Jax’s Holiday
By Renee Lindemann
Copyright©2017 Renee Lindemann
Cover Art by Ifixflyers © 2017
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Table of Contents
Chapter 1
Chapter 2
Chapter 3
Chapter 4
Chapter 5
Chapter 6
Chapter 7
Chapter 8
Chapter 9
Chapter 10
Chapter 11
Chapter 12
Chapter 13
Chapter 14
Chapter 15
Chapter 16
Chapter 17
Chapter 18
Chapter 19
Chapter 20
Chapter 21
Chapter 22
Chapter 23
Chapter 24
Chapter 25
Epilogue
About the Author
Chapter 1
Holiday Titus smiled as she made her rounds throughout the facility. She loved her job and the fact that she helped to start the pilot program, made the work all the more enjoyable. As part of her master’s degree program in nursing she had helped the facility develop an in-house hospice service. The skilled nursing facility served on average two-hundred and fifty patients. Of the two-hundred and fifty patients, the pilot program served fifty or less patients on any given day. The pilot program had a staff of fourteen, including two social workers, two spiritual coordinators, two hospice aides, a program director, patient coordinator, one doctor, four full-time nurses, and one part-time nurse.
One of the full-time nurses was Holiday. She was the only nurse practitioner of the five nurses. She had triple duty as the unofficial assistant program director, nursing coordinator, and full-time nurse. She generally worked ten hour shifts four days per week. Two hours each day would be spent completing administrative tasks. What she relished was her patient interactions. The ability to support a patient at the end of life, along with the family, was the height of job satisfaction. Not every encounter was perfect but it gave her the opportunity to perfect the program. Consequently, the owners of the franchised nursing facility, Orion Optimal Care, was possibly looking to expand the program. The thought of expanding her thesis program thrilled Holiday.
The only hitch in her plans was Jax Pierce. The man unnerved her body in a way that was both foreign and familiar. He was the son of a patient. His mother, Emma Pierce, was a hospice patient for the last six months. As she continued to decline, Holiday grew more attached to the small family. Jax, a corporate lawyer, heaped gobs of attention on his mother. His daily presence in the facility ensured she received excellent care. He paid top dollar for his mother, to receive said care. The six-foot man always made everything south of Holiday’s navel clench. To be fair he had that effect on most of the female staff.
Initially, she enjoyed the simple flirtations. Holiday Titus had never stepped outside her race for romantic reasons. Jax was unlike any man she had ever met. He was very kind, gentle, and of course drop dead gorgeous. If he had skipped college and went right to Hollywood, Holiday was sure he would have become a movie star. His good looks were not typical. He had a hardness to his features that didn’t diminish the boyish good looks. A strong angular jaw was complimented by a nose that looked to have been broken more than once. While it might have been a flaw on anyone else, Jax owned the crooked nose. Holiday was curious why he never had it fixed with plastic surgery. She figured there was an interesting story behind the crooked but perfect nose. It gave his haunting dark blue eyes a sense of mystery that most women found alluring.
Holiday was sure he had a bevy of women at his beck and call. He never brought romantic interests to the facility. A smattering of relatives would visit Emma but Jax was the only fixture. He would vary his visit times, to ensure he kept the staff on their toes. When he would visit, she didn’t know what was better, when he arrived in a tailored suit or when he was dressed down. She personally battled daily because the man could wear a pair of jeans and a t-shirt as if he invented both articles of clothing. On the other hand, when he had on one of his polished suits, he looked right out of a fashion magazine. His movie star quality was not to be ignored.
The only issue Holiday had with Jax was the way he looked at her. There was something in his expression that she couldn’t understand. Most of the women in the facility flirted with the man and he was undeniably a flirt. However, when he would look at Holiday his dark blue eyes would turn a nearly black color. She wasn’t sure if that meant he liked her or worse if he didn’t want to like her but did. While she practiced diversity in her everyday life, her love life never ventured into that territory. The few men she dated had been like her, African-American. Jax made her want to reconsider locking herself into that holding pattern.
“Good morning Ms. Emma,” Holiday said in a sing song voice. Emma, a once stunning beauty, was deteriorating from cancer. The cancer started in her lungs, after years of smoking, had now metastasized to other parts of her body. The woman had lived quite a life before illness forced her to become bed ridden. The stories the feisty woman told were worth coming to work every day. She dealt direct, there was no sugar-coating anything with Emma. She wanted to be in the know and Holiday made sure to keep her well informed. Emma held no pretense, she knew she was dying, and soon. Her saving grace was the retention of her mental faculties.
“Morning Holiday,” she grumbled. “Give me some drugs please.”
Holiday gave a soft smile to the woman, whose words never ceased to amaze her. She had the small computer cart already lined up with the woman’s medications. With the current hospice census low at thirty-four, Holiday could give extra attention to her patients. Emma truly appreciated the personal care she received. The regular nursing staff generally passed meds. Holiday and the other hospice nurses would make it easier and pass meds to their specific patients. Right now, she was giving Emma her scheduled dose of morphine and anxiety medications to ease her breathing.
“So, when are you going to stop kidding around and date my son,” Emma asked once the medications were administered. Holiday gave a soft chuckle, “For one that would be unethical. For two, your son is not interested in my fine chocolate self.”
Emma’s hearty laughs surprised Holiday. She gaped at the woman, as the medication softened the woman’s features. Holiday could see her body relax and the pain fade as the medication worked quickly. The woman’s frail thin frame easily processed the medications.
“Please tell me we have come further than that,” Emma stated. “I would hate to die knowing that race relations have taken a giant leap backwards. You aren’t the Lovings and this isn’t racist Virginia. This is Santa Clara my dear. I’d like to think we were more progressive.”
“Emma, you are a mess,” Holiday laughed. Internally, she winced, pretty sure no matter his flirtatious nature Jax didn’t think of her in that way. She didn’t want to hurt the woman’s feelings or make assumptions about Jax.
The woman fixed her emerald green gaze on Holiday. The penetrating gaze made Holiday’s smile go flat and she fought to swallow the lump in her throat. The medications were definitely kicking in as she murmured, “I need you to take care of my special boy. He will be all alone soo
n.”
Holiday placed a tender hand on the woman’s wrinkled hand. She didn’t know what to say to that request. Instead she allowed the meds to pull the woman into a light sleep. Holiday finished her assessment without additional interference from the lightly snoozing Emma. When she entered the information into the system, Holiday gave the woman’s hand a reassuring squeeze. Upon releasing her hand, Holiday turned the wheeled computer kiosk towards the door.
“Please,” Emma whimpered. “He needs you.”
“I am sure Jax can find someone,” Holiday replied. “He will not want for love.”
Jax walked in, pretending not to have heard the exchange. Today he was in jeans and a t-shirt. Holiday involuntarily bit her lower lip. The quick pain jolted her from the bounty of wayward thoughts that entered her mind upon seeing the man. She hoped he missed the exchange with his mother.
“Good morning Holiday,” he stated softly. “How is my mother doing today?”
Holiday dropped her gaze to the computer to keep from gawking at Jax.
“She was in pain and anxious this morning. We haven’t changed the dosages on any medications, as the current dosage is working. I might change the times, to help keep the pain at bay. I will let you know once I read the notes from the previous day,” she explained. Jax seemed satisfied with her response. He gave a gentle nod of his head as he moved further into the room. As per his usual he had a lunch bag, book, and coffee in his hands. He took the recliner nearest the bed after giving his sleeping mother several kisses. Holiday turned to look at him once more. The rush of heat to her belly only seemed to excite the butterflies. Jax’s soft smile sent shivers down her spine.
Chapter 2
Jax Pierce looked down at his sleeping mother and felt his heart swell. The woman had taken such excellent care of him. His current success as a corporate freelance lawyer gave him the freedom he needed to be present every day. Emma Pierce deserved to have the best care. The fact that she was dying had been hard for him to process. Of course, it was Emma who put his mind at ease. With a tender hand, she caressed his face the day the doctor told her that she had six months or less.
“My pride and joy, this wonderful ride has run its course. I am tired and it’s my time,” she stated in a sweeter tone than he could ever remember coming from Emma.
“But can’t you do something,” he said to the doctor. When the doctor shook his head, the tears fell. Emma Pierce, or Me-Me, had saved him. She had given him everything and made him the man he was today.
“Don’t worry son,” she smiled. “I have no regrets. I don’t want you to have any either. Just make sure I see these deep blue eyes one more time on my way out.”
Jax had lost his emotional hold and openly wept on his mother’s shoulder like a little boy. That scared little boy that he had been only twenty years prior. That scared little boy that would sit on Emma’s porch and wait. He would wait for her love and attention. It was so amazing and he craved it daily. How would he survive without her?
Now he kissed the long graying hair of the once buxom blond. She looked peaceful as she slept and for that he was grateful. He had long ago stopped worrying about medications. Initially, he had been skeptical that Me-Me needed such high concentrations of pain medications. Jax’s feelings had rolled off onto Emma. She was spending more time pretending not to be in pain for his sake. Once Jax realized this, he relented and encouraged her to medicate regularly to keep the pain at bay. He spent hours going over the hospice philosophy and understanding how best to apply the mission statement. He wanted to improve the quality of whatever time Me-Me had left versus extending her suffering. If it meant she spent most of that time high as the stars, then so be it.
Jax could feel Holiday’s hazel-eyed gaze upon him and looked up. The moment passed quickly but not without leaving a tornado in its wake. The flurry of emotions and desire swirled in his body and groin. For some reason, the woman unnerved him. He was pretty sure she possessed some weird super power that dismantled men. Although she felt more like a family member than hired help, he didn’t know much about her. She never gushed over a significant other or talked about relationships. He supposed men didn’t last with the gorgeous woman. There was something about her delicate features that pulled him in.
Soft brown skin, hinted at a trace of something else in her blood besides African. The button nose complimented perfectly arched brows. He loved when they rose in question, it sent shivers of desire right down to his boxer shorts. The fact that she wore her hair au natural was also a great turn on. The naturally curly hair was left to look unattended but that was not the case. He could tell she took great care of her hair. The one thing that tugged at his jeans was her scent. The pungent lavender and strawberry scent drove him crazy. He could always tell that Holiday had been in his mother’s room. As much as he wanted to act on his feelings, Jax showed restraint to protect Holiday. His past was dark and haunted. The ghosts hardly left him alone, and while they weren’t the entities often featured in horror movies, they were alive in his mind. The only time they rested was in Emma’s presence. What would he do when she was gone?
Chapter 3
Holiday stood in front of the fourteen-person team, conducting their monthly meeting. They had been relegated to the basement of the facility but Holiday made the most of the space. It was well lit and decorated with a plethora of information. During the meeting, she went over facts and figures pertinent to the state’s audit. It would seem they were doing quite well and she wanted to keep that momentum going. Considering the program’s director, only worked part-time, she was usually the one presenting the facts he compiled. Edgar Roberson, felt Holiday was much more connected to the team. He had only come on as director as a favor to Holiday’s mother, Simone Titus. A woman he lusted after but never had the pleasure. She had a hang up about dating married men. Go figure!
“Our customer satisfaction surveys are the weakest point for us,” Holiday explained. “We are only receiving forty-six percent of the surveys back. That makes it difficult to meet the expectations of the state level at fifty-two percent. I would like to brainstorm ideas on how we could get a higher return on surveys to meet the state requirement and fine tune our care.”
Several individuals began to offer ideas while the patient coordinator, Adelaide Martin, took notes. The meeting lasted an hour and ended on a high note as they were possibly going to branch out to other facilities. This would give them the chance to train new staff, mentor, and encourage timely end of life recruitment. Holiday wanted those that qualified to sign up soon enough to get the most from the benefit. It was imperative that she educate the world on hospice care. After enduring the need for hospice when he father was diagnosed with congestive heart failure as a teenager, she made up her mind to pursue the profession.
After securing a two-year degree in nursing, to help her mother make ends meet, she went on to pursue her bachelor’s degree. Along the way she received hospice certifications as well. The endeavors took a total of four years to complete and another eighteen months to obtain her nurse practitioner’s degree. She made her father proud, of that she was sure. Her mother, while proud was a bit old fashion. Simone Titus wanted her daughter married with children and soon. Holiday had zero interest in the drama of settling down. Men were a distraction, as evident by her wayward thoughts every time she laid eyes on Jax. Besides, for her, sex had been grossly overrated. With only two relationships under her belt, she felt enough research had been conducted on the subject.
Holiday liked being in charge of her orgasms even when times were a bit lonely. She had a small group of friends that kept her company from time to time. Otherwise she didn’t mind her solo existence. Work kept her plenty occupied, plus she loved to travel. Whenever she could get away, Holiday was on an airplane to a new adventure. She loved trying new things and often put herself in crazy situations. It was a life that suited her needs. Her mother, would just have to wait a little longer for the grandkids.
“Holid
ay, remarkable job, as always,” Edgar said after the meeting. Holiday smiled politely and waited for Edgar to ask after her mother.
“How is your mother,” he said with clockwork precision. Holiday stifled a laughed then answered, “Thank you Edgar. She is well. I think her upcoming retirement has her a bit unnerved.”
They chatted casually about a few work issues that needed immediate resolving before he took his leave. The space truly belonged to Holiday and the ancillary staff.
“I know you need to get to the floor,” Adelaide stated. “Your boyfriend is here.”
Holiday’s mouth gaped open and closed as Adelaide erupted in a fit of giggles.
“Honestly, he is everyone’s pretend boyfriend,” Adelaide added as the giggles ceased and she developed a faraway look in her eyes. Holiday had to lightly shake the woman to disrupt her private reverie.
“That look is almost pornographic,” Holiday blurted out with a blush. She had to admit there were many nights she too would allow very pornographic thoughts of Jax to help her to sleep. Adelaide also blushed and snapped out of the lustful moment. She presented Holiday with papers to sign before running to catch up with Dr. Slovack. He needed to sign any written or verbal orders authorized by Holiday or himself. This space for in-patient hospice staff consisted of three rooms. A general office exterior where Adelaide would sit daily. Several other empty desks for the social workers, spiritual coordinators, aides, or nurses to utilize for paperwork. A small conference room and small private office rounded out the space. Edgar, Dr. Slovack, and Holiday shared the small private office. However, it mainly belonged to Holiday. She was the only one of the three here daily.
Adelaide coaxed Dr. Slovack into the office and presented him with a stack of paperwork. Holiday took this as her cue to check on her patients. Her phone hadn’t gone off during the meeting, which was a good thing. After checking on her patients on the first floor, she moved up to the third. The other nurse, Emily, had floors two and four of the facility. The nursing home had more than seventy patients on hospice but in accordance with the state, the facility had to allow patients to choose the hospice they wanted. Holiday hoped that as their reputation grew, so would the demand for Optimal Hospice. As part of the agreement, she took on part of the franchise name.
Jax's Holiday: An Interracial Romance Page 1