Christmas in July, SIGNED

**Disclaimer— no hot cocoa or ugly sweaters required to read. In fact, grab a beach towel and a cold drink. Christmas in July is a sweet small-town romance, with a sprinkle of holiday magic in the middle of a sizzling McKenzie Ridge summer.**

Far from the glow of Tinseltown, Fifi Gallagher returns home to McKenzie Ridge to settle her grandmother’s estate only to find she’s inherited more than just property.

Right on the heels of sparklers and the Star-Spangled Banner, Fifi’s knee-deep in twinkle lights and Jingle Bells when she takes her grandmother’s place as head of the town Christmas Festival... in smoking hot July.

Doctor Jensen Bain finds himself on the naughty list of the infamous Fiona “Fifi” Gallagher. Too bad Christmas came early this year - all he’s getting is an eviction notice.

Accidentally becoming friends with the enemy certainly wasn’t part of the plan, despite the fireworks flying between the big-city girl and the small-town vet and all his quirky pets.

When mysterious letters start arriving from a secret admirer, Fifi’s heart is suddenly torn between Hollywood and Holly-weird as she questions if she’s meant for the red carpet... or red checkered flannel.

It's beginning to look a lot like love...

CHAPTER 1: “Wow.” Fifi Gallagher coughed as she stepped out of her car and into a cloud of dust she’d kicked up from driving faster than necessary. “Guess they still haven’t discovered pavement out here in the sticks.”
She wheezed again. “Too quiet, no people, and I actually miss the smog.”
As the dust began to settle, so did the edgy mood provoked by fifteen hours in a car. A sight Fifi hadn’t been witness to in nearly two decades had her attention as she scanned her late grandmother’s property. When she could finally take a deep, cleansing breath of fresh mountain air, she closed her eyes and let the frustration go as she remembered the reason she was here.
Fifi played back her memories like a highlight reel documenting every moment of her past in McKenzie. As a small child, her grandmother Dee would chase her through the fields taller than she was. Or when they’d sit out back in the hammock together, taking in the night sky, searching for constellations and wishing on shooting stars. As she grew older, the memories claimed a bit more independence while she spent long, hot days at the creek with the friends she’d made. Even then, Dee was a part of her core memories. She’d show up at just the right time with fresh lemonade and sandwiches for Fifi and her friends. The last memory struck her heart, leaving a pinch of pain. The day she said goodbye and went to LA –– for good.
“Wow. I forgot how beautiful it is here. No pavement suddenly makes sense,” she said to herself. “It won’t be the same without you, Gram.”
She leaned back into the car, reached for her smartphone left in the center console, and made a note to herself.
Scout location: McKenzie Ridge.
“I can’t believe nobody has filmed here,” Fifi whispered as she slid the device into her back pocket.
“You’ve got to see this, Dallas,” she spoke over her shoulder, closing the front door, then opening the back. “You ready to get out of your car seat, buddy?”
A loud snort and a hot, breathy breeze up the back of her shirt startled her. Jumping, she hit her head on the inside roof of the car. When a gentle nudge to her rear and grunt followed, she reached for the closest weapon and lunged back out of the car with a primal grunt of her own.
“Who do you think you…?” She paused, eyes wide, and let out a bloodcurdling scream.
Fifi Gallagher was fresh out of LA and five minutes in small-town USA only to find herself face-to-face with the most hideous creature she’d met to date. No amount of self-defense or Krav Maga training had prepared her for the one predator she’d never expected a run-in with. Her stun gun didn’t stand a chance given his size, nor did the gallons of Mace she packed with her daily. No, she was about to meet her maker at the hands of a short ton killer…
Fifi was standing toe-to-toe with a darn buffalo.
When the beast licked its lips with a hungry grumble, and its dark, beady eyes fixed on Fifi, she fell into the car, yanked the door closed behind her, and locked it for good measure. Who knew what buffalo were capable of?
“It’s okay, Dallas,” she said over her shoulder. “Mommy won’t let it hurt you!”
With the weapon still in her hand — a black stiletto — she tossed it at the buffalo with all her might. The only problem was the window was rolled up, and the blunt force trauma Fifi was trying to inflict on her would-be attacker bounced right back in her face. Literally.
“Ouch!” she yelled, slapping a hand over her now wounded brow.
The animal wasn’t standing down. Not even a little. With one heavy step forward, it pressed its head against the rear window, the air from its nostrils fogging the glass. Well, until a large pink tongue began to lick the window.
“Oh no, you don’t. I had to wait a year for this car to come in!” Fifi wedged between the two front seats and laid on the horn, hoping to startle it away. “Get out of here! Go! I’m calling the police…er, animal control!”
“Oh! My phone. I have a phone. Get it together and call for help, Fifi,” she said to herself.
Still tightly wedged between the front seats, she finally pulled away from the horn and reached for her back pocket instead.
“Got it,” she said, dialing 911.
When the other line didn’t ring, she held out her phone. “What? No bars and out of service? This can’t be happening. It’s the mountains, not outer space, for goodness’ sake. This place needs a big fat cell phone tower right over there.”
She held her phone up, turning from left to right as if the cell signal she desired was mere inches on either side of her. When she saw the buffalo run off in front of the car, she slouched in relief. It was leaving. She and Dallas were safe.
“Now’s our chance, Dallas. We’ll head toward town and hopefully catch a signal along the way.” Fifi searched for her keys and couldn’t find them. When she looked outside, there they were, on the ground. She smacked her steering wheel. “Oh, come on!”
The buffalo looked back at her. “Not you. Don’t get any ideas. Stick to your salad bar over there.”
An unexpected tap on the rear window caused Fifi to jump and hit her head on the interior roof… again. When she reached up to cradle the back of her head, her carefully balanced weight teetered forward, and she took a face-plant to the dash with a solid thud.
“Are you all right?” the man hollered through the glass, knocking more vigorously. “Ma’am? Ma’am…are you okay?”
She pushed herself backward through the narrow confines between the two front seats. Fifi finally broke through and plopped into the back seat, simultaneously rubbing her forehead and the back of her head with a whimper. With a quick glance to her left, she saw the man who startled her still standing there with his eyes fixed on her, and she screamed.
Fifi grabbed her phone and tapped the screen for good measure. It didn’t matter that there wasn’t a signal. She was selling the idea that there was.
“Yes, to the Gallagher place. He might be dangerous, bring backup.” She tapped her screen and tucked her phone away.
The man looked from Fifi to the buffalo, then back to her. “Dangerous? Do you mean him or me?”
“Both,” she said.
“You’re hurt,” the man said.
“I’m just fine. The police are…”
The man nodded. “I can fix up that head wound for you.”
“Not a chance.”
He chuckled. “You know your keys are right there. If I wanted to hurt you, I would just unlock the doors.
“Get away from me!” Her hands shuffled around on the floor until she found her weapon of choice… the stiletto. “I’ve… I’ve… called the police, and I won’t hesitate to use this!”
The man straightened, amused eyebrows raised. “You won’t hesitate to throw that shoe at the window again? I’m afraid that only hurts you, given what happened a minute ago.”
“You were watching me?” Fifi gasped.
“And the only place you can get a cell signal on this property is out by the barn, hence my concern about your injury. Did you actually hear voices on your phone?” The man held up several fingers. “How many fingers am I holding up?”
“I’m fine. Maybe I got lucky and caught a signal from the barn.” She tugged at her neckline to fan herself. “I didn’t drive all the way from LA to deal with a squatter. Now get off my gram’s property, or try your luck with the cell signal theory and see if the cops show up?”
If she’d learned anything from living and working in Hollywood with the best-paid liars — actors — it was how to sell a convincing fib of her own.
“Gram?” the man questioned.
“Yes!” Fifi said with confidence, spinning another tale. “She’s inside right now, calling the sheriff. Or whatever law enforcement you have out here.”
The man looked back at the house and scratched his chin, which revealed he was wearing latex gloves.
Fifi’s eyes went wide. “I don’t care if you’re a squatter, serial killer, or something equally dangerous. Leave. Don’t come back. Like… ever.”
“Serial…” The man chuckled and shook his head at her antics. “LA? Fiona? Fiona Gallagher?”
“How do you know my name?” A sharp gasp escaped her. “You’re not a squatter; you’re a stalker. I knew it.”
The man rubbed his hands over his face as the amusement quickly became something that looked like sorrow. “I… uh, know a lot about you.”
“You are stalking me.” She squinted her eyes to a sharp glare. “I suppose a serial killer would stalk his prey.”
“A what?” he replied. “Serial… no, I’m not a serial killer. Why would a serial killer be all the way out here? That doesn’t even make sense. No people.”
“Or does it? Maybe you’re just saying that to throw me off. Maybe you really are a killer who’s been following me for days. Weeks maybe… Given the rumpled shirt and day-old scruff, I’d say you’ve been on the road as long as I have. All the way from LA!”
“Followed you?” he questioned, amused by her. “All the way from LA?”
“So you admit it!” she fired back.
“I think you’ve been in Hollywood a little too long and watched too many of those true crime documentaries.” He chuckled.
Fifi gasped. “You know I watch true crime. You have been watching me. I’m not falling for your… shenanigans. I know how your type operates…”
“This ought to be good.”
“You try to win me over with that silver fox charm and dimple. Bond over true crime. Get me to trust those friendly baby blue eyes… well, I don’t even like blue. You’ll never get away with this. I know people.”
“You know people? Like what, real superheroes or just people who play them in movies?” He chuckled again, amused by her behavior. “And I assume silver fox is a compliment, but the rest stings a little.”
“In any other case, yes, it would be a compliment. Right now? Going for the sting. Just calling it as I see it.”
“How you see it, huh?” He grinned. “And how do you see this? I mean, beyond the charm and despicable blue eyes?”
“People don’t wander in the desolate areas of small mountain towns with rubber gloves unless they’re up to something and trying to avoid leaving fingerprints and… DNA.”
“Right. DNA. Good catch. What else?” he teased.
“And the only way you’d know so much about me… internet,” Fifi confirmed.
“No. Dee talked about you all the time.” The man smiled. “You were her favorite topic of conversation, actually. That’s how I figured out who you were. I feel like I know you. Man, I should have recognized you from the pictures, but I guess I didn’t think—”
“She did? I mean… of course she did. We were close, really close, so why wouldn’t she?”
“Listen. I assume this trip was unplanned because I would’ve heard about the great Fiona Gallagher gracing us with her presence.”
“You could say that.”
“I hate to be the one to tell you, but… Dee passed. I’m so sorry.”
“I know,” she deadpanned. “That’s why I’m here.”
“But you said she was inside calling…” He paused as awareness washed over him. “Right. Strange man in the middle of nowhere… All alone.”
“You really knew my gram?” she asked.
“You were her favorite topic of conversation. Dee spoke of you so often, I feel like I know you. The California plates, Hollywood dramatics… pretty easy to put together.”
“Dramatics?”
“Just callin’ it as I see it — part of my silver fox charm. Besides, you called me a squatting serial killer.”
“Cute. I’m going to get out of this car, but before I do, I’m legally obligated to inform you that I am a master martial artist and considered a lethal weapon. I can and will defend myself by any and all means. Even if it ends in… your demise.”
“Is that right, Fiona?” He snickered. “I’ve seen what you can do with that shoe. You’re safe with me, I assure you.”
Fifi hesitantly gets out of the car, stiletto in hand, and leaves the car door open for an easy retreat.
“So how did you know my gram, and why are you here?”
“I live here,” the man said. “I knew your grandmother… very well.”
Fifi’s jaw dropped. “You live here? Gram never mentioned… Aren’t you a little young for her? Wait, I saw this on a truck crime show once. Older woman, younger man.”
The man waved his hands in front of him with his shocked expression matching hers. “Young for…? Oh no, no, no. You got it wrong, Fiona. She was like… a mother to me.”
“That makes it worse.” Fifi grasped her chest and swallowed hard, trying to hold it together.
“That does sound worse, but what I mean is I live here.” He waved his hands around as his body twisted, indicating the property around him. “In the carriage house out back. Not with her. Not in that way…”
Fifi’s shoulders slacked as relief settled in. “Oh good. I was worried. I mean, you’re so…”
The man cocked one hip and crossed his arms, waiting for what felt like a looming insult. “I’m so what? Besides a charming silver fox with an endearing dimple and day-old scruff? Please, don’t stop now, Hollywood.”
“Hollywood?” She snorted. “Seriously? I was going to say someone so juvenile. And it’s Fifi. Not Fiona. And definitely not Hollywood.”
“Wow, you’re more Hollywood than Dee let on,” he said under his breath.
“Excuse me?” she chided.
“Nothin’. Just said my name is Bain.” He raised his voice, holding up his gloved hands. “Dr. Jensen Bain, but everyone calls me Doc.”
Fifi looked him up and down once more, considering her options. Despite being startled by the man initially, he really did seem friendly. And if he was a doctor, the gloves made sense… or did they?
“What’s a doctor doing out here in the middle of nowhere? And what’s with the gloves? Wait, I saw the episode about the doctor,” she asked, still feeling out this Bain guy. “Hold them up again and show me both sides. For all I know, I interrupted your latest conquest.”
Dr. Jensen Bain tossed his head back and let out a deep roar of laughter. “Conquest? Still on the serial killer story, I see. My last patient is here. Out in the barn.”
Fifi’s eyes grew wide as she held the stiletto high. “The barn?”
“Yes, I’m a vet.” Fifi didn’t respond, so he elaborated. “You know, a veterinarian?”
“I know what a vet is. Why didn’t my gram ever mention any of this?”
“Not sure. All my patients come through the barn,” he said. “Treating animals in the house would be unsanitary –– for me and the patient, of course. It’s had a bit of an upgrade. It’s where I run my practice. When I’m not making rounds with home visits for the larger patients, I see and treat them here.”
“I see.”
“Dee and I had an agreement. I rent the property and space from her, and she gets free pet care.”
“My grandmother doesn’t have a pet,” Fifi rebutted.
“Exactly, which is why I had Sunday dinner with her instead and helped with the upkeep. It was the least I could do since she didn’t charge me nearly enough for this place.” He smiled, appreciating the memory of his late friend. “She was a good woman.”
Praise for her grandmother somehow earned Dr. Bain a bit of trust. Fifi believed what he said because it sounded just like her gram to offer her space for next to nothing in exchange for Sunday dinners. She cherished her Sunday dinners.
“She was.” Her tears threatened, but Fifi kept them at bay while she figured out how to get rid of the serial killer doctor squatting on her gram’s property.
What stumped her more than conjuring up an escape plan was why her grandmother would have kept him a secret. Maybe they weren’t as close as she’d thought.
Bain bit back a grin threatening to spill into full-blown laughter. “Well, then, we’re finally getting somewhere. And I truly am sorry for your loss. I meant what I said about Dee. She was a good woman. Respected by everyone who knew her. She’s missed very much around here.”
Bain paused, and watched his own feet kick around loose gravel for a moment, unsure what to say next to break the serious moment without making things more awkward or uncomfortable. “Hey, I just started the grill. I can throw something on if you’re hungry.”
“Oh no!” Fifi shouted as she quickly turned Bain on his heels and gave him a gentle push and took cover behind him.
Bain put his hands up in confusion and glanced back over his shoulder at her. “It’s just a burger. Oh, you’re from the city… do you not eat meat?”
“No. I mean, yes. I mean, no, I’m not hungry, and yes, I eat meat. L-l-look! It’s coming back!” She fretted, finally pointing beyond Doc Bain.
Bain laughed when he noted the buffalo headed right for them. “Oh, Ben? He’s a big ole teddy bear.”
“Yeah, last I heard, bears shredded humans and tore them apart, limb by limb.”
“They sure do,” Bain said, prompting Fifi to jump back in her car. “Seriously? Back in the car?”
The buffalo stood at Bain’s side, nudging his hand until the good doc scratched the animal’s head.
“You can come out of there. He isn’t going to hurt you. Gentle Ben is just a baby.”
“A baby? At that size? His poor mother.” Fifi snorted. “Baby or not, he’s a little intimidating.”
“Just come on out, and you’ll see. He hasn’t hurt me one bit. He really is gentle. C’mon and meet him. As soon as he gives you a good sniff, he’ll probably take off.”
Fifi not so subtly dipped her nose near her shoulder and inhaled deeply. “I smell fine. I doubt my smell is any more offensive than his. He’s filthy. Look at him.”
Bain laughed. “Not what I meant. You smell fine. A lot of animals associate individuals with their smell. He can’t learn or say your name, but he can learn your smell. He’s just curious and wants to know who you are. He’s as unsure of you as you are of him right now.”
“So he sees me as a threat. Great. You sure I should parade that around? He quite literally can take me out,” Fifi said, slow to open her car door.
“I thought you said you’re a lethal weapon?” Bain quipped.
Fifi’s head fell to the side as she offered an unimpressed glare. “I’m a threat to you, not giant… beasts.”
Bain snickered as she stepped out of the vehicle and stood behind him like he was a shield. She extended her hand slowly toward the buffalo. “L-like this?”
“Yeah, kind of like that. Don’t show him you’re nervous; they smell fear,” Bain said.
Fifi quickly retracted her hand and went for the car, but Bain caught her before she made it inside and let out a boisterous laugh. “I’m kidding. I’m kidding. I’m sorry. That was…”
“Not funny?” she asked with a glare.
“No, it was funny. You’re just a tough crowd,” he fired back as she stood behind him again and slowly extended her hand once more. “Typically, these guys can be tough and shouldn’t be approached in the wild. They aren’t mean-spirited, though. They’re just simply as afraid of you as you are of them.”
“He doesn’t seem afraid of me.” Fifi nervously chuckled while the buffalo sniffed her hand.
Bain slowly stepped aside, and Ben the buffalo took a step closer to Fifi, butting her hand for a scratch, to which she obliged.
“He’s not afraid of much, other than other buffalo. Ben here’s just a big baby. He was bottle-fed since birth and prefers people over his own kind. Kind of like a really big lap dog,” Bain said, scratching the buffalo between his ears. “I think he took Dee’s passing the hardest. The two were pals from the first day I brought him here.”
“My gram… and the buffalo?” Fifi snickered. “I don’t recall her having a dog, much less a buffalo growing up.”
Odd, Fifi thought. Why wouldn’t her gram mention she lived with a buffalo… as a pet? Or the doctor, or the clinic he seemed to run out of here? They were close and talked about everything. Or so she’d thought.
A new sour attitude washed over her as her mood returned to cold, and she pulled away from Ben and Bain. “Well, just because my gram liked him doesn’t mean I will.”
The buffalo snorted and took a step closer to Fifi, causing her to step back.
Bain gently reached for Fifi’s hand and gave her a nod as if asking her to trust him. Interestingly enough, she did. He lifted her hand out in front of her, and Ben stepped forward, softly butting his head against it.
“See, he’s already decided to like you,” Bain said. “Kind as can be.”
“Well, I suppose it could be worse.” She couldn’t help but smile and stroked the length of his face. “But I don’t want him around here like this. It won’t be good for prospective buyers.”
“Buyers?” Bain questioned.
“Yes. That’s why I’m here. Say goodbye to my gram and get the place ready to sell. I have no use for it.”
“But the animals. There are plenty more than just Ben on the property,” Bain said. “Dee loved having them here. Where will they all go?”
“They live here?” Fifi asked. “I thought you just treated them here.”
“Some live here. Most are patients. The ones who live here do so because they can’t be released back into the wild or adopted for various reasons.” Bain pointed at Ben. “Like this guy. Not many people looking to adopt a handfed buffalo.”
“Into the wild… You mean wild animals? Here. On this property. Displaced and unadoptable sounds like troubled.” Fifi scanned the property, looking for more like Ben.
“Troubled?” Bain questioned, irritation setting in. “They’re animals, not criminals. They have a home here. The alternative for them is to be euthanized.”
“Ooh. That sounds… tragic… and permanent.”
“Gee, ya think? Hey, the blanket is moving in there. I think your baby is awake. Want to get it out?”
“Dallas!” Fifi shouted, diving back into the car. She pulled the blanket off the car seat and began to talk in a small, baby-like voice. “Oh, you poor baby. Mommy didn’t mean to leave you in there so long. It’s getting warm in here, even for you.”
When Fifi finally backed out of the car and turned to face Bain, his jaw dropped, which seemed to be an ongoing event.
“Well, that explains it,” he said, his expression full of shock.
“Explains what?”
“Why I couldn’t figure out why Dee never mentioned you having a baby.” He snickered.
“She never mentioned Dallas? But I sent her pictures.”
“Oh, she mentioned something all right.” Bain was amused. “She talked about how you liked to dress up your… cat.”
“Cat?” Fifi gasped, pulling Dallas closer as if to spare his feelings. “But she saw pictures. I sent them to her. Often.”
“Yeah,” he went on, taking a jab now that he knew the property was being sold, “she always went on about how you dressed it up in these ridiculous outfits. She said you had a big heart, had to in order to love such an ugly cat.”
“Dallas is not ugly. And clearly not a cat!” Fifi defended.
Bain shook his head. “Nope… that there is definitely not a cat! Cats are cute.”
“Dallas is a sloth.” Fifi continued. “And quite cute.”
“Of course he is. Super cute.” Bain added air quotes and a pitchy tone.
“Am I sensing a little sarcasm?” Fifi questioned.
“Nah. Pet sloths are totally normal.” Bain sneered. “Anyway, can we talk about the property and maybe work something out?”
“Sure!” Fifi shrugged, grabbing what appeared to be a diaper bag before shutting the door and walking toward the house. “Make me an offer.”
“An offer?” He followed. “Fine. I’ll make you an offer. How about the six sides of beef, chicken coop, and freezer full of homemade casseroles I made last year? Think that’ll cover it?”
She stopped abruptly. “People pay you with that stuff? What is this… Mayberry? How do you survive off that?”
“Some do because that’s all they can pay. Not everything is about money, Fiona.”
“It’s Fifi, and casseroles don’t pay bills or put gas in the car, Jensen Bain.”
“Look, I can’t afford what this place is worth. Would you consider leasing part out — both parts, maybe? Perhaps turn it into a vacation rental, you know, an income property,” he pleaded.
“One, I don’t have the time to manage something like that, and two, I don’t want strangers destroying my grandmother’s house—”
“No, you’ll just sell it to one,” he added. “I could… you know, help manage it. Take that off your plate. I’m always here anyway and do most of the upkeep. It really wouldn’t be that much, and I’ll continue paying rent on my part—”
“All I hear is liability, buffalo bite, lawsuit. Look. I get it. You weren’t expecting this, and it puts you in a bad spot.”
Ben wanders close again, and Fifi points at him. “Don’t even think about it, buddy.”
Ben stops, seeming to understand. Fifi picks up her keys from the ground, and goes to the trunk and upacks her luggage while Bain pleads his case.
“A bad spot? You’re not only taking away the sanctuary of several animals but also taking away my business and my home. Surely, we can come up with some kind of arrangement. It won’t be easy to find somewhere to move all this to.”
“I agree. It probably won’t. How about this…” she said as if she were offering him the deal of a lifetime. “How about you stay until it sells, and I’ll add an extra thirty days to whatever sales agreement comes my way. That will buy you an extra month beyond the purchase to find somewhere else for your… zoo.”
Fifi grabs a suitcase and heads for the house. Bain grabs the other one for her and remains on her heels.
“Thirty days. Thirty days? This is prime real estate in a highly sought-after vacation destination. It won’t be on the market for more than a week. If not a developer, some investor will swoop in and turn it into the very vacation rental I suggested and you detest.”
“Well, maybe the new owner will like the idea of a zoo at his or her investment property. I’ll be sure to introduce you so you can pitch the idea.” Fifi winked.
“Nobody will go for that.”
“Exactly. And neither am I. This place…” She looked around. “It holds some of my fondest childhood memories. All of them, really. I loved it here. It was so magical then. But with Gram gone and my life back in LA… I just don’t see how keeping it makes sense. I’m really sorry. I’ll be here this week to get it ready, but it’s going on the market.”