Autumn chuckled at the look of astonishment on Thane’s painted face. The room was empty.
He glanced around the deserted room and demanded, “Where did everyone go?”
“They all went to the movie,” Beatrice whined.
“Everyone?” he asked incredibly.
Autumn stared down the hall toward the game room and gulped. She was a dead woman. For the first time in history Dracula was going to do something to a neck besides bite it. He was going to strangle one.
“Yes,” Augusta answered. “Even the help from the kitchen are in there.”
Confused, Thane looked at Autumn. “What movie is playing?”
“One from the bunch that were sitting on top of my VCR,” she answered honestly.
His eyes narrowed at the look of guilt sweeping up her face. They had managed to view only four of the six movies he had bought, and he couldn’t imagine any of those being a strong enough draw to have the staff desert their posts. “The Phantom of the Opera?”
“No.”
“The Hunchback of Notre Dame?”
“No.”
The two gray-haired ladies stepped away from Autumn as Thane menacingly moved closer. His voice held the quality of granite. “What film are they watching, Autumn?”
Her gaze lowered to the third pearl button of his shirt. She didn’t want to see the anger that was about to appear in his eyes. “Remember last night when I called the deal off?”
“Autumn?”
She looked up at Thane and knew she was in the wrong. She should have discussed it with him first. “It’s the . . .”
Loud shrieks, followed by masculine chuckles, erupted behind the closed doors of the game room. Thane glanced at the doors and then back at the guilt-ridden banshee standing in front of him. “Autumn?”
More shrills of fright drifted into the hallway. “It’s a classic.” Seeing his raised, darkened brow, she gave him the answer he had been waiting for. “Night of the Living Dead.”
Thane paled under his makeup. His patients were being traumatized. He grabbed Autumn’s wrist and dragged her down the hall toward the game room. He wanted her to see firsthand what her foolishness had caused.
He shoved opened the swinging doors, prepared for mayhem. What he got was a chorus of shhh’s and a few “close the doors.” Keeping a grip on Autumn’s arm, he made his way around wheelchairs, walkers, and testy residents.
“Down in front!”
“Sorry,” Autumn whispered as Thane continued to plow through the crowd.
“Move it!”
“Pardon us,” Autumn mumbled.
“Ouch!”
Autumn quickly moved her foot and glared at Thane’s back. “Sorry about that, Harold.” They had just about made it to the back wall, where there was standing room only, when a dozen high, piercing screams filled the room. Autumn glanced at the large-screen television and groaned. Mutant zombies were closing in on another poor victim. She closed her eyes and leaned against the wall. Any moment now Thane would be stopping the movie and making appointments for psychological evaluations for every resident in the room. How was she ever going to explain to him that being scared was the best part of Halloween?
Thane glanced at the screen and shook his head in amazement. The movie was more unrealistic than the Frankenstein made in 1931. Eyeballs never hung from sockets like that, and if that guy’s arm was split open, where was the bone? He dismissed the film and would have reassured the frightened ladies, but there didn’t seem to be any.
He watched Lillian, the loudest screamer in the room, move closer to Paddy and squeeze his hand harder. Millicent’s wheelchair was parked between two male residents, who seemed content to offer her all the reassurance she might need.
Why, if the ladies were scared, didn’t they leave? He noticed Darlene move closer to Ned and bury her face in his sleeve as another gruesome scene appeared on the screen. Joseph’s hand protectively covered Cora’s frail fingers.
Understanding hit Thane like a truck. They liked being scared. He looked back at Darlene and revised his thinking. They liked pretending they were scared. Just as Autumn had done the night they had watched Dracula. They were flirting, giggling, and acting like a bunch of teenagers at the movies. He shook his head at the wonder of it all. How had Autumn known?
He leaned back against the wall and studied Autumn beside him. She had her eyes squeezed shut, and her body language was screaming, “Hit me with your best shot.” He really should be furious at her for playing the movie without his consent, but how could he? Their agreement had been effectively canceled the previous night, and the residents were having the time of their life. Had he been wrong all along? Had he been more concerned about making the number-one spot on the VCRP list than on his patients’ well-being?
Autumn counted to one hundred, recited the alphabet, and named every color in the large, sixty-four-count box of crayons, and Thane still didn’t explode. The Thane she knew and fell in love with should be ushering patients back to their nice, snug beds with warm glasses of milk. She opened her eyes to see why he wasn’t.
He was standing inches away from her with his arms folded, a look of rigid concentration on his painted face. Was he still trying to save the world? Or was he planning her punishment?
A smile lightened her worried expression as she glanced around the room. Everyone was having a wonderful time. Paddy looked like a man of sixty sitting there protecting Lillian. The residents were taking the movie in the way it was intended, for the fun of it. Maybe, if Thane was calm and reasonable, he would find the meaning of Halloween in the classic horror film.
Thane noticed the closing credits and wondered how the movie had ended. He had been too busy studying the residents’ reactions to watch. No one seemed appalled, horrified, or even the least bit upset by the picture. They all thought it was gloriously entertaining and exciting.
The last of the residents filed out of the room, heading for more refreshments and the game room. Thane glanced from the empty room to the woman still standing silently beside him. “How did you know?”
“Know what?”
“That they would react like that?”
“I didn’t.” She saw him frown and tried to explain. “I was hoping they would watch it with the fun it was intended. Reko and Leon had been gathering feedback from the other movies played today. I was worried that this one might be too graphic and violent, but they assured me the residents loved the other movies. Reko had orders to yank the tape if anyone got upset.
“Halloween is a fun time, Thane. You’re supposed to be scared, or at least pretend to be. Let me ask you a question. How did Maple Leaf celebrate Halloween last year?”
Thane was quiet for a moment. Surprised, he said, “I don’t remember.”
“See! Do you think anyone is going to forget how it was celebrated this year?”
Thane chuckled as he looked around the room. “I don’t think so.”
Autumn sadly looked around the room. “You know the statistics, Thane. The average life expectancy after entering a nursing home is only two years.” She blinked back the tide of tears threatening to spill. “This might be Paddy’s last Halloween.”
He wrapped his arms around her. How was he to combat the truth? He wasn’t God. As much as he wanted to, he couldn’t keep Paddy alive forever. “He’s a tough old bird, honey. His condition is stable, and with the proper care he should be able to continue to cheat at checkers for a long” --he wiped away a tear with his thumb-- “long, time.”Autumn sniffed. “You’re just saying that.”
He reached in his pocket and pulled out a tissue. “Why should I be nice to you after what you did tonight?”
“The deal had been called off.” She blew her nose.
“Not by me it hadn’t.” He caught a lone tear clinging to her lashes with his finger. “Making that deal is one of the best things I have ever done in my life.”
She blinked. “It is?”
“It’s what brought us together.
”
Autumn’s heart slammed against her ribs. “It was, wasn’t it?” She encircled his neck and toyed with the ends of his hair. She felt something sticky and pulled her hand away. Her fingers were black. “Does this stuff wash out?”
Thane held up her fingers and scowled. Without saying a word he dragged her to his office and turned on the sink faucet. He squirted a mound of liquid soap onto her palm. “Scrub.”
She scrubbed and rinsed. Without lifting her eyes, she grabbed the dispenser again and pumped a small mountain of soap on her hand. Her fingers were turning bright red from the rubbing when Thane turned off the water and handed her a paper towel. Three fingers still had a grayish tint. “Maybe shampoo will work better.”
Horrified, he stared at her hand. It hadn’t washed off.
“Now, Thane, calm down.” She poked a finger into the black strands. It looked hopeless. It was going to take days to get all the coloring out of his hair. “I’ve got some shampoo that should take it right out.”
A groan sounded deep in his chest. He had seen the look on her face when she examined his hair. It wasn’t coming out.
“Tell you what, I’ll even volunteer to shampoo it.”
A tiny spark gleamed in his eye. Maybe having his hair permanently dyed wasn’t that bad. “In the shower?”
Autumn saw the heat in his gaze. “I don’t know. You remember what happened the last time we were in the shower?”
Thane grinned. “How could I forget?”
Autumn laughed as she backed away. “I’m beginning to think I’ve been set up.”
He glanced at his watch. “This is almost over, right?”
“It should be.” She heard the distant voices coming from the dining room. “Let’s help clean up so that we can go home.”
Thane bowed, gently cupped her elbow, and steered her out into the hall. “That, Ms. O’Neil, is the best offer I had all day.”
Autumn chuckled at the picture they created walked regally down the corridor. The count and his banshee woman. Her chuckle faded as they entered the dining room. Instead of the residents drifting off to their rooms, they appeared to be settling in for the remainder of the evening.
She spotted Reko arranging some residents in a circle. Shrugging at Thane, she walked over to Reko. “What’s going on?”
“No one got to hear any of the stories or play any of the games we had set up because of the movie. So, the staff got together and we decided the residents could stay up longer than usual if they wanted to.”
Thane felt his promised shower slipping away. “Why wasn’t I consulted?”
Reko grinned at the gruesome couple. “I didn’t think you’d want to be disturbed.”
Autumn flushed scarlet under her makeup and avoided looking at Thane. She’d bet the entire staff knew about the scene Reko had walked in on earlier.
Thane moved protectively closer to Autumn. “You could have disturbed me anytime you needed.”
“We can stay up, can’t we, Doc?” Augusta asked.
“Please, Doc. We didn’t get to do anything yet,” Beatrice whined.
Thane looked at the elderly pair and glanced around the room. Nurse Russell was passing out pumpkin cookies and orange punch. The kitchen staff had prepared trays of orange Jell-O in preparation for making jigglers. A group of six ladies were positioned around the trays fighting over who was going to use what cookie cutter to cut out the jigglers.
He glanced at Autumn. She had noticed the fun and excitement filling the room. He mustered a small smile, thinking, When you can’t beat them, join them.
Autumn read Thane’s answer in his eyes. She flashed him a winning grin that promised he won’t be sorry for staying.
Thane put his arms around Beatrice’s and Augusta’s shoulders and gave Autumn a last wishful look. He led the pair over to the refreshment table and flashed his fangs. “Do I look like a party pooper to you?”
Chapter Eight
“Lord, child,” Paddy said as he climbed into bed, you look terrible.”
Autumn smiled sweetly at her grandfather. She knew exactly what she looked like. What makeup was left on her face was smeared or globbed, her hair resembled a haven for bats, and her costume looked as though she had slept in it for a month. She could give banshees a bad name. “It runs in the genes.”
“Brat.” He settled under the covers and yawned. “You don’t have to worry about me chasing the Kissing Bandit any longer.”
“I don’t?”
He flashed her a toothless grin.
Autumn sat down on the bed. It was late, past Paddy’s normal bedtime, and she was anxious to start on a promised shampoo job. She wasn’t in the mood for a guessing game. “I give, why?”
His chest puffed out. “Lil said I was her real-life hero.”
Impressed by her grandfather’s prowess, she asked, “What brought that on?”
“She heard about how I gave security the slip and staked out the women’s wing.”
Autumn didn’t have the heart to point out that the night nurses weren’t security. “Ah, now that you have Lillian’s undying admiration, the Bandit doesn’t upset you?”
“Right.” His eyelids started to droop. “Even told Doc to leave him be. He’s the other guys’ problem now.” A small, satisfied smile touched his lips. “Let the other guys figure out how to sneak by old hatchet face Nagel.”
She brushed back a lock of his hair and kissed his cheek. “’Night, Paddy.”
“I remember a time when I use to tuck you into bed.” His eyes drifted shut. “Isn’t it funny how things change?”
“Get some sleep.” She stood and turned off his light. “I’ll see you in a couple of days.”
Autumn stood in the darkened room and watched as her grandfather drifted off to sleep. Thane didn’t have to expose the Kissing Bandit, Paddy would be kept safe, and the ladies would still have their mysterious visitor. Everything was working out. Or was it? Thane was still a hero, and she was still a coward on the run.
She slumped against the door and hugged herself. The man she loved was going to despise her when he found out. With each passing day the feelings she had for Thane grew. The first night they made love she knew she was in love. It had grown so much since then, she was unsure what her feelings were now. Was there something beyond love? Love was such an inadequate word. It was used so frequently that it didn’t seem fit to use it to describe what she felt toward Thane.
Thane came up behind her and wrapped his arms around her waist. “Ready?”
She leaned into his warmth. Whatever her feelings were toward him, she wasn’t about to sabotage their growing relationship willingly. “Yeah.”
He picked up on the distress in her voice and peered into the room. “Is Paddy all right?”
“He’s fine.”
Thane tried to study her expression but he couldn’t see beyond the makeup. “Come on, Cinderella, time to go home.”
Autumn looked down incredibly at herself. “Cinderella?”
He hugged her closer to his side as he led her down the hall. “To me you always look like a princess.”
#
Autumn looked up from the child’s rocker she was painting and grinned at Thane. He was covered in dust and scowling at the mess surrounding him. “I told you it was hopeless.”
“Nothing is hopeless until you have given up hope.” He climbed over a desk and rooted through a cardboard box. “I haven’t given up hope yet.” He pulled out a crystal candy dish and a bamboo basket in the shape of a fish. “Hey, these are in pretty good shape.”
She went back to painting the small picture she had sketched on the back of the little rocker. “You said that about the brass-monkey bookends and the nature encyclopedias too.”
“Well, they were in great shape.” He opened up another box. When he had accompanied Autumn to Second Chances, he had had an objective in mind. He wanted to straighten out the back. It was proving to be a bigger job than he had anticipated. The room was crammed with un
discovered treasures. Every box unearthed another prize for his inspection. “Where did you say Paddy got all this stuff?”
“Most of it came from flea markets and auctions.” She bit the end of the paintbrush and studied the drawing. It was turning out even better than she had hoped. “Paddy loved spending his days off looking for bargains. If he found an old vase with a price of five dollars, he’d offer two and then sell it for seven.”
Impressed, Thane inspected a kitchen clock. “Nice profit.”
Autumn chuckled as she put the finishing touches to the rocker. “Paddy’s problem was he liked to haggle and buy, but he didn’t like to part with any of his finds.”
Thane glanced around. “I’ve noticed.” He repacked the clock, a tennis racket, and canteen he had just pulled from the box. The job was hopeless. Autumn would have to open the doors and give the stuff away to make a dent in the room.
He shifted a microwave cart out of his way and plowed a path back to Autumn. “Do you go to flea markets and auctions too?”
“No, the only stuff I’ve bought so far is from people who come in off the street.” She closed up the paint and dunked the brushes into an old mayonnaise jar filled with water.
Thane examined the rocker. If he hadn’t been there, he wouldn’t have believed it. The plain pink chair had been sitting on top of the workbench when they opened the shop at nine. It was now twelve, six customers later, and the chair had been transformed into a keepsake. Autumn had painted an adorable teddy bear wearing a floppy straw hat and a string of pearls on it. Any little girl would love it. “You never told me you had art lessons.”
Surprised, Autumn stopped cleaning up. “That’s because I never took any.”
“You’re kidding! You painted this with no formal training?”
“Thane, I realize you probably went to college, medical school, were an intern, and served your residency, but running a used-goods shop doesn’t require formal training.”
“I know that, but you are a very talented artist.” He waved his hand at the sketches she had pinned to a cork board over the worktable. “Why didn’t you study art in school?”
Midnight Kiss Page 10