Christmas in Snow Valley

by Cindy Roland Anderson

  Her phone started playing the song Mother Knows Best from the movie Tangled. “That’s my mom,” she said, grateful for the distraction. “I need to answer my phone.”

  “Here, let me do that,” Cole said, gently taking a hold of the glove wrapped around her injured finger. “You answer your phone.”

  Lucy dug her cell out of her coat pocket. “Hey, Mom,” she said breathlessly. “What’s up?”

  “Allie and her kids are leaving and heading for home. Her little girl, Hailey, got sick on the Tilt-O-Whirl and is crying to go home. Pastor John and his wife are walking them out to their car now. Are you and the your mystery partner done?”

  “Almost. I better go so we can finish up before they get home.” Laying the phone on her thigh, she pressed the button to end the call.

  “Allie and the kids are on their way.” She glanced up at Lance. “Do you think you can finish up? The ornaments are in the Christmas gift bags under the tre, along with the Christmas CD.”

  “Yeah, don’t worry about it. I’ll take care of everything and be gone before they get home.”

  “Thank you, Lance.” Lucy took over holding the glove as Cole moved away and closed the car door.

  Lance and Cole stood by her window talking, but she couldn’t hear anything. Lance’s face looked tense. He glanced at Lucy with guarded eyes as Cole rounded the front of the SUV and climbed in behind the wheel.

  Lance backed away from the car as Cole started the engine. Without looking at Lucy again, he turned and walked back to finish stringing the lights.

  Lucy felt sick inside. Lance had to know something was up.

  “You doing okay?” Cole asked as he accelerated down the country road toward town.

  “What did you and Lance talk about?” she questioned, instead of answering.

  “He wanted to know where my office is.”

  “Oh.” Lucy closed her eyes and rested her head against the seat back. That wasn’t bad. Maybe he didn’t suspect anything after all.

  “He also asked when you and I started seeing each other.”

  Lucy’s eyes flew open. “What did you tell him?” She didn’t want Cole to lie, but she certainly didn’t want Lance to know Lucy had kissed a complete stranger.

  “I told him we haven’t been dating long.” Cole glanced over at her. “I could tell he wanted to ask more questions. My guess is as soon as he’s done here he’ll swing by the office to check on you.”

  Yeah, that and to probe deeper into her and Cole’s dating history. No doubt by the end of the evening Lance would know the whole story.

  Feeling a little lightheaded, Lucy leaned back and closed her eyes. She’d made everything so complicated. When she’d asked Cole to kiss her, she never expected to see him again. She certainly never planned on falling in love with him.

  Thankfully, Cole didn’t try to talk with her the rest of the drive into town. By the time they arrived at his office, her finger was hurting so much she wanted to cry.

  The office was cold, and Cole bumped up the thermostat before leading her back to the first exam room. Lucy sat on the edge of the exam table while Cole took of his jacket.

  “Let’s see if the bleeding has subsided,” he said, taking her hand and carefully removing the glove.

  The cut still oozed, but wasn’t bleeding like before. “Does it need stitches?”

  Cole’s fingers were warm as he gently probed the injury. “I’m afraid so. The laceration is deep, and every time you move your finger you’ll risk opening it up before it can properly heal.”

  He turned around and rummaged through the cupboard, pulling out a box of sterile bandages. Opening one of the packages, he gave it to Lucy to wrap around the wound. “Have you had a tetanus booster in the last five to ten years?”

  Lucy had no idea the last time she’d had a shot. “I’ve lived in California for three years now and I know I haven’t gotten one there.” She shrugged. “Would it be in my chart?”

  Cole’s brows furrowed. “Maybe, but it may take a while to find. If I had everything digitized I could just pull it up on the computer.”

  “You’re planning on going to electronic records?” Lucy asked.

  “As soon as I can find someone do it. Hard charts take up too much valuable time.”

  “Good luck finding someone. You might want to try contacting the university. They may have interns looking for work.” During college, Lucy had interned one summer digitizing patients records for an eye doctor. Although the pay had been fairly decent, it had been the most boring and tedious work she’d ever done.

  “That’s a great idea.” He crossed the room and opened the door. “I’m going to get all the supplies together, and grab your chart. Be back in just a couple of minutes.”

  Once he was gone, Lucy took a peek at her finger. Ouch. No wonder it hurt. The stitches were going to hurt even worse. She tried not to feel too sorry for herself. The injury could’ve been a lot worse, but it would seriously put a damper on her plans to build a snowman with her brothers. Maybe she’d make Cole come and build the snowman. Given his background, she doubted he’d ever made one before.

  Putting the gauze back in place, Lucy closed her eyes and tried not to think about Lance or Cole. Instead, she concentrated on her job and the possibility of the promotion. She’d basically had no social life since moving to California. Other than attending church, her focus had been solely on her career. All her hard work would be worth the sacrifice if she got the promotion, which would afford her the opportunity to travel and possibly live overseas.

  That was what she wanted, right? Images of the past few days she’d spent with Cole flashed through her mind, and suddenly getting the promotion didn’t seem as important. Her eyes flew open and she moaned just as Cole returned with his equipment and her chart.

  “Sorry, it took a little more time to look through your records, but the last time you received a tetanus booster was just before you turned thirteen.” He placed a rectangular object about the size of a laptop computer on a metal table. It was wrapped in blue paper with a seal of tape keeping it closed. “So after we finish with your finger, I’ll go ahead and give you a Tdap booster.”

  Lucy was grateful he thought her discomfort was due to her finger and not the realization that her job might not be the most important thing. “All right.”

  He broke the seal and pulled at the corner of the blue cloth. “The antibiotic you’re taking for the strep infection should cover you and help prevent the wound from getting infected,” he said, continuing to peel back the other corners to reveal a sterile tray with all kinds of sharp looking instruments on it.

  Turning around, he removed a brown bottle from the cupboard and a small vial of medication, as well as a couple of syringes. He poured a dark liquid from the brown bottle into a tiny metal cup on the sterile tray.

  “You know,” he said as he continued to make preparations. “I don’t know what it is you do in California. Tell me about your job.”

  Guessing he was trying to distract her, Lucy told him the name of the prestigious internet-related company she worked for.

  “Wow,” Cole said, donning a pair of blue latex gloves. “I’ve heard the employees there are all pretty happy.”

  “It is a great company. I love my job.” Lucy watched him take one of the syringes to draw up the medication in the small vial. “Is that the Tdap?”

  “No, this is lidocaine. It’ll numb your finger so you won’t feel any pain.” He moved over to her and removed the gauze pad. “The medication stings, but it won’t last for long.”

  Cole carefully held her finger and inserted the tiny needle. Lucy flinched, but didn’t pull her hand away. The medication burned. She sucked in a breath and felt her eyes start to water.

  “So, you’re a computer whiz,” Cole said as he moved the needle to another area of her finger. “Any recommendations on who to look for to help convert my patient records to electronic ones?”

  Lucy swallowed back a cry as he injected
more of the lidocaine. “I can give you the name of one of my professors at UM. He’d probably be able to hook you up with the right person.”

  “I’d appreciate that.” Cole moved to another part of her finger. “I’m almost done, Lucy. You’re doing great.”

  Knowing what was coming, Lucy clamped her lips together tightly as Cole pricked her skin and injected the last of the stinging medication.

  “I’m also looking for someone to create a website for my practice. I’d like my patients to have the ability to email me for medication refills, look at their lab results, and schedule appointments.” He withdrew the needle. “All done. We’ll just give it a few minutes to make sure your finger is completely numb.”

  “Ouch,” she said. “That hurt.”

  Compassion filled Cole’s dark blue eyes. “I know. Believe it or not, that is the worst part.” He deposited the syringe in a red sharps container and removed the blue gloves. “I’ll write a prescription for some pain medication as soon as we’re done.”

  He looked around the room. “That is as soon as I can find a prescription pad.” Two lines dented his forehead. “Having everything on the computer is going to make things so much simpler. The ability to print prescriptions is another added bonus to bringing my practice into the digital world.”

  Now that her finger was numbing up, Lucy was able to think about the changes Cole wanted for his medical practice. She had to admit that part of her was intrigued with the idea of equipping his office with the necessary computers as well as the right software.

  “That’s a big project. I’m sure my professor will be able to give you names of competent IT people qualified to make the transition.”

  “Thank you.” Cole smiled. “By the way, in case you ever have a desire to move back to Montana, I’d hire you in a second to do the job.”

  The tone of his voice was light, but his eyes held a measure of sincerity, as if silently asking her to stay.

  “That’s good to know.” Again, Lucy thought about the time she’d spent with Cole and was tempted to take the offer. Still, the idea of doing exactly what her mother had wanted her to do in the first place made her feel trapped. “But I don’t think I’ll be moving back home for a long time, if ever.”

  The smile on Cole’s face remained frozen in place, but Lucy could read the disappointment in his eyes. He nodded once and then turned toward the counter, opening a rectangular package containing sterile gloves.

  “Your finger should be numb by now.” He put the gloves on, and turned back around, careful not to touch anything. Then he moved toward the tray and picked up a green cloth the size of a hand towel. “This will keep everything sterile.” He spread the cloth out on the bedside table and instructed Lucy to put her hand there.

  Cole kept his eyes focused on his task, explaining each step in a professional manner. Not one to be squeamish, Lucy watched in fascination as he sewed the gaping wound closed with precise stitches.

  “You’re very good at this.”

  He tied off the last stitch and looked up at her with a soft smile. “I excelled in my ninth grade home ec class.”

  “Ah, that explains why I wouldn’t make a good doctor. I nearly failed home ec.”

  “How does someone fail that class?” he asked, using an alcohol wipe to clean up the orange betadine staining her finger.

  “For some reason I can hack into a computer but I can’t read a simple pattern or follow a recipe.”

  Lucy hadn’t really failed, she’d just hated sewing and cooking, especially since her mother expected her to love it like she did. Lila Phillips was the best homemaker and wife, and she wanted her only daughter to follow in her footsteps. She never could understand how Lucy loved playing volleyball and softball instead of taking ballet, or that Lucy preferred writing code over cooking.

  Cole chuckled as he bandaged her finger. “I’m definitely not a tech genius. I guess we all have our talents.”

  He was close, and Lucy could smell his tangy cologne. She tried very hard not to think about Cole’s obvious kissing talents.

  “All done,” he said, lifting his eyes to meet hers.

  “Thank you.” Lucy remembered Cole’s promise to kiss her again when Lance wasn’t around, and she thought now would be a good time.

  Unfortunately, Cole’s phone buzzed in his pocket. He stepped back and answered the call. “This is Dr. Taggart.” He started cleaning up his equipment, his eyebrows drawn together as he listened to his caller. “All right, I’ll be there as soon as I can.”

  He ended the call and glanced over at Lucy. “The on call doctor for the ER tonight just ended up as a patient with an emergency appendectomy. They need someone to cover the rest of the night.” That was one thing Cole needed to get used to about living in a smaller town.

  The hospital contracted ER doctors during the day, but after hours, weekends and holidays, the doctors in Snow Valley took turns covering the ER.

  “How long is that?” Lucy asked, climbing down from the table.

  “The shift ends at six in the morning.”

  “I’m sorry. That’s got to be rough.”

  “If it isn’t too busy, I can catch a nap in one the sleep rooms.” He folded the blue cloth over the tray and put it in the sink. “If not, tomorrow is Sunday so I can sleep then.”

  Lucy picked up her coat, and knew she couldn’t slip it over her injured finger. “I guess wearing my coat isn’t an option,” Lucy said as Cole turned around.

  He walked across the room and picked up his jacket. “Wear mine. The sleeve is bigger and will fit over your hand.”

  “Then what will you wear? Mine?”

  He grinned. “I’ve got another coat in my office.”

  He held out the jacket and she carefully slipped her injured hand inside the sleeve. Cole helped her put on the other side and then stood in front of her and rolled up the cuffs for her. The scent of his cologne enveloped her and she had to force herself not to bury her nose in the material.

  “Keep that hand elevated.” He took her coat, and held the door open. “I just need to get my coat out of my office and write you a prescription for pain medicine. You aren’t allergic to anything, right?”

  “Not that I know of.”

  She followed him into the office which still had all of Doc Taggart’s things in it. Cole unlocked the top drawer and pulled out a prescription pad. After finding a pen, he filled out the paper and then tore it off and handed it to her.

  “We can swing by the pharmacy to get this filled before I take you home.”

  Lucy slipped the paper into one of Cole’s pockets. “My mom or dad will get it filled for me. You probably need to get to the hospital.”

  Her phone chimed an incoming text. “Can you get my phone for me?” Lucy asked Cole since he held her coat.

  He put his hand inside her pocket and pulled out her phone. “Need help opening the message?” he asked.

  “I got it.” She swiped the screen with her ring finger and read the message from Lance.

  I stayed out of sight so I could watch the Parkers and I’ve never seen kids so excited about a Christmas tree and lights on a house. Thanks for letting me help out. BTW how is your finger?

  It occurred to Lucy that text messaging would be a little harder. She’d have to use her voice to text option, but not with Cole standing there. She handed him the phone. “It’s from Lance. He said the Parkers were pretty excited about the lights.”

  Cole read the message and smiled. “Do you want me to text him back for you?”

  “If you don’t mind. Just tell him I got a few stitches and thank him again for his help.”

  He typed the message quickly, and a few seconds later he read Lance’s reply out loud. “Sorry about the stitches. I’ll call you later. I think we need to talk.”

  Lucy felt her cheeks heat up as Cole looked up, his brow wrinkled. “Any reply?”

  This was so stupid. She owed Lance an explanation, but didn’t know what to tell Cole to say. “
Um…maybe tell him to call tomorrow. Once I take the pain meds I won’t be coherent.”

  Cole studied her for a few seconds then dipped his chin and typed in the message. Lance sent a simple “okay” just as Cole handed her the phone. After locking up the doctor office, he escorted Lucy to the passenger side and helped her in. Using her left hand, she clicked on her seatbelt as Cole walked around to the driver’s side.

  “I’ll call you as soon as I wake up tomorrow.”

  “Okay. We can talk about our next plan. Mom has the list of things the kids want for Christmas. Her quilting group wants to help out too.”

  The ride to her house didn’t take long. Her parents should be coming home from the carnival at any time. They didn’t like to stay out in the cold too long. Cole walked her to the door, and helped her unlock the front door. Lucy reached inside and flipped on the Christmas lights.

  “Thank you, Cole. For everything.”

  “You’re welcome. I’m sorry you got hurt, though.”

  “I heal quickly,” Lucy said, hoping that was true. She had to be back to work before the new year.

  Cole stood there for a minute, and Lucy wondered if he would kiss her goodbye. “Text me if the pain medicine doesn’t help. And be sure and watch out for signs of infection.”

  “Yes, Dr. Taggart,” she teased.

  He smiled, and took a step backward. Lucy swallowed her disappointment. “Have a good shift.”

  “Thanks.” He hesitated for a few seconds and then said, “Good night, Lucy.”

  She watched him walk down the steps and climb inside his SUV. She lifted a hand and waved as he backed out of the driveway. Lucy felt like crying as his taillights disappeared. She sniffed, and caught the scent of Cole, making her realize she still wore his jacket.

  Stepping inside her house, Lucy sat down in front of the Christmas tree and snuggled into Cole’s coat. She had a lot of thinking to do, and some hard decisions to make.

  Chapter Thirteen

  LATE SUNDAY AFTERNOON, Cole pulled up in front of Lucy’s house, and debated about whether or not he was making a mistake coming without calling her first. He hadn’t heard from her all day, and he was done waiting.