Kiss Me, Katie! & Hug Me, Holly!

She nodded. “Absolutely.”

“How so?”

“Look, Bryan, let’s be honest at least.”

“Always.”

“I loved my father with all my heart. So did my mother, but nothing we could do or say was ever enough to make him happy. He had to get out there, up there, had to push the envelope all the time. Had to risk his neck without a thought as to how we’d feel. Always. And then…”

“He died,” Bryan finished gently. “He left you angry and hurt and afraid of letting yourself enjoy life.”

“Yes. I understand you, Bryan, I understand, but I can’t live with it. I hope you can accept that.”

Like hell. “You don’t know me very well yet,” he said mildly.

“I meant what I said. I understand you, but I don’t have any no intention of taking that understanding any further.”

“Because of your past.”

“Yes.”

“I’m sorry, but that’s just absurd.”

“But-”

“But what? All pilots are crazy, wild thrill seekers? No. Some of us value our lives greatly, no matter what you think. Some of us plan to be around for another hundred years.”

“A hundred?”

He had the sudden and ludicrous picture of himself at 130 years old trying to make love to Katie.

Oh, yeah, no doubt, he could do it. He let out a little laugh and she glared at him.

“What?” she demanded.

He grinned.

“You’re thinking of something dirty,” she accused. “I know it.”

“It was that old-age thing you just laid on me. I was wondering if you’ll still want me when we’re really ancient.”

“I don’t want you now!”

“Oh, sweetheart, don’t tell a lie I can disprove with one touch of my mouth to yours. You know you want me, don’t you?”

She glared at him as if he were no better than pond scum, which pretty much gave him his answer.

10

IT WAS THE DAY before Christmas and not a creature was stirring.

Except Katie.

She was more than stirring, she was frantic. Somehow she’d fallen woefully behind in all her paperwork, not to mention year end preparations.

Somehow.

She knew exactly how. She’d wasted the past few weeks making an idiot of herself on a regular basis. Then yesterday she’d spent most of the afternoon in the air.

In the air.

It gave her a secret thrill even now. It worried her, how she’d acted. One smile from Bryan and she’d followed him wherever he’d wanted to go.

So much for being the grown-up, mature one.

The airport was hopping with travelers. The staff watched the clock, and for some reason they all looked so darn merry it drove Katie crazy.

“You may not have heard,” Julie said halfway through the morning, “but we’re about to have one of those happy holidays. Lots of hugs and kissing and making jolly. It’s called Christmas. You might have heard of it?”

“Funny.”

Julie studied her for a moment. “You need another Christmas party,” she decided. “More mistletoe.”

When Katie’s head whipped up, Julie’s eyes were sparkling with amusement. “You could have told me you kissed Santa. I had to hear it through the grapevine. Was it yummy?”

“Who told you?”

“Holly. She said-”

“Don’t tell me.”

“-that you jumped Santa.”

“Oh, my God.”

“Did you really try to kiss him again? Is that how Matt got a concussion?”

Katie closed her eyes and groaned.

“Cool!” Julie grinned. “You’re a goddess among us office women, you know. We’re all trying to figure out what we’ll use at the Valentine’s Day party to kiss whoever we want.”

Katie sighed and bore the moment. But as soon as she was alone again, she picked up the phone and dialed her mother. “Hey, Mom. Yes, I’ll be there tomorrow night for ham, wouldn’t miss it. Oh, and, um, Mom? Why didn’t you ever marry again?”

Her mother was silent for a full ten seconds. “Well that’s a loaded question.”

“I know, I’m sorry,” Katie said quickly. “I don’t mean to pry, I know Daddy really destroyed your heart-”

“Damn right he did. No one should die that early.”

“I meant because he was never there for you.”

“What on earth ever gave you that idea?”

“Well-” Katie let out a little laugh “-he was always flying.”

“Because that was his passion. But I was his passion, too.”

“You…were?”

“I loved him heart and soul, no one else ever came close to giving me what he did.” She sighed. “What a beautiful man he was.”

Had she really gotten it wrong all these years? How could that be possible? Her mother had accepted her father, faults and all, and had loved him with a fierceness few ever experienced.

Could she do the same?

She said goodbye, and stared at the phone for a good long time. Finally she rose and headed down the hall toward the soda machine.

She needed caffeine, lots of it, especially if she was going to finish by a decent time. Tomorrow she’d go to her mom’s house, maybe they’d even talk more, but tonight she wanted to be home with her pretty little tree, her adoring cats-okay, not exactly adoring-and her annual video of A Christmas Carol.

She wanted to be alone to think.

Unfortunately Holly was standing at the soda machine, a huge cinnamon bun in one hand, delicious-smelling hot cocoa in the other, a secret smile on her lips.

Katie put in her three quarters, pushed the button for orange soda and eyed her nemesis. “Ruin anyone’s life today?”

“Now that hurts.” But she didn’t look insulted. “We could be friends, you know.”

Katie laughed. “Yeah. Right. Friends.”

“I care about you.”

“Don’t take this personally, Holly, but I find that really hard to believe.”

“Why?”

“Why? Gee, maybe because you’re always making a fool out of me?”

“You’re still upset about that fiance thing.” Holly actually stuck out her lower lip in a pout. “I did you a favor. He was a quiet, mousy man.”

“So quiet and mousy he dumped me the moment you flashed him some cleavage.” Katie had thought it still