Title: Sleighed by the Farmer’s Daughter
Series: Sweet Christmas Kisses Series
Author: Deanna Lilly
Genre/Tropes: Clean Romance; Small Town; Forced Proximity; Damsel in Distress; Insta-love; Protector; Christmas Miracle; Cinnamon Roll; Lone wolf
Release Date: October 30, 2024
He thought his holidays were ruined until he was rescued by… an elf in Santa’s sleigh. Christmas just got interesting.Seth hasn’t been home for Christmas in over a decade, but now his niece and sister-in-law demand his presence. Last-minute complications at the factory mean driving hours through a snowstorm. One wrong turn, and he finds himself stranded on a farm in the middle of nowhere.
Mackenzie’s overwhelmed running Santa’s village, and this blizzard isn’t helping. The last thing she needs is an unexpected guest. With her family out of town, taking in a tall, handsome stranger may not be wise, but she can’t let him freeze to death.
Can Seth help Mackenzie save Christmas for the small town of Cloverdale before he loses his heart and unwraps a love he never thought he wanted?
“I know you aren’t a farm boy, so am I right in assuming you have no experience with tractors?” Mack inquired, trying to see where she could delegate some of the work.
“Actually, I have quite a bit of experience with them. I would feel confident doing just about any task you ask. You may need to explain the controls for the sake of time as each manufacturer is a little different, but its operation is within my purview.”
“Really, do tell how you came by such skills,” Mack challenged, surprised.
“I told you I grew up in Hickory Falls. If you want money in a logging town, you help with the logging operations. They don’t often use mules and chains to move logs anymore, so I spent many a summer and afterschool afternoon moving trees around with a tractor or forklift. Dropping one of those things can cause a lot of damage or kill someone, so you learn how to operate them safely and efficiently, or you don’t keep your job. That and when it comes to operating machinery, it just comes naturally,” Seth explained.
“Well, that takes a load off. You can clear the snow while I work on setting up the village. When you finish, you can come help me with what’s left. We will save the rest of the cookie prep for later tonight or tomorrow morning. I’m still praying my family makes it back before this thing kicks off. I don’t think I can run this event without them, even with the townspeople stepping up to help.”
Seth reached across the table and squeezed her fingers comfortingly where she fingered the edge of her paper pad. “It will be all right. We will prioritize and get as much done as we can. Whatever doesn’t get finished, the guests will understand. Your family’s Santa Village will happen; it just might be a little different this year. Stop worrying. Whatever it takes, we’re in this together. We’ve got this!”
A mischievous grin lit Mack’s beautiful face. “I hope you mean that because if my family doesn’t arrive on time, you’re in the hot seat to be Santa, which means… you get to drive the sleigh.”
The color drained from his face as understanding dawned. “You mean, with the reindeer that like snacking on me more than their grain? Can’t Santa arrive in a tractor this year?”
Her laughter rang out in the kitchen as she stood to put on her boots. “Not likely, and the reindeer don’t actually snack on you. They just nibble a bit. It’s playing to them. Besides, that’s Dasher. I think she has a crush on you. Donner’s the lead, and she is perfectly civilized. She has been doing this long enough not to need any help. You’ll be fine if it comes to that. Getting you to fit in my father’s Santa suit will be the biggest challenge. Come on, let’s get the village set up and then worry about how we’re going to pull this off nine people short.”
“Actually, I have quite a bit of experience with them. I would feel confident doing just about any task you ask. You may need to explain the controls for the sake of time as each manufacturer is a little different, but its operation is within my purview.”
“Really, do tell how you came by such skills,” Mack challenged, surprised.
“I told you I grew up in Hickory Falls. If you want money in a logging town, you help with the logging operations. They don’t often use mules and chains to move logs anymore, so I spent many a summer and afterschool afternoon moving trees around with a tractor or forklift. Dropping one of those things can cause a lot of damage or kill someone, so you learn how to operate them safely and efficiently, or you don’t keep your job. That and when it comes to operating machinery, it just comes naturally,” Seth explained.
“Well, that takes a load off. You can clear the snow while I work on setting up the village. When you finish, you can come help me with what’s left. We will save the rest of the cookie prep for later tonight or tomorrow morning. I’m still praying my family makes it back before this thing kicks off. I don’t think I can run this event without them, even with the townspeople stepping up to help.”
Seth reached across the table and squeezed her fingers comfortingly where she fingered the edge of her paper pad. “It will be all right. We will prioritize and get as much done as we can. Whatever doesn’t get finished, the guests will understand. Your family’s Santa Village will happen; it just might be a little different this year. Stop worrying. Whatever it takes, we’re in this together. We’ve got this!”
A mischievous grin lit Mack’s beautiful face. “I hope you mean that because if my family doesn’t arrive on time, you’re in the hot seat to be Santa, which means… you get to drive the sleigh.”
The color drained from his face as understanding dawned. “You mean, with the reindeer that like snacking on me more than their grain? Can’t Santa arrive in a tractor this year?”
Her laughter rang out in the kitchen as she stood to put on her boots. “Not likely, and the reindeer don’t actually snack on you. They just nibble a bit. It’s playing to them. Besides, that’s Dasher. I think she has a crush on you. Donner’s the lead, and she is perfectly civilized. She has been doing this long enough not to need any help. You’ll be fine if it comes to that. Getting you to fit in my father’s Santa suit will be the biggest challenge. Come on, let’s get the village set up and then worry about how we’re going to pull this off nine people short.”
Deanna Lilly is an Amazon best-selling author of heartwarming, clean romance novels that always end with a happily ever after. She drinks way too much tea, loves anything with peach, and forest bathes whenever she needs to destress.
As a struggling reader who grew up on a secluded farm without television, Deanna had to rely on her imagination for entertainment, and every one of her stories included a prince charming or knight in shining armor. After 20 years as a public school literacy and special education teacher, Deana decided to take a leap of faith and share some of her stories with the world.
If she isn’t in her office or out in her hammock writing, she can be found baking in the kitchen, hiking in the Smokey Mountains, or relaxing at the beach. She currently lives on the west coast of Florida with her husband and their 19-year-old Manx cat, Harley, who is totally queen of the castle.
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