Linda Howard - Delivered By Christmas

Color

Text Size

Linda Howard

Joan Hohl

Sandra Steffen

Dear Reader,

Thanks so much for choosing Delivered by Christmas. This delightful collection of three short stories is sure to warm the corners of your heart and bring you endless seasonal joy.

We're proud to present you with New York Times bestselling author Linda Howard's classic romance, "Bluebird Winter." This story of a blizzard, a baby and an unexpected love is one to cherish. Bestselling author Joan Hohl delivers a brand-new story with "The Gift of Joy," about a burned-out lawman and a feisty city gal who experience some memorable holiday moments. And "A Christmas to Treasure," by award-winning author Sandra Steffen, will deliver its share of special smiles as two determined children set about finding themselves a daddy for Christmas.

Please accept our warmest wishes for a happy holiday season for you and yours!

The editors at Silhouette Books

Linda Howard

New York Times bestselling author Linda Howard says that books have long played a profound role in her life. She cut her teeth on Margaret Mitchell, and from then on continued to read widely and eagerly. In recent years her interest has settled on romance fiction, because she's "easily bored by murder, mayhem and politics." After twenty-one years of penning stories for her own enjoyment, Ms. Howard finally worked up the courage to submit a novel for publicationand met with success! Happily the Alabama author has been steadily publishing ever since.

Joan Hohl lives in southwestern Pennsylvania, where she was born and raised. A bestselling author of over forty novels, including twenty-five for Silhouette Books, Joan has won numerous awards, including the Romance Writers of America Golden Medallion Award and two Romantic Times Magazine Reviewer's Choice Awards. One of the industry's most popular authors, Joan writes both historical and contemporary romances.

Sandra Steffen has been called a rising star in the romance writing industry. Her first Silhouette Romance* novel won the prestigious 1994 Reader's Choice Award. Eighteen of her heartwarming stories have followed, charming and delighting her fans. Several of those titles have appeared on national bestseller lists. Married to her high school sweetheart, this proud mother of four sons makes her home in Michigan.

LINDA HOWARD

JOAN HOHL

SANDRA STEFFEN

Delivered by Christmas

Published by Silhouette Books

America's Publisher of Contemporary Romance

SILHOUETTE BOOKS

DELIVERED BY CHRISTMAS

Copyright 1999 by Harlequin Books S.A.

ISBN 0-373-48387-2

The publisher acknowledges die copyright holders of the individual works as follows:

BLUEBIRD WINTER

Copyright 6 1987 by Linda Howington

THE GIFT OF JOY

Copyright 1999 by Joan Hohl

A CHRISTMAS TO TREASURE

Copyright 1999 by Sandra E. Steffen

All characters in this book have no existence outside the imagination of the author and have no relation whatsoever to anyone bearing the same name or names. They are not even distantly inspired by any individual known or unknown to the author, and all incidents are pure invention.

This edition published by arrangement with Harlequin Books S.A.

and TM are trademarks of Harlequin Books S.A., used under license. Trademarks indicated with are registered in the United States Patent and Trademark Office, the Canadian Trade Marks Office and in other countries.

Visit us at www.romance.net Printed in U.S.A.

It wasn't supposed to happen like this.

Kathleen Fields pressed her hand to her swollen abdomen, her face drawn and anxious as she looked out the window again at the swirling, wind-blown snow. Visibility was so limited that she couldn't even see the uneven pasture fence no more than fifty yards away. The temperature had plummeted into the teens, and according to the weather report on the radio, this freak Christmas Day blizzard was likely to last the rest of the day and most of the night.

She couldn't wait that long. She was in labor now, almost a month early. Her baby would need medical attention.

Bitterness welled in her as she dropped the curtain and turned back to the small, dim living room, lit only by the fire in the fireplace. The electricity and telephone service had gone out five hours ago. Two hours after that, the dull ache in her back, which had been so constant for weeks that she no longer noticed it, had begun strengthening into something more, then laced around to her distended belly. Only mildly concerned, she had ignored it as false labor; after all, she was still three weeks and five days from her due date. Then, half an hour ago, her water had broken, and there was no longer any doubt: she was in labor.

She was also alone, and stranded. This Christmas snow, so coveted by millions of children, could mean the death of her own child.

Tears burned her eyes. She had stolidly endured a bad marriage and the end of her illusions, faced the reality of being broke, alone and pregnant, of working long hours as a waitress in an effort to keep herself fed and provide a home for this baby, even though she had fiercely resented its existence at the beginning. But then it had begun moving inside her, gentle little flutters at first, then actual kicks and pokes, and it had become reality, a person, a companion. It was her baby. She wanted it, wanted to hold it and love it and croon lullabies to it. It was the only person she had left in the world, but now she might lose it, perhaps in punishment for that early resentment. How ironic to carry it all this time, only to lose it on Christmas Day! It was supposed to be a day of hope, faith and promise, but she didn't have any hope left, or much faith in people, and the future promised nothing but an endless procession of bleak days. All she had was herself, and the tiny life inside her that was now in jeopardy.

She could deliver the baby here, without help. It was warm and somehow she would manage to keep the fire going. She would survive, but would the baby? It was premature. It might not be able to breathe properly on its own. Something might be wrong with it.

Or she could try to get to the clinic, fifteen miles distant. It was an easy drive in good weatherbut the weather wasn't good, and the howling wind had been getting louder. The roads were treacherous and visibility limited. She might not make it, and the effort would cost her her own life, as well as that of her child.

So what? The words echoed in her mind. What did her life matter, if the baby died? Would she be able to live with herself if she opted to protect herself at the risk of the baby's life? Everything might be all right, but she couldn't take that chance. For the baby's sake, she had to try.

Moving clumsily, she dressed as warmly as she could, layering her clothing until she moved like a waddling pumpkin. She gathered water and blankets, an extra nightgown for herself and clothes for the baby, then, as a last thought, checked the telephone one more time on the off-chance that service might have been restored. Only silence met her ear, and, regretfully, she dropped the receiver.

Taking a deep breath to brace herself, Kathleen opened the back door and was immediately lashed by the icy wind and stinging snow. She ducked her head and struggled against the wind, cautiously making her way down the two ice-coated steps. Her balance wasn't that good anyway, and the wind was beating at her, making her stagger. Halfway across the yard she slipped and fell, but scrambled up so quickly that she barely felt the impact. "I'm sorry, I'm sorry," she breathed to the baby, patting her stomach, The baby had settled low in her belly and wasn't kicking now, but the pressure was increasing. It was hard to walk. Just as she reached the old pickup truck a contraction hit her and she stumbled, falling again. This contraction was stronger than the others, and all she could do was lie helplessly in the snow until it eased, biting her lip to keep from moaning aloud.