“Oh Erik.” She took a closer look, stunned by the craftsmanship. “This is for Holly?”

“I heard her say she was going to ask Santa for it.” He rubbed his hand over his jaw. “I thought I’d better give Santa a hand.”

“She’s going to love it. How did you make the wood curl at the front?”

“Steam. It’s got some flex in it.” He showed her, gliding his palm over the wood, and she felt a rush of admiration and pride.

“You could make these.”

“I did make this.”

“I mean, you could make more of them. You love working with wood. Why not do more of it?”

“Looks as if I’ll already have to start making another if there’s going to be a little sister or brother.” He reached down to rub Suka behind the ears. “I thought it was something Holly could keep here. We can store it for her. It’s something you can do with her. Something she doesn’t do with anyone else. A family-bonding activity that’s for Holly and Aunt Robyn.”

He’d thought about her. He’d done everything he could to bring her closer to the family she’d lost. He knew how much she’d missed that and how much it meant to her.

Her throat thickened. The future seemed rich and full. Exciting. “It’s perfect.”

She imagined how their lives might look in years to come. Christy, Seb and Holly would come every Christmas. Hopefully Alix and Zac, too. And next time there would be a new addition to the family. A baby would be too young to take out into the bitter cold of the Lapland winter, so Robyn would babysit. Christy had made it clear she was part of their lives now. She’d support, and she’d be there no matter what.

She hadn’t managed to do that with her sister, but she could do that with her sister’s daughter.

And she knew Elizabeth would have approved.

Keep reading for an excerpt from Beach House Summer by Sarah Morgan.

Acknowledgments

Being a writer means spending many days alone with my laptop and a head full of imaginary characters (who seem completely real to me, by the way!), so I’m fortunate to be surrounded by actual humans who are patient and more supportive than I probably deserve.

I’m grateful to my publishing teams at HQStories and HQN Books for their continued enthusiasm and hard work. Publishing in a pandemic has been an unprecedented challenge, but they have tackled it with their usual determination, flexibility and ambition. I greatly appreciate, and admire, their efforts. Special thanks to Lisa Milton, Manpreet Grewal, Loriana Sacilotto, Margaret Marbury and Susan Swinwood.

Thanks to my brilliant editor Flo Nicoll, for always knowing exactly what a story needs to make it better, and for being such a tireless champion.

My agent Susan Ginsburg is simply the best, as is her assistant Catherine Bradshaw and the rest of the team at Writers House.

Particular thanks go to Nicola Cornick for her friendship, support and creative inspiration.