The Doctor's Christmas Wish

After determining that Lacy’s stomachache was simply indigestion, Ethan gave her the name of a good antacid, bolted from the room and continued seeing patients throughout the day.

By half past six, he was back at his desk, staring at his computer without really seeing the screen. He’d been feeling off since last night’s unplanned house call. The encounter with Keely had opened old wounds. This morning’s homey breakfast had only made the pain that much more real.

As he leaned back in his chair, Ethan’s gaze landed on a photograph from his army days. He was in full battle gear, his arm slung over Tracy’s shoulders. He’d been sent to Afghanistan to treat high-value patients. Tracy, an experienced helicopter pilot, had been assigned to fly the injured soldiers in from the battlefield.

It was love at first sight for them both. Following regulation, they’d held off dating until they were back in the United States. Tracy had been a single mother. Her daughter, Samantha, had stolen Ethan’s heart nearly as quickly as her mother had.

He’d proposed to Tracy six months after their first official date. She’d died three weeks later in a freak accident eerily similar to the crash that had taken his parents.

Samantha’s biological father had shown up at the funeral and taken her away immediately following the service. Ethan’s heart had been ripped out not once, but twice.

The loss of so many loved ones had left its mark. Life was fragile and could be gone in a blink. Too much pain came with loving and then losing. He would not willingly fall in love again, wouldn’t—couldn’t—go through another funeral.

Yeah, okay, he knew it was irrational. He loved his siblings, didn’t he? He could lose them, just as he had lost all the others. But why cloud the issue with logic, when he was perfectly happy living in the great state of denial?

Ethan didn’t blame God for his many losses. That would give the cold, distant deity too much power.

Needing to get away from his maudlin thoughts, he abruptly rose and left the office building. Once he was sitting in his SUV, the engine idling, he checked the time on the dashboard. Ryder would have left already for his shift at the hospital.

Ethan wasn’t especially looking forward to going home to an empty house. At least Baloo would be there waiting for him. Man’s best friend.

Fifteen minutes after pulling out of the office parking lot, Ethan swung his car onto his street. His neighbors had begun decorating their houses. Lights blinked from roofs. Man-made snowmen, plastic reindeer and Santa sleighs adorned the snow-coated lawns. He’d been dropped in the middle of Christmas Town, USA.

Instead of soothing his dark mood, the decorations reminded him of the family he’d lost, the plans he’d had for the future.

Once he was safely inside his garage, he told himself for the third time—or was it the fourth?—that he was perfectly fine with Baloo’s company for the evening. He actually preferred to be home alone with his dog most nights. He couldn’t experience any more grief if he didn’t let any more people into his heart. He had his siblings. They were enough.

He could practically hear his mother sighing in disappointment, and Tracy telling him that was no way to live. Yeah, well, they’d both left him. Not by choice, but he felt the hole in his heart, and his life, anyway.

Baloo greeted him with a series of exuberant barks.

Ethan scratched the animal behind the ears. “Bet you’re ready to go outside.”

Rising to his full height, Ethan glanced briefly out the window and noticed Keely’s house ablaze in light.

His throat cinched up tight. Since when did his neighbor turn on all her lights? Maybe Flicka was sick again. Or was she afraid of the dark? The thought tugged at the part of him that had nearly become a father.

There was something about the kid, something in her eyes, a lost look that reflected his own pain. He’d sleep easier knowing she was all right.

And while he was checking on the child, he’d point out to Keely—with extreme patience, of course—that she’d forgotten to make the appointment for Flicka’s wellness visit. It was the responsible thing to do.

Ethan was nothing if not responsible.

* * *

Because Keely was standing at her kitchen sink, looking out the window while she washed vegetables, she noticed the exact moment Ethan exited his house with a rambunctious Baloo.

Against her better judgment, she allowed herself to observe man and dog. Halfway between their yards, Baloo bounded into a snowdrift, then popped up with a ball in his mouth and white flakes clinging to his black fur. Keely could hear Ethan’s uninhibited laughter as he brushed off his snow-covered dog.

She never saw this side of him. She couldn’t help wondering why. She sensed something tragic had happened to him before he returned to Village Green. There were times when they weren’t sniping at each other that she saw the grief in his eyes. Thanks to Cutter, she knew that look of loss well.

Though Keely didn’t know any details, she sensed Ethan’s heart had been shattered by the loss of a woman.

Had it been a death or a bad breakup?

Either scenario indicated a man unwilling to let go of something, possibly someone, from his past. A good reminder, she told herself, that Ethan wasn’t the man for her.

That didn’t mean Keely couldn’t enjoy watching him now. Riveted by the sight of all that masculine energy unleashed in a game of fetch, she continued to stare.

As if sensing her eyes on him, Ethan paused in the middle of his windup. The smile he shot in her direction reached deep inside her heart and squeezed.

Gasping softly, she moved away from the window and that heart-tugging grin. No doubt about it, she was in serious trouble.

What was it about the man? He was good-looking, and sure, she liked good-looking men. What woman didn’t? He was also single, financially stable and a successful doctor.

But she also knew he could be arrogant, bossy and treat a woman—Keely—like a twelve-year-old girl instead of the adult she’d become. Added to her suspicions as to why he didn’t date, she knew to keep up her guard.

Minutes later, even prepared for the resounding knock, Keely still had to lock her knees and gulp for air.

Felicity rushed into the kitchen. “I heard a knock at the back door. Do you think it’s Dr. Ethan?”

The kid had excellent hearing. Keely filed away that piece of information with everything else she’d discovered about the little girl today. Turned out, Felicity enjoyed dance classes and ice-skating as much as Keely had at her age.

She also disliked playing soccer, tennis and other organized sports. Again, just like Keely.

There was still so much to discover about her cousin. At least she’d made considerable headway today. Unfortunately, whenever the subject of school came up, or Keely broached the possibility of meeting new friends, Felicity’s face turned gray and the complaints of not feeling well began.

Keely was concerned there might be a larger problem brewing than the child’s simple reluctance to attend a new school and meet other girls her age. Please, Lord, let this be a normal part of the transition into my home and not a symptom of something bigger.

A second knock sounded. Felicity gave Keely a look of impatience. “Can I see if it’s Dr. Ethan at the door?”

“Go ahead.”

The door squeaked on its hinges mere seconds before Ethan’s low chuckle rumbled in response to the child’s excited hello. Clearly, Felicity wasn’t shy around their handsome neighbor. The thought gave Keely hope for the girl’s future.

“I brought my dog over to meet you,” she heard Ethan say to Felicity. “His name is Baloo.”

A series of happy barks mingled with delighted little-girl squeals. “He’s so pretty.”

“Don’t let him hear you say that.” Ethan spoke the words in an amused stage whisper. “Baloo’s sensitive about his gender.”

“Oh, sorry. He’s so handsome,” Felicity cooed. “You’re a handsome boy, aren’t you?”

It wasn’t long before the child invited their visitors to come inside the house.

Baloo bounded into the kitchen first, tail wagging fast as a whip. Keely smiled at the handsome black Lab. “Hey, big boy.”

All but quivering with excitement, the dog leaped at her. Ethan caught hold of his collar just in time.

“Sit,” he ordered.

Baloo whined pitifully but immediately obeyed, then politely offered a paw to Keely.

Charmed, she obliged the dog by giving him a hearty handshake.

“That’s so cool,” Felicity announced, moving in for a better look. “Can I try?”

“Go for it.” Keely stepped aside so the little girl could take her place in front of Baloo.

With the same patience he’d displayed the previous evening, Ethan showed Felicity a series of tricks that Baloo could do. Sit. Shake. Lie down. “Now you try.”

“Okay.”

Only after Felicity took over issuing the commands did Ethan shift his attention to Keely. Oh boy. She blamed the stutter in her pulse on those piercing blue eyes. When Ethan zeroed in on a woman, she knew it, all the way down to her toes.

He’d changed clothes since this morning. The five o’clock shadow provided a dangerous, appealing edge. He wore a different T-shirt, but the slogan was similar to last night’s: Here I Am. What Are Your Other Two Wishes?

The man really was annoying. Snorting in exasperation, she lifted her head, found herself caught once again in his gaze. She really wished he’d quit staring at her with...those eyes.

“Hey,” he said with a knowing smirk.

Unable to speak, she hummed out a quick response.

His smile turned into a muffled chuckle. The slightly condescending sound increased her unease. Then came the familiar frustration. Antagonism was one step away. But giving in to the emotion would be childish.

“I, uh...” Keely grabbed the remaining scraps of her dignity. “I wasn’t expecting you to stop over again tonight.”

“Came to check on my patient.” He broke eye contact—finally—and focused on Felicity.

The little girl was running Baloo through his repertoire of tricks a second time around.

“How you feeling this evening, Flicka?”

“Huh?” Hand wrapped around Baloo’s outstretched paw, the little girl looked up. “Oh... I’m good. I didn’t have to go to school, so Keely and I spent all day baking cookies and making care packages for the Youth Center’s Christmas party.”

“Sounds like fun.”

“It was super fun. In a few days I have to meet Keely’s best friend, Olivia, and her daughters, Megan and Molly.” The child’s eyebrows pulled together in a worried frown. “They’re my age and Keely says they can’t wait to meet me.”

“If Keely said that, then it’s true.”

“I guess so.” She heaved a sigh, the little-girl worry evident in the sound. “Hey, can I take Baloo into the other room and see if he’ll play tug-of-war with a sock?”

Though innocently asked, the question brought a complete change over Ethan. His smile dropped, his shoulders tensed, his gaze went distant. It was as if he’d been transported to another place, at least in his mind, somewhere not altogether pleasant.

He cleared his throat, twice. “It’s one of his favorite games, especially with little girls on the other end of the sock.”

As the two hurried off, an awkward silence fell over the kitchen. Keely couldn’t understand why Ethan’s entire demeanor had changed simply because Felicity wanted to play tug-of-war with Baloo. She remembered a similar change in him last night.

In the days leading up to their broken engagement, Cutter had looked much like Ethan now. The memory made her doubly wary of the man standing in her house.

Nevertheless, she couldn’t stop herself from worrying about Ethan. He needs me. The thought surprised her. Ethan Scott was the most capable man she knew. And the most annoying.

And yet...

She placed her fingertips on his arm. “Are you all right?”

Shrugging away from her touch, he blinked slowly, squared his shoulders and drew in a long breath. Once again he was Mr. Cool, Calm and Casual.

“Something smells good.”

Now that they were back to polite small talk, a surge of complicated emotions spread through her. The sense of relief was easy enough to understand. The agitation, not nearly so much.

“I made chicken à l’Orange and baked sweet potatoes. And a healthy salad.” Don’t ask him to stay for dinner. Do. Not. Ask. “You’re welcome to eat with Felicity and me. There’s plenty.”

He looked about to turn down her offer. But suddenly, inexplicably, Keely very much wanted him to stay.

“Consider it payment for not teasing me over how I overreacted last night.”

“You didn’t overreact.”

She frowned. “I thought Felicity had appendicitis.”

“Given her symptoms, it was a logical concern.”

For the second time in so many days, Keely stared at Ethan as if he were a stranger. In many ways, he was. She felt as if they were meeting for the first time. She decided to pretend the change in their relationship didn’t matter. But it did.

And that scared her far more than she was willing to admit. The man had too many secrets, none of which he seemed willing to share with her. Been there, done that, have the remnants of a broken heart to prove it.

“While we’re on the subject of Flicka.” He pointed a finger at Keely. “I noticed you didn’t make the appointment yet.”

She blinked at him in shock. Ethan was arrogant, and the big, bad, frustrating bane of her existence, but he wasn’t a micromanager. His office staff handled scheduling. “How can you possibly know whether or not I made an appointment for her?”

“I checked.”

Of course he did.

“It’s important, Keely. Flicka needs a primary care physician. Make the appointment.”

“Felicity really took to Baloo tonight. What do you think? Should I get her a dog for Christmas? Would it help ease the transition for her?”

“Changing the subject, are we?”

“You better believe it.”

He laughed. Despite her irritation at his bossy manner, the deep rumble made her smile in return.

Knowing he was right, again, Keely stopped resisting. “I’ll make the appointment tomorrow.”

“I’m going to hold you to it.”

As if she didn’t know that. “You never answered my question. Are you staying for dinner?”

His hesitation returned. But this time it lasted only a few heartbeats. “Yeah, I guess I am.”

He looked mildly surprised by his acceptance.

That made two of them.

Felicity’s laughter rang out. Keely’s throat constricted at the happy sound, so different from the groans of pain last night. In that moment, Keely knew she was in over her head. How was she supposed to parent a child she barely knew?

All the fears she’d held at bay since she’d begun taking over legal guardianship shot to the surface. A gasp of utter panic leaked out of her.

Misinterpreting the sound, Ethan’s gaze narrowed over her face. “I don’t have to stay for dinner. You can take back the invitation and I won’t hold it against you.”

“It’s not that.”

Concern etched across her face. “Then what?”

“I... Oh, Ethan, I want to take good care of Felicity, but what do I know about kids? I spent the last decade working in a world of fashion models.”

“Keely, listen to me.” The epitome of calm confidence, Ethan took hold of her shoulders and gently turned her to face him. “You’re doing a great job so far.”

Instead of calming her fears, his unexpected words of praise had the opposite effect. “What if I fail her?”

Hands still on her shoulders, he tweaked her nose in a big brother sort of way. “You’re exhausted from last night. Once you get some sleep, everything will look better in the morning.”

“You’re probably right.”

“Of course I’m right. I’m always right.”

The arrogant comment did what no kind words could have done. She bristled. Prepared for a fight, she snapped her gaze to his, felt her anger melt at his compassionate smile.

That look had her abandoning her pride and admitting, “I’m really scared.”

“It’s okay to feel scared. It means you care.”

Two nights in a row the man had shown her unspeakable kindness. Defeat settled on her shoulders. Because if history had taught Keely anything, it had taught her that a truce between her and Ethan never lasted.

Chapter Four

Now that the emotion of the moment was over, Keely told herself to step back, take a breath, and put some distance between her and Ethan. Things were changing between them, their relationship morphing into something different.

Step. Back.

Instead of heeding the internal warning, she held her ground, drawing strength from the man’s solid presence.

She should probably feel embarrassed for admitting her fears to him, knowing he could use them against her one day. Though he’d never been that small and petty. Argumentative, yes, but never unkind. And so she stayed rooted in the moment.

It felt good, she silently admitted, allowing Ethan’s confidence in her abilities to chase away her worry. A sob of gratitude slipped past her lips.

He tugged her into a friendly hug. “That’s it. Let it out, sweetheart.”

Sweetheart. The endearment spread warmth through her chilled limbs.

“Flicka seems to adore you. That’s half the battle in these types of situations.”

Drawing on his assurance, Keely stepped out of his embrace. To her horror, a rogue tear escaped. Tenderly, almost affectionately, he wiped her wet cheek with the pad of his thumb.

She could hardly stand his casual show of kindness. Any moment she was going to break down in sobs.

Taking another step back, she searched for another topic. Think, Keely, think. “I’m determined to make this Christmas special for Felicity. I plan to pull out all the stops, whatever it takes to make her feel comfortable in her new home.”

“Tell me what I can do to help.”

His immediate offer of assistance didn’t mesh with the Ethan Scott she knew, the man who’d turned avoiding her into an art form. So much had changed in two short days.

As she stared into Ethan’s blue eyes, she saw the secrets he kept inside him, remembered the way he kept everyone but his closest family and friends at arm’s length.

A timely reminder. Never again would she weave dreams around a man who couldn’t be completely open with her. And now that Felicity was in her life, she had to think of her, as well.

Bottom line, falling for Ethan Scott was far too risky. Even a friendship between them carried complexities she didn’t want to explore.

And yet she found herself asking, “You truly want to help me give Felicity a memorable Christmas?”

“Isn’t that what I just said?” He sounded more than a little insulted.

And they were back to familiar territory, just as she’d feared their tenuous truce a thing of the past. “Somehow I can’t see you trimming a tree, stringing popcorn or pinning up stockings to the mantel.”

Instead of his rising to her provocation, a look of sorrow came and went in his eyes. It was the same expression she’d seen right before he stepped into Felicity’s room last night. Had he lost someone he cared about, someone he’d done all those things with in the past?

“I was thinking of something more manly,” he said, not quite smiling. “You know, like hanging your outdoor lights.”

Her twin brother usually did that, but with the Slippery Slope’s extended hours during the holidays, Beau’s free time was limited. “That would be lovely, Ethan. Thank you for offering.”

She’d text Beau the good news later tonight.

“No problem, happy to do it.”

As they stared at each other, something quite wonderful passed between them. Keely opened her mouth to say something, but Ethan spoke first. “How does Sunday sound?”

She blinked, trying to picture him on a ladder, hanging Christmas lights. The image was entirely too homey for her peace of mind.

This had to stop, this thinking of Ethan Scott as anything other than a distant acquaintance. Thankfully, she remembered she’d invited him to dinner, which was only half done. “I’ll finish up in here while you go see if Felicity and Baloo need anything.”

Ethan’s features softened into what might be considered affection, with a twinge of amusement around the edges. Somehow, after she’d spilled her guts only moments before, that look was far worse than a sneer.

And then he smiled. “Trying to get rid of me, O’Toole?”

No. Yes. “Maybe.”

He laughed, a deep, masculine rumble in his chest.

Something actually fluttered in her stomach, and her knees threatened to give out. She frowned at her reaction.

“Right,” he said, still laughing. “Off I go.”

Keely grimaced after his retreating back, trying feverishly to isolate the exact moment when things had changed between her and Ethan. Long before Felicity had moved into her house.

Forcing her breathing to calm, she gathered all the ingredients for making a salad. She’d just retrieved her favorite wooden bowl when her cell phone rang.

A quick check of the screen had her wondering why the newly elected mayor of Village Green was calling her. She put the phone up to her ear. “This is Keely O’Toole.”

“Keely. Hardy Bennett here. I’m glad I caught you.”

Her frown deepened at the overly friendly note in his voice. The man was usually all business when they spoke, which was often, since she was the coordinator of Village Green’s annual Christmas parade. “Hardy, what can I do for you?”

“It’s what I can do for you.” He laughed at his own joke. “During our previous conversation you hinted that your committee was short on staff.”

“Well, yes, we could use at least one more member.”

Two would be better, but with the parade only three weeks away, Keely didn’t hold out much hope for finding volunteers at this late date. Hardy, proving why he’d won the mayoral election in a landslide, offered up a solution to her dilemma.

“I have an updated list of potential volunteers. I’m shooting an email with the names to you...” She heard the click of computer keys. “Now. Once you’ve reviewed the list, let me know who you’d like to fill the open position.”

He spoke as if it was as simple as picking a name off the list and putting the person in place. “I’ll take a look and get back to you in the morning.”

“Good enough.” Hardy ended the call.

Keely opened the email app on her smartphone and absently thumbed through the potential candidates for the hole in her committee. She’d barely begun when a familiar name popped out at her. She snorted. “Yeah, right.”

She moved on. Backed up. Stopped. Considered. Not him, Keely.

No, she decided, definitely not him.

She scrolled to the end of the list. Then looked again, drawn once more to the third name from the top.

The sound of purposeful footsteps had her jumping in surprise. She bobbled the phone from one hand to the other, then lost her grip entirely.

With catlike reflexes, Ethan reached out and caught the phone before it hit the floor. He started to hand it over but then glanced at the screen and froze.

“What is my name doing in an email from—” he scrolled to the top of the page “—our illustrious mayor?”

“Apparently, Hardy is under the impression that you’re interested in getting involved in the community.”

“Well, yeah, I sent him an email just this morning asking him to plug me in somewhere.” Confusion dug across his forehead. “But why is he forwarding my name, and these others, to you?”

“Because I happen to have the perfect volunteer opportunity for your particular skill set.”

He shot her a wary glance. “What sort of opportunity?”