A Perfect Holiday Fling (5 page)

“I don’t want you to fly. I want you to teach,” Dustin said.

Stefan’s head reared back. “Teach?”

“Dude, you’re one of the most kickass pilots I know, but you’re even better at explaining the mechanics of flying. I just bought a fifty-thousand square foot facility in Belle Chase. I’m moving my entire base of operations there. Pilots will come there to train, and then be dispatched to wherever they’re needed.”

Stefan had never once considered doing anything that didn’t involve being in a cockpit, up in the air. Dustin was asking him to stand in front of a classroom and teach?

Dustin signaled for the bartender and said, “Have another beer while you think it over.”

Stefan declined the beer. “I need to head back,” he said.

“You’re leaving?” Dustin stretched his arms out, looking around the oyster bar. “We’re in the French Quarter, man. I figured we’d hit a few strip clubs on Bourbon Street.”

Stefan shook his head as he slid off the stool. “My nephew’s kindergarten class had a field trip to the petting zoo, and I was given strict instructions to be at the school to pick him up at 6:00 p.m. sharp.”

He left Dustin with the promise of at least considering his offer, but Stefan wasn’t ready to start thinking about contingencies just yet. He’d wait until he got his results from the doctor before he started thinking about what he would do if he could no longer fly.

Finding a radio station that wasn’t playing continuous Christmas carols proved nearly impossible, and Stefan eventually had to settle on talk radio to get him through the hour-long drive from New Orleans. By the time he made it to Maplesville, the sun had begun to set, painting the horizon in brilliant orange, purple and blue hues. He took the exit off of the main highway, driving past the string of fast food restaurants and strip malls that his sister had told him had not been there when they moved to Maplesville just two years ago.

He pulled up to the traffic light next to an eight-story luxury condominium complex and nearly stomped on his breaks when he spotted Dr. Calista Webber emerging from a red SUV in the parking lot. She carried a grocery bag and a dome-shaped container, like the ones the grocery store bakery used for their cakes.

Stefan considered pulling into the complex’s parking lot, but realized that was too aggressive, even for him. He was pretty sure he’d made his interest known during their encounter in the grocery store this past Sunday. Showing up unannounced at her home would move him into creepy stalker territory.

Besides, he had to pick up his nephew in—he looked at the time on the dash. Shit, less than ten minutes.

The light turned green and Stefan reluctantly pulled away, but he checked his rearview mirror at least a half-dozen times before losing sight of the condominium.

***

Callie took the elevator to the seventh floor of the condo where her best friend since elementary school, Kiera Coleman, lived. Kiera was standing in the hallway outside her door when Callie walked off the elevator. She followed Kiera into the apartment, holding the wine bottle aloft in one hand, and the caramel and dark chocolate torte she’d picked up from Mable’s Bakery in the other.

“The liquor and chocolate are here. Let the party begin.”

She greeted Jada Dangerfield, the other member of their trio, who was currently piling cheese onto a platter, with a kiss on the cheek. Jada had moved to Maplesville during their sophomore year of high school. A perky, effervescent cheerleader whom Kiera had hated on sight. Callie had discovered Jada’s mean streak when she’d caught her vandalizing the locker of the cheerleader captain, Regina Parker. Their mutual hatred of Regina had bonded them, and the three had become fast friends.

Now, it was their astounding bad luck in the romance department that connected them. The trio got together at least once a month to commiserate. Although, over the past year, they had moved past the man-bashing and now just used the time for catching up on gossip and guilt-free dessert and wine consumption.

Jada, who’d been ditched by her husband and lost her job this past year, regaled them with horror-filled tales of job hunting.

“You would think an MBA could land you something better than cashier at the new Forever 21, huh?” Jada said as she tipped back her glass of the chocolate-infused wine that had become their drink of choice.

“Have you thought about moving closer to New Orleans?” Kiera asked. “I’d hate to see you leave Maplesville, but it may be better all-around for you.”

“No way,” Callie said. “She can’t leave.”

“I don’t want her to leave either,” Kiera said, “But it would be better than running into Eric every other day.”

Jada shook her head. “To hell with that. I’m not letting him run me away.”

Callie had been lucky in that regard; her philandering husband had moved back to his hometown of Atlanta with his new bride. Jada’s husband still lived in Maplesville, and used every chance he could get to flaunt his girlfriend in his ex-wife’s face.

Kiera, the one who was most open to finding new love, told them about her disastrous date with an insurance salesman who sold burial plots on the side. He’d spent the entire date trying to sell her a spot in the new mausoleum to be built in Tranquility Gardens cemetery. Callie had tears streaming down her face by the time Kiera finished.

“What about you?” Jada asked. “Did you ever call that hot vet from Chicago?”

Callie shook her head. “I figured there was no point. I doubt he’d fly all the way from the Windy City for a date.”

Callie bit her bottom lip, contemplating whether or not she should mention Stefan. But if she was going to talk to anyone about her flirtatious encounters with Maplesville’s newest resident, it would be with these two.

Picking up the wine bottle, she topped off all three glasses and said, “There is this one guy.”

She told them about Stefan’s visit to her clinic Saturday morning, and about their run-in and his blatant flirting at the grocery store on Sunday.

“Is he hot?” This from Jada.

“God, yes,” Callie answered.

“Then why are you even asking if you should hook up with him? Go for it, girl.”

Callie twisted to face Kiera, who was swirling her finger in the ganache topping on her slice of torte.

“Go for it?” Callie asked her. “I don’t even know him.”

“And?” Jada hunched her shoulders. “It’s the holidays. He can be your little Christmas fling.”

Callie rolled her eyes, but her stomach fluttered with the thrill that thought created. It had been a downright hellish year, but she had a feeling Stefan Sutherland could put a much more interesting ending to it.

Tossing the idea aside with a wave of her hand, Callie said, “I’ve got too much going on to think about a Christmas fling.”

“Like what?” her friends both asked at the same time.

Callie considered mentioning the offer she’d received to join Capital City Veterinary Partnership, but she was still trying to figure it all out in her own mind. She wasn’t sure she wanted Jada and Kiera weighing in just yet. Besides, she already knew what they would say. Callie just had to put herself in their shoes. If either of her friends were to consider moving, she would raise hell. The hypocrisy wasn’t lost on her.

“The holidays are always hectic at the clinic,” Callie said instead. “Pets love to eat Christmas decorations. You don’t want to hear about some of the places I’ve found tinsel.”

Kiera’s palms flew up. “Oh. My. God. That reminds me. You two have got to hear this story.”

Callie’s mention of tinsel had apparently triggered a juicy bit of gossip about two of Kiera’s co-workers who had been caught in a compromising position in the storage closet. But after the first few minutes, Callie tuned out her friend’s story. Kiera’s earlier assertion was still ringing in her ears.

Would it be so wrong to engage in a little Christmas fling with Stefan?

Callie would be the first to admit that she wasn’t the most observant when it came to picking up on flirtatious hints, but she would have to be blind not to see that Stefan was interested in…well…something. Whether he was just a shameless flirt, or had been sending signals that he wanted more, she didn’t know.

But maybe it was worth finding out.

Chapter Four

Stefan rested his head against the recliner’s leather headrest in his sister’s downstairs office, smiling at Jacob who insisted on reciting his lines as Old Man Winter, even though Stefan had already told him that he’d recorded the entire Christmas play and was going to upload it to YouTube for Stef to see.

Sandy, also known as the most pretentious cat in the history of the planet, sat in Stefan’s lap as if she belonged there. She’d taken her spot the minute he’d sat down, rubbing her head against his belly. As disturbing as it was, Stefan realized that he was already becoming used to feeling the soft rumble of her purr against his hand.

“You’re still making the gingerbread men for the class Christmas party tomorrow, right?” Stef asked.

“Yes.” Stefan groaned. Loudly.

“You sound so excited.” She laughed.

Sliding his arm underneath Sandy’s belly, Stefan scooped the cat up and walked over to the computer. “Thanks for signing me up to be Betty Crocker. If any of his classmates get sick, I’m blaming you.”

“You’ll do just fine. Jacob will be there to help, won’t you, honey?”

His nephew nodded.

“I have to go and pick out my school clothes,” Jacob said. “We don’t have to wear uniforms since it’s the last day, and Uncle Stefan told me I could wear whatever I want to.”

“That Uncle Stefan sure lets you get away with a lot of stuff,” Stefanie said. “Make sure your socks match.”

The two blew kisses at their respective computer screens and Jacob raced out of the room. Stefan heard his tiny feet thumping overhead moments later.

“Your friend looks very comfortable,” Stefanie remarked.

He peered down at the bundle of fur in his arms. “She’s growing on me.”

“Any responses to your posters?”

He shook his head. Truth is, he’d started taking the flyers down whenever he passed them during his morning jog. He knew no one was coming to get this cat. And Jacob liked her.

Shit, he liked her, too.

“At least you won’t have to go pet shopping when you get back,” Stefan said.

“True.” Stef chuckled. “Now, explain something to me. How does a five-year-old convince a grown man to allow him to pick out his own clothes for school?”

“Because Uncle Stefan messed up again and this is his way of making up for it?”

Stef regarded him with a questioning frown, and Stefan explained. “I didn’t know parents were supposed to arrive a half hour early for the play. There was some type of presentation of certificates thanking parents for their work throughout the first half of the year. Jacob was the only one who didn’t have anyone there to accept the certificate.”

“Oh, Stefan, don’t beat yourself up over that. You didn’t know.”

“I should have. I checked when we got back home and it was on the weekly update note that his teacher sends with him.” He ran a hand along Sandy’s back and let out a tired sigh. “I’m trying hard, Stef, but if I had to grade my performance so far, I’d give myself a solid D.”

“Stop it, Stefan. You’re doing fine. Look, I know Jacob can be difficult—”

“He has every right to be. The kid lost his dad. His mom is halfway across the world fighting a war, and he’s stuck with his clueless uncle who can’t even show up to his Christmas play on time.

“And what about after tomorrow, Stef? Things have been rocky already, and Jacob has been in school most of the time. What do you think will happen when he’s home all day for two weeks?”

“You’ve had him all day on the weekends.”

“Yeah, but I made sure to have stuff planned. We can’t go fishing and camping every day for two weeks straight. And his mother has drilled into his head that he can only watch one hour of television a day. I can’t pay the kid to watch an extra minute of cartoons. What the hell did you threaten to do to him?”

She laughed. “There are more productive ways to occupy his time than watching cartoons. Jacob will be just fine,” his sister insisted. Her slightly pixelated face held a somber smile. “You’re doing wonderfully, Stefan. Being a single parent isn’t easy. I mess up all the time.”

“You’re the best parent that kid can have,” Stefan said. “But thanks anyway. Hey, I did promise to go caroling with his class. Subjecting myself to spending an evening with a group of kindergarteners with missing front teeth trying to sing Christmas carols has to be worth something, right?”

After his sister caught her breath from laughing, they said their goodbyes and Stefan switched to his email. Being the last person on earth without a smart phone, he still had to wait until he got in front of a computer to check email. The first one he spotted was the reminder from the VA clinic about his upcoming appointment.

Stefan leaned back in the chair and pinched his eyes shut, the anguish washing over him like a tidal wave as he considered what it would mean if he walked out of the VA clinic with the knowledge that he’d never fly a naval aircraft again. It had been his sole purpose in life from the age of eighteen, when he’d decided to piss off Lieutenant Cornel Morris Sutherland and join the Navy instead of the Army. It had been his way of getting back at his dad for being such a demanding, mean-spirited SOB to his wife and children.