A Mistletoe Kiss For The Single Dad

In truth, wrapping everything up here by Christmas was pushing it, but she’d figure it out. She worked miracles on a daily basis with her patients. She’d survived losing her parents and losing the boy she’d loved back in high school. She’d survive losing Aunt Marlene too.

“Good,” Dr. Reyes said, bringing her back to the present. “I’ll check in with you again tomorrow re your patient.”

He ended the call and she sat there staring at the Christmas tree for a long time afterward, her mind racing. For the past eighteen years she’d worked so hard to get where she was, never once stopping to look at all the things she’d missed, all the things that had slipped away or fallen by the wayside in her pursuit of success. But she loved her life, loved her work, loved the new opportunities on her horizon.

Don’t I?

To be honest, it had begun to ring a bit hollow lately.

A bit lonely too.

Letting her head fall back against the cushions, Belle picked up a crocheted pillow and stared at the quote embroidered there: Bloom where you’re planted.

Belle was trying hard to keep on blooming, even if the soil right now felt pretty rocky.

“Time for bed, Con,” Nick called as he turned down the flannel sheets in his son’s room. They’d picked them out a few weeks previously during a trip to the big-box store in Manistee. Goofy lime-green monsters and bright orange superheroes covered the material. Nick had been obsessed with the latest space movie characters when he’d been a kid too.

Like father, like son.

“Dad, who was the woman at dinner tonight?” Con asked as he walked into the room and climbed into bed in his pajamas, wiping toothpaste from his mouth with his sleeve. “She seemed kind of…stressed out.”

“She probably was,” Nick sighed as he tucked his son in. Honestly, Belle had seemed ready to shatter at any minute. The idea bothered Nick more than he cared to admit. He had no business worrying about Belle. He’d made a vow to his dying wife on the day she’d passed away—to put their son first, to keep him happy and safe. His needs came second, if at all. After everything Vicki had sacrificed to marry him, it was the least he could do. He sat on the edge of the bed. “Belle’s been through a lot. Dr. Marlene was her aunt.”

“Are you guys friends?” Con leaned back against the pillows resting against his headboard, looking as energetic as ever. Nick’s hopes for a quick good night faded.

“We used to be. Go to sleep. You’ve got school in the morning.” He stood and walked to the door. The past was over and bringing it up now would only lead to more questions from Connor. Questions Nick did not want to answer tonight. Maybe not ever.

Unfortunately, his son wasn’t going to let the subject of Belle drop so easily. “So, why aren’t you friends anymore?”

Because Belle and I have too much history. Instead, he said, “It’s complicated.”

His son’s determination gave way to obstinacy. “Mom said talking about things made them better.”

“Your mom…” Nick started, then stopped. It was true. Vicki had been a good talker. A good listener too. It was one of the reasons she and Nick had first become pals in medical school. In fact, the night Vicki had gotten pregnant, she’d been consoling Nick about his loneliness over Belle. She’d been nursing her wounds over a bad breakup herself. They’d both had too much to drink and one thing had led to another. It had been a fluke, a one-night stand, but eight weeks later Vicki had told him she was pregnant. Nick had done the noble thing, of course, and proposed. Vicki had agreed, despite the fact she’d had dreams too, had been on track for a career as a nurse practitioner in Manhattan. She’d given it all up to marry him and raise their son together.

Connor was still staring at him, waiting for his answer, so Nick did the best he could. “Your mom did like to talk things out. But she also knew when to let things rest.”

“Please, Dad? I miss her. You never mention Mom anymore. I dreamed about her again last night. She was walking away and no matter how loud I screamed for her to come back, she just left me behind.”

At the catch in his son’s voice, Nick caved like a crumbling mine shaft. He’d thought that by not bringing Vicki up so much he’d save Connor the pain of her loss, but it seemed he’d only made things worse. Feeling like the world’s worst parent ever, he toed off his shoes then climbed back onto the bed beside his son, resting against the headboard next to Connor. “Fine. You want to know about me and Belle? I’ll tell you. But I’m making this quick because we both have to be up early. Got it?”

Con grinned and settled back against his favorite monster pillow. “Got it.”

Nick took a deep breath. “Belle and I both volunteered after school in Marlene’s clinic.”

“You used to clean up blood and guts and yucky stuff? Cool!”

“No. We used to sterilize instruments and scrub down exam tables.” He put an arm around Connor and tugged the boy into his side, ruffling his hair. “No gore. Well, unless you consider taking care of the parakeet cages in the lobby yucky.”

“Super-yucky.” His son wrinkled his nose. “Go on.”

“We spent a lot of time together at the clinic, since we both wanted to be doctors. Later, Belle and I dated in high school. We were even prom king and queen.”

“Wow. I’m never going to date anyone. Especially a girl.”

“Never say never.” Nick laughed. “Trust me.”

“So, why don’t you like her anymore?” Connor asked.

An uncomfortable twinge of regret pinched his chest before he tamped it down. “Nothing happened. Belle moved away from Bayside, and I did too. Our paths diverged.”

“Diverged?” Con looked up at him, frowning. “What’s that mean?”

“It means we ended up in different places.” He rested his head back against the headboard and closed his eyes. Truth was, he’d loved Belle enough to let her go. The fact she’d shared with him all her hopes and dreams and her parents’ aspirations for her had sealed the deal. He couldn’t hold her back. Wouldn’t hold her back.

Then he’d gone down a different path with Vicki and their destinies hadn’t crossed again, until now. Belle was his past. Connor was his future. The sooner Nick got that straight, the better off he’d be. “Belle and I parted ways a long time ago, son. We’re different people now.”

His son seemed to consider that a moment. “And then you met Mom.”

“And then I met your mother.”

Connor yawned and Nick took his cue to leave. He slipped out of the bed and walked to the door again, picking up his shoes along the way. “Good night, son.”

“‘Night.” Con snuggled down under the covers. “Hey, Dad?”

“Yeah?”

“If Belle decides to stay, would she be able to help Analia?”

Nick exhaled slowly and hung his head. “She won’t stay, son. She needs to get back to California. Her life is there.”

“Miracles happen all the time.” Connor peered at Nick, the covers tucked beneath his chin as icy snow tapped against the window panes. “Mom used to say that too.”

The chances of Belle choosing Bayside over Beverly Hills were slim to none, but it was late and Nick was tired. “We’ll see. Now, get some sleep. We’ve got a busy day tomorrow.”

“Hey, Dad?” Connor’s yawn obscured the words.

Nick stopped halfway out of the room. “Yes, son?”

“When are you going to let me walk to school like Eric does?”

He sighed. The question struck far close to home after Belle’s judgmental remarks earlier. He didn’t want to smother Connor, but he’d do anything to keep him safe. “We’ll talk about it tomorrow, okay? Now go to sleep.”

“Okay,” Connor said, his tone resigned. “Love you.”

“Love you too, son.” Nick closed the door, feeling like he’d gone ten rounds with an MMA fighter instead of put his kid to bed. When Vicki had been alive, they’d used to talk about stuff they wanted to do with Connor. Take him across the country and visit all the national parks. Let him have free rein in what he wanted to learn and do and be, within reason. Raise him to be an independent, free-thinking, fearless boy.

Now Nick watched his kid like a hawk. He didn’t let Connor cross the street alone because another child had been hit last year on Main Street on his way home from school. Granted, it had been the beginning of summer and with the tourists beginning to flock to the area the number of distracted drivers on the road had increased, but it didn’t reassure Nick at all. He trusted Connor. It was everyone else who made him wary. In the rational part of his mind, he knew he couldn’t keep Con under his wing forever, but he wasn’t sure how he’d cope if anything happened to his son.

Bone-weary, he checked the locks then shut off the lights before heading to bed himself, Belle’s words still echoing through his head. He didn’t want to be controlling. Back in the day, he’d gone with the flow and dealt with the punches as they came.

But as he brushed his teeth then finally climbed between the sheets, he realized life had changed him. Much as he hated to admit it, maybe he should allow Connor a little more freedom. After all, that was why he’d moved back to Bayside. The safety, the security.

Except with Belle back in town, the well-ordered life he’d tried to rebuild and protect suddenly felt threatened. He turned onto his back and stared up at the ceiling. He closed his eyes, but all he could see was Belle sitting in the diner, shiny as a new penny under the harsh fluorescent lights, and his chest squeezed with an odd mix of apprehension and anticipation.

Grumbling, he turned over and punched his pillow before burying his face in it. Hell, he wasn’t sure why he was getting all riled up over her return anyway. Wasn’t like he was interested in getting involved with her again. Just the opposite. For all he knew, she was seeing someone out in California. The thought nipped at him despite his wish to the contrary.

No. In a few hours he’d face her again, clear-headed and logical this time because if he was honest, having Belle back in Bayside was far more dangerous to him than any hit-and-run driver would ever be.

CHAPTER THREE

BELLE ARRIVED AT the clinic at nine sharp the next morning, only to find Nick already there. She went inside and took off her coat, hanging it on a peg behind the receptionist’s desk. The short drive from her aunt’s house had done little to improve her outlook, though wearing her sturdy boots this morning had helped on the slick pavement outside. She’d slept poorly the night before, a mixture of replaying in her head the phone call with Dr. Reyes and the dinner with Nick. It had all created a swirl of insomnia she’d been unable to conquer.

Nick leaned out of one of the exam rooms down the short hallway in front of her and flashed a polite smile. “Good morning.”

“What’s good about it?” she mumbled. “Is there coffee?”

He strolled out, looking far better than any man had a right to in faded jeans and T-shirt hugging his muscular torso in all the right places. Belle wasn’t sure why she’d expected him to show up in his lab coat again, but that would have been far preferable, and safer, than what he was wearing now. Her pulse sped as he slouched a shoulder against the wall, his ankles crossed. “I thought you liked tea.”

“I do,” she snapped, feeling even more out of sorts thanks to the man across from her. “But since there isn’t a decent cup in this town, I’ll settle for coffee.”

He disappeared back into the exam room again, emerging moments later with a cardboard tray bearing two covered cups from a shop she’d never heard of and the stout man from the diner the night before following close at his heels. Nick held out the tray to her. “I ran up to Manistee after I dropped Connor off at school this morning. Consider it my peace offering. And let me introduce you to Mr. Juan Hernandez. He’s agreed to help us fix up the clinic.”

Belle shook the man’s hand. “Hello. You were at Pat’s last night with your family.”

“Yes. My wife and daughter.” Juan smiled. “Analia is my little princess.”

“Juan’s a great carpenter. Did all the renovations on my house here in Bayside. He’ll be a big help getting the clinic reopened.” Nick glanced over at Belle. “If you’re staying.”

“I’m staying.” She took one of the cups, lifting the lid to sniff the steaming liquid inside.

“It’s green tea,” Nick said. “You tried to order it last night, right?”

“Right.” She took a sip and couldn’t suppress a tiny sigh of pleasure.

“Good, huh?” The amusement twinkling in his warm brown eyes had her turning away fast. His continued effect on her was crazy. Stupid. Beyond inconvenient, considering they had exactly eight days until they reopened the clinic on Christmas Eve. After that, she’d be on the first plane back to California. She took another swallow of tea for fortitude. “This is very good. Thank you. Dr. Reyes gave me an extension on my bereavement leave through Christmas Eve. We have a little over a week to get the clinic ready to reopen. Thus, we need a plan.”

“‘Thus, we need a plan,’” Nick parroted back to her. “Since when do you say ‘thus’?”

“People change.” She walked around the receptionist desk, trailing her finger though a thick coating of dust. The paint on the walls was faded and the carpets were worn. The ceiling tiles above sported a few water stains, as well. One of the fluorescent lights popped and hissed ominously and a strange wheezing noise echoed from the heating vent above the desk. All in all, the place was a mess. “You weren’t kidding about the clinic being run-down.”

“When Marlene’s health took a turn for the worse, she had a hard time keeping up. I offered to help her, but she refused,” Nick said. “You know how she was. Always doing for other people, never accepting assistance herself.”

“Yes.” Belle headed down to check out the three exam rooms. The equipment had to be as old as she was. It was going to take a massive effort to get this all up to snuff. Good thing her can-do attitude was what had gotten her where she was today.

“Juan will oversee the repairs and any issues with the heating and electrical. What he can’t fix himself, he knows the people who can. My PA’s agreed to take on extra patients, which allows me to split my time between this place and my office.” Nick stepped into the small exam room behind her, his warmth surrounding her. “And my office manager, Jeanette, volunteered to handle the front-desk duties at the free clinic, so we can check that off the list. Between all of us, we should have all the boxes checked.”

Juan excused himself to inspect the rest of the clinic and Belle blinked at the anatomy poster on the wall, the paper yellowing around the edges. It had hung there for as long as she could remember.

“I just have one remaining question,” Nick said.

Belle looked back at him over her shoulder. “What?”

“Yesterday, you were all about leaving. What changed your mind?”

When she hadn’t been able to sleep the night before, she’d gone through more of her aunt’s things. Photos, letters, mementos. All of it had reminded Belle how much Aunt Marlene had loved this place. How much she’d loved Belle too. It had been enough to make Belle determined to see her aunt’s last wishes fulfilled, no matter how difficult it might be to have Nick hovering around her for the next two weeks. “You were right. My aunt deserves better. If reopening the free clinic one last time was important to her, I’ll make it happen.”

“Hmm.” Nick stepped closer and her pulse kicked up a notch. “Say that again.”

Belle frowned. “If reopening the clinic is important—”

“No. The other part.”

“What other part?”

“Where you said I was right. I don’t hear it often enough. Especially from you.”

“Too bad.” Belle walked out of the exam room and headed for the lobby once more, doing her best to focus on the job ahead and not the irritating man behind her. “We need to make a list of supplies to order, both cleaning and medical.”

“I can take care of the medical part.” Nick shrugged. “I have a shipment coming in for my practice next Monday. We can take what we need from that then I’ll restock again after Christmas. It’s only for one day, so we should have plenty to cover both clinics.”

“Okay. Then I’ll stop by the store in Manistee and pick up cleaning supplies when I go to the hospital later to spread the word about the clinic. Maybe I’ll stop by the office supply place too and have some flyers made up so we can post them around town to help us spread the word.”

“Sounds good.” Nick grinned. “Maybe we could see about doing a little promo at the Chamber of Commerce Holiday Ball next week, as well. I can talk to the mayor’s office.”

“Great. I need to be there anyway to accept Aunt Marlene’s award.”

“Right. We could go together, schmooze the locals, build some buzz for the clinic.”

It almost felt like old times, back when they’d both worked here after school, but she stopped herself. This was all only temporary. Things were different now. The sooner she remembered that, the better. She looked at Nick again for a moment before grabbing her coat. “Maybe. I should probably get going up to Manistee.”

“But you just got here,” he started, only to be interrupted by the front door opening.

A beautiful woman about Belle’s age, with long dark hair and sparkling onyx eyes walked in holding the hand of the little girl with Crouzon syndrome from the night before.

“I know you,” the little girl said, her words slightly lisped. She pulled free from her mother and headed for Belle. “You were at Pat’s last night. You’re pretty.”

“Thank you.” Belle crouched in front of the child. “What’s your name?”

“Analia,” the little girl said, reaching out to touch Belle’s red coat. “Red’s my favorite color.”

“Mine too.” Up close, she studied the little girl’s features—wide-set and bulging eyes, beaked nose, and an underdeveloped upper jaw. Classic Crouzon’s. The premature fusion of certain skull bones had resulted in the abnormal shape of the girl’s head and face. Nick had mentioned breathing problems too. Not uncommon. Belle had worked with two children with similar cases back in California, performing the complicated surgery and follow-ups to correct problems like Analia’s. Too bad she wouldn’t be here long enough this time.

Her heart tugged as she straightened. Part of her wanted to throw caution to the wind and take the case anyway. It would be simple enough to do a consult and examination, obtain the necessary releases, then book an OR in Manistee. But she already had more than enough on her plate to keep her busy during her short stay in Bayside and Nick had mentioned working the little girl in with his colleague in Detroit. The most prudent course of action was to let him handle it.

Instead, she introduced herself to Analia’s mother. “Dr. Watson. Please call me Belle.”

“Rosa Hernandez.” The woman’s grip was firm and sure. “We came to take my husband to breakfast, if you can spare him for an hour or so.”

“I think we can,” Nick said, calling over his shoulder. “Juan, your family’s here.”

The guy came out and picked up Analia, hugging her tight before kissing his wife. “I’ll be back. After we eat, I’ll swing by the hardware store and pick up what I need to get started.”

Belle watched them leave, then turned back to Nick. “She needs the surgery done.”

“She does. Too bad you won’t be sticking around.” Nick flinched. “Sorry. I shouldn’t have said anything. I know you’ve got other commitments.”