Love Came Just in Time Read online

  Table of Contents

  Title Page

  Copyright Page

  The gift of Christmas Past

  Prologue

  Chapter One

  Chapter Two

  Chapter Three

  Chapter Four

  Chapter Five

  Chapter Six

  Chapter Seven

  Chapter Eight

  Epilogue

  The Three Wise Ghosts

  Prologue

  Chapter One

  Chapter Two

  Chapter Three

  Chapter Four

  Chapter Five

  Chapter Six

  Chapter Seven

  Chapter Eight

  Epilogue

  And the Groom Wore Tulle

  Prologue

  Chapter One

  Chapter Two

  Chapter Three

  Chapter Four

  Chapter Five

  Chapter Six

  Chapter Seven

  Chapter Eight

  Epilogue

  The Icing on the Cake

  Chapter One

  Chapter Two

  Chapter Three

  Chapter Four

  Chapter Five

  Chapter Six

  Chapter Seven

  Chapter Eight

  Chapter Nine

  Chapter Ten

  Chapter Eleven

  Chapter Twelve

  Titles by Lynn Kurland

  PRAISE FOR USA TODAY BESTSELLING AUTHOR

  Lynn Kurland . . .

  “Ms. Kurland has moved to the head of the class ... demonstrating a talent that many writers would kill to call their own.”

  —Harriet Klausner, Painted Rock Reviews

  “Lynn Kurland is a welcome new voice in romance.”

  —Susan Wiggs

  “Keep them coming, Ms. Kurland.”

  —Rendevous

  ... AND FOR HER PREVIOUS NOVELS ...

  The More I See You

  A Romantic Times Top Pick

  “Lynn Kurland is a literary magician.... Her special brand of humor and delightful storytelling always gives time-travel fans a ‘must read.’ The More I See You is just one more jewel in Ms. Kurland’s crown!”

  —Romantic Times

  “Delightful and humorous.”

  —Booklist

  “Entertaining ... fast-paced ... [and] wonderful.”

  —Harriet Klausner

  “The superlative Ms. Kurland once again wows her readers with her formidable talent as she weaves a tale of enchantment that blends history with spellbinding passion and impressive characterization, not to mention a magnificent plot.”

  —Rendevous

  Another Chance to Dream

  A Romantic Times Top Pick

  “Kurland creates a special romance between a memorable knight and his lady.”

  —Publishers Weekly

  “Lynn Kurland weaves a vivid and realistic tapestry combining threads of history, humor, and romance.”

  —Romantic Times (4½ stars)

  “[A] wonderful love story full of passion, intrigue, and adventure ... Lynn Kurland’s fans will be delighted.”

  —Affaire de Coeur

  The Very Thought of You

  “[A] masterpiece . . . this fabulous tale will enchant anyone who reads it.”

  —Painted Rock Reviews

  “Outstanding and imaginative. Lynn Kurland gives her fans another time-traveling treat to savor.”

  —Romantic Times

  This Is All I Ask

  “In this character-driven medieval romance that transcends category, Kurland spins a sometimes magical, sometimes uproariously funny, somtimes harsh and brutal tale of two people deeply wounded in body and soul who learn to love and trust each other.... Savor every word; this one’s a keeper.”

  —Publishers Weekly (starred review)

  “Both powerful and sensitive, this is a wonderfully rich and rewarding book.”

  —Susan Wiggs

  “A medieval of stunning intensity. Sprinkled with adventure, fantasy, and heart, This Is All I Ask reaches outside the boundaries of romance to embrace every thoughtful reader, every person of feeling.”

  —Christina Dodd, bestselling author of A Knight to Remember

  “Sizzling passion, a few surprises, and breathtaking romance . . . If you don’t read but one book this summer, make this the one. You can be assured of a spectacular experience that you will want to savor time and time again.”

  —Rendezvous

  “An exceptional read.”

  —The Atlanta Journal-Constitution

  A Dance Through Time

  “One of the best . . . a must read.”

  —Rendezvous

  “Lynn Kurland’s vastly entertaining time travel treats us to a delightful hero and heroine . . . a humorous novel of feisty fun and adventure.”

  —A Little Romance

  “Her heroes are delightful.... A wonderful read!”

  —Heartland Critiques

  “An irresistibly fast and funny romp across time.”

  —Stella Cameron, bestselling author of True Bliss

  Titles by Lynn Kurland

  STARDUST OF YESTERDAY

  A DANCE THROUGH TIME

  THIS IS ALL I ASK

  THE VERY THOUGHT OF YOU

  ANOTHER CHANCE TO DREAM

  THE MORE I SEE YOU

  IF I HAD YOU

  MY HEART STOOD STILL

  FROM THIS MOMENT ON

  A GARDEN IN THE RAIN

  Anthologies

  A KNIGHT’S VOW

  (with Patricia Potter, Deborah Simmons, and Glynnis Campbell)

  LOVE CAME JUST IN TIME

  THE CHRISTMAS CAT

  (with Julie Beard, Barbara Bretton, and Jo Beverley)

  CHRISTMAS SPIRITS

  (with Casey Claybourne, Elizabeth Bevarly, and Jenny Lykins)

  VEILS OF TIME

  (with Maggie Shayne, Angie Ray, and Ingrid Weaver)

  OPPOSITES ATTRACT

  (with Elizabeth Bevarly, Emily Carmichael, and Elda Minger)

  TAPESTRY

  (with Madeline Hunter, Sherrilyn Kenyon, and Karen Marie Moning)

  A Berkley Book

  Published by The Berkley Publishing Group

  A division of Penguin Putnam Inc.

  375 Hudson Street

  New York, New York 10014

  These are works of fiction. Names, characters, places and incidents are either the product of the authors’ imagination or are used fictitiously, and any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, business establishments, events or locales is entirely coincidental.

  Copyright © 2001 by The Berkley Publishing Group.

  “The Gift of Christmas Past” by Lynn Kurland copyright © 1996 by Lynn Curland

  from The Christmas Cat.

  “The Three Wise Ghosts” by Lynn Kurland copyright © 1997 by Lynn Curland

  from Christmas Spirits.

  “And the Groom Wore Tulle” by Lynn Kurland copyright © 1999 by Lynn Curland

  from Veils of Time,

  “The Icing on the Cake” by Lynn Kurland copyright © 2000 by Lynn Curland

  from Opposites Attract.

  All rights reserved.

  This book, or parts thereof, may not be reproduced in any form without permission.

  BERKLEY and the “B” design are trademarks belonging to Penguin Putnam Inc.

  Berkley trade paperback edition / June 2001

  Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data

  Kurland, Lynn.

  Love came just in time / Lynn Kurland.

  p. cm.

  Contents: The gift of Christmas past—The three wise ghosts—And the gro
om wore

  tulle—The icing on the cake.

  ISBN : 978-1-101-54961-2

  1. Love stories, American. I. Title.

  PS3561.U645 L6 2001

  813’.54—dc21 2001025670

  http://us.penguingroup.com

  Dear Friends,

  When my editor told me that Berkley was planning to issue my previously published novellas in a single volume, I was thrilled by the news. While I was excited by the thought of seeing some of my favorite characters together in a single book, what I found most appealing about the idea was the opportunity to include a personal note as a preface.

  Writing is a great joy in my life, made all the more so by the readers I’ve come in contact with as a result of it. A hearty thank you goes to everyone who has been so supportive of my work and let me know it either by letters, E-mail, or just continuing to shell out hard-earned money for my stories! You’ve made it possible for me to do something I love. I hope that in some small way I’ve been able to adequately return your investment.

  I’m often asked why I do novellas (mostly by my husband who knows how hard it is for me to keep my verbosity down to one hundred pages). The primary reason is that these are characters who have intrigued me in some way with their little quirks, but haven’t seemed quite ready for the prime-time spotlight of a full book. For those of you who have felt that they deserved more stage time, rest assured they will no doubt show up again in the future—probably in more than one place!

  Take Abigail and Miles, for instance, in “The Gift of Christmas Past.” They find each other in medieval England thanks to Abby’s trip down through Murphy’s Pond and up through Miles’s very pungent moat. They were left celebrating a lovely Christmas with their family, but that certainly didn’t answer many questions about their future. It seemed only right to have another peek into their lives in The More I See You.

  Megan and Gideon de Piaget were aided in their quest for love by three ghosts in “Three Wise Ghosts.” Not only will the newlyweds return, but those matchmaking ghosts will be back as well. (So many matches to be made, so few centuries in which to make them. . . .)

  I’ve had numerous complaints about having left Ian MacLeod languishing in a Scottish dungeon. (Nobody really thought I was going to leave him there forever, did they?) In “And the Groom Wore Tulle” he finds his true love and the rest of his family several centuries in the future. (For his pre-history, consult A Dance Through Time.) And don’t be surprised if he and the colorful Jane make future appearances. There are strange things always going on at that MacLeod keep.... No doubt Ian will be in on much of the action.

  “The Icing on the Cake” features a modern-day MacLeod named Samuel and his unlikely bride. He has siblings (they all seem to!), and I’m just certain they have stories as well just waiting to be told.

  If you’re wondering how all these characters fit together, don’t think you’re alone! When even my editor and I scratched our heads once or twice over who went where, we decided that a genealogy chart was definitely in order. It’s an easy way to keep track of marriages, siblings, and foster siblings, though it is somewhat simplified in the interest of space. I can only imagine the poor printer’s headache in a few years with a dozen more characters to find room for!

  It is my greatest hope that somewhere in these stories you’ll find something to make you laugh, make you cry, or simply be entertained for an hour or two. Thank you again for making a place in your hearts and bookcases for some of my favorite characters.

  Happy reading!

  The gift of Christmas Past

  Prologue

  “DAMES,” BRUNO SAID, with a regretful shake of his head. “Whatcha gonna do wit ’em?”

  Sir Maximillian Sweetums swished his tail twice, settled himself more comfortably on his cloud, and admitted to himself that he quite had to agree with his companion—as indelicately put as the sentiment had been.

  “Ah, dear Bruno,” Sir Sweetums said, “there’s the rub. Women don’t like to be ‘done with.’ Especially The Abigail. A most forthright and independent spirit, she is.”

  “It ain’t like you ain’t tried, Boss,” Bruno offered. “Before you, uh, I mean while you was still, uh—”

  Sir Sweetums held up his well-manicured white paw to spare the blushing bulldog further embarrassment.

  “Yes, I understand.” It was very impolite to mention to a feline that his nine lives were up, but Sir Sweetums overlooked the faux pas. After all, he’d lived his turns to the fullest, using his considerable wits and wiles to their best advantage.

  He’d had a different charge during each of his nine lives, and he’d seen eight of those mortal charges successfully settled. It was Number Nine who had, and continued, to elude his superior matchmaking skills. The Abigail. He’d tried, oh, how he’d tried.

  He’d made an unmentionable deposit into the toolbox of a less-than-desirable handyman The Abigail had taken a fancy to. He’d leaped off the back of the couch over an insufferable attorney, snatching the man’s hairpiece and wresting it to the ground. Snags in gabardine trousers, bloodcurdling yowls, sneak attacks from the bushes—they had served only to keep the undesirables from The Abigail. But a suitor to suit? Sir Sweetums wrinkled his aristocratic nose disdainfully. Nary a one, dear reader, nary a one!

  That was before. Two years into his post-ninth life and subsequent Guardian Feline Association membership, Sir Sweetums had found the Right One for The Abigail.

  Now it was just a question of bringing them together.

  “Hey, Boss, uh, is you ready to go yet?”

  Sir Sweetums tucked a bit of stray fur behind his left ear. “Yes, my friend, I believe the time has come. You saw to the details?”

  “Yeah, Boss. Dat movie’s on right now. Only how come dey don’t have no parts for no Guardian Animals in dat one?”

  “Perhaps The Capra was allergic.”

  A thoughtful expression descended onto the bulldog’s pudgy face. “Yeah,” he said, nodding slowly. “Maybe dat’s it.” He looked up at Sir Sweetums and snapped to attention when he saw the feline was poised to jump. “Anyting’ else, Boss, befores you go? Some Tenda Viddles? A sawsah of haf n’ haf?”

  Sir Sweetums was already leaping down athletically from the cloud. “No time, dear Bruno,” he called back. “We mustn’t keep Fate waiting any longer!”

  “Good luck, Boss! You’s gonna need it,” Bruno added, in an undertone. “Dames,” he said, with a slow shake of his head. “Whatcha gonna do wit ’em?”

  Chapter One

  IT WASN’T A wonderful life.

  Abigail Moira Garrett stood on the bridge and stared down into the murky waters below her. She couldn’t even find a decently rushing river to throw herself into. The best she could do was Murphy’s Pond and the little one-lane bridge that arched over the narrow end of it. Instead of meeting her end in a torrent of water, she’d probably do no better than strangle herself in the marshy weeds below. It was indicative of how her life had been going lately.

  It had all started last Monday. Her power had gone off during the night, causing her to sleep until ten A.M. The phone call from her boss had been what had woken her. He’d told her not to bother coming in. Ever.

  If only it had stopped there. But it hadn’t. And why? Because she’d uttered the words, “It can’t get any worse than this.” Those were magical words, guaranteed to prove the utterer wrong, words that drew every contrary force in the universe to zero in on the speaker with single-minded intensity.

  Tuesday she’d been informed that because of a glitch in the system, it would take several weeks to collect unemployment.

  Wednesday she’d been informed that she wouldn’t be getting any unemployment because her Social Security number didn’t exist. If she wanted to take it up with the Social Security office, their number was . . .

  Thursday, her landlord had told her he wanted her out. Being between jobs, she had now become a freeloader and he wasn’t taking any chances on her. Chest pains had be
gun that night.

  On Friday her fiancé, whom she had always considered boyishly charming, boyishly mannered, and boyishly handsome, had left her a note telling her that since she no longer had a job and wouldn’t be able to support him in the style to which he wanted to become accustomed after they married, he was moving on to greener pastures. To the woman in the apartment next door, to be exact.

  And now, on top of everything else, Christmas was three days away. Christmas was meant to be spent with family, basking in the glow of friendship, food, and hearthfire. All she had to bask in was the odor of sweat socks that permeated her apartment, despite her attempts to dispel it. She had no family, no hopes for posterity anytime soon and, most especially, no cat.

  She dragged her sleeve across her eyes. This was her second catless Christmas. She should have been used to it by now, but she wasn’t. Just how was one to make the acquaintance of Sir Maximillian Sweetums, live with him for ten years, then be expected to live without him? One day he’d been there and the next, poof, he’d been gone. She’d cried for days, looked for weeks, hoped for months. But no Sir Sweetums.