Christmas Kisses Collection. Louise Allen

mother when she worried that her mother was just going to be hurt yet again? She’d seen her devastation all those years ago, had watched the depression take hold and not let go for years. Why would she want her mother to risk that again? Especially with a man so much younger than she was?

      She must have asked the last question out loud because her mother beamed at Yves, placed her hand in his and answered, “Because for the first time in a long time, maybe ever, I know what it feels like to be loved. It’s a wonderful feeling, McKenzie. I hope that someday you know exactly what I mean.”

      Lance hit McKenzie’s number for what had to be the dozenth time. Why wasn’t she answering her phone?

      He’d driven out to her place, but she wasn’t home. Where would she be? Cecilia’s perhaps? He’d drive out there, too, but that made him feel a little too desperate.

      Unfortunately, he was the bearer of bad news regarding a patient she’d sent to the emergency room earlier. The man had been in the midst of a heart attack and had been airlifted to Atlanta. When the hospital hadn’t been able to reach McKenzie they’d called him, thinking he might be with her.

      He would like to be with her. He should be with her. Instead, he’d sat through the last meeting before the Valentine’s Day dance. They had everything under control and the event should be a great fund-raiser.

      But where was McKenzie?

      He was just getting ready to pull out of her driveway when her car came down the street and turned in.

      “What are you doing here?” she asked, getting out of her car. “It’s almost ten.”

      Yeah, he should have gone home. He didn’t have to tell her tonight. Nothing would have been lost by her not finding out about the man until the next morning.

      “I was worried about you.”

      “I’m fine.”

      “I’ll go, then. I was just concerned when you didn’t answer your phone.”

      “Sorry. I had my ringer turned off. I was at my mother’s.”

      Her mother that he’d not met yet.

      “She’s getting married.”

      “Married?”

      “Seems after all this time she’s met the man of her dreams.”

      “You don’t sound very happy about it.”

      She shrugged. “He’s growing on me.”

      “Someone I know?”

      “Unlikely. He just opened up the new health-food store on the square.”

      “Yves St. Claire?”

      Her brows veed. “That’s him. You know him?”

      “I met him a few days after he opened the store. Great place he has there. Seems like a nice enough fellow.”

      “And?”

      “And what?”

      “Doesn’t he seem too young for my mother?”

      “I’ve never met your mother so I wouldn’t know, but age is just a number.”

      “That’s what she said.”

      “If I were younger than you, would it matter, McKenzie?”

      “For our intents and purposes, I suppose that depends on how much younger. I don’t mess with jailbait.”

      He laughed, leaned back against his car. “Glad I have a few years on you, then.”

      “Do you want to come inside?”

      Relief washed over him. “I thought you’d never ask.”

      February the thirteenth fell on a Friday and McKenzie was convinced that the day truly was a bad-luck day.

      Today was it. The end of her two months with Lance.

      She’d promised herself there would be no fuss, no muss, just a quick and painless goodbye. He had his dance tomorrow night and no doubt by next week he’d have a new love interest.

      But she couldn’t quite convince herself of that.

      Something in the way Lance looked at her made her think he wouldn’t quickly replace her but might instead take some time to get over her.

      Unfortunately, she might require that time, too.

      Lots and lots of recovery time, though perhaps not the three decades’ worth her mother had taken to blossom into a woman in love.

      Her mother was in love. And loved.

      Over the past several days McKenzie had been fitted for a maid-of-honor dress and had met Yves’s best friend for his tux fitting. Her mother was getting married at a local church in a small, simple ceremony the following day.

      “You’re not planning to see me at all tonight?” Lance asked.

      She shook her head. “My mother’s wedding-rehearsal dinner is tonight.”

      “I could go with you.”

      “That would be a bad idea.”

      “Why?”

      “Our last night together and we go to a wedding rehearsal? Think about it. That’s just all kinds of wrong. Plus, I don’t want you there, Lance.”

      He winced and she almost retracted her words. Part of her did want him there. Another part knew the sooner they parted the sooner she could get back to the regularly scheduled program of her life. Her time with Lance had been a nice interlude from reality.

      “I should tell you that Yves invited me to the wedding.”

      “I don’t want you there,” she said.

      “I’ll keep that in mind.” Without another word, he left her office.

      McKenzie’s heart shuddered at the soft closing of her office door as if the noise had echoed throughout the building.

      She went to her mother’s rehearsal dinner, smiled and performed her role as maid of honor. Truth was, watching her mother and Yves left her heart aching.

      Feeling a little bereft at the thought she was soon to be single again.

      Which was ridiculous.

      She liked being single.

      She thrived on being single.

      She didn’t want to be like her parents.

      Only watching her mother glow, hearing her happy laughter, maybe she wouldn’t mind being a little like her mother.

      McKenzie got home a little after eleven. She’d not heard from Lance all evening. She’d half expected him to be waiting in her driveway.

      No, more than half. She had expected him to be there.

      That he wasn’t left her feeling deflated.

      Their last night together and they weren’t together.

      Would never be together again.

      Sleep didn’t come easily but unfortunately her tears did.

      This was exactly why she should never have agreed to more than a month with him. Anything more was just too messy.

      Lance sat in the fourth pew back on the groom’s side. There were only about fifty or so people in the church when the music started and the