Page 34 of Mistletoe Dreams
"Did Mason tell you about the unusual patient we had today?" she asked as she brought plates of meatloaf to the dining room table and indicated that both of them could sit down.
"No?" Ben asked as he followed her lead and sat down, deliberately choosing a seat on the other side of Mason so there was as much space as possible between them.
"Mason, do you want to tell him?"
"We had a dog!" Mason said, laughing, causing Ben to laugh.
"A dog?"
"Jan Weller's dog somehow ripped a hunk of skin on its leg and she brought it to us because the veterinarian was closed and didn't answer his emergency number. So we shaved it off and stitched him up and told her to go see the vet in the morning."
They chatted about that for a little bit, and then Mason had a few more stories, although he was very careful not to give out any medical information that would violate patient confidentiality.
Hannah made a note to mention to Terry that he was doing an excellent job of remembering what he had been taught and adhering to that.
They chatted about a few other things while the meatloaf and chocolate disappeared, but Ben and Mason did not stay long after that. Still, their visit left a glow that maybe wasn't entirely due to the fact that she'd enjoyed having company, as Hannah hummed softly to herself and washed the dishes in the sink later.
Ben was a really great man. She hoped she got to see more of him.
Chapter Fifteen
Ben walked along the street in Mistletoe Meadows, heading toward the gazebo.
Last night with Hannah had been perfect. Other than he wished it would've lasted longer.
He wasn't sure what was happening between them, but he remembered what his mom had said about life not being as long as what a person thought it was. And she was right.
He always thought he would do things later, some other time, when it was more suitable, when it worked out better, or he'd wait and see how things worked out. With Hannah, he felt like he was unsure whether or not it was the right time for his son. After all, Mason was still reeling from the divorce and feeling like his mother had abandoned him and his dad had taken him away from all of his friends. It wasn't the right time for Ben to get involved with another woman. Even if Hannah was interested.
Except... life wasn't as long as what he thought it was. And the time to do things was now.
Lord, I don't want to move too fast, but I also don't want to sit around when You've dropped the perfect woman into my lap, maybe thinking thatit's not the right time. Your timing is better than mine. I just don't know what to do.
As though he'd conjured her up with his prayer, he realized there was a figure sitting in the gazebo, and it looked an awful lot like Hannah. Except it was early for her, and... what would she be doing there?
Was God answering his prayer that quickly?
And was that an answer, having the person he was praying about suddenly sitting in front of him when, as far as he knew, she had no reason to be there?
Saying a quick prayer that he would make the right decision and not say anything too stupid, he moved forward.
"I wasn't expecting to see you here this morning," he said.
She startled a bit, then recognition entered her gaze, and she smiled.
"That's funny. I was thinking about you this morning."
That was a good sign. He couldn't stop the grin that lifted his lips up. "You were?" He leaned against the pillar, putting one foot on the step and resting a hand on his thigh. He enjoyed looking at her, with her coat bundled up and a hat down over the top of her hair, which flowed out on either side. Her cheeks and nose were rosy, and her eyes sparkled as she sat with her hands in her pockets, her feet crossed at the ankle and tucked under the gazebo bench.
"Yeah. I probably shouldn't admit this, but I got up this morning thinking about how much I enjoyed last night, the hot chocolate, the Christmas music, having you and Mason cutting firewood and coming in to get warm and eat, and the idea of a fire in the fireplace. And... you. I enjoyed myself."
"I'm glad to hear it. It's nice to know you were thinking about me."
"So much so that I got up and got dressed and left for work and didn't even realize that I was about two hours early."
He laughed. So maybe she really was thinking about him, to the point of distraction. He liked that.
"I definitely had a great time, and Mason did too. He mentioned several times how much he likes you."
