by Ciara Knight
“Since you know so much about my drama with Mel, tell me about what’s going on between you and Chase. Rex says he’s never seen Chase so into a girl before.” David smiled. “Says he asked him about when he knew if Ally was the right one.”
Mia steadied her breathing despite the runaway galloping of her heart. “Chase Roberts has been through a lot. I’m not sure he knows what he wants. Perhaps he just wants to cling to someone so that he doesn’t have to face his real fear of independence with his amputation. He’s made great progress, though. He’s no longer objecting to using his amputated arm. He’s learning how to adapt.”
“You have a hint of pride in your voice.” David smirked. “Rex also told me that you appeared to have feelings for Chase.”
Mia sat forward. “I’m not sure why they assumed that. I’m a nurse here, I can’t be engaged in anything inappropriate.”
“There is nothing inappropriate about it. He isn’t a relative, he’s just staying in the same house. And based on your facial expression, I’d say you have more than just feelings for the man.” David sat his cup to the side. “I’m scared because Mel broke my heart. She told me she didn’t want to settle down with me, and then I found her with another man. It was years ago, but I can’t let it go. I’m working on it, because I realized she is and always will be the only woman for me.”
Mia’s breath hitched at his confession. She’d fought so hard not to feel anything for anyone for so long, it was easier that way. “Why won’t you admit you like Chase?” He covered his hand over hers. Does it have to do with the death of your brother?”
Tears filled her eyes and a lump lodged in her throat. She couldn’t speak.
The front door opened, drawing both their attentions to the hallway where Chase stood staring at David’s hand on hers. His eyes narrowed in a possessive stare. One that made her shiver and David pull away quick.
Chapter Twelve
That evening Chase sat by the fire watching the flames flicker. “Hey, we’re going out to get a Christmas tree tomorrow morning, anyone want to go?” Ally asked. She sat on the couch next to Rex, cuddled into his side. They looked happy, content.
David entered with a pile of newly chopped wood. Something Chase still hadn’t mastered. “No, I have plans tomorrow. Sorry.”
Chase kept his gaze on the flames, fighting the desire to cold cock David. An old friend that had profusely denied any feelings for Mia, but the image of him touching her still simmered in his mind.
“Chase?”
“I guess. I don’t have any other plans.”
Rex kissed Ally’s forehead and tucked her into his side. “You know you are welcome here as long as you want, but I’m curious. What do you want to do? I know you Chase, you won’t live off disability.”
“I don’t know, a life of leisure could suit me.”
“Yeah, that’s why your face crunches when I even mention the word disability.” Rex eyed him from across the room. He’d been there, in war. They didn’t have to say anything to understand each other, but Rex didn’t have to live with a missing arm. A constant reminder of an explosion that took his men and left him maimed.
Chase only shrugged off the memory and eyed the fire. “I know what I want to do.”
“What’s that?” Ally leaned forward with interest.
Chase looked toward the hall then toward the kitchen on the other side of the couch and whispered. “I’m gonna be a one-armed circus clown.”
Ally huffed and settled back into Rex’s side.
Chase watched their fingers intertwine and the way they kept glancing at one another as if the rest of the world didn’t matter. They were in love. Did he want that? He’d never thought he’d settle down, but everyone he knew was married, engaged, or promised to someone. But the thought of Mia with any other man did something to him. He’d never been jealous a day in his life, and if this is what it felt like, no thanks.
David cleared his throat. “I think he should work with us. From what you told me earlier Rex, we need all the help we can get.”
“I’ve wanted to ask him since he got here, but I thought he needed some down time first.”
Chase fought the rising excitement. “I’m not taking a pity-job. I’m above that. I mean, why would I give up being a world-renowned brain surgeon to work at some little security firm.”
Rex laughed. “You hated science. The only Anatomy you ever liked to study was female.”
David nodded his agreement. “And some little company. If you count a multi-million-dollar company tiny. You’re crazier than you were in high school.”
“Frank is sleeping now.” Mia collapsed into the chair near him and set the monitor on the table.
Chase caught her glance at David and his words. He wanted to say he wasn’t the same as who he was in high school, but now wasn’t the time. Mia looked dead on her feet. If she didn’t take a break soon she’d collapse.
Rex held tight to Ally. “It’s getting close, isn’t it?”
Mia offered a reassuring smile. “Yes, I would say a few days.”
Ally rubbed Rex’s arm and kissed him on the cheek.
“It’s okay. I’m ready. I don’t want him to suffer any more. I never thought I’d care so much about that man, but he redeemed himself in the end.”
“He did,” Ally said barely above a whisper. “If it’s okay, he made me promise to personally make sure the children’s Christmas party went well.”
“Mia, you can stay here as long as you want. Rex and I love having you here,” Ally said before cuddling back into Rex’s side and discussing plans for the ceremony after Frank passed away.
David quietly got up and headed upstairs. Chase felt like he was invading their moment and headed for his coat.
“Where’re you going?” Mia trailed behind him, grabbing her own coat from the hook.
Chase opened the front door. “To get some fresh air. It’s a clear night.”
“I’ll go, too.” She leaned into him. “I want to give them some privacy for a while.”
“It’s cold out there,” Chase warned.
Mia smiled. “I’m a big girl, I can take it. And if I can’t, I’ve got the amazing Mr. Roberts to keep me warm.”
He wasn’t sure what brought on the sudden flirtatious behavior, but he’d take it.
The stars were bright in the sky. Since they were at the edge of town, the lights on Main Street didn’t shine so bright that they couldn’t see them. Chase walked to the edge of the porch and leaned over the railing for a better look and to put some distance between him and Mia. She was intoxicating, distracting, and so much more than he needed in his life right now. Besides, she’d be gone soon. When she kissed his cheek, it was like being twelve on the playground and sneaking a kiss behind the climbing wall with Missy Hawks. That same exhilaration he hadn’t felt in years consumed him, if only for a few seconds.
“How are you doing?” Mia asked. She had a way of driving straight to the point.
Chase kept his attention on the stars. “Do you see those three stars right there?”
“Yes, it’s Orion’s belt.”
Chase sighed. “So much for impressing you with astronomy.”
“How about you impress me with your honesty.” She leaned over the banister to capture his gaze.
“Mia, I don’t know what you want. I’m trying, but I don’t know how to talk about feelings and such. It’s uncomfortable.”
Mia left his side and headed back for the door. “I understand. Your right, I’m pressing too hard.”
An overwhelming feeling of not wanting her to go took hold. “Wait.”
Her footsteps against the hardwood porch stopped, but she didn’t say anything.
He kept his gaze upward. “Can you stay?”
Mia returned to his side. “What other star knowledge do you have?”
“None, that was my big move.” An itch called to him on his forearm, and he went to scratch it before he remembered his arm wasn’t there.
“Do you get phantom pain or itches often?” Mia asked.
Chase lowered his chin to his chest and stretched his back out. “Sometimes.”
“It’s because your brain doesn’t know that your arm isn’t there anymore. It takes time.” Mia shivered at his side. He reached around her, thankful she stood to his left and pulled her into his side. She smelled nice. An island smell. Like he was hanging out on the beach on some tropical paradise. He’d enjoy seeing Mia in a bathing suit.
“Thanks. I told you I trusted you to keep me warm.” Mia looked up at him. She was beautiful in the moonlight. “I overheard about the job. Are you going to take it?”
Chase sighed. “I don’t know. I’m still trying to figure out what I want to do with the rest of my life.”
She snuggled into him and it felt nice. “It’s funny how all you marines are ending up in this house. It’s kind of a half-way house for veterans except with more love.”
The way she said the word love as if it had a deeper meaning gave him hope, yet scared him at the same time. “Rex and Ally asked me if I wanted to go get a Christmas tree tomorrow. Do you want to go?” Ugh, he sounded like he was asking her out on a date as if they were sixteen.
“I’d like that, but I can’t. I’ll need to stay with Frank.” Mia bolted from his side. “Oh, speaking of Frank. I left the monitor inside. I better get back in there. I can’t believe I did that.” She disappeared through the front door before he had a chance to say anything else.
Chase retired early after saying good night to Ally and Rex. He checked his email to see if there were any updates on his next doctor’s appointment in Denver when he spotted an email from Mia. He opened it.
Dear Chase,
Thank you for a nice evening. It’s been the first time I’ve gone outside in a while. Sometimes, as rewarding as the job is, I need a break. Thank you for providing that break for me.
Sincerely,
Mia
Chase thought about her words and about their day. It hadn’t been perfect, but it had been real. She was real with him.
Dear Mia,
It was my pleasure. Thank you for taking my mind off my troubles for the first time in months. When you’re with me, I forget that my arm is gone. It’s nice to forget, if only for a moment.
Sincerely,
Chase
He waited for an hour, but he didn’t receive a reply so he went to sleep. In the morning, he woke and checked his email, but no word from Mia. After he dressed, he went down the hall to head to the bathroom when he saw Frank’s door ajar. He nudged it open and saw Mia asleep at the edge of the bed at his side. She must’ve been up all night with him. She looked like an angel.
With soft steps, he approached. If he had both arms he could sweep her up and carry her to bed, but he didn’t. “Hey, wake up,” he whispered, but she didn’t budge.
He thought back to what Mia said about finding a way to do things. With a determination to make her get some sleep he leaned down and put his right half-arm behind her and lifted her back into it, then slid his good arm under her legs and angled her head to his shoulder. In one quick motion, he used the momentum and pulled her tight against his chest. Her head rested on his shoulder and as long as she didn’t try to lean away, he could carry her.
She mumbled something, but she only fell back asleep. No one else was awake, so he walked as quietly as possible down the creaky hall to the next room and lowered her to her bed.
“Wait, no. I need to stay with Frank. He can’t pass alone.”
Chase held her shoulder to the bed. “Shh, I’ll stay with him. Don’t worry. I won’t let him pass while he’s alone. I promise.” He pulled the covers over her and tucked her into bed.
She was obviously working too hard and staying up all night to care for Frank. It was a big job for one person. He watched her sleep for a moment, her blonde hair cascading around her shoulders. If he was a romantic, he would say she looked like a princess, but he avoided those sappy films at all costs. He returned to Frank’s room and sat by his bed. The poor man sounded congested and would groan in his sleep. It was sad and lonely sitting in his room with him. And it made him realize something, life was short. Too short to waste time. At nine in the morning Ally came in with coffee in hand. “Where’s Mia?”
Chase thought about the fact she was technically working for them. “She stayed by his bedside all night, I forced her to go get some sleep. Besides, if I’m staying here I’d like to help out how ever I can.”
Ally smiled and handed him a cup. “Don’t worry. I’m not going to fire her, she’s amazing. I wanted to make sure she was okay.”
“Oh. Yeah, she’s fine.”
“I’ll sit with him, you can go,” Ally offered.
Chase took a sip of some frou-frou coffee, and if he admitted it to himself, it wasn’t that bad. “No thanks. I’ll stay.”
Ally smiled. “Okay, I’ll go make us all some breakfast. Rex wants to stay home today, but I thought maybe you could do me a favor.”
“Anything.”
Ally smiled. “Great, can you and Mia go get the Christmas tree for us? If Frank does pass, I want to start getting things ready for Christmas so that Rex will have something to focus on after his passing. And we made a promise to Frank that we won’t break. Those kids will have the best party ever.”
Chase nodded. “Of course.”
Ally headed for the door, but didn’t leave. “By the way, it’s okay that you like Mia.”
Chapter Thirteen
Mia jolted awake as the knight in rusty armor dropped her onto the bed. She spied the room, her room. How had she gotten there? She’d fallen asleep at Frank’s bedside. Frank?
She threw off the covers, bolted from bed and raced to Frank’s room. Inside the room, she found Chase holding Frank’s hand. He looked like a giant next to Frank. The man was strong and yet sensitive. Even if he was difficult to deal with at times. She wiped the sleep from her eyes and realized she had to look like a complete wreck, so she tip-toed back out of the room and raced to the bathroom. After brushing teeth and hair she returned to Frank’s room where Chase was fluffing the pillow behind Frank’s head. She watched as he rotated him to one side and then to the other. This was the first time she’d seen him try to use his amputated arm. “What are you doing?”
He shot a quick glance over his shoulder before lowering Frank back down to the bed. “Oh, um, guess it’s silly, but the nurses would rotate me like that after I arrived at the first hospital. I had so many fractures and broken bones and equipment hooked up I couldn’t move. They said it was to prevent bed sores.”
“That’s right.” Mia joined him. “You’re a kind man. I’m sorry I wasn’t here. I guess I must’ve walked to bed at some point. I didn’t even have the monitor. I can’t believe I did that.”
“You didn’t. I did.” He picked up the monitor that had been turned off and left on the dresser and handed it to her.
“I don’t understand.” She looked down at the monitor, and her hair fell over her eyes.
He reached out and tucked her hair behind her ear sending chills down her back. “I came in this morning and found you asleep at Frank’s bed. You were so gone you didn’t wake up when I nudged you.”
Mia looked at the chair then to the wall. “How did I get to bed?”
Chase lifted his chin. “I carried you.”
Mia felt heat race to her cheeks. That was the rusty armored knight that had carried her away?
“What is it?” Chase asked.
“Nothing.” Mia shifted between her feet and eyed her pink fuzzy socks. “I guess I was just a little disoriented. I shouldn’t have fallen asleep like that.” She went to Frank and took his vitals. They were weak, so weak she could barely hear them. She sighed.
Chase put his arm around her and pulled her into his side. “I can see how much you care for him. You’re an amazing person Mia, but you don’t have to do this alone.”
She looked up at him. He looked like a
skyscraper of strength. “It’s my job.”
“Not to sit at his side twenty-four, seven.” Ally came into the room. “Yes, you take care of him and you’ve done an excellent job, but you haven’t taken a day off in weeks. Not since Frank took a turn for the worst. I think it’s time you took one.”
“Oh, I can’t. Not today.”
Rex entered. “Is today a bad day?”
Mia set her stethoscope on the nightstand. “I’m afraid the rattle in his chest started last night.”
Ally went to his side and took his hand. “You told us about the death rattle. We’re prepared.”
Chase took Mia’s hand as if she needed comforting, but she didn’t. She was a nurse, caring for a patient. “Don’t worry. I’ll be here—”
“If you don’t mind. Ally and I discussed it. Once you administer his meds, we’d like to be alone with him for a couple of hours.”
Mia froze. “But you realize he might…”
“Yes, we pray that he does. It’s his time, and we want to be here with him. There is something you can do for us, though.”
“What’s that?” Mia asked, ready to jump to action. “You could go with Chase to get a Christmas tree. We don’t want to break our promise to Frank. Only, we didn’t know that Frank would go so quickly.”
“I could relocate the party to the center,” Mia offered.
Ally release Rex and went to Mia. “It gives us something to focus on tomorrow and the next day. Work can only distract you so much, and we’d like to honor Frank’s wishes. Once he managed to get clean from the alcohol, he dedicated his life to helping others in town. We’d like to do this in his memory.”
Mia couldn’t argue with that philosophy, but still it was her job, her duty to stay and help the family through this.
Chase squeezed her hand. “You can’t disappoint the children.”
“I’m sure you can handle it.” Mia couldn’t leave. It was wrong.
Alley leaned in and whispered. “I don’t trust Chase’s taste in trees. We need it to be amazing for the kids. Tall enough to almost touch the ceiling in the entry way.”