by Clare Revell
“I’m fine. Just want to go home. I’m sorry; You guys stopped your honeymoon to come see me and I’m lying here moaning about some guy who...” She broke off and glared at their grinning faces. “What?”
“Nothing.”
“Don’t give me ‘nothing’, Stace. What?”
“You like him.”
Holly scoffed. “Hah.”
“And he likes you.”
Holly scoffed louder. “And you know this how? Woman’s intuition?”
Stacey laughed. “Something like that. Like I told you, you both have things in common, besides him being a Christian.” She stood up and hugged her. “Get some rest and we’ll see you in two weeks. Merry Christmas, hon.”
“Merry Christmas to you two, too.” Holly hugged them back and watched them leave. I like him, do I? What she wanted to know was how did Stacey know something she didn’t? And what could she possibly have in common with Kyle?
Season for Miracles
5
Holly sat on the bed and stared out the window. At least twenty-four hours the doctor had said. It was just nine a.m. and she was bored out of her mind already. She had read the magazines three times, including the adverts. She had even picked up the Gideon New Testament she found in the drawer and flicked through it. She hadn’t found a section on ‘what to do it you’re assaulted and left for dead’, but then she hadn’t expected to as she hadn’t found it five months ago. She sighed.
“Hey.”
The voice made her look up in surprise. Kyle was the last person she expected to see. “Hello. What are you doing here? Visiting isn’t until this afternoon. Not that I was expecting you to visit...” She broke off. That just sounded wrong.
Kyle smiled. “I was passing here on my way to work and bribed the nurses.”
“Bribed them?” She was intrigued.
“A little bribery and corruption never hurt anyone.”
“Uh-huh. Doesn’t that break some law or other?”
“Well, I won’t tell if you don’t. I thought you might like something to read.” He held out two paper bags. “I also brought grapes.”
Holly took both bags. “Grapes?”
“Yeah, both red and green grapes as I didn’t know which ones you preferred. I figured you’d need something between meals. Hospital food doesn’t have a good reputation.”
She smiled a little. “Thank you. Please, sit down.”
Kyle sat. “How are you doing?”
“Bored,” she admitted. “And more than a bit miffed at being stuck in bed and missing the snow.”
“It'll be there tomorrow,” came the wry reply. “And the book should help relieve the boredom somewhat. I wasn’t sure what you liked, so I stood there looking at the new releases and picked up the latest Tels Merrick one.”
Holly smiled. “Thank you. I love her stuff.”
“Really? Me too.”
“Stacey said we had stuff in common. This must be what she meant.”
“Did she now? What else did she say about me?”
She took the book out of the bag and read the back of it. “That was it. Apart from the fact you love your car.”
Kyle nodded. “Definitely. So, are you still planning on suing me?”
Holly tilted her head and looked at him. “That depends.”
“On what?”
“On whether the dog apologizes for putting me in here, or not.”
His deep laugh set butterflies rippling through her. “Does it have to be a written apology or will a couple of barks on tape do?”
She smiled. “Something like that.”
Footsteps clicked across the ward. Holly shuddered as Dr. Woon approached, his white coat flapping. This bloke gave her the creeps. She thought he’d handed her out of his care into that of Dr. Bentley. He stopped by the bed and Kyle stood. He took Holly’s hand and looked into her eyes, holding her gaze for a moment. “I’ll make a move. Enjoy the book.”
“I will. Thank you.” For an instant she thought he was going to kiss her hand, but he just squeezed it. She rubbed her hand thoughtfully, her skin glowing with the after effects of his touch. She watched him go and turned to look at the doctor, her breath catching and her skin crawling for a different reason. Don’t be silly. He told you he treated you in the ED six months ago for your hand. That’s all.
Dr. Woon smiled at her. “Nice of your boyfriend to drop by so early.”
“Oh, he’s not my boyfriend. Just some guy I met in church.”
“I see. How are you doing?” He picked up her chart, flicked through it, and made a small note on it, holding the pen in his left hand.
“Anxious to go home.”
“I bet.” He put the chart down. “Well I’m glad you’re better. Bye.”
Holly watched him leave. What was that about? Oh well, she had other, more important things to do. Like read the book Kyle bought. She picked it up and ran her hands over the cover. Why had he done it? She opened it, a smile crossing her face at the note tucked inside the front cover. Holly, I really am sorry, Orion.
She glanced over at the window. Had he known, or did he just guess?
****
Kyle made his way back to his car, texting Phil. He promised to let Phil and Stacey know how Holly was doing. Her comment to the doctor echoed in his mind. She hadn’t intended him to hear, but her voice had carried in the quiet ward. Some guy she met in church, huh?
It could have been worse. She could have called him the maniac who couldn’t control his dog in public, or, the guy who insulted her because of what she did for a living. He got into his car and started the engine. He rubbed his hands together to warm them then whacked the heating up full blast. He’d ring the hospital later and find out when they were discharging her. The least he could do was drive her home.
He had a quiet day planned, unlike tomorrow when he only had one free appointment. All his clients wanted to look their best for Christmas and parties. Strange, he’d never really given it much thought before now. He wondered how many of them gave the true meaning of Christmas a second thought or went to church Christmas morning. Holly’s image popped into his mind, sitting in church the previous day, her Bible on her lap. Would she be alone for Christmas or with her family?
He pulled up short. Where’d that come from? Why did the thought of her trouble him so? He could feel his pulse rate increase every time he was near or thought of her. He wanted to protect her, help her, but why? Was it just her link to Jayne? Or was it something else? Lord, what do I do? Show me Your will here.
****
That afternoon, the nurse came over to Holly’s bed. “The doctor says you can go home. Do you want us to call your boyfriend to come and collect you?”
Holly glanced up from her book. “I don’t have a boyfriend.”
The nurse raised an eyebrow. “What about Mr. Stevens?”
“What about him?” Holly shoved Orion’s note between the pages to mark her place, and then put down the book, closing it as she did so.
“He’s rung several times today. He came in this morning and begged to be allowed a few minutes with you.”
“He’s just a friend.” Holly paused. Was he a friend? Or merely an acquaintance?
The nurse nodded. “I’ll give him a ring, shall I?”
“Don’t bother him. I’ll get the bus.”
“I can’t do let you do that.”
“OK, then. I’ll call a cab.”
“No can do, I’m afraid. You have to be discharged into the care of someone.”
Holly sighed. “Oh.” Other than Stacey or her parents, who were away, there wasn’t anyone. She stared out the window. She didn’t want to bother Kyle and she also didn’t want to send him the wrong message. He was involved with this Jayne, whoever she was, and she wouldn’t want anyone hanging around her man.
After another minute she gave the nurse the only other number she could think of. Pastor Jack. The one man she could guarantee wouldn’t try to hug her or ask awkward questions. He
didn’t do hugs. Some weird Pastor thing about not getting too close to female parishioners for fear it gave the wrong impression. She sat there as the nurse left, guilt flooding her. This was one of his busiest weeks and here she was dragging him away from his sermon preparation.
When he arrived, Pastor Jack was adamant that driving her home was fine, and she wasn’t disturbing him. The only thing that mattered was that she was all right. Pastor Jack knew about him. He’d visited her in the hospital afterwards. He didn’t know all the details, but enough to insist she went for the counselling doctors suggested. He dropped her off at home and offered to come in, concerned she’d be alone. Holly refused. She thanked him and headed up the path, locking the door once she got inside.
Running up the stairs, she ran a deep hot bath. She lay there, trying to assimilate what Stacey had said the night before. Did she like Kyle? He had an affect on her, and there was something about him that calmed her fear of men.
It didn’t matter if she did; there was no way he’d like her, even if he was available. And he wasn’t. Besides they had nothing in common except a love of the same author. At least nothing that came to mind.
She sighed as she remembered how it felt to be in his arms as they danced. His touch had burned, her skin tingled, and for an instant, she could feel his hands. She shook her head, rubbing the soap over her arms. He wasn’t hers. She was single and would stay single. Men weren’t to be trusted, even ones like Kyle who seemed to exude and encourage trust. Besides, he had this Jayne somewhere. Holly shouldn’t even be thinking of him in that way. Coveting your neighbour’s bloke was just as wrong as coveting her house, dishwasher or brand new car...
The doorbell rang, rousing her from the still warm water. Holly rose and wrapped a towelling robe around herself before heading downstairs to answer it.
Kyle stood there. Instead of the suit he’d worn to church and the hospital, he had on faded blue jeans and a leather jacket which clung to his chest and fastened around his waist, making him look slimmer. He held a poinsettia.
At that moment he had to be the most gorgeous male specimen she had ever seen. Without a doubt the blow to her head had affected her brain. Heat flooded her face. What was she thinking? Here she was, standing on the doorstep, clad only in a towelling robe, ogling a man—something she had never done in her life—who belonged to someone else. What was it about him that reduced her to a quivering wreck? It was as if she were no longer in control of her body. Some strange woman had leapt in and taken over. She tugged her robe tighter.
Kyle’s smile faded as she hesitated.
“Oh, I’m sorry, I disturbed you. I’ll go.” He glanced at the pot and thrust the plant towards her. “I got you this.”
As she took the poinsettia, her fingers brushed against his. Electricity flowed between them. She could feel the blue sparks and her eyes widened. “Please, don’t go. Come in.” She looked around. “You didn’t bring the dog, did you?”
“No, he’s at home.”
Holly nodded. “You’d better come in. Don’t want the neighbours to talk.”
He winked at her. “No. It’s not like I’m your boyfriend, is it? I’m just some guy you met in church.”
“Oh, you heard that.”
Kyle nodded. “Yes, and I am stealing your lines now. After the sermon the other week on not coveting, I figured we’d skip the coveting bit and go straight to stealing.”
Holly smiled slightly. She opened the door wider and stood to one side, rubbing her arms as a blast of cold air swept in. She berated herself for being stupid and asking him in. “How did you find me?”
“Phil told me where you lived after I sent him about fifty texts.”
Holly shut the door and stood there cradling the poinsettia as he took off his coat. The cold wind had given his face a healthy red glow. “They’re on their honeymoon, Kyle. Why disturb them?”
“I know that, but the hospital wouldn’t give me your address. I would have driven you home, but you’d already left. I had to make sure you were all right.” His gaze ran over her figure and she pulled the robe tighter. His gaze returned to her face. “But I can see you are.”
Does he have to ogle me like that? By rights she should throw him out, but her parents raised her better. “Come through to the kitchen. I’ll get dressed and make you a drink.”
Kyle followed her into the kitchen. She felt his gaze on her back. Her hands shook and she tried to tell herself she was cold. She ought to go and put some clothes on. Setting the flowers on the side, she shot him a smile. “Be right back.”
He nodded. “OK.”
Holly ran upstairs. Her insides churned, and for a moment she felt like a twelve year old with a crush. She rubbed her fingers where he’d touched them, her heartrate soaring. How could he affect her like this? He was a man and men were to be feared above all else, not fawned over. Especially not the attached ones.
She quickly dried and dressed, pulling on the first things that came to hand, her faded jeans and thick polo neck sweater. Tugging it down, she headed back to the kitchen. By the smell of things, Kyle had already made himself at home.
He smiled as Holly came into the room. “I hope you don’t mind, but I made hot chocolate.”
“I love hot chocolate. Especially when it snows.”
“Guess that means you don’t drink it very often then.” He pressed a cup into her hands. The steam curled upwards, infusing the air with its wonderful aroma.
“Thank you.”
He inclined his head towards the hatch. “Your tree looks amazing.”
“You should see it with the lights on. It’s much better.” Holly led the way into the other room and flicked on the lights. She smiled at his gasp, answering his unasked question. “Three hundred and fifty lights give or take. You can never have too many lights on a tree.”
“I didn’t bother with a tree this year as it’s only me.” He glanced around the whole room. “You don’t feel the same looking at the amount of decorations in here. But then I guess a female mechanic has to be surrounded by pretty things.”
Holly rolled her eyes. “You had to go ruin it, didn’t you?”
Kyle raised an eyebrow. “Ruin what?”
“Every time I decide you can’t be all bad, you open your mouth, and come out with another sexist comment. What is the problem you have with female mechanics?”
His eyes widened and he moved over to the tree. His fingers reached out, touching the ornaments. He studied them hard for a moment, and Holly wondered if she had offended him again.
After another moment, Kyle looked over at her. “I don’t have a problem with...OK, maybe a small one.”
“What is it, if you don’t mind me asking?”
“Other than it’s the most unwomanly occupation there is?”
“Perhaps you’d rather I run off and join the army and spend all day running around brandishing a machine gun?”
A faint smile crossed his lips. “No, it’s fine. Like you said, I’m a chauvinist pig who doesn’t know any better.” He pursed his lips and glanced back at her.
“I didn’t say that.”
“That doesn’t mean it’s not true.” He sipped his cocoa.
“Is it?”
“You could just blame the way I was raised.”
Holly snorted. “My brother has a T-shirt that says I blame my parents. Thing is, you sit there making all these comments about women working in a man’s world, and you’re a hairdresser. That’s a girl’s job.”
“Now who’s being sexist?”
Holly grinned and tried looking innocent. “Not me.”
“No, of course not.” He laughed. “It’s a bit like being a chef. All the best ones are men.”
She rolled her eyes. “You just can’t help yourself, can you?”
“Nope; my sister says it’s my only endearing quality.”
The only one? She could come up with several without even thinking about it. Below the humour and flippancy, he exuded a charm that few
men possessed. One of the few genuine good guys she’d come across. And like them, he was unavailable, even if she was interested. Holly sipped the cocoa and sat on the sofa watching the tree lights twinkle over the rim of her cup. “Your only endearing quality? Don’t you get on with her?”
Kyle sat as well. “Not when we were kids. It’s a little easier now, but then she lives in Scotland. I guess absence makes the heart grow fonder.” He took a deep breath. “OK, as we’re being honest here. A female mechanic serviced my grandmother’s car seven years ago. The mechanic had taken her kid to work with her, became sidetracked by said child, and didn’t replace the brake fluid after she drained it. The car crashed.”
“Oh no, I’m sorry! Was your grandmother OK?”
“She spent a while in hospital, but yeah, she’s OK. I’ve only ever used male mechanics since.”
“But it’s not as if male mechanics can’t make mistakes, too. Actually statistics show they make more mistakes than female ones.” Of course, that was because there were more male than female mechanics, but she wouldn’t rub it in.
“I know. And I know I just have to work past it. It’s just...”
Holly looked at him. “We’re not all like that, you know? OK, she had a bad day, but one bad day doesn’t a bad mechanic make.”
“Maybe, but a bad day is not an excuse. Not when a mistake like that can kill someone.” He took a long drink of the cocoa. “But like I said, I’m going to work on it.”
She took a deep breath, running her finger around the rim of her cup. “So can we move on past your dislike of female mechanics, please?”
“Sure. If you can put aside your problem with hairdressers, then I don’t see why not.”
A faint smile touched her lips. “The only problem I have with hairdressers is the amount of hairspray this one uses. If I hadn’t said anything, it’d be different, but I told her several times, no hairspray as I’m allergic to it. You have any idea how raw my scalp was Saturday night?”
“I can guess. Maybe try a different one.”
“Hairspray?”
He chuckled. “Hairdresser.”