Page 14 of Santa's Mistletoe Playbook

“Hello, this is Dr. Cooper’s—um, girlfriend. Is he available? I need to speak with him.” Girlfriend sounded lame. Saying ‘fiancée’ would have more credibility, but it might freak Bryson out.

“I’m sorry. He’s in surgery,” the woman responded in a business tone.

Danica’s stomach knotted. “Please have him call me as soon as he’s available. Thank you.” She ended the call and glanced around at the snowy, silent woods. Thank goodness she’d missed the moose, which was long gone.

Now what?It made no sense to sit here. She’d walk up the road to find a house. Danica bundled up, wishing she hadn’t worn her short jacket and boots with three-inch heels.

She set out tramping through the snowstorm. It was tough to determine whether the landscape was hilly or flat; everything looked like a flat white wall. After half a mile, she stopped. She debated whether to turn around when a muffled car engine hummed ahead of her.

Encouraged, Danica picked up her pace until a large, imposing home came into view. She squinted through the blowing snow and plodded through an open wrought-iron gate on the snow-drifted driveway leading up to it.

A man climbed out of his car as she approached.

“Excuse me, but my car slid into the ditch down the road.” She pointed.

“Oh, sorry about that. Do you need a tow?” He sounded friendly enough.

She nodded. “I swerved to avoid a moose, and I can’t get it started.”

“You must be chilled. Why don’t you come in and warm up? You can call for a tow.” He took off his stocking cap and shook out his blond hair. She noted movie star looks.

“Thanks, I appreciate it.” Danica welcomed the chance to thaw out and dry off, as the snow had saturated her from head to toe. The lack of warmth from her short waist jacket left her shivering.

The guy gave her a once over. “Do you live near here? I’ve not seen you before. My name’s Devin.” He held out his hand. “Devin Rasmusson.”

The name sounded familiar, but she couldn’t place it. She shook his hand. “I’m Danica, and I’m only visiting. Don’t know my way around.”

“Come in to warm up.” He led her inside his home with grand cathedral ceilings and floor-to-ceiling windows. It occurred to her this place must cost a fortune to heat.

“Make yourself at home,” he said, motioning to a lengthy sofa.

Danica wondered how many women had fallen for this guy’s deep-dimpled smile. He had an uncanny resemblance to Bryson. She reached inside her pocket for her phone.

Oh no, it’s gone!

She thought about back-tracking to find it, but it was snowing so hard, there was no use.

CHAPTER EIGHT

BRYSON

Bryson bent to sniff the colorful bouquet Danica had left him. He reached inside the gift box and lifted out a cookie.

“Mm, these are good. You should have one.” He offered the box to the attractive woman behind the nurse’s station, who’d eyed him like a succulent shrimp ever since he’d arrived on his first day.

She batted her thick eyelashes with a demure smile. “Pick one out for me.”

He handed her a cookie and waited for her to bite into it. “Good, huh?”

“These are my absolute favorite.” She chewed slowly, obviously for his benefit. “Oh, your girlfriend wants you to call her.” She waved her cookie dismissively.

“Thanks. I’ll leave the flowers and cookies here for everyone to enjoy.” Bryson tugged on his heavy jacket.

“You’ve seemed down in the mouth all day. Is your girlfriend trying to make up for something?” This nurse had been on a never-ending fishing expedition for information about him from the moment he came through the door.

He wouldn’t take the bait and instead smiled. “Nope, just being thoughtful,” he lied. He wished it was only that.

“A bunch of us are getting together at Wolfpack Brewhouse after work. Want to come? I could cheer you up.” She gave him a hopeful, seductive look.

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