Page 1 of Christmas Secrets

Chapter 1

Dottie Sangster backedher husband’s two-toned blue and white pick-up truck up to the back door of Neamh and glanced furtively around. She wouldn’t get another chance to do this, it had to be today. “The things I get myself into,” she muttered. “Why couldn’t I just leave well enough alone?”

Dottie continued muttering to herself as she put her gloves on inside the warmth of the truck cab knowing it was close to zero outside. Gawd! She hated the cold. And there was plenty of it this time of year in the Highlands.

Bo and Misty, Darro MacCandish’s Blue Healers, were sitting outside the cab door staring at her, their breaths leaving little wisps of steam in the air. They tilted their sleek black and white heads sideways as if to ask whether she was planning on getting out anytime soon.

“Keep yer shirt on,” she told the dogs through the window. “Or yer hair as the case may be.” She allowed a sliver of humor to pierce her crappy mood as she gathered up the courage to put her plan into action.

The snow was a bright dazzling white under a sunny sky and she had on her sunglasses to prevent snow blindness. Coming up through the tree-lined lane into Neamh, the gorgeous green of the firs stood out in colorful contrast. Heaven’s Gate was beautiful in every season and even more so at Christmas. Lucerne MacCandish loved Christmas and all the decorations and customs that went with the holiday. Even the barn doors had huge fir wreaths with red ribbons on them.

In spite of her grinchy attitude, Dottie made sure her stocking hat covered her ears. Then she finally opened the door and ventured out, setting her booted feet carefully on the edge of the shoveled walkway. The last thing she needed was to fall on the ice and have to call for help.

Trudging through the crunchy snow bits to the back door, she twisted the doorknob and was happy to have it open easily. She figured it would. Although Darro, Angus, Ainsley and Poppy were at the hospital for the birth of Lucerne’s baby, there was a skeleton crew on board at Neamh. There was always someone around, though, and when the sunflower sign was turned to the welcome side on the door window, it meant that the men could come in and get hot coffee in the kitchen. Summer or winter, it was always the same.

After opening the back door and lowering the truck’s tailgate, she took two boxes from the big grocery box, one at a time, and set them inside the kitchen door. Then she stepped inside and quickly took off her gloves and hat and took the boxes to the huge freezer off the kitchen. She quickly opened each box and placed the aluminum containers of frozen food onto one of the shelves and then placed other rarely used items in front of the containers. Satisfied at last that no one would be coming after any of those ingredients anytime soon, she returned to the kitchen with the empty boxes and two containers of lasagna that she set out on the cabinet to thaw for the family dinner that night.

After breaking the boxes down, she finally relaxed and lost her furtive movements around the huge kitchen. Christmas decorations were everywhere, even a potbellied Santa biscuit jar with a cheeky grin. Lucerne kept it stocked full of Christmas biscuits which everyone loved.

She didn’t have an appetite; her nerves were too on edge. Pouring herself a cup of coffee, she sat down at the family-sized bench table and tried to calm her nerves as she nibbled on her thumb.

When the women had been planning Christmas dinner, she’d had the bad luck to be right here in the kitchen with them. Lucerne was practically a chef because her cooking was so good, but with the advent of the baby coming so close to Christmas, she wasn’t going to be as active in that department. Hence the family was gathering around to fill in the deficit.

Of course, Poppy Sangster, her father-in-law’s American wife, was a very good cook. She’d only gotten better since she’d married Angus and had time to finally get back into the kitchen once again. Ainsley, Darro’s sister, wasn’t half-bad and made a mean haggis with neeps and tatties. Heck, even Jamie, Lucerne’s father, could make heavenly quiche and omelets with Stilton cheese and bacon. And his new wife, Pauley MacNamara, could turn out a very delicious meal quite easily when called upon. Her haddock chowder the other day had been to die for.

Dottie sighed and took a sip of coffee as the memories swept over her. Feeling very inadequate amongst all the accomplished cooks of the family that she’d married into, Dottie stupidly volunteered for some of the needs of the holidays. After she volunteered, they had all looked at each other as if they had finally noticed she was there and were trying to silently communicate with each other as to the best way to decline her offer.

It had been humiliating and embarrassing which had put her back up.

That was when her foot flew into her mouth and irritation took over. She’d boldly announced her cooking skills had improved, but if they didn’t want her help, then that was fine. Which of course had them assuring her that they needed her help and would be happy to take her offerings. With beaming, false smiles no less. All of which put her firmly in the fix she was currently in. She sighed again. Why did things have to get so complicated? And why did she have to be so Scottish-born stubborn?

The truth was, she didn’t actually hate cooking, she simplyloathedbeingexpectedto cook like an old-time perfect housewife. Being tied to an apron had been her duty since she was old enough to pick up a spatula and hit the cat with it. Her two sisters had fallen in line like regular little toy soldiers, but Dottie had resisted. It had gotten to be a habit, so when she finally met Ben and he asked her to marry him, she told him in no uncertain terms that she didn’t cook. And don’t expect her to.

He'd been shocked. Typical male.

She remembered his words at her announcement. “Ye don’t cook at all, Dottie? Because I can make a pot of tea and scramble some eggs when needed, but beyond that, it’s beans on toast or grilled cheese.”

His disgusting puppy-dog eyes made her relent her bold statement. Rolling her eyes, she replied, albeit grudgingly, “Aye, I can cook some, but my sister Betty nabbed the cooking queen title from my mum, so if ye don’t mind risking yer life, I’ll do what I can.”

His responding smile had melted her knees. She should never have had that moment of weakness or made that offer.

After Darro married Lucerne, Ben had convinced her to take cooking lessons from Lucerne. She’d hated every minute of it. Lucerne was a good teacher, but Dottie refused to apply what she learned. She could have—but then that would have raised her husband’s expectations. She secretly resented the fact that he’d convinced her to even take lessons. And of course, when she was feeling pensive, she hated herself for being so damned stubborn and hard to get along with about it. But she’d warned him.

And he’d ignored her.

That was what stung the most and she couldn’t get past it.

“Mind if I join ye?”

The baritone of Dal’s sexy voice startled her so bad she jumped and screamed. “Oh, my gawd, where did ye come from? Ye near gave me heart failure.” Her knuckles were turning white with her grip on the coffee mug in front of her. She looked up from the table and focused on Dallas MacIntosh, the intern veterinarian currently living and working at Neamh.

Dal chuckled. “I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to scare ye. I came in, took my gloves and hat off, and poured myself a cup without ye even noticing. If I’d been a robber, ye would have been an easy target,” he teased, flashing her the toothy, sexy grin that crinkled his eyes. He pointed to the aluminum pans on the cabinet. “Is that dinner tonight?”

Dottie nodded, her heart rate finally slowing. “Aye, it is. Lasagna fer the family.”

“Any news about the baby yet?” Dal lifted his cup for a drink of his coffee after sliding onto the bench across the table from her.

“Dad says it’s progressing normally and going well. No complications yet. Hopefully, there won’t be any.”

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