There’s nothing like the moment when a Scrooge-y holiday hater finds his way to loving Christmas. And if he’s a hunky, grumpy, spoiled-rich-boy bartender avoiding his family for the holidays, so much the better! In Christmas Rekindled, first book in the Bangers Tavern Romance Series, you’ll discover River’s very good reasons for hating this particular holiday.
Let’s see if we can coax a few words out of the gorgeous grouch.
Author: “Good evening, River.”
Our pretty-boy bartender keeps his broad back turned, pretending to adjust one of the beer taps.
Author clears her throat. “River, we talked about this. Your book is on sale for the holidays, and you promised to play nice with the readers.”
River huffs a sigh, ruffles his blond hair, and turns toward us with a dazzling, phony smile.
“Welcome to Bangers Tavern.” He gestures to the Seahawks blue and green tinsel garlands crisscrossing the back bar. “We’re heading into the holidays, as you can see.”
He wrinkles his perfectly straight nose. “I guess Sadira told you, I’m not the biggest fan of Christmas.”
Fellow bartender Kiara snorts. “You’re a total Scrooge, Riv.”
“Mr. Bah-Humbug,” server Rosie adds and hoists the drinks tray Kiara has filled.
The girls giggle at River’s sour expression.
“I’ve got my reasons,” he grumbles, scrubbing an imaginary smudge from the bar. “Anyway, Thanksgiving’s cool. Low stress, you know? All I have to do is show up for my parents’ boring, catered dinner, make nice for their country club guests, be reasonably polite to whatever girl they’re trying to fix me up with, then escape back to Bangers for the football feast.”
He hooks a thumb toward the bar’s kitchen. “Diego’s making football-shaped bourbon barbeque burgers and touchdown tots. Not sure what’s on those, but everything he makes is delicious.”
“So—” He sets his cocktail shaker on the bar. “What’s your pleasure? Our special tonight is a candied pecan old fashioned, and we’ve got an excellent cranberry cider from Westport Brewers.”
Author: “Got any plans for Christmas, River?”
His charismatic smile slides off like snow from a storm-packed roof. “Nope. Gonna work here.”
Dawn O’Malley, owner of Bangers Tavern, rolls a dolly of beer cases behind the bar. “We ain’t open on Christmas, kiddo.”
River makes pleading puppy-dog eyes. “Got room for me at your table, Mama Dawn?”
She claps his shoulder and squeezes hard enough to make him wince. “We talked about this. You can’t run from the past, hon. It always catches up with you.”
Discover what caused River’s aversion to Christmas and how he gets over it—just 99¢ for the holidays!
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