Page 2 of Mistletoe and Holly

“She hit her head on the window, so she’s got a got a concussion, and her leg’s broken. We’re still waiting on the X-rays to let us know if they have to operate or if they can just put her in a cast, but she insisted that I call you right away so you could start finding someone else to watch Harper for a while.”

Despite my mini-panic attack, I smiled. I didn’t know many teenage girls who would have cared enough about the kid they babysat to even think about telling their mom to call that kid’s parents while they were in the hospital after a car accident.

“Tell her to just focus on getting better. Can I do anything for you? Or for her?”

“I don’t think so,” she sighed.

“Well, if something comes up, please let me know. Harper and I will say a prayer for her tonight,” I told her.

“Thanks, Holly. I’ll tell her. Oh, the doctor’s coming back. I have to go.”

“Okay. Please text and let me know how she’s doing.”

“I will,” she promised, then hung up.

I parked down the street from the salon, leaving the spaces right in front open for customers. Checking the clock in my car, I saw that I still had half an hour before I had to clock in…which gave me enough time to pop into the hardware store a few doors down to talk to my brother-in-law about watching Harper for the foreseeable future.

Wait. Could I still call Shephard my brother-in-law, since my husband – his brother – was dead now? If not…well, what was I supposed to call the man who was always there for me and Harper whenever we needed him? The man who had been my rock ever since his brother had been taken from us before his time, even though his heart was breaking too?

The cold winter air hit me like a slap in the face as I opened my door and climbed out of my truck. Wrapping my scarf around my neck, I hit the lock button on my key fob, then stuck it into my pocket and retrieved my gloves, which I quickly pulled onto my hands as I speed-walked down the block toward McGovern Hardware.

When I walked into the mom-and-pop store, I smiled as I saw the owner, Julian, setting up his hand-carved North Pole sign for the store’s annual pictures with Santa. His very pregnant wife, Noelle Pine, Lake Serenity’s resident rock star, was sitting on a stool decorating the obscenely large Christmas tree.

“Damn, Ellie. You’re about ready to pop, and your man’sstillgot you working?” I teased.

Noelle laughed as she turned to look at me. “I was going stir-crazy sitting at home, so Jules said I could come in and help decorate as long as I didn’t wear myself out too much.”

“Just saying, my offer for a free mani/pedi still stands. That’d get you out of the house too.”

“I just might take you up on that this week,” she sighed. “If only for the sugar scrub and leg massage. My feet have been swelling like crazy.”

“Come in whenever you want,” I told her. “I’ll hook you up.”

My dad, Kris, our small town’s very own Santa Claus, walked out of the back room, and his face lit up with a grin when he saw me.

“I thought I heard my favorite daughter out here. Came to get a hug from your old man before you start work?” he teased as he pulled me into a big bear hug.

“I’m youronlydaughter, Dad. And I’ll never complain about a hug from you,” I chuckled weakly as I returned the hug. “But I was actually hoping to talk to Shep. Is he in yet?”

“Sure am,” came Shephard’s smooth, velvety voice from behind me. “Whatcha need, sweetheart?”

My stomach dipped as I pulled out of my father’s arms and turned to look at him.

God, it should have been illegal to look as good as he did, especially this early in the morning. His shaggy strawberry-blond hair was combed back, and he had a couple of days’ worth of stubble growing on his chin. His long-sleeved Henley clung to his chest and arms, showing off his muscular build. And the smile on his face was blinding, like seeing me had just made his whole week.

Which was completely ridiculous, wasn’t it? Especially because it felt like every single time I saw him lately, I was asking him for something. I felt awful for foisting Harper off on him at the last minute, but I didn’t have another choice.

“Um, Amy called right after I dropped Harper at school this morning. Mandy was in a car accident this morning,” I said, swallowing the lump in my throat.

“Oh, my God!” Noelle gasped. “Is she okay?”

I took a deep breath. “She has a concussion and a broken leg. I guess the other driver hit a patch of black ice, T-boned her car, and pushed her into a traffic light pole. When I got off the phone with Amy, the doctor was coming back in to talk about the X-ray. They were waiting to see if they needed to operate or if they could just put her in a cast.”

“Damn,” Julian muttered. “Do you know if they need anything?”

“She said no. I think I’m going to see about having dinner delivered for Amy and the kids tonight, though. I know Mandy loves the spaghetti and meatballs from Simon’s.”

“Keep your money. I’ve got it,” Noelle said. “I’ll tell her it’s from all of us.”

---