”


“What?” Sam couldn’t string more than a single word together. Joanna was close. So close he could smell her sweet scent. She was the living embodiment of the old nursery rhyme he remembered from his childhood. Sugar, spice, and everything nice.


“My guardian angel,” she repeated, tilting her head and fixing her gaze on him. “You saved my back earlier.” She nodded toward the box she and Emmie had pulled the manger scene from. “And that deserves a ‘thank you’ cookie, in my book.”


Sam blinked down at the cookie, frozen in place. What was it about this woman that he found so charming? One flutter of her lashes was enough to set off a chain reaction inside him that had his senses reeling. 


Joanna stood in front of him. Still smiling. Still offering him the cookie. “Well? Are you going to take it? Don’t worry. It won’t bite. That’s your job.” Again, her sweet laughter rolled freely from her pink lips. 


“Take it, Daddy. It’s good,” Emmie said with bulging cheeks.


Joanna dropped the cookie into his hand. His body buzzed with electricity when their fingertips brushed. He released the strange energy building inside him with a series of fake coughs. “Thank you,” he finally managed to say.


He rested his hand on Emmie’s shoulder and nudged her toward the door. “It was nice meeting you, but we shouldn’t keep you any longer.” 


“The pleasure was all mine.”


Emmie grinned and waved goodbye to Joanna, and then looked up at Sam. “Can we come back again sometime, Daddy?”


“Oh, we’ll be back.” The conviction in Sam’s voice startled him. His gaze shot over to meet Joanna’s. Her cheeks were pink, but Sam shrugged it off, certain their deepening color was from the heat radiating from the kitchen. 


“I’ll be looking forward to it.” The warmth of her gaze as she said the words reached deep inside him, stirring a confusing mixture of excitement and dread. It had been a long time since he’d allowed himself to feel anything remotely akin to romantic interest in a woman.


Emmie was his world.


But Joanna…


The chain hanging around his neck felt suddenly heavier, the ring dangling from it reminding him of a love lost so long ago that grieving it had become a way of life for him. He’d forgotten how to live any other way.


He swallowed past the tension mounting in his throat. “For more cookies,” he said, holding up the angel she’d given him. “We’ll be back for more cookies.” Sam hurried his daughter out the door and into the crisp late-afternoon air. 


They took a couple steps away from the bakery, but he couldn’t resist one last look over his shoulder. He caught sight of Joanna, her heart-shaped face framed by the Christmas lights glowing in the bakery window. Their eyes met once more for the briefest of moments, and he couldn’t deny their connection.


A cold shiver ran down his spine. He sucked in a deep breath to clear his head and squash the long-dormant stirrings inside him. He was living proof that change was a part of life, but how much change was a man supposed to endure all at once?


He gave Emmie his cookie and held her hand. With his other hand, he clutched his wedding ring as they walked down the sidewalk. He had everything he needed as long as he had his baby girl. Besides, he had enough on his plate without dredging up feelings better left hidden away in the loneliest part of his heart. 


Yeah, he’d get more cookies for Emmie just as soon as he found a job, but he’d send Jace to go pick them up. Becker’s Bakery wasn’t anywhere Sam Behr needed to be.