The Best Of The Year - Medical Romance

“The Hawks? I’m impressed.” He stuck out a hand. “Nice to meet you.”

He proceeded to grill Jack on his opinion of this team or that and what he thought of Texas and Colorado’s chances for making it to the playoffs next year.

She felt bad about throwing Jack to Papa Wolf, but if anything could distract her dad it was football. It would at least give her time to think before the subject eventually swung back to her and what she feared would be the subject du jour: why she was holding hands with a man who wasn’t her fiancé, team doctor or no team doctor.

Not that she owed him any explanations after the way he’d treated her mom. But, still, it would be awkward to tell him to mind his own business in front of Jack.

So, what could she tell him?

How about: Jack was blind, and she was helping him find the reception desk.

Nope, that wouldn’t work, since the Hawks probably wouldn’t hire a blind physician.

That left... Yeah. She was drawing a complete blank.

“Mira?” Her dad’s voice dragged her from her thoughts.

Her head came up. “Sorry?”

“I invited Jack to have dinner with us tonight at eight. Hope that was okay?”

She couldn’t have been any more shocked if her dad had suddenly started doing the chicken dance in front of everyone in the crowded lobby. She’d expected a scene and had gotten a dinner invitation instead. Although with her dad, it normally came out sounding more like an ultimatum. “No, of course I don’t mind, if it’s all right with him.”

Jack glanced at the lobby, and Mira noted that Predator in Pink was still watching them closely. “It’s fine with me,” he said.

Did this make two or three dates with guy number five? She was supposed to be moving on to the next eligible bachelor and then the next. Her gaze slid back to the woman across the room. Yeah, she so did not want to become that. Maybe she should stop being so anxious to zip from man to man.

Besides, she and Jack hadn’t actually had their first date yet. Right? Because the hot chocolate didn’t count, and the ski lesson had been interrupted by the rescue on the slope, so that didn’t count either.

And the sleigh ride?

Hmm, that could definitely be classified as a date. Which would officially mark the end of their association.

Her father gave her a quick hug. “Do you want to ask Robert to come as well?”

“Robert?” Nothing like her emotions swinging from relief to panic. She was going to have to break the news to her father. But not now. Not in front of Jack. “I’m sure he’s busy with lessons.”

“Okay, if you’re sure.” He smiled as he released her. “You know, that boy’s future father-in-law is the owner of this joint. I could probably pull a few strings and have him let off early.”

Jack visibly stiffened beside her. “It was nice meeting you,” he said to her father. “But I need to turn in my equipment and get cleaned up. Thank you for the dinner invitation.”

The last thing she wanted was to be left alone with her father. “I can go with you to the rental kiosk, if you don’t remember where it is.”

“I remember. Thanks for your...help earlier. I think I’ve got it from here.”

That must be one of the man’s favorite phrases. How many times did that make now? Three?

About as many times as she’d been with him. Well, that was just great.

Waiting until Jack was three or four strides away, she raised her voice just enough for the woman across the room to hear. “Don’t forget about making the reservation for the sleigh ride. Believe me, you won’t want to miss it.”

Now, why had she said that? Maybe because it stung that he couldn’t seem to get away from her fast enough.

Jack stopped in his tracks for a second or two before throwing her a look that was filled with lazy amusement totally at odds with his abrupt departure. And when his voice came back, it was much lower than hers had been. “Believe me, I haven’t forgotten.”

A shiver went over her at the dark intensity of his words. She glanced sharply up at her father to see if he’d noticed, but he seemed lost in his own world at the moment. Once Jack had gone through the door she turned her attention back to her father, bracing herself for a confrontation. Better to just tell him the truth and get it over with.

“Dad, I have something to tell you,” she began.

“I have something to tell you as well. Actually, I wanted to ask you for a favor. It’s why I came up here today.”

She gulped. A favor? “Is it about Robert?”

If he was going to ask her to give her ex a second chance, she might just blow her top. One cheater asking her to forgive and forget the transgressions of another cheater? Not hardly. Especially when one of the women Robert had cheated with was standing on the other side of the room.

“It’s not about Robert, it’s about...” He focused on her face. “Is everything okay between the two of you?”

She frowned, trying to figure out exactly what was going on.

“Things are a little complicated.” A little, Mira? Really? “Anyway, what’s this about a favor?”

A sliver of worry went through her as she noticed for the first time the taut lines of his face. If he hadn’t come here because of her breakup, then why had he come?

“Not here. Let’s go back to my office, Mirry.”

She hadn’t heard that nickname in forever. The sliver grew to the size of a stake. “Dad, is something wrong? Oh God, is it Mom?”

“No, your mother’s fine. I spoke with her this morning.”

Mira’s eyes widened. He had? More alarm bells went off as he crossed the honey-planked flooring and headed for the door that led to a different wing of the lodge, one that wasn’t open to the public. She followed him, winding through the narrow corridors until they reached the small annex where his office and the business areas were housed. Once the door shut behind them, he motioned her to one of the leather wingback chairs across from his desk.

She dropped into it, the creak of leather matching that of her nerves. “Daddy?”

All the differences of the past several years seemed to vanish as her unease continued to grow.

Instead of going behind the desk to face her, he went to the bar on the left and got down a tumbler from the open wooden shelves above the liquor bottles and dumped a few cubes of ice into it. He stared at the selection of alcohol for a long time—as if he’d never seen it before—and finally grabbed a decanter, uncapping it and pouring himself a healthy amount. He rarely drank, and only kept the liquor here for VIP meetings and gatherings.

He took a good-sized swig then sighed and added another splash of whatever was in the decanter. “I know I haven’t done right by you and your mother. I’ve often wished I could go back and change some things, but I can’t.”

He turned around to face her, leaning against the counter and taking another sip from his glass. As if realizing his oversight, he frowned. “Do you want something?”

It was probably better if she didn’t have anything this early, but she suddenly felt the need to brace herself for whatever he was about to say. “Maybe a little red wine?”

He fixed her a glass then brought it over and handed it to her before dragging the other chair around so it faced her.

She clenched her glass. Something was definitely wrong. “Are you ill?”

“No, Mirry, but it might be better if I were.”

Her heart squeezed. “Don’t say that,” she whispered. Suddenly the years she’d wasted being angry with him flew by at an alarming rate, dropping her into the here and now. She set her untouched drink onto the marble-topped table next to her.

He smiled and took another drink, the ice clinking against his glass. “That comment surprises me, to be honest.”

“We might have our differences, but you’re still my father.”

“Yes, I am. And something has come up that’s made me aware of all the mistakes I made with you. With your mom. It has made me want to do all I can to make things right and to not...” he gave a visible swallow “...repeat those mistakes with anyone else.”

“What is it?”

“Stella’s pregnant.”

Stella. It took her a minute to put a face with a name.

Paramour number six? Or was it seven? Pregnant?

Mira would have asked if he was sure, but from the redness in his eyes and the unsteadiness of the hand holding the drink she’d say he was dead certain. Instead, she ventured, “Are you happy about that?”

He held her gaze for a long time before nodding. “I screwed up with you. With your mother. Maybe I can learn from those mistakes and do a better job this time around.”

He wasn’t dying. Her mom wasn’t dying. That’s all that mattered. She stood and went over to him, taking his drink and setting it on the table behind him. Kneeling beside the chair, she put her arms around him and laid her head on his chest, feeling a love and affection she hadn’t felt in a very long time. “I’m happy for you, Daddy. Really happy. If I know Mom, she is too.”

His hand came up to stroke her hair. “I plan to marry Stella. I came to ask you for your blessing.”

She leaned back to look at him. He’d surprised her yet again. Her father of old would have simply declared his intentions and dared her to say a word against it. It was one of the reasons they hadn’t reconciled over the years. He’d acted like the world was his to own...to possess at will.

And yet now he wanted her blessing. If she wanted to blast him with accusations, now was the time. Only she didn’t want to.

“You have it, Daddy. Of course you do.”

“I know I haven’t even walked you down the aisle yet, but I want to ask if you’d do me the honor of standing beside me as I take my vows.”

A wave of emotion rolled over her, bringing with it a prickling at the backs of her eyelids. She blinked it away as best she could. “Is that okay with Stella?”

“Yes. She wants to meet you. I called your mom as well, to ask her permission. She told me to ask you, and that she’d support your decision whatever it was.” He paused. “Stella’s a wonderful woman, Mirry. I want to do right by her. And by you this time. This is the only way I know how.”

“Then, of course, I’ll stand beside you. I’d be happy to.”

A ragged sigh went past her ear. “Thank you. It means the world to me.”

She squeezed him tight before leaning over to kiss his grizzled cheek. She stood and took a step back, noticing for the first time the heavy streaks of gray in his still thick hair. When had that happened? When she’d been too busy with her anger to look directly at him?

“I love you, Daddy.”

“I love you too, princess.” The man who’d always seemed larger than life to Mira dragged his fist across his eyes then stood as well. “Now, what’s this about you and Robert?”

It was tempting to just put it off, to pretend that things were fine, but her dad had been honest and real with her for the first time in years. She could do no less.

“I broke our engagement.”

He stood there silent for a long time before saying anything. “What happened?”

Honesty, Mira.

Although maybe she could put a little spin on that honesty so she wouldn’t mar his moment of happiness or endanger the tentative bridge they’d just built between them.

“It just wasn’t working.”

“I’m sorry. Is there anything I can do?”

“About that? Not a thing.” She nodded toward her untouched glass. “But I think I’ve changed my mind about my drink. If you have something festive in that wine cooler of yours, like champagne, I vote we pop the cork and toast to your good fortune. And to my new baby brother or sister.”

* * *

The first snowfall since his arrival met Jack as he stepped into the lobby for his “date.”

Why he’d booked that sleigh ride he had no idea. Maybe because Mira had reminded him again at dinner two nights ago with her father—which he’d found he couldn’t get out of, no matter how badly he’d wanted to. He’d had no idea Mira was a doctor, let alone that her father owned the whole damn resort. Neither of them had mentioned her ex fiancé. In fact, they’d both seemed pretty set on avoiding that whole subject during their meal.

Did her father even know?

He’d gotten very little sleep last night. His bottle of pills had whispered to him from the drawer of the nightstand, but he’d ignored it. And the dreams had come back with a vengeance.

As tired as he was, the last thing Jack wanted was to get involved in some huge family drama. He’d had enough of that to last him a lifetime. The blame game had made the rounds after his wife’s death with every finger in her family—including his own—pointed directly at his chest, where there was still a gaping hole that no amount of shoveling could fill.

Jabbing his fists into the pockets of his dark slacks, he stared out the window at the whisper-soft flakes dancing in the night breeze, the outside lights making them glimmer and sparkle as they made their way to earth. There were a few footprints across the snow, but for the most part the new layer stretched across the acreage of the resort like a blanket. The walkways had yet to be shoveled. Mira said the sleigh would pull up at the far edge of the drive, a hundred yards or so from the front entrance of the main building. There was no sign of the sleigh, or of Mira, for that matter.

Maybe he could just go back to his room and try to get some rest.

As if hearing his thoughts, the far door opened, and the woman herself appeared. His breath caught in his chest. Unlike her puffy white ski jacket, which did a good job of concealing her figure, tonight she wore a long wool coat that skimmed her body and almost reached her ankles. Open at the front, it gave a tantalizing glimpse of a shiny green top tucked into slim black pants that hugged her hips and legs. A belt of silver metallic links encircled her waist, the ends trailing down her left thigh. She made her way over to him, shrugging her way out of the coat as she did and draping it over her left arm.

“I wasn’t sure if you’d be outside yet or not,” she said.

“Our ride isn’t here, so I thought I’d wait by the door and watch for it.” No reason to tell her he’d been about to make his escape.

Her subtle scent drifted up, a melding of vanilla and pine, a combination that wound around him. His exhaustion suddenly vanished.

“You should have worn boots,” she said, glancing down at where his loafers peeked from beneath the bottom edge of his pants legs.

“I didn’t bring any. Just the rental snow boots.”

Her brows went up. “Really? You live in Texas, and you didn’t at least bring some cowboy boots?”

“I don’t own any.”

“Wow, no boots. At all.”

“My recreational choices normally involve water. No need for boots. Or even shoes.”

Her lips twisted in a wry smile that made her eyes sparkle. “A man who prefers to go shoeless, huh? You wouldn’t survive long up here. Not if you wanted to keep those toes.”

He peered down at her feet and noted that, unlike him, she did own boots, but these had a tall chunky heel to them. “And those don’t look any more practical than my own footwear.”

That got a laugh out of her. “I know, aren’t they great? I don’t get much of a chance to wear them in my profession.”

He came back to earth with a bump. That’s right. She worked here. Dr. Miranda Dupris. “You don’t have to entertain me, you know. I’m sure that’s not part of your job description.”

“Oh, it’s the best part. Fraternize with all the handsome bachelors and make sure they’re happy.”

He shot her a look, only to have her grin again. “I’m kidding. I’ll leave that to your buddy from the other day.”

Mrs. Botox. Thankfully he hadn’t seen her since they’d parted ways in the lobby, despite Mira’s warning. Even in the dining room over the last two evenings there’d been no sign of her. But during his dinner with Mira and her father the blonde who had waved to Mira several days ago had made her way over to their table and given Mira a quick squeeze. Then she’d hugged Mira’s dad.

As she’d said goodbye a few minutes later, she’d thrown one last wink Mira’s way. “Still five, I see.”

“It’s not quite five. Ask me again in a couple of days,” Mira had replied.

It was the same number they’d tossed back and forth the other day, when he’d wondered if they were meeting up for a drink or something. Neither of them expanded on the comment and after that cryptic exchange the blonde had flounced away, waving off attempts to get her to stay and eat dinner with them. “I’m going on a quick hike to work on my own resolution.”

Only afterwards did he notice that Mira had made no effort to introduce her to him.

Mira touched his arm, drawing him back to the present. “Do you want to head down the path to wait?”

“Are you going to be okay in those boots?”

“As okay as you’ll be okay in your shoes.” Her gaze slanted over him. “You look good, by the way.”

“So do you.” It was true. For once she was hatless, her red hair flowing over her shoulders where it complemented the green of her blouse. Her warm brown eyes seemed darker than usual, although that could be the result of make-up or something. Whatever the cause, the woman was a knockout. And with her heels on, those legs of hers looked endless, her chin coming right to his shoulder level. Unusual for him. At five feet five, the top of Paula’s head, even in her tallest shoes, had barely come to the middle of his chest.

Why was he suddenly comparing the two? Turning away, he picked up his leather jacket from across a nearby chair and shrugged into it, zipping it halfway up his chest. Putting on his armor? He forced a lightness to his voice that he didn’t feel. “You sure the sleigh company is going to send someone in this snow?”

“They usually do. If not, we can go for a walk instead.”

“With your boots and my shoes.”

She tossed her head. “Why not? It’s just a little snow.” When she went to put her own coat on, he took it from her and held it out so she could slide her arms inside. His fingers brushed the warmth of her neck as he set it on her shoulders, the sensation of smooth silky skin branding itself on his senses.

He forced his hands back into his pockets. “Shall we?”

They strolled out the door and started down the pathway as the snow fell around them. It wasn’t deep on the sidewalk, more like a dusting, but Mira pulled the collar of her coat up around her neck anyway.

“Are you going to be cold without a hat?”

“I have one in my pocket. Besides, they have blankets in the sleigh that we can hunker down under.”

Images of the two of them snuggled together beneath a pile of blankets came out of nowhere. And hell if they weren’t followed up by other images of what the parts hidden beneath the blankets could do.

This was so not a good idea. He’d known if from the second she suggested they go together. Maybe he should start hoping that sleigh didn’t come after all.

He zipped his jacket even higher, though it wasn’t in reaction to the cold that was trickling down his spine but because of a wave of warmth he couldn’t fight off.

It had been far too long since he’d been with someone. Maybe he should have taken Mrs. Botox up on her offer. Except he wouldn’t hit on Mrs. Anything. As messed up as he was these days, he still didn’t believe in that.

“How long is this ride, anyway?” A question he should have asked at the reception desk when he’d booked this little excursion. But he’d been too relieved at having survived dinner with Mira and her dad and too busy wondering if she’d told her father that the infamous future son-in-law was now an ex. How many of those did she have, anyway? He’d seen her with a couple of different guys when he’d arrived. Since he and Paula had been childhood sweethearts, he’d never been down the date-’em-and-leave-’em path. He’d had a couple of one-night stands since his wife’s death, but that was the extent of it. And it had been over a year since his last rendezvous.

One of Mira’s feet slid for a second, and Jack put his hand out to steady her.

“Sorry,” she said. “Guess I laughed at your choice of footwear a little too soon, since you’re doing better in yours than I am in mine.”

“Here.” Holding out his elbow to her, he wasn’t sure if he was elated or disturbed when she took him up on the offer and looped her arm through his and hugged close. It was too much like what she’d done when rescuing him from Mrs. Botox’s advances.

And he liked the feel of her next to him a little too much. It felt warm and companionable. Just like Mira herself.

The woman didn’t talk nonstop, like he’d been expecting. And he found himself wishing she did. He liked the sound of her voice.

How the hell did he even know what her voice sounded like?

He did, though. He could hear it in his head. Hear the words they’d exchanged since their first meeting less than a week ago.

Was that all it had been?

“We should be good here,” she murmured.

“Good?”

She nodded at something next to them. A signpost with rustic hand-painted arrows pointed in various directions. The top arrow said, “Sleigh Ride Pick-up Point Here.”

“How long has your dad owned this place?”

“He built it. He inherited the land from his grandfather and decided to do something with it. He and my mom lived in a little cabin a mile or two down the road before he decided to build the resort. He’s tried to preserve the natural beauty and disturb the surrounding area as little as possible.” She let go of his arm and stuffed her hands in the pockets of her long coat, shifting her weight slightly away from him.

“I’d say he succeeded. It’s a restful place. Did you spend your childhood here?”

“Until I got out of high school.”

She didn’t offer any other explanation than that, but her voice had hardened slightly. Better not to press her for anything more on that subject.

A musical chink-chink-chink-chink sounded in the distance, growing closer. A minute or two later a large cream-colored horse came into view, pulling a sleigh that looked like it had come straight out of a Christmas song, complete with sleigh bells. With shiny black side panels, the sled sat atop gracefully curved silver runners. The interior was lined in red velvet and the whole vehicle gave the impression of an “S” that had been tilted onto its side—the driver sitting up front on a high plush bench, while a second seat sat further back and much lower to the ground. The passenger area had a very private appearance that didn’t do anything for his already taut nerves. And true to Mira’s words, a pile of folded blankets sat next to the driver.

The horse snorted and shook its head, making the bells attached to his harness jingle again. Mira moved over to the animal and stroked its neck. “How are you doing, Patsy?”

Patsy? The huge animal looked nothing like its name.

The driver tied the reins to a bar on the front of the sleigh and clambered down from his seat. “Hello, Mira. It’s been a while since you’ve ridden with us. Patsy’s missed you.”

“I know. I’ve missed her too. And you.” She glanced back at Jack. “This is Norman, our driver. Norm, this is Jack Perry, one of the resort’s guests. He’s never ridden on a sleigh before. In fact, there are quite a few things he hasn’t done before.”

Jack’s neck and face grew hot at the way she’d said it, as if he were an inexperienced teenager being let out into the world for the first time.

Actually, that might not be too far from the truth. It had been a while since he’d let himself out into the world. And that hadn’t even been his idea. He had his coach to thank for this awkward little mountaintop excursion.

“Nice to meet you.” Norm—an older man with a close-cropped silver beard and matching hair—reached out to shake his hand. His top hat and black wool coat gave him a formal air that went well with the sleigh. “If you two are ready...? Patsy’s glad to be out of that barn and is raring to go.”