Santa’s Mistletoe Playbook

Chapter Two

CHAPTER TWO

brYSON

B ryson wondered how Danica would receive his news. She’d hinted that she had a surprise planned for the holidays, and he suspected the fresh development at work would no doubt change her plans.

He opened the door and heaved a sigh of relief. The three C-sections had complications requiring surgeries for most of the day. All he wanted was to crawl into bed for the night after a soothing shower.

“Danni? I’m home!” he called out, his voice echoing under the towering cathedral ceiling.

“Up here, Bry,” she called from upstairs. “Come on up.”

Bryson trudged up the curved staircase and padded down the plush hallway carpet to their master bedroom. When he stepped inside, his jaw dropped.

Danica lay on her side on the king bed in a skimpy black bra and thong. She gave him a blue-eyed smile, her blonde tendrils splayed on a pillow.

“Come here, big boy. I’ll make you relax.” She patted the spot next to her, licking her lips.

If he weren’t so wiped out, that would surely do it for him. He opened his mouth to protest how tired he was, then remembered what he was about to spring on Danni and clamped it shut. He lifted his V-neck scrub top over his head and tossed it in the dirty laundry.

“Got to shower first, hon. Babies are a messy business.” He wanted to have sex with Danni in the worst way, but after the stressful, fatiguing day he had, he doubted he could get it up, even after a shower.

“Okay, I’ll be waiting.” She picked up the remote and clicked on the TV.

He could tell he’d disappointed her, but his insane work schedule had caught up to him. When he finished showering, he dried himself and walked into the bedroom with a towel wrapped around his waist.

Danica had fallen asleep. Her soft snores told him he shouldn’t wake her. They never seemed to catch a break. Either he was eager for lovemaking, or she was, but their timing was always off. He sighed and headed down to grab himself a plate of enchiladas.

Danica appeared behind Bryson’s chair, and her arms came around him in a gentle hug. “Tell me your news.” She yawned and dragged a chair next to him. Dammit, she’d covered up with her pink robe.

He turned to face her. “Remember Dr. Perry, the obstetrician who transferred from Anchorage a few months ago? You met him at the holiday party we had at the Camelback Resort.” He shoveled in a mouthful of enchilada.

“Yes, I remember him.”

“Dr. Perry has a family emergency, so he asked if I’d be willing to fill in for him at Mercy Hospital in Anchorage while he’s gone.”

“Anchorage? When?” He could tell she forced a smile.

“Right away. He has to settle his ninety-five-year-old mother into an assisted living facility in Virginia. She fell and is in a hospital there. He has to leave as soon as possible.”

Danica’s sapphire eyes grew big as snowballs. “Right away? As in now, right away? But—but we planned to go next summer, so I could meet your parents.” Her voice rose along with her displeasure at this news.

He figured she’d be surprised about the sudden change of plans, not alarmed. “It’s only for a week or so. I’ll manage his patient load until he gets back.”

“But Bryson—” she started, and he noted panic in her eyes. “I had already—already…” she trailed off, shaking her head.

He leaned toward her. “Can you be ready to go the day after tomorrow?”

“What? In two days? But—this was supposed to be a surprise—I have reservations for a vacation B she was a devoted desert rat from Phoenix who loved her cozy, warm temperatures.

“If it were any other time, sure, but not when I have a fantastic time planned for us,” she mumbled, a tear dribbling down her cheek.

“Oh baby, don’t cry.” Bryson leaned over and slid his arm around her. “I’ll make it up to you. I’ll take you somewhere beautiful, like the Grizzly Den Resort, up in the mountains. We’ll get a room with a view of Mt. Denali.”

“You know I’m a fair-weather girl. I don’t even like going to Flagstaff to go skiing,” she groaned.

“I know.” He duck-paddled inside. “If you do this one thing for me, I promise I’ll make it up to you. We’ll go to Sedona for Valentine’s Day.”

She gave him a wary look. “You mean it?”

“I mean it.” Bryson touched her forehead with his. “Honey, the two weeks will fly by, then we’ll be back home in Scottsdale.”

“Two? You said one,” she countered. “Will we stay with your parents?”

“They’re spending Christmas in Belize, but they’re letting us stay at the house and use their vehicles.”

“So, I won’t get to meet them. You already talked to them?”

“I had to see if this would work out.” He leaned in for a light kiss.

“Okay, but…” Her expression was doubtful.

“But what?”

She lifted her chin and steadied her gaze on his. “Promise we’ll do something special for Christmas.”

“Thanks, baby. I promise.” Promising a time commitment was like tossing darts at a moving target in his field of newborn deliveries.

He loved Danni, so he’d find a way to make it work.