Coastal Christmas by Lori Hayes

Is the legend true? Could she not only be loved but married by Christmas?

When Terri McMillan finds the perfect farmhouse on a salt marsh, an old dream reawakens to foster troubled teenaged girls. It’s no matter the small coastal town is her distant sister’s safe haven, a place where Terri is unwanted. But Terri is burnt-out on city life and the house’s charm is tempting, along with the myth that the house has Christmas magic. As the legend goes, whoever moves into the homestead will not only fall in love, but will be married by Christmas.
Matt Baker, the owner, wants one final Christmas in his grandparent’s home before selling it. He wants to spend a last family Christmas at the homestead in exchange for free labor to restore the neglected house. He and Terri may disagree about the details of the restoration, but there’s an attraction between them that neither anticipated. Things grow personal when they discover an old hat box in the attic containing letters and a diary from his grandparents during the Vietnam War.
Together they discover an old family secret, the true meaning of love, and the reason behind the Christmas lore—which makes them wonder … Could love like this still exist? The magic of Christmas just might be working.