One Special Christmas & Home for the Holidays by Irene Hannon

Anna’s.”
    As Sarah scampered toward her bedroom, Kate rose and walked slowly to the door. She still felt ill at ease, but she tried to suppress her nervousness. After all, Ericseemed like a nice man. He wasn’t looking for anything more than companionship. And she had been a pretty good conversationalist at one time, even if her skills were a bit rusty. Maybe she’d even have fun, she told herself encouragingly. But she knew that possibility was remote. Fun didn’t play much of a role in her life these days. She reached for the knob and sighed. Wouldn’t it be nice, though, if—
    The sight of Eric’s broad shoulders filling her doorway cut off her thought in mid-sentence and her polite smile of welcome froze on her face. He looked different today, she thought inanely, her lips parting slightly in surprise as she stared at him. More…human. And he exuded a virility that had been camouflaged beneath his clinical demeanor, white coat and stethoscope during their last encounter in his office. At work he looked professional and slightly remote, and his role was clear. In his present attire—khaki trousers and a cobalt-blue golf shirt that hugged his muscular chest and matched the color of his eyes—he seemed to be playing a much less precisely defined role. It was an unsettling and intimidating change. Yet his eyes—warm and genuine and straightforward, even while reflecting some other emotion she couldn’t quite put her finger on—helped to calm her jitters.
    Eric watched the play of emotions on Kate’s face as he struggled to control his own expression. Her smile of welcome had faded to a look of surprise, and her slightly parted lips, along with the pulse that began to beat in the delicate hollow of her throat, clearly communicated her nervousness. She looked vulnerable and scared…and very, very appealing, he thought, as his heart stopped, then raced on. By anyone’s definition, her simple sundress was modest, hinting at—rather thanrevealing—her curves. But the white piqué was a perfect foil for her dark hair and eyes. She wore a delicate gold chain at her neck, and his eyes lingered for a moment on the spot where it rested against the creamy skin at the edge of her collarbone.
    Eric swallowed past the sudden lump in his throat, fighting a swift—and disconcerting—surge of panic. Until this moment he’d felt somehow insulated from Kate’s beauty, gentle manner and earnest efforts to do the right thing for her daughter. He’d admired her, but he’d felt in control and able to keep a safe emotional distance. Suddenly he didn’t feel at all in control. Or safe. Or distant.
    But that wasn’t her problem, he reminded himself. He’d just have to deal with his own surprising reaction later. Right now he needed to make her relax. And that would be no small chore, he realized. The pulsating shimmer of her gold chain clearly suggested accelerated respiration, indicating that she was as nervous about this setup as he suddenly was. Not a good sign.
    Deliberately he tipped his lips up into a smile, and when he spoke his voice was warm and friendly—but purposely not too friendly. “Hello, Kate. I…”
    â€œHi, Dr. Eric.” Sarah burst into the room, dragging her sweater by one sleeve.
    He grinned at Kate as Sarah’s exuberant entrance dissipated the tension in the room, then he squatted down beside his small patient and touched her nose. “Hello, Sarah. Are you still having those tummyaches?”
    â€œNo. They’re all gone. You must be a very good doctor.”
    He chuckled. “I think maybe Dr. Anna can take the credit for your cure.”
    Sarah gave him a puzzled look. “Is Aunt Anna a doctor, too?”
    He smiled. “In some ways. She always used to make me feel better after I fell off my bike and scraped my knees.”
    â€œI like her,” Sarah declared.
    â€œSo do