A Mistletoe Proposal. Rebecca Winters

      “I’m glad, darling. Bye.” She left the house, closing the door behind her. This was the best way to end things. Cold turkey.

      Before long she pulled into her mother’s driveway. “Mom?” she called out when she entered the house.

      “In the kitchen.”

      Andrea found her making the fondant for the pecan rolls she gave to her friends at Christmas. “How soon will Rex be over?”

      “Not for a couple of hours. I want to hear more about you and Tessa’s father.”

      “I left the party early to get home because of Dad. Rick insisted on doing an inspection of the shop and the loft. He said there’s a firebug on the loose. On his suggestion I bought some dowels and put them in the windows.”

      “That’s a good idea, honey. I’m worried about you staying there.”

      “I’ll be fine, Mom.”

      “Then why are you so tense?”

      “Is it that obvious?” She averted her eyes.

      “I’m your mother.”

      “I made a huge mistake. He...kissed me and I let him.”

      “Was it a terrible experience?”

      Andrea could hardly swallow remembering the rapture she’d felt. “No, of course not.”

      “But?”

      “I didn’t want it to happen.”

      “That’s not really true—otherwise you would have stopped him. I’m glad this happened. Darling—Gunter’s been gone fourteen months. You’re free to look at another man and to care about one again. I have eyes and can see how attractive Captain Jenner is. You wouldn’t be a woman if you didn’t notice him.”

      “But there’s a big problem, because he’s too gorgeous!”

      Her mother laughed out loud before she poured the hot fondant onto a buttered marble slab. “Well, you’ll have to blame his genes for that. Andrea, you’re so young, with a whole life ahead of you. You knew someone else had to come along one day.

      “Why does the idea of getting to know this man cause you so much angst? Don’t let guilt that you might be betraying Gunter’s memory prevent you from getting to know him or any man better.”

      “It’s not guilt, Mom. Trust me.”

      “I’m glad to hear it. So what’s wrong?”

      “I told you before. After losing Gunter, I don’t want to care for a man whose chances of dying on the job climb astronomically because of his profession.”

      Her mother studied her for a long moment. “You really mean that, don’t you?”

      “Yes. I feel doubly sorry for Tessa. She lost her mom. One of these days she could lose him, too. That poor little girl will spend her whole life worrying about him. You should have seen her earlier. She’d been with her grandmother, but she came running into Rick’s house like a rocket to hug him. It caught at my heart. Rick admitted his late wife didn’t like his job either.”

      “Well, you have to look at it this way. He’s one of those selfless men who loves what he does for a living. What would we do without his kind? In caveman days he would be the one who went out to hunt for meat to bring back for everyone,” she teased. “Seriously, some men are made that way. You can only admire them.”

      “I do, and I’ve always asked myself how they can do it, but now it has hit home to me in a more personal way. Yesterday should have been his day off, yet there he was in the heart of some holocaust with no one to save him.”

      “I understand they work on the buddy system.”

      “Even so, they can die. One did yesterday.”

      Her mom let out a troubled sigh. “What are you going to do?”

      “I have no intention of going out with him again.”

      By now her mom was spreading the pecans on the paper. “Did you tell him that before or after he kissed you?”

      Andrea’s cheeks filled with heat. “Before.”

      “I must say he lives up to his reputation for living dangerously. I wish I could help you with your dilemma. If you truly mean what you say and don’t want to see him again, you could be missing out on a great love affair.”

      “Not if it’s cut short.” Not when I can’t give him or any man a baby. He’d told her Tessa needed a sibling. With the right woman, Rick could have several more children.

      “I’m going back to the loft. I need to clean and do a wash before work in the morning. I hope you and Rex have a great evening. I can’t wait to hear about it tomorrow.”

      As soon as Andrea got home she lit into her housecleaning until she was ready to drop. But she still spent a restless night dreaming about Rick, and she got up early the next morning to put more merchandise out on the floor. Her mother joined her in time to wait on a steady stream of customers. The weather had warmed up, bringing in shoppers.

      The chimes sounded again. She happened to glance toward the entrance and found herself staring into the blue eyes of the firefighter she’d met at the hospital. He’d warned her he’d look her up, but she really resented it when he knew she’d been at the hospital to see Rick. “Andrea Fleming. I was hoping I’d find you here. Remember me? I’m Chase Hayward, from the hospital. How’s the invalid?”

      He was attractive in his own way, but he had an aggressive nature she hadn’t liked at the hospital, and liked less now.

      “I would imagine he’s still recuperating. This is my mother, Mrs. Bernard. Mom? This is one of the firefighters who came to the hospital to see Tessa’s father.”

      “How do you do?”

      His smile widened. “Now I know where Andrea gets her looks.”

      “Thank you. If you two will excuse me, I have some business in the back.”

      She wished her mom hadn’t left her alone with him. “Are you looking for a special gift? We have nutcrackers and pyramids.”

      “No. I didn’t come to buy anything. I wanted to ask you out to dinner this evening, unless you and the captain are an item.”

      This man would be the last person she’d ever want to go out with, but how to do this tactfully so as not to offend him or affect his relationship with Rick? “I’m friends with the captain’s daughter and haven’t been out with another man since my husband passed away. I still miss him terribly.” Though it was the truth, she’d gotten past the pain since meeting Rick.

      “I’m sorry you lost your husband.”

      Andrea had nothing more to say to him. “So am I. If you’ll excuse me, I have more customers waiting.”

      “Andrea?” Her mother walked up to her with a serious expression. “You’re wanted on the phone. I’ll take over for you.” Andrea had the impression it was Rick, and she went to the back of the shop. Unfortunately she was breathless when she picked up. “Hello?”

      “I’m sorry if I’m getting you at a bad time, but this couldn’t wait.”

      “What’s wrong?”

      “Yesterday you walked out on me and Tessa. After you left, she told me she wished you had stayed to read some more books to her. There’s been a breakthrough.”

      “That makes me happy. She’s very precious,” Andrea said in a shaky voice, “but I’m afraid I can’t talk any longer.” Thrilling as those words were, it didn’t change her decision.

      “Don’t hang up. Your mother just told me Chase Hayward was in the shop.”

      She