Leap into Love – An Excerpt from Marilyn Brant

What better way to celebrate this month of love (especially one with an added Leap Day!) than to have a chance to post a story excerpt for you all & to give away a little something, too! 😛

In honor of the release of the brand new “Emma” movie (finally coming to theaters this Friday in the States!), I thought a share a snippet from my latest novel — a sweet contemporary Emma-inspired romance called The Knight Before Christmas. Obviously, this particular story is geared toward love during the Christmas season, as opposed to this month’s Valentine Fest, but I’m a huge fan of ALL holidays!!

About this novel:  When successful building contractor Austin Knightley returns to his hometown of Crystal Corners, Minnesota, after a decade away, he vows to avoid pampered and popular types like his old high-school crush Emma Westwood—the town’s biggest queen bee and self-appointed matchmaker—only to get swept into a community Christmas project she’s now organizing…

If you haven’t yet read the book, I hope you’ll like this scene from the story!

___
Emma checked the calendar. Friday the thirteenth. Oh, goody.

It was the Yuletide of course, not Halloween, but maybe the date explained why she was having her own personal nightmare before Christmas.

She’d been trying for hours to reach a woodworker, a manager, a receptionist, anybody at Don’s Fine Furnishings—but no one was answering. The voice message was a standard “we’re not available now but will get back to you soon” kind of thing, but they still hadn’t returned her calls from yesterday, let alone her urgent inquiries today.

Her emails had also gone unanswered, which surprised her even more since everyone at the company had replied so promptly to her messages in the past.

Emma wasn’t inclined toward being superstitious, but maybe the bizarre goings-on today were on account of the inauspicious date. All she needed was to cross paths with a black cat or walk under a ladder to cement her bad luck.

Of course, it was too cold outside for the average housecat to be running around, and no one with sense would set up a ladder on an icy sidewalk. So, Emma was fairly confident she wouldn’t come upon any additionally unlucky entities during her morning errands in town.

Until she ran into Austin Knightley.

Literally.

“Oooph,” he said as she slid into him with a thud at the corner of Main Street and Second Avenue.

“Oh! I’m so sorry!” she exclaimed as he steadied her and then quickly stepped away from her body as if she had a virus. “I-I wasn’t looking. My apologies.”

Despite the cold, she could feel her cheeks heating up. How embarrassing. She’d been looking at Santa standing out in front of Nick’s Toy Shoppe and returning his friendly wave when she’d rounded the corner. Of course, of all the people in Crystal Corners she could possibly run into, it just had to be Austin.

Friday the thirteenth strikes again.

“No worries,” he said with a small smile that cracked the otherwise impervious mask of his face. “This jacket is thick enough to protect me from a boulder crashing into me. You didn’t leave a dent.”

Emma swallowed, unable to keep from noticing how well he wore that jacket. Dark gray suited him. “Um, good,” she murmured. Then she paused, waiting for him to comment again. He was studying her strangely, and she couldn’t help but feel he found her wanting somehow.

Eventually, he kind of shook his head, as if dismissing her, and simply said, “Well, have a nice day, Emma,” before he stepped past her and continued on his journey.

She watched him leave and caught sight of the same store Santa waving at Austin—an extra gleam, perhaps, in the older gentleman’s bright eyes.

Austin returned the wave to the man in red, but he didn’t look back at her.

She let out a breath she hadn’t realized she’d been holding and tried to think through the action plan she had for the rest of the morning.

It was only eleven fifteen but, seriously, could this day get any worse?

******

Austin was pretty sure bad things came in threes…and that had to be triply true on Friday the thirteenth.

First, his dad had taken a spill at physical therapy this morning. He was fine, overall, but a little bruised and in need of an ice pack.

Then, the candidate Austin had been most interested in hiring to manage the Twin Cities branch of his company withdrew his application because he’d accepted a position elsewhere. That left him having to go back to the drawing board and rethink the merits of the remaining applicants.

And, finally, just when he thought the day couldn’t go any further downhill, he’d run smack into Emma Westwood.

A woman who looked absolutely ridiculous on this frigid December morning.

What kind of birdbrain wore a lightweight designer cloak-like thing in the midst of a Minnesotan winter? Or a scarf that thin? (There were weird patterns on it, and he could’ve sworn it had sparkles.) Or “boots,” for want of a better word, with heels that spiked and lacked any real tread? A strong gust of wind could have toppled her over or sent her flying across the road.

But, he had to confess, she made a pretty picture surrounded by the snow-covered evergreen bushes that lined the sidewalk and all of those downtown holiday decorations.

He shook his head. Don’t go there, man, he told himself. It’s not worth it.
___

Hope you enjoyed the excerpt featuring my modern Emma & Knightley!

About Holiday Man: Shannon Quinn is the small-town girl who runs “Holiday Quinn” — a holiday-themed inn and resort based in scenic Door County, Wisconsin.

One winter evening, during the Valentine’s Day weekend, wealthy Minneapolis businessman, Bram Hartwick, blows into town along with the fast-falling snow. The sparks Bram and Shannon create succeed in heating up the chilly Midwestern night, not to mention plenty of holiday weekends in the year that follows…

But is their relationship only for special occasions, or might it be the elusive everyday love that neither of them thought could be found?

If you’d like to read an excerpt from that book with a Valentine’s Day scene, check it out on my website HERE!!

Are you looking forward to the “Emma” movie or been lucky enough to see it already? And just out of pure curiosity, what is your favorite holiday of the year??? I love lots of them, but my son was born in late November around the U.S. Thanksgiving, so for the past couple of decades that’s been my personal favorite <3.  xox