That First Special Kiss

Chuckling, Joe lowered Kelly to her feet and spoke to Brynn. “Remember the day you moved into Tony and Michelle’s guest house to be a nanny to their kids? I stopped by to make sure you’d settled in comfortably, and I found you sitting on Shane’s shoulders, both of you laughing your heads off. I didn’t like it at all.”

At the mention of Shane’s name, Kelly busied herself straightening ornaments on her tree. But her guests weren’t paying attention to her as they reminisced. “I remember,” Brynn said. “I was changing a lightbulb in a ceiling fixture and Shane gave me a boost. You asked why we didn’t get a ladder.”

“And Shane gave me such a smug look that I was tempted to punch him,” Joe answered darkly.

“Shane always has been a flirt. And we didn’t know at the time he was my cousin.”

“No. At the time, I saw him as a potential rival.” Joe suddenly looked cocky. “Not that he’d have been in the running for long. I had my eye on you then and nothing would have stood in my way.”

“You can stop flexing your machismo,” Brynn advised him dryly. “Even before I knew Shane was my cousin, I never thought of him as anything more than a very good friend.”

Joe nodded in satisfaction, then turned to Kelly. “Speaking of Shane, is he going to that dance thing tonight?”

Kelly tried to look nonchalant. “I believe he said he’ll be there.”

Brynn frowned. “I wonder if he’s bringing that redhead. Maya? Kayla?”

“Gayla,” Kelly corrected, suppressing a shudder. “I don’t think he’s seeing her anymore.”

“Are you sure you don’t want us to pick you up?” Joe asked Kelly, sipping the mug of s

piced cider she’d made for him earlier.

“Thanks, but I’d rather take my own car tonight.”

“Is Amber going?” Brynn asked.

Turning away from the tree, Kelly shook her head. “When she heard that Cameron is bringing a date, she decided to stay away. She said she’s not ready to see him with another woman yet.”

“I suppose it was inevitable that he would start dating again,” Brynn said with a sigh. “But it’s a shame it had to be so soon—and right here at Christmas.”

“He’s probably thinking the sooner the better, for Amber’s sake,” Joe contributed. “The quicker she stops hoping he’ll change his mind, the easier it will be for her to get on with her own life.”

Kelly sighed quietly, noting that it was Amber who seemed to be suffering most from the breakup. And Amber who was staying away from her friends because it was too painful to continue to be with them now that she and Cameron were no longer together.

“Don’t look so sad, Kelly,” Joe said. “As much as it’s hurting her now, your friend will get over this. Trust me, I’ve never seen anyone literally die of a broken heart.”

“You’re an orthopedic surgeon, not a cardiologist,” she reminded him, forcing a smile.

“The point is that she will recover.”

“Would you have recovered if you and Brynn broke up after you’d dated awhile?”

Joe grimaced. “Maybe,” he said doubtfully, with an expressive look at his wife. “But it would have been the hardest thing I’ve ever done.”

“That’s probably the way Amber feels. She has loved Cameron for years.”

“You’re probably right.” Joe glanced at his watch. “As much as we’ve enjoyed having lunch with you and helping you decorate your tree, we really have to be going. I have to stop by the hospital and Brynn will want plenty of time to primp and fuss for the dance.”

Brynn punched his arm.

“I didn’t say you need to primp and fuss,” Joe reminded her. “I just said you would.”

Joe and Brynn were still teasingly fussing when they left a short time later. Kelly saw them off with a smile and a wave, and then turned to study her newly festive living room. It looked nice, she decided. Like a real home at Christmastime.

Though it was only a small, few-frills apartment, this felt more like a home to her than anyplace she had lived since her mother fell ill. Everything had been going along so nicely—and then Shane and her father had both made unexpected overtures that threatened to change everything.

Just as she’d been unable to stop the change in her relationship with Shane, she knew she was going to be forced to make some sort of decision about her father. She couldn’t ignore his request forever. She only wished it hadn’t come at a time when she was already feeling overwhelmed by so many other pressures.