by Dahlia Rose
Mrs. Humphreys grabbed another bar towel and dabbed at her eyes. “We’re going to have a young one in the Buchanan line. A young honorable son or daughter.”
“What does she mean?” Mari asked confused.
“Since you are Lord and Lady Buchanan, your child would be the honorable whatever you decide to name him or her,” Nina explained. “Abigail’s title is Lady since Zeva and Jasper are the Duke and Duchess, any sons would be Master on either side.”
“How do you know all that?” Mac asked.
“Barbados was once part of the British crown until our former prime minister, Errol Barrow, gained us independence in 1966,” Nina answered. “Even so, we still have a Governor General who liaisons with the U.K., so your heritage is technically a part of our own.”
“I’m going to be someone’s dad,” Haile said huskily and caressed Mari’s cheek.
“Happy?” Mari smiled up at him.
“Ecstatically so.” Haile kissed her gently before he turned to the patrons of the Celtic Cross Pub. “Drinks on the house, we’re celebrating!”
“Oh huzzah, huzzah!” Mr. Moore cheered loudly. “Blessing to the new baby and all that.”
Mrs. Humphreys pointed at the old man. “You get one more pint of Guinness and then you’re cut off.”
“You’re not my wife,” he complained.
“Shall I call her then and have your grand come pick you up now?” Mrs. Humphreys threatened.
“No ma’am,” he mumbled.
Nina was laughing both at the interaction between the two older people in the bar and the fact that she loved the entire ambiance of the pub. Northumberland felt like home even though she missed the beaches of her island home sometimes. She loved the cool weather, sweaters, and the quaint shops especially now that the windows were decorated for Christmas. There was no one here trying to set her up with a man who wasn’t right or calling her prideful for not wanting to settle. Sue me, I have a type, she thought irritably and pushed that away quickly. She wasn’t going to let bad thoughts ruin her mood or her holiday. Drinks were poured and congratulations passed around, in between conversations with people she was slowly getting to know in the town.
Her eyes kept going back to Mac. Although he interacted with everyone, there was a distance about him. It was undeniable that he intrigued her, that there was a primal aspect to Mac that thrilled and scared her. What would happen if . . . Nina let that thought drop away as she bid everyone good night. She had an early shift the next day and needed her sleep. But as she climbed the stairs to her apartment, she felt Mac’s gaze on her. Nina didn’t look back even though her heart sped up in her chest. What was it about him that drew her in? She was notoriously excellent at choosing men that weren’t good for her. That should have been warning enough.
* * * *
The hospital was short-staffed, and that meant she worked more than one double shift over the next few days. She missed a German Christmas festival and a play because of the hectic schedule. It was mildly irritating not being able to enjoy decorations and the town festivities, but Nina tried to bring some of the joy to the patients on her floor. She’d hung little trinkets here and there to make them smile as they went from rooms to be tested, and when she could, she put stencils of snowflakes and bells on windows or on walls.
There was a tiny tree at the nurses' desk, and everyone (including the doctors) liked her spirit—except the head nurse who was called Chief Nurse or Matron according to English standards. The way she acted, you would think she'd given birth to the Grinch, but she was like that every day to one nurse or sometimes even the doctors. She was known to be cold to patients as well. Their interaction that day played through Nina’s mind as she walked home in the brisk, cold wind.
“Nurse Crane, a word, please.”
She heard the request come from the stiff lips of the Matron, Mrs. Potter, and she met the gaze of two of her friends on the ward. She turned with a friendly smile on her lips as Nurse Potter walked up to her.
“Yes, Nurse Potter?” Nina said politely.
“I’ll thank you not to add any more of this nonsense to the ward, for this is a place of healing not some pub,” Nurse Potter said.
Nina knew it was a jab at where she now lived. Her first accommodations had been one of Nurse Potter’s rentals, and she was not pleased when Nina left and she concurrently lost that money.
“The patients like it, and it’s that time of the season; no one wants to be in hospital around Christmas,” Nina pointed out.
“This ward is my charge, and I make the decisions here,” Nurse Potter snapped. “You may have fancy friends, but it won’t save your position if you undermine my authority.”
“I’m to understand that unless I commit an infraction other than decorations, it’s the only time my job would be in question and not by you but by administration,” Nina smiled stiffly. “Seeing that you are the one no one wants to work with and has gone past her . . . prime. Early retirement may be an option if another complaint goes upstairs against you. And my friends have nothing to do with that.”
Nurse Potter’s pinched face turned red. “Why, you little chippy . . . how dare you talk to me . . . ”
“Problem?”
One of the doctors came up and eyed the two of them. Anyone could sense the tense situation, and other nurses looked on while pretending to work. He was one of the older doctors on staff at the hospital, and Nina knew him to be excellent at his job, not only caring for his patients' physical health but mental as well. There was more than once she’d seen him with families or comforting loved ones. Doctor Kievla was kind and a wonderful physician.
“Not at all, Doctor,” Nina answered sweetly and never took her eyes off Nurse Potter. “Matron was just telling me my decorations were a distraction to the patients and threatening my employment if I didn’t cease and desist.”
“A welcome distraction,” the older man said and frowned at Nurse Potter. “Nancy, you were warned about being heavy- handed with the nursing staff.”
“She is disrespectful and does not follow authority, one must wonder why she was sent from Barbados to here,” Nurse Potter defended herself.
“She was chosen for the program because she has the best qualifications and scores,” Doctor Kievla explained. “She chose us; she could’ve stayed in London at Queen Elizabeth Hospital, but she came here.”
“I am not disrespectful,” Nina argued hotly. “I’m offended at the accusation, ask any doctor or nurse here. I have never been written up, and I offer respect when it is given.”
“I want her off my ward,” Nurse Potter said angrily. “I have been a long-standing nurse here at Queen Charlotte, and she has been here for a year.”
Doctor Kievla shook his head. “That will not be happening. Nurse Crane is an invaluable asset to the hospital.”
“Are you sleeping with her, is that why you’re taking her side?” Nurse Potter demanded.
A series of gasps went through the nurses, and Nina wished she could slap the older woman silly.
“How dare you say that, what’s wrong with you?” Nina cried out. “He’s happily married, and his wife works upstairs. He has children and grandchildren!”
“Nurse Crane, please get back to work and you may continue to add your decorations to the ward.” Doctor Kievla’s eyes were cold. “I think, Nancy, you and I will be seeing HR later, and this will be solved another way. Please sign out for the evening and meet me upstairs.”
With those words he walked down the hall and stepped into a patient’s room. Nurse Potter shot daggers at Nina with her eyes before turning on her heels and walking down the hall to where the nurses' lounge was located. The stiff, dark-blue material of her matron uniform barely moved as she walked.
“We’ll have to write up statements.”
“She was just bitchy, and it finally caught up to her.”
“Imagine her accusing Dr. Kievla of that, she is done for sure.”
Everyone seemed to be talking at
once, and of course no one believed Nurse Potter’s accusation. But still it was out there, and it left a bitter taste in Nina’s mouth. She went about the rest of her shift with her usual efficiency, but all the while she couldn’t wait to clock out. She hated drama of any sort in or out of the workplace, so when it was her time to leave, she did so in a rush. The cold air seemed to cleanse the events from her body while she walked home. Nina was so stuck in her thoughts that she barreled right into a wide chest and strong arms went around her.
She looked up to see Mac’s face. “Oh, sorry! I was not watching where I was going!”
“It’s already dark—what are you doing walking alone?” Mac asked without even a hello.
“I just got off shift.” She heard the breathlessness of her own voice.
“Take a car service next time,” Mac’s accent seemed thicker than she remembered when they first talked at the hospital. Being at home seemed to bring it out more. “You shouldn’t be walking alone.”
“It’s just half a street to the shops and the lights, they’re open later, and people are out more for shopping,” Nina moved away. “You are walking alone.”
“Everyone knows better than to fuck with me,” Mac said bluntly. “A lot can happen within a short period of time. I’ll walk you back.”
“You don’t have to, you were walking in the opposite direction, don’t let me keep you,” Nina said hurriedly.
“I was just walking,” he said and turned without another word.
There seemed to be no other choice, so Nina fell into step beside him, holding her thick coat around her uniform. It was a long coat, but still she could feel the cold breeze leech through the thick stockings she wore.
“You’re a staff nurse,” Mac said, breaking the silence.
“Yes, working towards being a senior nurse,” she answered. “I hope to be a matron or get into research after my three years are up.”
“Good goals,” he said. “You looked upset; did something happen at the hospital?”
“Beastly matron issues,” Nina said and went on to tell him the story.
“What an old bitch.”
Nina laughed. “I see you’re the type to say exactly what you’re thinking.”
He shrugged his big shoulders. “I don’t see a point to being otherwise.”
“What do you do in the United States?” Nina asked conversationally.
“I run a security firm for people who are rich enough to pay people to watch their asses.”
She pulled her coat tighter. “Sounds dangerous. I guess you’re always looking for potential threats. Is that why you were walking tonight?”
“No, I needed to clear my head,” he admitted. “It’s been a hell of a last few days.”
“I can only imagine,” Nina said sympathetically. “How was your mother’s service?”
He sighed. “Quick, she has one of the mausoleum slots at the church now.
Nina prodded further. “Is your brother okay? He was having a hard time at the hospital.”
“I’ll get him where he needs to be,” Mac answered. “I’m sorry he scared you.”
She patted his arm. “I was just startled; I have dealt with upset family before.”
“He was high more than anything else,” Mac muttered.
Nina offered. “If you ever need help with that, there are resources I can help facilitate for him.”
“I may take you up on that,” Mac had stopped walking and she noted they were in the middle of town now, where the string Christmas lights were hung from the buildings to the tall fountain statue in the center of the roundabout. “Do you need me to walk to the Celtic Cross?”
Nina shook her head. “No thanks, I’m going to do a bit of shopping and grab a bite of dinner. I have a book in my bag I’m going to read while I eat.”
“Sounds relaxing,” he said.
Nina hesitated before asking. “Do . . . do you want to join me?”
Mac gave her a small smile. “I wouldn’t be the best company right now but enjoy your night.”
“Thank you.”
“Hey, Mac!” Nina called to him as he walked away, and he turned without a word. Nina sent him a big smile. “Next time I won’t take no for an answer.”
He nodded. “Good to know, Bajan girl.”
She laughed. “You’re the first one who actually knows we are called Bajan as well as Barbadians on my island.”
“I make it my mission to know a little bit of everything,” Mac said, and this time he gave her a wink before walking away.
“If there was ever a man who needed some Christmas cheer it was him,” Nina said to herself a little later as she looked into the decorated window of the toy shop.
That wink was the first sign of lightness she had seen from him without his friends present. Maybe she would invite him to dinner again or out for drinks. For now, Nina decided to play it by ear. If they crossed paths again, she would take it as a sign. Being a Bajan girl, she trusted her instincts and they seemed to be sending her directly toward Mackenzie Black.
Chapter Four
Mac couldn’t help but be infatuated with Nurse Nina Crane. Those damn curves under that nurse’s uniform were begging for his hands to be on them—particularly her hips. Of course, he had to think about the underlying factors: my brother for one and this damn town for another. He had no intention of staying even though he longed to. Mac could already feel the stares and hear the whispers. They thought he'd returned to take back a seat at the table, to run numbers and take protection money from people who couldn’t afford to say no.
He wanted no part of that; it was his past, a way to take care of his mother and brother after Peter Black ran off with the barmaid from a town over. It didn’t matter that he had joined the Royal Army, served alongside Haile, and saw just as much shit as he did. They didn’t care that he'd left and made his own way in the United States. The theory was that he ran away because he was about to be arrested and took his bad ways international. He shouldn’t care what anyone else thought because those closest to him knew the truth, but it burned him more than anyone realized. He brooded over a pint at the Celtic Cross long after the pub had closed.
Haile had long since gone home with Marisol, who needed to leave early because Mrs. Humphreys' liver and onions made her feel nauseated. Also, everyone had some kind of opinions or home remedy for a healthy pregnancy, and it was working both the Buchanans' nerves. Mac promised to lock up after everyone was gone, including the night's money going into the safe. His friend was going to be a father, go figure. They had all changed throughout the years—and all for the better.
“Hey, what are you doing here?” Nina's voice was soft from the stairs, and it startled him.
“Hi . . . um, locking up for Haile. They left a while ago,” Mac answered.
“Looks like Guinness not keys,” she teased.
He smiled. “Being a bar manager affords me some perks. I didn’t see you come in.”
“I worked a sixteen-hour shift from yesterday, so when I came home, they weren’t open yet,” she explained. “I just crashed, and Marisol texted me to say Mrs. H. had left me some stew in the kitchen. I just woke up, and I’m starving. I did the ward and a shift in the emergency room. Delivered six babies, saw two people pass, and a multitude of other things that could be avoided if people would use their heads.”
“I can get it for you, I know where she keeps the warmer,” Mac said hurriedly and jumped up. “You have to be exhausted, sit down right there, I’ll be back.”
He was gone before she could say a word, but he did see her warm smile. Fuck, he had to keep his cool. What was it about her that elicited all the dirty thoughts he'd had from fourteen years old onward? By the time he came back with her bowl of thick stew, Nina was sitting at the bar. Mrs. H's stew was the best in Northumberland, with Guinness as part of the base and of course there was her amazing sourdough bread, thickly sliced to go with the meal. When Mac sat the plate in front of her, he went around to the back o
f the bar and got her a Coke to go with her dinner.
“Thank you,” Nina took up the spoon and began to eat. She looked at him standing uncomfortably behind the bar and patted the stool beside her. “Come finish your drink.”
Mac took the seat, acutely aware she was in pajamas and a soft bathrobe that rubbed gently against his skin. Her long hair was in two braids, and she had two different-colored scrunchy bands holding them together. Nina looked innocent, a breath of fresh air, and he couldn’t help wondering if she tasted as good as she looked.
“Mac?” Her voice infiltrated his thoughts. “I asked if you liked hot cross buns.”
“Sure, they are amazing. I haven’t had one in forever, though,” Mac said.
“If you’d listened . . . ” she teased. “I was saying there is a baking competition for them tomorrow, and for once I’m not working all weekend.”
Mac looked at her questioningly, wondering where this was going. “That’s good. You get to relax, so I guess you’ll be going then.”
Nina blew out a breath. “Men can be so obtuse. . . .”
“Isn’t that a shape?”
She held up her hand. “Hush it and listen. Do you want to go and eat hot cross buns with me? Imagine the taste, warm from the oven with fresh churned butter or maybe some cheese.”
“You make that sound almost decadent,” Mac murmured.
She smiled wistfully. “It is, and I admit right up-front, I like food. These curves get their exercise because of it.”
He winked. “They look great to me.”
She leaned her head against her hand. “Well, look at you, being a flirt. I thought that scowl was a permanent fixture on your face.”
“I have been known to smile for the right reasons,” he told her. “Right now is one of them.”
“Consider me flattered that I caused that small rarity,” Nina finished her dinner with a sigh. “I have a slice of cake upstairs that will soothe my sweet tooth while I watch some TV.”
“Not going back to bed?” He could think of a pleasurable way to pass the time but kept it to himself.