A Christmas Bride

New York Times bestselling author Susan Mallery brings you home for the holidays with these two classic romances that will warm your heart...

Only Us

Pet groomer Carina Fiore wants nothing more than to confess her feelings to the man she loves. She’s drawn to veterinarian Cameron McKenzie’s good looks, caring nature and especially his devotion to his young daughter. There’s just one problem—he’s her boss. Putting her heart on the line could cost Rina both her job and their friendship forever. But when a kiss under the mistletoe unlocks the simmering passion between them, Rina and Cameron may just find love for the holidays after all....

The Sheik and the Christmas Bride

When Prince As’ad of El Deharia agrees to adopt three orphaned American girls, he does so on one condition—that their beautiful teacher, Kayleen James, become their nanny. His plan is to leave her to deal with the children as he continues his life, undisturbed. But all that changes when Kayleen and the girls invade the palace—and As’ad’s heart—and change it for the better.

Praise for New York Times bestselling author

Susan Mallery

“If you want a story that will both tug on

your heartstrings and tickle your funny bone, Mallery is the author for you!”

—RT Book Reviews on Only His

“When it comes to heartfelt contemporary romance, Mallery is in a class by herself.”

—RT Book Reviews on Only Yours

“An adorable, outspoken heroine and an intense hero...set the sparks flying in Mallery’s latest lively, comic and touching family-centered story.”

—Library Journal on Only Yours

“Mallery...excels at creating varied, well-developed characters and an emotion-packed story

gently infused with her trademark wit and humor.

One of the Top 10 Romances of 2011!”

—Booklist on Only Mine

“Mallery’s prose is luscious and provocative.”

—Publishers Weekly

“Susan Mallery’s gift for writing humor and tenderness make all her books true gems.”

—RT Book Reviews

“Romance novels don’t get much better than Mallery’s expert blend of emotional nuance,

humor and superb storytelling.”

—Booklist

A Christmas Bride

Susan Mallery

www.millsandboon.co.uk

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Only Us:

A Fool’s Gold Holiday

Contents

CHAPTER ONE

CHAPTER TWO

CHAPTER THREE

CHAPTER FOUR

CHAPTER FIVE

CHAPTER SIX

CHAPTER SEVEN

CHAPTER ONE

“POLISH OR NO polish?” Carina Fiore held up two bottles of pet-friendly OPI nail polish. “I think the traditional choices would be best. Fire-Hydrant Red or Bow-Wow Green.”

Eight-year-old Kaitlyn McKenzie laughed. “Rina, she’s a cat.”

“You’re saying cats aren’t into fashion? I’m not sure I agree. Just last week I caught this one flipping through In Style magazine.” Rina studied the petite calico sitting on her grooming table. The calico stared back, her expression slightly defiant, as if daring Rina to try polish.

Rina held in a grin. Her plan was to put festive collars on the cats but she loved making Kaitlyn laugh.

The girl chuckled. “Cats can’t read.”

“You don’t actually know that.”

“Dad says they can’t.”

“Oh, well. Sure. Take the word of a veterinarian over me.” Rina gave a heavy sigh.

Kaitlyn stepped around the grooming table and hugged Carina tightly. “We’ll do all the dogs’ nails. I promise. I’ll even help. We want them to look their best.”

“Me too.”

As much as Rina hated to admit it, cute pets got adopted faster. And as the person in charge of the Fool’s Gold Holiday Pet Adoption, she intended to make sure every single animal looking for a home put his or her best foot forward. Or paw or claw or fin. Not that she would be doing anything to groom the fish. Although she was putting little fish-friendly Christmas trees in the tanks.

Her normally tidy grooming space was currently overflowing with cat collars and doggie bandanas in holiday prints. Over the next two weeks, she would be bathing, brushing and clipping until all the pets up for adoption gleamed.

She glanced at the clock on the wall. “We’d better get you home, munchkin.”

Kaitlyn looked up at her, her green eyes as dark and beautiful as her father’s. “It’s Friday.”

“I heard that this morning on the news.”

The girl’s mouth turned up at the corner. “You know what that means.”

“That tomorrow’s Saturday?”

“Spaghetti.”

“Oh, right. I was thinking of something different for dinner.”

“Rina!”

“Maybe liver.”

Kaitlyn made a gagging sound.

“Brains?”

Kaitlyn clutched her stomach. “I’m going to throw up.”

“Swamp soup?”

Giggling, Kaitlyn ran out of the room.

Rina picked up the cat and stroked her. “What do you think about swamp soup?”

The cat purred.

Fifteen minutes later Rina had finished cleaning off her table and washing her brushes. She collected her backpack and walked toward the break room. One of the veterinary assistants stopped her.

“You have to say something,” Jesse told her.

“No.”

“Soon.”

“Did I just say no? I’m sure I heard myself say no.”

Jesse, a pretty blonde whom Rina had known since they were both zygotes, raised her eyebrows.

Rina glanced around to make sure they were alone. Even so, she lowered her voice. “I can’t.”

“You have to. It’s been a year, Rina. This is insane. It’s the holidays.”

“I’m not sure what the time of year has to do with anything.”

Jesse sighed. “It’s when you want to be with the people you love. You love Cameron. Tell him.”

Rina winced. “Don’t say that,” she whispered as forcefully as she could. “Not here. Someone might hear you.”

“It’s Friday afternoon. Everyone is gone but us. Cameron’s out at the Castle Ranch, checking on one of the goats there.” Her friend moved closer and, Carina noticed thankfully, lowered her voice. “You’re my best friend and I totally support whatever you decide, but I also know it’s time to tell you that you’re acting like an idiot.”

“You’ve told me that every day for six months. It’s hardly a news flash.”

“Then do something. If not now, when? Are you going to waste another year being in love with a man who has no idea how you feel?”

Rina opened her mouth, then closed it. She wanted nothing more than to confess her feelings to the man she loved.

She could still remember the first time she’d seen Cameron McKenzie, DVM. He’d bought the practice from the retiring veterinarian with a promise that all the staff would stay. That included her, the practice’s resident groomer. He’d requested everyone meet with him on a Saturday afternoon. She’d walked into the building, not sure what to expect. He’d turned, smiled, and she’d been lost.

Seriously, there’d practically been a swell of music and cartoon animals putting ribbons and flowers in her hair.

She wasn’t sure what it was about Cameron that got to her. The wavy dark hair and deep green eyes were only the beginnings of his good looks. Still, her feelings weren’t all about how handsome he was. It was the way he cared about his work and how he treated his staff. But if she had to guess, she would say her fate had truly been sealed the moment she’d met Kaitlyn.

She adored the little girl and they had become instant friends. Kaitlyn was smart and funny and just as caring as her dad. The only part of their family that didn’t make sense was the absence of a mother. Cameron didn’t say much about his ex, so all of Rina’s information had come from his daughter. Kaitlyn was fairly matter-of-fact about her past, stating her mommy had left shortly after Kaitlyn had been born. Rina could still remember her steady gaze as she’d said, “Babies are a lot of work and my mommy wasn’t ready.”

Cameron had shared few details, but those he mentioned were in line with what Kaitlyn had said; his wife had walked away from her newborn and husband and had never returned.

Since then, from what she could tell, he’d devoted himself to being a single father and working hard at his practice. He never dated, hadn’t once been caught flirting and showed no interest in one woman over another. In a town with a man shortage, he was practically an irresistible force.

Rina had told herself she would get over her crush, that it was just that Cameron was new and shiny. But as time had passed, her feelings had only grown. Now everything was more complicated because of the fact that she took care of Kaitlyn.

Every school day, Rina arrived at the McKenzie household early, made sure Kaitlyn was up and dressed, then fixed her breakfast and walked her to the bus. After school the girl rode the bus to the veterinary practice where she hung out with Rina until it was time to go home.

Back at the McKenzie house, Rina helped her with her homework and started dinner. In the past few months, she’d begun staying to eat with them. Unfortunately, she couldn’t remember exactly how that had started. She wanted to say that Cameron had asked, but she suspected the invitation had come from his daughter.

Cameron paid her as a groomer and as the person taking care of his daughter. And, even though he was friendly and considerate, she couldn’t be completely sure he’d ever thought of her as more than a friend. Which meant admitting her feelings put a lot on the line. What if he wasn’t interested? What if telling the truth meant losing her friendship with Kaitlyn and her job?

“I’d rather have what I have now than not have anything at all,” Rina admitted to her friend.

Jesse shook her head. “You’re living half a life, Rina, and that’s not you. Your parents were crazy about each other until the day they died. Your grandparents are still in love. Don’t you want what they have?”

“I’m scared.”

“Love is supposed to be scary. If it was easy, everyone would do it.”

Rina knew she was right. The thought of having it all, of being able to admit her feelings to Cameron and having him feel the same way, made her ache with longing. She’d known he was the one from the first second they’d met and her feelings had never wavered. But...

“What if he doesn’t love me back?”

“Then you hurt and heal and find someone else.”

“I don’t want anyone else.”

“So you’d rather have half of nothing than take the chance? That’s not like you.”

“I wouldn’t just be losing him. I’d lose Kaitlyn, too.”

“You wouldn’t have to. You could still be friends with her.”

Rina was less sure that was possible. Losing one would be hard enough, but losing them both would be more than she could handle.

CHAPTER TWO

“TINSEL AND GOATS don’t mix,” Cameron said, looping his stethoscope around his neck. “Not that she’ll listen.”

Heidi Simpson nodded as she knelt next to her goat. “I swear, Athena has supernatural powers. She’s forever getting out of her pen and doing things she shouldn’t. I’ve been so careful with the holiday decorations.”

Cameron believed her. Unfortunately a single box of tinsel had fallen out of her shopping bag and Athena had found it. Like most goats, she was willing to eat nearly everything. The tinsel had tangled in her digestive system, but had finally worked its way through.

“She’ll be fine now,” he said. “Give her a couple of days for her stomach to calm down.” He patted the goat resting in the small goat barn, then rose to his feet.

“You’ve been great,” Heidi told him as she stood as well. “You’ve been here every day. I really appreciate it.”

“Part of the job.”

“Still. I know Athena is grateful, too, even if she’s having trouble articulating her feelings.”

Heidi smiled as she spoke.

Cameron collected his medical bag then followed Heidi to his truck. It was late afternoon on the first Friday in December. The skies were dark and threatening, but the temperature wasn’t cold enough for snow in town. Further up the mountain, they could get a good dump in the next couple of days.

Holiday decorations brightened the old house that stood on the ranch. The exterior was a little shabby, but the twinkling lights added a welcoming glow. Heidi was friendly enough. Pretty, he thought absently. Single. He should have been interested, maybe ask her to coffee or out for a drink. Only he wasn’t the least bit interested.

He’d dated plenty when he’d been younger and had learned he was the kind of man who wanted to settle down. The problem was with whom.

After his daughter had been born, his ex-wife had announced she was leaving. From his point of view, her desire to leave had come out of nowhere, leaving him blindsided and the single father of a newborn. It had taken him a while to realize that whatever made his wife leave was out of his control.

Over the past few years, he’d become aware of a nagging sense of having missed something. Fool’s Gold had plenty of single women and he’d been set up with more than his share. But he hadn’t felt the need for further dates with any of them. Maybe the problem was his—he wasn’t willing to trust his daughter or his heart with just anyone.

Heidi paused by his truck. “Thanks again.”

“You’re welcome. You have my cell number. Call me if there are any problems.”

“Don’t you ever go off duty?”

“No.”

“This town is lucky to have you.”

He chuckled. “Remind people of that the next time I raise my rates.”

“I will, I promise.” She smiled. “Don’t take this wrong, but I’m hoping not to see you before the holidays. Unless you plan to bring your daughter by for a horse-drawn carriage ride. We’re keeping the tradition in place for the holidays.”

“We might have to come by for that.” He grinned. “But not for anything else. How’s that?”

“Perfect. Merry Christmas.”

“The same to you, Heidi.”

He got in his truck and started the engine. Heidi walked up the porch steps. He watched her go, hoping for a spark or even vague interest in the sway of her hips.

Nothing.

Twenty minutes later Cameron was pulling into his own driveway. The Christmas lights he’d spent much of the long Thanksgiving weekend putting up glowed in the darkness. Lit wreaths hung in all the front-facing windows, along with flickering candles. Not real candles. Kaitlyn had informed him those weren’t really safe around fabric or children. So she and Rina had bought battery-powered ones from the hardware store in town.

Like most homeowners in Fool’s Gold, he had an account at the hardware store. Based on all the packages his daughter and Rina had dragged home from various trips, he wasn’t looking forward to that bill. But it was worth it to see his baby girl so excited about the holidays.

He parked in the driveway and turned off the engine. Before he could step out, the front door banged open and Kaitlyn flew across the porch.

As always the sight of her made him want to get down on his knees in gratitude for having her in his world. Sure, the first couple of years had been tough as he and his daughter had figured out how to make a single-parent family work. But every second of fear and worry had been worth it. She was the best part of his life.

He left his bag on the passenger seat and stepped into the night. Kaitlyn flung herself at him, wrapping both her arms around his waist and hanging on tight.

“Hey, baby girl,” he said softly, touching her cheek.

She looked up at him, grinning. There was a smudge of flour on her cheeks and a mischievous sparkle in her eyes. “We’re making cookies. Rina said we could and it’s Friday!” As if the cookies were all the more magical because of the day.

“Christmas cookies?” he asked, already knowing the answer.

“Uh-huh. We rolled them out and then used cookie cutters and now they’re cooling and after dinner we’re decorating and Rina said you could help.” She paused to draw breath. “I can’t stand waiting, can you?”

“I’ll manage.”

His daughter released him, then ran around the truck to get his medical bag, something she’d been doing since she was big enough to drag it into the house. Now she carried it more easily. The time might even come when she couldn’t be bothered, preferring to spend her time with her friends. But that was for later. Right now, he was a blessed man.

Kaitlyn led the way into the house. The smell of freshly baked cookies mingled with the spice of marinara sauce. Noah, their sheltie, raced to greet him. A female—despite her name—Noah circled around his legs in an attempt to get closer and express her joy about yet another pack member returning.

“Hey, you,” he said, scooping up the dog.

Noah bathed his face in ecstatic kisses. When he lowered her to the ground, she ran off to get her ball.

Rina stepped out of the kitchen.

“Hi,” she said, her long brown hair pulled back in a ponytail. “Is Athena all right?”

He nodded. “She feels better than Heidi, who’s still feeling guilty about what happened. They should both be back to normal by the morning.”

Big blue eyes crinkled slightly as she smiled. Cooking had added color to her cheeks, making her look flushed. Her mouth was full and inviting and the way she moved...

Out of long habit, Cameron pushed away “those” kind of thoughts. Sure, Rina was beautiful and funny and great with his daughter. But while he liked her company and liked having her around, he wasn’t ready for a long-term relationship. He wasn’t going to let something as fleeting and confusing as romantic involvement with Rina get in the way of his daughter’s happiness.

He’d thought he loved his ex. She’d stunned him by leaving with no warning. But in the panicked few weeks that had followed her departure, in the reality of caring for a newborn while trying to keep his practice alive, he hadn’t had time to miss his wife. Or maybe he hadn’t loved her at all. Either way, by the time he’d resurfaced, his life slightly under control, he no longer regretted her leaving.

Lesson learned, he reminded himself. Friendship he could understand and trust. Rina was his friend. One of his best friends. He was going to do everything in his power to make sure that didn’t change.

“I told Daddy he could help with the cookies,” Kaitlyn said, walking to the sink to wash her hands without being asked.

Rina grinned. “Did you? Do you think he’ll do a good job?”

“I have some creative skills,” Cameron told her, shrugging out of his jacket.

“Maybe you could audition,” Rina told him. “Do one and if we think it’s all right, you can do a second.”

His daughter burst out laughing. “She’s kidding, Daddy. You can decorate as many cookies as you want.”

“Thank you, baby girl.” He walked by Rina. “I’ll deal with you later,” he growled in a low voice.

She glanced at him, then looked away. But in the split second when her gaze locked with his, he would have sworn he saw something. A spark. No, bigger than a spark, because whatever it was hit him hard in the gut. It made him think about being alone with her in a dark, quiet room. Just the two of them and all the time in the world. It made him want to hold her in his arms and kiss her. And more.

He shook off the moment, telling himself it was just the season. Holidays were a time for belonging. While Kaitlyn was amazing, she was his kid, not his partner. Maybe it was time for him to start dating.

He went to the sink to wash his hands, then he and Kaitlyn set the table. When the oven timer went off, he removed the garlic bread and put it on a plate. The dance of preparing dinner was a familiar one, formed over the past year. Rina stirred the sauce, while he dumped the cooked spaghetti into a colander. She combined pasta and sauce, then brought the serving bowl to the table while he poured Kaitlyn’s milk and a glass of wine for Rina and for himself. Noah settled into her bed in the corner of the kitchen, a dog biscuit held delicately in her teeth.

“Maybe we could get our tree this weekend,” Kaitlyn said, her voice faintly pleading.

“It’s a little early,” Rina told her, passing the garlic bread. “There’s a new delivery coming in next Thursday. They’ll be fresh. I love that smell.”

“Me, too,” his daughter said. “You’re right. We should wait. If it’s fresh, we can keep it up through New Year’s.”

Conversation flowed around him. A discussion about whether or not there should be more decorations on the lawn. His daughter talking about practicing for the holiday pageant and how she would start taking dance classes in January. That meant next year she would appear in the Dance of the Winter King. There were also not-so-subtle hints about what she would like for Christmas and a recounted conversation in which Rina had threatened to paint a cat’s nails.

“How’s the adoption program coming?” he asked.

“Good. I’ve been putting pictures of the pets up online, so people get an idea of what’s available. The shelter has been getting lots of calls.” She wrinkled her nose. “There’s a family interested in the iguana, if you can believe it. Why anyone would want a four-foot-long lizard that can live twenty years is beyond me. But they have a special room prepared for it and everything.”

“Having the iguana adopted out will be a big savings,” he said.

“I know. Based on the calls we’re getting, we have a lot of good prospective owners interested in other animals, too. I’m hoping for a big turnout.”

“You’ve put a lot of work into the project.”

Rina smiled. “The animals shouldn’t be stuck in a shelter—not even the iguana. Everyone should have a home to be part of, especially over the holidays.”

When he’d bought the veterinary practice in Fool’s Gold, he’d wanted to find a welcoming community to raise his daughter. What he’d found was a place to call home. No one simply lived in the town. They became a part of whatever was going on.

“You’re not really going to try to paint the cats’ nails are you?” he asked.

“You’re going to have to wait and see what I do.”

They finished dinner and then sat around the table talking. It was close to seven-thirty when they got up to clear the dishes. While Kaitlyn helped Rina load the dishwasher, Cameron walked Noah. When he returned there were boxes of decorations scattered across the coffee table in the living room.

“Just a few more things,” Rina said, with a shrug. “We couldn’t resist.”

“Where am I supposed to store all this?” he asked. “I’ll have to add on a second house.”

That made Kaitlyn laugh. She spun in a circle, her long hair flowing out behind her, Noah chasing her. Dog and child collapsed onto the floor in a heap. Kaitlyn opened her eyes.

“Daddy, look!”

He followed the direction of her pointed finger and found a small sprig of artificial mistletoe pinned to the door frame.

Turning to Rina he explained, “She read about mistletoe when she was six. Now she wants me to put it up every year. It’s kind of a family joke.”

Only Rina wasn’t laughing and suddenly he wasn’t either. She was standing right under the tacky little plant—she probably hadn’t noticed it until his daughter had mentioned it just now. Emotions flashed through her eyes, emotions he couldn’t read. They were friends, he reminded himself. Good friends. Kissing would make things awkward between them and that was the last thing he wanted.