Mistletoe Rescue (Mistletoe Kisses)

Chapter 5

CHAPTER 5

H olly was so glad for the time freed up in not commuting between Price and Canyondale. She laughed, still amazed at how fun this December had turned out so far. Even six months ago, she would never have dreamed she could be so happy.

The last two weeks had been full of long shifts at the hospital, shopping trips with Zack to furnish her apartment and even decorating it for Christmas with a small tree. That alone had been a huge step for her.

Then there were the hours they spent baking and building and planning. Everywhere she went, people called her by name and asked after her.

Kathy hadn’t been kidding when she mentioned people dropping off presents at the hospital. Some came from businesses sending gift baskets, but most were personal things to the staff for the excellent care the people had received there. Nothing in Holly’s experience in Denver had prepared her for this. And she loved it.

And then there was her Secret Santa. Every single day, she had received something. It was obviously someone who knew her well enough that gifts either landed on her doorstep, came in the mail, or were delivered at the hospital on days she was working. Some of the things she had received included treats, cozy mittens, bath salts, a personalized Christmas tree ornament, a large mug and the next day a box of herbal teas. She’d even gotten mismatched socks that would have made Harry Potter’s Dobby proud.

And each came with an inspirational quote or short story. They all lifted her mood, and she found she looked forward to receiving them every day. Often, she figured it must be Zack, but other times, Kathy.

But it could be one of them helping the real Secret Santa. Along with an Angel Tree for people to draw names to give gifts to struggling people, another activity had been drawing names to play Secret Santa for. Holly wished she had known about that one sooner, because she would have liked to take part. She definitely would next year.

“You have another gift, huh?” Dr. Miller asked, coming to stand by the nurses’ station. “What is it today?”

“I really wish I knew who was doing this, so I could reciprocate.” Holly tore off the wrapping paper to find a pocket-sized book.

“That’s not exactly the point of a Secret Santa.” The doctor peered at the small book. “Is it a journal?”

“No.” She flipped through the pages. “It’s full of short quotes encouraging reflection and new beginnings.”

“You look troubled.”

“I feel like someone’s trying to tell me something.” Unsettled, Holly tossed the paper in the trash and slipped the little volume into her pocket.

“Does it feel like a lecture?” Dr. Miller eyed her, one brow arched.

Holly didn’t know how to put her feelings into words.

“Well, if I can offer you a fatherly observation…” He waited for her to nod before continuing. “You had a haunted look in your eyes when you first started here. It intensified after the shooting. To be frank, I was worried about you for a while, but it eventually faded. Now that you’ve moved to Canyondale, it has almost completely disappeared. Is it too much of me to presume that some of it has to do with these little gifts you’ve been receiving every day?”

She grinned. “You are very observant, Doctor.”

“Thank you. It’s something I’ve worked on. But I think a lot of your healing has come from the time you spend with Zack Jarvie. From what I’ve noticed, he’s good for you. Even more so than your Secret Santa.” Dr. Miller tilted his head, studying her. “Are you and Zack just friends?”

Once again, Holly wasn’t sure how to answer. It kind of felt like they were dating, but at the same time, it was more like friends hanging out. But the longer she spent in Canyondale, the more she wanted it to be dating. At least, she thought she did.

“Well, Zack is a good man. I’ve known him all his life. In fact, I delivered him.” Dr. Miller gave a soft chuckle, his gaze off in the distance like he was remembering. “He’s the middle child, you know, in a large family. The first boy, though. We were all having a Memorial Day barbecue, when his mother’s water broke, and he came in a hurry. She didn’t even make it to the car.”

“Oh, wow.” Holly laughed, having met the orderly woman a few times. “I’ll bet it totally messed up her schedule.”

“Yes, it did.”

Before the doctor could say more, the door burst open and a group carrying a man with an injured leg hurried inside.

Later, when Holly could finally take a break, she reached into her pocket and remembered the book. She opened it and scanned the pages, full of little quotes about learning new things, different ways to be yourself, and the magic of starting over.

They were all true, and she felt them in her heart. When Brett and her loved ones had turned their backs on her, it opened her eyes to the truth: everything she had believed about her life was a lie. The loving family had crumbled when they stood together and accused Holly of being the problem.

But everything was different now. In the ER, they often had to deal with difficult situations, and sometimes they lost people. Looking back on where she was when she left Denver, Holly realized those downtimes didn’t overwhelm her anymore. It was because of the support of the people here in Canyondale who had welcomed and embraced her. Where her family had thrown her away, strangers had welcomed her.

And Dr. Miller was right. Zack Jarvie was a huge part of how far she had come.

Holly’s phone pinged with a text from her brother. She hadn’t heard from him since he texted her a Happy Thanksgiving greeting. Maybe he was getting a head start on Christmas.

Jason

I know you don’t want to, but we need to talk about the family.

And with a simple sentence, her happy and upbeat mood washed away.

As soon as Holly opened her apartment door, Zack could tell something was bothering her. A lot.

“What’s wrong?” he wanted to pull her into a hug but worried she wouldn’t think it was appropriate.

“Come on in.” She moved back to make room for him.

Zack stomped the snow off his boots and stepped inside, wishing for once that her unit was like his, with the kitchen nearby. He set the pizza box on the table and turned to find she had moved over to the couch she purchased on one of their shopping sprees.

“Tell me what happened,” he said as he took the seat beside her.

Holly woke her phone and shifted it so he could see a text message from someone named Jason.

Jason

I know you don’t want to, but we need to talk about the family.

Zack had to push down a stab of jealousy, reminding himself this wasn’t about him. “Who’s Jason?”

“My brother.”

Relief flooded him. It made sense then if her brother wanted to discuss their family. Zack didn’t need to get involved in the middle of their feud. He saw enough of those at work, and he knew how ugly they could get because relatives had the power to hurt each other more than anyone else. But Holly needed support in whatever she decided to do about this.

“I notice you haven’t responded.”

She let the phone drop onto the couch cushion, her eyes glistening with unshed tears.

“Hey.” Zack extended an arm but left it up to her if she wanted him to hug her.

She slid into his embrace. As soon as Holly rested her head against his shoulder, the tears came. Zack said nothing, hoping if she cried it out, she might be ready to speak about it.

“I’m sorry,” she finally said, straightening.

He grabbed a box of tissues from the end table and held it out to her.

She took three and used them to wipe her eyes. Once she’d also blown her nose and tossed them into a small trash can, Holly must have decided she was ready.

“I was having such a good day too. I got another present for my Secret Santa, and it was just the kind of thing I needed.” She reached into her pocket and pulled out the small book he had purchased. “The quotes fit my mood perfectly, and Dr. Miller and I had a great chat—” Holly’s cheeks pinked, and she shot Zack an embarrassed glance.

They must have been talking about him. “Now I’m worried.” He grinned, hoping to lift the mood. “He said something about me, right?”

“Did you know he delivered you at a barbecue?”

“That old story.” Zack leaned back. “I swear every new person who moves into town ends up hearing it.”

“He had a lot of good things to say about you.”

“That was kind of him.”

“No. It’s the truth.” Holly said the words so simply and with something indiscernible in her voice that he’d not heard before. Was she finally willing to look at him as something besides a friend?

“Well, that’s kind of you then.”

She gave him a weak smile but then glanced at the phone on the cushion near her leg and picked it up.

“You mentioned talking to your brother before Thanksgiving,” Zack said carefully. “Do you two speak much?”

“Usually a few texts a month. We mostly just check in with each other to be sure we’re okay. He’s in his first year of law school, so he’s pretty busy.” Holly turned the phone over in her hands. “This is the first time he’s mentioned them since the blowup last year.”

“Do you think they would like to make amends?” Zack asked.

“I don’t know.” Holly’s tears started again, so he handed her the entire tissue box.

“You’re not alone in this,” he said once she calmed enough, he thought she might listen to him. “If you would rather not talk to me about it, I get it. I’m sure Kathy would understand. Her parents are at war, and she can never be in the same room with both of them without there being a fight.”

“I don’t want to burden you?—”

“Stop right there.” Zack held up a hand. “I’m here for you too. Whatever you need. And not just as a friend.” He hadn’t meant to say it. Now she would think he wanted something from her. Which he did but only if she wanted it too.

She watched him, and he could only hope that her not crying anymore was a good sign. She held up the small book. “Did you give this to me?”

Busted. He let out his breath and then nodded.

Holly surprised him then by shifting onto her knees and moving so her face was close to his. Her flushed cheeks brought out those delightful freckles. The sudden blaze in her eyes made his heart pound, but was she going to yell at him or?—

She pressed her lips to his. Zack had wanted this for so long that he was instantly all in, wrapping his arms around her. Memories of their young kisses got pushed aside by this new one full of mature emotions. Her warm lips were softer than he remembered from all those years ago, but she still tasted like cherry from her favorite lip gloss.

Finally, tired of the awkward position, he broke the kiss and rose, pulling Holly to her feet. She wrapped her arms around his neck. He pulled her closer, loving the way she fit against him like God had made them a matched set.

When he brushed the flesh of her waist where her sweater had lifted, and her skin rippled under his fingers, Zack froze. This was all happening too fast. He had waited a long time for Holly to be ready for them , but she was vulnerable tonight.

“What’s wrong?” Holly asked, dropping her hands to his chest.

“Nothing’s wrong . I just think we need to slow down.” He kissed the tip of her nose. “I don’t want to take advantage of… This is not coming out right.”

“Oh, Zack.” She lifted on her tiptoes and gave him a quick peck before stepping back. “You’re right.” She flopped onto the couch again.

He didn’t know exactly what the tone in her voice meant, but he knew what he wanted, and he needed her to understand what it was. If the kiss had been a rebound because of the talk about her estranged family, then he wanted to know that now. So he sat beside her and put his arm around her shoulders.

Holly didn’t hesitate to lean into him. Zack sent a silent prayer of gratitude heavenward. They sat together in silence until his stomach rumbled.

“Oh, you poor thing,” she cried, jumping to her feet and turning to pull him to his. “You brought that pizza, and we’ve let it get cold.”

Zack needed to make sure Holly understood he wanted a romantic relationship with her. He stood next to her as they pulled out the dishes and later moved his chair, so he was sitting close to her rather than opposite her at the table. Then he shifted his foot to rest against hers, so they remained in touch.

When he did that, her cheeks flushed, but a smile teased the corners of her mouth. Something he had better not focus on too much.

He had been patient since finding her again last August. He could be patient a little longer.