A Mistletoe Proposal: Marry Me under the Mistletoe / A Little Bit of Holiday Magic / Christmas Magic in Heatherdale

“It’s good stuff. Go for the eyes.”

Rick flicked his gaze to Andrea. “Be sure to get those dowels put in the windows. Good night. I’ll let myself out.”

After having to prematurely relinquish Andrea, whose incredible response had set him on fire, Rick had been forced to pull himself together to let her father in the door. But he’d been reeling from the taste and feel of Andrea, so that the meeting with her parent had barely scratched the surface of his mind.

However, now that he was on his way back to the party, he had time to reflect and couldn’t help wondering about the relationship between her and her father. She was such a warm, demonstrative woman, but she’d controlled that emotion around him. Andrea had lived through her parents’ divorce and had obviously been affected by the pain.

There was so much Rick didn’t know about her, but he planned to find out. One truth was perfectly clear. When they’d heard the buzzer a few minutes ago, she hadn’t been ready to let him go. Her desire was every bit as explosive as his. Both of them had experienced a moment of sheer ecstasy, and it was going to grow stronger no matter how much she might want to fight it.

But she was right about his daughter. Tessa had been jealous of his attention to Andrea. He could see that he would have to be extra careful and realized he needed to follow Andrea’s advice and take Tessa home. There’d be other nights for sleepovers.

Deep in thought, he drove back to the party. Being a good friend, Deanna didn’t ask any probing questions about Andrea’s quick departure. He talked to everyone for a while, noticing that Susie had already left.

Rick was glad Susie had seen Andrea involved with him, in order to end any speculation or hope that he might be interested. Before he took Tessa home he sought out Benton, who was in the kitchen on the phone.

After he hung up, Benton motioned Rick over to the counter with a scowl on his face. “There’s a certain pattern our fire starter has been following. One of my sources believes he’s a colleague working among us. He’s too good at what he does. These fires have been done by an insider.”

Rick groaned. He thought of the guys assigned to Ladder 1 and couldn’t imagine them going berserk. Two of them were here tonight with their wives. The thought of having to be suspicious of any of them tore him up inside. “It wouldn’t be the first time one of our own turned bad.”

“Nope. Watch your back, Rick. If it’s true, then this guy not only likes setting fires, he’s got a vendetta. I’ve got my guys going through every history to find out who might have it in for the department or one person in particular.”

Rick let out a low whistle. “I know one firefighter who pretty well hates my guts, but I haven’t worked with him for at least a year.”

“Who’s that?”

“Chase Hayward. When we have more time, I’ll tell you about him.”

Benton frowned. “That’s a place to start. Let me know when you come up with any other names.”

“You can count on it. Thanks for the party. Sorry Andrea had to leave so fast. Her father came into town and she had to go home.”

“No problem, as long as it didn’t spoil your evening.”

“Not spoil. Just...complicate things a little.” The result had left him breathless and wanting more of the same excitement only she could engender. “Talk to you later.”

He gathered up his daughter, who’d fallen asleep on the family-room couch. She wakened enough to smile as he slipped on her parka. After he carried her out to the car and strapped her in the back car seat for the ride home she fell asleep again.

While he put her to bed, his thoughts were on Andrea. His teeth snapped together when he thought of her father showing up when he did. One taste of Andrea hadn’t been nearly enough. Rick had only half believed her excuse that she’d needed to leave to get home to see him.

Trying to tamp down his charged body, he turned out the lights and shut Tessa’s door. As he walked through the house, it felt like the night before Christmas. The words floated through his mind—“not a creature was stirring, not even a mouse.” He couldn’t believe it, but the darkness of his life seemed to have lifted and a new sense of purpose had taken over. Like it or not, Andrea Fleming was responsible for this metamorphosis.

When morning came, Tessa ran into his room to hug him. But the first words out of her mouth brought bad weather for the rest of the day. “Daddy? I wish you hadn’t brought Andrea to the party.”

Startled, he sat up. “Why not?” He knew the answer, but he needed to let her talk this out.

“I don’t like her,” she said in a tremulous voice.

“Can you tell me why?”

“Julie said she might be my new mommy and I don’t want a new one.” On that note she buried her face in his chest and sobbed.

Rick rocked her in his arms. What to say that would comfort this child he loved more than life itself? For the past year his heart had cried out that he didn’t want another woman in his life either. But he hadn’t counted on Andrea....

At this juncture he didn’t dare lie to Tessa, who took everything so literally. But at the same time, he wasn’t about to stop seeing Andrea. He had no idea where things were headed with her. Possibly nowhere, except that deep inside he didn’t believe that.

“Right now Andrea is a friend I’ve met. She’s been very sad.”

That brought Tessa’s head up. “How come?”

“A year ago she was with her husband in Germany when they were in an accident and he died.”

He could hear his daughter’s mind ticking over. “And now he’s in heaven like Mommy?”

“Exactly.”

She wiped her eyes. “I bet she cries a lot.”

Rick groaned inwardly. “I’m sure she does.”

Tessa touched his cheek, reminding him he needed a shave. “You used to cry.”

His throat practically closed up from emotion. “We all had to cry so we’d feel better.”

“Do you feel better?” she asked in all earnestness.

“Better than I did.”

“Me, too.”

“Then let’s go eat and then we’ll build a snowman in the backyard.” From the window he could see snow had fallen during the night. Not a lot, but just enough to blanket everything in white. He had some shoveling to do. “I’ll make us Mickey Mouse chocolate chip pancakes.”

“Can I put in the chips?”

He smiled, thankful that so far they’d gotten through this tense moment in one piece. “That’s your job.”

Half an hour later he’d showered and shaved and they were just finishing their pancakes and bacon when he heard his cell phone ring. He checked the caller ID and saw that it was the battalion chief calling. He frowned before clicking on. “Hey, Rob—what’s up?”

“Plenty. I know it’s your day off, but we need all the extra help we can get. A couple of guys are out with stomach flu, one from your ladder. Just a minute ago there was a big explosion at the downtown furniture mart. We’re calling in help from all over the city.”

That sprawling monster? “Say no more. I’ll be at the station as soon as I can.” He hung up with a grimace. “Sweetheart, I hate to do this, but there’s an emergency at work. Go tell Sharon I have to leave.”

* * *

“Dad? Do you want more scrambled eggs?”

“No. I think I’m done, but I could use some more coffee.”

Andrea poured another cup for him. He’d slept on the couch and had opened his Christmas present early because he’d be gone hunting over Christmas. She’d listened to him rant about the numskulls at his work.