Free Midnight Angel by Carly Phillips Page A

strained
laugh.
    “I have to go, but Holly?”
    She shut her eyes and leaned against the
wall. “Yeah?”
    “I love you, and I
will
be
back.”
    “Bye, Dylan.” For Holly, the trick was to
find the strength and courage to believe him.

Chapter Six
    Holly skipped breakfast and spent the rest
of the morning playing Santa, dropping gifts off for friends and
family, taking her time before returning home. When the doorbell
rang, it caught her by surprise.
    “Hi, Nicole.” Holly forced a smile.
    “That’s a really grumpy ‘hi’ on Christmas!
Good thing I came with something to make you smile.” Nicole strode
inside, carrying a large shopping bag.
    “Let’s go sit.” Holly gestured towards the
family room. “I stopped by your apartment, but you weren’t home,”
she said as they settled in.
    “That’s because I was coming here.” Nicole
curled her legs Indian style beneath her, making herself at
home.
    Gesturing to the bag, she said, “I wanted to
find a way to thank you for being so good to me since I moved here.
So I made you this.” She reached into the bag and pulled out a
gorgeous, handmade blanket in a variety of earth-tone colors to
match Holly’s family room.
    “Oh I
love
it. Thank you.” Holly
hugged her friend tight, “That was so thoughtful. I didn’t know you
knit!”
    “My grandmother taught me.”
    Holly smiled. “Well, I have your present
right here.” She jumped up and pulled Nicole’s gift from beneath
her tree. “It’s store bought and practical,” she said sheepishly.
“And nothing as beautiful as this.” She fingered the soft wool,
curling it between her fingers.
    Nicole opened a box and pulled out a Tiffany
key ring with her initial. On the key ring was a key to the office.
“I thought you’d want more freedom to come and go as you please
once you have the title of office manager,” Holly said, hoping her
friend would be pleased with the gifts.
    Nicole’s eyes grew wide. “Me? Office
manager?”
    Holly nodded. “With my new partner starting
soon and him bringing in his patients from the next town over, we
need a full-fledged manager. I talked to Lance—Dr. Tollgate—and he
agreed to a promotion and a raise. Merry Christmas,” she told her
friend.
    Nicole squealed and hugged Holly tight.
“You’re the best. Thank you.”
    “You’re welcome.”
    “Okay, now that the gifts are over, where’s
the man?” Growing serious, she glanced around the room, obviously
looking for Dylan.
    “He’s in L.A. Or should I say on his way
back to L.A.”
    Nicole frowned. “That snake. I thought you
had more time together.”
    “Something came up.”
    “You seem okay with it?” Nicole tipped her
head to the side, questioning.
    “It’s not like I have a choice. Look, he
lives in L.A. His career is there. His life is there. Mine is here.
It’s not like we could make a relationship work anyway. Assuming he
even wanted something serious.”
    “Does he?”
    “I don’t know.”
    “Do you?”
    Holly stood and arranged the blanket over
one end of the couch. The colors complemented the room beautifully,
and she smiled. “This is gorgeous.”
    “And you’re avoiding my question.”
    Holly laughed. “That’s my prerogative, isn’t
it?”
    Nicole rolled her eyes. “You’re going to
have to figure things out eventually or you’ll make yourself crazy.
I need to get going.” She rose and started for the door, and Holly
followed. “What are you doing for dinner?”
    “No real Christmas plans. Want to come back
here and we’ll have girls’ night?”
    “Now, that’s the best offer I’ve had in a
long time.” Nicole hugged her tight. “What about this
afternoon?”
    “I need to see John.”
    Nicole sighed in understanding. “I don’t
envy you.”
    “I owe him answers.” And she owed herself a
lot more.
    It was time to face her fears once and for
all.
    * * *
    Later that day, Holly drove to John’s and
knocked on his door.
    He greeted her warmly, looked into her