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NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLING AUTHOR JANET CHAPMAN
keeps the fire burning all year long. . . .
“Chapman is unmatched and unforgettable.”
—Romantic Times
Praise for the charming Highlanders series
SECRETS OF THE HIGHLANDER
“Liberally spiced with mystery, this story has warmth and genuine love that make it the perfect antidote for stress.”
—Romantic Times
ONLY WITH A HIGHLANDER
“A mystical, magical book if there ever was one. . . . A perfect 10!”
—Romance Reviews Today
“This time-traveling Highlander series has been a pure joy to read, and this book is no exception.”
—Romantic Times
“An excellent addition to her entertaining Highlander series.”
—Booklist
TEMPTING THE HIGHLANDER
“Chapman breathes such life and warmth into her characters, each story is impossible to put down.”
—Romantic Times
WEDDING THE HIGHLANDER
“A series that just keeps getting better. . . . This is Chapman’s most emotional, touching and powerful novel to date.”
—Romantic Times
“Exciting . . . Janet Chapman writes a refreshingly entertaining novel.”
—The Best Reviews
LOVING THE HIGHLANDER
“Janet Chapman has hit another home run with Loving the Highlander. It’s a fresh take on time travel, with both humor and drama. She’s a keeper.”
—New York Times bestselling author Linda Howard
“The characters are lively, intriguing and full of passion.”
—Romantic Times
CHARMING THE HIGHLANDER
“Splendid. We can expect great things from Janet Chapman.”
—The Oakland Press
“Time travel, tragedy, temptation, along with desire, destiny, devotion, and, of course, true love, are all woven into Janet Chapman’s romance.”
—Bangor Daily News
“Terrific . . . A real gem of a story!”
—Romantic Times
. . . and for her captivating contemporary romances
THE MAN MUST MARRY
“Offbeat and charming. . . . Chapman’s gift for creating characters you love spending time with is on full display.”
—Romantic Times
“Ninety-percent laughter, ten-percent tears, and one-hundred-percent romance. Nobody writes a luscious romantic comedy like Janet Chapman. . . . Superb.”
—ReadertoReader.com
THE STRANGER IN HER BED
“A thoroughly enjoyable tale of a modern-day knight and his feisty ladylove set in the rugged mountains of Maine.”
—Booklist
THE SEDUCTION OF HIS WIFE
“A charming story of love, growth and trust.”
—Romantic Times
“Chapman presents a cast of rugged characters in rural Maine who enact a surprisingly tender romance.”
—Booklist
THE DANGEROUS PROTECTOR
“One thing that Chapman does so deftly is meld great characterization, sparkling humor and spicy adventure into a perfect blend.”
—Romantic Times
Also by Janet Chapman
Moonlight Warrior
The Man Must Marry
Secrets of the Highlander
The Stranger in Her Bed
The Seduction of His Wife
Only with a Highlander
The Dangerous Protector
Tempting the Highlander
The Seductive Impostor
Wedding the Highlander
Loving the Highlander
Charming the Highlander
Available from Pocket Books
A Highlander Christmas
JANET CHAPMAN
The sale of this book without its cover is unauthorized. If you purchased this book without a cover, you should be aware that It was reported to the publisher as “unsold and destroyed.” Neither the author nor the publisher has received payment for the sale of this “stripped book.”
Pocket Star Books
A Division of Simon & Schuster, Inc.
1230 Avenue of the Americas
New York, NY 10020
www.SimonandSchuster.com
This book is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, and incidents either are products of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously. Any resemblance to actual events or locales or persons, living or dead, is entirely coincidental.
Copyright © 2009 by Janet Chapman
All rights reserved, including the right to reproduce this book or portions thereof in any form whatsoever. For information address Pocket Books Subsidiary Rights Department, 1230 Avenue of the Americas, New York, NY 10020
First Pocket Star Books paperback edition November 2009
POCKET STAR BOOKS and colophon are registered trademarks of Simon & Schuster, Inc.
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Cover art by Alan Ayers
Cover design by Min Choi
Manufactured in the United States of America
10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1
ISBN 978-1-4165-9545-8
ISBN 978-1-4391-6684-0 (ebook)
To those of you who don’t believe in miracles, get ready,
because you’re going to get them anyway!
A Highlander Christmas
Chapter One
The only thing stopping Grey from strangling the shivering man crouched in front of their hearth was that he didn’t wish to upset Grace. And since his wife already looked pale enough to pass out, Greylen MacKeage contented himself with glaring at his son-in-law and chief of police, Jack Stone, who had brought the half-frozen man to them.
Apparently also stu
“Would you mind repeating what you just said, Mr. Pascal?” Grace whispered, clutching the arms of her chair. “As I don’t believe I heard you correctly the first time.”
Luke Pascal turned from warming his hands at the fire, his worried glance darting to Grey before returning to Grace. “When I went to NASA and asked to see her a couple of months ago, I was told that Camry hasn’t worked there since December of last year. Then when I went to her condo, I found out she had sold it sometime last spring. I’m sorry I’ve obviously shocked you, Dr. Sutter, but I assumed you knew. “
Honest to God, if Pascal didn’t stop calling his wife Dr. Sutter, Grey really was going to strangle the bastard. “And how is it that ye know our daughter?” he asked.
Luke Pascal stood up from his crouched position and faced Grey. “I’ve been communicating with Camry by e-mail for quite some time.” He shifted uncomfortably. “Or I had been up until this summer, when she suddenly stopped e-mailing me back.”