Author Archives: Alyssa Bailey

Traditions are who I am; not to the exclusion of everything else, just the basic platform I catapult from for family gatherings. The friend who made spaghetti for Christmas enjoyed her holidays just as much as I did, (even though I was horrified when I found out). Traditions helped when grew up as a Coastie Brat, and later when we raised Army Brats, and even after retiring from the Military, we brought children into our home as a helping family. Familiarity was key, not only with my own children, but with all those precious children and families that came in and out of our home. Until a couple of years ago, my autumn and winter holidays included snow, cold, dark days and darker nights, ocean, and mountains surrounding my island of less than 15,000 people. Change is not to be avoided, even for a traditional holiday celebrant. Embrace whatever they are, where ever they are, for it is how you view them that makes all the difference.

My husband retired for the last time and all but our youngest is now a full fledged adult. So, we left our home of many years to our daughter and struck out on a new adventure. My parents are now aging, and we have moved closer to them. Now, it isn’t me heading up our large family in the ways of tradition but our children have each taken a part to create holidays without us. This year, we will be there for Thanksgiving. I will have been 14 months away from most of my children and grandchildren and I’m already dreaming of what we need to do to make the holiday happy and familiar.

But, now I am following the children’s lead instead of them following mine and that’s how it should be. They take the traditions from their home and incorporate the ones they loved the best into their own home, meshing them with their spouse’s or tweaking them to fit their lifestyle. I think it was a success, my traditionalist ways. Home, warmth, security, familiarity, and most importantly, LOVE.

In my book, found in the DEAR SANTA Box Set, you will find it set in Bellingham, Washington and surrounding area, near my Alaskan home, full of snow and typical winter wonderland weather for North America. The main characters are surrounded by loving family with one member who had been gone for years, returns for good. It’s all a happy ever after kind of Christmas.

Join me in Christmas Wishes and you.

Beth’s Wish: A second chance at love with Trevor

Beth’s Christmas Wish of a Second Chance at Love could happen if only she would be willing to risk her heart… again.

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Excerpt:

The sirens could be heard in the distance, and Beth heaved a sigh of relief. She hadn’t worked Emergency or triage in several years. She was glad old protocols came back to her quickly, her adrenaline infusing her veins, responses crisp and clear. Most of the victims were shaken up, but no obvious life-threatening injuries were self-reported or observed.

There seemed to be fear, disorientation, and blood from assorted scrapes and cuts but not from more worrisome places like the head region. Beth helped those who had bleeding wounds to put pressure on the areas affected and attended the things she could see, like preventing the teens in the second car from getting out and walking away since they appeared well. Looks were deceiving, but she knew teenagers thought themselves to be invincible. She stationed her pedestrian helper outside the teen’s vehicle to encourage their compliance.

Three car collisions were often much worse than this one, and the occupants were luckier than they knew. Nonetheless, there were still injuries, and reinforcements should be coming around the corner now. The sirens were faint but getting louder.

The older gentleman in the first car, the one who was rear-ended by the teens, seemed to be moving the slowest. “Are you still doing all right, sir?”

“Yes, I ache, but I don’t feel as though I’m injured badly.”

“Well, do you mind if I stay here with you?”

The older gentleman with the kindly face smiled. “Worried about the old man?

“No, I have the best viewpoint to see the scene from here.”

“Now Beth, don’t spin a tall tale this close to Christmas.”

Beth quickly tried to think back to how the man could have gotten her name. Was he a patient? He might have been, but she didn’t think so. She certainly hadn’t told him. At least she didn’t think so. Could he have heard the pedestrian that was walking around with her say her name? Maybe.

“Have we met before?” she asked.

“We have over the years. I’ve been visiting this area long before you or your parents were born.”

Beth could imagine that to be true. “Oh. Then I’m sorry I don’t remember who you are. Do you know you look a bit like—”

“Yes, I know. I get that all the time. People want to hire me this time of year, but I’m too busy to do it. I don’t think I’d even be good at it.”

“Oh, I think you’d be great.”

“Maybe I’ll be the Community Christmas Party Santa this year. Be my guinea pig? Let me try it out on you?”

Beth laughed. “I don’t think you need to practice.”

“Please? Just to see. It would help me keep my mind off the sore arm.”

“Oh, well. I’d be glad to help.” Anything to make him stay as comfortable as possible. She felt for his pulse and relaxed. Not worrisome.

“Right. So, Beth, what is your fondest wish for Christmas this year?”

“Oh…”

Beth’s tongue tangled, and the flippant answer she was going to give him flew from her mind.  All she could see was Trevor Darrington right after he had qualified for medical school. That last devastating Christmas when he broke up with her for her own good.

“I can’t ask you to wait for me, Beth,” said Trevor.  “It’ll be too long. It’s better if we just stay friends. I want you to date if you find someone else.”

He had choked on his own words and had looked away. If Beth had known then what she knew now, she would have known immediately it wasn’t what he wanted, but at eighteen, she hadn’t had enough life experience to help her see that.

“Do you want me to find someone else?”

“No, but it could happen. I won’t hold you back.”

But Beth couldn’t simply be friends. It wasn’t what she had wanted with Trevor, and she couldn’t disguise her love for him. She had begged and pleaded, but for once, she had not been able to sway his decision. She’d stormed off the patio and never looked back except in her dreams. She’d been a nurse for ten years now, an Advanced Nurse Practitioner the last five. Three years older than she, Trevor had been a practicing doctor at a hospital for five. Wow, it had been over a decade now since that fateful day.

The kindly older man smiled at Beth. “What is it you want more than anything this year?”

Her brain shut down, and her self-preservation filters folded. She spoke softly, almost to herself.

“Trevor Darrington. Every year, I just want him. It’s silly, really,” she smiled and shrugged, “but there it is.”

The white-bearded man nodded sagely. “The one who got away. Yes, that would definitely be a gift to cherish.”

How did he know? He didn’t, she assured herself, it was a logical guess. “Yes, well, it won’t happen, but I think you did very well. You put me at ease. That’s the trick. Oh, I see the cavalry pulling in now, so I had better greet them and tell them what we have here. Don’t get out of the car until they help you.”

“I won’t. Nice chatting with you, Beth. You never know. That present might make it this year. Don’t give up hope.”

Beth tried to laugh, but once thoughts of Trevor were resurrected, there was no turning back. Sadness descended. “I suppose, but it has been a long time.”

As she walked away, the elderly man reminded her, “Don’t forget, my dear, Christmas is all about wishes, hope, and love. Allow the unquenchable hope that created your heartfelt wish lead you to healing love.”

Beth walked off with the strangest feeling that she had just spoken to someone special. She hoped he healed quickly, but her heart’s old wound had been tugged open just a little more, and her loss poured out. Not all things healed as well as others.

Soon the emergency personnel took over from her, and she stretched. Taking a few steps backward, Beth turned to go and crashed into a wall of human flesh.

“Oh, I’m so sorry. I had no idea you were —”

His words collided with hers. “Beth? Beth Silverton? My God. It is you.”

The man sounded heart-stoppingly familiar and happy to see her. Very happy. She stared harder, and her heartbeat picked up the pace.

“Yes? Do I… Trevor? How… where…”

The jumble of emotions at seeing him left chaotic destruction in her mind. Beth closed her mouth and instinctively looked over at the first vehicle with the Santa lookalike, and for a split second wondered… but no, it was a coincidence.

“In the flesh. I can’t believe I’ve found you in the middle of this,” Trevor waved his hand over the scene before them. “We have to talk. I have been looking—” Trevor was interrupted by a shout from one of the EMTs. He glanced around watchfully. “Look, I’m attending here, so I have to go, but write your phone number on my arm. High so it doesn’t get washed off, and I’ll call you when I’m done.” Beth hesitated. “Please?”

When the rescuer shouted for Trevor again, he raised his hand in acknowledgment while giving her an entreating look. Before she took the time to think about what she was doing, she wrote on his bicep, his ridiculously hard bicep, above the elbow in case he had to scrub in for surgery. He reached over and dropped a quick peck on her cheek.

“I really have missed you.” It took all of thirty seconds, and Trevor had smiled and turned away.

IF YOU’D LIKE TO HAVE A LITTLE BITE, A SNACK IF YOU WILL, OF EACH STORY, ENJOY THE FIRST CHAPTERs ON US!

“FIRST CHAPTERS” from the upcoming 2020 Dear Santa: A Christmas Wish collection.

READ FREE. 

Alyssa Bailey

USA Today and Best-selling author in Regency and Contemporary Romance, Alyssa Bailey, is a dyed in the wool Texan living amid the beauty of Alaska. She loves writing about consensual power exchanges between strong, intelligent, sassy women who are not afraid to make a stand and men confident enough to give his woman space, but Alpha enough to keep her safe in spite of herself.  If she can throw a little mystery, humor, and suspense in her stories, it’s even better. Her characters are from varied eras and walks of life. Come take a stroll with her. https://www.facebook.com/groups/635273300210359

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