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my darling, how was school today?” Taylor said into the phone to her daughter. The first rays of happiness were shining that day.

      “Good,” the most precious voice in the world answered. “Aunt Nina said I was very smart.”

      Although she was no blood relation, Gracie had called Taylor’s best friend “Aunt” for as long as Taylor could remember.

      “Aunt Nina is right. You are a smart girl. And a very pretty one.”

      Gracie giggled. “You always say that.”

      “Because it’s true.”

      “I miss you, Mommy.” Gracie’s voice sounded somewhere between sad and pouty. Taylor could just picture her daughter’s expression, see the sadness in the green eyes that were so similar to her own.

      “I miss you, too.” More than words could convey.

      “When are you coming home?” Gracie demanded.

      “I’ll be flying home tomorrow evening. You and Aunt Nina are picking me up from the airport.”

      “Are you bringing me a prize? Aunt Nina said if I was good while you were gone that I’d get a present.”

      “Aunt Nina said that, did she? So close to Christmas? Well, I’m sure if she said that, then she’s right.”

      Gracie talked to her a few minutes more, then handed the phone to Nina.

      “She’s something else, isn’t she?” Nina immediately said into the phone.

      “I hope she’s not been too much trouble,” Taylor told her best friend.

      “Are you kidding me? I’ve loved having her here. She’s helped me decorate my house and you know me, I’m one of those who never has things done the week after Thanksgiving. This year, I’m way ahead of the game, and she and I have had a blast getting everything done.”

      Taylor understood. Gracie was a blast and loved Christmas almost as much as her mother did. No doubt the little girl had garlands and lights strung all over Nina’s apartment.

      “Good. When they told me I would be going on this trip, my first thoughts were what I’d do about Gracie. I’ve never left her before.”

      “Are you sure your first thoughts weren’t about getting an early Christmas package from a certain sexy oncologist? Or perhaps the two of you just got carried away beneath some Vegas mistletoe?”

      Taylor sighed. She had known Nina would ask about Slade. Especially since she hadn’t answered a single text message from Nina or any of her other friends and colleagues. What was she supposed to say? Yes, I messed up again. It’s what I’m good at when it comes to the opposite sex.

      “You might as well tell me, because you know you’re going to. Best friend, remember?”

      “I remember.”

      “So what’s up with you becoming Mrs. Dr. Sexy?”

      Taylor winced. “Please tell me you didn’t ask me that in front of Gracie.”

      “She’s watching her favorite television program and is totally oblivious to what I’m saying.”

      “Don’t count on it. She picks up on a lot more than people give her credit for.”

      “Fine, I’ll walk into the kitchen.” There was a short pause. “Now, tell me if what I read was true.”

      “It’s true.”

      Nina squealed. “You and Dr. Sain got married? How romantic! Tell me everything.”

      “There wasn’t anything romantic about it.” Which wasn’t exactly true. Drunk or not, he’d been sweet when he’d slid the wedding ring onto her finger, had lifted her hand and placed a kiss over the gold band. Just the memory goose-bumped her skin.

      “You got married to the sexiest man we know and there wasn’t anything romantic about it?”

      She sank her teeth into her lower lip. “Not really.”

      “Which means there was at least something romantic going on,” Nina concluded. “Hubba-hubba. This is huge. You got married. I can’t believe it.”

      “That makes two of us.”

      “This is so unlike you. You’re, like, never spontaneous. I just...” Nina paused and Taylor could just imagine her friend shaking her head while she tried to make sense of what was being said. “So, tell me the details. How in the world did you and Dr. Sain get married?”

      “A bunch of us had dinner, went to watch a Christmas show and then I ended up in a limo with Slade. We drove to a cheesy year-round Christmas wedding chapel and exchanged vows. Alcohol was involved.”

      Nina moaned. “Please tell me it wasn’t a drive-through ceremony.”

      “It wasn’t.” Although if it had been, would it really have mattered? “Santa Claus married us.”

      “Santa?”

      “An impersonator, but, yes, Santa. There were even elves snapping pictures and throwing fake snow at us.” Ugh. Taylor rubbed her temple. “What am I going to do, Nina? I got married last night.”

      “Celebrate the fact that you married the hottest guy around and will be the envy of every female at the clinic?”

      “I’m serious.”

      “Me, too. So, how was he?”

      “Nina!”

      “That good, huh?”

      “That good,” Taylor agreed, unable to lie. “Better than any man should be.” Better than she’d thought any man could be. He’d set her body aflame and made her ache for more. “But I can’t stay married to him.”

      “Why not?”

      “We never should have gotten married in the first place. We were under the influence and made a huge mistake. Besides, he is about as opposite from what I want in a man as possible.”

      “You want ugly, not sexy and not good in bed?”

      “You know what I mean.” Would her temple please stop throbbing?

      “Fine. I know what you mean, but you did get married. Show a little more enthusiasm, please. Didn’t you joke last year after Christmas that you should have asked Santa for a man? Well, girl, you must have been at the top of the nice list this year for Santa to have delivered Slade Sain.”

      She did recall joking with Nina that she should have asked Santa for a man. She didn’t want to be alone, raising Gracie without a father. But she’d much rather that than to have let the wrong man into her life. She sighed.

      “We’re going to get a divorce just as soon as it can be arranged.” She twisted the gold band on her left hand. Why hadn’t she taken it off? Why did it feel seared to her very being?

      “Too bad.”

      Taylor pulled back her phone to stare at it. “I can’t believe you said that. I made a horrible mistake last night. Can you imagine what my parents are going to say?”

      “Who cares what they say, Taylor? You can’t keep trying to make up for disappointing them by getting pregnant out of wedlock. These are modern times. Women have kids without being married. You finished school and have made a great life for you and Gracie. If your parents can’t see what a wonderful woman you are, then phooey on them.”

      In theory, Taylor knew her friend was right. In her heart, she hated to disappoint her parents again. They were devoutly religious, had the perfect marriage, couldn’t understand how she’d let herself become pregnant out of wedlock and although they loved Gracie, they’d never let Taylor forget how disappointed they’d been.

      “I know you, Taylor,” Nina continued. “I’m

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