Puppy Love and Mistletoe

by Merrillee Whren

“Thanks.” Despite his sister’s compliment, Scott waited for her to give him advice on both the house and Amelia.

  Turning his way again, Nicole stepped closer and put a hand on his arm. “I want you to make the most of the dinner tonight, so the boys and I will be gone by the time your guest arrives.”

  “You mean you don’t want to meet her? I figured you’d be right there to welcome her.” Scott couldn’t keep the surprise out of his voice.

  Shaking her head, Nicole chuckled. “I wouldn’t want to scare her away by making her think she’s already meeting ‘the family.’ I hope I’ll have that opportunity in the future.”

  Scott frowned as he rubbed the back of his neck. “There isn’t anything to this. Besides, she works for the city, and we’ll be on the opposite side of some upcoming decisions regarding the future of the town’s budget.”

  “I’ve been praying about your job here, and I’ve been praying that you’ll find someone to share your life. I know sometimes your work makes you look like the bad guy.” Nicole gave him one of her big-sister looks, her gray eyes filled with sympathy. “Have you found a church yet?”

  “We just moved in. Give me time.”

  Nicole wagged a finger in his direction. “It’s easy to put off until you get out of the habit. If not for yourself, do it for Lily.”

  “I suppose.” Scott sighed.

  Church was a good place to get his bearings in a new town, and his faith had seen him through some horrendous things he’d seen in war. Sometimes late at night he still cried into his pillow just to make sure Lily couldn’t hear him. He hated the nightmares. Thankfully, he had never awakened Lily. He guessed the screams were part of his dreams.

  Nearly seven years had passed since he’d left the service. He thought the bad things were behind him until his best friend, Danny Jackson, and his wife, AnaMarie, were killed in a car accident, their two-year-old daughter, Lily, the only survivor of the crash. It was a miracle that she had lived, and she was a miracle in his life.

  “And you should see a lawyer about adopting her.” Nicole’s statement shook Scott from his troubled thoughts, only to make them more troubled.

  “You know how I feel about that.”

  “Yes, and I think you’re being ridiculous.” A little crease formed between Nicole’s eyebrows as she stared at him. “She calls you Daddy, and as her guardian, you function in the role. Why not make it official?”

  “You know why?”

  “Because you’re worried about your PTSD, but—”

  “No buts.”

  “I’m going to pray about this, and you should, too.”

  Scott refused to engage further on the subject. It would only lead to an argument. He wanted to visit with his sister, not argue with her. “Let me give you a tour of the rest of the house.”

  “Okay.” Nicole didn’t say anything else, but Scott could tell by her expression that she wasn’t exactly happy with him.

  While they climbed the stairs, they talked about how Lily was doing in school and her adjustment to her new home.

  “Lily seems to like her teacher.”

  “That’s good.” Nicole stopped in the hallway and turned to him. “You know you’re doing a fabulous job with her.”

  “Thanks.” Scott stared down at his sister, who was a whole head shorter than he. Was her compliment a subtle way to encourage him to adopt the child? He did love Lily like she was his own, but he wasn’t sure the authorities would agree with his sister’s assessment. What would they say about his PTSD? The guardianship had been handed to him in Danny and AnaMarie’s will. Even though he often thought about it, Scott wasn’t sure he could take the scrutiny required to adopt his buddy’s child. And would they be concerned about a single white man raising a child whose father had been African American and mother Filipino?

  “Think about what I’ve said.”

  “Don’t push, sis. I don’t need you to meddle in my life.”

  Nicole gave him a cheesy grin. “I wish I could make that promise, but I can’t. I want to see you and Lily happy, and I think that means making the effort to adopt that adorable child and find her a mother.”

  “Now you are absolutely meddling.”

  “Yeah, I know, but I can’t help it.”

  Scott pressed his lips together as he eyed Nicole. They were at an impasse. “We aren’t going to change each other’s minds today. So can we stop talking about it?”

  Nicole patted him on the shoulder. “Sure, but I’m not giving up on this scenario, and I think the fact that you have a lady friend visiting tonight is a good step forward.”

  Scott resisted the urge to roll his eyes. He would just ignore the comment. That might finally put an end to this conversation, or at least he hoped so. “You can give me some feminine ideas for Lily’s room.”

  “Doesn’t she have ideas of her own?” Nicole stood in the doorway of Lily’s bedroom.

  Scott raised his eyebrows. “She’s all over the place. One minute she wants this, and the next something else.”

  “I suggest you go shopping with her and let her pick something out.” Nicole grinned. “Maybe your lady friend would be helpful.”

  Scott wasn’t going to take the bait. “Like you said, I’ll take Lily shopping, and she can decide. I’m sure she’ll find something.”

  For the rest of the afternoon, Scott managed to keep the conversation from veering toward his impending visitor. Or maybe Nicole had given up trying to engage him in future thoughts. He hated thinking about the future. He didn’t know where his life was going, and he didn’t want to analyze it. Wasn’t one day at a time a good way to live?

  Chapter Four

  Icicles dripped from the eaves of the row houses along the block where Amelia stepped with care on the wet sidewalk. Overnight everything would freeze again, and things would be even more slippery in the morning. But not as slippery as negotiating this invitation for dinner. Amelia wanted to believe she had accepted the invite because of Lily’s insistence, but she couldn’t dismiss a pair of blue eyes and a handsome face that had her thinking things she shouldn’t about a man she had met twenty-four hours ago.

  Attraction was the last thing she should feel for the man who held hostage part of her future in the town’s budget. What had come over her?

  Dogs frightened her, and the man owned a dog. He stood on the opposite side of her very livelihood. And his smile made her heart pitter-patter like the drops of water hitting the pavement. Not a good combination.

  When Amelia reached the house where Scott lived, she stood in front of the steps leading to the door. She stared at the door and hoped she could disguise her wrongheaded attraction to the man inside. She let out a harsh breath as she pressed the doorbell.

  The barking dog made her heart pound. Voices sounded from inside, and the barking ceased. She took a deep breath, trying to calm her nerves. The door swung open, and Amelia looked up into a pair of eyes the color of the sky on a cloudless day, the barking dog forgotten. She managed to find her voice. “Hi.”

  Scott smiled, but before he could say anything, Lily grabbed Amelia’s hand and pulled her into the living room. “Daddy has dinner all ready. He’s a good cook.”

  “She might exaggerate about the good-cook thing.” Scott grimaced and held out his hand. “Let me take your coat.”

  “Thanks.” Amelia shrugged out of her jacket and handed it to him.

  As Scott hung it on the nearby coat tree, Jet barked again and startled Amelia. She held her breath as her gaze darted around the room until it settled on the canine, who sat near the sofa. Standing like a statue, she swallowed hard as she looked at the black ball of fur. Please don’t bark. Please don’t move.

  “Are you okay?” Scott stepped closer.

  Amelia pinned a smile on her face as she nodded. She was afraid if she spoke, her words would come out in a squeak.

  “You don’t look okay.” Scott raised his eyebrows.

  Summoni
ng a calm she didn’t feel, Amelia forced herself to relax. “Jet just startled me. He never barked when he was at my house.”

  “Really? That’s a first.” Scott chuckled and patted Jet on the head. “We’ve been trying to teach him not to bark.”

  Amelia shrugged, still not trusting the situation.

  “Maybe you’re a dog whisperer.”

  Incredulous laughter bubbled up inside Amelia. She placed a hand over her mouth, hoping to contain it, but to no avail.

  “What’s so funny?” Scott wrinkled his brow.

  Did she dare tell him about her fear of dogs? Would he think she was silly? She really didn’t care, did she? She wasn’t sure she wanted to answer her own question, but she should answer his. Amelia pressed her lips together as she stifled the laughter and gathered her thoughts. “The idea of me as a dog whisperer.”

  Scott gave her a lopsided grin. “You seem to have a knack with dogs.”

  “Not me. I really don’t like them.” The words rushed from her mouth.

  “Are you serious?” Astonishment painted his expression.

  Amelia nodded. “I’ve been afraid of dogs ever since one bit me when I was a kid.”

  Scott shook his head. “I would never have guessed.”

  Amelia pushed up the sweater sleeve on her right arm and pointed to the jagged white mark. “See the scar?”

  “Wow! That’s some scar. No wonder dogs make you uneasy.” Scott looked at Jet, then back at her. “I don’t think Jet would ever bite anyone, but I know better than to make blanket statements about dogs or any kind of animal.”

  Relief settled in Amelia’s mind. “Thanks for understanding. I just get a little jumpy around dogs.”

  Scott gazed at her, curiosity in his eyes. “If you don’t like them and they make you nervous, why did you take Jet in the night he wandered off?”

  “He followed me home, and I couldn’t get rid of him. I opened my door, and he darted in. I called my friend to come help.” Amelia shrugged as she grimaced. “I was terrified, but Jenna came right away and calmed me down. She helped me make a plan to find you.”

  Scott chuckled.

  “I didn’t think it was funny.” Amelia frowned. “Jenna took him to the vet’s office where she works and checked for a microchip, but Jet doesn’t have one. Have you considered getting one for him?”

  “I hadn’t ever thought about it. That’s a good idea. Where does your friend work? We need to find a vet.” Scott grimaced and laughed at the same time. “Sorry. I couldn’t help laughing. I can just imagine Jet making himself at home.”

  “He definitely did, and I’ll email you the info on the vet.”

  “Thanks.” Scott narrowed his gaze. “You certainly seemed fine yesterday when you brought Jet back. Are you going to be fine today?”

  “I know how to put on a brave face.” Amelia took a deep breath. “Is it true that dogs can sense when people are afraid of them?”

  “Probably.”

  “But Jet likes you.” Lily patted Amelia’s arm.

  Amelia smiled down at the little girl. “I think you’re right. After all, he followed me home.”

  “And I’m glad he did. That way we got to meet you.” Lily returned Amelia’s smile. “He’s good at matching people up.”

  Amelia wasn’t sure how to respond. Did she want to be matched with Scott? Maybe the child wasn’t talking about him at all. She might be referring to herself. “I’ve never heard of a dog doing that.”

  “Jet is a very special dog.” Lily scratched Jet behind the ears, then turned back to Amelia. “Just remember he likes you, and everything will be okay.”

  Amelia hoped Lily was right. “I’ll try to take your advice.”

  “We’ve had enough talk about the dog.” Scott motioned toward the dining area. “Let’s get something to eat.”

  Amelia welcomed the change of subject as she walked by Jet, still sitting near the end of the sofa. He stared at her but didn’t make a move. For the first time she noticed the wonderful smells wafting from the kitchen. She breathed a sigh of relief and grabbed one of the ladder-back chairs at the table, as if doing so would keep her fears at bay. “Do you need any help?”

  “No. Daddy has everything ready. You can sit right in that chair.” Lily rushed over, Jet following on her heels.

  Amelia held her breath until the dog made himself comfortable on the floor next to the chair where Lily sat. Even after all the discussion, Amelia couldn’t shake her trepidation. She might never get rid of it, no matter what anyone told her or how friendly the animal might be. “Thanks.”

  In moments Scott appeared carrying a casserole dish. The oven mitts looked strange on such a masculine man. He didn’t say anything as he set the dish on the trivet and quickly turned back to the kitchen. He returned in a minute with a salad bowl and a basket of bread. “I hope you like lasagna.”

  “I do, and it looks really good.” Amelia took the navy-blue napkin that matched the placemats and put it on her lap. “And your table looks lovely, too.”

  “You can thank Lily for that.” Scott pulled out the chair at the end of the table. “She’s my big helper.”

  “Auntie Nicole showed me how to set the table when she was here this afternoon.”

  “You had company earlier?” Amelia turned to Scott. “I hope you didn’t send them away on my account.”

  “No. My sister and nephews had to get back to Baltimore.” Scott chuckled. “She just came out to check on me. Big sisters can be a pain.”

  “I wouldn’t know. I don’t have any sisters, or brothers for that matter.”

  “An only child?”

  Amelia nodded. “I always wished I had at least one sibling.”

  “There are pros and cons that go along with siblings.”

  “What’s a sibling?” Lily asked.

  “A brother or sister.”

  “I’m like you. I don’t have any siblings either.” Lily gazed at Amelia. “That’s why Daddy should find someone to marry, so I can have siblings. Would you like to marry him?”

  Amelia didn’t dare look at Scott. What must he be thinking? “Lily, people who have just met don’t usually marry each other. I’m sure your daddy is a very nice man, but I can’t marry him.”

  Lily turned her attention to Scott. “Daddy, I think you should get her to marry you.”

  “Lily, we should give thanks for the food, don’t you think?”

  Amelia kept her focus on the little girl. Obviously Scott planned to ignore Lily’s statement. A good thing.

  “Daddy, let me pray.”

  “Okay.”

  Scott was a praying man. Amelia bowed her head and tried to concentrate on the prayer and not on the one more thing to like about him.

  Lily’s little voice sounded in the quiet room. “Dear God, thank you for this food and that Amelia can visit. Amen.”

  “Who’s ready for lasagna?”

  “Me. Me.” Lily could hardly sit still.

  “We should serve our guest first.” Scott picked up a server and scooped a square of the lasagna out of the dish and placed it on Amelia’s plate.

  “Thanks. This looks fabulous.”

  “It is,” Lily said as Scott put some on her plate. “He cooks good.”

  “Thanks, sweetie.” Scott nodded. “Please pass the bread, and I’ll pass the salad.”

  Amelia took a bite of the lasagna, then looked over at Scott. “Lily’s right. You are a good cook. This is excellent.”

  “Thanks. It’s my mom’s recipe.”

  “Do your parents live in Baltimore, like your sister?”

  Scott shook his head. “They retired to Florida three years ago.”

  “So you don’t get to see them very often?” Amelia took another bite of her food.

  “We see them several times a year.” Scott set his fork on the side of his plate. “They’ll be spending a few weeks with us between Thanksgiving and New Year’s Day.”r />
  “That’s nice.”

  “What about your parents?”

  “My parents live in Munich, Germany. My dad works for a biotech company there.”

  “Wow! Did you live there?”

  Amelia nodded. “From the time I was twelve until I came back here to attend college.”

  “Do you speak German?”

  Amelia laughed. “Poorly. I wasn’t a very good student when it came to German. I went to an international school where my classes were in English, and I learned enough German to get by. I wish I’d been more interested in learning the language.”

  “Why weren’t you?”

  Amelia let out a long sigh, her gaze focused on the plate in front of her. “I was angry because my parents moved me to the other side of the world away from my friends. I tried to make them miserable, but I was the only unhappy one.”

  “So you didn’t enjoy your time over there?”

  Amelia didn’t want to admit she had been a major brat during her early years in Germany. Regrets compounded the memories. “I could’ve made things easier on my parents and myself if I’d embraced the experience. I did see a lot of Europe. I wish I’d appreciated it more.”

  “How often do you see your parents now?”

  “When I have vacation time, I go over there.”

  “Where’s Germany?” Lily asked.

  Amelia let her gaze slide between Scott and Lily. How could she explain that to a first grader? Amelia waited and hoped Scott would answer the question.

  “This requires a visual aid.” Laying his napkin on the table, Scott stood. “I knew I’d have some use for this one day.”

  “For what?” Lily asked.

  “For this.” Scott opened the coat closet that separated the dining area from the living room. He reached up to the shelf and brought out a globe. “This was mine when I was a kid.”

  Lily spun it as soon as Scott set it on the table. “I remember this. It’s the world. Where do we live?”

  “Do you think you can find it?”

  Squinting, Lily slowly turned the globe. Finally, she poked her finger at a spot. “This is the United States.”

  “That’s right. And here’s Maryland.” Scott pointed, then glanced at Amelia. “Ask Amelia to show you where Germany is.”