Mistletoe Mommy

think that picking his own blueberries ranked up there with white-water rafting or even playing video games on his DS back at the Chattavista. Then there was Eliza.

The animals had been “smelly,” she claimed to be “dying of the heat,” and when he’d handed her a cold water to help cool off, she’d complained that it tasted funny.

Now the three children sat on a nearby bench while Adam waited to buy snacks and soft drinks. Since Morgan and Eliza had been at each other’s throats for the past couple of hours, he was relieved when a little boy about Morgan’s age wandered over to her and engaged her in a conversation about a cartoon she and Geoff sometimes watched together. She’d tried to explain some of the creatures and their origins to Adam, but he mostly remained clueless.

Now Morgan chatted happily as Adam paid the vendor. Eliza could either sulk in silence or pick a fight with her brother, but he figured Geoff could handle himself. When Adam turned, he saw that the man who’d been in front of him in line was now standing with the little boy.

The man, round but not overweight with a head of thick gray hair, nodded a greeting to Adam. “Seems like my grandson and your little girl have some common interests.”

Adam distributed drinks and soft jumbo pretzels while the two five-year-olds talked some more. Upon learning that Morgan was the same age as him, the boy got excited about the possibility of Morgan being in his kindergarten class.

“Nah, we live too far away,” Morgan said. “We’re visiting from Tennessee.”

“First time in Mistletoe?” the boy’s grandfather asked Morgan, “or do you have family in the area?”

“First time,” she said.

“Welcome to our town. I hope you’re enjoying your stay. I’m Gerald Kimborough and this is my grandson, Todd.”

Adam whipped his head around. “Dr. Gerald Kimborough, the nephrologist?”

The other man laughed. “You must either be in the medical profession yourself or you know a patient of mine.”

“Dr. Adam Varner.” He held out a hand. “Cardio. I like to stay current on other disciplines. I read that case study you had published on renal-transplantation patients. But I thought it mentioned that you were a nephrology fellow up in New England.”

“I was. My wife’s family is from Georgia, though, and our daughter settled here. I moved down to help run the new dialysis facility. Mistletoe has an active retirement community, along with a great seniors center and newly expanding medical complex. We’re building such a great reputation that some patients north of Atlanta are choosing to make the drive up here to see us, instead of going into the metro area for treatment. Drawing more doctors, too, for kidney treatment and the cardio unit.

“It’s a chance to keep doing what I do best, but in a different environment from where I was before. Plus,” he added with a fond smile at the towheaded child, “now I get to spend more time with the big guy.”

“Dad!” Eliza’s tone was so impatient that she’d obviously been waiting for a break in the conversation. “We’ve fed goats, we’ve picked berries. Can we go now?”

Anger surged through Adam that she could continue to be so ungrateful after he’d tried for days on end to spend time with them and help them have fun. He turned to her. “I know it’s hot outside, but you’re sitting in the shade and you have a cold drink. Cutting short other people’s fun because you’re bored is just selfish,” he admonished. “You had a manicure the day before yesterday, got to explore a waterfall, are going rafting tomorrow and are planning to see a movie on Tuesday, to say nothing of the big Fourth of July celebration. Not every second can be go, go, go, Eliza. You’re twelve, which is mature enough to stop acting like a spoiled brat!”

She recoiled as if he’d slapped her, her expression stricken. When tears welled up in her eyes, she mumbled an “Excuse me” and bolted for the nearby restroom. Watching her hasty exit, Adam felt like an ogre.

Dr. Kimborough cleared his throat, looking embarrassed. “Yes, well, lovely to have met you. Todd, let’s run along so the Varners can finish up their tour of the farm.”

“I’m sorry,” Adam said. “I-”

The doctor waved his hand. “Not at all. I had a teenage daughter once myself. Gets easier after their twenty- first birthday,” he whispered conspiratorially.

How lovely, Adam thought. Now he had something to look forward to-nine more years of hell. Of course, in nine years, Morgan would be a teenager. He groaned.

Once the Kimboroughs had departed, Geoff stood. “Way to go, Dad.”

Adam squeezed his eyes shut. “Son, I could do without the sarcasm right now.”

“No, I was being sincere. Way to go, congratulations. You normally tiptoe around Eliza, letting her act however she wants. Mom would never have put up with that.”

“Oh.” He processed this. “Good to know. I guess.”

He’d never meant to give the impression that Eliza could do whatever she wanted without consequences. Although to be fair, most of her transgressions were of the mere eye-rolling kind; it wasn’t as if she’d been sneaking cigarettes outside the lodge or boosting cars on Main Street.

It was strangely bolstering that Geoff thought he was acting like a real parent now. On par with Sara. Did that mean Adam was making progress, even though one of his children was currently not speaking to him? Some parts of this parenting gig were less fun than others.

When five minutes had passed, Geoff glanced at Eliza’s untouched pretzel. “Can I have it?”

Adam answered with a quelling look. Another few minutes ticked by. “Morgan, pumpkin, would you mind going into the restroom and asking your sister if she could please join the rest of us?”

“She’s gonna yell at me,” Morgan predicted.

“If she does, I promise I will deal with that.”

Morgan disappeared into the women’s room, and a moment later returned with a subdued and tearstained older sister.

“Daddy?” Morgan ventured. “It’s okay with me if we leave now. I wanna see Ellie, anyway.”

Accepting defeat, he carried Morgan’s plastic bucket of blueberries so that she could have both hands for her drink while they walked toward the exit.

“We should give some of these berries to Brenna,” Geoff said. When Adam had noted earlier that Geoff had stopped calling her Ms. Pierce, his son had joked that it was because they were “practically co-workers” now: “I helped her prepare for taxes next quarter. Check me, I’m like an accountant.”

“That’s a nice idea,” Adam said. “And don’t forget, Lydia at the lodge said that if you bring her enough berries, she’ll make sure you guys get blueberry pancakes for breakfast tomorrow.”

Halfway to Brenna’s house, Adam realized Eliza hadn’t said a word the entire time. His first assumption was that she was giving him the silent treatment, but when he noticed the way she’d cradled her arms against her abdomen, his conscience plagued him. She had complained she wasn’t feeling well, but it had been a nonspecific gripe on the heels of him asking about her ornery mood, so he hadn’t lent it much credence.

As they drove down Brenna’s street, Morgan remarked, “No car in the driveway.”

Adam had already noticed this and was doing his level best not to broadcast his disappointment. You’ll see her Tuesday. That was only two nights from now.

He parked in the driveway and everyone hopped out. Zoe met them at the fence, wagging her tail so hard her body shook. They went inside, and Adam tried not to notice the sheer Brenna-ness of the place. The faint, lingering scent of her body lotion, a book she’d been reading left facedown on an end table. He stole a peek at the title and smiled-he enjoyed that particular series, too. Considering the slightly dusty book jacket, she’d probably started this one before her summer schedule ramped up into high gear.

Morgan ran down the hall, already talking to Ellie in that slightly higher-than-normal voice she used with animals. He resolved that he was giving the kids ten minutes, fifteen tops, before they left for Chattavista. There would be no dawdling in the hopes of catching Brenna as she came through the door.

Geoff disappeared into Brenna’s office; he hadn’t quite finished the odd jobs she’d given him the other day, and she’d told him that she’d pay him for any time he put in, whether she was here or not. Whenever he talked about doing one of the errands she’d assigned, he swelled with pride. Adam made a mental note to revisit the employment issue with Sara. He understood why she’d initially told Geoff that he couldn’t have a job on top of school, but if Geoff could keep his grades up, maybe it was time to change that.