Holly And Mistletoe. Susan Mallery

he’d hung on to the cat from hell. They’d wrestled each other, and the cat had nearly won. But in the end Jordan had prevailed and grabbed it by the scruff of its neck. Unfortunately in the process he’d lost his footing on the wet wooden balcony above the garage and had fallen off the side.

      In front of everyone. He swore silently.

      “Anything broken?” he asked, eyeing his leg under the sheet and blanket. He couldn’t tell if he was in a cast or not.

      Holly shook her head. “No. I took Mistletoe to the vet, and she’s just fine.”

      “I wasn’t asking about the cat,” he said dryly.

      She stared at him a moment, then blushed. Color climbed from her neck to her face, covering her cheeks, then moving up to her hairline. Her mouth formed a perfect circle.

      “Oh.”

      She glanced down, seemed to realize she was clutching his hand to her bosom and released him. “Oh, sorry. You meant your injuries. I don’t have specifics. The nurse said you would be going home tomorrow, if that helps.” She gave him a quick glance. “I’m sorry we were so much trouble.”

      The hand she’d abandoned felt cold. He missed her heat and the faint thudding of her heartbeat. Not to mention the close proximity to her impressive breasts.

      “Just doing my job,” he said again.

      She shook her head. “No, you did more than that. One of the other fire fighters told me it was dangerous for you to go back for Mistletoe. There was some question about the structural integrity of the apartment. And now you’re injured. I feel so horrible. If there’s anything I can do, please tell me.”

      He thought about asking her to hold his hand again, but before he could form the question, the door opened and a half-dozen people poured into the room.

      His younger brother, Kyle, was first. “Heard you fell off a building,” Kyle said, grinning. “Anything to be a hero.”

      Two of his sisters-in-law pushed Kyle out of the way. Elizabeth and Rebecca rushed to his side. “How do you feel?” Elizabeth asked.

      “You can stay with us,” Rebecca offered. “There’s plenty of room.”

      His third sister-in-law, Sandy, asked, “Anything broken?”

      “I’m still not sure,” he said, but was drowned out by his older brothers, Travis and Craig, who offered their expert medical opinions on his condition.

      Austin Lucas, a friend of the family, stepped to the other side of the bed and shook hands with him. “Glad you’re going to be okay.”

      “Me, too,” Jordan answered, then realized Holly was gone. Somehow she’d slipped out of the room as his family had entered.

      He looked at the concerned group of people surrounding him. They talked to each other about his condition and argued over who was going to have him stay with them while he convalesced. The conversation washed over him, a warm, loving blanket of concern. He knew everyone in the room cared just as he cared about them. He loved them, but he wasn’t always one of them. Like Austin, Jordan spent much of his life on the fringes, watching the rest of the world connect in a way he couldn’t understand.

      So he let them argue, because he knew in the end he would do what he wanted. He would go home and be alone, because that was the way he preferred it.

      

      “Yes, yes, it’s very macho, but I’m not impressed.” Elizabeth Haynes stood with her hands on her hips. Although her husband wasn’t the oldest of the Haynes brothers, Travis had been the first of them to marry, so Elizabeth was the leader of the women. Right now she was speaking for all of them, and Jordan didn’t like what she was saying.

      “I’m staying in my house,” he said, and glared at her defiantly. The fact that he was flat on his back diluted some of his power, but he wasn’t going to acknowledge that.

      “Fine. Stay here. Just not alone.”

      He raised his hand to his face and rubbed his eyes. Everything hurt. His legs, his chest, his back, even his hair. He’d stopped taking painkillers that morning. Maybe it had been a mistake.

      Elizabeth sat on the edge of the bed and took one of his hands. It reminded him of another woman who had recently done the same.

      He couldn’t get Holly Garrett out of his mind. As a rule he avoided romantic entanglements. This time he was tempted to break his rule. Fortunately his physical limitations prevented him from acting on impulse. With a little luck, by the time he was healed, he would have forgotten all about her. In the meantime he had to get everyone to stop treating him like an invalid.

      “You have two choices,” Elizabeth said. “Come home with one of us, or…”

      “I’ll take the ‘or,”” he said.

      She ignored him. “Or have Louise stay here and look after you.”

      He scowled.

      “I know,” she said. “You hate Louise. No one knows why. Not even Louise. Over the years you’ve made your feelings about her very clear. However, you’re out of options. The doctor said you have to stay in bed for two weeks. So someone has to be here to look after you. It’s up to you, Jordan. Stay here with Louise or come home with one of your brothers.”

      Jordan turned his head toward the window. He could see bright blue sky and a few puffy clouds. Late fall in northern California could be rainy, but today the weather welcomed him home.

      Stay here with Louise or go live with one of his brothers. The latter wasn’t a problem. He got along with all of them. But it was only about a month until the holidays. Everyone would be busy with preparations. He would be in the way.

      Louise. He swore silently. No one understood why he didn’t like her. But he knew the truth. Her guilty secret. He’d carried it around with him for seventeen years. Everyone accepted her as a de facto member of the Haynes family. Everyone but Jordan. He questioned her motives for getting close to the brothers.

      “Well?” Elizabeth prompted.

      “You’re not leaving me with much of a choice.”

      “That’s the point.”

      He drew in a deep breath. He’d bought the old Victorian mansion less than two months ago. So far, he hadn’t made much of a dent in restoration. Maybe he could get some work done while he was convalescing. He wouldn’t be allowed back at the fire station until after the first of the year.

      “I want to stay here,” he said, then regretted his decision.

      “If you’re sure.” Elizabeth leaned close and kissed his cheek. “Be nice to her, okay? She’s doing you a favor.”

      “No problem.”

      She smiled. “Liar. You’re going to make her life hell. I’d better go warn her.” She rose and started out of the room. When she reached the doorway, she glanced back at him. “None of this would be a problem if you’d found yourself a wife.”

      He smiled at the familiarity of this conversation. Elizabeth was forever trying to get him married off. “I like being single.”

      She didn’t return his smile. “That’s twice you’ve lied to me, Jordan. It’s a good thing I love you as much as I do. Maybe I’ll have my husband beat some sense into you.”

      “I could take him.”

      She raised her eyebrows.

      “Well, maybe not today, but by the end of the week, for sure.”

      She stared at him for a moment. “Maybe this is a good thing—lying flat on your back will give you time to think about your life.”

      “I like my life just fine.”

      “You’ve got your brothers fooled, but we females know better.