“It’s going to be at my old place. I’m surprised you didn’t hear,” Jamie added. “My mother-in-law wanted to invite half the district, and Ford wanted the pediatrician and a team of twelve nurses present. So, close to the hospital it is.”
Billy finally joined the conversation. “My mom tends to overdo things.”
Jamie stole her baby back and kissed Laurel’s cheek, cradling her to her chest. “It’s going to be a great time. No cameras either. My rule,” Jamie added, not taking her eyes off the baby.
“The most important one. Those cameras ruin everything,” Billy interjected, standing from the bed and smoothing her hand down the front of her pale pink sweater.
Feeling like an absolute idiot, I continued to stand at the foot of the bed, unable to take my gaze off Billy. She had on worn-in jeans with holes in the knees and Christmas socks. She padded toward a pair of ankle boots in the corner.
“It’s on Christmas Eve. We’ll be staying at my old house until then,” Jamie added. “Baby’s first Christmas won’t be among the palm trees.”
Turning, Billy added, “I’m taking a tree over tomorrow. Frank’s going to get one for me.”
I wondered if Betsy knew about the holiday-slash-baby-welcoming party yet. This whole gathering was going to cause a scene, for lack of a better word.
“I’d like to be there. I’m actually on call during Christmas this year, so I’m not doing much,” I said like the desperate fool I was. Thankfully I’d been assigned call months before I knew there would be a chance Billy would be here for Christmas. Otherwise it would look suspect as fuck, as they say.
“I’ll have my assistant send you over the details,” Ford said, going over to see his daughter, which should have been my clue to leave.
Except Billy was bent over, sliding into her shoes, and her ass caught my attention. I was only a hot-blooded man…and one who was smitten with the woman now standing and grabbing a striped blazer to slip on over her sweater. She looked pure celebrity—out of my league and realm—yet if I closed my eyes, I could still taste her on my tongue. Maybe that was why I couldn’t stop the word vomit from pouring out of my mouth.
“Hey, Billy.” I tried to sound casual.Here’s a clue: I didn’t sound anything close to casual.One dinner date at a golf club, a single coffee meetup, and half a night where I made her come, and I was a goner. A goner of the grandest kind.
All six eyes in the room focused on me.
“Yes?”
Clearing my throat, I went for casual again. “There’s a great Christmas tree farm about forty-five minutes away. Davidson’s…tell Frank,” I added, trying to give that easygoing tone. I would’ve offered to take her, but a solo outing wasn’t in the cards for us. We’d had a chance, and I flushed it down the toilet. Not without good reason…
“Oh? Do you know it, Jamie?” Billy turned to face her sister-in-law, but I couldn’t miss the blissful look on her face.
“Of course. It’s where we always got the trees for the atrium here.”
Duh, I told myself. Jamie used to work at the hospital. She would know where to go.
“It’s been years since I did the holiday back northeast. I mean, other than your wedding, which was gorgeous,” Billy said to Ford before turning back toward Jamie. “I’ve had a fake plastic evergreen for two decades. We should go. I could get one for my hotel too.” I hadn’t seen Billy ever smile so wide in the short time we’d known one another personally. She looked like a kid on Christmas morning.
“Sounds like you’ll be wearing a Santa hat and going,” Ford said to Billy with a wink.
I couldn’t make out a response. The thought of Billy wrapped in a puffy coat, Santa hat over her silky blond hair, traipsing in winter boots to get a fresh tree, caused some sort of reaction in me. Rather than make a fool of myself, I nodded to Ford and Jamie, smiled, and finally said, “Looks like it’s going to be a magnificent Christmas for all of you. See you at the party. Thanks again.” With enough gushing out of me, I decided to say goodbye to Billy with a nod and then scat.
Until she said, “As long as you’re not embarrassed?”
It seemed to be directed at me, but I had no idea what she meant. “Me?”
“When I wear the Santa hat. I thought we could go get the tree. At your farm.”
“With me?” My ability to keep my voice even had escaped me long before Billy nodded and slipped her arm through mine.
“Come on, walk me to the back entrance and we can finalize plans.” She gave a quick wave to her family and led me out of the hospital room.
“Shouldn’t you call Frank?” I couldn’t help myself. A mixture of hurt and excitement raged in my veins.
“He’ll see me when I get to the car,” was all she gave back to me.
I had a feeling he wasn’t going to like this, but Billy’s arm was still threaded through mine. Actually, her arm had been like that since we stood in front of her brother—while she was blowing kisses to a sleeping baby and tugging me out of the suite. Who was I to argue? I marched along like a happy toy soldier…until we got to Frank.
Billy
