Christmas Encounter

by R.J. Prescott

Genres: Holiday books; Small Town & Rural; Clean & Wholesome Romance; Contemporary Romance; Holiday Romance

Synopsis

A feel good festive novella from USA Today bestselling author R. J. Prescott. A rich and famous Formula One driver's heart begins to 'race' when he meets a determined woman from the wrong side of the tracks. Formula One driver Jensen Caldwell's life is at a crossroads. He's in town to say one final goodbye to the man who gave him everything and then work out how to move on without him. When he bumps into the intriguing Lauren, he finally starts to feel like he has a destination. Lauren Matthews feels trapped living with her con artist of a father and is desperately trying to keep them afloat. She's determined to find a new way of life but first she must do one last con, and Jenson is her mark. But what starts as one last job, might just turn out to be the best thing she's ever done . . . *Originally published in the Christmas With You anthology Why readers love Christmas Encounter : 'A whole lot of heart' 'A picture-perfect read on taking life by the horns and hanging on to the good when it happens because you never know when your forever is going to arrive . . .' 'A 5-star read' 'An enjoyable short story that I really enjoyed' 'I just loved this . . . I think everyone should read this'

Release date: November 14, 2019

Publisher: Piatkus

Print pages: 432

Sample

Paris, France

“Why don’t we take the party back to my place?” the woman next to me whispered suggestively. The shade of her lipstick matched perfectly with the color of her short, clingy red dress, and her heavily made-up face was flawless. Six months ago, I would have been flattered by her offer. Now, like everything else, it just seemed fake. I wondered if I’d even recognize her without all the cosmetics. Or if she’d bother to give me the time of day if I wasn’t Formula One’s newest rising star. I doubted it, given that we’d been talking for twenty minutes, and the only thing she seemed interested in was my salary.

My gaze drifted across the sea of partygoers, where celebrities and movie stars mingled either with the rich and powerful, or with those who wanted to be. I sighed deeply, preparing myself to brush her off and for the inevitable argument that would follow, just as my phone started buzzing.

“Sorry. I need to take this,” I replied, fishing it out of my pocket. The number was withheld, but I mentally high-fived whoever was calling for giving me an excuse to escape.

“Hello?” I said as I connected the call. A woman spoke to me, but I couldn’t make out what she was saying. The conversation and sound of clinking glasses was loud, so I pushed my way through the throng of people to a set of French doors.

“Hang on a sec,” I said. Closing the doors behind me, I found myself alone on a small balcony. The tiny space had barely enough room for two chairs, but the view of the Paris skyline was spectacular.

“Sorry about that. I can hear you better now,” I said to the caller. After a few seconds of silence, I was beginning to wonder if we’d been disconnected.

“Is this Jensen Caldwell?” the voice asked.

“It is,” I replied suspiciously.

“Jensen, it’s Nancy Adler, Ronnie’s wife. I’m sorry to have to be the one to tell you this, but Ronnie passed away today,” she said, her voice cracking with unmasked grief.

The pain of hearing those words was physical. I sat down hard in the chair as my knees went out from under me. Hunched over, I ran my hand back and forth over my buzz cut, trying to process what she’d said.

“I don’t understand. How?” I asked, my words sticking in my throat.

“It was a massive heart attack,” she explained softly, her misery palpable. “He was out walking the dog when he had a cardiac arrest. The doctor said he was dead before he hit the ground.”

“But he was so fit and strong,” I replied. He didn’t drink or smoke. He exercised regularly. I mean things like this weren’t supposed to happen to people like that. It wasn’t fair.

“He always had heart problems, but he kept them to himself. His father died the same way,” she explained. I felt shame hearing that. The man who’d been like a father to me had health problems, and I had had no clue. I’d been too busy hopping from race to race and party to party around Europe to care.

“I’m so sorry,” I confessed. I was sorry for her loss, but my apology was for everything I’d done, everything I’d become over the last year. Now it was too late.

“Thank you,” she replied. “I know you’re a busy man, but the funeral will be held here next week most likely. I just thought you’d want to know, and I didn’t want you to hear the news from anyone else.”

“I’ll be there,” I said, and I would be. Nancy preferred to stay at home while Ronnie was on the circuit, so I’d only met her a handful of times, but Ronnie looked at her like she hung the moon. He worshipped her, and maybe it was too late to atone for the sins of my past, but standing next to his wife while she buried the love of her life was the least I could do.

“Thank you, Jensen. He would have liked knowing you were there,” she told me.

“Is there anything I can do? Anything that you need?” I asked.

“It’s kind of you to offer, but I have everything taken care of. I’m just trying to keep busy at the moment so I can get through the next few days. Perhaps … perhaps when you get here you’d like to stop by. I’d like to meet with you before the funeral if that would be okay with you?” she asked.

I swallowed hard, wondering if sitting down with Nancy would make this whole thing seem more real. I felt like the bottom had fallen out of my world, so I couldn’t imagine what she must be going through. But she might be the only person on earth who could truly understand how I was feeling.

“I’d like that. Thank you,” I answered. “I’ll stop by when I get into town. I’m in Europe at the moment, so it’s going to take me a while to get to you, but I’ll be there as quickly as I can.”

“Well, have a safe journey then,” she said. “I’ll text you my address when we get off the phone and the funeral details as soon as I have them.”

We said our good-byes and, sure enough, my phone buzzed with a message a few seconds later as Nancy had promised. Sliding it back into my pocket, I turned my face up toward the sky. The pollution of light above the city hid a myriad of stars. I’d spent my whole life sleeping under a blanket of constellations. Knowing that they were always there meant that I had stopped looking up. What had always seemed boring and predictable, I now knew was comforting and reassuring. A shame then that my epiphany only happened when they were gone.

The piercing laugh of a party guest pulled me from my thoughts. Behind the glass doors, vintage champagne was being sipped from the finest cut crystal glasses, and beautiful dresses adorned beautiful people. The room was a showcase for wealth and power, and I’d been the focus of everyone’s attention. It was everything I ever thought I wanted, and I’d never been so lonely in my entire life.

It was somewhat ironic that I now found myself perpetually trapped in a town called Friendship, yet I’d never really had what you’d call a good friend. Of course I was fully aware that I hadn’t really helped mys. . .