Mistletoe Miracles

by Jodi Thomas

  Moving slowly past the desk heading to the opposite end of the hall, Jax hoped not to be noticed. Two women were in a side office talking. No computer on at the desk. Not even a chart on the wall to help with patient names and locations. That might have given him a clue as to where Mallory Mayweather would be.

  When he made it past the desk, he noticed ten rooms remained. Five on each side of the hallway. They moved on. The short wing had numbers posted, but no patient names. Some doors had signs like Oxygen or No Visitors.

  Jax felt like he had to be close, but he would have to push every door open. Even if he checked each patient, he had no idea what the woman looked like. Ten rooms. If half had men in them, that would leave five. She’d looked slender. Maybe a few patients would be large. Dark hair, he thought, but that could have been mud in her hair. Not old. If she’d been over sixty, she probably wouldn’t be driving a red sports car.

  If he figured in all the variables, he might be able to narrow it down to two or three. If the paper was accurate, and she hadn’t been released, transported or died.

  The closer he got to the first door, the dumber his plan seemed. If they got caught, he decided to blame the whole scheme on Buddy.

  The collie suddenly moved ahead of him, taking the lead. At the third room on the right, he pressed his nose against the seam in the door and scratched the metal blocking his way.

  Jax rushed forward. “No one is in there, Buddy. The sign says Storage.” He tapped the label taped at eye level.

  The dog didn’t budge. He just scratched again.

  “All right, I’ll show you.” He slowly pushed open the door for Buddy.

  The collie rushed in as soon as the opening was wide enough.

  Jax followed and was shocked to see a person sleeping quietly as machines surrounded her like silent sentinels. She was slender and young, still in her twenties. A patchwork armor of bandages was all about her. He could see curly brown hair between the stripes wrapping her head.

  “I think we just found your Mayweather.”

  By the time Jax had silently closed the door, Buddy was sitting beside the hospital bed. The dog kept turning his head sideways and making a little sound as if he had questions.

  Jax brushed the collie’s fur. “Hush, Buddy. She’s sleeping.”

  The pup moved closer and laid his head on the patient’s fingers just below where an IV had been poked into her hand.

  Jax had no doubt they’d found Buddy’s owner. In the silence of the room, with machines beating out the time, he looked at the woman he’d seen from the wreck. She seemed so fragile. Her face was so badly bruised and hidden by bandages that he couldn’t tell what she might look like. Nothing personal surrounded her. No cards or pictures. No flowers. Nothing personal on the bedside table.

  “Hey, pretty lady,” he said, hoping to cheer her up if she could hear him. “The last time I saw you, you were flying in the night sky.”

  She didn’t move.

  Jax fought down the urge to make the little sound Buddy kept making, hoping to wake her.

  The door swished open and Jax groaned, knowing they were about to be kicked out, again. A nurse dressed in a very proper white lab coat moved silently to the other side of the bed, checking her patient. For a minute, she acted as if she hadn’t seen him or the dog.

  Jax remained silent. He’d spent so much time being a ghost lately, he thought maybe he’d passed over and become one.

  No such luck. The nurse finally looked directly at him. “You’re not supposed to be in here,” she whispered. “After visiting hours. No dogs allowed.”

  “I know. But we’re family.”

  The nurse smiled at him. “With all that hair, Jaxson O’Grady, you look more akin to that dog than you do to this girl, but considering the size of the O’Grady clan around here, I’m not surprised she’s related to a few of you.”

  He recognized the nurse now; years ago, she’d been Toni Teague when they’d been in school. They’d grown up in the same church even if she was several years older than him. She’d played Mary in the Christmas play one year and he’d been one of the sheep. At five, he’d thought she was the most beautiful girl he’d ever seen.

  “How are you and the kids doing, Toni?” He tried to keep his voice friendly, but he hadn’t had much practice lately.

  “The twins are in college. Only have one chick left in the nest.”

  He nodded, not exactly sure what to say. With no children himself, he didn’t have any idea if she’d be sad or happy they were gone.

  “I’m just checking on how your patient is doing.” Jax felt the need to explain. “I thought it might cheer her up to see her dog.”

  Toni smiled, but her eyes seemed brimming over with sadness. “Mallory is doing better every day. She’s having bad headaches, which is expected. She’s been given enough sleeping pills tonight to knock her out till dawn. You could come back tomorrow morning. She’ll be released soon.” She frowned at him. “You might want to shave before you come.”

  “I have to bring the pup. It’s her dog. He was in the wreck, too. I don’t think she knows he’s alive.”

  Toni glanced at Buddy. “I guessed that when I saw you two standing by her bed. How about I leave a note for someone to take her out to the sunporch if it’s warm late tomorrow morning? You and the pup can sit out there with her. I don’t know which one of you is shedding the most hair in here.”

  “Fair enough. Thanks, Toni,” he said as he read her name tag. Charge Nurse was on her coat.

  She stared at him. “You’re a good man, Jaxson O’Grady. The town misses having you around.”

  He shook his head. “I see a few of my cousins, and that’s enough for now. I just wanted to check on Mallory tonight.”

  Toni nodded. “I don’t know what caused the car accident, but since you’re family, you should know that there were several bruises on her body, both old and new that didn’t look like they were caused by the wreck. I don’t know what she told the sheriff, but he put out a restraining order on her boyfriend. Told us to make sure no one dropped in to visit except family. I failed. I thought the storage sign would fool people.”

  “It did, but it didn’t slow Buddy down. I guess he can’t read.”

  She stared at the pup. “I don’t know how you got in here or how you found her unmarked room, but we are watching her and it won’t be so easy for anyone to get past us again.” Her stare turned to Jax. “Understand.”

  “Completely. If I come back, I’ll stop at the desk first.”

  Jax decided he should vanish before she could give him another lecture. He turned to Buddy and patted his pant leg.

  The dog whined but followed Jax out.

  Just before Jax closed the door, Toni whispered, “You’re coming back tomorrow?”

  “Probably,” he said. “If she wakes up tonight, would you tell her I’m taking care of her dog?”

  “Tell her yourself. I’ll be home asleep before she wakes, and I think it’s best I don’t tell anyone you were here tonight.”

  “Thanks.” He stared at his first crush, now in her forties. He still saw those sweet Virgin Mary eyes. “I’ll be back tomorrow.”

  “You do that, Jax. Mallory will be glad to have the dog’s company.”

  CHAPTER FOURTEEN

  Midnight Crossing

  ON THE WAY home from town, Jaxson stopped at the only place open at two o’clock in the morning: the gas station. He bought a cheap razor and a round mirror that would fit in his hand.

  It was about time to step back into the world. He couldn’t stay lost forever. Someone needed help. “Mallory Mayweather,” he mumbled to himself. If ever there was a woman who needed rescuing, it would be the lady behind the gauze mask.

  Buddy’s ears shot up and the dog looked at Jax. “You love her, don’t you, Buddy? I couldn’t see much of her face, but she
must have a kind heart.”

  As he checked out, a bored clerk felt the need to issue advice. “About time you shaved, pal. Any longer and you could spray paint that beard and play Santa Claus next month.”

  Jax was too tired to see the humor. He just groaned.

  The clerk looked down at Buddy. “Don’t bring that dog in here again unless he’s a service animal.”

  “He’s my cousin.” Jax figured he might as well claim one more relative.

  The clerk laughed. “From the looks of you, he could be.”

  Jax took his bag and left. He’d talked long enough to a guy who wore a shirt that read Attention Aliens: I am the leader.

  The next morning it took Jax an hour to shave and cut four inches off his shaggy hair. When he looked in the mirror, he still didn’t recognize himself. Before the accident two years ago, he’d always worn his hair short, almost military style. Now it still looked way too long, but he knew he’d do a terrible job if he hacked off anymore.

  “That’s as good as I get, Buddy.” He patted the dog on the head. “Let’s go see Mayweather.”

  Buddy beat him to the door. For the first time in months, Jax found himself looking forward to something new.

  Crossroads Hospital and Clinic

  FIFTEEN MILES AWAY, Mallory Mayweather let the chubby nurse’s aide in reindeer-print scrubs roll her into the second-floor sunroom. Aide Raelene almost dropped Mallory as she moved her from the wheelchair to a wooden recliner.

  “Now be careful, dear,” the aide said cheerfully, as if she hadn’t been the one at fault. “Mrs. Adams said you should take some sun. And everyone around here always does what Nurse Adams says. She left us a note to tell you there’s someone coming this morning that you’ll want to see. We can see you from the nurses’ desk. If you get tired, just raise your hand and we’ll be right out. I’ll be doing paperwork right by the window.”

  Mallory nodded, guessing the visitor would be the Baptist preacher or the sheriff’s secretary. Both dropped by every morning and talked without any need to have her respond.

  Mallory hadn’t said a word since the accident. She hadn’t tried. One, her throat hurt, and two, there was nothing to say. That first day when she’d written the sheriff a note about how her boyfriend, Curtis Dayson, had choked her the night of her accident and threatened to kill her dog, she’d known that was all she wanted to say. Letting more details out didn’t matter. She knew she’d finally made him mad enough when she wrecked his sports car that he’d find her and make her pay in blood. But first, he’d kill the dog in front of her.

  She’d had to turn him in. Had to let someone know who was about to kill her and her pet.

  If Charlie was still alive. Each time she thought of her puppy out in the country alone or freezing in some shelter, Mallory had to fight back tears.

  Inside her mind, she’d told herself a million times that she was an idiot. Why hadn’t she left the first time Curtis hit her? One blow to the cheek he said was an accident. He was only playing around. Hadn’t meant to swing so hard. Or the second—he’d laughed off the slaps, saying he’d got a little carried away playing with her. Or the third, harder, faster, madder—he’d been so sorry when he saw the bruises. He’d even bought her the dog three months ago after he’d blacked her eye. I’ll never do it again, he’d promise every time.

  She’d halfway convinced herself it was her fault. After all, he was polished, smooth talking, perfectly built on the outside, but now she knew he was rotten on the inside. He’d been her boss at the agency in Dallas. He’d flattered her constantly ten months ago when she’d been hired on, telling her she was a rising star in the finance world. But once they moved in together, she couldn’t seem to do anything right, at the office or at home.

  Last Friday, when she saw pure rage as he looked at her puppy, she had to run. The dog had only barked and tried to protect her, but she knew that next time her pet crossed him, Curtis would kill him and her, too, if she tried to stop him.

  He’d mentioned once that women turned up dead in alleys all the time, so she’d better be very careful. She’d thought him a bit overprotective. Now she saw the comment as a threat.

  In the end, she lost every battle with Curtis. No matter how it started, he had to win. He’d insisted she move in with him. She had to sell her car—after all, he had two. He’d even insisted she give him access to her bank account, saying it only made sense.

  When she ran, she knew she was just delaying what would happen. She’d left his hideaway home near Brownwood and raced through the night. Heading nowhere but away. She had no home to go back to in Dallas, and she swore she’d never return to the isolated place in Brownwood. He’d once said he loved the remoteness, but she knew that meant no one would hear her if she screamed.

  That first night they’d been alone there, he’d tested her theory. Again and again.

  Even when she was hurt, she’d tried to shield Charlie.

  Thanks to the wreck, she’d probably lost her collie anyway. Maybe he’d died in the wreck. Maybe he ran. No one had been able to find the dog, and it would be weeks before she’d be well enough to search. Until the wreck, he’d always been by her side; she hadn’t thought to put a collar on him.

  Mallory leaned back in her chair and let the sun warm her face. Where did she go from here? A year ago, she’d thought she was on top of the world. Now she felt like she’d have to crawl up to even reach bottom. No home. No job. No friends that didn’t know or work for Curtis.

  She drifted in and out of sleep cocooned in blankets and sheltered from the wind by walls.

  Something cold brushed her hand. Charlie, her gentle collie. The cold nose tapped her hand again. Mallory opened one eye. He was there, battered and bandaged, but alive.

  Without any thought of the pain or how she’d mess up the bandage left from where they’d removed the IV, she leaned down and brushed her cheek against his soft fur. Tears she hadn’t allowed to fall suddenly bubbled over. He’d made it through the wreck. Somehow someone had found him and brought him to her.

  “I’m guessing you must be Mayweather.” A man’s laughing voice came from behind her. “Every time he hears your name, he looks up at me.” The man moved into her line of vision. Well built, not too tall, a few years older than her, she’d guess.

  “Good to see you without all the tubes running into you today.” He offered his hand, but she didn’t take it, so he patted the dog instead.

  Mallory didn’t want to talk to anyone, but this man must have stopped to help her one friend in the world that night of the wreck. She looked up at the stranger again.

  When she touched her throat, he seemed to understand.

  He knelt beside the dog so she didn’t have to look up. “I saw the wreck last week. I was out walking on my land. I tried to get to you, but the ambulance beat me. When I headed back to my place, I heard Buddy whimpering in the tall grass. I took him home and patched him up but it was two, maybe three days, before I thought he had much chance of making it.”

  She put one hand to the side of the man’s face, lightly touching tiny cuts.

  It took him a moment, and then he understood. “Oh, no, I wasn’t hurt. I cut myself shaving this morning.”

  She studied him as he talked.

  “It turns out shaving isn’t like riding a bike. You do forget.” He rolled his eyes as if declaring himself crazy.

  The corner of her lip lifted. There was nothing to fear from this stranger, who lightly brushed Charlie’s back.

  She touched her fingers to her chin and held her open hand out to him.

  He smiled. “I remember that sign. It means thank you. Well, you are welcome, Mallory Mayweather. I enjoyed Buddy’s company, but I knew he was missing you.”

  She leaned low again and brushed her cheek over the dog’s fur. No one who’d been watching could ever doubt that Charlie was hers.


  The man pulled up a folding chair. “I’m Jaxson O’Grady. I’m the county hermit. I never talk to anyone much. I live out in a cabin half my own relatives can’t find.” He laughed. “But apparently I’m rattling on to you. I guess it’s because anyone Buddy loves so much couldn’t be a bad person. I want you to know I’ll take good care of him until you’re able to get out of here.”

  She couldn’t stop patting the dog as she watched the stranger. In truth, he kind of looked like her Charlie. O’Grady’s hair was shaggy and dark blond, with a brush of auburn mixed in. He had brown eyes almost as dark as her dog’s.

  Maybe she should judge men not by their clothes or education, but by how much they look like dogs. From the look of Jaxson O’Grady’s clothes, she wouldn’t be surprised if he’d rolled in dirt before he’d come into town. He’d probably put on his cleanest shirt this morning, but it was wrinkled and looked like it had been washed in river water.

  “I’m thinking his name isn’t Buddy.” Jaxson looked straight at her. “Right.”

  She nodded as she moved her finger over the blanket covering her legs.

  It took her several tries but he finally figured out c and h.

  “Charlie,” he said and she nodded. “Charlie. I like that. What do you think of the name Buddy? I thought it fit him.”

  She shrugged.

  “Mind if your Charlie stays with me until you get out of this place and back on your feet? He likes my cooking. It’s no trouble to make two plates. I don’t have any dog food, but what I cook must be close to what he’s used to.”

  Before she could try to answer, Raelene rushed out in such a hurry the reindeer on her scrubs looked like they were dancing. “We got to get you back to your room, Miss Mayweather. The sheriff’s secretary called and said that guy you have the restraining order on showed up at the county offices a few minutes ago. He told everyone in the sheriff’s office he’s going to find you even if he has to drive the whole state. Claims to be worried sick about you, can’t live without you, has to see you or he’ll die. He said one small-town sheriff won’t keep him away from the woman he loves.”