Harlow hoped she wasn’t drooling, but Nick was wearing the blue suit like a boss. She liked his casual attire as well, but seeing him like this brought to mind a Black James Bond or aGQmodel. Either way, he was fine with a capitalF.
The door swung open and Stella stood there, greeting them with a wide smile.
“Harlow. Thanks for coming.” She swung her gaze to Nick. “Nick! Where have you been? We thought you were following behind us after we all left the church.”
“I forgot Jade’s present at the house, so I sent Miles ahead with my parents,” Nick explained. He reached into his suit jacket pocket and pulled out an envelope and a small, gaily wrapped present. He handed it over to Stella.
“Well, don’t stand on ceremony,” Stella said, waving them inside. “It’s a lot warmer inside. Come on in.”
Stella and Nick seemed pretty close, Harlow thought. Almost like family. Harlow racked her brain trying to remember if Stella had a cousin or a close friend named Nick. She was drawing a blank. Nick made a motion for her to enter the house in front of him, then followed closely behind her.
The home exuded a warm and cozy vibe. Delicious aromas wafted in the air. A picture of Stella and Luke on their wedding day sat on the entry hall table along with a photo of their sweet-faced baby girl. Harlow looked around her. The hues dominating the decor were eggshell, robin’s-egg blue, and taupe. Her first impression was that love lived here. It hummed and pulsed all around her.
“Let me introduce you two,” Stella said, with a twinkle sparkling in her eye. “Nick, this is my college friend Harlow Jones. Harlow, this is my brother-in-law, Nick Keegan. Harlow is new to town and she’s a veterinarian working at Paws. Like myself, Nick grew up in Mistletoe, so he knows it like the back of his hand.”
Keegan!Ugh! She’d known that his last name had sounded familiar, but she hadn’t made the connection. Nick was Luke’s brother. Two achingly handsome men in one family really defied the odds. Normally when there was one incredibly handsome brother, the other one had gotten shortchanged in the looks department.Not this time!
“So this is your friend you wanted me to meet?” Nick asked Stella.
“Yes,” Stella said. “And now you have, which makes me very happy. Why don’t the two of you get something to eat? I’m going to put Jade down soon, since she’s getting a little fussy.” She turned to Harlow. “I’d love for you to meet my little angel when she wakes up. And Luke as well.”
With a smile, Stella turned on her heels and walked toward the room where Harlow could see guests were gathering. Harlow looked over at Nick, who couldn’t seem to contain his gigantic smirk.
“Was Stella trying to fix us up?” she asked, feeling incredulous. Ever since Nick had rescued her on her way into town, she’d been fantasizing about this man, only to find out he was related to her only friend in Mistletoe. Small towns had such an interconnectivity among the residents. She shouldn’t be surprised at all by the link Stella and Nick shared. After all, Mistletoe was the quintessential small town. Harlow was on the fence about this aspect of living here. She was a fairly private person who didn’t like the idea of so many overlapping connections. It was easy to see how gossip might thrive in a community like this one.
“Without a doubt,” Nick answered, full-on grinning at this point and confirming her hunch about Stella’s playing matchmaker.
Harlow covered her face with her hands. “How cringeworthy. My good friend didn’t think that I could land a man on my own.”
Nick reached out and touched her arm. Her body instantly responded to the contact, and a sigh slipped past her lips. She wondered what it would feel like to be kissed by Nick, to feel his fingers roaming across her skin. It would be heavenly, she imagined.
“Trust me, it’s more about me than you,” Nick continued. “I’ve been out of the dating game for years. My whole family is trying to hook me up with someone.”
Had she heard him right? Years? For a man who looked like Nick it seemed near impossible. What was wrong with the ladies in Mistletoe?
Maybe Nick was pulling her leg. Unless, of course, he had a creepy reputation or he’d been involved in something sordid. Wild scenarios ran through her head at the speed of light. Was he an ex-con, one of those smooth-talking men who swindled women online? Maybe he was divorced and his ex-wife had blackballed him all over town.
Finally, Harlow decided he’d been teasing her. He didn’t look like a serial killer, although these days, who really knew.
She cocked her head in order to study him. “Years? Come on. I don’t believe it.”
“Is this the face of a liar?” Nick pointed his finger at his face and gave her his most winning smile. “Have you ever seenSleepless in Seattle?”
Had she?Harlow had gone through a serious rom-com phase where she had binge-watched the most notable films in this genre.Sleepless in Seattlewas hands down the best.
“Of course I have,” she said, sounding a bit incredulous. “Who hasn’t? It’s the quintessential rom-com. Single widower dad. Adorable son who goes on the radio to find his dad a romantic partner. Meg Ryan at her perkiest. It’s a classic.”
“I’m the Tom Hanks character. My wife passed away.” Nick threw out the information like a little stick of dynamite. Harlow felt all the air rush from her lungs. Nick was a widower! Why hadn’t she even considered that possibility? At one point, she’d wondered if he was married or divorced, but widowed hadn’t even crossed her mind. It was too sad. Nick was way too young to be the main character in such a tragic storyline. And sweet Miles had lost his mother at such a young age. Harlow didn’t consider herself to be a sentimental person, but hearing Nick refer to himself as a widower tugged at her heartstrings.
Words failed her. For someone who was never short on something to say, Harlow couldn’t muster up a single syllable. All of a sudden, she was reminded of growing up without a father and all of her mother’s struggles as a widow raising two kids. Her family had been gutted by her father’s tragic death. Their lives had been turned upside down, and they’d fumbled around in the dark for years.
“Sorry, I didn’t mean to be a buzzkill. Did I make you uncomfortable?” Nick asked, locking eyes with her as he spoke. “If so, I’m sorry about that. I still haven’t figured out how to slide that information into a conversation.”
Harlow bit her lip. “Nick, please stop apologizing for something devastating that happened to you…and Miles. I’m just surprised, and honestly I froze because I didn’t know what to say. That’s on me. I’m not usually so tongue-tied. Or awkward.”
Nick let out a laugh. “I’m used to feeling that way. Miles calls me lame at least once a week.”
“Ouch!” Harlow said, wincing. Kids were rough. “That kind of talk must keep you humble,” she said with a chuckle. Nick had such an easy manner. He was comfortable in his own skin and didn’t mind laughing at himself. Even when bringing up the delicate topic of being widowed, he’d tried to put her at ease. This man was growing on her by the second.
