“On that note I’m out,” Nick said, choking back laughter. After grabbing a duffel bag and his keys, Nick headed toward the front door, turning around to catch one last glimpse of his son. With his cinnamon-colored skin and big brown eyes, he was resembling his mother more and more every day. Noticing the resemblance didn’t hurt as it once did. It simply made him happy that he’d loved and been loved by Miles’s mother.
Chapter Four
Abreeze swept over Harlow and she closed her eyes to let the October sun warm her up. Maine weather didn’t seem to want to make up its mind. The temperature vacillated between chilly and balmy. Today was a sweatshirt day with no jacket required.
“I don’t think you realize how much I’ve missed you,” Harlow said to her twin brother as they sat outside on the patio of the Coffee Bean. Bear sat at her feet, just chilling out and watching the world go by. Being reunited with Malcolm and Bear had been just what she needed to rev up her spirits. Moving to a brand-new town after being so settled in Seattle was disconcerting.
“I missed you more,” Malcolm said before taking a lengthy sip of his espresso.
“Not possible,” she said, repeating their childhood exchange.
“So far Mistletoe seems pretty nice,” Malcolm said as he sat back in his chair and surveyed the downtown area. “You can definitely indulge in some retail therapy here. Although maybe I shouldn’t tempt you, since your goal is to be debt-free.”
“I look forward to shopping till I drop with Stella. She’s been such a big help to me. Without her I wouldn’t be living in a house on the lake.” Although Harlow still wasn’t sold on Mistletoe, or any other small town for that matter, Stella had given her the hookup with a fantastic rental.
“I can’t believe she’s married,” Malcolm said with a frown. “To a Navy SEAL, no less,” he muttered.
“And she’s also a new mother,” Harlow added, smirking. For some reason, Malcolm was experiencing major regret about not romantically pursuing Stella. As much as she loved Malcolm, she’d never been able to imagine the two of them as a couple. Since Malcolm had attended SCAD (Savannah College of Art and Design), he had been only a four-hour drive from their Spelman College campus. He and his college buddies had frequently done road trips to Atlanta, where they’d hung out with Harlow and the Spelman girls. He’d been smitten by Stella at first sight.
Malcolm scowled. “Don’t rub it in. I’m still kicking myself that I didn’t shoot my shot with her.”
Harlow snorted. Her brother was a serious player, going from one woman to the next. “You’re being ridiculous. How many women have you dated since Stella and I were at Spelman? You haven’t exactly been pining away for her.”
Malcolm shook his head at her. He placed his hand over his heart. “You’re enjoying my pain, aren’t you?” he asked.
“Always,” Harlow said, leaning over and tweaking her brother’s cheek. When she swung her gaze up, Nick was walking out of the coffee shop with a tray of drinks in his hand. Their eyes met and a smile began to spread across Nick’s handsome face. Harlow sucked in a deep breath. Every time she laid eyes on this man her pulse began to race and her thoughts ran wild.
He stopped when he reached their table. “Hey, Harlow. It’s good to see you.”
“Hi, Nick. Fancy meeting you here,” Harlow said, inexplicably feeling tongue-tied. What was going on with her? She was never at a loss for words.
Nick’s gaze slid to Malcolm, who nodded in Nick’s direction. “Hi, I’m Malcolm. Harlow’s twin brother.”
Maybe it was wishful thinking, but Nick seemed relieved to find out that Malcolm was her brother and not a date. She might be imagining it, but suddenly Nick seemed a lot more relaxed. His shoulders were hanging lower now and his eyes twinkled.
“Hey, Malcolm. Nice to meet you,” Nick said with a friendly smile.
“Malcolm, Nick is the person I was telling you about. The one who rescued me after my car slid off the road,” Harlow explained. She’d told Malcolm all about her brush with death and Nick’s heroic actions. He’d been very impressed and grateful. Harlow had also been on the receiving end of a lecture about dangerous driving practices. For once, Harlow had listened without a word of protest. She was simply grateful her life had been spared. She’d tried to put the incident at the back of her mind, but it had been terrifying.
“Hey, man. I can’t thank you enough for everything you did for Harlow.” Malcolm let out a low whistle. “That was some superhero stuff from what Harlow told me. Good looking out.”
“I was just happy to help before things took a turn for the worse,” Nick said. “I’ve seen a lot of fatal accidents.” Nick winced, as if remembering the tragic scenes he’d witnessed. He looked down at Bear. “And who is this big boy?”
Harlow reached down and patted the top of Bear’s head. “This is Bear. Malcolm’s been watching him for the past few weeks, but now he’s here to stay.”
“Bear, not me,” Malcolm said with a grin. “I’m only here for a few more days.”
“Do you live nearby?” Nick asked Malcolm.
“I’m living in Boston, which is a lot closer to Mistletoe than Seattle,” Malcolm answered.
“You got that right!” Harlow said, relishing the fact that her twin would be no more than a three-hour drive away. Being on the same coast as Malcolm was comforting. He was her version of a human security blanket. Things were always better when he was around.
“Well, you’ve discovered the best coffee place in town, so it seems like you’re getting the lay of the land.” He held up his coffee tray. “I better finish my coffee run. It was nice to see you, Harlow.” He nodded at Malcolm. “Nice to meet you. I hope you enjoy your time in Mistletoe.”
“See you around,” Harlow said. “Don’t forget to bring Zeus in.”
“Will do,” Nick said, flashing a smile. “I haven’t forgotten.”
