Nurse to Forever Mom

by Susan Carlisle

  Jean had a genuine smile on her face.

  “Do mine now,” Lizzy said.

  Stacey started on the other shirt.

  Cody watched over her shoulder. “I have to admit this is pretty creative. I’m impressed.”

  “You doubted me?” She looked at him.

  “Not really.”

  Having male support was a new experience for her. Stacey rather liked Cody’s faith in her. She tied Lizzy’s “apron” on. “I believe we have two original settlers. Stand over there so your dad and I can see you.”

  The girls did as they were told with smiles on their faces.

  Stacey twirled a finger. “Turn around for us.”

  The girls did.

  “You two look great.” Cody nodded, his relief evident. “Thanks, Stacey. I would have never come up with this.”

  “You’re welcome, but we still have something missing.” She snapped her fingers. “I meant to bring my old hat. I can go get it.”

  “I’m afraid that will have to wait for now. I have a Founder’s Day meeting in a few minutes.” He clapped his hands. “Girls, we’ve already taken too much of Stacey’s time. Lucy is expecting you at her sleepover party.”

  Jean wrinkled her nose. “But we need to finish our costumes first.”

  Stacey put a hand on her shoulder. “I’ll work on your head covering while you’re gone and have it ready for you. Now, let’s take those outfits off and keep them safe. It sounds like you have a party to go to.”

  With her help and Cody’s, they changed.

  “Go put your regular clothes on, girls. We’ve got to go,” Cody encouraged.

  Stacey helped Cody lay the clothing neatly on the chair at his desk. He placed the “aprons” just so and the boots beside them with great care. “I don’t want anything to happen to these between now and when they need to use them. I hope I can get it all on them correctly.”

  “I’m sure you can but if you need me to come help, let me know.” The offer came out of her mouth as though it had a mind of its own. She had to stop saying things like that. Getting more and more deeply involved in Cody’s life wasn’t her plan. It wasn’t until they were done that she registered she was alone with him in his bedroom.

  His voice dropped and he touched her hand briefly, sending a ripple throughout her body. “Thanks for helping me out. For that I’ll always be indebted to you.”

  She stepped out of touching distance. “I’m not helping you to make you feel you owe me anything.”

  “I know that. You’re not that kind of person. Still, I’m grateful.” His eyes filled with an emotion she didn’t want to put a name to. “Stacey, I—”

  “We’re ready to go,” Lizzy announced from the doorway. Jean stood behind her, watching closely.

  Cody retreated, his unfinished statement lingering in the air. Stacey desperately wanted to know what he’d been going to say while at the same time feared it. “Girls, what do we say to Stacey?”

  “Thank you,” they chorused.

  Stacey smiled. “You’re very welcome.”

  “Jean and Lizzy, get your overnight bag and go get in the car. Buckle up.” The girls followed his orders. Soon the stomping of their feet filled the air as they went down the stairs.

  Cody stopped her from following them with a hand on her arm. “Stacey—”

  “You don’t have to thank me again. I was glad to do it.”

  “That wasn’t what I was going to say.”

  She made herself meet his unwavering gaze. “What?”

  Cody studied her for a second as if unsure. “You know, you really are special.” With that he left her alone in his bedroom.

  Heat rushed through her. What would it be like to hear those words from his lips all the time? That wasn’t a dream she should be having. Cody’s life wasn’t the one for her. This was just a temporary interlude.

  CHAPTER FIVE

  CODY ARRIVED HOME a few hours later to a house that was too quiet. The girls didn’t often spend the night away and when they did he was usually gone himself. He’d never thought much about being lonely until now. Lizzy and Jean had been his whole world for years but somehow Stacey had stepped into it and he was starting to ask himself if he needed more in his life.

  She brought warmth and laughter to his world. Being around her had him feeling things he’d not felt in a long time. He was excited to wake in the mornings. Not until Stacey had he realized he had been living on autopilot. He would miss her teasing and quick smiles when she left for Ethiopia. That left him feeling oddly dejected.

  A knock on the front door brought him out of his musing. He opened it to find Stacey standing there.

  “Hey, I hope I’m not interrupting but I finished these and I thought Jean and Lizzy would want them as soon as they got home in the morning.” She held up two strips of white.

  He gave them a peculiar look, trying to figure out what they were. Had she stopped by to see him knowing the girls wouldn’t be there?

  “They’re bonnets. Don’t you remember?” She sounded as if she wanted to shake him to get him to answer.

  He was still wrapped up in the surprise and pleasure of seeing her again. “Yeah, but isn’t there more to them than that?”

  She harrumphed. “Sorry. Not. Pilgrims didn’t wear much headgear.”

  He nodded. “If you say so.”

  She extended her hand, offering the fabric to him. “Well, I’d better go.”

  He took them from her, his fingers brushing hers. Awareness rippled through him. The impulse to grab her and pull her into his arms ran through his mind but he didn’t want to scare her away. The girls weren’t there so he didn’t have to worry about them becoming any more attached to Stacey. This was just a chance for some time alone with her when it didn’t involve work or his children. As a grown man he could deal with the fallout when she was gone. “I was just going to have a bowl of ice cream. Would you like to join me?”

  She gave the question more thought than it required. He began to worry she wouldn’t accept. “That sounds good to me. Sure.”

  “Good. Then why don’t you come in.” He stood back, giving her space.

  Stacey grinned at him. “And I was starting to think you might make me eat it on your front stoop.”

  “Are you questioning my manners?” He narrowed his eyes at her as he grinned before he closed the door.

  “It’s not my place to question the doctor,” she cooed.

  He laughed. “Yeah, right. You do that regularly.”

  She led the way to the kitchen. “I don’t think we remember things the same way.”

  “I think my memory is just fine.” He’d like to give her something to remember him by. Mercy, he needed to get his mind out of the bedroom and back in the kitchen. He hung the bonnets over a doorknob. Maybe he should stick his head in the freezer instead of taking the ice cream out of it.

  Stacey took a seat on one of the bar stools. Cody was aware of her watching him. He was sure she wasn’t missing a single move he made. It had been a long time since he’d been this unsettled by a woman. He found it both exciting and disconcerting. “Chocolate or vanilla?”

  “Both, please.”

  “Both it is.” He took the cartons out of the freezer then retrieved bowls from a cabinet and spoons from a drawer. “Scoop of each?”

  “Two scoops chocolate and one vanilla.” He looked at her and her gaze didn’t waver.

  Cody smiled. He was having fun. “You do like ice cream.”

  “Yes, I do. You offered just the right dessert.”

  His gaze caught hers. “I have others as well.” She blinked. He let her off the hook and filled a bowl and pushed it over to her. Stacey eyed it. “Don’t wait on me to get started.”

  She didn’t hesitate before she filled her spoon. “Mmm...this hits the spot.”

>   Cody watched her. He wished he could be the one who had put that look of pleasure on her face. He shook his head. If he didn’t get control of his raging emotions he would jump her right here in the kitchen!

  He filled his bowl and put the ice cream away before he joined her on a stool next to hers. They ate without any conversation for a few minutes with nothing but the sound of spoons against the bowls. It was a comfortable silence, the kind he’d not shared with another adult in a long time.

  “You know, my mother and I always ate ice cream after one of her husbands left,” Stacey said, as if she had forgotten he was there. She lifted another spoonful of ice cream to her lips. “I hadn’t thought about that until now. I ate a lot after the second one left.”

  “You did?” Cody held his breath, hoping she would continue. He wanted to know more about her. Why she thought what she did. Why she had never settled down.

  “Yeah. And cried a lot too.”

  “You loved him?”

  “I did, but it didn’t matter. He left anyway. I never saw him again.” Hurt surrounded each of her words.

  A boom of thunder and then a flash of lightning filled the air. The lights flickered then went out.

  “We’re in for a strong storm tonight. Springtime in New England.” Cody went looking for the flashlight he kept in a drawer just for these occasions. There was another roll of thunder and then more lightning. “I’ll have to check the roof shingles after this one.”

  He lit one of the candles, setting it on the bar. Even in the shadowy light he could see Stacey’s stricken look and pale skin. Her eyes were squeezed closed. At the next flash of lightning they opened wide and held a wild look. She was terrified.

  Taking her hand, he led her to the living room, encouraging her to sit on the sofa. He took a seat beside her and pulled her into his chest. Stacey didn’t hesitate to bury her face in his shoulder. She shuddered at the next flash of lightning.

  For a moment Cody’s heart caught. This was what it should be like all the time. He needed someone he could share his life with, where he could be her safe port in a storm. Could that person be Stacey? Would she let him be that for her?

  * * *

  The flash of lightning, the boom of thunder and rain pelting the house made Stacey jerk and put her arms around Cody. She trembled, her heart pounding. From childhood she’d never been a fan of storms. Too often she been left alone during them. Her mother had forbidden her from coming to her room. Many nights she’d huddled in her bed, trembling with fear. More than once during her travels she’d had to deal with her anxiety over bad weather alone. She curled farther into the security Cody offered.

  “Are you okay?” He snuggled her tighter.

  The rumble of his deep voice where her ear lay against his chest somehow eased her panic. Would he think she was silly? A grown woman worried over a storm? “I don’t like storms.”

  Lightning flashed again. She shook.

  “I’ve got you. I won’t let go.”

  She felt safe and secure next to Cody. For the first time in her life she could say that. Peeking out the window, she said, “You sure know how to give a girl a show.”

  He kissed her temple. “I can’t take credit for putting this one on but thank you anyway.”

  Sometime later the lights flickered on again. Stacey slowly pulled away from Cody. “Hey.”

  “Hi. You better?”

  She moved to stand but he held her back. “Yeah. I should go. I’ve embarrassed myself enough.”

  “You still look scared and it’s still pouring. You’re not going anywhere.”

  “I’ll be fine. I’ve been taking care of myself in worse places and weather for years.” She really should get out of Cody’s arms. If not, she’d want to stay...too long.

  At a distant roll of thunder he gave her a stern look. “Maybe so, but not when I’ve known about it. You’re staying here tonight. You can have my bed.”

  What was he suggesting? Her eyes widened and she jerked back, shaking her head.

  “I’ll sleep down here on the couch,” he assured her, bringing her back against him once again.

  “I can’t let you do that.”

  “Sure you can. You’ve been helping my girls all afternoon. I think it’s the least I can do.”

  “I’m not sleeping in your bed!” She wanted to make that clear. Fear of the outside kept her there even discussing it.

  He raised his hands in a gesture of defeat. “Okay. You can stay down here. I’ll get you a blanket and something to sleep in. You know where the bath is. There should be clean towels under the cabinet. For now I’m going to stay right here with you until the storm eases.”

  “I’d like that.” She burrowed closer to him.

  Later, when nothing was left but heavy rain, Cody went to his room and returned with one of his T-shirts for her to sleep in, a blanket and a pillow that must have come off his bed. She silently groaned that she would be sleeping on where his head might have been. He dumped his armload on the sofa. “Here you go. I still wish you would take my bed and let me sleep down here.”

  “I’m good here. Thanks. Goodnight.”

  * * *

  Stacey woke to a bang in the kitchen and the smell of bacon. Her intention had been to be gone before Cody woke, but apparently she’d been more tired than she had thought. There was another cling-clang. What was he doing?

  She had to admit it was nice to wake to the sounds of someone nearby. She’d spent so much time in private housing she rarely awakened to people. There was something soothing about knowing Cody was close. Her eyelids lowered.

  A large hand cupped her shoulder and shook her gently. “Stacey, your breakfast is ready.”

  What? She’d gone to sleep again? Her eyes sprang open. Her gaze lifted to see Cody’s smiling face. “Good morning, sleepyhead. Your breakfast is on the table when you’re ready.”

  He left her. She untangled herself from the blanket and followed close behind him.

  Cody headed for the kitchen and went around the bar to the stove. There he poured batter on the griddle. She looked at the table and found a plate stacked with perfectly round pancakes, a bottle of syrup and another plate with strips of bacon on it. There was also a pitcher of juice nearby.

  “What did I do to deserve this?”

  “This is my thank-you for helping with the costumes,” Cody announced as he flipped pancakes. He was dressed in a tight T-shirt, well-worn jeans and wore no shoes. She’d never seen a sexier man.

  “Haven’t you already done that by letting me sleep on your couch?”

  Cody looked at her and shrugged. His focus dipped to her chest. Heat shot through her. She’d forgotten she was wearing his thin T-shirt with no bra. Her breasts tingled as her nipples tightened, pushing against the soft fabric. She turned and headed out of the room but not before she saw the flash of disappointment in Cody’s eyes. “Hey, Doc, your pancakes are burning.”

  Stacey grinned at his uttered oath as she grabbed her clothes from the living room and hurried to the bathroom. She quickly washed her face and used the new toothbrush he’d put out for her last night, put on her clothing and ran her fingers through her hair. Checking the mirror, she saw she’d done the best she could do.

  When she returned he asked, “Did you sleep well?” His voice had gone deeper, and held a gravelly note.

  “I did.”

  “You should have been in a bed.” His gaze held hers.

  She looked at him. Had he wanted to say my bed? She tingled low at her center. How would she have responded if he had asked her to sleep with him? He wouldn’t have. He wasn’t the type of man who would take advantage of a woman when she was scared. They said nothing more for a few seconds, just watched each other.

  “Your breakfast is getting cold.”

  She went to the table and Cody pulled out her chair. “Than
k you.” When was the last time a male had done that for her? Stacey took her seat. Cody sat. She glanced at him. He was watching her and winked. The flutter in her stomach had nothing to do with hunger.

  What would it be like to have breakfast with Cody all the time? To be treated as if she were special? Even her ex-fiancé had never made her feel as important as Cody did. What was she thinking? Cody was just being nice. Her life consisted of living all over the world and his was all about hearth and home.

  They finished their breakfast with Cody having a second cup of coffee and her another glass of juice.

  “I have to pick up the girls in a few minutes. I can drop you off at your cottage on my way to get them.” Cody put his mug down and stood.

  “Sounds like a plan.”

  He began removing dishes from the table. Stacey joined in. When he ran water in the sink she bumped him out of the way with her hip. “You cooked. I’ll clean.”

  He nudged her back with a grin. “My kitchen. You don’t get to tell me what to do.”

  She snatched the dishrag from him.

  He reached around her, enclosing her within the circle of his arms. He smelled of man and coffee. She squirmed and his hold tightened, bringing her back against his chest. It was large, firm and secure. His warmth enveloped her. She stilled. For a moment they just stood there. Stacey held her breath.

  “Stacey...” He kissed the top of her head.

  She turned to face him. Expectant. He leaned into her, pressing her against the counter, making his intention clear. His gaze bored into hers. A flame of desire burned in his before he blinked and it was extinguished. Seconds later she was alone, staggering to remain standing. Cody had stepped around the breakfast bar, putting it between them. “I can’t. No matter how much I want to.”

  Stacey couldn’t respond to that. It was no surprise. She’d not been wanted enough before.

  “I’ll go get some shoes on and take you home,” Cody muttered.