Page 14 of Mistletoe Magic

“Well, this is better. Another thing I wanted to talk to you about is my son’s role in the pageant. Isn’t there a bigger role for him?”

“He’s Santa. He’s in every scene.” Right then, her son walks in with his hockey gear and seems annoyed. He’s twenty-one, and his mother still tries to control everything. I wave at him. “I think the ice is ready if you want to head on in there.” His mother slinks out of the building before he can yell at her.

“Now explain the outfit.” Maisy points up and down. I tell her about after the hospital, Matthew, dinner, and the hotel. “I’m sorry I had to call you then. Waking up with a hot naked man is how I wish I could wake up. Does he have brothers?” she teases.

Maisy frowns when she finds out they both have wives. I can’t help but laugh.

“Okay, I’m going to go home so I can shower and come back. You can leave when I get back. I’ll need you this afternoon. We have a final dress rehearsal tonight.”

Once I’m home, and in the shower, my mind goes back to Hunter and his hands on my body.

What willthe next two weeks bring me?

Hunter

I enjoy relaxingby the pool in this heat. There are no work calls, meetings to get to, or my annoying secretary’s voice coming through the intercom. The kids in town to see Mickey Mouse are in the pool splashing around, having fun. I wonder why I was so against it? My parents and brothers aren’t hounding for a lot of family time. I grab my cell phone from beside me and realize I don’t have Ava’s number.

“Hey, dickhead. What are you doing?” Brad stands over me.

“Getting some sun before going to the ice rink.” I smile.

“Are you going to tell us why you skipped out on dinner with us?” Tony flops down next to me.

“I met this incredible goddess yesterday.” I can’t help smiling thinking about Ava.

“If she’s making you smile like that, then tell us about her. Let’s go get something to eat.” I get up from the chair, and we walk out of the hotel to their rental car. Tony and Brad each got one so their wives could go shopping.

“Hunter, how did the big date go?” Jack walks over, shaking his head. I told him how she loved it and explained how Matthew was there. His body changes to a pissed-off stance. “Are you fucking with me right now?”

“No. We’re going to the wedding. She said that as long as I went with her, she’d be okay. She even called her dad while Matthew was there, and he was so fucking pissed off that she did that.”

Jack laughs. “I would’ve loved to have seen that dickhead’s face when Mr. Richfield was talking. They hate each other. Well, I need to get to work because tonight is a four-hour practice. It’s the last one before the performance since tomorrow is the tree lighting ceremony.”

“Oh, I need Ava’s number. All that time together, I forgot to ask for it.” Jack and I laugh. My brothers are standing beside me, waiting for something, but I’m ignoring them. He goes through his phone and shows it to me. I copy the number into my phone.

“Are you going to the tree lighting?” Jack asks, but I shrug. “Okay, well, you have my number. Text me to let me know for sure.”

My brothers and I head to Brad’s rental. We pick a seafood place since we’re in Florida. Whenever we go to an unfamiliar state, we always try to find local businesses that aren’t chains or what we have in California. After we’re seated and place our orders, I’m bombarded with questions about Ava. I can’t help but smile every time I hear her name.

“Are you going to move to Florida?” Brad asks me point-blank. “Is she someone who could be the one?” I used to scoff at the idea of there being “a one.”

“I just met her yesterday. I don’t know the answers to those two questions.” I take a sip of my beer. “This woman is strong and knows what she wants out of life. I can’t help but think about her since she left this morning. I want her to meet Mom. I don’t understand what’s going on.”

“You’ve been bitten.” Tony laughs, and Brad joins him like it’s an inside joke.

“What?” I look around my body, which sends my brothers into louder fits of laughter.

“Baby brother, you’re in love.”

I can’t be in love, can I? “I’ve known her twenty-four hours? Can I fall in love with someone that fast? I’ve never heard of that.”

“It’s not that you’ve never heard of it, but you’ve neverfeltit. By the goofy look on your face, constantly checking your cell phone, and wishing you could be with her instead of anywhere else you currently are, I’d say you’re feeling it now.”

“What if she doesn’t feel the same?”

“You’ll never know unless you ask her.”

Couldshe love me even though I live in another state?

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