PATTI ANN COLT

Santa’s missing. Christmas is chaos. And Tom and Summer Applegate are learning that like holiday lights, love gets tangled before it shines.

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Sergeant Tom Applegate never thought marriage would mean loving his wife from a distance. Supporting the brilliance of Summer’s art career while serving the town that anchors his identity has stretched him thin and reminded him how much he misses the simple, steady life they once shared.

 

Summer Applegate is tired of running. Determined to rebuild the life she wants with Tom, she returns to Echo Falls ready to merge her two passions—her art and her marriage. But coming home means confronting the past she’s avoided for years and finally claiming the sense of belonging she’s never allowed herself to have.

 

When a too-smart teenager uncovers clues about the missing Santa, the entire town gets pulled into the holiday mystery. In the middle of the mayhem, Tom and Summer must rediscover the quiet truth of Christmas: that love, community, and home are the greatest gifts of all.