An Unexpected Kiss: A Christmas in Snow Valley Romance Read online

  “Thank you. And please call me Bev.” She released Cole’s hand and laid hers across his uncle’s. “Will has told me so much about you.”

  “I hope it was all good.”

  She smiled. “Of course. He can’t say enough good about his brilliant nephew.”

  If Cole was so brilliant then why had he kissed a complete stranger, and now couldn’t stop thinking about her?

  “He just says I’m brilliant because I followed in his footsteps.”

  His uncle laughed, but had a look of pride cross his features. “Yep, Cole’s the son I always wanted. If he didn’t have the same last name as me, I would’ve adopted him a long time ago.”

  Cole must be tired because his uncle’s words made his eyes sting, like he might cry. He turned away to dish up some of the beef stew. “I love you too, Uncle Will.” His voice cracked and he cleared his throat. “And you’ve always been more of a father to me than my dad.”

  “You two are gonna make me cry,” Beverly said. “Then my makeup will be ruined.”

  “With or without makeup, Beverly Thompson,” Uncle Will said. “You’re still the most beautiful woman I know.”

  Cole grabbed two of the hot rolls and headed back toward his room. “I’ll just leave you two alone. Thanks again for the food.”

  “You’re welcome,” Bev said.

  Once more his uncle laughed. “He’s just hightailing it out of here before we start kissing again.”

  “William Tagg—”

  Beverly’s words were cut off, no doubt by a kiss from his uncle.

  Cole wasn’t sure he could handle being around such a loving couple. His parents never showed any kind of affection, to him or to each other. Good thing his house would be ready for him to move in after the New Year. He had a feeling Uncle Will’s retirement would also include a honeymoon, so having his nephew hanging around wasn’t ideal.

  Cole’s new house was a beautiful log-cabin home that wasn’t far from the hospital or his office. It needed all new carpet and paint, as well as some significant plumbing repairs that wouldn’t be fixed until after the holidays.

  The home represented the beginning of his new life. A life without all the social-status pressure his mother, and his ex-fiancée, placed on his shoulders. Monday would be his first day in the office, and Cole could hardly wait.

  Yep, life in Snow Valley was going to be a lot less complicated than in California.

  Chapter Four

  Three days later, Lucy woke up to a headache, fever and a sore throat. It felt like overnight she’d swallowed a bunch of razor blades. She was going to kill Lance. He’d called Monday morning to tell her his culture was positive for strep throat.

  Someone pounded on her door. “Luce, Mom said if you don’t get up you’re gonna miss out on breakfast.”

  “I’m not hungry,” she moaned. “You can have my share.”

  “Thanks, sis!”

  Landon was fifteen and had a bottomless stomach. The kid was already six feet and probably would grow a few more inches if he followed in his older brother’s footsteps. At seventeen, Logan had surpassed their father’s height of six two. Both boys were as handsome as their father, inheriting his dark hair.

  Although she didn’t feel like getting out of bed, Lucy needed to get up and make an appointment with Doc Taggart. The sooner she got on antibiotics, the sooner she could get better. Tomorrow the Polar Express came to town. She and her family always went on the train ride, and she wasn’t going to miss it, especially since the huge snowstorm on Saturday had dumped twelve inches of fresh snow. The scenery would be just as magical as the train ride.

  Rolling over, she climbed out of bed. She swallowed, and yelped in pain. Last night, she and her family attended the reading of The Night Before Christmas in Town Square, followed by hot chocolate. She’d noticed then that her throat was a little sore, but kept thinking it was only due to the cold weather.

  Lance hadn’t come to the reading last night since some of the cattle on the ranch had been attacked by a wolf. He and the other ranch hands had been out hunting down the rogue animal before it killed any more of the stock.

  Lucy felt like hunting him down. She still couldn’t believe he’d kissed her when he was sick.

  Making it into the bathroom, Lucy washed her face and brushed her teeth. She felt a tiny bit guilty for kissing a total stranger. Just because he looked nice didn’t mean he wasn’t carrying some nasty disease. That had been a really stupid move on her part.

  Except, last night she’d had several dreams about Cole and his gorgeous blue eyes. They’d been kissing, and it was just as good in her dreams as it had been in real life.

  When Lance called last night, he’d asked if Lucy had heard from the guy at the airport. Lucy could honestly answer no. She’d have to come up with an excuse, like Cole had to fly home for a family emergency, or Lance would ask more and more questions about him. Lucy would probably need to think of a last name for the guy so it sounded more legit.

  Another knock sounded on her door. “Lucy, honey. Can I come in?”

  Her mother might drive her crazy, but she was the best kind of mom to have when you were sick.

  “Yeah, Mom.”

  Lila Phillips swept into the room, looking beautiful and put together, her blonde hair brushing her shoulders. At forty-seven, her mother had often been mistaken for Lucy’s older sister.

  “Landon said you aren’t hungry.” She studied Lucy and frowned. “Oh dear, you look awful. Are you coming down with something?”

  “Yes, I was…um, exposed to strep throat a few days ago. I need to get in to see Doc Taggart.”

  Her mother came over and placed the back of her hand to Lucy’s forehead. “You definitely have a fever.”

  Lucy swallowed and winced. “My throat is killing me.”

  “You get dressed, and I’ll call and make an appointment for you. William should be able to squeeze you in, especially since I’m helping with the bake sale benefitting the hospital this evening.”

  “Thanks, Mom.”

  Her mom leaned over and kissed her on the forehead. “Come to the kitchen as soon as you’re ready and I’ll have a nice cup of peppermint tea waiting for you. It’ll soothe your sore throat. I’ve also got the liquid ibuprofen Landon had after his tonsillectomy last year which will help reduce your fever.”

  Lucy nodded her head. It hurt to talk.

  A couple of hours later, Lucy dressed in a black tunic sweater, paired with her reindeer-printed, black and white wool leggings. After sipping the peppermint tea and taking the ibuprofen, she felt marginally better. Enough so that she pulled her hair into a messy ponytail, and actually put on a little makeup so she didn’t look too horrible.

  She glanced at the clock and realized if she didn’t hurry, she’d be late for her appointment. Doc Taggart worked her in right before his lunch break. With her dad at his office, Logan at school, and her mother attending a meeting about tonight’s charity event, Lucy was driving herself over to the doctor’s office.

  Her mother had suggested she call Lance to drive her, but Lucy wasn’t dying, and the roads were all clear. Plus, Lance was the reason she was sick in the first place. At least her mother hadn’t protested too hard when Lucy reminded her how contagious she was until she got on antibiotics.

  Grabbing her purse, Lucy slipped her cell phone in the front pocket and stepped into the garage. She shivered, and snuggled into the wool coat her mother let her borrow. After chiding Lucy for not remembering her coat, she let her choose one from her closet. At least her mother had good taste when it came to clothing. Similar in height and size, they’d often share clothes.

  Dad’s white Camry sat in the third stall. An insurance broker, her father liked driving the sedan when he had to take clients out to dinner. When Lucy visited home, her father took his SUV to work and let her use the Camry. Lucy was the only child her dad let drive the car. Logan had already wrecked his truck twice, and Dad didn’t trust him behind the wheel of the ot
her vehicles in the family.

  On her way to the doctor, Lucy drove past the high school. The marquee out front had the information for the city sponsored upcoming Christmas dance. She groaned, knowing Lance expected an answer soon. She couldn’t afford to be sick. She had to find Lance a girlfriend.

  The doctor’s office didn’t look too busy. Lucy parked, and went inside. She loved Doc Taggart. He’d been her doctor for as long as she could remember. At least being sick would let her see him sooner than later.

  The waiting area was empty. Melanie Archer, the receptionist, knew Lucy, and grinned widely. “Lucy Phillips. It’s so nice to see you again. Although, I’m sorry you’re sick, hon.”

  “It’s good to see you too,” Lucy said, signing in. “How are your girls?”

  “Good. They’re both in high school now, and going to the Christmas Ball. We’ve been shopping for dresses for two weeks now, and haven’t found a thing.” She shook her head. “The price of one of those dresses cost more than my wedding dress.”

  Lucy used to babysit Melanie’s girls. The dance would be a fun place to see many of her old friends. She didn’t want to be paired with Lance, making people believe they were a couple. She really needed to find him another date.

  “Have a seat, sweetie and the nurse will come and get you in a minute.”

  “Okay. Thank you.”

  She sat down and thumbed through a magazine full of fun Christmas ideas. Lucy loved anything and everything about Christmas. As soon as she felt better, she’d make up a batch of sugar cookie dough and get her little brothers to make Christmas cookies with her.

  A few minutes later, a nurse Lucy didn’t recognize called her back. She stopped in front of the digital scales. “We need to get a current weight.”

  Usually Lucy liked to strip down before stepping on a scale. At the very least, she never left her shoes on, but she was too tired for any of that. Leaving her UGG boots on, she stepped on the platform and closed her eyes. Lucy wasn’t overweight, but there is something unsettling about watching the numbers rise at an accelerated rate.

  “Okay, let’s put you in room three.”

  Lucy followed her into the room, and sat on the exam table. Her throat started to sting again as the older woman took her blood pressure, and checked her pulse rate and oxygen levels, which were all normal.

  “You’ve got a slight fever,” she said, after taking Lucy’s temperature. “Have you had any medication?”

  “Yes. My mom gave me some ibuprofen a couple of hours ago.”

  “Can you tell me what your symptoms are?”

  “My throat is killing me. I think I might have strep throat.”

  The nurse clicked her tongue against her teeth. “We’ve seen a lot of that going around. Sit tight, and Doc Taggart will see you in a few minutes.”

  “Thank you.”

  As soon as the nurse left, Lucy realized she didn’t feel very good. Getting ready and then coming to the doctor’s office had worn her out. She felt a little dizzy and decided to lie down on the exam table.

  The bright lights hurt her eyes, even with them closed, so she draped her mother’s scarf over her eyes. Soon after, she heard the door open and Doc Taggart’s friendly voice.

  “Lucy Phillips. Are you still causing trouble?”

  “Always,” she said, and started to sit up.

  Doc Taggart placed his hand on her shoulder. “You don’t have to get up, honey. I can ask my questions while you’re lying down.”

  “Thank you. I can’t believe how yucky I feel.”

  She thought she heard the door open again, but then Doc Taggart spoke. “The nurse said your throat hurts, and you’ve got a fever. Anything else?”

  “My head really hurts.”

  “Hmm, it could be a nasty virus that’s going around town.”

  “I think I have strep throat.”

  “That’s been going around too. Have you been exposed to anyone with strep?”

  Lucy laughed, and then wished she hadn’t. It really hurt to laugh. “You could say that.”

  “Stop being cryptic. Who coughed all over you,” Doc Taggart joked.

  Lucy should leave it at that, but Dr. Taggart had always had such a good sense of humor, and she liked making him laugh. “This stays between you and me, but when I was at the airport on Saturday some stupid guy kissed me.” Since Lance was also one of Doc Taggart’s patients, she decided to leave out his name.

  The doctor snorted a laugh. “Yep, you’re still causing trouble.” He took her hand and tugged. “Sit up and let’s take a look.”

  Lucy pulled the scarf off, and sat up. She squinted against the light. Doc Taggart stood in front of her grinning. It was the man standing behind him that made Lucy gasp, “What are you doing here?”

  Chapter Five

  Cole wanted to ask Lucy the same thing, but he was still reeling from her comment about a stupid guy kissing her. Did he need to remind her that she’d asked him to kiss her?

  His uncle looked between Cole and Lucy, confusion clearly written all over his face. “You two know each other?”

  “You could say that.” Cole smirked a little when Lucy looked slightly panicked.

  “Hey,” she said, nervously. “Just so you know, you’re not the stupid guy that kissed me.”

  Cole lifted a brow.

  “I mean, you kissed me, but you’re not stupid. At least I don’t think you are.”

  That was debatable. Right now, however, it was plain dumb luck to find the girl that had plagued his dreams since Saturday sitting in front of him.

  His uncle guffawed loudly. “I can attest he’s not stupid.” He patted Cole affectionately on the back. “This boy scored in the ninetieth percentile on his medical boards.”

  Her eyes widened. “You’re a doctor?”

  Uncle Will snickered again. “Darlin’, you’re looking at my replacement.” He winked at Lucy. “But don’t worry. Even though I’m retiring at the end of the year, you’ll still get to see Dr. Taggart.”

  Silence followed his uncle’s announcement. Finally, Uncle Will turned and handed Cole Lucy’s chart. “Since you already know Lucy, I’ll leave her in your capable hands.”

  “You’re leaving?” Lucy asked, sounding a little alarmed.

  “Cole is a fantastic doctor, and I’ve got another appointment I can’t miss.” He walked toward the door. “Good to see you again, Lucy. Cole will have you feeling better in no time.”

  Uncle Will slipped out the door, closing it firmly behind him. His next appointment was his lunch date with Beverly.

  Cole glanced down at the chart he held. “Lucy Phillips. Age twenty-five.”

  “If you read my weight out loud I’ll throw something at you.”

  Fighting a smile, Cole lifted his face and met her silvery blue eyes. “So, after you ordered me to kiss you and then I left, who else got snared by you?”

  “For the record, I only ordered you to give me one little kiss. You were the one who kissed me a second time.”

  Cole felt his neck flush. Yeah, he had kissed her twice. Probably would’ve done it again if not for the multi-car pileup.

  “I was just trying to make your boyfriend back off. That’s what you wanted, right?”

  “He isn’t my boyfriend. At least he hasn’t been for more than seven years. He just doesn’t want to accept that.”

  “So you roped another man into kissing you?”

  “No! It’s not like I make a habit out of kissing strange men.”

  Cole narrowed his gaze. Was that an intentional pun?

  The corner of her mouth twitched slightly. “Lance wasn’t too threatened by you, especially after you ran off and left me stranded at the terminal.”

  “Excuse me?” How was this his fault?

  “He was suspicious we weren’t all that serious.”

  “We’re not.”

  She rolled her eyes. “I know that, but he didn’t. After you left, he wanted to prove something and kissed me.”

&n
bsp; For some reason a twinge of something that felt like jealousy tightened Cole’s gut. “Did he prove something to you?”

  She stared at Cole, her cheeks growing pink. Quickly she dropped her gaze, and lifted one shoulder in a shrug. “Not really.”

  She was hiding something. Cole wished he could dig a little deeper, but this conversation was so far from a professional doctor-patient relationship that he needed to get things back on track.

  “Okay, so you kissed Lance.”

  Her head shot up. “He kissed me, but I didn’t kiss him back.”

  She had certainly kissed Cole back which could only mean…she’d liked his kiss. A surge of satisfaction coursed through his veins. He couldn’t hold back a smile. “Thank you for clarifying that.”

  The glare she gave him made his smile widen. “Go on,” he said smugly.

  “After he kissed me, he announced he was sick, and probably had strep throat.”

  Cole couldn’t help it. He laughed out loud.

  “Look, Dr. Taggart, I’m glad you find this so funny, but contrary to popular belief, laughter is not the best medicine. I need an antibiotic. Lance called yesterday and told me his culture came back positive for strep.”

  Stifling the urge to laugh again, he stepped toward her. “I’ll need to take a look at your throat.”

  “Do you need me to stick out my tongue? Because I’ll gladly do it.”

  She was a feisty little thing. He liked that. “Nope. Just open wide and say aaahhh.”

  Plucking a tongue depressor out of the jar, he examined Lucy’s throat. He felt guilty for laughing. Her throat looked raw. “I don’t think we’ll need to get a culture, especially since Lance’s test came back positive.”

  Cole tossed the tongue depressor in the garbage and brought both of his hands up to palpitate the sides of Lucy’s neck with his fingers. The second he touched her, she went completely still. Cole felt the swollen glands, and caught the scent of her flowery perfume while he was at it. It was highly unprofessional to feel attracted to a patient. After today, he’d suggest she find another doctor to treat her.