Once Upon a Holiday Story #1
Can two men weighed down by their pasts find a future with each other?
Daniel Laverton is a wealthy man who was born into privilege. His family helped build Everlasting Springs, and he spends his days ensuring it prospers. The town is in his veins, the love he has for it keeping him there, happily. In his big house on the top of a hill he resides—just him, his cat, and his past. With middle age knocking at his door and the holidays approaching, loneliness is creeping in.
Aaron Darwin is used to struggling. He lives a moment at a time, traveling in his not-so-trusty car, going from place to place and looking for work. When a huge storm looms, Aaron’s luck goes from bad to worse and his vehicle decides to die. With no shelter, very little money, and a town ahead that is closing down, Aaron has no idea how he will get through this impending disaster.
Perhaps it’s the jingle bells in the air or his own solitude, but there’s no way Daniel can leave the man stranded. When he takes a reluctant Aaron in to hunker down and ride out the storm, the two get more than they bargained for. It is easy for them to see all the reasons they shouldn’t work and overlook all the ways they do, but it is holiday season in Everlasting Springs, a time for miracles and second chances. A time for two lonely men to realize they’ve already received the best gift for Christmas: each other.
Once Upon a Second Chance is a part of the multi-author series Once Upon a Holiday Story. Each book can be read as a standalone and in any order. What links these books together is The Hook’s Book Nook Traveling Library, a library on wheels owned by two old ladies in love.
A full-on Christmas novella from Davidson King? Yes, please!!! King has written holiday tales before, most of them happen to be established series entries with some mention of the holiday within the book.
**Side note: for anyone who knows me knows that as a Die-Hard-is-a-Xmas-movie person that also means books with even the tiniest mention of the holiday puts that book in the holiday column.**
Okay, side note made now back to Once Upon a Second Chance. Those familiar with King's work knows that she is 99% of the time all about the mayhem and she's darn good at it but she has a sweet side too and Second Chance is proof of that. Is Second Chance a bit too holiday sweet? Never! Because lets face it, if you can't be all about the sap at Xmas than there is no acceptable level of sap that works😉. Don't get me wrong, my previous statement might make it sound like I think sap can be bad, quite the opposite, I love a good happy happy tale but it has to be done right and boy does King do it right!
Daniel and Aaron are the making of a Hallmark Channel formulaic tale but there is so much more to it and frankly, 150 times better than the HEA holiday romps the channel of love puts out. Trust me, I've seen more than I really need to as my mom is a sucker for the channel(so much so that when she was in the hospital in 2021 for 108 days, she was known as "the Hallmark lady" on 3 different floors). Daniel comes from money, Aaron does not but Daniel is so much more than his bank account. He is the kind of man we all wish our community had, a man who helps others without thinking twice about doing so and yes his money allows him extra freedom to do so but it's often not the money that does the helping but the heart behind it. Aaron on the other hand is nearly out of funds and his car breaking down near Everlasting Springs as a storm approaches might be fates way of telling him that he doesn't have to do everything alone anymore.
The storm may be the set up but it is a character in itself IMO. We all gripe about Mother Nature's evil ways but sometimes she knows what she's doing. I don't want to spoil anything but I gotta say(in hinty ways to lessen the spoil) Davidson King shows just how snowstorms(expected or unexpected - and I've experienced more than my share of both up here in wilds of Wisconsin) can be devastating beyond the typical. Snow can be heavy and when it's heavy there are more dangers than the inches(or feets) on the road or the ice underneath and unfortunately, or fortunately depending on your outlook, Aaron discovers that all too well. It has to do with his car, I've never experienced it but I've seen it, not the first thing you expect but hindsight often shows you differently.
Okay, I'm rambling as I'm a little rushed for time(not that you'd know it by the wordage😉) so I'll say simpler: Once Upon a Second Chance is a lovely holiday gem and I can't think of a better way to kick off my holiday reading. There's chemistry, humor, hard times, good times, laughter, passion, friendship, romance . . . let's face it there is everything but mobs, sci-fi, and the kitchen sink . . . oh wait, I believe Aaron does the dishes so the kitchen sink is even here😉. Davidson King's entry is part of a multi-author series that is only connected thru The Hook’s Book Nook Traveling Library so there is no right or wrong way to read the series and I know I look forward to discovering the other authors' entries.
One last personal note, I want to say a huge Thank You to Davidson King for making me smile with this holiday story. After a less than positive week for many Americans, I made myself pick this book up and start it even though I had real no desire to so at the time. Within just a few pages, I found myself letting go of current events and smiling again and realizing that keeping oneself going is the best way to deal with what is in front of us. So again, Thanks, Davidson King you and your words never fail to brighten my day.
RATING:
Chapter One
Daniel
The alarm blared at six a.m., as it had every morning of my adult life… maybe even before then. I really should have simply retired the thing since my internal clock always woke me ten minutes early.
I pulled the covers off my body, sighed, and sat up. Through my bedroom window, I could see the gray sky foreshadowing the upcoming storm. The weather stations were all saying it was going to be a doozy, and I wanted to be sure my businesses in town were secure so I wouldn’t have to stumble out into the snow later in the evening.
My morning routine was muscle memory at this point. After a quick stop to the bathroom, I went downstairs, where coffee awaited me. I fixed it the way I liked it and prepared for the day, which included setting up beef stew in my slow cooker.
At forty-five, the cold weather was beginning to get to me. My bones ached from the breeze alone as soon as I opened the front door. We got all four seasons here in Everlasting Springs, so enduring the winter months was par for the course.
It was mornings like this I was happy my Mercedes had heated seats.
The roads were clear— thankfully, the last snowfall we’d had was over a week ago. First stop was Laverton’s Grocers. I’d grab a few essentials and check on the staff while I was there.
“Good morning, Mr. Laverton,” Gracie, one of the cashiers, greeted me as I entered.
“Morning, Gracie. Are you all set for the storm?”
“Oh, yes. John got the firewood in last night, and we’re stocked up. I just need to pick up some gas for the generator on my way home.”
I nodded. “Very good, say hi to John for me.”
I moved through the store, grabbing all I needed, smiling at the little Christmas stocking stuffers on the endcaps. I stopped at the door marked Manager, and knocked.
“Mr. Laverton, morning.” Gary was the store manager, and he did a damn fine job. He was in his late thirties with light-blond hair and the kind of face that put you at ease the moment he graced you with his pearly whites.
“Hey, Gary. Just popping in to see if everything was good to go before the storm.”
“We’re great. I’m closing the store an hour earlier like you suggested to make sure the staff all gets home.”
“Perfect, and if you see the storm starting to roll in early, close up.”
“You got it.”
Once I’d completed my grocery store run, I stopped at Laverton’s Hardware followed by Laverton’s Diner… yeah, my family had built this town, as evidenced by the names on a lot of the stores and restaurants.
Sometimes it made me itch to see my name on so many buildings, but I’d mentioned that to my accountant, who also lived in Everlasting Springs, and he’d said it was actually a comfort to see every day, that it felt like the town was looked after. So, I kept the names.
My housekeeper and cook were always given a few weeks off for the holidays and with the impending storm, I’d simply extended their vacations. Even so, they’d still prepared some meals for me and stored them in the freezer, but I also knew how to cook, so I wanted to make sure I had everything else I might need and once I did, I made the trek back to my house.
I lived in a rather big house. I didn’t need all the space, but honestly, it was just how I was raised so it might be huge, but it was home.
It was a three-story, colonial-style mansion originally built by my great-great-grandfather.… Well, he’d designed it, anyway. The brick façade featured a stately columned portico; dormer and Palladian windows; and one of my favorite places to relax in the warmer months, the second-story veranda. With Christmas only two weeks away, the lights and wreaths adorning the property made my home even more beautiful.
Through the years it had been upgraded. I’d had an elevator put in, which made it easier when my mother visited as she adored the veranda as well. It had a southern charm in a northeastern area.
Once my car was in the garage, I carried my bags into the house, removed my winter coat, turned my Christmas tree lights on, and put everything away. The house smelled heavenly as the aroma of the stew permeated the air.
A gentle brush against my leg brought a smile to my face, and I looked down to where my roommate, a.k.a. cat, was rubbing against my leg.
“Well, hello, Mayhem.” I kneeled and scratched her head and chin. She plopped to the side— clearly standing so long was taxing— and I caressed her silky fur.
Mayhem was a tortie. Dark brown, blond, orange, and white kaleidoscope of fur made her the prettiest cat ever. I’d never really wanted a pet, but when Beth over at the animal shelter said there was a runt kitten and no one wanted her, my heart had cracked a little and I’d offered to foster her since they were running out of space. That was a year and a half ago, and now she was mine.
“Yes, I got food for you, your favorite treats, and made sure I had enough litter for your litter box.”
She batted at my hands and gave me playful nibbles. She was the company I needed during the times loneliness became too much.
I had family, but my sister was in California with her husband and my nephew. She’d moved there two years ago, the moment a huge opportunity was offered to Frank, her husband. My father had passed away of a heart attack five years ago, and my mother found being in Everlasting Springs to be too hard for her. She’d moved with my aunt to Florida, relishing the warmer weather.
There’d always been a Laverton living in Everlasting Springs and while I could have relocated closer to my sister or mother, I wanted to be here. The townsfolk were like family, and at the end of the day, it was home.
Her ears must’ve been burning, because a second later, my phone buzzed with an incoming call from my sister.
“Well, hello, Katherine.”
“Why do you say my name like that?”
I chuckled. “I was just thinking about you, and you called. I always knew you were a witch.”
“Har-har. I was thinking about you; I see that storm coming in on the news. They say it’s gonna be rough.”
“Aww, are you worried about your big brother?”
She snorted. “No, but that house has been in our family for generations. I want to secure my son’s future.”
I knew she was kidding. While we were all very well-off, our parents had raised us not to let money become who we were. Kate stayed at home with my thirteen-year-old nephew, Josh, and helped me remotely from her house. Frank was a doctor… well, a surgeon— pediatric cardiology, and I was certain Josh was financially secure.
“Your son? What if I have a child someday?”
That got her laughing. “You’d have to actually date people to make that happen. Well, I mean, even if you found someone, a man can’t have the baby, so actually, yeah, why not find a surrogate?”
“Wow, okay, this conversation went to weird places. I only just got comfortable having a cat.”
“Mmhmm. Look, you’re forty-five. Ticktock, big bro.”
I rolled my eyes even though she couldn’t see me. I got this every so often from her and my mom. They didn’t want me to be lonely, thought I should have a family. They’d never cared that I was gay; they even embraced it. But I knew pretty much everyone in Everlasting Springs. The pool wasn’t that big.
“I really love these tender calls we share, Kate.”
“Blah, blah. Okay, I gotta get Josh off to practice. Stay safe, text to keep me updated. Love you, jerkface.”
“Love you too, butthead.”
I disconnected the call, and Mayhem meowed.
“Okay, sweetie, let’s get you fed.”
Davidson King, always had a hope that someday her daydreams would become real-life stories. As a child, you would often find her in her own world, thinking up the most insane situations. It may have taken her awhile, but she made her dream come true with her first published work, Snow Falling.
She managed to wrangle herself a husband who matched her crazy and they hatched three wonderful children.
If you were to ask her what gave her the courage to finally publish, she’d tell you it was her amazing family and friends. Support is vital in all things and when you’re afraid of your dreams, it will be your cheering section that will lift you up.
EMAIL: davidsonkingauthor@yahoo.com
Once Upon a Second Chance #1
Once Upon a Holiday Story Series
