A Very Merry Rescue

OLIVIAAll I wanted for my magical holiday event, Home for the Howl-idays, was to find homes for animals in the local shelter. And to make that magic happen, I had big visions for adorable pups in festive sweaters, twinkle lights everywhere, and a scene right out of the North Pole. What I did not want? A full-blown electrical meltdown thirty minutes before showtime. Apparently, plugging a thousand lights into one sad little outlet isn't "technically safe." Enter Ethan Shepherd: local electrician, certified Christmas grouch, and the human embodiment of a sigh.He's grumpy, grumbly, and immune to holiday joy. I'm sunshine, chaos, and possibly running this thing on pure sugar and glitter fumes. ETHANFixing Olivia's overloaded, outdated wiring wasn't on my to-do list. But when I heard about her plan to plug dozens of lights into one sketchy outlet behind the pet shop, I couldn't let her burn the place down. That's the only reason I showed up. Not for the puppies. Or the cookies. Or her impossible-to-ignore holiday cheer.Once, my future was bright. But after a career-ending injury, I've learned to live quietly and avoid all things merry and bright. The last thing I need is Olivia's whirlwind of lights, dogs, and sunshine barging into my world.But as snow falls and fairy lights glow, maybe the best things in life aren't planned at all. Maybe…they're rescued. Marianne Rice writes contemporary romantic fiction set in small New England towns. She loves high heels, reading romance, scarfing down dark chocolate, gulping wine, and Chris Hemsworth. Oh, and her husband and three children. You can follow her all over social media, and keep up to tabs with her latest releases on her website: www.mariannerice.com