Mistletoe Magic

by Melissa McClone

  “I didn’t realize you liked kids that much.”

  “Me, either. Turns out they like me, too.”

  “At least I know why you weren’t at MSU for your sophomore year.”

  She stiffened, not sure if she’d heard him correctly. “You… looked for me?”

  He nodded. “I assumed you’d transferred, but no one would tell me where you’d gone. I had to get to Pullman to start classes and just gave up.”

  “You tried, that’s what mattered.” And what she’d long to hear him say for the past seven years. A daydream turned real. Santa was already working overtime. “Why did you want to find me?”

  “To apologize for how things ended.” His gaze never wavered. “I should’ve handled things differently. Given the long distance thing a shot.”

  “Wow.”

  “Wow?” he repeated, sounding confused.

  “Thank you.”

  He squinted, as if trying to focus. “I don’t understand.”

  “Women, well at least I’ve done this, have thought about what their exes would say if they ever ran into them again. What you said, I hit the jackpot. Big time. Thanks.”

  “O-kay.” He didn’t sound certain.

  “Trust me, it’s all good.”

  “So how’d you end up in Marietta?”

  Okay, not such an impressive memory and not flattering at all, but she wasn’t about to hold his forgetfulness against him after their last exchange. Seven years was a long time. She’d probably forgotten stuff about him, too. “You don’t remember.”

  “What?”

  “I’m from Marietta.”

  His cheeks reddened. “Sorry. I forgot. How could I forget? I know you like relish on your hot dog but not ketchup. That you really don’t like football, but know everything about the sport and watch games because your dad loves it. That you knew all the words to every Jonas Brothers song, even though the CDs belonged to your roommate.

  He looked adorable, a way she hadn’t expected. And if he remembered hot dogs and the Jonas Brothers, he probably knew other stuff about her besides her hometown. “You’re forgiven.”

  “Let me make it up to you.”

  The words hung out there, an offer, an invitation, implied. All she needed to say was yes, but something held her back. They were picking up, not quite where they’d left off, but close. But seven years had passed. She didn’t know him now. Not really.

  “You are,” she answered. “By helping Mistletoe tonight. Seeing her happy and healthy and with a family is all I want for Christmas now.”

  “Are you spending tomorrow with your parents?” he asked.

  “My folks left Marietta five years ago. They haven’t been back since they sold their house, everything inside, and bought a used RV.” Nor had she seen them. Caitlin pressed the tip of her boot against the tile floor. Her words sounded more resigned than angry. She’d had years getting used to being alone. “They’re spending Christmas in Palm Springs. Or maybe Las Vegas. It’s hard to keep up with their travels.”

  Her parents were so busy with their RV friends and lifestyle they no longer called. They communicated by emails and texts now. Without fail they sent a card with cash on her birthday. The same at Christmas time. She was grateful they remembered that.

  Maybe someday, when they had fulfilled their wanderlust, they would return to Montana. To her. Their only child.

  Until then…

  “Caitlin.”

  She startled at his voice. “I’m sorry?”

  “You’re thinking about your parents.”

  It wasn’t a question, but she nodded anyway. “Holidays and family go together.”

  “There’s always friends.”

  She shrugged. “They have their own lives and loves. I’m used to celebrating on my own.”

  “You’ll have to give me some pointers,” he said. “My parents are in Portland with my sister and her family this year. I’m on my own, too.”

  “Is your girlfriend away?” Oh, no. Caitlin fought the urge to cringe. She couldn’t believe she’d asked him that.

  “No girlfriend. No dates since I arrived in town.” His charming smile sent chills up and down her arms. “Though things are suddenly looking up there.”

  Caitlin’s throat tightened. She swallowed. He couldn’t mean her, could he? “Marietta’s not that big. I’m happy to show you around.”

  “I’d like that. Thanks.”

  That still didn’t tell her if he was interested in her. Or he could just be making conversation. A slow Christmas Eve at the animal hospital. “Wish you were with your family in Portland?”

  “I’m the new guy. I had better odds winning the lottery this Christmas.” He didn’t sound upset in the slightest. “I love my family, but I also love what I do. If I were in Portland with them, I wouldn’t be here talking with you or taking care of the kitten.”

  Once again his words suggested interest. Though maybe he was talking friendship. “I’m sorry you’re not with your family, but I’m happy you’re Mistletoe’s vet. Seeing you again, it’s… nice.”

  His gaze locked on Caitlin’s. His smile spread. The corners of his eyes crinkled, sending unexpected heat flowing through her veins. “Nicest Christmas Eve I’ve had in a while.”

  Her heart lodged in her throat. She felt nineteen again, a freshman at MSU, caught in that overpowering rush of first love. When he was her everything. “Me, too.”

  A phone rang.

  The sound jolted her. She blinked. Looked away.

  “Copper Mountain Animal Hospital, Veronica speaking,” said the woman behind the counter.

  Caitlin’s cheeks burned. Oh, no. What had she been doing? Thinking? She wasn’t an innocent college freshman. Noah had never been the right guy for her. Not then. Now… ?

  He cleared his throat. “I should get back to Mistletoe. It’ll be at least an hour, most likely longer, until we’ll need to discuss what’s next. If you want to leave, feel free. I hear there’s a Nativity program at the church tonight. If you want to attend, please don’t let this stop you. Mistletoe is in good hands.”

  She nodded, not trusting her voice. She wouldn’t mind being in those good hands herself.

  Uh-oh. Leaving now would be the smartest move. Safest one. She should go back to the Pattersons’ house, lose herself in the pages of a book. Distract herself from the kitty and vet tugging on her heartstrings.

  But what she felt right now was normal.

  Everyone became sentimental during the holidays, with memories of their past and gratitude for the present. The cheery decorations and unexpected, but warm reunion with Noah made her think of the future.

  Thinking about something didn’t make it come true.

  Wishing, either.

  She straightened, squared her shoulders, raised her chin.

  Tonight might be Christmas Eve, but Santa wasn’t going to leave presents for her under the tree or bring Noah back into her life for good.

  But he was here now. Might as well enjoy it. Him.

  Caitlin was grateful for what she had. Working with preschool-aged children was the best job ever, frustrating at moments, but a blessing, too. Having friends like Jen and Jay Patterson who treated her like family helped Caitlin deal with missing her parents. Finding Mistletoe and, if everything worked out—Caitlin crossed her fingers—placing the kitten with her dear friends, would be the final ornament, the star on top really, on the imaginary Christmas tree in her mind.

  A good-looking, great smelling boyfriend from the past was welcome until she decided it was time for him to go.

  An hour and a half later, Noah returned to the waiting area. More pet owners filled the chairs with cups of coffee balanced amid magazines and cellphones. Caitlin was there, too, in the same chair, her long, straight brown hair pulled back into a messy bun.

  A funny feeling formed in the pit of his stomach.

  Now that he’d found her he didn’t want to let her go again.

  He wanted a second chance. Somehow
he needed to convince her he deserved one, but how?

  She wrung her hands.

  Worried about the kitten? A good thing he had some answers now.

  He walked toward her, thinking how much prettier she’d grown. Her looks had been just college-freshman cute years ago, until he’d spoken with her and realized how sweet and caring she was. All qualities that seemed to have matured into something even stronger now, like the woman herself. “You stayed.”

  “I know you said I had time, but…” She wiped her palms on her jeans, stood. “How’s Mistletoe?”

  “The blood tests were unremarkable.” He recognized the confusion in her eyes. “That means normal.”

  “Great news.”

  Caitlin’s relief for the kitten showed her big heart. Something Noah assumed was necessary for working at a preschool. Something else he hadn’t seen when they were dating was her determination. Herding cats might be easier than teaching three- and four-year-olds, but if anyone could do it, he had a feeling she could.

  “Mistletoe’s also negative for FIV and FeLV.” “She’s doing well, given her condition when she arrived.”

  “Fantastic.” Her excited word didn’t match her hunched shoulders.

  Something was off. “Have you spoken with your friends?”

  “Yes.” Caitlin looked him straight at the eyes, the corners of her mouth tight. “My friends are getting two kittens for Christmas, a brother-sister pair from her parents. They can’t take Mistletoe.”

  The disappointment in her voice made him want to kiss Caitlin happy. He touched her arm instead. “Sometimes these things turn out for the best.”

  She nodded, half-heartedly.

  “Hey, Dr. Sullivan. Better watch out.” Veronica said from behind the counter. “You’re standing under the mistletoe.”

  Noah glanced up. Sure enough, the greenery hung above him.

  Smiles tugged on the lips of other worried clients. One was the owner of a cat who chewed on a lamp chord and electrocuted himself. The other owned a dog with a leg wound due to a broken fence rail.

  Maybe hanging the mistletoe hadn’t been such a bad idea, especially now that he was standing here with Caitlin.

  Pink tinged her cheeks. He remembered the charming blush from their days at MSU. He wanted a refresher with her kiss. Who was he kidding? He wanted to kiss her until she couldn’t think about anyone but him. “You game?”

  “Sure.”

  Not the most passionate response, but that was good enough with a kiss attached.

  Anticipation surging through him, Noah lowered his mouth toward. She rose up on her toes to meet him halfway, surprising him once more. He’d made the moves before.

  His lips touched hers. Soft, warm, sweeter than he remembered.

  Merry Christmas to me.

  He owed Santa a plate full of cookies and a beer. Mistletoe would get a treat. This kiss was the best present he could have asked for. He ran his mouth over hers, wanting more.

  She arched, her breasts pressing against his chest. His temperature shot up. His groin tightened.

  He reached up.

  She backed away, her face more flushed. Her breathing ragged.

  His lips tingled. He fought the urge to pull her into his arms for another round.

  Had she always kissed like that? If so, what had his twenty-two-year-old self been thinking?

  “Now that’s what I call a kiss under the mistletoe.” Veronica clapped. The other clients joined in, filling the waiting room with applause.

  Caitlin curtsied as if she were a ballerina playing the Sugar Plum Fairy in The Nutcracker.

  Following her lead, Noah bowed. Memories of the shy girl he’d once dated clashed with the woman standing here today. She was nothing like he remembered. But that didn’t seem to stop his attraction from growing exponentially the more he saw of her.

  “You probably need to get back,” she said.

  Noah should have been the one to say that, not her. But a part of him wished he could stay with her longer. But animals needed care and people didn’t want to be here all night, even if he would be. “I do.”

  “Give Mistletoe a rub for me please.”

  The kitten’s name was growing on him. After the hot kiss, so was the hanging green stuff. Maybe they should keep the mistletoe up during the month of December, not just Christmas Eve.

  Kissing her had lightened the anxiety in the waiting room. He was glad to have brought a smile and lighthearted moment to pet owners, but maybe he could figure out a way to get Caitlin under the mistletoe again, without an audience.

  That gave Noah an idea. One that might put him on Santa’s naughty list, but seeing Caitlin smile would be worth a stocking of coal. And if he managed to get another kiss… “How would you like to give Mistletoe a rub yourself?”

  Caitlin sat alone in exam room #3. Framed pictures of dogs and cats covered the walls, but images of Noah filled her mind, compliments of his toe-curling kiss.

  Talk about hot. Even though the kiss hadn’t lasted long and people had been watching.

  Still, her pulse hadn’t slowed. Her nerve endings tingled. Her lips throbbed. She touched her mouth with her fingertip.

  The kiss under the mistletoe had been unexpected, wonderful, a little scary.

  Okay, a lot scary.

  Kissing him had been better than she remembered.

  Out of practice or lonely or something… else? She tapped her toe. The something else made her wish for another kiss.

  A knock sounded. The door opened.

  Noah walked in with Mistletoe wrapped in a blanket. He cradled the kitten like a baby against him.

  Her heart melted, pooling at her feet like an ice sculpture left in a greenhouse.

  “Sorry it took so long.” He adjusted the blanket away from the sleeping kitten’s face. “I was hoping a dog we’ve got back there couldn’t reach his stitches but somehow he did. Now he’ll have to wear a cone.”

  “Poor doggy. Maybe Santa can bring him a bone to make up for being stuck in a cone of shame for Christmas.” She loved how Noah’s thumb rubbed the spot under the kitten’s chin, almost as an afterthought. She wondered if Noah knew he was doing it. “You don’t have to apologize for doing your job. But you know what’s funny?”

  He looked from the kitten to Caitlin. “What?”

  “You used to talk about being a vet and your future, but this is the first time I’ve ever seen you with an animal. This is where you belong.”

  “Thanks. I wouldn’t want to do anything else.” His gaze remained on her. “Or be anywhere else.”

  Her heart sped up. Not good. She needed to tamp that down. “What about your plans to live in a big city?”

  “Plans change. Like people. You’re not the same woman I knew. I’m not the same man. I hope you… see that.”

  He sounded so serious, a way she’d only heard him talk about being a vet. “I see that.”

  Noah exhaled. “I’m glad.”

  “I also heard what the other clients in the waiting room had to say about you, making house calls to the elderly if their pets are sick, taking care of feral and barn cats for the shelter. You’re devoted to your job.”

  “I am, but a wise woman wearing reindeer antlers told me that there needs to be more than work in my life. She’s right.”

  A lump the size of Rudolf’s nose formed in Caitlin’s throat so she nodded instead of answering.

  “I really am sorry for hurting you.” Raw emotion sounded in Noah’s voice. “No excuses unless being young and stupid with a severe case of tunnel visions counts.”

  That made her smile. “We were both young and stupid back then. I had tunnel vision, too, except the only thing I saw was you.”

  “I wish I had only seen you.”

  His words sent tingles down her spine, all the way to the tips of her boots. “Noah—”

  A soft mew interrupted her. Noah’s mega-watt smile raised the temperature in the room ten degrees and made her want to ask him out for co
ffee the day after Christmas.

  “Ready to say hello to the kitty you rescued?” he asked.

  “Ready, impatient, so glad you asked.” Caitlin took the kitten from him and held the wrapped bundle close to her. She stared into sleepy green eyes that blinked open to meet Caitlin’s. Her heart bumped. “Oh, my. Hello, Mistletoe. Aren’t you the cutest kitten ever?”

  “She is pretty darn cute.” Noah moved closer, his arm brushing against hers. Heat emanated from him, making her scoot closer. He didn’t seem to mind and soon they sat thighs touching, his arm around her, as if that was where it belonged. “If you feel a bump or any wetness, that’s from the subcutaneous fluids.”

  “She’s perfect.” Caitlin focused on the cat, but she was equally aware of the man next to her. Sure, there was physical attraction, the zinging, buzzing, humming kind. But while she’d been infatuated with the senior vet-wannabe, the vet and man now intrigued her, made her want to know what made him tick and listen to him tell her about his new plans and how he’d ended up in Marietta.

  The little tabby mewed.

  “Listen to her.” She laughed, a sound that bubbled inside her thanks to the kitten and to Noah. “Mistletoe’s found her voice.”

  “She’s small, but noisier than the beagle who came in after her. She’ll be a handful, but most cats are.”

  Caitlin touched the kitten’s tiny paw with her fingertip. The cat wasn’t helpless like a newborn, but she was still a kitten. “The thought of Mistletoe going to a shelter…”

  “The shelter tries to put kittens and senior cats into foster homes.”

  “That’s good to know.” But not enough. “My friends said I could keep Mistletoe at the house until they get back on New Year’s Day. That would give me time to find her a home.”

  The pressure of his hand against her back increased. “You may get attached even if you plan on giving her away. That might hurt you.”

  The sincerity in his voice and his openness brought another lump to her throat. He cared. That much was clear to her. The least she could do was be open back. “Too late. I think I became attached the second I found her.”

  “That’s what I thought.” He toyed with a strand of hair that must have fallen out of her bun. The gesture felt natural… right. “Are you going to be able to give up the kitten?”