Magic & Mistletoe — Nancy Northcott

(Note: This is a short story with six chapters. A condensed version of the first chapter appeared in the Tiny Treats: A Holiday Collection anthology.)

CAN A BOOKWORM AND A BADASS FIND LOVE?

Mage teacher Peri Lee came from a neighborhood so rough that she worried each day about whether her mom would make it home from work safely. All that is behind her now, and she wants a quiet, predictable life. So when big, tough Deputy Shire Reeve Roland Wade asks her out, she turns him down. With his linebacker's build, broken nose, and badass manner, he reminds her too much of the thugs who lurked in the area where she grew up.

Books aren't Roland's thing, but petite, smart Peri has a spark that draws him. He thinks his cause is hopeless until he battles an attack by ghouls, the mages' deadly enemies, on the bus carrying Peri and her class. His actions then show her a different side of him.

Still, his job puts him in danger and causes her the same worry she knew as a child. She isn't sure she can take it, and he isn't sure he should put her through it. Will the strain be too much for their relationship, or will magic and mistletoe help them find their way to each other?