A Bundle of Joy Read online

  A Bundle of Joy

  A Vale Valley Collection of Shorts

  Connor Crowe

  Lorelei M Hart

  Alice Shaw

  M.M. Wilde

  Xander Collins

  Leyla Hunt

  Quinn Micheals

  Micheal Mandrake

  Coyote Starr

  Summer Chase

  Giovanna Reaves

  Contents

  Acknowledgments

  Baby’s First Christmas Book One

  Blurb

  Chapter One

  About the Author

  Next Christmas Book Two

  Chapter One

  Chapter Two

  Chapter Three

  Epilogue

  About the Author

  Three Roses Book Three

  Chapter One

  Chapter Two

  Chapter Three

  About The Author

  A Swan for Christmas New Year’s Eve Book Four

  Chapter One

  About the Author

  Five Gold Rings Book Five

  Chapter One

  Chapter Two

  Chapter Three

  About the Author

  His Christmas Lullaby Book Six

  Chapter One

  About the Author

  A Springtime Surprise Book Seven

  Acknowledgments

  Chapter One

  Chapter Two

  Chapter Three

  Chapter Four

  Chapter Five

  About the Author

  Breakable in Bora Bora Book Eight

  Chapter One

  Chapter Two

  About the Author

  Christmas in July Book Nine

  Chapter One

  Chapter Two

  Chapter Three

  Chapter Four

  Chapter Five

  Chapter Six

  Chapter Seven

  Also by Coyote Starr

  About the Author

  O Little Town of Vale Valley Book Ten

  Chapter One

  About the Author

  Chance’s Heartbeats Book Eleven

  About the Author

  Chapter One

  Chapter Two

  Chapter Three

  Chapter Four

  Chapter Five

  Also by Giovanna Reaves

  Vale Valley

  About Vale Valley

  Sweet, Smexy, Mpreg

  When Mayor Rosemary and her husband Trenton Vale, started Vale Valley, it was with the goal that all would be welcomed. The Vale’s wanted their town to be a safe haven for all who were searching for a place to belong. Now with five thousand residents and counting, Vale Valley is filled with people and beings with diverse backgrounds. No other town is like Vale Valley where were-creatures, witches, ghosts, and many others can live in harmony. The residents of Vale Valley know about the many creatures in their little town, and it makes them feel safe and protected.

  Vale Valley a small but bustling town and has everything that a big city would have. The residents are able to feed and rejuvenate their souls. From their Health Center to the local bar Club Incubus where a live band entertains the residents, Vale’s General Hospital that specializes in male pregnancies, and let’s not forget Vale Valley Inn and Restaurant or The Dozing Dragon’s B&B. If there’s something you’re looking for Vale Valley will certainly provide fulfilling your every desire.

  One of Vale Valley's many secrets is that it is only visible to those who need to find love and a home.

  Acknowledgments

  Thank you for purchasing this series. Vale Valley is very special to us, and in the spirit of the holidays, all proceeds will be donated to the Trevor Project.

  Vale Valley Authors

  Baby’s First Christmas Book One

  By Connor Crowe

  Copyright © 2018 Connor Crowe

  ALL RIGHTS RESERVED: No part of this book may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted, in any form or by any means, without the prior permission in writing of the publisher, nor be otherwise circulated in any form of binding or cover other than that in which it is published and without a similar condition including this condition being imposed on the subsequent purchaser. Your non-refundable purchase allows you to one legal copy of this work for your own personal use. You do not have resell or distribution rights without the prior written permission of both the publisher and copyright owner of this book. This book cannot be copied in any format, sold, or otherwise transferred from your computer to another through upload, or for a fee.

  Blurb

  Return to Vale Valley for even more holiday cheer! See Sebastian, Will, and baby Rayne's first Christmas as they reopen the Dozing Dragon for friends, family, and community. But watch out--little Rayne's shifter side is starting to come out! No one ever said parenting a baby dragon was easy...

  Chapter One

  Winter fell upon Vale Valley once more.

  Snow blanketed the rolling slopes and hills all the way down into the valley where the annual Christmas market thrived in full swing. A huge tree in the center of town twinkled with tinsel and lights. A brilliant star atop the tree shone out into the night, reminding us all of the magic and hope of the season.

  Only this year, things were a little different.

  Last year at this time, I was over stressed, over worked, and cooped up in a small studio apartment in New York City. Then came that fateful telephone call from Rosemary Vale, and my life had changed overnight.

  Returning to Vale Valley was the best decision I’d ever made. I didn’t recognize it at the time, but returning home was just the balm I needed to soothe my weary soul. I’d reconnected with my shifter side, helped out the townspeople, and—oh yeah—met the love of my life.

  Will Specter, the young, pretty omega who’d always lurked in the shadows. With the help of a few friendly ghosts and a magical sprig of mistletoe, we’d fallen into one another’s arms at last, and I couldn’t be happier.

  And the best part of all?

  This year we had even more to celebrate. We had a child.

  Speaking of, where had he gotten off to?

  I sidestepped around a few visitors and reached the main room where a fire roared in the hearth and a tree stood proudly in the corner. It wasn’t just any fire, though. It glowed a warm gold this evening with hints of red and green sparks. No normal fire could do that. It came from the depths of my heart, way down at the core of my being.

  I was a dragon, after all. And dragonfire was some of the most magical stuff there was.

  “There you are!”

  I heard Will’s voice before I saw him. He poked his head out of the kitchen with a bowl in one hand and Rayne in another. A delicious smell of cinnamon wafted from the oven and reached me almost instantly.

  “Whoa, what are you making in there?” I followed my nose into the kitchen. Three racks of snickerdoodle cookies lay cooling on the counter, crusted with sugar and just the right amount of spice.

  Just like my omega.

  “Snickerdoodle. Can you take Rayne? He keeps trying to eat the dough.”

  I laughed and took our smiling baby boy from my mate’s arms. “I don’t know how you managed to cook and hold him at the same time in the first place.”

  “Practice.” Will smiled and put the bowl under the mixer. “He cried every time I tried to put him down, so...” He shrugged. “Are the guests all here?”

  I peeked into the grand living room. And to think, a year ago I’d considered selling the place and moving on with my life. Now it was more full of light and life than ever. People bustled about the house, sharing laughter, smiles, and treats. Just the way Nellie would have wanted.

  I did a quick head
count and turned back to Will. “Looks like everyone. Can I help you with anything else?”

  “No,” Will said. “I’ll be right out.” He wiped his forehead with the back of his hand and left a smear of flour there in a white streak. I couldn’t help but smile.

  Not only was my mate a wizard at caring for plants, he had a knack in the kitchen that rivaled even my mother’s.

  I took Rayne back into the great room, balancing him on my hip.

  “Oh! He’s grown so much!”

  I spun around to find Rosemary standing there, her eyes alight with hope and happiness. “It’s so good to see all the new faces this year! Vale Valley is really starting to grow again.”

  “It is,” I agreed. “You helped.”

  The mayor blushed at that. She stroked the jeweled necklace at her chest before looking back to me. “Oh, hush sweetheart. You know I just wanted to see everyone happy for the holidays.”

  “All these new couples, and you still say you have nothing to do with it,” I teased. “Never change, Rose.”

  “I don’t plan to,” she agreed with a smile. “How old is the little one now?”

  “About four months.”

  “Already? He’s growing so fast!”

  “Tell me about it,” I joked, kissing his little forehead. Rayne let out a sound of surprise and his hands grasped at my hair. Those little hands closed around a lock and pulled with surprising strength.

  “Ow!” I cried, pulling away. “Rayne!”

  “He’s going to be a handful, I can tell.” Rosemary’s eyes gleamed in that special way that I’d never seen on anyone else. She knew something. She always did.

  “He already is, but he’s our handful. Isn’t that right, Rayne? Say hi to Rosemary!”

  Rayne buried his face in my shoulder instead.

  “I think someone’s tired,” I told Rosemary. “This is his first Christmas. With so much going on it’s tired the poor little guy out.”

  “I believe it. Well, I’m going to go try some of the punch. Have a delightful Christmas, Sebastian. I’m so glad you’re here.”

  I beamed. Hard to believe that only a year ago returning here was the last thing I would have wanted. But I had to admit it—I’d fallen in love with small town life all over again, and Will had showed me that I could have my cake and eat it, too.

  “Glad to be here, Rose. Merry Christmas.”

  I was used to being the center of attention in the business world. Here in a house filled with my family, friends, and coworkers was a little different, though. Everyone wanted to talk to me and Rayne. Everyone wanted to wish us happy holidays and congratulate us on the new addition to the family. If I was getting tired, I could only imagine how Rayne must feel.

  We found a small quiet space in front of the tree. Rayne looked up at me through sleepy, half-lidded eyes. Poor thing was exhausted. He turned his head and peered at the glowing ornaments on the tree. Will and I had put together a combination of our favorites: my pewter ornaments mixed with Will’s handcrafted arrangements perfectly.

  “Merry Christmas, Rayne,” I whispered.

  He wrinkled his nose, scrunched up his face, and sneezed.

  My eyes grew wide when sparks flew from his nose and mouth, settling on the dry pine boughs like glitter. Rayne sniffed again, then squealed in laughter. Steam rose from his nostrils. One of the sparks caught and started glowing, turning each needle into the tiniest flickering ember.

  “Did I just see what I thought I saw?” Will’s awestruck voice came from behind us.

  The room grew silent now, every pair of eyes trained on us.

  For a moment, it didn’t matter that the tree was slightly singed. My baby, my Rayne, had breathed his first little bit of dragonfire.

  Rayne looked up at me with wide, wondering eyes that sparkled with flecks of gold.

  “Oh my god,” Will breathed, rushing toward us. “That was his first fire, wasn’t it?”

  “It was,” I said, just as breathlessly. “Oh my god, he’s going to be a dragon!”

  “And a fine one too, if his father is any indication.” Rosemary put her arm around my shoulder, ruffling Rayne’s already-mussed hair. “Congratulations, darling. Time to start fire proofing the house.” She winked.

  “Oh god,” I breathed, covering my mouth. In a house full of wood, plants, and antiques, just about anything could go up in flames. We were gonna have a lot of work to do.

  Will took my hand and we stayed there for a precious moment, gazing upon our beautiful boy. I covered him with kisses, loving the way he shrieked and squealed with delight. He was growing up so fast...and before I knew it, we’d be there for his first shift, too.

  “Now you gonna put out that branch before the whole tree burns down?”

  Oh, crap! “I...right!” I handed Rayne off to Will, grabbed a handkerchief, and swatted at the smoking branch. The room filled with the scent of burning pine and a few crumbled needles scattered to the floor, but no harm done. I let out a relieved breath. That could have been bad.

  “That was a close one.” Will came up behind me and wrapped his free arm around my waist. “We’re going to have to keep a close watch on him now, you know.”

  “I know.” I turned to kiss them both—first my son, then my mate. Even if the days ahead were uncertain, I had everything I needed right here in Vale Valley. Love, a roaring fire, and a whole community of friendly, caring people.

  There was truly no place like home.

  About the Author

  Connor Crowe grew up reading stories about dragons, magic, and adventure. He often liked to imagine himself as a character in those stories, and as he grew older he began to write some of them down. He couldn't just write any old fantasy, though. As a die-hard romantic, he tells stories of men finding true love amidst adversity.

  When you read a Connor Crowe book, you know you're getting action-packed fantasy mpreg that will make your heart race in more ways than one ;)

  Get a free copy of his too-hot-for-Amazon story "One Knotty Night" by navigating to the link below:

  http://goo.gl/VqbB19

  Next Christmas Book Two

  By Lorelei Hart

  Copyright © 2018 Lorelei Hart

  ALL RIGHTS RESERVED: No part of this book may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted, in any form or by any means, without the prior permission in writing of the publisher, nor be otherwise circulated in any form of binding or cover other than that in which it is published and without a similar condition including this condition being imposed on the subsequent purchaser. Your non-refundable purchase allows you to one legal copy of this work for your own personal use. You do not have resell or distribution rights without the prior written permission of both the publisher and copyright owner of this book. This book cannot be copied in any format, sold, or otherwise transferred from your computer to another through upload, or for a fee.

  Blurb

  Christmas is a time for love, joy, and family. Sometimes it is also a time for saying good-bye.

  Chapter One

  Dante

  Pulling into our driveway at the side of the house, I smiled at the golden glow shining out the windows of our “new and improved” cabin. It bore little resemblance to the one we’d inherited from Brian’s uncle Sal, but the heart of the home remained. As in, we’d left the meter wall intact to make the place a remodel vs. new construction and saved a ton of time and money in the permitting process. But we’d also used all the logs from the original as well as so many new ones.

  If my latest novel had not hit the best-seller lists, it would never have been possible to accomplish our goals, that and every dime Houston had saved up from his frugal living during his time in the Coast Guard and a modest cash stash that had been part of our inheritance. Maybe we’d gone over-the-top. Three stories, lots of tall windows, a wraparound patio...the babies’ suite alone was almost bigger than the old cabin.

  I climbed out of the car, arms loaded with last-minute Christmas
presents for my mates and our twins. As I followed the winding path to the front door, I caught sight of the big front window and the twenty-foot-high tree centered in it. It gleamed with multicolored lights and ornaments, a number of which were emblazoned with Baby’s First Christmas.

  Snow was falling around me, starting to get heavy. A blizzard was predicted, and judging by the winds threatening to blow the beribboned packages out of my arms, we’d be snowed in within an hour or two. But this home would protect us from the elements. The backup generator was ready to kick in if power cut out, the green metal roof solid and ready to shed excess snowfall, and the multiple fireplaces to keep us warm if necessary. I’d had a few concerns about getting home from my out-of-town book signing, but the guys insisted I go, do what needed doing.