by Cindy Kirk
She wasn’t surprised that Mary Karen had hired sitters for the party. The families in their social circle always appreciated being able to bring their children with them. “That was nice of you to help her out on short notice.”
Finley looked up from petting Sasha. “She needed someone and I was available,” the girl said in a matter-of-fact tone. “I’m hoping I’ll get called for other parties.”
“I’m sure you will.” Gabe spoke decisively with a father’s confidence. “Especially once they see how good you are with children.”
Finley straightened and glanced at her watch. “I told Mary Karen I’d try to get there as soon as possible.”
Michelle couldn’t help but admire the girl’s sense of responsibility. She shot her an approving smile. Still, as Michelle grabbed her bag from the side table, disappointment began to wrap itself around her heart.
She should be relieved at having a third party in the car. Thankful she didn’t have to spend endless minutes on the drive to the mountains with only Gabe. Instead she felt surprisingly resentful over having to share his attention.
It was then Michelle admitted to herself that a tiny part of her had been looking forward to getting to know Gabe better. And that tiny part was actually bummed over the change in plans. Which considering the importance of keeping her distance from Gabe, made no sense at all.
* * *
The first thing Gabe noticed when they walked through the door of Travis and Mary Karen’s new home in the mountains surrounding Jackson was the mistletoe hanging above his head.
He might have missed it if he hadn’t been so intent on inspecting the foyer. Joel had told him that his company had built this home and Gabe was eager to inspect the details. Outside he’d admired the red cedar siding of the rambling two-story dwelling and the sturdy porch. When Travis had ushered them inside, Gabe had taken note of the quarry-tiled entry—easy to keep clean when you had five small children—and ceilings coffered with rough-hewn beams.
It was when Gabe’s eyes were drawn upward in admiration of those sturdy beams that he noticed the mistletoe. He turned to Travis—Mary Karen had hustled Finley off before his daughter’s feet had even hit the tile—and gestured toward the sprig of evergreen leaves and white berries. “What’s up with that?”
Travis didn’t even pretend to not understand. Beside him, Michelle lifted her gaze upward.
“My wife and I share fond memories of times under the mistletoe,” Travis said quite seriously, though a devilish gleam lit his eyes. “We decided it’d be fun to help our friends start building some of their own memories.”
“Wasn’t Christmas six months ago?” Gabe kept his tone light.
“Once a year just isn’t enough.” Travis’s gaze shifted to Michelle before returning to Gabe. He cocked his head. “Would you and Michelle like the honor of being the first couple to take advantage of this particular sprig of mistletoe?”
Was Travis really asking—encouraging—him to kiss Michelle?
For a second Gabe wondered what the pretty doctor would do if he pulled her into his arms and did just that, simply for the heck of it?
As if she could read his thoughts, Michelle’s eyes widened. She took a step back.
“No pressure.” Travis chuckled. “You’ll find mistletoe throughout the house, so if you’re not in the mood now, there will be other opportunities.”
“Such the consummate host.” Michelle’s sugary sweet tone couldn’t hide her sarcasm. “You’ve thought of everything.”
Travis appeared to find her resistance amusing.
“We aim to please.” He grinned and rocked back on the heels of his cowboy boots. “Trust me, kissing turns a pleasant evening into something memorable.”
Before Travis could say more, a curly-haired blond boy that looked about seven raced up and skidded to a stop in front of him.
“What are you doing here, Caleb?” Travis affectionately ruffled the child’s hair, taking any sting from the words. “You should be downstairs playing with the other kids.”
“You’ve got to come, Daddy. Mommy is super-mad.”
Even though the child’s voice trembled, Travis didn’t appear overly concerned. With five children, Gabe guessed “Mommy being super-mad” was probably an everyday occurrence in the Fisher household. “What happened, Cal?”
“Connor dropped—” the boy hesitated, then swallowed hard “—a piece of cake into the fish tank.”
“In my aquarium?” Travis’s voice rose and his affable expression disappeared. The determined gleam in his eyes gave him the look of a man capable of controlling, er, parenting, a whole herd of young children.
The boy reluctantly nodded. “I told Connor fishes don’t like that stuff, but he didn’t believe me.”
Travis raked a hand through his hair. He took a deep breath, then slowly let it out. He slanted a sideways glance at Gabe and Michelle before refocusing on his son. “Tell Mommy I’ll be there in a minute.”
Gabe met Travis’s worried gaze. “If you need to take care of the...situation, don’t hesitate on our account.”
“Absolutely. Make sure your fish are okay,” Michelle urged.
Travis shot them a grateful look before hurrying after his son.
Michelle shook her head. “I wouldn’t want to be there when Travis sees globs of frosting and chunks of cake floating in his aquarium.”
Gabe grimaced. “Poor Connor.”
“He did put cake in a fish tank,” Michelle reminded him.
“Finley once put a cup of grape juice in the washing machine with my white shirts.” Gabe shook his head. “Kids do crazy things sometimes.”
“True.” Michelle took a few steps forward and paused at the edge of the living room. Tibetan rugs and oversize furniture brought a warm and cozy feel to the large-scale room. “My nephew once fed their cat ex-lax.”
Gabe could visualize the resulting scene and it wasn’t pretty. Still he had to ask. “How did that turn out?”
Michelle laughed. “Just as you’d expect.”
“Compared to that, the grape juice really wasn’t such a big deal.” Gabe chuckled and realized he was enjoying the conversation. Perhaps because of being a single parent and so involved in his daughter’s life, he enjoyed sharing kid stories. “How many nieces and nephews do you have?”
“Three,” Michelle murmured, her gaze shifting to the room filled with people. “Looks like a good turnout.”
The hum of conversation interspersed with laughter filled the air. Most of the men were dressed casually, although Gabe didn’t see any in jeans. The women seemed to have gone to a little more effort, wearing dresses and heels and necklaces that glittered in the light.
Michelle’s dress hugged her curves and the length made her legs look as if they went on forever. She’d left her hair down for the evening, but had pulled the strands back from her face with a thin black headband.
Gabe hadn’t been sure how Michelle would react about Finley riding with them, but she’d been gracious. He’d appreciated the way she’d chatted with Finley, although she might have gone a bit overboard with making the child feel welcome.
She’d barely spoken five words to him on the way to the party. Not that he’d noticed. Or cared. It wasn’t as if they were on a date. They were simply two neighbors sharing a ride to an event. And that’s the way he wanted to keep it. “Isn’t that Tripp and Adrianna by the buffet table?”
Michelle glanced in the direction he pointed. “Figures Tripp would be by the food.”
“Shall we go say hello?” The second the words left his lips, Gabe had to stifle a groan. Hadn’t he just gotten through reminding himself they weren’t here as a couple? “I mean, I’m going to say hello.”
She lifted one hand acknowledging Adrianna’s wave. “I’ll go with you.”
As they made their way across the room, Gabe resisted the urge to rest his hand against her back. The resolve lasted until a waiter carrying a wooden serving tray got too close, causing Michelle to stumble.
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br /> Automatically Gabe reached out and pulled her close. He held her perhaps a second or two longer than necessary, but he told himself he simply wanted to make sure she’d fully regained her balance before he let her go.
By the time he finally released her, a becoming pink colored Michelle’s cheeks.
“Thank you.” Her voice sounded as unsteady as her feet had been only moments before.
Gabe kept his hand against the small of her back...just in case she lost her balance again. He took a deep breath, inhaling her clean, fresh scent. “You’re wearing a different perfume tonight.”
She tilted her head, a puzzled look in her eyes.
“You usually smell like flowers.” He spoke quickly realizing they would soon reach Tripp and Adrianna. “Now you smell like pillowcases that have been hung out on a clothesline.”
“It’s called Fresh Linen.” Michelle’s blue eyes met his. “I’m surprised you noticed.”
“There’s very little I don’t notice,” he said with a wry smile, “especially about a beautiful woman.”
Chapter Six
“Anna.” Michelle gave her friend a quick hug, trying to forget Gabe’s words. Beautiful. He thought she was beautiful. But even Gabe would have to admit Michelle didn’t hold a candle to her stunning friend. She held Adrianna at arm’s length. “You look fabulous. Where did you find that dress?”
Adrianna smoothed an imaginary wrinkle from the green knit halter dress with a graceful, elegant hand. “I picked it up at Plumberry.”
“I love that boutique.” Michelle glanced at the man standing at her side. “Doesn’t she look fabulous, Gabe?”
He obligingly focused on the statuesque brunette. “Very nice.”
“Green is definitely Adrianna’s color,” Tripp agreed.
Michelle half expected Gabe to say more about the dress, but his gaze was now on the long linen-clad table. “Quite a spread, though I’m not sure I could identify half of what I’m seeing.”
“Lexi did the catering,” Michelle informed the men. “That guarantees everything will be delicious.”
Gabe’s brows furrowed. “I thought she was a social worker.”
“She is,” Michelle said, “but she’s also a gourmet cook.”
Gabe gestured to the table. “And I suppose you know what all these...items are.”
“Be careful, Davis,” Tripp warned. “She’ll think you’re some hick from the sticks.”
“Okay, tell me, smart guy, what are these?” Gabe pointed to golden brown appetizers artistically displayed on what Michelle recognized as a floral-and-coral majolica plate.
Tripp leaned close and studied them for several seconds. One shoulder lifted in a slight shrug.
Gabe turned to Michelle, a smug look on his face.
She’d been watching the two men and trying hard not to smile. Mary Karen and Travis should have forgotten the gourmet food. Put a slab of ribs and some ears of corn in front of these two and they’d have been happy.
“Those are Rofumo cheese croquettes. Delicious,” Michelle proclaimed, glancing at Adrianna.
“They’re incredibly yummy,” the brunette confirmed.
“A croquette?” Gabe looked so thoroughly confused that Michelle had to laugh.
While she and Gabe were talking, Tripp tugged Adrianna’s arm. They stepped over to speak with Mr. Stromberg, the retired hospital administrator whom Tripp had replaced. Once again Michelle was left alone with Gabe.
“Rofumo is a semi-soft cheese smoked over hickory wood.” Michelle picked up one of the croquettes. “To make this type of croquette, you take Idaho potatoes and Rofumo cheese, roll them in Italian breading, then flash fry and bake them.”
“Sounds like it could be good,” he said cautiously.
“See for yourself. Open up.” Michelle held out the croquette and urged him to take a bite. But when his mouth closed over the appetizer, he caught the side of her fingers with his lips. She slowly pulled her hand back.
His gaze sought hers at the surprisingly intimate touch. Michelle ignored the backflips her heart was doing, picked up one for herself and took a bite.
A tad messy, she decided, feeling the cheese on her lips. It was her last rational thought as Gabe’s mouth closed over hers.
The warm sweet kiss sent a shower of tingles raining all the way to the tips of her toes. When it was over she brought two fingers to her lips and tried to remember how to breathe. “What was that for?”
Her voice sounded shaky, even to her own ears.
Gabe cast a pointed glance upward.
Michelle tilted her head back and followed his gaze. Directly over them were a few dark waxy leaves interspersed with white berries. “Mistletoe?”
“I want this evening to be memorable.”
His hands rested on her arms and the heat from his body urged her closer. The scent of his cologne enveloped her and everything—and everyone—around them disappeared until there was only her...and Gabe.
Gabe, the man with the thirteen-year-old daughter.
The realization wasn’t quite a splash of cold water, but it was enough to make Michelle stop from lifting a hand to caress his cheek.
“Nothing has changed,” she murmured, unable to pull her gaze from his face. She wasn’t sure which one of them she was trying to convince. “We’re still just neighbors. I’m not looking for more.”
“I’m not either,” he said in a husky rumble. “But you have to admit the kiss was pleasant.”
Pleasant? Michelle didn’t know whether to be insulted or amused by such a mundane term. “It wasn’t bad,” she said when she realized he expected a response. “For a first time.”
For a first time? For the absolute last time.
Dear God, what kind of mixed signals was she giving out? It was as if her brain had gone on hiatus and decided to let her body call the shots.
“You’ve never been kissed before?” Gabe asked.
“What?” Michelle yanked her thoughts back to the present. “Of course I’ve been kissed before.”
Surely her technique wasn’t that horrible. Larry never seemed to have any complaints. Of course Larry had probably been too busy thinking about being whipped to worry about how she kissed.
“You said this was your first time.” Even though Gabe’s eyes twinkled, he somehow managed to keep a straight face. “Sweet thirtysomething and never been kissed.”
Michelle rolled her eyes.
“I must say for a first timer, you show great potential.” He cupped her elbow and guided her away from the buffet table. “I think you’d be a quick study.”
“And I suppose you’d be interested in tutoring me?”
“It could be fun.” His gaze dropped to her lips, then farther down to linger at the hint of cleavage.
Her breasts began to tingle and an ache began low in her abdomen. Desire coursed through her veins like warm honey.
“Unfortunately, we’ve already decided that we’re simply friends.”
“Neighbors.” She pushed the word past stiff lips.
“Although we’re physically compatible—”
“—we won’t be going down that road.” Michelle straightened her shoulders and felt her brain finally take firm control of the situation.
“Absolutely not.”
Even though he was merely confirming her sentiment, Michelle felt a twinge of irritation. She understood her reasons for dismissing him, but what possible reason could he have for not wanting to be involved with her?
* * *
Michelle had planned to attend church the next morning, but a patient Adrianna was handling unexpectedly needed a cesarean section and Michelle was called to the hospital.
After the delivery, she and Adrianna met at Hill of Beans to celebrate the birth of Jackson Hole’s newest citizen. Feeling reckless, Michelle ordered a mocha frappé and even let them top it with whipped cream. Adrianna had her usual, a cup of black coffee.
Even though Michelle hadn’t thought anyone had seen Gabe kis
s her, Adrianna brought up the subject only seconds after they settled at a table by the window.
“Blame it on the mistletoe,” Michelle told her, which was absolutely true, at least in theory. She went on to emphasize Travis’s comments at the front door and Gabe’s original comment after the kiss.
“That’s why he kissed you?” Adrianna’s voice rose. “Because he wanted to make the evening memorable?”
“Those were his exact words,” Michelle said with a rueful smile. “The funny thing is, it worked. I haven’t been able to forget that night.”
Or the way I felt when his lips closed over mine.
Adrianna drew an imaginary figure eight on the tabletop with her finger. “Was it awkward afterward?”
“Not really. Everyone was kissing everyone.” Okay, perhaps that was an exaggeration, but Michelle had seen more than a handful of couples kissing during the course of the evening. “Those sprigs of mistletoe were everywhere.”
“Tripp didn’t try to kiss me.”
“Tripp Randall is a gentleman,” Michelle pointed out.
Adrianna sighed. “I guess.”
Michelle dipped a spoon into the mile-high whipped topping and glanced at her friend. “Do you think you and Tripp will start dating?”
Adrianna clasped her fingers around the coffee cup. She stared into the dark liquid as if it contained tea leaves that could foretell her future. “No.”
“Well, that was definitive.” Michelle lifted a brow. “How can you be so sure?”
“I was his wife’s friend.”
“Her high school friend,” Michelle reminded her for what felt like the zillionth time. “That was ages ago. Another century. I don’t see what that has to do with now.”
“It wasn’t just back in high school. Gayle and I kept in touch,” Adrianna asserted. “That makes a relationship with Tripp awkward.”
“But not impossible.” Normally Michelle wouldn’t be this pushy. After all, she didn’t like people messing in her business and she tried to respect her friend’s privacy. But she knew Anna liked Tripp.
“Even if you don’t consider his family’s prominence in the community, Tripp has a high-profile position as the administrator of the largest hospital in the area.” A shutter dropped over Adrianna’s green eyes. “We’d both bring a lot of baggage into a relationship.”