Return to Hope's Crossing with RaeAnne Thayne's newest book, All is Bright.
ALL
IS BRIGHT
Author:
RaeAnne Thayne
ISBN:
9781335933997
Publication
Date: September 20, 2022
Publisher:
HQN
Book
Summary:
Return to Hope’s Crossing
this Christmas in New York Times bestselling author RaeAnne Thayne’s latest
heartwarming story of matchmaking at the holidays!
Sage McKnight is an ambitious young architect working at her father’s
firm who takes on her most challenging client in Mason Tucker. The former pro
baseball player is still healing from the physical and emotional scars after a
plane crash left him a wheelchair-using single dad, and he’s determined not to
let anyone breach his emotional defenses. Sage knows her work on Mason’s new
home in Hope’s Crossing is her best work yet, and she won’t let her grumpy
client prevent her from showcasing her work personally.
With Sage’s gift for taking broken things and making them better, the
matchmaking talent of the quirky locals and a generous sprinkling of Christmas
cheer, Mason doesn’t stand a chance against the power of this magical holiday
season.
Buy
Links:
BookShop: https://bookshop.org/books/all-is-bright-a-christmas-romance/9781335449979
Harlequin:
https://www.harlequin.com/shop/books/9781335933997_all-is-bright.html
Barnes
& Noble: https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/all-is-bright-raeanne-thayne/1141697219?ean=9781335933997
Amazon:
https://www.amazon.com/All-Bright-Christmas-Romance-Novel-ebook/dp/B09P1NF9KN/ref=sr_1_1?keywords=all+is+bright+raeanne+thayne&qid=1662582061&sprefix=all+is+bri%2Caps%2C109&sr=8-1
Books-A-Million:
https://www.booksamillion.com/p/All-Bright/Raeanne-Thayne/9781335449979?id=8292090795540
Powell’s: https://www.powells.com/book/all-is-bright-9781335933997
Excerpt:
“We’re now walking into the home theater,” she spoke to her
outstretched camera, “one of the more challenging rooms of the renovation.
Prior to this update, the room had a series of steps leading to the different
levels of recliners. Obviously, that would no longer work for the homeowner, so
we chose to remove the steps completely, instead building a gradual slope with
room to maneuver around each level of seating. Beyond featuring
state-of-the-art electronics that will be easily upgradeable, everything in
here—from the blackout window shades to the sound system to the recliners
themselves—can be controlled through a single smart home phone app.”
She turned the camera to face her. “Doesn’t this look like a
wonderfully cozy place to watch a movie or catch your favorite sporting event?”
She smiled into the phone camera, then moved back into the
wide hallway leading to the library/office, her own favorite spot in the house.
“You can see here we have sliding pocket doors that open and
close with the push of a button. We chose to replace the traditional doors in
many of the spaces with these pocket doors, which gives more room for the
homeowner to navigate, and we also…”
Her words trailed off as she heard a sound behind her and
turned to see a large, dark-haired man using a wheelchair, framed in the
doorway.
He frowned, an expression she had become all too used to
seeing there, during their few in-person interactions and their more frequent
video conferences.
“What are you doing?” he demanded. “You’re not filming this,
are you?”
Sage dropped her phone with an inward wince and stopped
recording. Technically, this was still her job site, which meant she had full
permission to check on the progress of the work until they handed the finished
home over to the owner, who happened to be this man, former professional
baseball player Mason Tucker.
With effort, she forced herself not to show any of her
dismay. Out of all the clients she had worked with during her career thus far,
Mason Tucker was the only one who made her palms sweat and her stomach feel
knotted with stress.
“Mr. Tucker. Um, hi.” She forced a smile, feeling awkward as
hell and wishing she had waited until the contractor would be here to take a
tour.
“I haven’t been here in weeks and wanted to document the progress
that has been made since I visited last. I didn’t see any vehicles outside and
assumed everybody was gone for the day.”
“I’m parked in the garage of the guesthouse.”
“I didn’t even know you were in town. Have you been here
long?”
The last she knew, Mason had been living in Portland, where
he had once played for the same baseball team as another town resident, Spencer
Gregory, who was married to Sage’s friend Charlotte. Sage knew Spence and Mason
had remained friends, despite life circumstances that had led to both of them
retiring.
For a moment, she wasn’t sure Mason would reply, then he
finally shrugged. “I wanted to be close as we started to wrap things up so I
can keep an eye on things and be on hand if there are any questions or
problems. My daughter and I moved into the guesthouse a month ago.”
Why hadn’t her dad or Sam Delgado told her Mason was already
living in Hope’s Crossing?
Beyond that, she suddenly thought, how in the world was he
making the guesthouse work? That place wasn’t at all wheelchair accessible,
with three steps leading into the place, narrow hallways and no accessible
bathroom like those she had designed for this main house.
Renovating the guesthouse was part of the master plan but
not until all the work was finished on Wolf Ridge itself.
“That place is a mess. How are you getting around?”
“I’m managing,” he said, his voice curt. “I can still get
around on crutches, as long as I don’t have to go far.”
“You shouldn’t have to go far, from one end of the
guesthouse to the other. It’s tiny.” She imagined a man Mason’s size would make
the space shrink to almost nothing.
“It works fine for me and Grace. It’s only a few more weeks
anyway, right?”
“I suppose.”
Sam Delgado had assured her when they spoke earlier that the
renovations to Wolf Ridge would be finished shortly before Christmas.
Sage had to admit, she wouldn’t be sorry to put the job
behind her.
While she was thrilled with the way her designs had
transformed the mountain estate, working with Mason Tucker himself was another
story.
She tried to be compassionate. Whenever she grew frustrated
with him, she would remind herself that Mason had endured the sort of tragedy
that would have completely destroyed someone without his resilience. While she
was only charged with renovating this house, Mason had to completely rebuild
his life.
He had every right to be surly and uncooperative.
While she might know that intellectually, it was difficult
to remember when she was dealing with yet another last-minute change order.
Still, he had superb taste and basically unlimited financial
resources. In a few more weeks, when the job was finished, Wolf Ridge would
meet his needs now and long into the future.
The home now featured a new indoor pool, spa and high-tech
exercise room on the bottom level, two new elevators at either end of the house
and heated floors throughout. Wolf Ridge also featured a kitchen that worked
for people of any mobility level and wheelchair accessible bathrooms on each
level, including the extensive owner’s suite on the second floor.
Sage loved everything about this house, from the skylights
to the beams her dad had mentioned to the wider doorways and hallways. It was
warm, luxurious, comfortable.
She wanted to show off her work to the world. The only trick
would be convincing the intensely private Mason Tucker.
Faced with his glower now, Sage felt as if she faced a
Herculean task.
She had to try, though, didn’t she?
Her fledgling internet show had exploded in popularity over
the past year, allowing her foundation and personal pet project to help far
more deserving people than she had ever envisioned.
Sage could only imagine the vast number of views—and thus ad
revenue—a video featuring Wolf Ridge would bring in. People would love a
glimpse inside the house redesigned for the reclusive and private Mason Tucker.
The public still clamored to know everything it could about
the former professional athlete who had endured so much physical and emotional
pain.
If she could showcase Wolf Ridge on the Homes for All
internet channel, she would also bring awareness to some of the issues and
obstacles noninclusive design presented to those with mobility challenges.
She drew in a breath, not sure where to start. Yes, he would
likely slap her down but she wouldn’t know unless she asked, right?
“The progress while I’ve been overseas is amazing. I can’t
believe how different everything looks, with the finish work and the new
flooring.”
“Sam and his subs have put in some long hours.”
“It shows. And Jean-Paul tells me he’s going to have nearly
all the furnishings ready to go in a few more weeks, except for a few custom
pieces.”
“That’s what he tells me.”
“I can’t see any reason you and Grace can’t move in before
Christmas. How exciting!”
A shrug was his only response, which she supposed was about
as eloquent as Mason Tucker could be.
She stuck her hands into the pockets of her wool coat.
He was going to say no. She knew it and braced herself for
it.
“There’s no easy way for me to ask you this so I’m going to
come straight out with it.” She drew in a breath. “For the past year, I’ve
hosted a YouTube channel, Homes for All, which features projects with the kind
of innovative universal design elements we have tried to incorporate here at
Wolf Ridge.”
He raised an eyebrow but said nothing.
“While it’s called Homes for All, we feature commercial as
well as residential projects. I hope to continue raising awareness of how
limiting and even discriminatory some design practices can be for those who
are, er, differently abled.”
He again said nothing, only continued to look at her out of
those hard blue eyes that concealed his emotions completely.
“I have poured so much energy into Wolf Ridge, and I’m
absolutely thrilled with the way the house has turned out. It’s everything I
dreamed and more. I feel like more people should see it. Don’t you? I would
absolutely love to feature your home on my channel.”
She held her breath, hands curled inside her pockets.
As she might have predicted, he didn’t leave her waiting
long for his answer.
“Hell no,” he said with blunt finality, then turned away and
started to roll back down the hall so abruptly she could only stare at him.
After a moment, she pursued him. This was too important to
give up at the first obstacle. “Just like that? You don’t even want to hear the
details?”
He paused and maneuvered to face her. “Why waste both our
time? I don’t need to hear the details. Whatever you have to say doesn’t
matter. My answer will remain a hard no.”
The man was impossible. Her grandfather Harry might have
called him pigheaded, but Sage preferred the more diplomatic obstinate.
And yes, how could she blame him for that? Mason was trying
to rebuild a life for himself and his daughter in Hope’s Crossing, away from
the prying eyes of the tabloid press. She already knew he was an intensely
private man. He had made her sign a nondisclosure agreement before even talking
to her about what he wanted done at the house.
She might have been more surprised if he had agreed to let
her feature his house on her channel.
Still, she had never been good at taking no for an answer.
She could be every bit as pigheaded as Mason Tucker. She figured she had
inherited that from Harry Lange himself.
“What I love most about your home is how seamlessly we have
managed to integrate the new design into the existing structure without
altering the basic style and grace of the home,” she said. “I’m sure you can
agree that the changes will benefit everyone who lives here, not only you.”
“Sure,” he said after a moment. “You definitely know what
you’re doing. The house is exactly what I wanted. That still doesn’t mean I
want the whole world peering in at the transfer bars in the shower or the damn
lift I need to use so I can get in and out of my spa.”
Sage was so caught up in the first part of what he said, the
unexpected praise coming from her difficult client, that she almost missed the
second part.
“That’s exactly what I try to showcase on my channel. When
done right, universal design can blend with the overall style of a home or
commercial property, small and sometimes barely noticeable changes but enough
to make a huge difference to those who need them.”
“No,” he said again. “Judging by how seldom you’re here, you
must have other projects. You can focus on those.”
“I have. You can watch the videos online. We have about
thirty of them up now. But Wolf Ridge is the most ambitious residential
renovation I’ve ever undertaken. Most people would never have poured the kind
of resources you have into making such extensive changes to an existing
structure. They would have sold the house as is and built a custom home
somewhere else. Because of the location and the basic sound structure of the
house, you chose to renovate instead. The results are beautiful, and I want the
whole world to see it.”
“And I don’t,” he said bluntly. “I don’t need to give the
whole damn world any more reasons to pity me.”
A muscle clenched along his jaw, and Sage felt immediately
ashamed of herself for her selfishness at wanting to showcase her best work
here.
Her motives weren’t completely selfish, she amended. Yes,
she was proud of her work on Wolf Ridge. This project, more than any other she
had been part of, might help her begin to emerge from her father’s huge and
well-earned shadow.
It wasn’t easy being Jackson Lange’s daughter and trying to
find her own way in the same field as one of the world’s most brilliant
architectural minds.
That was the very reason she hadn’t taken Jack’s surname,
even after they reconnected. She still went by Sage McKnight, the name she’d
always had. She didn’t want to be known first as Jackson Lange’s daughter, with
the weight of all those expectations on her. She wanted to succeed on her own.
Beyond that, she was doing good work with Homes for All. She
knew she was making a difference in people’s lives, not only by changing minds
about universal design but by changing lives.
Should she tell Jackson Lange that Homes for All was also
the name of her foundation, funded by the ad revenue her videos generated
online? The purpose was to help people who couldn’t otherwise afford to make
necessary changes to their living spaces when age or health issues impacted
mobility.
No. She didn’t want to guilt him into letting her invade his
privacy by showcasing Wolf Ridge.
“Will you at least think about it?” she finally said. “You
don’t have to decide anything right this moment.”
He shrugged. “I can think about it from now until Christmas.
I won’t change my mind. My house, my decision. You can take all the pictures
and video you want for your own personal use but if you post them online, I’ll
sue your ass for breaking our nondisclosure agreement.”
He wheeled away without another word, leaving Sage to gaze
after him with helpless frustration.
She hadn’t really expected any other answer, but she had
hoped.
Her watch alarm dinged, and she glanced down at the reminder
she had set. She was supposed to be at her mother’s bookstore and coffeehouse,
Books & Brew, in ten minutes.
She quickly shot a few more images then walked back out into
the December twilight.
Excerpted
from All is Bright by RaeAnne Thayne. Copyright © 2022 by RaeAnne Thayne.
Published by arrangement with Harlequin Books S.A.
