A Christmas Wish Read Free

do
something, but his apology died in his dry throat and the words never came out.
Without another word or look, Jasmine drove away in her car.
    He’d
expected anything. Anything but what she told him. How did he not know this? What
an idiot.
    What
would you do if you were me?
    Her
question and pained expression were imprinted in his mind. Scanning the
deserted parking lot, he strode to his car. As much as their situation sucked,
she’d let him know something she wouldn’t have otherwise, had he not made this
innocent mistake. If he didn’t press harder now, steering them in the direction
he wanted to take them, he’d never break through to her.

Chapter Four
     
    Jasmine exchanged brief good
mornings with the staff already at the practice as she found her way to her
office. She set her venti vanilla macchiato on her desk, and swore tonight
she’d take a couple of sleeping pills. Another restless night would take whatever
little energy she had left. Jasmine sat and turned on her laptop as she
continued reminiscing about last night’s events.
    The time
she spent with the kids at the hospital had been great. Their hopeful, happy
faces always did things to her heart, made her wish she had what she couldn’t
have. Rather, what she didn’t allow herself to have because of the fear of
losing it all the way she’d lost her family.
    Ethan’s
promise to the kids was another matter altogether. Livid didn’t begin to
describe how she felt. Last night, she tossed and turned in her bed, going
crazy out of her mind. She’d shared with him only what few people knew. By the
time she’d told him, it’d been too late to take the words back. For a moment
she thought he’d say something. Instead, he stood there speechless. But what did
she expect him to say? Jasmine didn’t want his pity or meaningless words.
    Her
thoughts filtered to the kids’ smiling faces. How could she deny them of
something they were excited about, something they were looking forward to?
She’d be a royal witch if she made up an excuse not to go with them. Their
hearts would break.
    “Good
morning, boss,” Laurie said from the door.
    “You’re
early.”
    “Pfft.
I’m on time. Your nine fifteen is here.”
    Jasmine
rose and shrugged into her white coat. “Is Sinclair here yet?”
    “He’s with a patient right now.” Laurie’s inquisitive gaze
roamed her face. “Do you need— ”
    “No. I
don’t need anything.” Not giving Laurie a chance to ask anything else, she
strode out of her office.
    Halfway
down the hall, Ethan stepped out of an examination room, running right into
her. “Jas.” His hand settled on her waist. “I didn’t see you.”
    “It’s
all right.” The heat of his hand burned through her clothes. Jasmine took a
step back, but he kept her in place for a moment before letting her go.
    “Last
night….”
    “I’d
prefer if we didn’t talk about it.”
    He
nodded. “Can we discuss the field trip with the kids?”
    “Sure.”
The least she could do was agree to change the date. Letting the kids down
wasn’t an option.
    “Dinner
after work tonight?” His lips slid into a devastating grin, making her knees
weak.
    Dinner? Unsure
she’d heard him right, Jasmine asked, “I beg your pardon?”
    “It’ll
be a working dinner.” Ethan glanced over her shoulder, and then his gray-green
gaze returned to her. “It’s for the kids.”
    Tongue-tied,
Jasmine stared back at him in shock, having a hard time believing she’d walked
herself into this. “I don’t think—”
    “It’s
only dinner.” Ethan gestured with his hand. “We’ll be two colleagues making
plans for their patients. Nothing else.”
    “I
don’t—”
    Leaning
forward, he said in a low voice, “I promise not to kiss you.”
    “Of
course you won’t.”
    “Not
unless you ask me.” With a wink, he straightened and continued on his way.
    Unable
to move and still trying to understand what had just happened, Jasmine stood
there. The thud of a door