Merry Humbug Christmas (37 page)

deliriously crazy in love! At least it feels like love. It might be too soon to get a true reading.”

“It’s not a fever, Joss. It’s your heart.”

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Joss grinned at her, and Reese realized she’d never seen her

friend with that look in her eyes. She reached over and grabbed Joss’s wrist and jiggled it.

“I hope it’s love,” she confided. “I really hope it’s love. You deserve to find love, Joss.”

“Hush,” she blurted. “Tell me how it went with the in-laws?”

“Couldn’t have been better. We started out getting into an acci-

dent with a deer, and the next day I ran over Damian’s brother Eli with the car.”

“You did not.”

“Then I poisoned a little girl’s dog—”

“Stop it!”

“—and I topped it all off by knocking down a little girl and set-

ting fire to the Palmer family mountain home.”

Silence gripped them as they sat there staring at one another.

“Please tell me you’re making this up.”

“It would be so great if I could, wouldn’t it?”

A soft rap at the door preceded Damian as he poked his head

around the corner and smiled. “Game starts in twenty, and I put the chili on the buffet table,” he declared. Then, walking in a step farther, he whispered, “And I think we’ve got a love connection out here

between Regg and Jack Collins.”

Reese gasped. What a perfect example of god-like kismet!

Working with Jack had been a high point in her time at the hospital, and she couldn’t imagine a nicer man for Reggie to spend some time with.

“That’s a happy accident!” she said, grinning. “And guess who else might have found love over Christmas.”

Damian smiled. “Really?”

Joss shrugged.

“I like Patrick,” he told her. “He seems cool.” Glancing at Reese, he nodded. “Now, come out here and get a load of them together.”

“Give us five minutes.”

“Who’s Regg?” Joss asked after he’d gone.

“Damian’s sister. Reggie. You have to meet her. You’ll love her!”

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Merry

Humbug Christmas

“Okay, but we have so much more to talk about. Let’s have lunch

tomorrow over near my office.”

“Done,” Reese said with a nod. “But there are some things that

can’t wait until then, so let’s shorthand it.”

“Okay. Go!”

“Patrick. Does he feel like you do?”

“He thinks we’re destiny,” Joss beamed. “The mother-in-law. Is

she tolerable?”

“More than. She’s heaven.”

“The dog you poisoned?”

“Freakish little Chihuahua that belongs to Damian’s niece, Sarah.”

“Accident, right?”

Reese tilted her head and glared at Joss. “Of course! I wouldn’t

poison a dog on purpose.”

“Right. Was it Norman Rockwell up there like we imagined?”

“Times twelve. There was—
get this!
—a sleigh ride on Christmas Eve!”

“Stop it!”

“There was!” Reese vowed. “Now come on. I’m hungry. That’ll

have to do for now.”

They both stood up, and Joss turned to Reese at the door and

looked at her seriously. “Don’t laugh, but it’s not really so bad, is it?”

“What’s that?”

“Christmas,” she mumbled. “I mean, under the right

circumstances.”

Reese heard her own heartbeat
rat-a-tatting
in her eardrums.

“Joss.”

“I know. Don’t tell Damian. He’ll just get all self-righteous on

me.”

“I won’t. And how does Patrick feel about Christmas?”

“He thinks it’s overcommercialized. He’s all about the true

meaning and all that.”

“Really.”

Joss grinned. “Check us out.”

“I know. Want to know what I did on Christmas?”

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“Spill.”

“Invited my parents for a visit.”

Joss popped with laughter. “Stop it!”

“I did.”

Placing her arm around Reese’s neck, she squeezed. “Just one

last one for the road, okay?” she said.

“What did you have in mind?”

“Did you see those wreath earrings Connie has on, with the little Santas swinging on them?”

“Like I could miss them?” Reese teased.

“If I can get them away from her, let’s bury them in the potted

plant out back.”

“Bring it! And if I get them first,” Reese added, “you buy lunch

tomorrow.”

“You’re on!”

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“For a child will be born for us,

a son will be given to us,

and the government will be on His shoulders.

He will be named

Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God,

Eternal Father, Prince of Peace.”

—IsaIah 9:6 hcsb

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