Mistletoe Mommy

been sexy. At the time she just hadn’t been sure she wanted to act on the latent desires he provoked. Now that she’d had a couple of days to think about it…

“Adam?”

“I’m listening,” he said.

“About that k-”

“Oh, hell,” he interrupted. “I gotta go. My little girl’s crying.”

She knew he meant Eliza and not Morgan. “Go. I’ll see you tonight.”

Though she applauded his efforts to comfort his daughter, the aborted conversation was a reminder that an uncomplicated summer fling with a single dad was probably an oxymoron. How could anything remain uncomplicated when kids were involved? Common sense settled over her like an itchy wool blanket. She didn’t want to interfere in the Varners’ family time, and she didn’t want to set a controversial example for those kids. It was better that she and Adam remain platonic and that she didn’t think of him as anything more than a customer she liked and respected. In fact, it would probably be for the best that she stopped thinking about him entirely.

Yes, that was definitely what she would do. Put him out of her mind.

How hard could that be?

IT WAS WEIRD to come home to someone besides a dog and cat who wanted to be fed.

When Brenna pulled into her driveway, the Varners had already parked under the carport and gone inside. Adam had called her back earlier to find out if she had any food allergies or vehement preferences on what she wanted to eat. It had occurred to her that since her schedule was made up more of rough estimates than exact times, she should tell him where the spare key was hidden in the backyard. She warned him that Zoe would definitely come through the doggie door to investigate his presence. Since the border collie had already given the Varners her canine stamp of approval, however, the worst threat she posed was trying to lick one of them in the face.

Brenna had hesitated over telling him how to get into the house-it felt bizarrely personal to think of Adam and his three kids under her roof, amid her stuff, when she wasn’t there-but then she’d realized what a hypocrite she was being. After all, people let her into the privacy of their homes every day!

She opened the front door and did a double take. The enticing food smell wasn’t entirely unfamiliar, but the sounds of Adam calling out hello, Morgan scurrying to come greet her and Geoff laughing at some antic of Zoe’s…It was as if Brenna had turned the knob and accidentally walked into someone else’s life, instead of her own. She blinked, her stepfather’s words coming back to her: I’ve gone it alone, and I’ve been in love. It makes a world of difference.

“Brenna! I drew you a picture,” Morgan said. “It’s on your fridge. Wanna see?”

They passed through the living room, where Geoff and Zoe were playing tug-of-war with a stuffed toy.

“Ellie’s sleeping in the kitty den,” Morgan explained. “If she feels better tomorrow, will you play with her for us?”

“Absolutely,” Brenna promised.

They’d reached the kitchen, where Adam was popping open takeout containers and pouring food into bowls. The scene was so domestic that she felt she should kiss him on the cheek and ask him about his day. Platonic, she reminded herself. No kissing on the cheek or anywhere else.

“We had a craving for Chinese,” he said. “Please tell me Mistletoe has decent mu shu pork.”

“There is no bad food in Mistletoe,” she promised. “Well, except for a couple of ill-advised recipes I tried. But most of my dinner guests survived those and, with therapy and time, even went on to live normal lives.”

Morgan wrinkled her nose. “You’re funny.”

Choosing to take that as a compliment, Brenna glanced around. “Where’s Eliza?”

Adam jerked his head toward the sunporch adjacent to the kitchen. Brenna moved closer for a better look through the window, sidestepping Morgan as the little girl rejoined Zoe and Geoff in the living room. Seated on a white-wicker padded bench, Eliza had River in her lap and was singing along mournfully to a tune from her iPod.

“Ah. The continuing saga of boy troubles?” Brenna asked.

“Yeah.” Adam leaned in to peer over her shoulder and check on his daughter. Brenna’s body heated at his nearness. He smelled like outdoors and sunshine. And he was close enough that she heard his breathing quicken.

Maybe she should fill him in on the platonic plan.

She ducked away from him, gesturing at the window. “You want me to go talk to her?”

He gnawed at the inside of his cheek. “Can you talk to her about it without letting her know I told you anything?”

She thought it over. “Can do.” Whether it would actually help was a different story, but it seemed like a fitting homage to Maggie and all the times she’d tried to bridge the natural gap between her and Brenna. Plus, it put space between Brenna and Adam.

Even without those reasons, though, she admitted to herself that she probably would have felt compelled to reach out to the girl. Unexpectedly Adam Varner and his entire family were getting under Brenna’s skin in a remarkably short period. They were tugging at heartstrings normally reserved for litters of puppies and stray kittens in the rain.

It was ironic that Dr. Varner helped people improve their heart function. Because the more time she spent in his company, the more erratically her heart seemed to behave.

“HEY.” BECAUSE OF the iPod, Brenna spoke louder than she normally would. “Mind if I join you for a few minutes?”

Sniffling, the girl averted her face. “It’s your house.”

“That doesn’t really answer the question.” Brenna stood in front of the girl, scratching River under her chin. “Looks like you’ve made a new friend here.”

It had been the wrong thing to say.

“I don’t need new friends. I need my real ones, back home! They’re the people I want to talk to. Or even my mom. Do you know how gross it is to talk to a dad about boys?”

“Can’t say that I do. I never got up the courage to try.” She wasn’t sure who it would have psychologically scarred more, her or Fred. The man loved her, no question of that, but when it came to “female matters,” he’d invariably punted her in Maggie’s direction. “It just seemed too awkward.”

Eliza nodded repeatedly. “It is. Trust me. And what does he know, anyway?”

“Cut him some slack, Eliza. Your dad’s an intelligent guy, and he cares about you.”

“That doesn’t make him an expert on dating. He hasn’t had a girlfriend since my mom.”

Really? Women in Knoxville don’t know what they’re missing. Of course, Brenna doubted he kept his children posted on the particulars of his love life, so it was possible he was more experienced than they realized. For instance, she was certain they didn’t know about that kiss the other night-and she planned to keep it that way.

“What about you?” Eliza demanded suddenly. “You’re probably smarter about romance than him. Do you date often?”

Brenna guffawed. “Even less than your dad, actually.”

“But you’re pretty. And you have…” Eliza didn’t finish her sentence, but she glanced meaningfully in the vicinity of Brenna’s chest. “My friend Dee says that’s all a girl needs to attract a guy.”

There were so many things wrong with that statement-not that it was completely without truth-Brenna didn’t know where to start. “Those guys aren’t really worth attracting.”

“What kind are?”

“Scoot over.” It would be a snug fit, but the bench could accommodate both of them. Since it looked as if Brenna might need a few minutes to come up with answers, she preferred to get off her feet. “Okay. Boys are a pain in the you-know-what.”

Eliza giggled. Progress.

“But some of them are at least worth the trouble. Hold out for one of those, one who respects you, who’s courteous. He should be honest with you and listen when you talk. He needs to recognize your boundaries and not push you to do anything you aren’t comfortable with.”

“I know this part,” Eliza said, rolling her eyes.