Santa’s Mistletoe Playbook

Chapter Four

CHAPTER FOUR

brYSON

B ryson slept so well that when he awoke the next morning, he didn’t know where he was. He turned his head to see Danica sleeping soundly beside him and reached for his phone on the nightstand. Eight-thirty in the morning and still dark outside.

Oh yeah, I’m back in Alaska.

He eased himself out of bed so he wouldn’t disturb Danica, then pulled on his sweats and sauntered into the bathroom. The thought of sharing his parents’ bed with Danni made him cringe, so they slept in the largest spare bedroom instead.

After he relieved himself, he returned to the bedroom to find Danica awake. He liked how cute she was when she woke in the morning. All innocent and doe-eyed, like when he first met her.

He bent to kiss her good morning. “It doesn’t get light until nine in December. Stay in bed and get some more sleep. How are you feeling?”

She smiled. “Much better. Yesterday was exhausting. Not to mention stressful.”

“Sorry for all that hassle. After you went to sleep last night, I cleaned out your purse and everything in it. I’m used to vomit smell, so figured I’d do it.”

“Thank you.” She kissed him full on the lips. “What time do you work today?”

“They want me there around ten.”

She traced the pectorals on his chest. “Want to have some fun before you go?” She fastened her gaze to his brown-eyed one but didn’t see the response she wanted.

“I can’t, baby. I have to get ready to go. It’s the first day and all, and with all this snow…” He shook his head.

“Okay.” Danica rolled onto her back, staring at the ceiling. “I’ll go make breakfast.” She rose to put on her robe and padded downstairs.

He knew Danica wanted to make love, but it would have to wait. Stepping in for another doctor posed its own stress and anxiety, and he needed to be on his game on this first day at the hospital.

He stepped into the bathroom to dry his hair and brush his teeth. Then he tugged on a long-sleeved t-shirt and ambled downstairs to the plentiful kitchen, where he smelled coffee.

Bryson stood at the large kitchen window, watching a snowplow clear the road. It had stopped snowing, leaving everything fresh and clean. Growing up in these foothills of the Chugach Mountain Range, he’d always found solace in their beauty. He loved looking out across Cook Inlet to the familiar mountains on the other side.

Danica stood next to him, gazing out the window. “I can see why you wanted to come up here in the winter. These mountains are breath-taking.” She offered him a mug of coffee.

He took a grateful sip and pointed. “See that low-lying mountain across Cook Inlet? That’s the Sleeping Lady.”

“How did it get the name?”

Bryson slid an arm around her waist. “Legend has it the lady was engaged to a man who left her to protect his village before they got married. On the day her fiancé left, the lady promised to wait in the exact spot where they said goodbye. She fell into a deep sleep waiting for him.”

“That’s so sad. Did he ever return?”

He squeezed her waist. “She’s still sleeping, so not yet.”

“Oh,” said Danica in a disappointed tone. She flicked her eyes at him. “Hopefully, that won’t happen to us. Be careful driving in the snow.”

“Don’t worry, I will,” he assured her, reminding himself Danni was out of her element here with all this snow.

A text notification pinged his phone on the granite countertop. He picked it up.

Heard you were in town. Meet us at Moose’s Tooth for beer and pizza? Monty and the boys.

Bryson raised his brows. Word spreads fast. He only mentioned it to one of his buddies in a social media message. Now, apparently, the whole gang knew.

“Who’s that?” Danica nodded at his phone.

“Monty and the boys want to meet up for dinner. Are you game?” He wasn’t up for going out on their first night in Anchorage, but if he put it off, his buddies would never let him hear the end of it.

“Sure. I liked your Alaskan friends when they came down to visit last winter. Monty was especially nice.”

“He’s quite the charmer, for sure.” He gazed at the woman of his dreams. “My friends always say how lucky I am to have an intelligent hottie like you.”

Danica’s cheeks turned pink. “Intelligent, huh? I like them all over again.”

Bryson tapped a response with his thumbs.

See you at Moose’s Tooth when I finish at the hospital. Danica will be with me.

Danica stretched on her toes to kiss him on the cheek. “Be careful all the same, okay? You haven’t driven in winter conditions for a while, Arizona boy.”

“Don’t worry, it’s like riding a bike. Besides, Dad’s four-wheel-drive truck has studded snow tires. I’m good to go.” He turned to go, then paused. “I hope the story about Sleeping Lady didn’t make you anxious. It’s only a story.”

She gave him a lopsided grin. “I know, but you have to remember this is a wild, foreign place for me, never having been here before. You always said Alaska has ten ways to kill you every ten minutes. I can’t help but think of that.”

Bryson laughed. “I know I’ve said that in the past, but don’t worry. I grew up here. I know the ropes. See you after work.” He kissed her forehead, then hustled out to the heated garage and fired up the truck. He backed out and headed toward Mercy Hospital in Midtown Anchorage.

Bryson pulled into the parking lot of Moose’s Tooth Brewpub and cut the engine. Danica had fixed herself up and looked like a hot million. He leaned across to drink her in. “You are sexy as hell.” He stroked her thigh through her tight-fitting jeans.

“Why, thank you, Dr. Cooper. You’re rather hot yourself.” She pushed open the door and slid down to the ground from the tall pickup, landing deftly on the heels of her boots. The hard-packed snow crunched under her feet.

They ambled inside and Bryson immediately heard his three rowdy friends before he saw them sitting at a table in the center of the restaurant.

“Dr. Cooper and his beautiful woman!” called out Monty, the tallest and beefiest of the three guys at the table. Monty waved them over.

“Hey, good to see you guys.” Bryson exchanged fist-bumps and guy slaps on brawny shoulders. “You remember Danica.”

“You mean the smart, gorgeous woman who is too good for you?” teased Monty, flipping his shaggy dark hair behind him. “Of course I do. Good to see you, Danica.”

She dipped into an amiable nod and smiled. “Thanks. Good to see you, too.”

Bryson seated Danica and himself across from Jamin and Benny, the medium-sized guys of the group. Monty stood and helped Danica ease her chair closer to the table.

Bryson cocked a brow. “Since when did you get manners?” he joked.

“Since working as a public defender.” Monty waved the server over. “These two need some microbrews, please.”

“No thanks, not for me. I don’t drink,” Danica said quickly. She gave Bryson a side-eye, and he winked his approval. She had zero tolerance for alcohol. It had gotten her into one too many scrapes—most of which she was lucky enough not to remember. What happened in Tucson a year ago was still fresh in his mind, and he didn’t want a repeat performance.

“Do you have a bun in the oven?” teased Benny, grinning.

Bryson cast a sideways glance in Danica’s direction. Hopefully, she wouldn’t divulge the real reason she didn’t drink.

“Nothing in the oven. I just don’t have alcohol.” To Danni’s credit, she didn’t elaborate, only smiled at the friendly faces around the table.

“That’s great.” Monty smiled and sipped his beer. “Wish I had your self-discipline.”

“Yeah, me too.” Jamin nodded and picked up a menu.

Bryson stared at his menu with raised brows. “You guys couldn’t stop partying if your lives depended on it.” He flicked his eyes at his hometown buddies he’d known since first grade.

He recalled first meeting Danica at the fraternity party in Tucson. Her wild streak had mesmerized him, but that was before he knew what the deal was with her intolerance for alcohol.

A year later, during spring break, Danica tossed back shots of tequila and wound up on top of a cell phone tower outside of Tucson. That was after she’d driven her car up the concrete steps to the Holiday Inn, flattening her tires. Once inside the bar, she lifted a lionfish out of an aquarium and stung herself, then she tripped on an electric cable that blacked out the bar. When the fire department got her down off the cell phone tower, she wound up in an emergency room for her swollen hand, then she was tossed in jail and her parents bailed her out.

Bryson heard about it after returning from visiting his folks in Anchorage. He and Danica argued over the incident, ending with him asking her to promise never to drink again.

The guys ordered a large pizza, and Danica ordered grilled salmon on a Caesar salad. “If I’m in Anchorage, I’m eating seafood,” she announced.

Right away, the guys tossed out suggestions about where Bryson should take Danica for delicious seafood.

Monty piped up. “You two are coming up on a two-year anniversary of being together, right? Didn’t you two meet around Christmastime at a party? How do you plan to celebrate?”

Danica smiled at her boyfriend. “I’m sure Bryson has something planned.”

If that wasn’t a big enough hint, Bryson didn’t know what was.

“Yep, it’s up to me.” He’d better get something figured out, and quick. Whatever he decided would have to top what Danica had planned for Sedona. He made a mental note to go shopping for a ring.

He knew just the place in downtown Anchorage.