Page 26 of Flown in for Christmas

I hug the steaming paper cup in my hands to my chest, gazing overhead. “It’s beautiful,” I say. The warm glow is radiant against the falling snow. Far prettier than any big screen could emulate.

“It is,” Nick comments, but when I glance in his direction, I find his attention isn’t on the lights or the snow. It’s on me.

My pulse quickens as he leans in, my eyes fluttering close in anticipation of—

“Excuse me. Would you mind taking a picture for us?”

The spell breaks.

After helping a couple get some photos, they kindly take ours in return before we begin the chilly walk back to where we’d parked—on the other side of the park. When we reach the sidewalk that leads to Nick’s rental, he runs into a couple of old friends from high school. I opt to excuse myself to find a restroom while they catch up.

Trailing my way back to where I left Nick last, I see his dad, Bruce, perched on a bench outside Annie’s Bakery. He’s hunched over and his breath is coming out in quick heavy puffs like he just ran a marathon.

“Hey, there.” I wave as I approach. “Fancy seeing you here.”

His gaze lifts, but only for a moment. “Joy,” he pants, patting the bench beside him. “How…are…you?”

“I’m fine,” I say carefully as I sit. “How are you?”

He coughs, attempting to clear his throat. “Goo—Good,” he forces out, then shakes his head with a swipe of his chin, leaving a pinkish smear there.

My concern heightens. “Are you sure?” I press further. He’s rather pale, but the temperature has dropped significantly since the sun set an hour ago. I looked rather ghostly in the mirror myself a moment ago. “Can I get you anything? Water?”

He harrumphs. “You know, I never liked when people worried about me before the cancer,” he admits, sparing me a glance as he adds, “I hate it even more now.”

I smile in sympathy. “I’m sorry you have to go through this.”

“Luck of the draw,” he muses. “Once—” He starts coughing heavily. This one goes from rough, like the sound of rattling rocks, and then turns wet.

I quickly grab the few napkins I stashed in my pocket and hold them out to him. He takes them, nodding as he fights through a coughing fit from hell. When the white of the napkin turns red, my concern morphs into fear. “Mr. Davis? Bruce, are you okay?”

He tries to wave me off, but I can tell he’s having a hard time catching his breath. His face goes from pale to red to purple in a matter of seconds. I drop to my knees in front of him, scrambling to help. I look around, not seeing Nick or his mom—or anyone for that matter.

Panic flares in my chest. I don’t know what to do.

“Help! We need help over here!”

Thirteen.

Nick

“And what about you?”Mark prods, lifting his chin to where Joy excused herself. “I see you’re not spending the holidays alone this year.”

“Pfft. He probably has all those Texan women throwing their trucks in park to get a whiff of whatever fancy cologne he rolls himself in from head to toe.” Todd leans in, pretending to sniff my shoulder.

I shove him away, chuckling, “Get outta here with that.”

He barks a laugh. “Oh, yeah. They come at you strong, don’t they.”

Mark shakes his head at his younger brother, nodding in my direction. “You look happy, though. It’s been a while. We should catch up. Bring your girl over for New Year’s ifyou’re still around. Chrissy would love to see you.” He jerks a thumb in his brother’s direction. “She could use a new girlfriend to chat with.”

I shove my hands in my pockets. “Yeah.” I grin, wondering what Joy would think about staying an extra week. Would she go for it? I mean, she seems to be enjoying herself so far. We’ve gotten over the hurdle of sharing a bed.

My groin throbs at the reminder.

She’s been out of sight for all of ten minutes and I miss her. What does that say about me? About us? I’d argue there is ‘no us,’ but between the butterflies and the twitch in my leg to walk away and find her…it’s not looking good for me. I want nothing more than to get her back to the house, lay her down, and show her exactly how she makes me feel.

I clear my throat. “I’ll give you a shout if we decide to stay.”

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