Page 19 of Inherited Holiday

“He’s a bigger pain in the ass. He’s probably at his girlfriend’s. He spends most of his time with her anyway.” He stood, cracking his neck. “I should go.”

I followed him as he walked to the front door with the blanket wrapped around my body. I was always cold, and I noticed he ran hot. We were definitely living up to being opposites.

Do we kiss? Say goodbye? What happens now?

Question after question tore through my mind until we arrived at the entrance. I turned the lock, opening it, but it abruptly shut from behind me, making my eyes shift to his over my shoulder. My eyes widened, and my belly did a somersault times ten.

“I … umm … I?—”

He pulled me into a tight hug and kissed the top of my head, muttering, “I’m glad you moved here.”

“Me too.”

Pulling away first, he added, “I’m going to be at the rink later today if you want me.”

“Yeah.” That was the only word I could form.

Is this a date?

It was only then that I understood it didn’t matter.

For some reason, his friendship meant more.

CHAPTER 8

NICHOLAS: NOW

Iwalked into my friend Dan’s exam room. He was now working at the hospital in Mistletoe Town. He was a doctor on his residency and recently moved there with his wife and their new baby. They wanted to build their life there like most new families did. I built a deck for the hospital he used to work at during his medical school time a few years back, and we’d been friends ever since.

He knew I grew up there and the history with my family. It took him a minute to believe I was the grandson of such a prestigious legacy, and I didn’t blame him. I tried to stay out of any press since I understood who we were. I wanted to live my own life, and I didn’t want people from all over the world to know who I was before they even met me.

I wasn’t a fan of being the center of attention. I was the kind of guy who stood in the back and observed the crowd, and once I felt comfortable, I’d loosen up. Maybe it was the Leo in me, always in control. Dan was also aware of my inherited holiday and how I felt about it. He was a good friend, and Inever thought I’d be seeking his advice in this town of all places.

At that point, I had to talk to someone, and I figured he’d be the one who would understand me the best—being a neutral party and all.

“Look at you,” I greeted. “You’re all dressed up in your doctor clothes.”

“They’re my scrubs, you dick.” He didn’t beat around the bush. “How did it go with the best friend?”

“Not good.”

“That memorable, huh?”

“You could say that.”

“You going to see her again?”

“Yeah,” I replied, quickly adding, “she’s the town baker.”

“Oh, shit…” His eyes widened. “Huh, how did I not put two and two together until now? Damn. She makes the best chocolate chip cookies. Did you know that? Have you eaten her cookies?”

“Trust me, I wish I could tell you I’ve eaten that cookie.”

“Damn.”

“Let me rephrase; as a teenager, it wasn’t like that with us. I mean, of course, I always found her attractive and we got along great, but that doesn’t make for a relationship, you know?”

“Actually,” he exclaimed. “I don’t know because to me, that’s exactly what starts a relationship.”

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