The Darkhorse by Selena Laurence

A Bride.
Lisa Scotch has been burned by her ex-husband, a soldier who took off, leaving her with no forwarding address and enough debt to sink the Titanic. She’s lost nearly everything, and Christmas is looking nothing like the season of joy. Until Colonel Jefferson Thibedeux walks into the elementary school she teaches at and turns everything upside down.

A Soldier.
Jeff Thibedeux is the quiet one, a “darkhorse” most people don’t see coming. He’s married to the military, and things like family and holidays have never meant much. But when his commanding officer tells him a promotion to General won’t be forthcoming unless Jeff can get an actual wife, his world is turned upside down.

An Arranged Marriage.
When Jeff meets the pretty school teacher who has everything but her finances well in hand, he knows this is his chance. He’ll pay her bills, she’ll be his wife in the eyes of the law and more importantly, the Pentagon. A clean business deal that will benefit them both. But when Jeff and Lisa prepare for their first holiday as husband and wife, feelings spark like Christmas lights, and things get as hot as the fire in the hearth. Can business become pleasure, or even something more?

One thing’s for certain, for this soldier and his bride, Christmas will never be the same.