Always Read online

  Enter a spellbinding world of timeless love and shadowed dangers in two superb bestsellers—and enjoy “Jude Deveraux at her most pleasurable.”*

  FOREVER AND ALWAYS

  “An intriguing paranormal tale…loaded with action.”

  —Thebestreviews.com

  FOREVER…

  “Irresistibly eerie, yet decidedly a love story, Deveraux’s offering bursts with high-spirited repartee and bizarre but bewitching characters.”

  —Publishers Weekly (starred review)

  “[A] modern fairy tale…. This is Deveraux at her most pleasurable.”

  —Booklist*

  “Exciting…filled with humor, romance, and the paranormal. Settle in for some exhilarating reading!”

  —Romantic Times

  Don’t miss Jude Deveraux’s splendid yuletide bestseller

  HOLLY

  “A fast-paced tale with more than one deadly twist…. [A] sexy story.”

  —Library Journal

  “Readers who like their Christmas on the hot side should go straight to Holly…. Romance with a dash of mystery and threat.”

  —Barnesandnoble.com

  And praise for these unforgettable New York Times bestsellers from Jude Deveraux…

  WILD ORCHIDS

  “A not-to-be-missed novel…that will keep you on the edge of your chair.”

  —Rendezvous

  “Forget garden-variety ghosts and poltergeists—the devil himself makes an appearance in Deveraux’s romantic suspense novel…. A superb job.”

  —Publishers Weekly

  “Unlike anything Deveraux has written previously…uniquely intriguing…always entertaining.”

  —Romantic Times

  “Incredible, wonderful, fantastic, superb…. An unforgettable read.”

  —Romance Reviews Today

  THE MULBERRY TREE

  “Deveraux’s touch is gold…. Irresistible.”

  —Publishers Weekly

  “A twisted, unpredictable story.”

  —Romantic Times

  “Mystery, romance, and good cooking converge in [The Mulberry Tree].”

  —People

  THE SUMMERHOUSE

  “Marvelously compelling reading…. Deeply satisfying.”

  —Houston Chronicle

  “Deveraux…blends three love stories into an emotionally stirring novel.”

  —The State (Columbia, NC)

  “Deveraux is at the top of her game.”

  —Booklist

  “Entertaining summer reading.”

  —The Port St. Lucie News (FL)

  TEMPTATION

  “Filled with excitement, action, and insight…. A non-stop thriller.”

  —Barnesandnoble.com

  “[A] satisfying story.”

  —Booklist

  “Deveraux[’s] lively pace and happy endings…will keep readers turning pages.”

  —Publishers Weekly

  HIGH TIDE

  A Romantic Times Top Pick

  “High Tide is packed full of warmth, humor, sensual tension, and exciting adventure. What more could you ask of a book?”

  —Romantic Times

  “Fast-paced, suspenseful…. [A] sassy love story.”

  —Publishers Weekly

  “[A] fantastic read.”

  —Rendezvous

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  I dedicate this book to all the readers who were upset because I killed off some of my Montgomerys in a horrible way.

  You should have trusted me more.

  Part One

  2004

  Chapter One

  CONNIE AND KAYLA WERE ALMOST THE SAME AGE and about the same size. Even their coloring was nearly the same. But as alike as they were, they couldn’t have been more different. Kayla exuded golden blondeness, while Connie was pale and washed-out looking. Kayla’s height was statuesque, whereas Connie seemed to tower over people and slumped to keep from doing so. Kayla was a woman no one could overlook, while Connie was easy to miss.

  Connie had been working at Wrightsman’s jewelry store for six years; Kayla had been there for three weeks. Connie knew everything there was to know about the cut and clarity of jewels. She could tell you the weight and the color number of a diamond at a glance. She knew the provenance of every jewel in the store, knew what was in the safe and who had owned what and why they’d had to sell it.

  Kayla asked customers if they liked “the blue ones or the green ones” better.

  But in three weeks Kayla had sold more jewelry than Connie had in the last six months. After the first week, Connie had complained to Mr. Wrightsman. “She models the jewelry. She wears low-cut dresses, hangs a million-dollar necklace around her throat, then leans over so men can look down her front.” Connie had not been pleased by Mr. Wrightsman’s answer. He’d told her to “join the real world.”

  It was late on Friday when the man entered the store. After having worked at Wrightsman’s for so long, Connie was used to the rich and powerful stepping into the store. Besides the professionally lit showroom where the customers could show off their wealth by buying something Marie Antoinette had once owned, there was an elegant room in the back where they could sit in private and sell what they could no longer afford.

  Connie had met many politicians, movie stars, and jet-setters, but she’d never seen this man before. He was handsome in a masculine way, with heavy black eyebrows, dark eyes, and an aquiline nose set above lips that had a slight, teasing smile, as though he knew something no one else did.

  As Connie looked at the man, she felt her knees start to melt. The only other time she’d felt this way was when Sean Connery had walked into the store. This man was wearing a black leather jacket that she was sure had cost thousands; she could almost feel the softness of the leather under her fingertips. His tan trousers had to have been cut to fit him. As he walked toward the door, when she saw that he wore no jewelry, her heart dropped. He was buying for a woman, not himself.

  She didn’t really think that a man like him would be interested in her, but still, she relished the thought of searching through the vaults for just the right jewel. She prided herself on being a good judge of financial position and this man exuded money. Naked, dripping from a shower, she thought, this man would have an aura of wealth about him.

  As he pushed the glass door open, Connie nearly giggled at her thought of this beautiful man being wet and naked. Catching herself, she looked across the cases filled with sparkling jewels on blue satin to Kayla—and was horrified to see Kayla staring at the man with the same expression that Connie was probably wearing.

  Connie wanted to scream, “Oh, no you don’t. This one is mine!” Men like this one, men who possessed old world manners—and old world money—were her reward for putting up with tourists who wanted to see “where Brad Pitt shopped,” and with rude rock stars and ego-tripping two-bit actors who wanted the world to know that they bought their jewels at Wrightsman’s.

  The man entered the store, removed his sunglasses, then stood for a moment as his eyes adjusted. When they did, he looked at Connie and smiled. Yes, she thought. Come to me.

  But in the next second he turned his head and saw Kayla—and it was to her he walked.

  Connie had to duck behind the counter to hide her anger. Before Mr. Wrightsman had hired Connie, he’d dumped a pile of diamonds on a velvet tray, then sat there in silence and looked at her. He didn’t tell her what he wanted her to do with them. Arrange