Unforgettable Christmas Dreams: Gifts of Joy

by Rebecca York

  “He’s a good man. Obviously in love with you.”

  “He’s my boss. Just my boss.”

  “Phtt... A boss can fall in love. And a doc often marries his nurse. Keep him, Melody.”

  “Forget it. You told me often enough not to trust any men. And you’re right. They adore you one day and ignore you later. I went through that and you told me you went through it, too.”

  “But this doctor seems better than—”

  “This doctor drove me crazy for some time, shoving his watch under my nose when I was late in the morning. Denying me my increase.”

  “People change. He did, obviously. I believe what I see. And I tell you he loves you. Period.”

  Her irascible neighbor had been the best surrogate mother and grandmother a girl could wish for, but had always spoken her mind. The uncomfortable nights at the hospital had made her even more snappish.

  “Alicia, please forget the good doctor and go to sleep. You need to recover your strength.” She hugged her, turned off her light and left the light on in the hallway and bathroom, and then joined Aidan upstairs in her own place and found him leaving Stella’s room.

  “Stella’s in bed, reading to Bernie and Pink Teddy,” he reported. “She brushed her teeth and put on her pajamas, and the three of them recited a prayer. All you have to do is kiss her goodnight. I already did.”

  Melody chuckled. “Good job.”

  “Are you still going to the restaurant?” Aidan blurted. That restaurant was a sore point between them. Working evening shifts had sapped Melody’s energy and deprived her of sleeping hours.

  “Not again, for heaven’s sake. You’re asking this every three days. They’ve been great to me when I needed a job. I committed to two months of work. Only ten days left.”

  He exhaled, silently cursing her extra work at the restaurant and cursing himself for denying her an increase. “I’ll stay here tonight. But I’m on call during the whole weekend.” In the past two weeks, he’d spent his evenings at Melody’s home when she worked at the restaurant. Over his three night shifts, he’d escaped for thirty-minute breaks to check on Stella and Bernie. “We can’t leave Stella—”

  “Stella will sleep with Bernie at her feet as usual. She has her phone on her night table.”

  “Not safe enough.” Aidan had given Stella a cell phone and programmed his number and Melody’s. To the little girl’s delight, he’d taught her how to press the icon M to talk to Mommy, and the icon A to talk to him. But after Stella called him five times during surgery, he patiently explained she should call only if it’s very, very important.

  Now, every time Stella called him, she started by saying, “It’s very, very important.” And then came whatever she had in mind. “Pink Teddy fell. Should I do surgery on him?” Thank God, now the little girl knew how to call him or Melody in case of emergency.

  “At least it’s reassuring to hear her voice.”

  “Alicia is downstairs. She can’t babysit, but she can ring 9-1-1 in case of a fire.”

  As if this should put his mind at rest. He’d have one more person to worry about. “I’ll ask one of the nurses to babysit when I’m on call. I’m sure Heather or Stacy would do it. I’ll get them acquainted with Bernie before throwing them in the lion’s den. And tomorrow I’ll order a medical alert bracelet for Alicia. In case of emergency, she’ll press it to call the paramedics.”

  A slow smile stretched Melody’s lips. “You think of everything to keep people safe.”

  “I’m a doctor. I’d rather avoid unnecessary panic.”

  “Seriously, Aidan. You’re the one who panics. Not me.”

  “Sassy, are we, Nurse Parker?” He pulled her against him for a searing kiss, devouring her lips until she linked her fingers around his nape and moaned. “Melody, my darling, I worry about you and Stella, anything that concerns you both.” He covered her face with brazen kisses. This woman and her kid had become the focus of his life.

  “Don’t worry, Aidan. You can count the days left at the restaurant on your two hands.”

  “May I ask for a dinner out on your first free night? Alone, without Stella, Bernie and Pink Teddy? Hopefully, Alicia will be well enough to babysit by then.”

  Her radiant smile filled his heart with warmth. “You mean, a date?”

  “Yes, a date.”

  “I’d love to go out with you. Alone. Our little crowd can babysit each other. Now let me change and rush before I’m late.”

  Ten minutes later, Melody left in her sexy waitress uniform that sent his blood into sizzle mode. Too alluring, too adorable. He smiled as he gazed at her legs with appreciation...then frowned as soon as she closed the door behind her. How many men would ogle her before leaving a big tip?

  Aidan wiped away cookie crumbs from the spotted armchair and settled with his tablet to write a glowing review for Melody. The type Dr. Turner had written for her in the past. A very satisfactory on performance, on patient care, and even on punctuality. He sent it to Dr. Turner and received an immediate response.

  Glad you resolved whatever problem you had with her.

  Problem I had? No, sir. After a serious talk with Melody, I helped her fix the problem causing her to be late. So now all is good. She’s relaxed and her performance is topnotch.

  Perfect. Thank you for keeping me in the loop.

  The next week whizzed by at the hospital, with Aidan running from OR to OR As his senior nurse, Melody was even busier.

  “Why did so many people choose to break their backs at the same time?” she grumbled between surgeries.

  Aidan visited Alicia on Monday and gave her a medical alert bracelet.

  “What the hell is that for?” Her forehead scrunched up.

  Taken aback, Aidan explained, “It’s for...well, in case of emergency you press it and—”

  “I know that. Are you taking me for a feeble old hag?”

  “Never.” He swallowed. How could Melody get along with this woman? “I only want—”

  “I’m fifty-eight. I don’t need old people trinkets.”

  “It’s not for old people. And you’ll wear it only for a couple of weeks. Please, Alicia, I’m very busy at the hospital and Melody is overloaded with work. We don’t want to worry about you, and we want you to be able to babysit soon. I want to take Melody out on a date in a week.”

  “Ah, a date with Melody... Show me that thing.” She fiddled with the bracelet. “Good idea.”

  Was she talking about the bracelet or the date? “So, you’ll wear it?”

  “When are you two going out?”

  He exhaled. “Thursday, after she quits at the restaurant.”

  “Great idea.”

  “Can you wear the bracelet?”

  “Okay, okay. I will.” She slid it around her wrist.

  “To use it, you press this button. Now press to start activating it.”

  “I’m doing this only because you’ve taken good care of my two girls. I hope you’ll make up your mind soon after your date.”

  “What are you talking about?”

  “Doc, you know exactly what I mean. Melody is not the type of woman you can fool around with. Understand?” She shook her finger under his nose.

  “Yes, yes. Bye now.” He huffed and hurried to the door. He needed a hug from Stella and a warm kiss from Melody to calm down.

  On Friday, he called Melody to his office. “Have a seat, please.”

  “What’s wrong now?” She dropped into the chair with a deep frown.

  He grinned. “Relax. All is good. Read the email I sent you with the review attached, and sign it if you agree. Then you can stop by Payroll to collect your new paycheck with the increase.”

  She bounced off her chair, her smile radiant, and circled the desk. “Thank you for all you did to help me.”

  “Wait. Let me lock the door.” He chuckled. “No favoritism here.” With a wink, he stepped from behind his desk and turned the lock on his door. “Now you can say thank you the proper way.”
He enfolded her in his arms and captured her lips for a soft kiss that soon ran out of control. “My sweet Melody,” he said, his lips trailing on her face. “I’m so glad you’ll leave that second job in a couple of days.”

  “I am too. I want to spend more time with Stella.”

  “And with me, I hope.”

  “I’m with you all day.”

  “You call surgery in the OR spending time together? Unless we lock the door.” His lips returned to her mouth for more savoring. Until his phone rang. He released her and checked the caller ID. “We have an emergency. You’ll get the same call. Let’s go.”

  She nodded. “Aidan, I don’t know how I would have survived without your help. Not sure how I’ll ever thank you. Meanwhile, I can reimburse you for Stella’s daycare.”

  “Later.” He waved a dismissing hand. “Now let’s rush to the OR”

  On Monday night, Aidan carefully avoided the first floor of the duplex and its resident and stayed with Stella and Bernie to wait for Melody. It was her last night at the restaurant and he wanted to be at her place when she arrived.

  Melody returned home later than usual with a vase of flowers in her arms. “From the restaurant’s owner. He and his wife treated us all to dinner and wine to celebrate my last day. Steph, the woman I replaced, will be back tomorrow. Thank God I survived the past two months. Now Alicia is improving by the hour.”

  “You don’t need to work in the evening. And she’s strong enough to babysit Stella when we go out.”

  “I didn’t forget our date on Thursday. Tomorrow, I’ll go to sleep at seven with Stella to recover from all these long days and nights. Tell me, Aidan, do you think it’s safe to take Alicia out for dinner on Wednesday?”

  “Sure. She has her walker. If she gets tired, I’ll bring her home. Although...” He grimaced. “Are you sure you want her with us?”

  “Aidan, she’s a sweet old lady.”

  “Nope, she insists she’s not old. Only fifty-eight. And certainly not that sweet.”

  Melody chuckled. “That’s because she speaks her mind. But you know, you should have seen her when she rented the apartment downstairs.” Melody sobered. “She went through a very difficult time after her seventeen-year-old twin sons died in a car accident with four friends on prom night.”

  “Oh God, she lost her two sons the same night?”

  “And then there were problems with her husband. He was a gambler and lost her fortune at the casino. After their sons’ deaths, he often got drunk, and died three years later. She sold their house and rented here.”

  “So sad. I’m glad you told me her story. I’ll be patient with her. Taking care of Stella must have done her a world of good.”

  “Oh yes, she was with my baby all the time. A real grandmother.”

  “Doesn’t she have any other family?”

  “Only an older brother who has cancer, and two grownup nephews, married with children. But they cut her out of their lives a long time ago.”

  “Poor woman. You and Stella are her family now. She really cares about you.”

  “That’s what she tells me all the time. I’m glad I have her.”

  “And you have me too.” He pulled her onto his lap for a scorching kiss that left them both panting.

  True to her word, on Tuesday, Melody lay down next to Stella right after dinner. Soon she heard Stella saying to Bernie, “Shh, Mommy sleeping.” An hour later, Melody rose and went to her bed to sleep until her alarm rang in the morning.

  On Wednesday, Aidan picked them up to go out for dinner. He helped Alicia down the five steps, although she insisted she had no problem tackling the stairs. She’d done her exercises on her own every day and with a professional therapist who came to her apartment three times a week. During dinner, she remained unusually quiet, laughing at Stella and Bernie’s antics and sending penetrating gazes at Aidan every now and then.

  Thursday couldn’t come soon enough for Melody, who indulged in a hot shower after work, carefully applied her makeup, and donned her black silk dress with a lace top and large straps, the only fancy dress she owned, although it hardly reached her mid-thigh. She hoped Aidan wouldn’t complain about how short it was as he had when she’d worn her waitress uniform.

  But Aidan paid her several compliments on her dress and her hair that she’d let curl on her back and shoulders for a change, and her mouth gaped at the sight of her handsome companion in a gray suit, the top button of his shirt undone. “Tie or no tie?” he asked, showing her the red striped one in his hand.

  “No tie.” Her fingers itched to caress the V of dark hair framed by the crisp white shirt.

  Already in pj’s, Stella clapped her hands and said, “Mommy, you so pretty. And Aidan so...so...”

  So hot, Melody completed in her mind.

  On the way downstairs, they stopped at Alicia’s with Stella and Bernie, who had permission to stay there for an hour before going to bed. Alicia had offered to keep them in her apartment, but Stella refused to sleep anywhere else than in her own bed with her doggie next to her.

  “What a stunning couple.” Alicia hugged them both. “Have fun, kids. Don’t worry about Stella. I’m here for her.”

  Aidan drove to a restaurant on the Ohio River. Melody had seen it from the car a few times but never dared enter such an expensive place. She felt like Cinderella at her first ball.

  Her one and only serious boyfriend, Daniel, had never spoiled her with such nice treats. Too busy or too expensive were his usual mantras. Swallowing a quick bite at the hospital cafeteria or at a snack bar seemed to drain Daniel’s wallet, and then he’d explain with a wink, “Why waste time in a crowded place when we can enjoy ourselves the right way in your bed?”

  And they had...until she got pregnant...and was no longer fun.

  “How d’you like it?” Aidan asked, his arm on her back to guide her to their table against a window with a splendid view of the river.

  “Fabulous.”

  He ordered red wine. “Is filet mignon acceptable?” he said when she browsed the menu to choose the least expensive item on the page.

  Geez, could he afford two of these?

  He pinned her with an understanding gaze and pulled the menu from her hand. The waiter filled their glasses with Merlot and Aidan clinked his glass against hers. “To you, Melody. Hoping things will be easier for you from now on.”

  “Thank you. I’ll drink to that.”

  When the music started, he took her hand. “Shall we?”

  She nodded. He wrapped his arm around her waist, and she closed her eyes, following his slow steps, breathing in his masculine scent and the spicy fragrance of his cologne, and silently wishing their evening would never end. After a few slow dances, they returned to their table and the waiter brought their meals.

  “Where do you live, Aidan?” He’d come to her house almost daily and she suddenly realized she’d never thought of asking him where he lived.

  “In Blue Ash. I bought a small house when I took the job at St. Joseph. A three-bedroom ranch, not too far from your place.”

  Except he dwelt on the upscale side of the highway, and she on the more modest side. Which made sense. He was the bachelor without responsibilities, the boss and doctor making a good salary, and she was the nurse, the single mom struggling to survive.

  “You have a backyard?”

  “I do. A greenish lawn with plenty of pretty yellow flowers—dandelions. The couple next door complained my weeds are extending to their backyard. I told them I’m a doc who practically lives at the hospital. The guy started cleaning my lawn himself.”

  Melody laughed. Aidan was so easy to talk to. “I’m glad I don’t have a lawn, only a dusty backyard with swings for Stella and a corner for Bernie to visit when he needs to.”

  “He’s something else, your Bernie.”

  “I’m so glad you two are best buddies now. It has cost you so many bones.”

  “Ah, but it’s worth it.” They both laughed. He covered her hand with
his and brought it to his lips.

  “Dessert?” he said after they finished their meals.

  “No, thank you. I’m full.”

  “It’s nine o’clock. Are you sleepy?”

  “Not at all. Wide awake. What do you have in mind?”

  He was considering her carefully, his eyes burning with eagerness. Her pulse raced.

  A suggestive smile stretched his lips. “There’s an ice cream place not far from my house.”

  “Let’s go. I can’t wait to taste it.”

  His gaze dropped to her mouth. “I can’t wait to taste it either.”

  Chapter Six

  A protective hand on her back, Aidan wondered if he’d heard her correctly. Her deep blue eyes had reflected the same desire simmering in his blood. He was dying to enfold her in his arms, cover her with kisses, and spend a night holding her against his throbbing body. A night of love that he’d imagined a hundred times. Still, he’d let her take the lead.

  With soft music lulling Melody, they hardly chatted during the twenty-minute ride on the highway. “We’re almost there.” He swung onto the exit and glanced at her. Would she change her mind?

  Her hands crossed on her lap, she didn’t answer. He stopped in front of the brightly lit ice cream parlor. She got out of the car and walked with him to the counter.

  “A cone, please. Strawberry and vanilla,” she said.

  He ordered a cup of chocolate and vanilla for himself and they sat at a café table.

  “Delicious.” She savored her ice cream, licking the side, wrapping her tongue around the icy cone, sucking the top with a dreamy expression that took his breath away. Unable to think or focus on anything but her cone and her mouth, he ate his ice cream silently.

  “Melody,” he murmured when she wiped her mouth. “Would you like to...to have an after-dinner drink?”

  “That would be lovely.” She met his gaze.

  He choked on his last spoonful and cleared his throat. “At my house...huh, I mean a drink at my house.”

  “Yes, I’d like to visit your house, and the backyard with dandelions.” She couldn’t be more specific.

  Without another word, he held her hand and opened the car door for her. His mind had blanked, or rather focused on one subject and one image. Melody in his arms.