A Mistletoe Affair

She gestured to her eyes. “Eyelash curler. You know, to extend my lashes.”

Jordan tossed the thing on the desk as though it had suddenly caught fire. He blew out another weary breath and stretched his legs out in front of him.

Folding his hands over his stomach, he said, “I saw Vicki downstairs. She looks nice today.”

“She has a date.”

“Yeah, that’s what she told me. She offered to babysit Mason so I can get some rest.”

“I hope you took her up on her offer. You can use it. You look like a reject from The Walking Dead.”

“You do know how to flatter a guy,” Jordan said with a snort.

She sent him a saccharine smile. “I try.”

“So,” Jordan asked, picking up a pencil from Sandra’s desk and tapping it against his thigh. “Do you know the guy she’s going out with tonight?”

The moment the question left his mouth Jordan wanted to take it back. Why had he just asked that? Especially of Sandra.

His sister’s eyes narrowed. “I haven’t met him,” she said. “Why do you ask?”

“Forget it.”

Her brow arched. “No, why don’t you tell me, Jordan? Why the sudden interest in Vicki’s dating life?”

Just as he was about to tell Sandra to drop it, Mason threw his head back and started to wail. Not since his first moments of life in the delivery room had Jordan been so grateful to hear his baby boy cry.

* * *

“I hope your mother appreciates these,” Vicki said as she handed Samson Cornwell his credit card. “It’s sweet of you to buy her a dozen roses just because.”

“I thought it would be nice to brighten her day,” Samson said. “And you do such an amazing job, Vicki. These roses are just amazing.”

“I can’t really take the credit. I just arranged them. Mother Nature did the hard work.”

His roaring laugh echoed against the walls. The effort it took for Vicki not to roll her eyes was downright admirable.

“Did you have this sense of humor back in high school?” Samson asked, wiping tears of mirth from his eyes. “Who knew you were so funny?”

Vicki hunched her shoulders in a “who knew?” gesture. She pushed the vase filled with blush-colored Antique Silk roses and baby’s breath toward him, hoping he’d take the hint and leave. He didn’t.

Sam rested an elbow on the counter and leaned in close. “When did you get interested in flowers?” he asked. “You know, I read somewhere that there are over twenty different species of roses. That’s amazing, isn’t it?”

“Try nearly two hundred,” Vicki said.

His eyes went wide. “Really? Two hundred? That’s amazing.”

She wondered if he would be offended if she threw a thesaurus in with his dozen roses. That was the fifth amazing since he’d walked through the door.

The phone rang. Vicki decided then and there to give whoever was on the other end of the line a free centerpiece for their holiday dinner table.

“I have to get this, Samson. Thanks again for utilizing Petals for your floral needs. I hope your mother enjoys her roses.”

“Oh, I know she will,” he said. He winked at her.

It took everything Vicki had in her not to groan. She answered the phone. “Petals.”

It was Declan. As she listened to his apology and explanations for canceling their date tonight, her spirits deflated. Well, there went her big plans. Maybe she should run outside and stop Samson before he drove away.

The door swung open and Samson rushed back in. She immediately regretted the thought she’d just had. She so was not going out with Samson Cornwell. She didn’t care how amazing a date with him would be.

“My wallet,” Samson said, retrieving it from where he’d left it on the counter.

Vicki walked him to the door, then turned and spotted Sandra, Jordan and Mason marching down the stairs.

Sandra pointed to the door as she reached the landing. “Let me guess, another new male customer who suddenly has a penchant for flowers?”

“Samson Cornwell,” Vicki said. “You remember him?”

Sandra pulled a face. “That fool who nearly blew up the chemistry lab at Wintersage Academy?”

“The very one.”

“Don’t tell me he asked you out.”

“I didn’t give him the chance,” Vicki said.

Jordan stood there with Mason, his gaze volleying back and forth between her to Sandra.

“The men of Wintersage have developed an amazing interest in flowers this week,” Sandra explained to him.

Vicki groaned. “Please don’t say the word amazing.” Sandra’s forehead dipped in question. “Don’t ask,” Vicki added.

“Anyway,” her friend said, turning once again to Jordan, “one came in yesterday and bought a bouquet for his dentist. His dentist. It’s ridiculous.”

“Petals appreciates it,” Vicki said. “Petals’s owner, however, is so over it.”

“Wait.” Sandra frowned. “Why are you still here? Don’t you have a date tonight?”

Vicki tried to keep the defeated sigh from escaping, but failed. “Declan had to cancel. He was called in to cover the E.R. Apparently they just got slammed with food poisoning from a birthday party.”

“Aw, honey, I’m sorry.”

“There’s always a next time,” she said, hunching her shoulders. She turned her attention to Jordan, who was now fighting to put Mason’s jacket on him, a battle he was clearly losing. Vicki bit the inside of her cheek to stop herself from laughing. “Do you need some help?” she asked.

He held the jacket out to her and let out a relieved sigh. “Please.”

Instead of taking the jacket, she took Mason. The little boy leaned his head on her shoulder and stuffed his thumb between his lips, and Vicki’s heart instantly went the way of ice cream on a hot summer day.