The three of them ran into the emergency entrance together and up to the reception desk. “I’m looking for Ridge Holiday,” Cris blurted out.
“You are?” the lady asked.
“Brother.”
“Sister.”
“Husband.”
The Holidays looked at Cris, Eve with a cocked eyebrow. “Someday, hopefully,” Cris replied.
“Mr. Holiday is in Exam Room Three. Check in at the nurses’ station,” the woman ordered and pointed to the right. The three of them rushed down the hall, Eve and Elliot to the nurses’ station and Cris to Exam Room Three.
He quickly pulled the curtain back to see Ridge sitting on a gurney wearing a bloody, ripped dress shirt while a man Cris assumed was a nurse stood behind him. The man was holding a large pair of forceps with a gauze pad in the grip that he was using to clean up what appeared to be a lot of blood. “What happened?” Cris demanded.
Ridge looked up, and Cris saw the shock on his face. “What are you doing here?” Ridge whispered.
“Who are you?” the man behind Ridge asked, then he dropped the bloody gauze into a silver bowl.
“He was a coworker.”
“I’m his husband.”
Cris saw the look of shock on Ridge’s handsome face, so he shrugged, prepared to explain himself later.
“Interesting. So, why weren’t you with your husband when he was taking a long walk through a bad neighborhood? He’s got a four-inch gash back here. I had to shave a big patch of hair to be able to seal it,” the guy stated, then went for another gauze.
“I, uh… Look, nurse…,” Cris began, trying to come up with a response that didn’t make him sound like the worst person in the world.
“Doctor,” the man corrected.
“Oh,” Cris replied.
“Hot Doctor. It runs in the family. Ouch!” Ridge offered as he winced when the man applied Betadine to the back of his head. It was then Cris noticed that Ridge had a few bruises on his handsome face that were worrisome.
“Eve said your car was stolen on Christmas night. Were you carjacked? She said your father got a call today from the police that it was totaled?” Cris looked into Ridge’s beautiful green eyes, seeing hurt reflected in them that Cris knew he’d put there, so it was time to apologize for the disastrous misunderstanding. “I’m so sorry, Ridge.”
Suddenly, the doctor perked up. “Why are you sorry? That you let him get hurt? That he was walking in that shitty neighborhood alone?” When Cris looked at the doctor, he saw the man giving him the evil eye. He had to wonder what the fuck the man had to do with the matter at hand.
“Who are you again?” Cris asked the doctor.
“He’s Doctor Gleason,” Ridge offered, without looking up, because the doctor was holding his head down as he applied something that looked like superglue.
“Look, I’m sorry everything went to hell. I made a huge mistake, Ridge. Why didn’t you tell me you didn’t get paid, or receive a bonus for your work at the store? Why did you spend all of your money on my sister?” Cris asked.
“What the hell is he talking about?” the doctor nosed in, which Cris didn’t appreciate in the least.
“Fucking Elliot thought it would be funny not to pay me while I worked at the West Philly store for Christmas taking Santa pictures. It’s just typical for our family,” Ridge replied to the nosy doctor.
“Who are you?” Cris asked once again, losing his patience. He definitely enjoyed interacting with children more than adults.
Just then, the curtain opened, allowing entrance for Elliot and Eve.
“Palmer!” Elliot exclaimed with a big smile.
It quickly became clear that the Holiday family knew the hot, nosy doctor. “El, I heard you were a dick to little brother, here. Shame on you.”
After the two men embraced, Eve Holiday came over and hugged the doctor as well. When she pulled back, she smiled at the sandy-haired man. “Will he live?”
“Yeah. Ridge got cracked in the back of the head with a ball bat, I’d say,” Doctor Gleason deduced.
Cris looked at Ridge to see his face was flushed. “Do you know who did it? Did they take anything?”
“I didn’t have anything on me. I just went for a walk to clear my head. Someone stole my car on Christmas night, so I spent the twenty-sixth with the cops and didn’t go out of the house until this afternoon to get some air. I didn’t see who hit me. I just know it hurts like a motherfucker,” Ridge answered.
“He has a mild concussion, so he can’t stay by himself tonight. I can admit him,” Dr. Gleason suggested.
Cris saw Eve and Elliot both look up at the ceiling as if they couldn’t be bothered with Ridge.
“Jesus, you people beat anything I’ve ever seen,” Cris complained.
Eve walked over to him and dug her nail into his chest. “Oh, really? Neither of us cut him off without a word, because he didn’t contribute to your little impromptu Christmas charity drive without bothering to ask why. We’re not the ones who broke his heart,” Eve snapped at Cris as she poked him hard enough he thought he’d have little moon-shaped bruises on his pectoral muscle.
“Hey! I’ll get a fucking Uber ride home. I don’t need any of you,” Ridge grumbled.
“Kid, you can come home with me. I was off fifteen minutes ago. I’ll take outstanding care of you,” the doctor invited with a waggle of his eyebrows.
Cris didn’t like the tone of the doctor’s voice and determined the man had an ulterior motive. The fact his gut was tied up in knots was proof enough he needed to step in before things ran off the rails, yet again.
“Thank you, Doctor Feelgood, but I’ll be taking Ridge home with me. I think it’s inappropriate of you to solicit a patient, even if you are friends with the family,” Cris snapped.
Elliot, Eve, and Ridge laughed. “He’s our cousin. His mother is our mother’s sister. We didn’t know you were here in Philadelphia, Palmer,” Eve summed up.
The doctor laughed. “I just finished med school and decided to come back to Philly for my residency. I was going to call Aunt Lainey after I had a schedule and see about getting together with all of you soon. Right now, I’ve got shit shifts.”
Cris felt relieved to hear the man was a relative. If Cris could get Ridge to come to stay at his place, maybe he could get the man to listen to him while Cris begged for forgiveness?
The count was one and one regarding their fuckups. It was time to get it right. They had a future to get to, or so Cris hoped and prayed.
Chapter 17
Ridge wasn’t exactly thrilled about the fact that neither his brother nor his sister was willing to take him home with them for the night after he was attacked outside his apartment building. He wasn’t, however, surprised. Eve still lived at home, and Ridge had been kicked out of the manse by his dad. Elliot? Well, he was as much a selfish dick as Ridge… had been.
Running into Frosty-the-drunken-photographer down the street from his apartment wasn’t expected, but when the man cracked Ridge on the head with a broken bat, Ridge knew for sure he was having the worst run of luck ever.
After his meeting with his father, Ridge walked over to get a coffee from the gas station on the corner, so he could get some air. While there, he met a man who was trying to get his family back to New Jersey, because he’d lost his job, and they’d lost their home. Ridge gave him all the money he had borrowed from Eve for a cab and wished the man the best of luck at getting his wife and children safely into the loving arms of family.
After giving the man the money, Ridge returned to the Holiday Toys building and walked into the mailroom, happy to find a mail runner who was heading out with the delivery that afternoon. The man, Greg, was nice enough to let Ridge ride with him to the West Philly store.
Ridge thanked the man for the ride and walked back to his apartment during a heavy snowstorm. That was why he didn’t see his assailant until it was too late to take evasive action.
An innocent bystander witnessed the assa
ult and called the police before Frosty got another shot at Ridge, thankfully. After the man described the attacker to the police as they waited for the ambulance, Ridge knew Frosty had made bail from the last time they’d had a run-in.
It was likely Frosty wouldn’t be charged with anything serious. Of course, the inconvenience of being arrested the first time was enough to piss off the man, so he came after Ridge Holiday to seek his revenge.
When Ridge saw the ER doctor was his cousin, he was actually relieved and happy. He hadn’t seen Palmer Gleason in a few years, so it was a twist of fate, because Ridge didn’t want to make his assault into a big deal.
Ridge explained to Palmer that he thought it was just a random mugger, because he believed Frosty got what he came for—retribution for being fired. After he felt he’d had his justice, it made sense the man would leave everyone alone if nothing more was made of the incident.
Ridge was sure his attacker had a reason that would justify his downfall, but he wasn’t about to press the bastard beyond his limits. No one, much less Cristian Gamble, needed to end up dead, because a man was fired from a holiday job for making a poor decision. Maybe it would be the wakeup call Frosty required to make changes in his own life? Ridge certainly hoped as much.
When his siblings and Cristian Gamble arrived at the hospital, they all had an opinion regarding what was best for him. Ridge was in too much pain to listen to any or all of them.
“I’d rather go home with Palmer than any of you. Thank you, Eve and Elliot, for how much you didn’t want me to come home with you, but I’ll take a pass as you didn’t offer.
“If I can’t go back to my own place, then I’ll go home with Palmer until he decides I’m fine to be alone. Your support is seriously underwhelming. Get out!” Ridge ordered, not holding back how upset he was about the whole thing.
Everyone began protesting at once, but when Ridge saw his cousin reach for the phone to call security, he smiled. Two security guards were dispatched to the small curtained area, and suddenly, everyone stopped talking.
“Who should I…? the large security guard asked.
Ridge smirked before he pointed to Elliot, Eve, and Cris Gamble. “They need to leave. I’m fine, and I don’t need any of them,” he stated defiantly.
“Okay, folks. I think it’s time—” the security guard began.
“Wait, please? Ridge, I’m sorry I was such a jerk about everything, but I didn’t have all the facts. I’m actually ashamed I didn’t give you the benefit of the doubt. You came from a wealthy family, as I found out, so I didn’t allow you to explain your current predicament to me. I made an unfair assumption, and I hope you’ll forgive me. I’ll wait to hear from you,” Cris told him, before he walked out of the room without the assistance of the security guards.
“Take those two,” Palmer ordered, pointing to Eve and Elliot. The guards escorted them out, Ridge hearing his brother and sister protesting the whole time.
He turned to his cousin. “How big of a spot did you chop out of my hair?”
Palmer laughed. “It’s gonna look like shit for a while, but you can milk the injury as long as you want.
“Are your parents having their usual New Year’s bash? I’m actually off that night if you can believe it. You know any hot guys you can introduce me to?” Palmer asked, then the pair headed out past the exam curtain for Palmer to get his things from the on-call room so he could leave for the night.
Once they were in Palmer’s car, Ridge closed his eyes as they left the hospital. His head was pounding, and the things circling his mind didn’t help him feel any better. If he went into a coma for a few decades, he wouldn’t hate it.
“So, tell me about the hot brunet who was salivating over you. How’d you meet him?” Palmer asked.
Ridge opened his eyes before he turned to his cousin. “First, tell me what’s going on with you. I thought you were dating another doctor?” Ridge asked, trying to remember the sparse information his mother shared from her discussions with her sister.
“Oh, yeah, I guess Mom doesn’t keep things from Aunt Lainey. So, I dated a guy I went to medical school with, but he decided he was going back to Georgia for his residency, just like I decided to come back here. His name was West. He really was a great guy, but we weren’t meant to be anything permanent. I’m still looking for the one.
“How about you and that brunet? Shit serious between you two? He was definitely worth an investment of time,” Palmer joked, which made Ridge laugh, because he knew his cousin was well aware of the attraction between Cristian Gamble and himself.
“He is definitely hot, but he’s off-limits for you, Palmer. We’re having issues, the sexy Santa and me, but I have a feeling…” Ridge started to explain.
“What the fuck can be so bad that you can’t get with him?” Palmer asked.
“He doesn’t trust me, and he has a good reason not to, but I’m not sure if he’ll ever get over it,” Ridge replied, lowering the volume of his voice, because it added more pain to his hellacious headache.
“Why?” Palmer asked as the car slowed down.
Ridge opened his eyes to see them on an exit ramp. “Because I had to lie to him. JD put down the hammer on my stupidity and made me work at the store for the holiday season. I couldn’t tell anyone who I was, including Cris. He didn’t find out the truth from me, and he’s a very honorable person, so the lie was the straw that broke the camel’s back.
“Even in the damn Santa suit, he was still the sexiest man I’ve ever seen in my life, and I fell for him immediately. He helped me fix my tights that first night, and that was it for me,” Ridge offered as he began his story.
He explained to his cousin about the ups and downs of their courtship. How everything got ruined, because of the horrible lie propounded to all of the people Ridge had got to know and care about at the West Philly store. He’d lost more than Cris in that mess, and he hated it, because he’d loved working with all of the people he met there. For once, he felt like just another guy working a job with coworkers who made it fun.
“That sucks,” Palmer responded, when Ridge finally finished the whole, ugly story. It did, indeed, suck.
After Palmer had Ridge settled into the spare room of his apartment, which was about five miles from the hospital, the two of them caught up on what had happened in their lives since they were last together before Ridge started college.
“How’s your head?” Palmer asked as he pointed a small flashlight into Ridge’s eyes, while sitting on the side of the bed, appearing to be exhausted.
“It hurts, but what should I expect? An asshole hit me on the back of the head with a baseball bat. I should be grateful I’m not dead, right?” Ridge assessed.
Palmer offered a kind smile. “That’s a good way to look at it. Tell me more about your guy.” He helped Ridge settle back into the comfortable bed, and made sure there was a glass of water on the nightstand.
Before Ridge could explain how much Cris Gamble actually meant to him, he fell asleep. That night, he dreamed of the life he’d hoped to have with Cristian and Hannah. He knew in his heart it was a dream, but if there was any way it could be his reality, Ridge believed he’d never be happier.
Ridge woke on New Year’s Eve to a soft knock on his apartment door. His cousin, Palmer, had taken him home on the twenty-ninth, offering him money if he needed it, but Ridge declined.
He was fine, and he was determined he’d make it through the party, and then tell his father where to shove his trust fund at 12:01. The last part was still up in the air.
Ridge got out of bed, glad the headache had finally subsided. He went to the door and looked out the peephole to see Janae Mays with Hannah Gamble, both holding paper bags and beverage holders. Ridge unlocked the door and pulled it open.
“Ladies? I’m sorry my place is a mess, and I probably smell to high heaven, but to what do I owe this visit?”
Janae pushed her way inside and looked around with a shake of her head. “What’s this sup
posed to be?” she asked as she circled her finger around his little studio apartment.
“Hey, what’s with the attitude, Momma Mays? This is my humble abode,” he defended with a smile at seeing two of his favorite people. He hugged Hannah, because he’d missed her a lot.
Janae laughed. “I took off work until the second of January because the boys and I were invited to a party at your parents’ house. Doctor Gleason, a new ER resident, hunted me down and delivered the invitation in person, insisting we attend to take the spotlight off his dramatic return to Philadelphia. Your sister called us for coffee this morning and asked us to check on you and remind you there’s a party you’re expected to attend this evening, Eldridge David,” Janae insisted.
Ridge laughed a little because he knew Eve had clued the nice woman into his weakness…his full name. “My cousin can sell ice to a polar bear, can’t he? So? Is that food?” Ridge asked as he quickly made his bed. Something smelled quite good.
Hannah Gamble walked over to the other side of the bed and helped tug up the comforter, so it was even. “Shower, lunch, and then we talk,” she insisted. All Ridge could do was agree and hope she had a way for him to gain her brother’s trust again. Ridge was fresh out of ideas.
Chapter 18
Cris walked into the living room on New Year’s Eve with a full laundry basket. He’d been hoping to hear from Ridge Holiday since he left the hospital that day after the handsome man told him to get out, but there had been nothing but radio silence. He was about to give up on Sugarplum, but he was holding out a sliver of hope they could work their way back to each other.
There was a knock on the door, so he opened it to find Janae Mays and his little sister. “Hi, Ms. Mays! Come in, please. Hannah, you left early this morning,” Cris pointed out, giving his sister his ‘disappointed eyebrow’ because she hadn’t texted him or even left a note when she fled the apartment before he came back from working half a day at the garage.
“Yeah, yeah, but we’re here to talk about you. Eve told me that if you want Ridge to give you another chance, you need to be at the party. You love him, and he loves you. Anyone with one eyeball can see it, so pull your head out of your ass, okay?” Hannah announced, sounding so much like their mother, Cris teared up.
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