Marry Me at Christmas (Fool's Gold)

by Susan Mallery

  He winked. “You’ll miss me when I’m gone.”

  That was truer than he knew, she thought, determined to stay positive and hopeful.

  Eddie and Gladys walked into the conference room. They glanced around, saw Jonny and walked over to sit across from him.

  “It’s too hot outside,” Gladys said, slipping out of her coat. “It’s nearly Christmas. The snow’s melting.”

  “It’s supposed to get cold again soon,” Madeline told her.

  “I hope you’re right. Seasons exist for a reason.”

  “Don’t mind her,” Eddie said. “She’s having a personal summer moment.”

  Madeline wasn’t sure what to say to that and she couldn’t begin to imagine what Jonny must be thinking. But he’d been the one who had wanted to stay, so it served him right.

  “Nice shirts,” Jonny said.

  Madeline saw the two old ladies were in their finest bowling shirts. The pink ones that had their team name embroidered in bright, tall letters.

  “Hot Young Things,” he read aloud. “Good marketing.”

  Eddie preened. “Aren’t they nice? Gideon and his radio station sponsor us.” Her expression turned sly. “Of course, if you were interested in sponsoring us instead, we could talk.”

  “They’d have to wrestle for the privilege,” Gladys said flatly. “Naked.”

  “Naked would be very nice.” Eddie sat across from Jonny. “Interested?”

  “Let me think about it. The offer is tempting.”

  Eddie didn’t look convinced. “You’re messing with us, aren’t you? You have no plans to wrestle naked.”

  “Or clothed,” he admitted. “But planting the image is my holiday gift to you.”

  The old ladies looked at each other, then back at him. “It’s a good one,” Gladys admitted.

  The meeting was called to order. Dr. Galloway put on her reading glasses and opened the folder in front of her.

  “We’re going to have both the potbellied pig and the fainting goat at the Live Nativity,” she stated. “Unless the goat can’t handle it. No one wants to see the poor animal so terrified it keeps fainting.”

  “I do,” Eddie murmured.

  “Is someone going to be on hand to take the goat home?” Madeline asked.

  “May Stryker has volunteered to wrangle the goat.” Dr. Galloway frowned. “Is that the right word? Wrangle? Or do you do something else with a goat?”

  “In some parts of the world, they put them in stew,” Gladys offered.

  “I’m ignoring you,” Dr. Galloway said without looking up from the papers she was studying.

  “You always do.”

  Jonny leaned toward Madeline. “You gotta love this,” he murmured. “It’s classic.”

  “Somehow it’s all going to bite you in the butt,” she whispered back. “I can practically guarantee it.”

  Thirty minutes later all the last-minute details for the Live Nativity had been arranged. Jonny and Madeline walked outside. The temperature was still unseasonably warm. Snow melted everywhere and the streets were wet and muddy.

  “When it freezes, the roads are going to be a mess,” Madeline said.

  Jonny leaned in and kissed her. “Then we’ll make sure when that happens you’re out at my place. You know, so you’ll get stuck again.”

  “I like how you think.”

  Before she could say anything else, they were both distracted by the sound of spinning tires. She turned and saw that Eddie and Gladys were stuck in the muddy slush. Their big sedan sat with spinning tires.

  Eddie rolled down the driver’s-side window and waved them over.

  “Jonny, you’re going to have to push,” she said. “Say when and I’ll give her the gas.”

  Madeline fought against a feeling of dread. She just knew that somehow this wasn’t going to end well.

  “Be careful,” she told Jonny.

  He nodded and walked toward the old car. He checked each of the tires. As he bent low over the front driver’s side tire, Eddie got out her cell phone and angled it so she could snap a picture.

  “Seriously?” Madeline called. “You can’t give it a rest?”

  “I’ve seen his butt naked,” Eddie yelled back. “It’s worth a picture or two.”

  Madeline wasn’t sure if Jonny was listening to the exchange or not. She supposed he was used to being ogled. He walked back to her and took off his jacket, then pointed at the car.

  “Can you get her to focus? There’s no way I can push her car free if she’s not giving it some gas.”

  “I’ll do my best.”

  She draped his jacket over her arm, then walked toward Eddie. “You have to pay attention.”

  “No, I don’t. He’s a hunky man.”

  “You’re stuck and, unless you want to stay here, you need to help.”

  Eddie looked from her to Jonny, then sighed heavily. “All right. We do have our Christmas bowling league party to get to.”

  Gladys took her cell phone and Eddie waved at Jonny. Madeline stepped back.

  “They’re ready,” she called.

  Several people had gathered to watch. A couple of guys joined Jonny at the back of the car. They lined up to push the big sedan away from the muddy curb. Madeline took a step back, then another. Her foot slipped on a patch of slush just as Eddie hit the gas and the big sedan shot forward and veered sharply to the left. Madeline saw it coming and knew she had to get out of the way, but she was still busy falling.

  “Stop the car!” Jonny yelled, lunging for her.

  He grabbed, she tried to stay on her feet, but the car kept coming and then Jonny shoved her hard. She slipped and skidded before falling into a pile of wet snow. Her body registered the cold and damp, but she ignored that. She spun and saw Jonny lying partially under the huge sedan.

  “No!” She scrambled toward him.

  Eddie had already stopped the car and was opening her door. The guys who had been pushing were rushing to Jonny’s side.

  “I’m fine,” he said as he started to slide out from under the car.

  “You’ll want to wait for the ambulance,” one of the men said.

  “Does he need CPR?” Gladys asked as she came around the front of the car.

  Madeline reached him. “Are you okay?”

  He nodded. “Nothing’s broken.” He started to stand up, then winced and swore.

  “What is it?” Madeline demanded, terrified of what had happened to him. “Is it your back? Your legs? Are you bleeding?”

  From several blocks away came the sound of a siren. Someone had called 9-1-1.

  Jonny groaned. “It’s not that bad. Seriously.”

  “Too late,” she told him. “The cavalry is coming and you’re simply going to have to deal with it.”

  * * *

  The good news was the EMTs had agreed to transport Jonny to the hospital without sirens. This despite Eddie and Gladys offering to lead the way. Fortunately, Madeline had told them they’d done enough damage for one day. The two old ladies had retreated to their bowling holiday party, leaving Jonny to deal with the humiliation of being taken to the emergency room in front of half the town.

  “I’m fine,” he told Madeline for the fourth time since he’d come back from getting X-rays. He ignored the throbbing pain and the seeping blood that stained the towel he’d been given. “It’s a couple of cuts and a sprain. Nothing more.”

  She didn’t look convinced. “It looks awful.”

  His left hand was kind of beat up. There was a growing bruise, a couple of gashes that were going to need stitches and some swelling around his wrist. It also hurt like a sonofabitch, but he wasn’t going to mention that. She was already worried enough.

  “I shouldn’t have slipped,” she told him.

  She sat in the single visitor’s chair in the small treatment room. He was on the bed, although sitting up. He refused to lie down. That was too much like admitting defeat.

  “Did you plan to slip?” he asked.

  “N
o.”

  “Did you slip on purpose?”

  “Of course not.”

  “Then it’s not your fault. Blame the weather. Or the fact that I insisted on coming with you to the meeting.”

  “You’re not blaming Eddie and Gladys.”

  “They feel bad enough.”

  The two old ladies had already called twice to check on him.

  The doctor came in and pulled up a stool. “Gabriel Boylan,” he said. “You’re right-handed?”

  Jonny held up his injured left hand and nodded. “Lucky, huh?”

  “Better luck would have been not to get injured in the first place. Hey, Madeline.”

  Jonny looked between them.

  “Gabriel is married to my friend Noelle. His brother owns a couple of local radio stations.” She pressed her lips together as if concerned she’d been babbling. “Is he okay?”

  Gabriel looked at Jonny. “Do I have your permission to discuss your medical condition in front of her?”

  “Sure.”

  Gabriel typed on his tablet, then turned it so they could both see the X-rays. “No broken bones. You’re banged up and bruised. It’s gonna hurt over the next few days, but you’ll be fine. We’ll need to put in a couple of stitches to keep the cuts closed while they heal.”

  The doctor went on to give him instructions on how to care for his hand. They had a brief discussion on painkillers and how long Jonny should use ice.

  “I’ve done this sort of thing before,” he said without thinking, then wished he hadn’t. The last thing he wanted to do was talk about injuries on a movie shoot. His hand hurt more and more, and while he knew he was going to heal, he also understood it was going to get ugly before it started getting better.

  “Stopped cars with your bare hands?” Gabriel asked before turning to Madeline. “Did you get hit by the car?”

  “No. I was busy falling into the slush.”

  “Bump your head? Your hip? Your knee?”

  She held up both hands as if to show they were fine. “I’m wet from the snow. I had a soft landing and am dealing with nothing more earth-shattering than guilt.”

  Gabriel turned to Jonny. “Okay. I’ll be back to suture you up and then I’ll write up the prescriptions. Take it easy for the next day or two. No more playing hero.” He stood, then crossed to Madeline and patted her shoulder. “You stay out of trouble, too.”

  “I’ll do my best.”

  He left the room.

  Madeline turned to Jonny. “You were saving me. I just got that. You put yourself in danger so I wouldn’t be hit by a car.”

  Tears filled her eyes.

  He was a typical guy who didn’t like tears on any woman, but especially not when it came to the one he was seeing. Not that he didn’t appreciate she was worried about him, but tears? He was prepared to do nearly anything to stop the flow. Lucky for him, her cell phone rang again.

  “You should get that,” he told her.

  “It’s not going to make me forget what you did for me,” she promised, then pushed the talk button on her phone. “Hello?”

  He watched as she listened. Madeline frowned slightly, then shook her head. “I don’t have room. Four dogs? I know it’s only for a few days, but I’m working. I couldn’t leave them home alone at my place and I don’t think I could get back to walk them.” She listened for a second, then flushed. “No. I’m not going to ask him. You do realize we’re in the hospital emergency room, right? Yes, he was hit by a car.” Another pause. “Eddie and Gladys. No, he’s fine, it’s just...”

  She sighed. “There has to be someone who can take them. I’m happy to help, take a walking shift or something.”

  “What’s going on?” he asked.

  “Just a second,” she told the caller, then lowered the phone.

  “The Day of Giving is Saturday.”

  “Yet another Fool’s Gold festival?” he asked.

  “Yes. Local charities have vendor booths so they can explain about their programs. There’s also a pet adoption. It’s become really successful, so they bring in pets from shelters around the state. Several dogs are arriving and they need a place to stay until the event on Saturday.”

  Now her conversation made sense. “You’re right,” he told her. “No way you could handle four dogs at your place. It’s not big enough and you have to be at Paper Moon.”

  “I know. I feel bad, though.”

  “They can stay with me.”

  She stared at him. “Excuse me? You’re injured.”

  “I have a hurt hand, not a broken leg. I can deal with a couple of dogs.” He thought about the big open area around the ranch. Talk about dog heaven.

  “It’s four. How would you hold the leash to walk them? It’s too much.”

  “You could help.”

  He had a feeling that Madeline would be open to hanging out at his place regardless, but a little dog guilt wouldn’t hurt. And if she was fussing over him while loving on some puppies, all the better. Because being around Madeline was the best part of his day and he wasn’t above taking advantage of homeless dogs to encourage her to stay close.

  “It’s Christmas,” he added for good measure. “Don’t those poor dogs deserve a chance to be adopted?”

  She eyed him suspiciously, then sighed. “Fine. But when you don’t sleep because you’re overwhelmed by too much canine, don’t say I didn’t warn you.”

  “I won’t.”

  * * *

  Despite what he’d promised Madeline, Jonny fully expected to feel there were too many dogs in the house. He hadn’t had a pet since he’d been a kid and going from zero to four was going to be a lot. What he hadn’t realized was that in addition to the dogs, the town would show up at his place.

  After getting stitched up, he’d been ready to drive home. Madeline had insisted on taking him, but first they’d had to fill his prescriptions. By the time they got to his house, there were already three cars in the driveway. Two of them belonged to shelter volunteers, ready to drop off the dogs. The other one was owned by a woman he’d never met but who wanted to drop off cookies and a fruit salad.

  “While you’re recovering,” she said, handing the food to Madeline, before getting back in her car. “Good luck.”

  “Thanks, Maeve,” Madeline called.

  “Who was that?” Jonny asked.

  “Isabel’s sister.”

  “Isabel from Paper Moon? How did she know I was hurt?”

  Madeline’s expression turned pitying. “Everyone knows, Jonny. And this is just the beginning.”

  She was right. He’d barely been introduced to his temporary dogs when Eddie and Gladys arrived. Both women rushed into the house and insisted on checking on his wounds. Eddie hugged him tight. She was thin and felt so small and frail. While she was talking smack and checking out his butt, she was larger than life, but like this, she seemed tiny and old.

  “I’m sorry,” she told him, her mouth trembling as tears filled her eyes. “I didn’t mean to hurt you. I feel awful.” She sniffed, then swallowed. “We’re not going to show your butt on our show. It wouldn’t be right.”

  He’d caught their cable show a couple of times and knew the naked butt contest was their favorite segment. He took one of Eddie’s hands in his good one and shook his head.

  “You are so showing my butt and I am going to win the contest. Do you hear me?”

  “You’re not mad?” Gladys asked.

  “No. I’m not.” What had happened had been an accident. He was more relieved that Madeline was okay than worried about himself.

  “We’re going to take the dogs for a walk,” Eddie said. “It’s the least we can do. I have experience. I have a little dog. Marilyn. After Marilyn Monroe. She’s a Chiweenie.”

  “A what?”

  “Dachshund and Chihuahua mix. She’s very sweet. It’s nice to have a companion. All right, let’s get your dogs together.”

  Jonny wasn’t sure about two septuagenarians walking four dogs, but before he could
voice his concerns, three teenagers arrived. They explained they were there to help out and joined Eddie and Gladys in collecting the dogs and herding them outside.

  Jonny looked around his family room. There were large dog beds and bags of dog food. He could see into the kitchen where Madeline was sorting through all the people food that had been dropped off. In addition to the traditional casseroles, there were plates of cookies, pies and cakes along with a couple of six packs of beer.

  “Exhausted?” she asked cheerfully.

  “Kind of.”

  She’d insisted he take a painkiller, so he wasn’t hurting that much, but the stress of what he’d been through was catching up with him. He patted the sofa beside him. She left the kitchen and joined him.

  “How are you?” he asked. “Still no aftereffects?”

  “Not a single one. I told you, I didn’t get hurt.” She studied him. “You’re really okay?”

  “I swear.” Especially with her close. He leaned in and kissed her.

  The front door opened and Eddie and Gladys walked in. They had one of the dogs with them.

  “She’s done,” Eddie announced. “The other dogs wanted to run, but this one did her business and was ready to come home.”

  Madeline got up and took the leash from the other women, then read the tag on the collar. “Her name is Raven.”

  Jonny looked at the black lab. She was thin with a bit of white on her muzzle and kind brown eyes. As she glanced around, she seemed both sad and tentative, as if not sure what would happen next.

  He had paperwork on all four dogs. He opened the folder with his good hand.

  “Raven is nearly eight. Her family couldn’t keep her when they moved into an apartment and she’s been in foster care for nearly six months.”

  Madeline’s mouth twisted. “That’s awful.” She stroked Raven. “It’s okay, little girl. We’ll find you a forever home. That’s what Saturday’s about.”

  Raven’s gaze was steady, but her tail didn’t wag. After a couple of minutes, she walked over to one of the dog beds and laid down.

  Eddie and Gladys promised to come by the next day to help with the dogs. Madeline walked them out to their car. By the time they’d left, the teenagers were back with the other dogs. The kids helped get dinner ready for the dogs. Jonny noticed that Raven hung back. When she didn’t attack her bowl, one of the other dogs started toward it.