Page 2 of Love for the Holiday

Doctor Jacob Holiday, I repeated to myself.

“Hello, Doctor Jacob Holiday,” I whispered.

“And, what would my lovely patient’s name be?” He asked as he began to walk through the snow.

“Lo… Love McDaniel.”

“Love?”

He had the usual response most people had when they learned that my name was Love. My parents had set me up for failure. Love wasn’t a normal name and my entire life people told me how it wasn’t.

“Yep.” I pressed my lips together to keep myself from saying anything rude to my hero.

“I like that name. It’s different,” he said as he continued walking with me in his arms.

“You don’t think it’s a weird name?” I asked allowing my curiosity to speak before my common sense could object.

“No,” he smiled. “It’s a nice name.”

I didn’t trust myself to speak anymore so I zipped my lips and allowed him to carry me. He held me close to his warm body. His cologne seemed to wrap around me. It was hard to not bury my face into his coat and bask in the smell.

“We’re almost at my office.” He glanced down briefly then looked forward once more.

“I appreciate this.” My words were so soft that I wasn’t sure if he heard me or not.

“You’re welcome, Love.”

I could feel his chest vibrate from him trying to hold back a laugh.

“See, you do think it’s a stupid name,” I sighed. He frowned and shook his head.

“No. It’s not that,” he laughed. “I was just thinking how if anyone was eavesdropping, they’d think we were together and that my nickname for you waslove.”

“Oh.”

He had a point. People usually avoided calling me by my name for that reason. They didn’t want anyone getting the wrong idea or having their significant others get upset.

My eyes shot up to him.

“Oh my gosh! Do you have a girlfriend? She might not like you carrying another woman!” I blurted without thought.

“Relax,” he smiled. “I’m single and even if I did have a girlfriend, it’s my job to help people, even if they just so happen to be beautiful.”

Beautiful?

I must have hit my head harder than I thought. Or maybe I was dead after all?

CHAPTER TWO

I didn’t get a chance to be hung up on his comment because we soon arrived at his office. On the door, in large letters was:

Holiday Family Practice

Jacob Holiday, MD

The lights automatically came on when he carried me through the door. The warm air was refreshing to my freezing body. I had gone for a walk to ease my mind and forgotten to wear my heavy coat.

Jacob’s office was quaint. The small lobby with four leather chairs smelled like leather and pumpkin-scented candles. We walked by a door with a unisex sign on the door then past a door with his name on it. Finally, he carried me into an exam room and sat me down on the cushioned exam table.

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