Susan Carlisle - One Night Before Christmas

The nurse looked at him. “Do I have permission to discuss your case?”

He nodded.

“The doctor has some bruised ribs. He’ll be sore for a week or so but nothing more serious.”

At least that was positive news. Melanie was already guilt ridden enough. “Then he will be released?”

“He’ll be released as soon as he has someone who can take him home and stay with him. He isn’t going to feel like doing much for a few days.”

“I’ll see that he gets the care he needs,” Melanie assured her.

Dalton’s eyebrows went up. “Plane...”

The nurse placed the blood pressure cuff around his arm. “You don’t need to be flying. I don’t think you could stand the pain.”

There was a knock at the door and Melanie looked away from Dalton to find John Horvitz, her father’s right-hand man, standing there.

“How’re you both doing?” Obviously he would be concerned about the visiting doctor being hurt on team time.

Melanie gave John a brief report. “He’s in so much pain, it’s difficult to speak.” Dalton gave her a grateful look.

John focused his attention on her. “Your father wanted me to check on you both. He had a meeting. I’ll be giving him a full report.”

And he would. That was always the way it had been. Her father sent someone else. When he’d coached, team issues took precedence. As the general manager, it wasn’t any better. His concern had always come through a subordinate. What would it be like to have him show he really cared?

“He’ll call when the meeting is over,” John finished.

“Who hit us?” she asked.

John grimaced. “I was told it was Juice.”

“He must have been flying!”

“Not ‘Freight Train’?” Dalton mumbled.

Melanie laughed. The poor guy. Maybe he did have a sense of humor. She wrapped her arms around her waist when the laughter led to throbbing.

“Are you sure you’re okay?” John asked her.

“Sore, but nothing that I can’t stand. Dr. Reynolds is the one we should be worried about. I think we would both like to get out of here.”

As if on cue, the ER doctor came in. “If you’ll give me a few minutes, I’ll see you have your discharge papers. There will be no driving or flying for two days.”

Dalton partially sat up, “Two days!” As if the effort was too much for him, he fell back, closing his eyes.

She owed him for making sure she hadn’t really got hurt but this was a busy time of the year and adding the Currents’ play-off game didn’t make it better. Now she was being saddled with taking care of him for two more days.

“The team will see that you are as comfortable as possible,” John assured him.

Dalton’s eyes opened but he said nothing.

John continued, “There’s a driver and a car waiting to take you both home. I have notified the Lodge to do everything they can to make your stay comfortable.”

“I’ll see that he’s well taken care of. Thanks, John,” Melanie said.

Half an hour later, Melanie sucked in her breath when she looked out the hospital sliding glass door. Snow fell so thickly that she could just make out the cars in the parking lot. “The snow has really picked up.”

Their driver waited under the pickup area with the engine running. Dr. Reynolds, always the gentleman, allowed her to get in the backseat first. Wincing as he bent to climb in, he joined her. He reached out to pull the door closed and groaned.

“Let me help.” She leaned across him. Her chest brushed his as she stretched. His body heat mixed with the air blasting out of the car vents, making her too warm. He smelled like a fir after a misty rain. She stopped herself from inhaling. Using her fingertips, she managed to pull the door closed. His breath brushed her cheek as she sat up again, causing her midsection to flutter.

The windshield wipers swished back and forth in a rapid movement but the snow continued to pile up on the glass. She glanced at Dr. Reynolds. His shoulders were hunched and he was peering out with a concerned look on his face.

“Normal?” The word came out with a wince.

“We get a lot of snow here. We’re used to it. Looks like we’ll have a white Christmas, with it only being seven days off.” She tried to make the last sentence sound upbeat. In pain, he took on an almost boyish look that had her heart going out to him.

He leaned back and closed his eyes. “Only thing white at Christmastime where I come from is the beach.”

That didn’t sound all that festive to her. Snow, a green tree, a warm fire and people you loved surrounding you was what she thought Christmas should be. She loved this time of the year.

The driver had the radio playing low and after the song finished the announcer came on. “Fellow Niagarans, it’s a white one out there. The good news is the roads are still passable and the airport open. But not sure it will be tomorrow. The storm isn’t over yet.”

Dalton moaned.

“I’m sorry for this inconvenience, Dr. Reynolds. Maybe in a few days you’ll be up to going home,” Melanie said in a sympathetic tone.

And she wouldn’t be nursemaiding him anymore. She needed to talk to her father about what her duties as team doctor entailed. It would probably be a waste of time; he’d never listened to her in the past and wasn’t likely to do so now.

* * *

Dalton questioned if the stars were aligned against him. He was stuck in Niagara Falls longer than he’d planned. Too long for his comfort. The driver pulled under the awning of the Lodge. Dalton opened the door despite the pain it brought and climbed out. It wasn’t until he turned to close the door that he saw Dr. Hyde getting out.

“What’re you doing?” he muttered through tightly clamped teeth.

“I’m going to stay and see about you tonight.”

“What?”

“Didn’t you hear the doctor? You need someone to check on you regularly over the next twenty-four hours.”

“I’ll be fine.”

“For heaven’s sakes, can we go inside to argue about this?”

Without another word, he turned and pulled open the door to the Lodge. He had to admit it required a great deal of effort to do so.

She came to stand beside him. “You obviously need help. I feel guilty enough about you getting hurt. The least I can do is make sure you’re okay.”

His look met hers for the first time since they’d left the hospital. He wasn’t used to seeing concern for him in anyone’s eyes. He tried to take a deep breath. Pain shot through his side. He reluctantly said, “I would appreciate help.”

“Then let’s go try to make you as comfortable as you can be with those ribs. The elevator is over this way.” They walked across the lobby.

“Not going to make me climb the stairs?” Each word pained him but he couldn’t stop himself from making the comment.

She glared at him. “I thought your ribs hurt too much to speak.”

He started to laugh and immediately wrapped his arms across his chest.

They rode the elevator up and walked to the room. At the door Melanie took out a room key.

“You have a key to my room?” Dalton asked with a hint of suspicion.

“I was given one when we knew you were coming so I could check on the room before you arrived.” She slid the plastic card in the slot and opened the door. “I’m sure you’re ready to lie down. I’ll call for some food.”

“Are you always so bossy?”

Melanie dropped her pocketbook into the closest chair. “I guess I am when it comes to taking care of my patients.”

Dalton started toward the bedroom. “I’m not one of your patients.”

“You are for the next twenty-four hours.”

He wasn’t pleased with the arrangements. Still, something about having her concerned for him gave him an unfamiliar warm feeling. He’d never had anyone’s total focus before. Mrs. Richie had been the only foster mother who came close to doing that, but he hadn’t been there long before he heard her telling the social worker that it would be better for him to move to another house. After that he’d never let another woman know he hurt or see him in need. He made sure his relationships with women were short and remained at arm’s length. All physical and no emotional involvement was the way he liked to keep things.