by Ann Gimpel
“Hey, yourself.” Sarah laid the puzzle aside. “Good to see you.” She smiled. Her color was almost normal, and she no longer had that “at death’s door” look about her.
“You too.” Julie pushed the door shut. “Aren’t you going to grill me about where I’ve been?”
Sarah shook her head. “Nope. Mom told me enough I’ve been worried, though.”
Julie perched on the edge of the bed. “You shouldn’t have been. Dad was there.”
“He’s a force to be reckoned with, for sure. Your student?”
“She’s fine.” Julie didn’t tell her sister what a close call Katie had. No reason to. Her sister’s plate was full enough.
“I’m glad. I get to leave later today. I’m excited.”
Julie took her hand. “I’m excited for you. This hospital stuff gets old.”
“You have no idea.”
After a brisk knock, the door opened, and Brice strode in. “Morning, ladies.”
Julie’s heart did a funny, little flip-flop, making it hard to breathe. He could have doubled for a Hollywood star with his mop of blond hair and hazel eyes. As usual, he was dressed in his doctor outfit. The long, white lab coat with his name embroidered over a breast pocket and teal scrubs might have looked scruffy on someone who wasn’t tall and lean with impossibly broad shoulders, but they made him even more appealing.
“Did you sign off on my discharge?” Sarah asked.
“I did. It’s what I came in here to tell you. Angus will stop by to collect you very soon.”
Sarah clasped her hands together. “Thank you. I understand you bent a few rules so I could be at the party tonight.”
He waggled a finger at her. “I’ll be there too. So will Angus. Between us, we plan to keep close tabs on you.”
“That’s okay. It’s good to be loved, especially when I was certain I’d be dead before Christmas.”
Sarah’s words were so matter-of-fact, Julie felt proud of her and a little in awe. If her sister could address her illness so directly, Julie would too. “I’m very glad you’re still on this side of the veil. Remember what I said about death being pretty damned permanent?”
“I do.”
Brice walked to where Julie was still sitting on the bed. “Ready to leave for a few minutes? I made us reservations at a restaurant not far from here.”
“Sure.”
Sarah shifted her gaze from one to the other of them. Her breath gave an odd little hitch. “Are the two of you back together? Oh, please please say you are.”
Julie nodded. “Yes. We figured things out. I—”
Sarah’s eyes filled with tears, and she clutched Julie’s hand. “Thank God and all the blessed saints—and a few pagan goddesses to boot. I can’t tell you how long and hard I’ve wished for this.” She choked back a sob. “Don’t you see? What happened was my fault. I always felt like I ruined things for you. And then I was too big a chicken to set things right.”
She rushed on, forcing words out between sobs. “I’ve felt guilty about being so happy with Angus. Like I had no right after what I did to you two.”
Julie’s eyes burned, and she wrapped both arms around her sister, holding on tight. Sarah was still far too thin, but her skin no longer had the translucence where her veins and arteries were visible.
“It’s okay, sissie. Truly it is. Twins forever.”
Sarah wormed out of her embrace and made shooing motions. “Twins forever. Go on. Get out of here and enjoy each other. You just gave me the best Christmas gift of all.”
Julie kissed her sister’s forehead. “See you later today.” She got to her feet.
“I’ll look forward to it. Mom is coming up with something for me to wear tonight.”
Julie snorted. “I had a few problems in that department myself. Maybe I should ask her to wave her mom wand and bring two dresses.”
“I can do that,” Sarah said.
“It’s okay. I found something. I’m not the dress-up type. Actually, neither is Mom. It will be interesting to see what she brings for you.”
“I’d thought the same thing,” Sarah replied, smiling wryly.
“Fingers crossed it’s not one of her leftovers from the seventies.” Julie cast a knowing look her sister’s way.
Sarah shrugged. “Anything would be better than this.” She tugged at the neck of her hospital-issue gown.
“It’s you I want”—Brice focused his words at Julie—“not a piece of clothing. You could wear nothing, and it would be fine.”
Julie shot him a look, and they all burst out laughing.
“Sorry.” Brice’s cheeks developed a rosy tint. “That didn’t quite come out right.” He draped an arm around her waist, and she leaned into him as they strolled out of Sarah’s room.
“Can we walk to the restaurant?” she asked.
He nodded. “Before we go, though, come by my office for a second. I want to show you something.”
“Gee, after that comment about me not wearing anything, you’re not planning an assault on my virtue, are you?”
His eyes twinkled mischievously. “I’ll never tell. If you want to find out, you’ll have to take a chance.”
He guided her through back corridors until they came to his office.
“I always wondered how you guys got around the hospital,” she said. “Who would have guessed there’s a warren of secret passageways?”
“Ssht.” He put a finger over his lips. “Don’t tell anyone.”
“Your secret is safe with me.” She followed him into his office, taking in the large desk and stacks of books and journals. “Never made the digital transition, huh?”
“Nope. Not totally.”
Julie leaned close. “So long as we’re trading secrets, neither did I, but I have a good excuse.”
He furled his brows. “And that would be?”
“I read a lot of source documents. Scrolls, tablets. Original writings. At least, so far, they haven’t been digitized, and I hope they never are. It would ruin the specialness of touching something that’s hundreds or thousands of years old and considering what the writer’s mindset was when they penned whatever words they wrote.”
“Or chiseled them into stone?”
She looked down, her cheeks warming beneath his scrutiny. “You’re making fun of me.”
“No. I’m not.” He turned until he stood facing her and wrapped his arms around her.
She hugged him back, loving how he felt in her arms. She’d never forgotten the sense of well-being, of everything being right in the world, his proximity provided. Leaning her head back, she hoped he’d kiss her. Surely, this was why they’d stopped here before lunch. To have an island of privacy. Her breath came faster as she anticipated the touch of his lips for more than the nanoseconds they’d kissed at the airport.
“Open your eyes, Juliana.” He placed an index finger beneath her chin, tilting it upward.
She hadn’t realized she’d closed them.
“You’re lovely,” he said. “I always enjoyed looking at you, but your beauty has grown richer, deeper. You were a girl when I fell in love with you, but now you’re a woman and so stunning you take my breath away.” He moved his hand to cradle the side of her face, tracing the line of her cheekbone.
“I was thinking something similar about you,” she said. “You’re so striking, it’s hard to tear my eyes away, but beyond that, I love what’s inside you. You’re kind and smart and funny and compassionate.”
The corners of his mouth twitched. “And you can be a ball-busting bitch, but I always liked women with spirit. When we were in the Land Rover and you told Katie to blaze her own trail, I fully understood what a big heart you have. And why you’ve been so successful.”
Bending closer, he brushed his lips over hers, a gentle tentative kiss. One that gave her permission to pursue it or not. Julie kissed him back. His lips hadn’t changed at all. They were firm, beautiful, perfect. They clung together, kissing one another as if they were the onl
y two people in the world.
Brice pulled his mouth away, eyes brimming with warmth and love. “I remember kisses like that. We did a whole lot of kissing before we did anything else.”
“We did. I never forgot anything about how we were. No other man came close to measuring up. It’s why I’m still single.”
“I could say the same about you.” He moved his arms from where they curved around her and fumbled in a pocket. Offering a boyish grin, he sank to one knee. “Hope I do this right. It’s not the type of thing where you get much practice. I love you, Juliana Wray. Would you do me the honor of becoming my wife.”
He held out a small, black velvet box. Her fingers shook as she opened it and gazed at an intricately modeled gold ring with an exquisite pear-shaped diamond nestling in its center.
“It’s beautiful,” she said, and her eyes flooded with tears. “Of course, I’ll marry you, Brice. If I hadn’t been such a fool, we’d have married years ago.”
“Uh-uh. None of that. No looking back. Go ahead. Try it on. We can have it sized, but maybe we won’t have to.”
She tugged on one of his arms. “Get up off your knees, Sir Lancelot. The lady said yes.”
He rose and stood close, clearly waiting for her to try on the ring. It was so delicate and so obviously expensive, she treated it like a precious artifact as she removed it from the velvet-lined case. “Here.” She held out her left hand and gave him the ring. “You put it on for me.”
“Kind of like handfasting or carrying you across the threshold?” His eyes sparkled with happiness and a fierce longing.
“Something like that, but don’t forget the salt.”
“What’s it for?”
“To discourage evil spirits from intruding on brand-new marital bliss.”
Brice slid the ring onto her finger. “Wow. Between the jeweler and me, we guessed right.”
Julie held out her hand, watching light glint off the diamond as she tilted it this way and that. “I don’t have words for how incredible this is, but you always had superb taste.”
He nodded sagely. “I do, indeed. I picked you, didn’t I?”
She mock slugged him, but he ducked. “We picked each other,” she said. “Is that lunch offer still on?”
“Certainly is. There’s a matching band to add to the ring once we’re married. Speaking of which, I was talking with Angus last night.”
Julie laughed. “Yes, and I was talking with Mother. I’d love to do a double wedding with Angus and Sarah.”
“Perfect, because so would I. Even though if it were up to me, I’d spirit you before a justice of the peace tomorrow.”
“Good luck finding one,” she countered. “Tomorrow is Christmas.”
“So I’d wait until city hall is open for business.” He slipped a hand beneath her elbow and guided her out of his office.
“I love it that you’re determined and persistent.” She smiled up at him as they walked out of the hospital into a day where a weak sun was trying to break through a layer of gray clouds.
He snorted. “Yeah, both of us can be pretty bullheaded at times, but we have a whole future to plan.”
“The house in the suburbs and two point five children.” She hesitated. “You still want kids, right?”
“You bet I do. My brief stint with young Timmy Davidson hammered that point home. Hey. Maybe I can get Father John to officiate at the double wedding.”
“That would be nice. Who’s he?”
“Oh, that’s right, you’d have no way of knowing. He’s Timmy’s father.”
“From before he became a priest?”
Brice shook his head. “Nope.”
Julie angled her head to one side. “Bet there’s an interesting story behind that one.”
“Yup. Sure is. Remind me to tell you sometime.” He guided her into a small café where a table was ready for them near the back. “I took the liberty of ordering for us. Hope that’s okay.” When he looked at her, he was so earnest, she could have kissed him all over again.
“Yes. It’s fine. Perfect. I could get used to being taken care of. I do need to go back to Egypt, though. I have to finish up there.”
“I understand. Maybe I’ll come along. For some of the time, anyway.”
“Wonderful. We’ve never had an onsite doc.”
A smiling waiter left bread and a Caesar salad fragrant with fresh grated cheese, garlic, and anchovies. The sat close together, on the same side of a small booth, and shared bread and salad. After a while, a creamy pasta dish materialized.
Happiness thrummed through her. They had their whole lives ahead of them. To live and plan and love.
He smoothed a tendril of hair behind one of her ears. “After lunch, why don’t you go right to my house. Mom is anxious to see you, and Sarah should be there by then.”
“You’re worried about her, aren’t you?”
“Not in the way you mean. But I don’t want her to overdo things. It could set her remission back a few days.”
“Sure. I’ll head over there and show off my ring. Anything to keep me out of the kitchen.” She nudged him. “Are you going to pony up an address, or will I need to ask my mom?”
“Give me your phone. You’ll need the gate code too.”
She handed it over, and he put his address and a string of numbers—presumably the code—next to his name in her contacts section. When he gave it back, he said, “Better watch it. There’s no escape.”
“I don’t want there to be.” Setting her fork down, she launched herself into his lap and kissed him.
BRICE PULLED INTO HIS driveway around five. The afternoon had passed in a blur. Julie had agreed to be his wife. A lifelong dream was finally, finally coming true. He’d done his doctor gig for a few hours but couldn’t remember who he’d seen or what he’d ordered.
His mother ran down the steps, her blonde hair longer than he remembered, and her brown eyes shining with happiness. Curvy and medium height, she wore a long cream-colored skirt and a colorful tunic. Brice got out of the car, and she hurtled into his arms, hugging him tight. A tall, slender man with dark hair going gray and dark eyes stood behind her with his arm around a gangly teenaged boy.
Susan disentangled herself. “Sorry. Sorry. I’m just so happy to see you. This is Dr. Trevor Wilder and his son, Rob.”
Brice extended a hand, and both Trevor and his son shook it. “It’s quite a pleasure to meet you,” Trevor said in a deep, musical voice. Dressed in a gray woolen suit with a tasteful blue-patterned tie, he carried himself like a Marine. Straight and proud.
“The pleasure is mine,” Brice said, and meant it.
“I’m hoping while I’m here, we can spend some time at your lab,” Trevor went on. “I’ve read about your pioneering research with immune modulators and gene remodeling, and I’d like to see some of the experiments.”
“Of course we can do that.”
Rob rolled eyes that were dark like his father’s. “I need a dictionary to understand you.”
Susan ruffled his shaggy black hair. “While they’re doing that, you and I will go down to the waterfront. Seattle has an amazing aquarium.”
“Really?” Rob’s eyes lit with enthusiasm.
“I said so, didn’t I?”
“I’d love for us to catch a ferry out to the islands,” Bride said, adding, “We’ll pick the most promising day in terms of the weather forecast.”
“We’d love that too,” his mother said.
“Back inside, everyone,” Brice urged. “I want to change out of my scrubs. Usually I leave them at the hospital, but today’s a red-letter day, and I was in a hurry to get home.”
Susan hugged him again. “We saw the ring. Congratulations, son. I’m very, very happy for you. I used to worry about who you’d marry since I’d set my heart on Julie for my daughter-in-law before you finished high school.” She moved back a couple of paces, still grinning.
“I heard my name,” Julie called from the door. “Why are all of you outsid
e?”
“Aye,” Angus joined her in the doorway. “Come on in and save a bloke from getting drunk by himself.”
Brice closed up the BMW and followed everyone into the house. He’d just crested the stairs, intent on changing into something more appropriate for a party when Lupe darted out of a side hallway and grabbed his arm.
“Yes? Did I do something wrong?”
Lupe smiled broadly. “No. Something right. I like Julie. Good woman. Happy for you. Very happy. I dance at wedding.”
Brice swing her around and set her down. “Wouldn’t dream of getting married without you, Lupe.”
“Come downstairs. Lots of food.”
“I will. Just as soon as I change.”
She patted his arm and bounded down the stairs humming a song in Spanish.
He put on tweed slacks and a pale-green cashmere sweater over an ivory silk shirt. The sound of another car in the driveway brought him to a window wondering how the hell anyone had gotten in without the gate code. Chris and Ariel Wray got out of black SUV, and he shook his head. The general and his colonel wife were more than capable of defeating something as trivial as an electronic gate.
Working with Chris Wray had been a real wakeup call. The man was sharp and skilled. He’d finessed a complex operation and seen it through to its end.
Brice slid his feet into loafers and walked down the winding staircase, anxious to greet his guests. Christmas was a magical time. A time for families and love.
“There you are.” Julie smiled up at him from the bottom of the stairs. A simple sleeveless black dress hugged her like a second skin, ending just above her knees.
He whistled, long and low. “Wow! You’re quite a knockout.”
“You’re not bad yourself, Doc. Not bad at all. Come on. Mom and Dad just got here.”
“I know. They jimmied the gate.”
“No, they didn’t. I gave them the code, silly.”
Threading an arm around Juliana’s waist, Brice walked toward the sound of voices where everyone was gathered in the living room. They weren’t just joining the party, though, he and Julie were transitioning into a whole new life.