A Mistletoe Kiss for the Single Dad

by Traci Douglass

  As Nick put away the ladder, he couldn’t help remembering going to the tree lighting ceremony himself as a kid. Back in the day, he and Belle had helped Marlene host the event and had even flipped the switch one year, transforming their little town into a sparkling fairy tale. Since he’d returned to Bayside, Nick hadn’t really done much beyond the usual stuff at home for the holidays, other than driving by so Con could see the tree lit. This year, though, he felt an unaccountable urge to experience it all again. The community band, the huge Douglas fir decorated in lights and tinsel.

  If he wanted to make it on time he’d better get a move on, especially since they needed to eat beforehand. After shutting down the rooms in the back, he headed up to the lobby. The light outside was fading already as the shortest day of the year quickly approached. It lent a sense of urgency to the already near-impossible timeline for reopening the clinic.

  At the end of the hall, he caught sight of Belle teetering on one of the vinyl chairs in the lobby, doing her best to hang garland and tinsel from the ceiling. For most of the afternoon, she’d carried the clipboard around in front of her like a shield, but there was nothing preventing her from toppling off the arms of a wobbly chair and breaking her neck.

  Without thinking, Nick rushed over and grabbed her hips to steady her as she rose on tiptoe to tuck a length of garland through the bars securing the new tiles to the ceiling. At his touch she froze, staring down at him with wide green eyes. “What are you—”

  Sure enough, the old vinyl chair gave an ominous creak and tilted sideways, sending Belle careening against Nick and knocking him back a step. He held her tight against him and moved toward the reception desk, her floral shampoo teasing his nose.

  “Put me down, please,” she said, her voice muffled by his shoulder.

  He did as she asked, setting her on her feet then releasing her, his pulse thudding and his mouth as dry as sandpaper. Nick shoved his hands into the back pockets of his jeans so she wouldn’t see them shake as adrenaline pumped hot and fierce through his bloodstream.

  She’d slipped. He’d caught her before she fell. That was all.

  Why then did he feel sweaty and stunned and swirling with energy?

  “Thanks.” She dusted the white powder from the ceiling tiles off her hands. “Guess using the chair wasn’t such a good idea.”

  “No, it wasn’t.” His words emerged harsher than he’d intended, but she could’ve been hurt or worse...

  Vicki’s face flashed into his mind. The slow beep, beep, beep of the heart monitor until it flatlined. Nick scrubbed his hands over his face, making the connection. Belle could’ve died.

  And it would’ve been his fault. Again. Just like Vicki.

  “Hey,” she said, moving closer to him. The touch of her hand felt cool on the heated skin. “It’s okay. I’m fine. You saved the day.”

  He shook his head and turned away. “Except I didn’t.”

  Nick paced for a minute as he gathered the tattered shreds of his composure. God, he was a complete wreck. He walked behind the reception desk and grabbed a bottle of water from the stash beneath the counter, drinking half a bottle before focusing on Belle again. She was still standing there, watching him, her expression concerned. The last thing he wanted right now was her pity. “Tell me about Beverly Hills.”

  She seemed surprised. “What do you want to know?”

  “What’s your practice like? Is it what you expected? How’s your patient load?” He set the water aside and leaned his palms on the desktop, feeling a modicum of his control returning. “I don’t remember you ever expressing an interest in making people more beautiful.”

  She walked over to right the toppled chair. “That’s not why I chose my specialty.”

  “Why, then?” Nick tilted his head to the side, far more interested in her answer than was wise. He wanted to know what had changed her, what had made her into the person who stood before him today.

  She fiddled with one of the numerous decals of elves and ornaments and stars and gifts she’d stuck all over the front windows and he couldn’t stop recalling the Christmas Eve they’d spent together eighteen years before. He’d held Belle in his arms beneath the stars at the top of the sand dunes, listening to the waves on Lake Michigan in the distance. That was the night she’d told him about her scholarship offer from UCLA and how she wasn’t going to accept it because it would be too far away from home and from him. The night that had changed Nick’s life forever and put him on the path he followed now.

  Belle glanced back at him. “I thought we weren’t discussing the past.”

  Damn. She had him there. Nick hung his head. “What else are we going to talk about?”

  “We could just not talk at all.”

  “Sure. Because silence is so much less awkward.”

  Her gaze held his for a long moment then she smiled. It transformed her from beautiful to stunning, and for a second Nick’s guilt evaporated, replaced instead by a yearning that had never entirely disappeared, even after all these years. Want danced through him like sparks from a fire. He still remembered what it felt like holding her, stroking her, nuzzling her neck, her breasts, her...

  “Hello?” Belle said, breaking him out of his thoughts. “Earth to Nick.”

  Reality crashed back onto him like a ton of iron bricks.

  He wondered how he could forget his promise so easily. He was a loner now. A father. A doctor. Belle had her own life, her own career back in California. She’d be gone after Christmas and he’d still be here in Bayside, with a thriving practice to run and a growing son to raise.

  “Sorry. Thinking about my meningitis case,” he lied.

  She gave him a skeptical look, as if she knew it, then began neatly stacking her inventory lists on the counter and stapling the corner. “Any new updates?”

  “My patient’s still stable. It’s a good sign, but I don’t want to be too optimistic too soon.” Nick crossed his arms, determined to keep things strictly platonic between him and Belle.

  Because that’s what he wanted.

  Wasn’t it?

  “I’m taking off for the night,” Juan said, coming out of the utility room in the back, raising a hand toward them as he exited.

  “Say hello to Analia for me,” Belle called, smiling.

  “Will do.” Juan waved. “See you both in the morning. Going to the tree lighting tonight. See you there, Nick?”

  “Yep.” He glanced at the clock then grabbed his coat off the rack Nick turned to face Belle again as he shrugged into his jacket. “I need to get to the school to pick up Con.”

  “Sure.” Belle continued stapling more papers. “Have fun.”

  Her tone held a hint of wistful sadness and his tired heart ached. He didn’t like being so conflicted, especially with everything else they were dealing with. Maybe it was time they called a truce. “Why don’t you come with us?”

  “Huh?” Her brows lifted in surprise. “You mean to the tree lighting ceremony?”

  “Yeah.” They’d go as friends. Two lonely people keeping each other company. Nothing more. He took her coat off the rack and held it for her to slip into. As she did, his fingertips grazed the soft skin at the nape of her neck. Frissons of electric awareness zinged up his arm before he could stop them. He forced an ease he didn’t quite feel, turning on the charm. “I guarantee you’ll have fun.”

  “I can’t.” She grabbed her bag and papers off the desk. “I really need to get these over to your office to make sure we have our supplies on time for the free clinic.”

  “Not a problem.” He snatched the list from her and tucked the papers in his coat pocket. “I’ll deliver them to Jeanette myself. C’mon. It’ll make me happy.”

  With a shock, he realized it was true.

  She tilted her head, clearly overthinking it, the same as him. “I don’t want to be out late.”

>   “We’ll be back early, I promise. Con has a nine o’clock curfew anyway. He’s got to be up early tomorrow for hockey.” Nick held the front door for her then shut off the lights before joining Belle on the sidewalk and locking up the clinic. He hoped to keep her talking so he didn’t have to think about the pounding of blood in his head and the poignant yearning in his heart. “Good. It’s settled, then.”

  CHAPTER FIVE

  BELLE CLICKED HER seat belt into place as Nick finished scraping the frost off his windshield then climbed back in behind the wheel of his SUV. The vehicle was like him—steadfast, reliable, well maintained. A no-nonsense vehicle for a no-nonsense man. So different from the ritzy sports cars and convertibles people drove around in Beverly Hills. Inside, it was warm and cozy and felt like their own private universe.

  “So,” he said as he started the engine and shifted into gear, “you didn’t answer my question. Why plastic surgery?”

  Belle shrugged and stared out the window, reliving her visit to Northwestern for the umpteenth time in her head. The sight of Nick and his bride-to-be from across the room. They’d looked so happy. She told him half the story, keeping the most painful parts to herself. “I observed a facial reconstruction on a child with a cleft palate during one of my rotations and I was hooked. The ability to create normalcy for someone who’s never had it felt like a true calling. I was accepted to the fellowship program at Harvard and the rest is history.” She squinted out the window at the passing scenery as they pulled onto Main Street. “Dr. Reyes was a visiting surgeon at Mass General and he approached me about joining his practice after observing my work. It was an opportunity I couldn’t pass up.”

  Nick frowned slightly. “Isn’t Beverly Hills super competitive, though?”

  “Very.” She smiled. “I remember telling my professors at Harvard about my decision to accept the offer and they thought I was crazy. But I chose my practice because I wanted to climb to the top of the mountain. I wanted to conquer it.”

  “And have you?”

  “In some ways. I’ve built a reputation. Dr. Reyes has even offered me a partnership.” Her smile faded slightly, and she looked away. “As long as I’m back in California by Christmas.”

  She did her best to keep the uncertainty from her tone and failed, if the look Nick gave her was any indication. “You’re happy, then? It’s everything you ever wanted?”

  “Hmm.” She tucked her hair behind her ear. “What about you? I’m sorry about your wife passing away. I don’t think I ever expressed my condolences.”

  “Thank you.” His sounded strained and Belle could’ve kicked herself for bringing it up. He squinted out the windshield, his face taut. “Losing Vicki was a big wake-up call.”

  With the door to the past wide open now, Belle couldn’t help her curiosity. “Was her death the reason you gave up your practice in Atlanta moved back to Bayside?”

  “Partly. I wanted Connor to grow up in the kind of place I did as a kid. Where you can go outside at night and leave your door unlocked and not worry about getting shot or robbed. Plus, I missed the community here. And since he’s my top priority now, I wanted to do what was best for him.”

  “And was it the best thing for you too?” He’d said he had his reasons for being single, but perhaps his went beyond the norm. One of the doctors in her practice had lost his wife a few years back and he was already remarried. She sensed there was more behind Nick’s statement than he was letting on, but she had to tread lightly to avoid him shutting her down completely. “Must be hard, raising a child on your own. I know Aunt Marlene struggled sometimes with me, growing up.”

  “It can be hard.” He slowed for a red light. “But I do my best.”

  “Connor seems like a great kid. You’ve done well with him.”

  “He’s awesome.”

  She rested her head back against the seat and stared out at the snowy landscape. The sky above was overcast and gray. “What about you? Why did you choose pediatrics?”

  Nick accelerated once the light turned green. “After seven years of residency in Chicago.” At her questioning look, he added, “Three in GP and four in pediatric surgery, I was ready for warmer weather. The head of my practice in Atlanta was consulting on a patient in Chicago and I assisted him with a surgery. He remembered me. When he called to offer me a spot at the end of my residency, it was a godsend. By then Vicki was pregnant with Connor and we needed financial stability. Atlanta gave me those things.”

  Belle turned away so he wouldn’t see her wince, but it was too late.

  “What?” he asked, frowning. “What’s wrong?”

  She sighed and decided to come out with it. “I never told you this, but I came to see you at Northwestern, right before I entered my fellowship at Harvard.”

  “What?” Nick scowled. “Why?”

  “I wanted to get your opinion on what I should choose as my specialty.” She shrugged, her heart threatening to beat out of her ribcage. “You were always my best sounding board. Anyway, when I got to the common area of your apartment complex, there was a celebration going on, an engagement party. I saw the happy couple was you and your soon-to-be wife. Her baby bump was evident. I left.” She shook her head and stared down at her hands in her lap, blinking away tears. “I never should’ve come. You’d moved on. I realized I needed to do the same.”

  Nick looked flummoxed. “I don’t know what to say, Belle. I figured you’d forgotten all about me by then.”

  “I should have, but I couldn’t.” She exhaled slowly, allowing herself to feel the pain of that long-ago night in the hope she could clear it away for good. “Part of the reason you broke up with me was because you didn’t want to think about marriage or children before you were out of residency and working in private practice.”

  “True.” The word emerged low and gruff. “But I didn’t plan what happened with Vicki. We’d both had too much to drink and one thing led to another and...” He shook his head. “I’m not proud of it. But once she found out she was pregnant I couldn’t abandon my responsibilities. The baby gave me a new perspective, a new future. One I’d never expected, but Vicki was a good wife and an excellent mother. She gave up everything to be with me. When she died, I promised to put Connor first, make sure he was happy and safe, so her sacrifice wasn’t in vain. I came home to Bayside and set up practice. It’s good, though. I make a real difference here. Money can’t buy everything.”

  Belle mulled over his answer. “Are you happy?”

  “My happiness doesn’t matter. It’s all about my son now.”

  She stared at his profile a moment, tension stinging inside her like a thousand wasps. She had so many emotions, so many more questions. With the truth out there, where did they stand? Could they have a future together after all they’d been through? Did she even want to try? Would they still fit like two pieces of the same puzzle?

  The possibilities left her reeling.

  They drove past a picturesque row of old Victorian-style homes decorated for the holidays. Nick made a left on Hancock Street, past her aunt’s place and down two more blocks to the newly constructed Bayside Elementary, where kids swarmed across the parking lot, heading for yellow buses parked near the doors or the line of cars with parents waiting at the curb.

  As their vehicle inched toward the front entrance where Connor waited with a backpack slung over one shoulder and a bag of gear over the other, Belle did her best to compose herself. Kids picked up on things much more acutely than adults and the last thing she wanted was for Connor to get weird vibes from her when she was still figuring this all out herself.

  Nick waved to his son and he started for the front door of the vehicle, then saw Belle and clambered into the back seat instead, tossing his stuff on the floor.

  “Hey, buddy. How was school?” Nick asked, glancing in the rearview mirror. “You remember Belle, right?”

  “Yeah. He
y.” The boy busied himself buckling up and rummaging around in his backpack. “Guess what, Dad? I got an A on my science project.”

  “Awesome!” Nick grinned, glancing over at Belle. “He made a volcano.”

  “Cool.” She turned slightly to peer at Connor. He looked just like a mini version of his dad at the same age. She swallowed the tiny bubble of nervous energy fizzing inside her and forced a smile. “I loved science when I was your age. So did your father.”

  Connor looked at her speculatively. “He told me you guys used to be friends in school.”

  “Really?” Belle gave Nick some serious side-eye, her heart beating faster. He’d talked to his son about her? The thought was unexpected and unsettling and a tad bit thrilling. “Yes. We grew up together in Bayside.”

  “He said you work in some fancy clinic.”

  “I live in California, near the ocean.”

  “The movie stars are out there,” Nick added, staring straight ahead as he drove back toward downtown. “Belle’s a famous plastic surgeon.”

  “Well, I don’t know about the famous part...” she said, watching the scenery again.

  Con scrunched his nose. “Are you going to help Analia?”

  “Unfortunately, there’s not enough time.” Belle glanced at Nick again, hoping for some guidance. “But your dad’s working on getting her the help she needs.”

  “Crap.” Connor frowned and shifted his weight in his seat.

  “Con,” Nick said, his tone full of warning. “We don’t use that word.”

  “Sorry.” The little boy sat back in his seat again, his expression contemplative. “So, people come to you if they want to look different?”

  “Yes, in a nutshell.”

  “Con’s the king of questions,” Nick whispered, chuckling low. “He’s curious about everything and he’s not afraid to ask.”

  “He seemed so quiet the other day at the funeral,” Belle frowned.