Christmas in Snow Valley

by Cindy Roland Anderson

  “Hogwash. Just because that uppity thing you about married cheated on you, doesn’t mean all women are like that.”

  “I know, but I’m not ready to date anyone right now.” He made his way to the door to the adjoining bathroom. “Give me a minute to wash up and I’ll be out.”

  “Just make a lot of noise so Bev and I’ll know when to stop smooching.”

  Cole laughed, marveling that his father and Uncle Will were brothers. They couldn’t be more opposite. More than once he wished he’d been born to the older brother. It wasn’t the first time he’d wanted William Taggart to be his father—nor would it be the last.

  Once inside the bathroom, Cole splashed warm water on his face, and immediately his thoughts went back to her. Lucy.

  He’d noticed her when she’d first walked up to the ticket counter. Her long, blonde hair hung in loose curls, coming to the middle of her back. With her light blue eyes and tanned skin, she looked like the typical California girl. He’d also liked her laugh. She’d smiled and joked with the ticket agent, and it hadn’t come off as fake and flirtatious but as if she really liked to laugh.

  Turning off the water, Cole grabbed a towel and dried his face. When she’d boarded the plane, and then stopped next to him, he thought for sure she’d be seated next to him. After the fight with Nikki, he wasn’t in the mood to talk with a girl he found attractive.

  He’d been relieved when she announced her seat number would put her on the opposite side, while at the same time he felt sorry she’d had to sit next to Jed. Cole had already heard enough from the big guy in the five minutes it took for him to wait until he could load his duffle in the overhead storage.

  But it was that unforgettable kiss they’d shared spontaneously that made him glad he didn’t know her last name and would never see her again. Cole had kissed his fair share of women over the years, but nothing could compare to the feelings he’d experienced the moment his mouth touched hers.

  If Uncle Will hadn’t called about the mass accident, Cole wasn’t sure what he would’ve done. He’d been tempted to kiss her again, even with her boyfriend looking on. The phone call had saved him.

  He flipped off the light, and loudly shut his door. The last thing he wanted to see was his uncle and his girlfriend making out.

  That made him think about the kiss again. Who did that anyway? Kissed a complete stranger? Of course she’d admitted to being desperate. She also admitted she was a little crazy.

  He should count himself lucky he hadn’t gotten her name and number. For all he knew, she kissed men she didn’t know just for kicks. His former fiancée didn’t have a problem kissing other men, either.

  Women. They caused nothing but trouble. At least the women in his life did.

  Even if he found someone attractive, he wasn’t looking to get married any time soon. Taking over the medical practice would require a lot of his time. It would take a little while for his uncle’s patients to transition to Cole as their primary care physician. Uncle Will hadn’t even notified his patients he planned to retire before the new year. The letters were written but needed to be mailed out.

  It would be so much simpler if things could be done electronically. One of the first changes Cole planned to make was converting all of the patient’s files over to the computer. He hoped he could hire somebody local to do the job, but knew for the right price, he could get someone out of Billings or Missoula.

  Coming into the kitchen, Cole caught the heavenly scent of the beef stew, which made his stomach rumble. Uncle Will and his neighbor sat close together at the little dining room table in front of the fireplace. Thankfully they weren’t kissing.

  “Cole, come on over here and meet Beverly Thompson.”

  “It’s nice to meet you, Ms. Thompson,” Cole said, shaking the older woman’s hand. “The stew smells delicious.” Beverly had pretty skin, and looked to be about ten years younger than his uncle who had just turned sixty-eight last month.

  “Thank you. And please call me Bev.” She released Cole’s hand and laid hers across his uncle’s. “Will has told me so much about you.”

  “I hope it was all good.”

  She smiled. “Of course. He can’t say enough good about his brilliant nephew.”

  If Cole was so brilliant then why had he kissed a complete stranger, and now couldn’t stop thinking about her?

  “He just says I’m brilliant because I followed in his footsteps.”

  His uncle laughed, but had a look of pride cross his features. “Yep, Cole’s the son I always wanted. If he didn’t have the same last name as me, I would’ve adopted him a long time ago.”

  Cole must be tired because his uncle’s words made his eyes sting, like he might cry. He turned away to dish up some of the beef stew. “I love you too, Uncle Will.” His voice cracked and he cleared his throat. “And you’ve always been more of a father to me than my dad.”

  “You two are gonna make me cry,” Beverly said. “Then my makeup will be ruined.”

  “With or without makeup, Beverly Thompson,” Uncle Will said. “You’re still the most beautiful woman I know.”

  Cole grabbed two of the hot rolls and headed back toward his room. “I’ll just leave you two alone. Thanks again for the food.”

  “You’re welcome,” Bev said.

  Once more his uncle laughed. “He’s just hightailing it out of here before we start kissing again.”

  “William Tagg—”

  Beverly’s words were cut off, no doubt by a kiss from his uncle.

  Cole wasn’t sure he could handle being around such a loving couple. His parents never showed any kind of affection, to him or to each other. Good thing his house would be ready for him to move in after the New Year. He had a feeling Uncle Will’s retirement would also include a honeymoon, so having his nephew hanging around wasn’t ideal.

  Cole’s new house was a beautiful log-cabin home that wasn’t far from the hospital or his office. It needed all new carpet and paint, as well as some significant plumbing repairs that wouldn’t be fixed until after the holidays.

  The home represented the beginning of his new life. A life without all the social-status pressure his mother, and his ex-fiancée, placed on his shoulders. Monday would be his first day in the office, and Cole could hardly wait.

  Yep, life in Snow Valley was going to be a lot less complicated than in California.

  Chapter Four

  THREE DAYS LATER, LUCY WOKE up to a headache, fever and a sore throat. It felt like overnight she’d swallowed a bunch of razor blades. She was going to kill Lance. He’d called Monday morning to tell her his culture was positive for strep throat.

  Someone pounded on her door. “Luce, Mom said if you don’t get up you’re gonna miss out on breakfast.”

  “I’m not hungry,” she moaned. “You can have my share.”

  “Thanks, sis!”

  Landon was fifteen and had a bottomless stomach. The kid was already six feet and probably would grow a few more inches if he followed in his older brother’s footsteps. At seventeen, Logan had surpassed their father’s height of six two. Both boys were as handsome as their father, inheriting his dark hair.

  Although she didn’t feel like getting out of bed, Lucy needed to get up and make an appointment with Doc Taggart. The sooner she got on antibiotics, the sooner she could get better. Tomorrow the Polar Express came to town. She and her family always went on the train ride, and she wasn’t going to miss it, especially since the huge snowstorm on Saturday had dumped twelve inches of fresh snow. The scenery would be just as magical as the train ride.

  Rolling over, she climbed out of bed. She swallowed, and yelped in pain. Last night, she and her family attended the reading of The Night Before Christmas in Town Square, followed by hot chocolate. She’d noticed then that her throat was a little sore, but kept thinking it was only due to the cold weather.

  Lance hadn’t come to the reading last night since some of the cattle on the ranch had been attacked by a wolf. He an
d the other ranch hands had been out hunting down the rogue animal before it killed any more of the stock.

  Lucy felt like hunting him down. She still couldn’t believe he’d kissed her when he was sick.

  Making it into the bathroom, Lucy washed her face and brushed her teeth. She felt a tiny bit guilty for kissing a total stranger. Just because he looked nice didn’t mean he wasn’t carrying some nasty disease. That had been a really stupid move on her part.

  Except, last night she’d had several dreams about Cole and his gorgeous blue eyes. They’d been kissing, and it was just as good in her dreams as it had been in real life.

  When Lance called last night, he’d asked if Lucy had heard from the guy at the airport. Lucy could honestly answer no. She’d have to come up with an excuse, like Cole had to fly home for a family emergency, or Lance would ask more and more questions about him. Lucy would probably need to think of a last name for the guy so it sounded more legit.

  Another knock sounded on her door. “Lucy, honey. Can I come in?”

  Her mother might drive her crazy, but she was the best kind of mom to have when you were sick.

  “Yeah, Mom.”

  Lila Phillips swept into the room, looking beautiful and put together, her blonde hair brushing her shoulders. At forty-seven, her mother had often been mistaken for Lucy’s older sister.

  “Landon said you aren’t hungry.” She studied Lucy and frowned. “Oh dear, you look awful. Are you coming down with something?”

  “Yes, I was…um, exposed to strep throat a few days ago. I need to get in to see Doc Taggart.”

  Her mother came over and placed the back of her hand to Lucy’s forehead. “You definitely have a fever.”

  Lucy swallowed and winced. “My throat is killing me.”

  “You get dressed, and I’ll call and make an appointment for you. William should be able to squeeze you in, especially since I’m helping with the bake sale benefitting the hospital this evening.”

  “Thanks, Mom.”

  Her mom leaned over and kissed her on the forehead. “Come to the kitchen as soon as you’re ready and I’ll have a nice cup of peppermint tea waiting for you. It’ll soothe your sore throat. I’ve also got the liquid ibuprofen

  Landon had after his tonsillectomy last year which will help reduce your fever.”

  Lucy nodded her head. It hurt to talk.

  A couple of hours later, Lucy dressed in a black tunic sweater, paired with her reindeer- printed, black and white wool leggings. After sipping the peppermint tea and taking the ibuprofen, she felt marginally better. Enough so that she pulled her hair into a messy ponytail, and actually put on a little makeup so she didn’t look too horrible.

  She glanced at the clock and realized if she didn’t hurry, she’d be late for her appointment. Doc Taggart worked her in right before his lunch break. With her dad at his office, Logan at school, and her mother attending a meeting about tonight’s charity event, Lucy was driving herself over to the doctor’s office.

  Her mother had suggested she call Lance to drive her, but Lucy wasn’t dying, and the roads were all clear. Plus, Lance was the reason she was sick in the first place. At least her mother hadn’t protested too hard when Lucy reminded her how contagious she was until she got on antibiotics.

  Grabbing her purse, Lucy slipped her cell phone in the front pocket and stepped into the garage. She shivered, and snuggled into the wool coat her mother let her borrow. After chiding Lucy for not remembering her coat, she let her choose one from her closet. At least her mother had good taste when it came to clothing. Similar in height and size, they’d often share clothes.

  Dad’s white Camry sat in the third stall. An insurance broker, her father liked driving the sedan when he had to take clients out to dinner. When Lucy visited home, her father took his SUV to work and let her use the Camry. Lucy was the only child her dad let drive the car. Logan had already wrecked his truck twice, and Dad didn’t trust him behind the wheel of the other vehicles in the family.

  On her way to the doctor, Lucy drove past the high school. The marquee out front had the information for the city sponsored upcoming Christmas dance. She groaned, knowing Lance expected an answer soon. She couldn’t afford to be sick. She had to find Lance a girlfriend.

  The doctor’s office didn’t look too busy. Lucy parked, and went inside. She loved Doc Taggart. He’d been her doctor for as long as she could remember. At least being sick would let her see him sooner than later.

  The waiting area was empty. Melanie Archer, the receptionist, knew Lucy, and grinned widely. “Lucy Phillips. It’s so nice to see you again. Although, I’m sorry you’re sick, hon.”

  “It’s good to see you too,” Lucy said, signing in. “How are your girls?”

  “Good. They’re both in high school now, and going to the Christmas Ball. We’ve been shopping for dresses for two weeks now, and haven’t found a thing.” She shook her head. “The price of one of those dresses cost more than my wedding dress.”

  Lucy used to babysit Melanie’s girls. The dance would be a fun place to see many of her old friends. She didn’t want to be paired with Lance, making people believe they were a couple. She really needed to find him another date.

  “Have a seat, sweetie and the nurse will come and get you in a minute.”

  “Okay. Thank you.”

  She sat down and thumbed through a magazine full of fun Christmas ideas. Lucy loved anything and everything about Christmas. As soon as she felt better, she’d make up a batch of sugar cookie dough and get her little brothers to make Christmas cookies with her.

  A few minutes later, a nurse Lucy didn’t recognize called her back. She stopped in front of the digital scales. “We need to get a current weight.”

  Usually Lucy liked to strip down before stepping on a scale. At the very least, she never left her shoes on, but she was too tired for any of that. Leaving her UGG boots on, she stepped on the platform and closed her eyes. Lucy wasn’t overweight, but there is something unsettling about watching the numbers rise at an accelerated rate.

  “Okay, let’s put you in room three.”

  Lucy followed her into the room, and sat on the exam table. Her throat started to sting again as the older woman took her blood pressure, and checked her pulse rate and oxygen levels, which were all normal.

  “You’ve got a slight fever,” she said, after taking Lucy’s temperature. “Have you had any medication?”

  “Yes. My mom gave me some ibuprofen a couple of hours ago.”

  “Can you tell me what your symptoms are?”

  “My throat is killing me. I think I might have strep throat.”

  The nurse clicked her tongue against her teeth. “We’ve seen a lot of that going around. Sit tight, and Doc Taggart will see you in a few minutes.”

  “Thank you.”

  As soon as the nurse left, Lucy realized she didn’t feel very good. Getting ready and then coming to the doctor’s office had worn her out. She felt a little dizzy and decided to lie down on the exam table.

  The bright lights hurt her eyes, even with them closed, so she draped her mother’s scarf over her eyes. Soon after, she heard the door open and Doc Taggart’s friendly voice.

  “Lucy Phillips. Are you still causing trouble?”

  “Always,” she said, and started to sit up.

  Doc Taggart placed his hand on her shoulder. “You don’t have to get up, honey. I can ask my questions while you’re lying down.”

  “Thank you. I can’t believe how yucky I feel.”

  She thought she heard the door open again, but then Doc Taggart spoke. “The nurse said your throat hurts, and you’ve got a fever. Anything else?”

  “My head really hurts.”

  “Hmm, it could be a nasty virus that’s going around town.”

  “I think I have strep throat.”

  “That’s been going around too. Have you been exposed to anyone with strep?”

  Lucy laughed, and then wished she hadn’t. It really hu
rt to laugh. “You could say that.”

  “Stop being cryptic. Who coughed all over you,” Doc Taggart joked.

  Lucy should leave it at that, but Dr. Taggart had always had such a good sense of humor, and she liked making him laugh. “This stays between you and me, but when I was at the airport on Saturday some stupid guy kissed me.” Since Lance was also one of Doc Taggart’s patients, she decided to leave out his name.

  The doctor snorted a laugh. “Yep, you’re still causing trouble.” He took her hand and tugged. “Sit up and let’s take a look.”

  Lucy pulled the scarf off, and sat up. She squinted against the light. Doc Taggart stood in front of her grinning. It was the man standing behind him that made Lucy gasp, “What are you doing here?”

  Chapter Five

  COLE WANTED TO ASK LUCY THE same thing, but he was still reeling from her comment about a stupid guy kissing her. Did he need to remind her that she’d asked him to kiss her?

  His uncle looked between Cole and Lucy, confusion clearly written all over his face. “You two know each other?”

  “You could say that.” Cole smirked a little when Lucy looked slightly panicked.

  “Hey,” she said, nervously. “Just so you know, you’re not the stupid guy that kissed me.”

  Cole lifted a brow.

  “I mean, you kissed me, but you’re not stupid. At least I don’t think you are.”

  That was debatable. Right now, however, it was plain dumb luck to find the girl that had plagued his dreams since Saturday sitting in front of him.

  His uncle guffawed loudly. “I can attest he’s not stupid.” He patted Cole affectionately on the back. “This boy scored in the ninetieth percentile on his medical boards.”

  Her eyes widened. “You’re a doctor?”

  Uncle Will snickered again. “Darlin’, you’re looking at my replacement.” He winked at Lucy. “But don’t worry. Even though I’m retiring at the end of the year, you’ll still get to see Dr. Taggart.”

  Silence followed his uncle’s announcement. Finally, Uncle Will turned and handed Cole Lucy’s chart. “Since you already know Lucy, I’ll leave her in your capable hands.”