“Ruby, let me help you out,” Mick said.
“This conversation feels eerily familiar,” Ruby said.
“What are you talking about?”
“Should I count the ways you’ve helped me in the last couple of weeks? Let’s see—you rescued me in a snowstorm, fixed my garbage disposal—”
“Oh, no—you did that. I just read the instructions,” Mick corrected her. “And brought over the tools.”
Ruby folded her arms across her chest and continued. “Loaned me your car for almost a week—”
“Which got me out of running errands for Mom for a whole week,” Mick interjected.
Leona bit her lip to keep from laughing.
“Have been teaching my six-year-old son how to read and create basic schematics—”
“Yeah, I’m pretty sure one of these days you won’t be thanking me for that.”
“Mick!” Ruby raised her voice and then chuckled at the way Mick startled. “You have a life. You don’t need to spend your free time bailing me out.”
“Unless I missed something, you and Logan are part of my life,” Mick said seriously.
Ruby felt as if the wind had been knocked out of her.
“I told you when we met; Mom loves you.”
Leona smiled.
“And that makes you part of my life, not that I wouldn’t want to be your friend—I’m just saying that you—”
“Mick,” Ruby’s voice softened as her chest constricted. “I don’t want to take advantage of you or Leona.”
Leona finally spoke. “That would be impossible. You know that Logan is welcome to stay here any time,” she said. “You don’t need to miss your shift.”
“It’s not your responsibility to—” Ruby mounted another protest.
“It’s not about responsibility,” Mick said. “It’s about friendship. I’m not good at a lot of things. I can be a good friend.”
Ruby detected a touch of insecurity and pain in Mick’s statement. Not good at a lot of things? It seemed to Ruby that Mick was adept at almost everything. By all accounts, Mick Mulligan was a talented surgeon and sought after doctor. She was friendly, smart, could handle a screwdriver as well as she could a scalpel, and she was genuinely caring. All of that was obvious to Ruby. Mick had just met Ruby and Logan. She had bent over backward to help the pair. Of course, Mick was a good friend. Mick was a good person. What Ruby had failed to notice until now was that Mick did not see herself that way.
Ruby took a deep breath. “Are you sure?” she asked Mick.
“Sure, I’m sure. I’ll come to your house. That way he can’t beg me to go into the basement again.”
“I wouldn’t count on that,” Ruby replied.
Mick shrugged. Probably true. Sickness never stopped Mick from wanting to do something. She’d coughed her way through the ski slopes more than once. It wasn’t her most admirable quality, and Mick knew that. She had a difficult time slowing down much less stopping altogether. There were times that mentality served Mick well. College exams, residency, long shifts at the hospital, tricky surgeries—all of those moments benefited from Mick’s determination and ability to push through exhaustion. Other things in life often suffered from her affliction—relationships most of all. There was a time to stop. Mick had never mastered that lesson.
“Well, I promise, I will keep him quiet somehow,” Mick said. “Trust me.”
Ruby’s heart lurched. “I do trust you.”
Mick nodded. “I’ll go say hello to the patient before I head upstairs. I’ll see you a little later.”
Ruby watched Mick leave the room and shook her head.
“She likes you,” Leona commented.
Ruby looked at the older woman.
“I feel like I’ve made her think—”
“You haven’t made Mick think anything,” Leona said assuredly. She sighed. “Mick is great at taking care of other people, Ruby. She’s not so good at caring for herself sometimes, and she’s even worse at letting someone else care for her—even me.”
Ruby nodded. Her partner had been the same way. “I don’t want to take advantage of either of you.”
Leona stepped closer and took Ruby into her embrace. “Now, that would be impossible.”
“Don’t be so sure,” Ruby said.
“I am sure,” Leona replied. “That’s not who you are, Ruby—not even a little bit.”
***
Mick appeared on Ruby’s doorstep at noon.
“What are you doing here?” Ruby asked when she opened the door.
“Hello to you too.”
Ruby chuckled. “Come in.” She closed the door. “Why aren’t you sleeping?” she asked Mick.
“I’m off for two days. You aren’t.”
“Mick—”
“What? I realize we haven’t been friends long. I know you well enough to know that you won’t nap even if Logan does. What did the doctor say?”
“It’s not strep, but he does have a nasty ear infection. I just hope he feels better before Christmas.”
“He’ll feel better in a day or so once the antibiotics get to work.”
Ruby nodded. “Mick, you worked eighteen hours straight. You need to rest.”
“I will. I’ll crash on your couch with Logan.”
“How do you know he’s on the couch?”
“Call it a guess.”
Ruby raised an eyebrow.
“It’s the Mom Society thing. You’re going to put him where you can watch him,” Mick observed. “I know.”
“Is that so?”
“Yeah, it is. Mom tried to put me in my bed when I would be home from school. I always escaped.”
Ruby sniggered. That did not surprise her.
“And, Logan is kind of like me. He doesn’t like to sit still.”
“You noticed that, huh?”
Mick grinned.
“Mick—”
“Hey, I promised him that I would watch some dragon movie he likes.”
Ruby grinned. Logan loved dragons—all things dragons. He loved to prattle on about riding dragons and taming dragons. Dragons had been his passion until he met Mick. Now, cars seem to be an equally acceptable mode of transportation. “How to Train Your Dragon,” Ruby clarified.
“Right, because they need to be trained. He mentioned that.”
Ruby’s eyes sparkled with affection as she listened to Mick. “Where did you come from?” she mused.
“Huh? Same place as you—well, not exactly. Didn’t they teach you this stuff in nursing school?”
Ruby shook her head. “All right, Dr. Mulligan, you win—this time. I wouldn’t dream of denying you and Logan your dragon lessons. Heaven forbid one gets loose at Leona’s.”
“Wise decision,” Mick said. “So? Why are you still standing here? Go take a nap.”
Ruby huffed.
“What? Do you want lessons too?”
“I need to get Logan something to eat and give him his medicine,” Ruby explained.
“Got it.”
“What?”
“I’ve got it.” Mick held up the bag in her hand. “Mom sent over chicken soup. I know how to heat that up.”
“You are a master of the microwave,” Ruby agreed playfully.
“I am. I can cook a steak in one.”
“That’s disgusting, Mick.”
Mick shrugged. “Why are you still standing here?” she asked Ruby.
“In my kitchen?” Ruby countered.
Mick shrugged again. “You’re holding up my dragon-taming lessons.”
Ruby shook her head. She leaned in and kissed Mick on the cheek. “I’m sorry,” she apologized playfully.
Mick swallowed the lump in her throat. She caught a tiny hint of the perfume Ruby wore. Her eyes met Ruby’s, and she fought to swallow the lump again. Oh, no, no. Ruby’s your friend, Michaela—friend. Behave. You’re tired. Dragons. Dragons. Dragons.
Ruby’s brow wrinkled with consideration. Mick looked slightly flushed. She raised
her hand to touch Mick’s forehead. “Are you okay?”
Okay. Yes, I’m okay. No more touching, Ruby. Dragons. Dragons. Dragons.
“Mick?”
“Yeah, just a little tired, I think. Go on,” Mick said. “The sooner I get this soup heated, the sooner I can snooze through my dragon training lessons.”
“Good luck with that,” Ruby said. She turned to leave and stopped. “Mick?”
“Yeah?”
“Thank you.”
***
Mick sniggered as she watched Logan fight his sleepiness. She was sure he’d seen the movie at least several dozen times. What did he expect to miss? Maybe Logan planned to give her a test at the end. She laughed inwardly. Probably. Mick decided to try a new tactic. She stretched and yawned.
Logan looked over at her.
“Sorry,” Mick said.
“Are you sleepy?” he asked roughly.
“A little,” Mick said.
Logan frowned.
“What’s the matter, Buddy?”
Logan shrugged.
“You’ve been fidgeting for a while. Does your ear hurt?”
Logan rubbed his eyes and nodded.
“Yeah, I know how that feels. I hate that. Come on,” Mick said. She pulled a blanket over them both and adjusted Logan to lie in front of her. “This is what my mom would do when I was sick,” she told him. “Leave on the TV, turn down the sound, and snuggle under a blanket until we both fall asleep.”
“Mick?”
“Yeah, Buddy?”
“Is Mommy okay?”
“Is Mommy okay? Yeah, of course, she’s okay. Do you want me to get her?”
Logan shook his head and nestled against Mick.
“Logan, why did you ask about Mommy?”
“Cause she was crying.”
“Mommy was crying?” Mick’s heart ached. Why would Ruby be crying? When was Ruby crying? Ruby seemed fine when Mick had arrived earlier—tired, but Mick didn’t think she was upset.
“Sometimes, she cries,” Logan said.
“Sometimes, we all cry,” Mick said.
“Yeah.” Logan yawned.
Mick looked down at the little boy pressed against her. She thought about the day he slid into Leona’s kitchen and straight into her heart. They shared many things in common. Mick thought she might even like the idea of riding a dragon. Logan was curious about everything in his world and concerned about everyone he loved—most of all his mother. He didn’t remember his other mother. Mick knew that. She didn’t know the whole story about Ruby’s partner. She only knew that the woman had died when Logan was a baby. She felt a kinship with Logan. Mick remembered her father. Sometimes, she still thought she could smell his aftershave. He’d been gone for thirty-two years. There were days it felt as though he’d been gone forever, and times when Mick could swear she’d seen him the day before. She couldn’t imagine never having a chance to know her father. She stroked Logan’s hair and kissed his head. Her thoughts traveled to Ruby.
Mick recalled the sadness and stress that emanated from her mother after her father died. Leona had attempted to conceal her sorrow and her worry. Kids had a way of picking up on everything. Mick understood that reality. She’d briefly considered becoming a pediatric surgeon—briefly. It didn’t fit her. Mick wasn’t sure she’d be able to survive the sadness of losing a child, even if she could save thousands. After her father’s death, Mick decided she wanted to be a paramedic. They had come to the house when her mother found her father on the floor. They tried to help him. As time passed, and Mick gained a better understanding of what had taken her father’s life, she’d become more ambitious. She would become a surgeon, and maybe—just maybe—one day she would be able to save another little girl’s father on a snowy Christmas Eve. Now, she wished she’d been able to save Logan’s mother—save Ruby from the pain of loss.
Mick draped her arm over Logan protectively. “I’m sorry, Buddy. I hope you dream about those dragons.” With that, Mick drifted off to sleep.
***
Ruby stepped into the room and stopped cold. Mick was sleeping soundly, her chin resting atop Logan’s head. She studied the pair. Most of the time Ruby spent with Mick centered on Logan. Logan would entertain them both with a story about school or his Grandma Lee. Logan and Mick would show Ruby their progress on the soapbox derby car in Mick’s basement. She guessed that she’d be hearing about their plans to train a dragon together soon. Logan had gravitated to Mick immediately, and Mick had accepted the boy as a student and friend without a moment’s hesitation. It all made Ruby curious about Dr. Michaela Mulligan.
Leona shared countless stories about her daughter. Ruby had listened to tales of Mick’s exploits in high school and college. She knew that Mick chose her nickname because Mick’s father loved the Rolling Stones. Mick loved to sing with her father in the car and in the basement when they built things together. Leona told Ruby that when Mick was five, everything had served as a microphone—a jump rope, a spoon, a pencil, a crayon—even Mick’s hand. Mick was born to perform. As she got older, the stage that drew her changed to an operating room. Leona was proud of all of Mick’s accomplishments. She once told Ruby she worried about her daughter’s loneliness. Mick had lots of friends. She’d never managed to sustain a romantic relationship for more than a few months. Looking at Mick, Ruby found herself surprised at that reality. Mick was affectionate and giving. She was successful, and frankly, not hard to look at. Even curled up on the sofa with tousled hair and what Ruby was certain was a tiny bit of drool, Mick was a beautiful woman. Ruby bit her bottom lip. She felt a growing attraction to her friend—not just physically. Mick was generous and funny. Ruby’s affection for the doctor seemed to grow daily. Bad idea, Ruby. Very bad idea.
Ruby made her way to the end of the couch and looked at the sleeping pair. She brushed her hand over Logan’s head and was happy to find it cooler than it had been earlier. Instinctively, her hand moved to Mick’s. She deftly moved a strand of hair aside that had fallen in front of Mick’s eyes. Mick stirred slightly. Ruby ran her fingers through Mick’s hair again and smiled when Mick sighed with contentment. She felt a tug rise from her gut into her chest, a sensation she’d not experienced in years and closed her eyes. Mick. What are you doing to me, Dr. Mulligan? Ruby bent over and kissed her son’s head, then Mick’s. The pull in her chest tightened measurably. She should press it all back down, her growing affection, the burgeoning emotion, and the undeniable attraction she felt brewing in her veins. She didn’t want to. For the first time in many years, Ruby felt helpless to shut off her feelings, to distance herself. Like it or not, Michaela Mulligan made her vulnerable. Maybe she should resist. She sighed. God help me, I don’t want to.
Ruby took a deep breath and gathered her emotions. She determined to head to the kitchen and throw something together for Mick and Logan when they woke up. If she couldn’t silence her thoughts, she could busy her hands. She sighed heavily and shook her head. What are you going to do now, Ruby?
Chapter Three
“How’s Logan?” Denise Miller inquired.
“Better,” Ruby answered. “I think two days with Mick as company helped. I swear, she is the only person who can get him to sit still.”
“Dr. Mulligan?”
Ruby nodded and smiled.
“I see.”
“Oh, no. No, you don’t see what you are thinking you see because there is nothing to see.”
Denise laughed. “That protest was pathetic.”
“There’s no protest.”
“Right, because there is nothing to protest,” Denise replied with a chuckle.
“We’re friends. You know how much Leona means to me. Mick is home now. She’s part of the equation.”
“If you say so.”
Ruby couldn’t help but chuckle. It was a ridiculous protest, and she knew it. She’d seen Mick every day since Mick arrived home until today. Not so oddly, she found herself missing Dr. Mulligan. “Stop,” she warned her friend lig
htly. She and Denise turned to the sound a slight commotion at the front desk. “What on earth—”
Ruby froze. She’d never seen Mick wander onto her floor. “Mick?” she muttered in disbelief.
“So, this is your neck of the woods, huh?” Mick greeted her friend.
“What are you doing here?” Ruby asked.
“I work here.”
Ruby rolled her eyes.
“I came to see if you could do me a favor,” Mick said.
“Of course,” Ruby agreed.
“Mom gave me a ride today.”
“Why? What’s wrong with your car?”
“Don’t know. It’s not the battery, and I didn’t have time to worry about it before I left. Think I could hitch a ride home later?”
“Aren’t you working overnight?”
Mick shook her head. “The only thing is, I might be a little later than you.”
“As long as Leona doesn’t mind—”
Mick cast a pointed gaze at Ruby.
“Okay, point taken,” Ruby said. Leona would have Logan every day if she could. “Just come up here when you’re ready. I can chart.”
Mick nodded. “I owe you.”
Ruby laughed. “As if.”
“I’ll see you later,” Mick said just as the phone in her pocket went off. “Gotta go.”
Ruby shook her head as Mick strolled away on her phone.
“Yeah, nothing to see there,” Denise whispered into Ruby’s ear.
Ruby took a deep breath. Was she that obvious? She had to admit she was happy to see Mick. She was looking forward to driving Mick home.
“Why is that a bad thing?” Denise asked.
“I don’t know if it’s a thing at all,” Ruby replied.
Denise patted her friend’s arm. From where she stood, there was definitely some thing developing between her friend and the newest surgeon on staff. The moment Ruby laid eyes on Dr. Mulligan, her eyes had brightened. Denise saw the same reaction from the approaching doctor. She couldn’t blame Ruby for having reservations. Leona Mulligan was Ruby’s closest friend, and the mother Ruby needed in her life. Denise had met the older woman many times. Logan and Ruby adored her, and she loved them. It was understandable that Ruby would not want to blur the lines of friendship with Michaela Mulligan. There were times when what a person needed eclipsed what they wanted. Ruby was lonely. Everyone close to her recognized that. She’d lost the love of her life far too soon. Logan had carried Ruby through the grief. Denise also understood that Ruby never seriously considered the notion she might fall in love again. She’d dated a couple of times. And, Denise recalled one night that Ruby had indulged in the attention of an attractive physical therapist. Ruby’s personal life was focused on Logan.
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