Meet Me under the Mistletoe

Kids were great little people and she would love to have one someday. Her three nieces and one nephew were the most precious things in the world.

Alex’s gaze was fixed on his son who had wandered over to the Christmas tree in the corner. There was so much pain in his eyes that Shannon’s throat tightened. This was a man who’d lost his wife and was trying to raise his child alone. And it was Christmas, a time when absences were felt worse than ever. She remembered what it was like after her father died—nothing had been right, and even now there were moments when emptiness replaced holiday cheer.

“This time of year must be rough,” she said softly.

“His mother made things so special for Christmas,” Alex murmured, his gaze still focused on his son. “She loved baking and doing crafts with him, and fixing things just right. It’s been hard trying to make up for what he’s lost.”

Shannon shifted her feet, feeling torn.

She couldn’t get involved with a man grieving over his wife’s death. It was simply asking for a broken heart. Besides, her relationships never lasted. Old-fashioned or not, the men she continually found herself dating inevitably wanted her to be less modern and more a domestic goddess in disguise.

Well, she didn’t have an ounce of domesticity in her.

But what about Jeremy? He had responded to her, and that meant something. Didn’t it?

“W-why is the rabbit so important to Jeremy?” Shannon asked, despite the internal warnings clanging inside her head. She could tell when a man wasn’t interested, and Dr. McKenzie had disinterest written all over his face.

“I’m not sure.” Alex gave her a crooked smile. “Maybe you can figure it out.”

Shannon knew she should confess her ignorance about children. On the other hand, she did know about hurting. Pain seemed bottled up inside Jeremy and it wasn’t right; a child shouldn’t have to go through so much.

“I’m sorry things have been so hard. Settling into a new place must make it harder,” she murmured instead. “If there’s anything I can do, please let me know.” She swallowed an offer to babysit while she was on vacation.

“Thank you, Miss O’Rourke. That’s kind of you,” Alex said formally, in a tone that announced he had no intention of asking for anything.

She cocked her head. “Please call me Shannon. Nobody uses Miss O’Rourke unless they want to annoy me. Even reporters aren’t that formal during a press conference.”

“Do you talk to reporters very often?”

Shannon shrugged. “It’s part of my job. I’m the Public Relations Director for O’Rourke Enterprises.”

“Of course,” he said. “You’re one of the O’Rourkes.”

Her nose wrinkled.

Terrific, she was one of the O’Rourkes. Her oldest brother was a talented businessman who’d made truck-loads of money. As one of the richest men in the country, Kane had gotten more press than most movie stars, so people tended to recognize the name. Especially in the Seattle area.

“Sorry,” Alex murmured, his lazy, comfortable grin sending her pulse skidding. It didn’t make sense; he wasn’t the type of man she usually dated. “You must get tired of people saying things like that.”

“Now and then.”

He cleared his throat and motioned to the line that had moved away from them. Shannon strolled forward, making sure that Mr. Tibbles remained within Jeremy’s sight now that he’d rejoined them. The boy was so young. She wondered if he remembered his mother, or if it was the sense of abandonment that still haunted him. It was hard for a child to understand that their mommy or daddy hadn’t wanted to die. But death wasn’t a concept children understood very well.

Nor did some adults, Shannon reflected wryly.

There were times she heard her father’s voice in her subconscious and turned around, half expecting to see him standing there.

She let out a breath and looked up at Alex. “I understand you teach engineering. My brother Kane wanted to be an engineer, but he had to quit school.”

“Instead he became a billionaire,” Alex said dryly. “It must be rough.”

Shannon’s eyes narrowed. She might complain about her atavistic brothers, but nobody criticized Kane except her. He’d done everything for the family, giving up his own plans for the future. The fact that he’d made a fortune in the process just proved his intelligence and determination.

“Kane is brilliant,” she said in a cool tone. “Until he got married he worked fourteen hours a day, so he was hardly living a life of ease and luxury. Money was just his way of taking care of the family after we lost our father. He would have been a wonderful engineer, but he never got the chance.”

The corners of Alex’s mouth twitched. He’d never have believed the vibrant redhead was capable of looking so frosty. She might be fashion-model beautiful, but when it came to her precious brother, she was pure pit bull.

“I wasn’t criticizing,” he said.

“Of course you weren’t.”

She turned her back to him, and he sighed. Women like Shannon O’Rourke were too volatile for a down-to-earth guy like him. And too unpredictable. He liked engineering schematics and formulas, things you could count on. Life was uncertain enough without inviting chaos into the mix.

The line had moved and they finally reached the front, where a postal clerk waited expectantly.

“Our turn,” Jeremy said to Shannon.

She nodded. “You’re such a big help. Let’s put the packages on the counter, so your daddy can mail them.” She cast a glance toward Alex. “And I’ll mail my Christmas cards.”

“Okay.”

Jeremy handed up the packages, which Shannon piled on the counter along with the ones she’d carried. Almost as an afterthought, she added her bundle of Christmas cards, which Alex noticed were already stamped. She hadn’t needed to wait in line with them.

“Well, Jeremy, I’d better return Mr. Tibbles to you, and then get going.”

Shannon took the stuffed rabbit out of her purse and passed it to Jeremy, who didn’t seem to hold it quite as fiercely as before. Alex rubbed his chin as he watched Shannon walk away. His son had never accepted someone so quickly. Hell, she’d gotten Mr. Tibbles away from him with just a smile—he hadn’t managed that feat and he was Jeremy’s father.

“It all goes first-class mail. I’ll be back in a minute,” he muttered to the postal clerk, shoving his credit card in her direction. Muffled groans of protest came from the waiting customers, but Alex ignored them. “Miss O’Rourke,” he said, catching Shannon at the exit. “That is… Shannon.”

“Ever the gentleman, Dr. McKenzie,” she murmured. “But I can manage this door on my own.”

“That wasn’t what I meant.”

“You mean you don’t want to hold the door for me?” Shannon sounded offended and he groaned.

“No, that is, yes, of course I do, but…”

Too late he saw the faint humor lurking in her green eyes.

He’d been had, yet he wanted to laugh as well. There weren’t many women who could forgive a supposed insult that quickly. Especially one concerning family. Whatever faults Shannon O’Rourke might have, holding a grudge didn’t appear to be one of them.

“So, what did you want?” she asked.

Alex hesitated. He didn’t want anything, but for Jeremy’s sake he should keep things cordial between them. “It’s just… I’m sorry I upset you. And I want you to know that I appreciated the way you handled Jeremy. That’s all.”

“Oh.” Confusion filled her eyes.

A woman as beautiful as Shannon O’Rourke probably expected to be asked for a date, but he had no intention of getting involved with anyone, much less someone like Shannon. His friends and colleagues, everyone, kept saying it was just a matter of time, that if you’ve had one good marriage, you’re more likely to have a second good one.