Christmas, Alabama

by Susan Sands

  She smiled a little then. “Atlanta’s his home. How will your parents react?”

  “Unfortunately for the two of you, I’m looking for them to follow Nick here. The mere mention of grandchildren throws my mom into a new reason for living tizzy.”

  She exhaled then. Just let him come home to me.

  Rachel noticed the Christmas tree in the waiting room, its lights twinkling brightly. She prayed then. For the safety of the family in the crash, the first responders and their families, and for all the people who’d gotten caught up in the storm. Please let them all come home for Christmas.

  “We’d better get back home in case the roads get bad,” Chuck suggested.

  “Yes.”

  They said goodbye to Dr. Granger and headed back to her apartment. Chuck decided to stay on her couch in case they heard something. Rachel was relieved because she didn’t want to be alone. She hadn’t called Sabine or her mother because she didn’t want to worry anyone.

  Fuel was low in both ambulances after keeping them running most of the night to keep the patients warm, IVs charged, and machines operational. Unfortunately, something had to give soon. The roads had cleared of most cars by now, as they’d slowly made their way to safety. The sleet had fallen for a couple hours, completely coating the highway and cutting off any chance travel by roads. The temperatures had dropped by another fifteen degrees and the wind still blew.

  Several highway patrol vehicles were still on the scene and the officers were now loaded together in one car, saving the gasoline in the other vehicles. They were sharing warmth by staying inside together. Nick and the transport team were evenly split between the ambulance with Julie and the one with Becca inside.

  The patients’ conditions were declining, and they all knew it. Nick understood the risk of infection for both increased with every passing moment they remained in an unsterile environment and without the desperately needed surgeries they required.

  As the last of the fuel burned out in the medical vehicles, the team began to feel the effects of the day. One at a time, they began to nod off. Nick had set his watch timer to check on his patient. Vanessa was in the other vehicle and had done the same.

  They’d better get a few minutes rest while they were able.

  The steady beeping of Becca’s heart monitor lulled Nick into nodding off, but a deafening bumping and whooshing sound from outside startled Nick into standing position. What the hell?

  He pulled on his jacket, zipped it, and ran outside to see spotlights. The others had also come outside as soon as they’d heard and seen it. Nick placed his hand over his eyes to shield them from the wind and bright lights so he could see what was happening. It looked like two huge military choppers with the medical cross on the side had landed on the highway.

  Two or three figures were headed toward them with two gurneys. Somebody had come to the rescue.

  The noise was too loud to communicate much until they were inside. Lots of hand motions and one-word commands made do. The teams and the police worked together and loaded Julie and Becca. The state police officers were also loaded on the other chopper and told they were to be dropped off at their local headquarters.

  There was still no word on who these people were until Nick was sitting beside Becca checking her IV bag.

  “How’s she doing?” One of the men sat down beside Nick.

  “If we get her to a level I trauma hospital soon, I think we can save them both,” Nick said. “Thanks for getting us all out of there.”

  The man grinned. “It’s the least we could do for Howard.”

  Nick frowned. “Howard?”

  “Yes. Howard Jessup. He called this rescue in. Says to tell you that Rachel is looking forward to having you home soon.”

  Nick shook his head and laughed. “How does Howard do something like this?”

  “You don’t know much about Howard, do you?” Clearly that was a rhetorical question.

  He answered it anyway. “No, but I’m going to thank him just as soon as I see him.”

  “We’re heading to Birmingham with the patients. I assume you’ll want to consult with the surgeons there, then we can get you home. The weather’s about to hit pretty hard, so time is tight.”

  “Wow, this is full-service, isn’t it? Yes, I do need to let the hospital know what care we’ve given them up until now. We were able to get medical histories before Julie lost consciousness.”

  Rachel fell asleep waiting to hear something from Nick. She nearly jumped out of her skin when a warm pair of lips found her cheek in the lamp light of her bedroom. She hadn’t even turned out the light.

  “Nick. Oh, my God. You’re back.” She reached out and pulled him down onto the bed. She shook with relief.

  “Rachel,” he whispered.

  She pulled back and got a good look at him. She wanted to cry with relief, but mostly hold onto him and never let go.

  “I’m home, Rachel. This is my home.”

  “Dr. Granger told me what you did. That you took a permanent job here. Why didn’t you tell me?”

  He held her softly and stroked her hair. “I love you. I owed it to you to be sure it would all work out before I said anything. I didn’t want to let you down.”

  “But I didn’t do anything for you. You did it all.”

  “But you did. You trusted me.”

  “How is that anything?”

  “Are you kidding? It’s the biggest thing. You guard your heart like no one I’ve seen. I recognize that and I understand what a risk you’ve taken in letting that guard down with me. I had to prove to you that I was in this for real and that I wouldn’t go home to Atlanta and break your heart. So, here I am. Home with you to stay, if you’ll have me.”

  She thought she might just burst with love for him, then it occurred to her that she hadn’t even said the words. “Nick, I love you—the real, forever kind of love people feel when they meet the person they think they’ll die without. Tonight, when I heard you were in danger, I had to find a way to bring you home to me. Then Dr. Granger told me what you’d done and I realized you felt the same. I was so afraid for you.” She squeezed him tight around his abdomen.

  “My biggest fear was not getting home to you to let you know how much I love you. So, thanks for contacting Howard. What does he do, by the way?”

  “We may never know all of Howard Jessup’s secrets, but he’s been there when anyone in town has needed him, so I won’t ask.”

  “Remind me to thank him in person when I get the chance.”

  She laughed.

  “So, we’ve got a whopper of a storm moving in. We’d better get some sleep,” Nick said.

  “In a minute,” she said, and wrapped her arms around him, showing him why they should wait.

  Much later, Nick said, “You were right. Sleep is overrated.” They were curled together like a couple of kittens.

  “Told you so.” Rachel hadn’t ever been this happy and relieved. Nick had made it back to her safely. The weather outside was truly frightful, with the wind blowing in great icy gusts. The power had gone out while they’d slept.

  “We should probably start a fire so we don’t get cold.”

  “In a minute. I have to tell you something.”

  He propped up behind her on one elbow. “Oh? What’s that?”

  “It’s important that you know how much love you. I love you for doing all the work. You knew I didn’t want to leave my family or this place, so you made the sacrifices for both of us.”

  She felt the rumble in his chest. Was he laughing at her? “You’re wrong, you know?” He pulled her to him. “I was being at least fifty-percent selfish in making those changes. The living I’ll provide for you will be roughly half the money, and I’m okay with that. I figure it costs about half as much to live here. The selfish part of it is that I don’t have to worry so much every day. When I arrived here, I figured out almost immediately that this is an easier way of life, and one I much prefer.”

  “So you co
pped out?”

  “In many ways, I did. I’m a different person here, with you. A better person. I’m not as driven or competitive. My wants are different. In Atlanta, I thought I wanted an expensive lifestyle and a cool car. Here, I only want what I have. I’m completely content working at Ministry General doing what I’ve been doing.”

  “For how long? Will it continue to be enough?” This worried Rachel.

  “With you by my side, how could it not? Here, I’m helping people live their lives, not keeping them alive and sending them away. I can walk into the grocery store in Ministry and see my patients living and thriving every day. Their happiness and quality of life matters to me, I realize. Their humanity matters.”

  Rachel understood then and nodded. “You are more than you were. That’s how I feel about this town. It’s made me better. Made me care about things in a way I hadn’t before in a deeper and richer way.”

  “Yes. You do get it. So my wanting to stay was no sacrifice. I get you and I get a new home where I can breathe deeply and thrive, and where I’m a real help to others, and a part of something.”

  A tear tracked down her cheek. Her relief was so incredibly profound that he hadn’t given up his life for her.

  “I love you and want to marry you, Rachel. I want to have babies with you, I want to see your dreams realized.”

  “Marry me?” she echoed.

  “Yes. Will you marry me?” His expression was fathomless.

  Rachel just stared at him as if he’d asked her to dance naked in the snow.

  “We can wait if you want.”

  “No! I just—yes, of course I’ll marry you. I adore you, Nick Sullivan.”

  Epilogue

  One Year Later

  Rachel flipped the sign on her studio window to Closed for Christmas. Finally. The bells jingled merrily as she shut and locked the glass and heavy wooden door. Ivy and Mason had done a fantastic job renovating and building out her vision. Rachel hadn’t expected such support from the community as she’d worked toward her dream this year.

  Matthew had gifted her with a couple of exquisite pieces of photography equipment that she would only have been able to dream of acquiring years from now. Miss Maureen had some of her best work framed for the walls of the studio. Emma gifted her with several portrait props. She’d said it was selfish, and it would help her with her pageant portrait needs in the future. Ivy had negotiated a hundred-year lease, or as long as Rachel wanted the space with no rent increase.

  Things in Rachel’s life had come full-circle since last Christmas. She was meeting Nick, his parents, and Chuck at the inn to grab a sweet spot for the Christmas parade. Ivy planned to join them for dinner after the parade. Rachel wasn’t sure, but she sensed an odd vibe going down between Chuck and Ivy, despite a couple years’ age difference. Chuck was due to graduate with his master’s degree from UGA in the spring.

  Tomorrow was Christmas Eve, and Daddy and Jessica were scheduled to arrive. It was hard to believe the two of them had actually made a go of their relationship. It had taken awhile for Rachel and Sabine to accept the odd and loud woman as someone who would be around, perhaps indefinitely, and possibly as a permanent fixture in their father’s life. The idea of it made Mom laugh like crazy every time the subject came up. The divine providence of Jean-Claude Prudhomme stuck with Jessica Greene, even at his own choosing, was too richly deserved in her mind.

  The baby portrait business in Ministry was booming. Sabine and Ben’s baby boy, Daniel, would celebrate his first birthday on New Year’s Day. Janie was totally devoted to her baby brother, besides wishing he’d been a sister. She simply had to be reminded not to put bows in his hair from time to time. Emma’s twins were hale and hearty, and had just learned to walk, an adjustment for the new parents, to be certain. Cammie’s had been a Valentine baby last year, so she and Grey had their hands full.

  The snow-blower was cranked up to maximum output this year, working hard to create a white Christmas, at least for the duration of the parade. At just under sixty degrees, the machine had much work to do.

  The crowds were thick, as usual this year, and the inn was packed. The giant tree rivaled last year’s and may even have a foot or two bragging rights. Rachel no longer covered all the newspaper stories, thankfully, because they’d hired a real reporter over at the paper, so Rachel was able to focus on what she loved: making magic through her lens. And making a home with her handsome husband. They had just put in an offer on a home near Evangeline House.

  Since last year’s parade had been canceled due to the snowstorm, this one was doubly anticipated. Santa would ride on a float with his elves and throw candy canes. Ben and Sabine had plans to ride on a family mayoral float this year instead of the requisite convertible to smile and wave from.

  “Hi there, Wife.” Nick kissed Rachel’s cheek and nuzzled her neck for a second before greeting his family. Bev and Leo were seriously considering a move to Ministry. Rachel appreciated that they were taking it slow.

  A woman’s voice cut into Rachel’s greeting her husband. “Excuse me, are you Dr. Nick Sullivan?”

  Nick turned toward the early-thirties woman, who was holding a young girl’s hand of maybe five. A dark-haired man stood with them.

  Rachel saw recognition in his expression. “Yes. Hi. I recognize you both from the accident last year.”

  “Yes, I’m Julie, and this is Becca. We never got a chance to thank you for what you did. You saved our lives.” She hugged Nick as tears welled in her eyes.

  Nick squatted down and spoke to the little girl, Becca. “Hey there, Becca.”

  She grinned at him shyly. “You took the tree out of my tummy. Thank you.”

  Rachel watched him melt. “You were so brave. You’re welcome.” Oh how she wished she had her camera.

  Becca suddenly raised her dress and showed him her tummy. “See my scar?”

  He traced the round and rough scar with his finger and then tickled her tummy. She giggled. “That is a very nice-looking scar.”

  The father extended his hand. “We call you Saint Nick in our house. Thanks for saving my two best girls.”

  “It was a tough day, but they were some of the bravest patients I’ve ever had. Thank you all for coming here. This means so much to me to know you are both doing well.”

  “It’s been a tough year of therapy on my leg, but I don’t even have a limp anymore,” Julie said.

  “That’s truly wonderful.” Nick seemed overwhelmed. “Saint Nick, huh?”

  “Always and forever to us.”

  “I would like to introduce you to my wife, Rachel.”

  They all shook hands and said hello. Then Rachel had an idea. “My photography studio is just over there. I would love to take some shots of your family with Nick, if you would be willing.” Nick thanked her with his eyes. She understood how much this reunion meant to him, and having some photos together would be special.

  Julie’s eyes lit up. “Oh, that would be wonderful. Thank you, Rachel.” Then, she turned to Nick and said, “I was hoping to thank a man named Howard while we were in town. I kept hearing his name while we were on the helicopter.”

  “I’m sure we could give him a call,” Nick said.

  Nick was her Christmas miracle every day, for a year and counting.

  The End

  More by Susan Sands

  The Alabama series

  If you loved Forever, Alabama, don’t miss the rest of the Alabama stories.

  Again, Alabama

  Cammie Laroux and Grey Harrison’s story

  Love, Alabama

  Emma Laroux and Matthew Pope’s story

  Forever, Alabama

  Sabine O’Connor and Ben Laroux’s story

  Christmas, Alabama

  Nicholas Sullivan and Rachel Prudhomme’s story

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  About the Author

  Susan Sands grew up in a real life Southern Footloose town, complete with her senior class hosting the first ever prom in the history of their tiny public school. Is it any wonder she writes Southern small town stories full of porch swings, fun and romance?

  Susan lives in suburban Atlanta surrounded by her husband, three young adult kiddos and lots of material for her next book.

  Visit her website at SusanSands.com

  For the latest news from Tule Publishing, sign up for our newsletter here or check out our website at TulePublishing.com