Page 94 of The More the Merrier

Her Dashing Daddies (A Falcon Creek Daddies Christmas Story) by Adaline Raine

Chapter 1

Kendall

“A peppermint mocha?” Dalton grinned, his blue eyes sparkling as he took another sip. He was everyone’s favorite medic for a reason. “Did the Christmas spirit hit you early, prancer?”

I loved being teased by him. It was probably the highlight of my days and my nights. There was an easy charm about him that let him get away with calling pretty much anyone in town a pet name. From some people, it bothered me, especially older men who used nicknames or pet names to be condescending, but Dalton?Daltoncould call me whatever the hell he wanted, and I’d still giggle like a schoolgirl. Referring to me as prancer gave me another dose of holiday cheer.

“The server at Dunkin saw me in my uniform and gave me an extra treat,” I said sweetly. “I figured you’d like it.”

“It’s my favorite.” He winked. “What are you doing Saturday?”

Oh my god. After all this time, was he asking me on a date!? “Um, I’m off.”

“Do you like to dress-up?”

“I do.” I ran one of my fingers down his arm. “Are you talking about some frisky role-play session?”

Dalton shot me a coy smile before casually taking a few sips from his cup. “As fun as that might be, I was trying to talk you into playing Mrs. Claus at the holiday fair.”

I’d read his flirty banter as the start of something more, and my elation immediately dipped. No, he was roping me into some lame costume. Mortification burned through me and I was sure my cheeks were red.

“I’m suddenly busy,” I mumbled. “Enjoy the coffee.”

I scurried away from the situation, my comfortable nursing sneakers squeaking against the linoleum floor.

“Kendall!” Dalton called after me.

He didn’t chase me like I wanted him to. I clearly wasn’t worth the hassle.

I waved over my shoulder without turning around. Dalton was one of the sexiest men in all of Falcon Creek, and I’d jumped to a false conclusion. My new friend Emma was right. I had been acting horribly lately, and she witnessed me throwing nasty insults at our best friend, Marissa. Emma said I was jealous that I couldn’t land one boyfriend, let alone two. I was doomed to be alone. She said it at a party after my friend Tanner was attacked. Once things settled down and everyone was okay, I started taking a hard look at my current state. It wasn’t good, and I’d pushed away the terrible thoughts.

Several of my friends had recently found themselves in tripods—two men, one woman relationships. They all seemed happier than ever. I grumbled to myself, Bah-fucking-humbug.

The upcoming holidays did nothing to brighten my mood. I had three hours left on shift and then I was going to my favorite bar,The Kicking Donkey.I had plans to get drunk, which wasn’t the best sort of plan, but maybe something would change tonight.

Dalton

Sitting atTheKicking Donkey, a bar owned by my friend, Grant Lancaster, I replayed my interaction with Kendall over and over again.

Typically, when someone stomped away from me, I ran after them to fix the situation, but I was on duty. Somehow, I’d find a way to get her alone and figure out what was bothering her. I was pretty sure it had nothing to do with me, but she seemed to be directing her anger my way. I scanned the menu, my gaze flickering between the beers or a martini. I wouldn’t have more than one drink, so I was going to make it a good one.

“She clocked her head.” A young blond waitress named Tessa sounded worried as she spoke with Grant. “I stopped serving her an hour ago, but someone else was buying her shots.”

I didn’t love the tense way she spoke, clearly upset. I set the menu down since I had a feeling of what was coming.

“She should get looked at, but she doesn’t want me to call anyone,” Grant grumbled within earshot of me.

Bingo. It wasn’t a bad idea. Besides, if her injury was serious, an ambulance would be required.

“Hey, Dalton.”

Pinching the bridge of my nose, I gathered some patience, realizing the night would not play out the way I’d hoped. “Hey, man. What’s up?”

“Would you come to my office and check on Kendall? She was dancing on a table and slipped. I think she’s all right, but I’d feel better if someone medically minded at least looked at her.”

I was the last person on earth she’d want poking around her body, but she didn’t have much choice. My paramedic skills were unmatched in our town and everyone knew it.

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