A Highlander Christmas

by Janet Chapman

  That is, until she rolled into a body that wasn’t canine. She sat up with a start, grabbed her head to keep it from splitting wide open, and fell back against the pillow with an even louder groan.

  “What is licking my face?” Luke Pascal rasped from beside her. “I know it’s not your tongue, MacKeage, because it’s way too friendly.”

  “That’s Ruffles,” she muttered. “And she’s a shameless hussy. Is there a reason you’re in my bed, Pascal? Not that it matters, because if you’re not out of it in two seconds, I’m going to blacken your other eye.”

  “Give me a minute, would you? My head is killing me, and I’m afraid a rib will pierce my lung if I move right now.”

  “What are you doing here?”

  “I heard you whimpering in the night, so I came in and checked on you. I must have fallen asleep before I could leave.”

  “That’s a flat-out lie, because I never whimper.”

  “What in hell did they give us at the hospital?”

  “Obviously some very powerful pain pills. Um . . . you don’t happen to have any spare ones in your pocket, do you?”

  “Boxers don’t have pockets.”

  “I have some for both of you. Max, get down,” Fiona said, walking up to Camry’s side of the bed. “You, too, Ruffles. Go on, shoo!”

  Camry felt the bed dip and cracked open her one good eye to see Fiona holding a pill and a glass of water. Cam opened her mouth and the girl popped in the pill, then lifted her head to give her a drink. As soon as she was done, Fiona got up and headed around the bed to do the same for Luke.

  “The doctor warned me that you’d both be pretty sore this morning. Max! I told you to go in the living room!”

  “Whisper,” Cam whispered.

  “Sorry.”

  “Why is Luke here?” Cam asked.

  “The nice EMT from the ambulance called his wife, and they both hung out in the waiting room with me. Then they gave us a ride home and helped me get you both settled in for the night. John put Luke in my bed, and his wife, Glenna, helped me put you in yours. I slept on the couch, so I don’t know how you two ended up in bed together,” she finished, sounding way too delighted.

  “No, I mean why is Luke in my house?”

  “Oh, that. When the doctor gave me instructions for both of you, I figured Luke should come stay with us for a few days.” She smiled at Cam’s one-eyed glare. “After he so gallantly came to my rescue last night, I thought it was the least we could do.”

  “He doesn’t care to be talked about as if he isn’t here,” Luke said. “And thank you,” he muttered, only to groan when Tigger jumped up on the bed, jostling them both. “How the hell many dogs do you own, anyway?”

  “None,” Cam told him. “But I babysit four.”

  “You babysit dogs? Why?”

  “To pay the bills.”

  Camry heard Fiona sigh. “She’s still trying to decide what she wants to be when she grows up.”

  “Excuse me?” Luke said.

  “Right now she’s torn between being Suzy Homemaker or president of the United States. I told her she’s smart enough to be a rocket scientist if she wanted, but she doesn’t think that would be all that exciting.”

  Apparently Luke was so impressed, he couldn’t comment.

  Cam felt her arm being patted, and found Fiona standing beside her again. “Don’t worry about the dogs. I’ll take them for their runs for the next few days. The doctor said you need to stay off that ankle.”

  She looked over at Luke, then back at Cam. “And Luke’s got some badly bruised ribs, and Doctor Griswell said they’ll probably hurt worse than if they were broken.” She grinned. “But don’t worry; he sent you both home with plenty of pain pills.”

  “Can he at least walk back to his own bed?” Cam asked.

  “He can, just as soon as Fiona leaves,” Luke said. “Because he is only wearing boxer shorts.”

  Fiona swept Tigger into her arms, spun around with a giggle, and left.

  Luke still didn’t move.

  “She’s gone.”

  “I know. How about giving me enough time for the pill to kick in?”

  “You get five minutes, Pascal.”

  “So, you babysit dogs and wait tables for a living?”

  “No, I babysit dogs through the week and tend bar on the weekends. I was just waiting tables last night so I could keep an eye on Fiona.”

  “How long has she been . . . missing?”

  “I found her on the beach this past Friday. She told me she’d run away from home four days prior to that.”

  “And you can’t get her to tell you anything about her family?”

  “No. And I don’t dare push her, because I’m afraid she’ll run away from me.”

  “Christ, her parents must be going out of their minds. Did you at least call the police to see if they have a missing child reported?”

  “First thing Friday, while she was taking a shower. They said no one fitting Fiona’s description had been reported missing. Um . . . thank you for rescuing her last night. Dave’s right, a lot of men wouldn’t have gotten involved, especially considering there were four of those drunken jerks. Hell, there were plenty of other men sitting right there last night, but I didn’t see any of them jump out of their seats.”

  “I have a half sister about Fiona’s age.”

  “Fiona said you’re on sabbatical. From what?”

  He was silent for several heartbeats, then softly chuckled. “Would you believe rocket science?”

  Camry went perfectly still, not even daring to breathe as she tried to calculate the odds of two physicists getting into a barroom brawl and winding up in the same bed the next morning.

  “And you know what?” he continued. “Contrary to what you told Fiona, I happen to believe it’s an exciting profession.”

  “How can crunching numbers until your eyes cross be exciting? Especially if those numbers suddenly stop making a lick of sense?”

  “You know something about mathematical physics, do you?”

  “I know it must be frustrating as hell.”

  “And babysitting other people’s dogs is exciting?”

  “The dogs don’t question every damn thing I say in an e-mail, or kindly point out my mistakes.”

  “I didn’t know dogs used e-mail,” he said, amusement lacing his voice.

  Camry gave him a shove. “The pill’s obviously working now.”

  “Ow, my ribs! It definitely isn’t working yet.”

  “Sorry.”

  She felt the bed jostle and cracked open her eye just enough to see that he’d rolled toward her, propping his head on his hand. “So you babysit dogs because they think you’re the smartest thing since sliced bread, is that it? You don’t care to have an engaging argument with a worthy opponent once in a while?”

  Camry pulled the blanket up to her chin and tucked it down between them. “I like a good argument when the person I’m arguing with isn’t so full of himself that he insists on coming to America to set me straight in person.”

  “Hmm, I’m a little lost here. I thought we were talking about arguing in general, but you seem to be talking about something a bit more specific. Mind elaborating?”

  “No. Go away, Pascal.”

  He eased back onto his pillow and sighed. “I’m hungry. I never did get supper last night.”

  “There’s some mayonnaise in the fridge. You’re welcome to it.”

  “That’s it? You don’t cook?”

  “Why bother, when I can just go to the Go Back Grill?”

  “Maybe you should lean more toward being president when you grow up, instead of Suzy Homemaker.” He sighed again. “I don’t suppose anyone delivers in this half-deserted town. Maybe Dave or one of his waitresses could bring something over to us.”

  “Dave brought Cam’s SUV home last night,” Fiona said, walking back into the bedroom carrying a tray of food and setting it down between them.

  Cam slowly sat up, the smell maki
ng her mouth water. “He brought food, too?”

  “No, I drove to the grocery store this morning and was able to get back before the mutts arrived,” Fiona told her, placing the pillow behind her against the headboard.

  “You have a driver’s license?”

  “Almost,” Fiona said, going around to set Luke’s pillow in place. “And since those pills will knock both of you out soon, I’ll wait until then to run to Luke’s hotel and get his stuff. Is your room key in your pants, Luke? What’s your room number?”

  “You can’t drive with almost a license,” Cam told her. “You’re supposed to have an adult with you.”

  “Don’t worry that I’ll crash your truck, Cam. I’ve been driving on tote roads since I was ten,” the girl said. “I’ll take Suki with me and put your sunglasses on her. She’s big enough to look like an adult.”

  “Tote roads?” Camry said, perking up. “That means you live in western Maine.”

  “They have tote roads in Aroostook and Washington Counties, too.” Fiona caught Tigger in midleap when the dachshund tried to jump on the bed, then headed back out of the room with the dog. She stopped at the door. “I’m going to leave Max and Ruffles here, and I’ll take Suki and Tigger with me. Luke, your room number?”

  “He’s going back to his hotel this morning,” Camry told her.

  “It’s room seven,” he said, picking up a piece of toast. “And I haven’t unpacked, so you’ll find my suitcase on the bed.”

  “You are not moving in here with us.”

  “You heard what the doctor told Fiona. I’m going to be in a lot of pain for the next few days, and it’s not safe to take powerful drugs if there’s no one around to make sure I don’t maim myself. I need supervision, and since you do, too, we might as well be supervised together.”

  “That makes perfect sense to me,” Fiona said from the doorway. “And I certainly don’t mind taking care of the both of you. In fact, it will let me know if I want to be a nurse when I grow up.” The young girl, who appeared to be enjoying herself way too much, arched her brows at Camry. “Unlike someone around here, I want it all: a career and a husband and children before my biological clock starts ticking down.”

  Camry grabbed an orange off the tray to fling at her. “You little brat!”

  Luke snatched it out of her hand before she could throw it. “Not the food!”

  Camry pointed at Fiona. “You just wait until your daddy gets hold of you, young lady. I intend to be standing right beside him, helping him lecture you. And as soon as I can walk, I’m going through all your belongings to find out his name.”

  “Too late. I burned everything with my name on it in the fireplace this morning.”

  Camry gasped, sincerely hurt. “You don’t trust me?”

  Fiona stepped closer. “Of course I do, Camry. It’s Luke I don’t trust,” she said, rolling her eyes. “I mean, really, he is a man.”

  Luke started to hurl the orange at her, but Camry snatched it out of his hand and began peeling it. Fiona spun away with a laugh, shooed the three other dogs out ahead of her, and closed the bedroom door.

  “She’s been living with you only a few days, and you’ve already corrupted her opinion of men,” Luke accused, just before taking a bite of his toast.

  “I’m pretty sure Fiona had you men figured out long before I found her. She told me she left home because her father wouldn’t stop lecturing her.”

  “Because he loves her.”

  She stopped ripping into the orange and looked at him. “Why can’t men love their wives and daughters without lecturing them to death?”

  “How in hell should I know? I’ve never had a wife or a daughter.”

  “How about a girlfriend? You got one of those?”

  “Not at the moment,” he said, staring down at his toast. “I don’t seem to have any problem getting a girlfriend, I just can’t seem to keep one.”

  “Because you lecture them to death.”

  “No, that’s not it.” He picked up the plate of eggs and started eating, talking between bites. “They never stick around long enough for me to reach the lecture stage.” He looked over at her. “Assuming there even is one,” he said, returning to wolfing down his food.

  Camry found herself quite intrigued. She could see why Luke Pascal didn’t have trouble getting girlfriends, since Fiona had been deadon about his being dreamy. He had the body of an athlete—which really didn’t go with the physicist thing—and his eyes were a beautiful deep blue. As for his hair, well, she had to admit she did like it long; it gave him a rugged, rebellious look, which also didn’t match his profession.

  His chest wasn’t anything to scoff at, either. His shoulders were broad and his well-defined pecs, liberally sprinkled with soft-looking hair, certainly rang her bell.

  “So why can’t you keep a girlfriend?” she asked, wondering if maybe he bombed in the bedroom. He was a nerd, after all, even if he did have a good deal of brawn.

  “According to the women who were still speaking to me when they packed up their toothbrushes, I’m boring. Apparently you ladies need a guy’s undivided attention,” he said, sounding more confounded than resigned.

  Camry almost burst out laughing, but caught herself when she realized he was serious. “So you spent all your time working instead of with your girlfriends?”

  “If they wanted to be with me, why didn’t they come hang out at my lab?”

  Okay, the guy truly was clueless. “Maybe you should try dating other physicists. You know, another scientist who would understand being ignored?”

  “Have you met many women scientists?” He actually shivered. “They scare the hell out of me.”

  “They do? How?”

  “I can name you three right off the top of my head who pull their hair back so tight, they look like they have botched face-lifts.” He shivered again. “And two women come to mind who could probably knock me on my ass in three seconds flat.” He snorted. “And a lot of female scientists have the personality of lab rats.”

  Camry didn’t know why, but she found that hilariously funny. “And most of the male scientists I’ve met,” she said through her laughter, “couldn’t dance their way out of a wet paper bag!”

  “Hey, I can dance.”

  “And I’ve met fish with more personality than most of them have.”

  Luke started laughing, too. “Okay, you’ve got me there. So have I.”

  Camry threw back the covers and started to swing her legs off the bed.

  “Hey, where are you going?” he asked, grabbing her arm. “You can’t walk.”

  “I have to use the bathroom.”

  He grinned. “Me, too. Okay, here’s what we’ll do. You wait right there, and I’ll walk around and help you since I don’t have a bum ankle.”

  “Okay, but I get the bathroom first.”

  Luke set his plate on the tray between them, then walked around to her side.

  Camry nearly fell over, tilting her head to look at him. “You’re a lot bigger when you’re half naked.” Her eyes stopped halfway up, and she reached out and touched his ribs. “Wow, that’s one hell of a bruise.” Her gaze finally made it to his battered face. “Are you sure you’re a physicist? You certainly held your own last night.”

  “I’ve been working out,” he said, puffing up his chest, only to let it sink with a groan as he cradled his ribs. “Okay. Give me your hand, and don’t put any weight on your nakle.”

  Camry giggled. “I think your pill’s working.”

  “Nope. I can still feel my ribs.”

  She pulled herself out of bed—thankful that Fiona had put her in flannel pajamas—then clutched his arm as she balanced on her good leg. “My pill isn’t working, either. Both my head and nankle hurt. Don’t let me fall.”

  “I won’t. You know why, MacKeage?” he asked, leading her to the bathroom.

  “Why?”

  “Because you’re downright pretty when you smile.”

  She smiled up at him.
“You’re not so bad yourself, for a physy-ist.”

  They reached the bathroom, and Camry transferred her weight from his arm to the sink. “Okay. Go away.”

  “You won’t take forever, will you? I really have to go, too,” he said.

  She waved toward the bedroom. “Pee out the window or something. I don’t have any neighbors.”

  He walked out and Cam closed the door, locked it, and hobbled over to the toilet.

  “You know what I think?” Luke called through the bathroom door.

  “Gee, I don’t have a clue. What?”

  “You know that guy you were having the e-mail argument with? I think you should meet him in person.”

  “So I can punch him in the nose?”

  He didn’t answer right away. “Did you really think he was full of himself?”

  “He was a know-it-all, holier-than-thou, arrogant son of a bitch.”

  Luke said nothing to that.

  “And if I ever do meet him in person, I will cram his laptop down his throat.” She snorted. “He’s probably five feet three and four hundred pounds, bald as an eagle, and wears Coke bottles for glasses.”

  “He really pissed you off, didn’t he?” Luke said softly.

  Done taking care of business, Camry hobbled to the sink, looked in the mirror, and screamed.

  The doorknob rattled. “What’s wrong? Did you fall?”

  “No, I just looked in the mirror,” she said with a slightly hysterical laugh, carefully touching her swollen eye.

  It sounded like Luke thunked his head against the door. “Dammit, you just scared the hell out of me!”

  “I just scared the hell out of myself.” She washed and dried her hands, quickly ran her fingers through her rumpled hair, and unlocked the door.

  Luke stumbled into the room when she opened it.

  “Your turn,” she said.

  “I just need to wash my hands and throw some water on my face.”

  “Why?”

  He grinned crookedly. “I peed out the window.”

  “I was kidding.”

  “You were taking too long,” he said, stepping around her to use the sink.