The Single Dad's Holiday Match

by Tanya Agler

  Brooke took one look at her aunt, and they burst out laughing. Aunt Mitzi reached for a glass and sipped. “Half a glass is perfect so I don’t go back to work and give all my clients mullets like that rival of mine Chantal does. Odalie’s right, though. Lucie has good taste when it comes to these matters.” Licking her lips, she placed the crystal goblet back on the tray. “Did he say he doesn’t trust you?”

  “Not in so many words.” Brooke paused. The last thing she needed was for any suspicion to be cast on Colin.

  As long as Mo didn’t spread the news Colin had been part of a photo lineup, Colin could continue to hold his head high.

  Aunt Mitzi handed her the other filled glass. “To finding people who accept you even when you think they’ll never cross your path.” She clinked her glass against Brooke’s.

  It would be impolite to refuse to drink to that beautiful toast, its meaning not lost on her. Here she blamed Hayden for not taking a chance on her and Colin and breaking his commitment to her while she blamed Jonathan for doing his job and honoring his many commitments. Maybe this was really about the fear of the unknown. But in reality, she knew all she needed to know about Jonathan. Brooke took the tiniest of sips, the tasty drink tickling her nose. “How did you know Owen was the right person for you?”

  Aunt Mitzi laughed. “Oh, honey, it happened, and it was right. After Dwayne—” she shook her head and sighed “—I thought it would be better if I made life a little better for everyone else in town. Made others sparkle. Then Owen walked into my salon, and magic happened.”

  She and her aunt were more alike than she’d realized. Same goals, same resistance, but different outcomes in love.

  She loved Jonathan, and he’d hurt her. He might not have done so on purpose, yet it still was painful. However, if she accepted that he’d been following through with his commitment to his job, that would change everything.

  “I’m glad it worked out for the both of you.” And she was. Her aunt deserved the moon at her feet for what she did for others out of the pure kindness of her heart.

  Odalie entered again and hung three dresses on the rack. “Lucie has an excellent eye for bridal fashion.” The soft chimes of the doorbell signaled a new customer. She sent an apologetic glance their way. “Excuse me. My assistant is running late on her lunch break. I’ll leave these here and come back to see if one of them catches your eye.”

  Odalie hurried out of the room, and Brooke rose and examined the dresses, all in varying shades of pink. She fingered the simplest one, an A-line with a curved neckline and a flared tea-length skirt. Aunt Mitzi joined her. “Is it official? Are you getting married on Valentine’s Day?”

  “It’s my favorite holiday.” Aunt Mitzi pulled the dress off the rack, held it up against Brooke and nodded. “This one will look right pretty on you. I think dusty pink for you, light pink for Lucie and the burgundy for Ashleigh. I can’t wait for them to get here. Ha! Owen would get married tomorrow at the Hollydale municipal offices by a judge if it were up to him, but he knows Dwayne and I eloped when we were both too young to know better. So Owen and I are getting married with the works, everyone’s invited, the gazebo for the ceremony, cold weather and all, with the reception to follow at the Whitley Pavilion. Sometimes it’s better to move on from the past and get on with life, you know?”

  “You might try being more blunt, Aunt Mitzi.” Brooke laughed so her aunt would know she was keeping this light. “That’s why I moved here. New town, new job, new possibilities.”

  “Honey, possibilities can become realities when we don’t let ourselves stand in the way. You’ve been miserable. Talk to Jonathan.”

  Odalie rejoined them and beamed. “That one’s my favorite of the three. It will look beautiful on all of you. Great choice. The fitting room is through that door. You can try it on so I can see if I need to make any alterations.”

  From the keen look in Aunt Mitzi’s eye, Brooke understood that Odalie had merely interrupted the conversation, rather than ended it. “I can’t talk to Jonathan tonight. I have to work late.”

  Brooke swept into the fitting room, happy to have had the last word.

  “By the way.” Aunt Mitzi raised her voice. “Did I forget to mention Tina invited me and Owen over for Thanksgiving? She said to bring you and Colin.”

  Brooke halted the removal of her coat with one arm stuck in the sleeve. Aunt Mitzi had conveniently held on to that detail until now. “I’ll think about it.”

  “Jonathan and his daughters will be there.”

  Of course they would be. An old-fashioned Thanksgiving with people bursting out of the rooms, exactly the type of holiday she’d always dreamed of when she and Colin celebrated Thanksgiving alone in their apartment, each enjoying a drumstick and the other’s company. If she wanted the possibility of a family holiday with all the trimmings to become a reality, she would have to spend the day with Jonathan.

  Would that make him happy? Would that make her happy? Her life was in Hollydale, and it was time to ensure her heart could lodge here, too.

  * * *

  JONATHAN SLIPPED A ticket under the windshield of a red SUV parked downtown in a handicapped spot. He let go of the wiper only to find Aidan Murphy headed his way. Jonathan stood there, his nostrils flared. “This isn’t your car, is it?”

  Interview or no interview, if this was Aidan’s car, he wouldn’t take back this ticket.

  “I own a teal car that belonged to my sister.”

  Jonathan exhaled, relieved the city manager hadn’t parked in a handicapped space. “Good. I’d have hated to cite you. What do you need?”

  “When’s your next break?”

  “Why?”

  “I’d like to talk to you.” Aidan held up his hands. “In full disclosure, I already spoke to Ms. Everson.”

  Jonathan winced at how Aidan might misread his attitude for sheer snark. The city manager might not have much to do with the direct dealings of the police department, but Aidan had a say in selecting the first detective.

  Aidan motioned toward historic Hollydale City Hall. “My office is inside. It won’t take long.”

  With a mere thirty minutes until he was supposed to pick up Izzy at the community center, Jonathan needed to arrange for someone else to take his daughter home. “I’ll be right there.”

  Aidan nodded, and Jonathan texted his aunt with his request. Aunt Tina replied in the affirmative. With that settled, Jonathan joined Aidan, wary of whatever the city manager was going to lay on him. This might be his way of letting Jonathan down gently. Jonathan still wasn’t sure what he’d do if he didn’t get the job.

  They walked inside city hall, and they stopped in front of a vending machine. Aidan plunked in a couple of dollar bills. “Natalie’s sensitive to smells. I can’t drink my favorite flavored water around her.”

  Anne had a similar reaction when she’d been pregnant with Vanessa. “Then I gather congratulations are in order. When’s she due?”

  Aidan kept his gaze on the machine, but Jonathan sensed a small smile at the corners of his lips. “In May.”

  Jonathan bobbed his head in support. “What do you want to know about me? My educational background? Conviction rate in Savannah? My greatest weakness?”

  “I’ve studied your file and Emerson’s. This is informal. I wanted to see both the candidates in action, and I’ve done just that.” The bottle plopped down, and Aidan reached through the metal divider, pulling out the water. “Strawberry blackberry was exactly what I wanted. Anything strawberry-flavored is my weakness. Can I get you something?”

  A line on his chances would be nice, but Jonathan kept that to himself. “I only drink coffee from vending machines as a last resort. I gave up metal-tasting coffee after college. Now a cup of Deb’s special roasted blend is my weakness.”

  “Good choice. I’ll let you get back to your duties.”

  That was a
ll. It took him longer to shave in the morning. Admitting he’d missed something, though, while interviewing for the detective position wasn’t an option. “Thanks. Have a good day.”

  Jonathan left the building and shook his head. Patience only could take him so far. He’d call his former superior in Savannah tonight after the girls went to bed and talk about those current postings. If they moved back, Anne’s parents would spoil them rotten. Maybe they could use a little of that. They’d even gone so far as to offer more than once that he and the girls were welcome to live with them. And that he could get his old job back. It wouldn’t be the end of the world for his daughters, although it might be for him.

  * * *

  IN THE WARM coziness of Jonathan’s kitchen, Brooke double checked the recipe for pumpkin cake on her phone and made sure she and Isabella had gathered all the ingredients. Baking had never been her forte, but she needed something to pass the time with Isabella. When Tina had contacted her about being late to pick up Isabella, Brooke had insisted on bringing her home and saving her the trip.

  No sooner had the call ended than she realized that meant she’d have to see Jonathan. It was always better to talk in person anyway.

  “It’s not fair.” Isabella measured the flour and patted it too hard. A powdery poof rose into the air. “Vanessa gets to have fun with Aunt Tina and Uncle Drew while I won’t get Aunt Tina to myself until the day after Thanksgiving and...”

  Brooke coughed and finished her sentence. “And you’re stuck here with one of your least favorite people?”

  “Exactly.” Isabella’s eyes widened, and she threw her hands over her mouth. “Please don’t tell Dad I said that. He’ll tack on another week to my grounding.”

  “Maybe it’s time we do something about the underlying cause instead.” Brooke measured baking soda and powder, adding them to the mix. “I’ll take care of the spices if you want to crack the egg and whisk it before pouring it into the other ingredients.”

  Isabella brought the mixing bowl toward her and assembled the ingredients with a light hand. “I don’t want another mother.”

  Brooke had a feeling that was what this had been about the entire time. Even though she wanted to tell the girl she had nothing to worry about on that front, mending fences was more important. “I don’t blame you. You know, my aunt Mitzi is like a mother to me, but she’s not my mom. We’re okay being who we are with each other. It’s more fun that way.”

  They finished mixing the batter, and Isabella shoved the pan in the oven. “Not that Dad will enjoy it much.” Isabella huffed.

  “Why do you say that?” Brooke wiped her hands with the kitchen towel before placing the bowls in the dishwasher.

  Isabella removed the oven mitt and bit her lip. “He’s been different this past week. He hasn’t been as happy as he’s been since we went to the pumpkin patch.”

  Knowing he was as miserable as Brooke wasn’t a comfort at all. She turned her attention to the recipe. “Well, we still have more work to do. What’s cake without frosting?”

  “Yuck. I don’t like cream cheese.” Isabella stuck her tongue out.

  “Cream cheese frosting is different. It’s sweet.”

  Isabella looked like she remained unconvinced. “Can we only frost half the cake?”

  Whipping the ingredients with a hand mixer, Brooke shrugged and spoke over the noise. “Why don’t you try it first before you judge?” Satisfied at the mixture’s consistency, she found a spoon and held it out for the young girl, who took two steps back. “Are you having fun?”

  Isabella folded her arms and pursed her lips as if she wanted to deny it. “Yes.”

  “Then trust me. Live a little and try something new.” She held out the spoon, and Isabella reached for it.

  She sampled a tiny bit of the mixture before licking the spoon clean. “Maybe we can frost the whole cake.”

  The front door slammed, and Jonathan’s voice reached the kitchen. “Aunt Tina? Izzy? Vanessa?”

  “In here, Daddy.”

  Brooke hid her smile at Isabella’s obvious attempt to butter up her father. It was time for her to leave, and Brooke’s smile faded. She went over to the breakfast nook and picked up her coat and purse.

  Jonathan stopped at the threshold, a sight for sore eyes. “I thought I recognized your car.”

  “Your aunt didn’t text you?” Brooke folded her coat over her arm. “She left something at work, and Vanessa went with her to Lucie’s business. She’ll bring Vanessa home later.”

  “I’d better finish my homework.” Isabella stood on her tiptoes and planted a quick kiss on her father’s cheek.

  She left the room, and Jonathan glanced over his shoulder. “Wait. That’s Vanessa in Izzy’s body. Where did you put the real Izzy?”

  “She said you’ve been a little grumpy this week.” Aunt Mitzi had intimated that very same thing about her this afternoon, so it was best to go with her original plan of talking to him in person. She set down her purse and coat and handed him an oven mitt. “The cake should be ready in a couple of minutes. Once it cools, the frosting is on the counter.”

  “Cake? Frosting?” He crossed over to the bowl of cream cheese frosting and hesitated. “I’d make a joke, but I’m not connecting the dots. You bring Izzy home and made a cake while you ignore texts from me and get upset with me about doing my job.”

  Maybe it was for the best that this ended before it began if this chasm would always exist between them. She’d best find out if they could at least be amicable toward each other.

  She stilled and placed her coat and purse down again before finding two clean spoons. She handed him one. “Your aunt invited Colin and me to Thanksgiving at her place.”

  “If that’s what’s concerning you, Mike posted the official holiday schedule today.” He glanced over his shoulder and clenched his fist around the spoon. “I report to the station at six in the morning on Thanksgiving. In terms of complete disclosure, you turn me upside down. I’ve been having guilt issues about you and me.”

  Brooke dipped her spoon into the frosting and then guided his hand to do the same. “Frosting’s supposed to make everything better. From what I know about you already, so does talking.”

  He laid the spoon beside the bowl and folded his arms. “I’m running second in a two-person contest for the detective slot, I’m missing my daughters’ holidays and I’m not sure being a police officer is worth it anymore.”

  The last part broke her heart. She stood in front of him, glad she chose today to wear her power heels as she was almost eye-level with him. The burning embers in his gaze were unmistakable. Whatever was going on between them hadn’t petered out. “If I believed you really meant that, I’d already have left your house with the door hitting my behind.”

  “You can’t have it both ways, Brooke. Either I’m dedicated to what I believe in or I’m not. When I make a promise, I’m all in.”

  Until Hollydale, she hadn’t known what it was like to have someone all in for her. Hayden had talked about commitment but cowered at the first genuine test. All her life, she’d been the one looking out for others. First it was her mother, then Colin. That changed when she and Colin drove into town. Aunt Mitzi, the Mimosas and Jonathan. For the first time, she could let down her guard, relax a little. Knock that chip off her shoulder.

  “Are you always so persuasive?” She wanted to put herself on the line the same way he was showing her his heart, but she craved certainty. “Because it’s been a roller coaster of a ride for me over the past sixteen years. I’ve had to watch out for Colin since it’s only been the two of us.”

  “I know, and I admire you for it. Maybe it’s time you let someone else in.” She hesitated, and he moved toward her. He reached out as if to touch her, but pulled back at the last minute. “It sounded like you were about to say something else. Something that sounded like but.”

 
Her throat clogged, and she tried to speak. She prided herself on retaining her composure no matter what. That was her hallmark since Hayden slammed the door. Heck, it went even further back than that.

  “When Colin was a toddler, I earned my GED. A few years later, I applied to colleges and felt like I had to decide my whole future there and then. I wanted to help others like myself, and so I chose community development for my major.”

  “It fits you.” He brought her toward him and embraced her. His firm chest provided security and solidity, two things she had craved.

  Off-the-charts chemistry was a bonus.

  “I wanted Colin to be able to look me in the eye someday and be proud of what he saw.” She stepped back and swiped her cheeks. The damp spot on his shoulder caught her attention, and she tried to wipe it away. “Sorry about that.”

  “I’m not. When you’re in, you’re all in.”

  Baring her soul to someone was what she wanted every day. Not with just anyone, though. She loved this funny, serious, wonderful police officer. She wanted him at her side. “For the first time, Hollydale is more than just a community that needs help. It’s my town, too.”

  He cringed and took two steps away from her. “About that detective position.”

  “From what I’ve observed, you’d be perfect for it. You’re smart and logical, always adhering to fairness and justice. I can’t see you in any other profession other than law enforcement.”

  “Actually, I wanted to be a doctor from the time I could walk until I was about sixteen. You see, my cousin Caleb suffered from scoliosis, and I wanted to help him and others like him.”

  The oven buzzed, and she held up a finger. “Hold that thought.” She removed the plump layers, and the sweet, spicy smell of pumpkin filled the kitchen. She set the cake on a trivet and then faced him. “What made you change your mind about becoming a doctor?”

  “Caleb again. One summer day, kids were picking on him, and I put a stop to it. It was then I knew I wanted to be on the side of the underdog.”