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This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, and incidents either are the product of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously, and any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, business establishments, events, or locales is entirely coincidental.
A CHRISTMAS SPIRIT
An InterMix Book / published by arrangement with the author
PUBLISHING HISTORY
“A Christmas Spirit” appeared in the anthology
A Highlander Christmas
.
Signet Eclipse edition / November 2009
InterMix eBook edition / December 2013
Copyright © 2009 by Cindy Homberger.
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eBook ISBN: 978-0-698-14156-8
INTERMIX
InterMix Books are published by The Berkley Publishing Group
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Table of Contents
A Christmas Spirit
Cindy Miles
INTERMIX BOOKS, NEW YORK
Chapter One
DECEMBER, PRESENT DAY NORTH WEST HIGHLANDS SOMEWHERE NEAR INVERNESS
“Please don’t die, please don’t die,
puh-leeze
don’t die,” crooned Paige MacDonald. Gripping the steering wheel so tightly her knuckles turned white, she stared through the swirling snow ahead and held her breath. The little standard-shift rental car sputtered, lurched, but thankfully, kept going.
Paige let out a gusty sigh. “Thank you,” she whispered, and shifted into third gear. She knew she was lost. She’d missed the turnoff that led back to Inverness. But she needed to get
somewhere
fast, before the car broke down and she got stranded in this snow. She inched along, searching for any indication of a town, a house, a gas station—anything. Several more miles passed. Nothing.
All at once, she spotted a narrow path. It turned sharp left from the track she was on and then disappeared through a dense forest. A small red sign marked GORLOCH B&B stood at the base of the path. Without another thought, Paige steered the car onto the graveled lane. Maybe she could call and cancel her lodgings in Inverness and stay at Gorloch for the night? She hoped they had a vacancy. She’d worry about the car in the morning.
A few minutes passed as Paige crept her way up the snowy lane, and then her heart soared. Up ahead, a single light twinkled through the trees. A little farther and she’d be there.
Suddenly, the car coughed and lurched, and the engine died. With a heavy sigh, Paige shifted into neutral, coasted to the edge of the lane, and let the car roll to a stop. She yanked up the emergency brake and stared out into the blinding white downfall of snow. The wind whipped furiously, causing the rental car to sway. For as far as she could see, there was nothing but white. Unfolding the map she’d thrown on the passenger seat, she studied the small, threadlike marking that was supposed to be the road to her bed-a nd-breakfast. No signs, nothing—not even a sign for Gorloch. She frowned. Lost
and
her car had officially bit the big one.
Great
.
Glancing at her watch, she silently said a naughty word, then leaned her head back and closed her eyes.
Perhaps a self-driving tour of the North West Highlands in December hadn’t been the most thought-through plan she’d ever had. But she’d been desperate to get out of the city, away from her job, her cramped apartment. So she was lost. And her car had croaked. And there was one heck of a storm outside.
At least she wasn’t spending another Christmas home alone.
Grabbing her overnight pack, Paige tugged her hat down over her ears, tightened her scarf, and buttoned her wool coat. Pulling on her gloves, she gave a hefty sigh and a bit of silent encouragement, then opened the door and jumped out into the cold.
The gray wintry skies had begun to turn shadowy, and before long, night would fall. She certainly didn’t want to be stranded in the woods after dark. She began to move quickly.
Trudging up the snowy lane, Paige made her way to Gorloch’s. With the biting cold and wall of flurry, it seemed to take forever. Not a sound in the air except the crunch of ice beneath her boots and the wind rushing through the branches. It felt dreamlike yet calming at the same time. It looked like a true winter wonderland. The path wound around a copse of trees, and when it straightened, Paige stopped and gasped. Her breath slowly puffed out in front of her like white, billowy smoke.
The lone twinkling light hadn’t come from a regular bed-a nd-breakfast, or from a stone cottage, or even a Highland croft.
It came from a dark, looming castle.
Paige stood still, staring. An ancient stone fortress rose from the frosty mist, uninviting and ominous. Apprehension gripped her, yet her lips were numb and snowflakes caked her eyelashes. She had no choice now but to continue on. Shifting her pack, Paige shoved her hands deep into her pockets and made for the castle doors.
As she neared the entrance, she noticed two things. One, the main castle tower was enormous. Two, unless there was a garage somewhere around back, it didn’t look like a soul was home. With a deep breath, she took the remaining walk to the double doors, lifted her hand, grasped a large, tarnished brass ring, and knocked. She stepped back and waited.
No one answered.
Teeth chattering and her body shivering uncontrollably, Paige knocked again. Loudly. Seconds turned into minutes as she waited.
Oh, gosh
—
I ’m going to freeze to death
—
“No vacancy. Go away.”
Paige jumped at the sound of the deep voice and looked around. “Um, c-could I j-just use your phone to c-call a cab? My c-car’s dead,” she said, teeth chattering.
Moments passed, and Paige sighed and turned to leave.
“Come in, but be quick about it.”
Paige looked about, but still saw no one. Should she go in? Why didn’t he open the door himself? Her body quaked with uncontrolled shivers, and she stomped her feet and rubbed her arms vigorously.
“Come in before you bloody freeze to death.”
With hesitancy, Paige turned the handle, pushed the massive door open, and stepped inside. The wind caught the heavy oak, pulled it from her fingers, and slammed it shut behind her. She jumped, and looked around. She saw no one. A small table and chair in the foyer contained an open ledger and a pen. A lamp burned low and cast shadows across the narrow space. Paige’s gaze moved slowly and peered into the dim room beyond. “Hello?”
“Jus’ sign in, lass, and sit. I’ll be wi’ you in a moment.”
“So, you do have vacancy?” she asked, thinking she’d heard wrong the first time.
A moment passed; then that deep voice mumbled, “Aye.” “Err, great. Thanks,” said Paige. The throaty brogue was so thick, she barely understood the man. Grasping the pen, she steadied her shaking hand and signed in.
In the great hall, Gabriel Munro shoved a hand through his hair and paced. He stopped, glanced at the girl, pushed his thumb and forefinger into his eye sockets, and cursed. Then he rested his hand on his hips and paced a bit more.
What, by the devil’s cloven hooves, was he to do with
her
? Damn the Craigmires’ arses for leaving him here alone. The old fool and his wife had sworn the weather would keep tourists away.
Gabriel glanced at the girl still shivering in the foyer. Her gaze shifted first left, then right. Then, she sat down.
It had kept all away, save
that one
. What was she doin’ out in such a storm? And alone, as well?
He’d have let her leave, had she no’ admitted to being stranded. He damn well couldna let her stay out in the snow and freeze. And freeze she surely would, in such a wee, thin coat and scarf. Even the hat she had pulled nearly to her eyes looked paltry. ’Twas apparent she was no’ from the Highlands. Her accent had been the proof o’ that.
Now he was stuck wi’ her. Alone.
Christ
.
He had no choice but to handle things until the girl left. With a final silent curse, Gabriel took a deep breath, readied himself, and stepped into the foyer.
