Wish Upon a Christmas Star. Darlene Gardner

      Giving up is not her style

      The odds are about a million to one. But after eleven years, P.I. Maria DiMarco jumps at the possibility that her brother might still be alive. And when she makes a wish on a rare pre-Christmas shooting star, well, it could be a sign. Logan Collier doesn’t think so. Not that Maria should put her trust—or hope—in her ex-love, who long ago left her heart in pieces.

      Yet here Logan is in Key West, helping Maria chase down leads and, like her, trying—and failing—to ignore the attraction heating up between them. Even if her search takes her nowhere, Maria isn’t giving up. Not on finding her brother…or on a second chance with Logan.

      “It’s late. I should get going.”

      “Logan, you haven’t been here twenty minutes yet,” Maria protested.

      “I can’t last any longer without doing something, uh, stupid,” he said, moving past her to leave her hotel room.

      “What if I want you to do something stupid?” she whispered, closing the distance between them until he could smell her light flowery scent. She anchored her hands on his chest, stood on her tiptoes and put her mouth on his.

      He didn’t try to resist her. He couldn’t, even if he’d wanted to. It had been almost a dozen years since they’d kissed, yet she tasted familiar. Their mouths nipped and suckled as though time had never passed.

      Dear Reader,

      I’m delighted to announce exciting news: beginning in January 2013, Harlequin Superromance books will be longer! That means more romance with more of the characters you love and expect from Harlequin Superromance.

      We’ll also be unveiling a brand-new look for our covers. These fresh, beautiful covers will showcase the six wonderful contemporary stories we publish each month.

      So don’t miss out on your favorite series—Harlequin Superromance. Look for longer stories and exciting new covers starting December 18, 2012, wherever you buy books.

      In the meantime, check out this month’s reads:

      Wish Upon a Christmas Star

      Darlene Gardner

       www.millsandboon.co.uk

      ABOUT THE AUTHOR

      While working as a newspaper sportswriter, Darlene Gardner realized she’d rather make up quotes than rely on an athlete to say something interesting. So she quit her job and concentrated on a fiction career that landed her at Harlequin/Silhouette Books, where she wrote for the Temptation, Duets and Intimate Moments lines before finding a home at Harlequin Superromance. Please visit Darlene on the web at www.darlenegardner.com.

      To my sister Lynette Revill, the private investigator, for patiently answering my questions and for having such a cool profession.

      And to the families of the victims of 9/11, especially the more than 1,000 victims whose remains weren’t identified.

      Contents

       Chapter One

       Chapter Two

       Chapter Three

       Chapter Four

       Chapter Five

       Chapter Six

       Chapter Seven

       Chapter Eight

       Chapter Nine

       Chapter Ten

       Chapter Eleven

       Chapter Twelve

       Chapter Thirteen

       Chapter Fourteen

       Chapter Fifteen

       Excerpt

      CHAPTER ONE

      MARIA DIMARCO STARED DOWN at the photo of her once vibrant brother, then back up at the woman who’d broken Mike’s heart when he’d been barely eighteen.

      “Why would you come here out of the blue and show me this?” Maria asked, a bite to her voice.

      The angry question had barely escaped her lips when she caught sight of the glittering gold star on top of the Christmas tree in the corner of her office. In the season of goodwill toward men, she needed to keep better hold of her temper.

      “Why wouldn’t I come to you?” Caroline Webb asked. “You’re a private investigator.”

      Caroline had been waiting outside her office door at the strip mall on the outskirts of Lexington, Kentucky, when Maria returned from her appointments late that Monday afternoon. At first Maria hadn’t been positive she recognized her. In a red coat that matched the stripes in the candy canes on the light poles and high-heeled black leather boots, Caroline looked more like a fashion model than the girl she remembered. Caroline had also lost weight, played down her Kentucky accent and was no longer a brunette but a blonde.

      Maria handed back the photo. “Perhaps you’d better explain.”

      She shrugged out of her black pea coat and hung it on a hook next to the door. Bracing herself to talk about the brother who had died in the 9/11 terrorist attack, she flipped the switch that turned on the tree lights. The festive sight didn’t stop the waves of sadness from washing over her.

      “Can we sit down?” Caroline indicated the chairs flanking the desk at the back of the room. Perhaps she realized it would be tougher for Maria to get rid of her if she acted as though she’d come here with an appointment.

      “After you,” Maria said with a sweep of her hand.

      Caroline took off her coat, too, revealing a long-sleeved green dress that hugged her slim figure. Above her left breast was a pin of a holly wreath, and she smelled of an expensive perfume. She took her time settling into one of the utilitarian chairs, then passed the photo over once more. Maria’s black-haired, blue-eyed brother wasn’t the only one in the picture. He had his left arm slung around a much-younger Caroline’s shoulder. Mike was smiling. She was not.

      “The photo’s from senior year, a few days before Mike dropped out of high school and went to New York City.” Caroline brushed her newly blond hair back from her face, calling attention to her expertly made-up eyes. “It came in the mail yesterday.”

      “Who sent it?” Maria asked.

      “That’s the thing. I don’t know. There was no return address, no note.” Caroline pulled something from the outside pocket of her leather handbag—Coach, as trendy as it was expensive—and held it out. “There was, however, a second photo.”