Tanya Michaels - Mistletoe Mommy

Brenna laughed. “That’s because Lilah’s too wrapped up in that hunky husband of hers to notice anything about other men.”

“Arianne said that, too. Except she didn’t refer to her brother as ‘hunky.’ But she does think Gabriel is sexy.”

“Really?”

Arianne, Lilah’s sister-in-law, had grown up with two older brothers; she was chatty, opinionated and socially fearless. The idea of Ari having a conversation with the brooding loner Gabe Sloan was both vastly entertaining and completely unimaginable.

“Oh!” Brenna snapped her fingers. “I forgot to ask. How are Rachel and the baby doing?”

Quinn smiled. “Wonderfully. Arianne called me from the hospital last night to say that Bailey Kathryn Waide is beautiful and that the entire family is already wrapped around her teeny tiny finger. David should be taking home both his ladies this afternoon.”

“You should have seen him yesterday when he stopped to see if I needed a ride.” Brenna smiled at the memory. She’d gone to school with the eldest Waide sibling; he’d been the valedictorian of her graduating class. “I always thought he was unflappable, but he looked terrified.”

Quinn rolled to a stop at a red light. “I want to hear more about the guy who did give you a ride. Single dad, huh? Was he good-looking?”

Oh, yeah. “I suppose. He’s only in town for a few weeks, though.”

“A lot could happen in that time,” Quinn said playfully. “I don’t want to sound desperate, but I’ve lived here my whole life. I’ve already met most of the local prospects. You ever worry about that?”

“Umm…” Brenna spent more time worrying about whether she’d met most of the pet-owners in Mistletoe.

“There are a lot of great guys here in Mistletoe,” Quinn continued. “Even a few that are still single. But if I were going to click with someone, feel that spark, shouldn’t it have happened by now?”

Brenna tried to think back to her last real relationship, her only serious one since returning to Mistletoe. But it had never gotten as serious as Kevin would have liked. Had there been a definitive spark between her and Kevin Higgs?

The vet was handsome, definitely, and had been a considerate lover. They’d had common interests and enjoyed each other’s company, but in retrospect, she wasn’t sure her feelings for him had been strong enough to generate real chemistry.

“The thing about sparks, Quinn, is that they can lead to fire.”

“Exactly! Igniting passion, that all-consuming heat when you’re around just the right guy.”

Maybe Quinn would be comfortable with that kind of volatility, but Brenna would be frantically looking around for an extinguisher. “Well, good luck with the chemistry thing. For me, right now all I want is to grow my business and expand my client base.” She’d hoped to start building a nest egg, eventually hire part-time help, but her transportation needs were an even more pressing priority.

“Hmm.” Quinn shot her a sidelong glance. “So…if you’re all satisfied and fulfilled with just your work, why the question about whether or not you have a life?”

“This is why I like dogs and cats,” Brenna grumbled. “They don’t point out any conversational inconsistencies!”

Quinn laughed. “In other words, I should shut up and drive?”

“Please.”

“DA-AD!” GEOFF’S VOICE echoed through the two-bedroom suite, an indignant demand for justice.

Adam rubbed the space between his eyes. “What seems to be the problem, Geoff?” The current problem.

It was now eight-thirty. At two o’clock this morning, the problem had been that Morgan missed her mom and was scared in the unfamiliar bedroom the girls shared, even though Adam had left a closet light on for her. She’d crawled into Eliza’s bed, which led to Eliza complaining at three-fifteen that Morgan kicked in her sleep. So he’d given up his own bed for his disgruntled daughter and stretched out on the small sofa in the common room. At seven, he’d awoken to a stiff neck and a bright-eyed Morgan wanting to know why she couldn’t find her regular cartoons. The small television in the common room had basic cable but not the array of personalized channels Morgan was used to at home.

“It’ll be all right,” he’d assured her. “We won’t spend that much time in the suite, anyway.”

He’d promised them a hearty breakfast in the lodge’s main dining hall if everyone could manage to get ready.

Geoff flung out his arm, pointing at the bathroom door. “The problem is we’ve got only one bathroom, and Eliza seems to think it’s her sole dominion.”

“What’s do-min-on?” Morgan asked. She’d insisted on picking out her own clothes, pairing a red shirt covered in pink animal shapes with neon-striped leggings. The overall effect, best described as colorful, was not helping Adam’s headache. “Is it like a dalmatian?”

“No, pumpkin.” Adam knocked on the bathroom door. “Eliza?”

The door swung open. “Jeez, I’m finished,” she said from around her father, glaring at Geoff. “Happy now?”

Mumbling a response, Geoff dashed into the now vacant room. He shut the door with just enough force to up Adam’s need for aspirin without technically slamming it.

Ten minutes later, all three children were ready to go, even if one of them looked like the inside of a kaleidoscope and another was wearing too much eye makeup. Sara had discussed the cosmetics issue with him just before Eliza’s twelfth birthday and he’d deferred to Sara’s judgment, saying that if she was okay with it, so was he. But he wasn’t an idiot. He knew that Eliza didn’t leave the house with red lipstick and raccoon eyes on her mother’s watch. She was baiting him, but he refused to kick off their morning with a fight.

He held the door open while the kids filed past, dropping a gentle hand on Eliza’s shoulder.

“What?” Her voice, probably meant to be challenging, came out nervous and guilty.

“I love you, kiddo.”

She blinked, the little girl he remembered peering out from inside a ring of uneven eyeliner. Then she was gone. “Y-yeah, I know. We better go. If Geoff doesn’t get fed soon, he’ll probably start eating the furniture or something.”

With that, she darted into the hall. Adam sighed. The Medical College Admission Test was easier than this.

The good news? It was bound to get better.

“And I assume you want to pay extra for the unlimited miles?” Lloyd asked from behind the counter.

Honestly, Brenna thought, no one ever wants to pay extra for anything. But she did accumulate an amazingly high mileage for a woman who spent most of her time driving around a small town, and tomorrow was Saturday. Weekends were often her busiest time. “Same deal as last time, please. Extra mileage, extra insurance.”

Lloyd grinned at her. “You’re one of our favorite customers. Which is really saying something considering you’ve never purchased a car from us. I’ll be right back with the finalized paperwork and your receipt.”

“Thanks.”

Brenna had bought Quinn an early lunch to thank her for her assistance that morning, and Quinn had dropped her off at the auto dealership.

“Sure you don’t want me to keep chauffeuring you?” her friend had asked.

“Thanks, but my schedule’s a bit erratic for the next forty-eight hours.” The Hildebrand family was paying her an exorbitant fee to “tuck in” their chocolate Lab for the night; she’d check on him one last time at about ten-thirty. “I can’t just keep you at my beck and call.”

“All right, guess I’ll head home. But don’t tell Ari we parted ways this early. She was angling shamelessly for an invitation to come hang out at my place and catch glimpses of Gabe in his work jeans.” Quinn had waved goodbye with a reminder to “call if you need me.”

“Brenna!”

At the sound of her stepfather’s voice, she spun around. The sight of his rugged face filled her with affection and exasperation. Josh, you twerp. She’d bet the cost of her latest phone-book ad that Josh had told his parents about her unreliable car.

“Hey.” She hugged Fred. “Didn’t expect to see you here.” Although she should have.

He patted her on the back. “I don’t suppose you’d believe I just happened to be in the neighborhood?”

She sighed. “Well, it is Mistletoe. I guess the neighborhood’s not that big.”

“I’ve offered to go car shopping with you a couple of times, honey, and you’re always too busy. So what better time than now? You’re here, I’m here. An entire lot of economy cars await.”

“You know I appreciate the thought.” Mostly. “But I need to get over to the Heritage Pond subdivision. I’ve got a new-client orientation at twelve-thirty.”

“Got time in your full schedule for Sunday dinner? Josh and Natalie are coming. Maggie’s hoping you can join us, too.”

She ground her back teeth. On the one hand, she loved the Pierces and enjoyed spending time with them, but Fred and Maggie had already been trying to help her find “a nice man” even before Josh started dating Natalie. Now all four of them ganged up on her. And she was the fifth wheel, the odd one out even among people who adored her.

She was damn lucky for the Pierce family and never wanted to seem ungrateful. “You tell Maggie I’ll be there. Can I bring anything?”

“Just your company and your lovely smile,” Fred said warmly. “Unless…there’s anyone you wanted to bring? Any guest of yours is always welcome at our table.”

“Oh, for pity’s sake! Josh couldn’t just leave it at tattling about the car? He told you about the doctor, too!”

“Doctor?” Fred frowned. “What doctor?”

Whoops. She’d read too much into Fred and Maggie’s habitual wishful thinking, immediately making the mental leap to handsome Adam Varner.