Snowflake Wishes Read online

  “An Italian dating site?”

  “Kill me now.”

  He laughed. “Looks like Mama B’s already got that job wrapped up.”

  “I didn’t even think she knew how to do more than order restaurant supplies on that stupid computer. Now she’s trying to order me a freakin’ husband.”

  “Well, you can’t blame a mom for trying.”

  “Stop laughing.”

  “I really can’t. I’m so sorry.” He rattled his fingers on the keyboard, pretending to type. “Italian. Love. Match. Dot com, you said? Let’s see. Molly Bellini.”

  Her sparkly blue flip-flop hit him in the head before he had time to duck. “Can’t we just pretend to be married or something?”

  “No. Absolutely not. Your family is completely nuts. We’d have terrible children.”

  “But at least we’d have some! I don’t honestly think Mama cares if I’m married. She just wants grandbabies.”

  “Sorry, Mols. You’re on your own with this one. It’ll take a stronger man than me to marry a Bellini.”

  “You’re no fun.” She looked at her watch. “Didn’t we make a pact back in junior high that we’d marry each other if we hadn’t found anyone else by the time we were thirty?”

  “No. And we’re not thirty.”

  Molly got up to peer out the window. “Okay, enough about me. Let’s talk about your dating issues.”

  “Let’s not.”

  “Not ready to let me click save on that dating profile yet?” She winked.

  “Please tell me, you didn’t.”

  “You’re right.” She sat back down in Andy’s chair. “I didn’t. So what’s up? You have your serious face on suddenly.” She chewed her pinky nail just like Josie had done long ago when she was nervous. Funny how they’d mirrored each other’s habits without even realizing they were doing it.

  “Andy had a stroke last night.”

  “A—what! Andy? Santa?” She shook her head. “No.”

  Ethan nodded slowly. “Yeah.”

  “How bad?”

  “I don’t think anyone’s sure yet.”

  Molly squeezed her eyes shut, rubbing her index fingers on her forehead. “Do you think Josie knows? I mean, I know she doesn’t have anything to do with them, but…” She looked up. “Should we try to find her?”

  “She knows. Diana apparently spoke to her this morning.”

  “Is she … going to come?”

  “Yeah.”

  “Well.” Molly edged her next nail into her mouth, nodding slowly. “Wow. But she’ll be at the hospital, right? Not here. She wouldn’t come back to the park, would she?”

  Ethan took a long, deep breath. “I don’t know.”

  “She wouldn’t. She hates it here. Camp Ho-Ho, right?”

  “I know.”

  “But you look worried.”

  “I’m pretty sure Diana will want her at Mercy. Can’t imagine why Josie would even want to set foot near this place.”

  “Except … Josie hates hospitals. And her mother.”

  Ethan nodded. “That’s what scares me.”

  Molly stood up, pacing the small office. “So what’s your plan?”

  “Haven’t had time to make one. We’ll see, I guess.”

  Molly winced as she got to the window and looked down at the courtyard. “Just a suggestion, but you might want a more concrete plan than ‘we’ll see’ if Josie Kendrew walks through that igloo door down there. It’s been ten years since you’ve seen her.”

  “I’m well aware of that, Mols.”

  “Are you going to head up to Mercy to see her?” Ethan could tell she was trying to keep the hurt out of her voice, but he could hear it anyway.

  He shook his head, picturing an unworn tux, a set of shiny new wedding bands in a ten-year-old box.

  “I don’t know, Molly. I don’t know what I’m going to do.”

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  About the Author

  Maggie McGinnis is a USA Today bestselling author and Golden Heart Finalist who lives in New England, vastly outnumbered by both children and cats. She writes sweet romances set in Montana and Vermont, and feels extremely fortunate that through her books, she gets to fall in love every single day. She’s a sucker for romantic comedies, popcorn, and the perfect green pen, and if she wasn’t an author, she’d totally be rocking a Nashville club in her pink cowgirl boots. It’s probably good that she embraced the author thing, because her singing skills are better suited to the shower, and really? Pink cowgirl boots?

  Visit: www.maggiemcginnis.com. Or sign up for email updates here.

  Coming Soon from Maggie McGinnis

  Forever This Time

  Heart Like Mine

  You’ve Got a Way

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  Contents

  Title Page

  Copyright Notice

  Begin Reading

  Chapter 1

  Chapter 2

  Chapter 3

  Chapter 4

  Chapter 5

  Chapter 6

  Chapter 7

  Chapter 8

  Chapter 9

  Epilogue

  Excerpt from Forever This Time

  About the Author

  Coming Soon from Maggie McGinnis

  Copyright

  This is a work of fiction. All of the characters, organizations, and events portrayed in this novel are either products of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously.

  “Snowflake Wishes” copyright © 2015 by Maggie McGinnis.

  Excerpt from Forever This Time copyright © 2015 by Maggie McGinnis.

  All rights reserved. For information, address St. Martin’s Press, 175 Fifth Avenue, New York, N.Y. 10010.

  www.stmartins.com

  Author photo © Geoffrey McLoughlin

  Cover design by Kerri Resnick

  Cover photograph © fotohunter/Shutterstock.com

  Our eBooks may be purchased in bulk for promotional, educational, or business use. Please contact the Macmillan Corporate and Premium Sales Department at 1-800-221-7945, ext. 5442, or by e-mail at [email protected].

  eISBN 9781250083241

  First eBook Edition: October 2015