A Strange Christmas Game by Whitney Blake

Love defeats the ghosts of his past.

This Yuletide season has been decidedly unpredictable for Charles Mason — not least of which because he must travel to Scotland after inheriting property from his estranged blood father. He imagines he will inspect an empty house, but instead finds a clever runaway within the disused and dusty walls. She’s using local rumors of a haunting to hide from an abusive employer, and he’s happy to shield her from discovery.
It’s obvious that there could be more between them than friendship. Before he can consider that, though, has to contend with a strange innkeeper who is more than he seems, a father whose life wasn’t what it appeared to be, and the unsettling question of how deeply family members can wound each other. Hardly a good foundation for love.
Romance has never been a priority. But during this journey, he’s discovered he should eliminate “never” from his vocabulary. He might even learn to believe in Christmas miracles.
(Note: This story was first published as part of the Dragonblade Publishing Boxed set O’ Night Divine, December 2020)