Their Christmas Vows

Praise for Margaret McDonagh …

‘Margaret McDonagh writes with plenty of warmth, charm and sensitivity.’

—Cataromance on The Italian Doctor’s Bride

‘Complex, believable and nuanced characters bring this tale to life, creating scenes that are unbelievably moving.’

—Romance Reviewed on

A Doctor Worth Waiting For

MARGARET MCDONAGH says of herself: ‘I began losing myself in the magical world of books from a very young age, and I always knew that I had to write, pursuing the dream for over twenty years, often with cussed stubbornness in the face of rejection letters! Despite having numerous romance novellas, short stories and serials published, the news that my first “proper book” had been accepted by Harlequin Mills & Boon for their Medical^>™ line brought indescribable joy! Having a passion for learning makes researching an involving pleasure, and I love developing new characters, getting to know them, setting them challenges to overcome. The hardest part is saying goodbye to them, because they become so real to me. And I always fall in love with my heroes! Writing and reading books, keeping in touch with friends, watching sport and meeting the demands of my four-legged companions keeps me well occupied. I hope you enjoy reading this book as much as I loved writing it.’

www.margaretmcdonagh.com

[email protected]

Look out for Margaret McDonagh’s new novels, in Mills & Boon Presents … in April 2008 andVirgin Midwife, Playboy Doctorin July 2008, available from M&B^>™ and Mills & Boon^>® Medical^>™ respectively.

www.millsandboon.co.uk

To Sheila and Joanne … for giving me this chance and for believing in me

And to the usual suspects for their continued friendship, encouragement and support

Dear Reader,

It was such an honour to be asked to contribute to this Christmas Weddings anthology.

If you are new to Medical^>™ romances and new to my books, then I hope you will enjoy stepping into the fictional world of Strathlochan, around which many of my books are set – on this occasion meeting Frazer and Callie.

Callie has a difficult journey to make, not only due to her frightening brush with illness, but also because the impact of her past experiences makes it hard for her to trust. In Frazer, has she found a man she can believe in? Can she trust him – and herself – and step towards a happy and loving future?

Most of us know of someone whose life has been touched by breast cancer. It makes us all stop and think. And remember the things that are most important … like those special in our lives who give love and support no matter what. I hope I have captured some of those feelings in my story.

Thank you for reading this anthology. I hope you will come back and enjoy more of my books in future. Encouraged by my wonderful editor, I am currently working on some exciting new projects, but I hope to be back in Strathlochan telling Annie’s story very soon.

Wishing you all a Merry Christmas and a new year filled with good health, good friendships and happy-ever-afters.

Best wishes,

Margaret

www.margaretmcdonagh.com

TODAY was the first day of the rest of her life, and Callie Grogan was determined that nothing would go wrong.

On the cusp of dawn she left her car in the parking area and stood to stare across at the hangar looming adjacent to the building which housed the air ambulance base on the outskirts of town. Streamers of mist whispered low over the icy ground, while frost edged the fences and the bare branches of the trees and bushes around the perimeter. A line of mini-icicles hung off the gutters along the roofline of the single-storey building. Her breath misted the air and she stamped her feet, wishing she had pulled on an extra pair of socks before putting on her boots. As it was, she was wearing thermal underwear, a pair of jogging bottoms and a long-sleeved fleece under her flight suit. Yes, it was winter in Scotland, but she hadn’t expected Strathlochan to be this cold.

A grey, wet November had given way to a December which had brought with it a blast of unexpected cold. Winter had taken a firm grip, with hard frosts, fog, ice and even the threat of early snow. Not ideal conditions for flying, but ones that increased the need for emergency care with an upsurge in accidents and weather-induced incidents.

Under a lowering sky, the hangar doors peeped open, and as she approached the building she could see the engineering crew, who had worked on routine maintenance overnight, preparing the helicopter for the day’s work. When the threat of ice lifted, they would steer it out onto the forecourt, from where they could take off within a couple of minutes of an emergency call coming in.

Callie felt a renewed burst of excitement. She couldn’t wait to begin her shift. After a terrible eighteen months, this was her chance for a whole new life. She was healthy. She’d thrown herself into work, determined to be the best she could possibly be. She was also alone. But that was nothing new. Aside from the brief misjudgement with Ed, she had always been alone. From now on she always would be. It had taken time, she had been at her lowest ebb, but she had put her life back together. Now she planned to make the most of the unexpected opportunity moving to Strathlochan had given her.