Page 9 of Love for the Holiday

In the past, my patients had commented on my looks. I guess being a blonde haired, blue eyed dentist was outside the norm. When I moved to this city and opened my practice, I was surprised by the number of male patients. It wasn’t until I heard a teenaged boy call me asmokinghot dentistthat I realized why so many men were my patients.

“Sorry, I’m not trying to be a typical man,” Jacob sighed. “It’s just that you’re extremely pretty and all my dentists have been old dudes.”

That got a laugh out of me. My first boss, after graduating, was a super old guy. Mr. Breck. I’ll never forget that man. He was hard on me because I was a newbie; however, he taught me so much that the school hadn’t. I made it a point to send him a Christmas card and a birthday card ever year.

“Thanks,” I chuckled. “What made you become a doctor?”

“My parents.”

Judging by the tone in his voice, his parents and him becoming a doctor was a sore subject.

“Sorry. I didn’t mean to pry,” I offered. He shook his head and smiled.

“No. You’re fine.” He took a deep breath. “I grew up in foster care.”

Two simple words sent my heart shattering into a million pieces. Foster care. I couldn’t imagine what he and thousands of other children had to go through growing up without their parents. I was fortunate to come from a tight-knit family.

“I’m sorry.”

“It’s okay,” he gave me a forced smile which made my heart hurt even more. “I chose to be a doctor so that I could rub it in their faces that I was better off without them.”

“Being a doctor is quite an accomplishment,” I smiled.

The topic was weighing him down. His entire body language shifted from confident and happy to self-conscious and… sad? I wasn’t sure if it was sad or disappointed. I just knew that I wanted to cheer him up.

“When did you move to town?” I asked a little too cheerful and instantly regretted opening my mouth. “Sorry,” I sighed. “I was trying to change the subject without being too obvious… epic fail for Love.”

“You’re fine,” he smiled then reached across the table and held my hand. “I appreciate the attempt.”

My eyes were glued to his large, warm hand covering mine. His thumb was stroking across the top of my hand. I brought my gaze up to him. He was smiling.

“You don’t have to feel sorry for me, Love,” he said. “I learned to put it all behind me. The no birthday celebrations. The crappy holidays. No one being there for me as I walked across the high school and college graduation stages. All of it made me the man I am today.”

“Doesn’t make it right though,” I whispered. “Does that mean you don’t have any holiday plans?”

“Not a one. I don’t celebrate holidays.”

“What?” I gasped. He shook his head and laughed. “You have to celebrate them! It’s, like, mandatory to do so if you live in this city.”

“So, I’ve heard.” He continued stroking the top of my hand. I was slowly melting in his hands. The way he was looking at me. His warm soft caress. I was a goner.

“You just haven’t celebrated the holidays with the right person... like me.”

The words left my mouth so fast that I didn’t have a fighting chance of stopping them. Jacob and I had just met. Why was I offering to celebrate the holiday with him? I was making myself out to be one ofthosewomen.

“Oh yeah?” He laughed but I’m sure it was aHow the hell do I get out of here without her going crazy on me?laugh.

“Sorry. I just really don’t like people being alone during the holidays. And, you sound like you haven’t had a good holiday so I just —” I took a deep breath and shook my head. I was rambling like an idiot. “Sorry. I’m rambling.”

“Relax, Love,” Jacob smiled. “Holidays just aren’t my thing.”

Bummer. Rejection.

“What made you get into the field of family medicine and not pediatrics?” It was taking everything in me not to bolt out of the room and lock myself in my bedroom.

Jacob looked at me as though he was searching for the right words or maybe he was trying to read my mind. I hoped he was just going to ignore the previous conversation and move onto the next conversation.

“Honestly, I don’t know,” he smiled. “It just sort of happened. Then I realized I liked it and I’ve been working in the field for the past ten years or so.”

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