My Kind of Christmas

knowing what she would find but hoping to see Patrick so much. It had been such an eventful day and they hadn’t made plans; they never had.
    When she pulled into the clearing and saw his Jeep, she was so relieved. The fire was obviously lit, the lights on the eaves were sparkling and there were lights on inside. She burst into the cabin and found him relaxing in front of the fire. As she was peeling off her jacket she said, “I’m so glad you’re here. I had things I had to do and if you hadn’t been here, I wasn’t sure how to find you. Or if you’d even want to be found!”
    “If?” he said, putting his beer on the coffee table. “Come here.”
    And it was in that moment that Angie created a very dangerous fantasy that she knew could lead to her downfall. She longed to come home to him or to be there for him when he came home. But she couldn’t even count on that kind of commitment from him right now, so it was definitely out of the question for the future.
    She went to him and let him pull her into his embrace. “My uncle Jack knows.”
    Patrick pulled back. “Well, that explains it. I stopped in for a beer this afternoon and he wasn’t exactly cordial. I didn’t ask him what was bugging him because I didn’t want the answer. Did you tell him?”
    She shook her head. “He was going to surprise me with some takeout and a bottle of wine last night and found a Jeep parked next to my SUV. And the lights off.”
    He ran the fingers of one hand through her hair. “Did he give you a hard time?”
    She shook her head. “I think it’s hard for him to relate to this strange place we’re in, you and I. I have to admit, I’ve never been in a situation like this before.”
    “Me, either,” he said with a smile.
    “Not a girl at every port?”
    He shook his head. “I’ve never been one to play the field. I’ve always been on the lookout for something solid, and if it looked temporary at best, I wasn’t usually game.”
    “I thought men considered that a bonus—temporary.”
    He pulled her closer. “Not this man. This is a definite first.”
    “Well, the upside is, there’s no reason for hiding out anymore. We’re a Christmas fling and if we want to have dinner in town, why not?”
    “And if I want to take you to my brother’s house, will you go?”
    “I’d love that,” she said. “I want to meet these brothers! And wait till I tell you about the latest on Megan.”
    When she’d gone through all the details and her plans he said, “Let me take you to Davis.”
    “Why?”
    “Because I’m interested in this project. And because I’ll be able to spend the day with you.”
    She couldn’t have thought of a better reason herself.
    * * *
    Brie looked at her caller ID before answering the phone. “Hey, Donna,” she said.
    “Baby sister. How’s my girl getting along?”
    “I’d venture to say this is one of the best vacations of her life. She seems to be having a wonderful time—busy every minute, looking healthy and happy.”
    “She told me about her project—the little girl.”
    “She’s after it like a bulldog. She had to make dozens of calls to find a surgeon with the time and inclination to help. According to Angie, many plastic surgeons have full schedules months in advance. And without a doctor’s exam, she can’t put together a plan and cost analysis. She’s remarkable, Donna. You must be so proud of her.”
    “I am, of course I am, but I’m worried. Do you know her latest? She wants to plunge into the peace corps or some similar organization rather than going back to school. After barely recovering from her accident? After all we’ve invested in getting her this far in school?”
    Brie took a breath. “God. No wonder she hangs up on you!”
    “What? Isn’t this a reasonable reaction on my part? My daughter, who was always dedicated to medical school and to her goal of becoming a doctor, had a terrible life-threatening accident. And now, ever since she woke up from the coma, it’s as though she’s a different person! No more medical school, always fighting against me… I just want her to take her time—is that too much to ask?”
    “Asking is too much to ask, Donna. Don’t you feel her moving farther and farther away from you? You can stop this, Donna, and you’d better. Or you’re going to lose her.”
    “I’m trying! I’m giving her space. I’m trying so hard to keep the judgmental tone out of my voice even though I think some of her decisions and