by Amber Skyze
“I was sick with the flu. Today is the first day I’ve felt well enough to answer the phone.”
That explained the voice. It also explained why he hadn’t called Nancy or answered her calls. She couldn’t justify yelling at him. He’d been sick. The poor guy. She wondered if he had anyone to take care of him during his illness. Part of her hoped so, but part of her felt a twinge of jealousy.
“I’m sorry to hear you’ve been sick. Do you have someone to look after you?”
“No. I’m tough. I can take care of myself.” She detected bitterness to his tone.
“I’m sure you can, but everyone likes to be pampered when they’re sick.” She longed for her mother whenever she got sick. No one was ever too old for a mom’s TLC.
He coughed again.
“I wasn’t so lucky.”
Her heart broke, and she wished she’d known so she could’ve cared for him. He deserved to be taken care of. He was a decent man.
“I’ll let Nancy know you’re sick and that you’ll be in touch when you’re well enough.”
“No. I’ll call her. She should hear it from me. I should’ve sent her a text or something, but I just couldn’t move.”
Sadness filled her, knowing he’d suffered all alone.
“Okay. Take care of yourself.”
“You too.”
She quickly disconnected the call, afraid to linger. If she lingered, she might have offered to go over and take care of him. No sense in risking her heart with him anymore.
Temptation to call Nancy engulfed her, and then she thought better. William said he’d call, and he was right; it was his responsibility—not hers.
She’d done her part by calling him to see what was up. Only now, she wished she hadn’t. William consumed all her thoughts. Was he really okay? Was he eating enough or drinking enough fluids? She longed to run over and care for him. She had to face the facts: they weren’t a couple or meant to be.
WILLIAM STARED AT the phone. She confused and frustrated him. He’d heard the concern in her voice. That was something. Concern was nice; it meant she cared. If she cared, there was still hope. Not that William had given up; he’d only gotten sidetracked. Being sick had derailed his plan to seduce the lovely lady. He’d still do it, but his plan would have to wait until he felt up to par.
Now it was time to make a call to Nancy and apologize for what seemed like him blowing her and Kyle off.
“I thought you fell off the face of the earth,” she said when she answered.
“Sorry,” he croaked. Damn, his throat hurt.
“What’s wrong?”
“Flu.”
“Jeez, I can tell you’re sick. No wonder you didn’t answer the phone. Why didn’t you call me, though? I would’ve come over and taken care of you. You’re so good with Kyle, it’s the least I could do.”
“I appreciate it, but you have your hands full. Kyle needs you more than I do.”
“We all need someone when we’re sick.”
Ha! Just like her sister. Apparently their parents had done a good job raising them. They showed concern for people. Another trait he loved about Patience.
“I’ll remember that next time.” No sense in arguing. His best bet was to agree and move on from the subject.
“Thanks for clearing things up for me. I’ll let Kyle know you’ll be out of commission for a few more days. Are we still on for Christmas Eve?”
“You bet.”
William felt better after talking with Nancy. He decided it was time to drag his sorry butt out of bed and into a shower. He’d been too weak to take one the past few days. A nice hot steam shower was exactly what the doctor ordered.
With all the strength he could muster, William lifted his body out of the bed and across the room. He wrapped his robe around him. He left his room to boil some water before getting in the shower.
A tap on the door startled him. He wasn’t expecting anyone. Most likely Nancy took it upon herself to show up.
William left the pan he’d been about to fill up with water on the counter to answer the door. He’d send Nancy on her way, and then he’d return to his hot water.
He twisted the knob and pulled on the door. It swung open, and standing there, looking sexy as all hell, was Patience.
“What brings you here?” He offered a weak smile.
“You.” She lifted a brown bag. “I’ve got chicken noodle soup. Momma says it’s the best thing for a sick person.”
“Momma knows best.” He waved his arm, ushering her in.
“She sure does.”
He watched her tiptoe over the threshold. She stopped short just past him.
“Come on in and make yourself comfortable. I was just about to make some tea. Would you like some?”
“How about you lie down on the couch and I make it?”
“Well, if you’re offering, I’d like to take a shower, if you don’t mind.”
“Not at all. You go freshen up, and I’ll get the tea ready for when you’re done.”
“Thanks.” Wow, he couldn’t believe his good fortune to have her there and ready to care of him. He left her in his living room and made his way to the bathroom, where he ran the shower. He let the steam fill the tiny room before getting undressed.
Cold assaulted his skin with each article of clothing he removed. He shivered.
“Shit.” He pulled the shower curtain back far enough so he could climb in. The hot jets of water pelted his skin. The warmth he sought crept into his body, slowly. He tried to position his body so it was completely under the water, but couldn’t manage. He turned left and right, hoping to heat up.
A few minutes after getting in the shower, he began feeling warm. He closed his eyes and enjoyed the heat. The shower was exactly what he needed. He started to feel better the longer he stayed under the spray.
He opened his eyes and decided it was time to wash up. Patience waited for him in the living room, and he didn’t want to leave her alone for too long. She’d been nice enough to bring him soup.
Once his body had been washed from head to toe, he turned off the water and grabbed the large brown terrycloth towel hanging on the rack next to the shower. He patted his skin. The heater in the bathroom doubled as an exhaust fan. He rushed drying off and slipped into his robe. He tied the belt tightly around his waist and pulled the collar up around his neck.
It didn’t take long for the chill to return. He left the bathroom and rushed into his bedroom, where he threw on some sweats.
“There you are. I have your tea.”
“Oh thanks.” He accepted the cup of steaming liquid. He sipped and moaned as the hot tea slid down his throat. He hadn’t tasted anything so good in a long time. Come to think of it he couldn’t remember when he ate last.
“Better?” she asked.
“Much.”
“Climb back into bed, and I’ll bring you some soup.”
“You sure? I can hang on the couch.”
“Don’t be silly. Your bed will be more comfortable for you.” She ushered him to the bed and took the cup so he could settle himself in.
God, she was beautiful. Like an angel sent to be his savior. The smell of her light perfume wafted to his nostrils. Flowers. He couldn’t pinpoint a particular one, more like a bouquet.
He made himself comfortable propped up on the pillows. Patience moved the blankets so they were even with his chest. He stuck his arms out so they could rest on top of the down comforter.
“Thank you for being so kind to me.”
“Being alone when you’re sick is not fun.”
Was she only being nice because he was sick, or was there more to it? He couldn’t concentrate. His eyelids grew heavy, and he longed to close them and sleep. The shower had drained him of any energy he had.
“Sleepy,” he mumbled as he nestled deeper into the pillows.
“That’s it. Close your eyes and rest. I’ll be here when you wake up.”
“Lie with me.”
“In
a few minutes.”
He felt her hand on his forehead. She was checking for a fever. She wiped his hair off his forehead as he drifted off to sleep.
Chapter Seven
Patience was pleased with her decision to care for William. She spent as much time with him as she could over the next few days, watching him go from pale to a nice pinkish complexion. Once he felt himself again, he returned to Kyle and she to her apartment. She missed spending all her free time with him. They’d reconnected, and he swore he knew nothing about the look she spoke of. He claimed he’d been unprepared, but not disgusted in any way, shape, or form.
She believed him. She had to if she wanted to continue seeing him, and she did. They were good together. They had amazing sex, talked for hours about anything, and had an undeniable connection.
She placed a piece of tape on the wrapping paper. She’d wrapped all Kyle’s gifts. While they hadn’t planned to exchange gifts on Christmas Eve, she wanted to bring the Black Hawk for him. William planned to give him the video game.
They decided it best if she met him over at Nancy’s. He would be spending the day with Kyle, doing the guy things and, from what she suspected, last-minute shopping.
With all the wrapping complete, she filled bags with the gifts. She’d leave Nancy’s and Kyle’s gifts under the tree for tomorrow when they gathered with the family.
Patience hadn’t forgotten about William. She shopped for him too. She hoped he liked the things she picked out for him. Christmas was always her favorite time of year. She loved the scents of pine and Christmas cookies. While she didn’t care for shopping on Black Friday, she did enjoy it afterward. This year was even better because she had William to buy for.
Deep down she hoped he hadn’t shopped for her. While she liked giving presents, she always felt shy about receiving them. She was definitely more of a giver than receiver.
Happy with the progress she’d made, she carried the heavy load down to her car and stuffed them into the backseat.
On the drive over, Patience admired the fully decorated houses. Some went to extremes, with decoration overload, and some were simple yet pretty. One lawn had five humongous blow-ups with little lit Christmas gifts nestled in between. Too much as far as she was concerned. Another house had multicolored lights in all their windows, the door and the railings coming down the front porch. It was very welcoming. She adored how much people got into the season.
The front of Nancy’s house was no different. Various decorations adorned the lawn and windows. From what she knew, William had helped them, and she was happy about that. She didn’t want to be stuck outside in the bitter cold helping.
She was thankful there was no snow on the ground. As much as she liked snow for Christmas morning, she hated driving in the stuff. The weatherman didn’t hold out hope for any of the white stuff on the ground tomorrow morning. She knew the kids would be disappointed, especially Kyle.
William came charging out of the house as she turned off the car. He pulled her into a bear hug when she stepped out of the car. She wrapped her arms around him and hugged him back.
“I missed you,” he said.
“Ditto.” She placed a kiss on his cheek.
“You guys coming in, or are you going to smooch all night?”
Patience laughed. Kyle didn’t mess around when it came to his presents.
“He’s been waiting very impatiently for you to get here.”
“I’m sure. If you put me down, I’ll grab the presents, and we can go inside.”
“Do I have to?”
“Unless you want to deal with Kyle, it’d be my suggestion.”
“Fine.” William eased her to the ground and let go. “I’ll get the gifts. Go inside and say hello.”
“Thanks!” She hurried off toward the house, a smile on her face. Having someone to help with the little things was nice.
Nancy offered her a cup of hot chocolate as she walked through the door.
“Perfect.” She accepted the mug and walked into the living room. She placed the cup on the table and removed her jacket.
“Here, give me that.”
She handed it over and sat down to enjoy the cocoa. Nancy always made hot chocolate from scratch on Christmas Eve, and today was no different.
“Awesome as usual,” she said.
“Auntie, look at the gifts William brought me.”
She glanced over to the tree where he pointed and noticed the one large box. Damn, it looked a lot like the one William was bringing in for her. The same present would mean disappointment for Patience. She’d wanted to give Kyle something unique—something from only her. Now it seemed William had the same idea.
“Wow, it’s certainly a large box. I wonder what it could be.”
“I don’t know, but I can’t wait to open it and find out.”
She smiled. Hopefully it wasn’t the same exact gift. She couldn’t stop William from giving him his, but she wanted them to be different.
“Maybe in a few minutes, okay?”
“Okay.” He bounced off to help William with the packages.
“Patience?”
She looked to William, who held the large box.
She shrugged. What could she say? They’d bought the same gift.
Before they managed to get to the gifts, Nancy’s neighbors, the Jeffersons, dropped by to carol for them. It was a lovely scene. Patience had no clue people still went door-to-door caroling, but she enjoyed it.
“Can I please open my gifts now?” Kyle begged once the door closed.
“Sure,” Nancy said.
He chose William’s gift first.
“An Apache helicopter, so cool.”
Much to her surprise, it wasn’t the same gift. Relief washed over her. She hadn’t wanted to compete.
He quickly tore away the wrapping paper from her gift.
“A Black Hawk. Another great gift. I love you guys.”
His happiness made the night special. The holidays were for the kids.
He opened the other gifts, his favorite being the combat game William had scored. Overall, it was the perfect night.
William loved the robe she’d chosen for him. She’d also got him a throw of his favorite football team, along with a few dress shirts, and tickets to a show he’d been talking about.
He’d been very generous to her also. Seemed he spent some time in the women’s stores. His taste in perfume surprised her. She loved the fragrance.
“I have another gift I’ll give you before you leave.”
Now she was intrigued. What could he possibly have that had to wait until she left? Maybe something naughty that Kyle couldn’t see? A giggle escaped her lips as she imagined different items.
“Something you want to share?” her sister asked.
“Nah.” She couldn’t divulge the thoughts in her mind.
They shared food, a few drinks, and laughs. Kyle grew tired as the night dragged on, and announced he was going to bed.
“Night, everyone. Thanks for the great presents. I can’t wait to see what Santa brings.”
“Me either,” Patience said.
“You’ve certainly been a good boy this year,” William added.
Kyle rarely misbehaved. Nancy was lucky to have such a good son.
“I’d better hit the road too,” Patience said after Kyle ran off to his room. “I’m sure you have lots to do before you get any sleep.”
“You’re not kidding. Santa has a long night ahead.” Nancy winked.
“I can stick around and help if you’d like,” William offered.
“Don’t worry. I have this under control. You go enjoy your night.”
Patience realized he had no one.
“Walk me to my car?” she asked. She’d planned to ask him something but didn’t want to do it in front of Nancy. She didn’t want her sister taking it the wrong way.
“Absolutely. I’ll grab these gifts for you.”
She hugged her sister and told her she’d see them in
the morning.
“Not too early. I’ll give you time to recoup from Kyle.”
“Thanks.”
Snowflakes fell from the sky as she made her way down the stairs. It all seemed magical. The weatherman had been sure they wouldn’t see any of the white stuff, yet here it was falling. Patience tilted her head so she could gaze at the tiny flakes descending on her. Perfect.
“What didn’t you want Nancy to hear?” William pulled her into an embrace and kissed her hair.
“Me asking you to come home and spend the night.”
“On Christmas Eve? Santa won’t know where to find me.”
“No, but he might have something special waiting under the tree when you wake up.”
“Now how can I refuse a proposition like that? I’ll meet you there shortly.”
He released her, and she giggled.
“I’m glad it didn’t take much convincing.”
“Nope. I’m pretty easy.”
He walked her to the car door and waited for her to get in and settled.
“I’ll see you shortly.” He leaned in and kissed her before shutting the door.
She waved and started the car. Hopefully she made the right decision inviting him back to her place on Christmas Eve. She didn’t feel comfortable sending him home all alone on the holiday. No one should be by themselves on the most magical night of the year.
Her sister would be back to wedding planning if she knew they’d spent the night together. She cared about William, possibly even loved him, but marriage was something totally out of the question.
Obeying the speed limit, Patience drove the car back home and sat outside until William pulled up behind her.
They walked in together, and Patience hurried over to the tree and turned it on. She stood back to admire the beautiful sparkly lights.
“It’s as gorgeous as you,” William whispered, pulling her into his embrace.
Patience snuggled deeper into him, loving the feel of his strong arms wrapped around her. He nuzzled her neck, and she squirmed from the chill coursing through her body.
William pressed his lips to her skin and placed tiny kisses on her neck. She tried to pull away, but he held on tight.