A Christmas Rescue

by Samantha Chase

  The entire reception area was heavily decorated for Christmas including a twelve-foot-tall tree. There was Christmas music playing and it looked the way it always had when Dr. Benji still owned it. She spotted Amber and Hannah standing behind the reception desk and she couldn’t help but laugh.

  “Did you guys learn nothing from what happened last week? You know you’re going to get in trouble for this and then you’re going to have to clean it all up again!” She was still laughing as she said it, but neither of her friends looked the least bit worried. That sobered her a bit. “Seriously, aren’t you worried Dr. Maguire’s going to come back and freak out at you tomorrow?”

  The two exchanged a look before looking at her again. “We’re not worried,” Hannah said with a big grin. She was even wearing a Santa hat—something they hadn’t done at all this season in fear of upsetting their boss.

  Bailey looked at Amber. “Seriously? You don’t think this is going to cause any problems?”

  “Let’s just say we don’t think Dr. Maguire—or…Gavin, as you like to call him—is willing to lose his entire staff over it,” Amber replied, and she was wearing a pair of reindeer antlers with jingle bells on them.

  It was like she had walked back into her dream job only…she didn’t work here anymore, dammit. She wished there were a way to get her position back without having to actually see Gavin. And she knew that was a big fat lie too because she wanted to see him so badly that she was making herself crazy!

  Forcing thoughts of him from her mind so she could visit with her friends, Bailey smiled and looked around the room. “It really looks great in here—just like it used to.” She let out a happy sigh.

  “You know Dr. Maguire would hire you back in a heartbeat, Bailey,” Hannah said.

  “It’s true,” Amber chimed in. “Every client who came in this week asked about you and there were a lot of things that didn’t get done because you were always the one to do them and we were both too busy.”

  “Yeah, we forgot to make the reminder calls and yesterday we were overbooked because I kept accepting appointments without double checking who got rescheduled from Friday when we closed early,” Hannah explained.

  “It’s been a bit chaotic, to say the least. That’s why I think if you talked to him, Dr. Maguire would gladly give you your job back.”

  While it was good to know she was missed, it wasn’t that simple.

  Not that she was going to get into that right now.

  “So…where’s Lola? You’re sure she’s okay?”

  Both women nodded. The desk phone rang and Amber’s phone beeped with an incoming text at the same time. “She’s upstairs,” Amber said, glancing at her phone. “Why don’t you run up and see her while we take these calls?”

  With a shrug, Bailey agreed and made her way over to Gavin’s apartment door. Her hand hesitated at the handle because she knew once she opened it and went up the stairs, all the memories of the weekend would be all around her.

  She could hear Lola’s bark through the door and decided she could put her own heartbreak aside to go check on the dog. Closing the door behind her, she slowly walked up the stairs. When she reached the top, she had a sense of déjà vu.

  The apartment looked completely different—festive. It was decorated for Christmas except…there were no ornaments on the Christmas tree. That was…odd, but not as odd as it was seeing the transformation of the apartment. When she was standing in the middle of the living room, she heard a sound behind her. Bailey turned and stood in shock when she saw Gavin standing there.

  Patience was never his strong suit, but never so much was that theory put to the test than while he was waiting for Bailey to finally come up the stairs. And now that she was here, Gavin didn’t have the slightest clue what to say.

  “I…I didn’t think you’d be here,” Bailey said and he could hear the slight tremor in her voice.

  He took a tentative step toward her. “Oh, really?” he asked slowly. “Then what are you doing here?”

  The look on her face was priceless. She snuck a nervous glance at Lola and then back to him. “Um…I came by to see Hannah and Amber and heard Lola barking and I thought I’d come and see if she needed to go out.”

  Nodding, he took another step toward her and took it as a good sign when she didn’t move away. “That was very nice of you.” He paused. “So…how are you?”

  “I’m good. Really good,” she replied quickly. “Busy. Super busy. You know, getting ready for Christmas and all.”

  Nodding again, Gavin could tell Bailey was nervous and he was glad to know it wasn’t just him. “Did you get all of your baking done?”

  “Just about. I have another batch or two to bake, but I’ll do that later on after I’m done running errands.”

  “Mrs. Whitman was looking for your raspberry shortbread recipe. She was in yesterday and mentioned it.”

  A slow smile crossed her face and it took everything he had not to lean in and kiss her. “I’ll be sure to call her tonight and get that to her. Thanks.” They stood in companionable silence for a moment before she walked over and crouched down by Lola and the puppies. As she pet Lola and softly talked to her, there was something about her being there that just made everything feel better.

  When she stood up a minute later, she gave him a small smile. “I should go. I told the girls I could only stay for a little while and…it’s getting late.”

  “Don’t go!” he blurted out and saw the shocked look on Bailey’s face. “I mean…not yet. I…I’d really like to talk to you.”

  Bailey looked toward the stairs and then back to him. “I know the girls have things to do and so do I,” she said. “Maybe we can talk after the holidays.”

  When she went to turn toward the stairs, Gavin reached out and gently touched her arm. “Bailey, please. Just…can we sit down and talk? Five minutes, that’s all I ask.”

  “I don’t know, Gavin…”

  Carefully, he took her hand and led her over to the sofa and was relieved when she sat down. He quickly joined her but didn’t let go of her hand. “I’ve missed you.”

  She stared at their hands. He hoped she’d tell him she missed him too, but she stayed silent.

  “Do you like the way the clinic looks?”

  Now she did look up at him, her expression guarded. “You’ve seen it?”

  Gavin laughed softly. “Of course I’ve seen it. I was the one who did it last night after Amber and Hannah went home. I think I shocked them both this morning.”

  Slowly, Bailey pulled her hand from his. “But…why? Last week you fired me for doing the same thing.”

  Okay, maybe he hadn’t thought this through. “I know and I’m sorry about that, Bailey. Really. You have no idea how much I’ve been beating myself up over it. Ever since you left on Sunday, I’ve done nothing but think about it.”

  “And…what? This was your solution? Decorate the clinic like we’ve been begging you to and that would make everything better?” she asked, and it wasn’t hard to catch the sarcasm.

  “Not exactly…”

  “Then why, Gavin?” Bailey cried as she jumped to her feet. “Did you suddenly have some sort of epiphany? Did you get visited by three ghosts? I mean…you have to admit that the timing really sucks!”

  He stood and reached for her hand but she moved away before he could touch her. “I know, and again, I’m sorry. Last week sort of feels like a lifetime ago. You made me think about things that I’ve tried to avoid and once I was here by myself, I had nothing to do but think.”

  “And?” she asked snarkily, her arms crossed over her chest.

  “And I realized there was a reason I decided to move to Silver Bell Falls. It wasn’t a conscious decision, but it was one that I can’t possibly deny.” He paused. “I knew what kind of place this was even before I came to see the clinic for the first time. I had done my research and I knew exactly what I was getting into. Part of me longed to be part of a community that seemed so…so joyful. So accept
ing.”

  “We are,” she interrupted with a bit less snark.

  “But I thought I could just show up and things would magically change. I didn’t realize that I was part of the problem—that my attitude and the wall I built around myself as a form of preservation would actually hinder any relationship I tried to have.”

  “You didn’t try very hard,” she murmured.

  Now he stepped forward again and when he reached for her hand, she didn’t pull away. “You’re right. I didn’t. I thought I’d come here and automatically be accepted. Then I realized that acceptance is a give and take.”

  “For such a smart guy, you can be clueless sometimes,” she said, but there was very little heat behind her words. A small smile played at her lips and when he moved even closer, he could feel her relax.

  “I am, but I’m learning. And I’m going to keep learning,” he promised.

  “That’s good, Gavin. I’m happy for you.”

  And the thing was, he knew she telling the truth. But he wanted more than for her to be happy for him, he wanted Bailey beside him as he navigated this new way of life—which is what he said to her. “I know I behaved like a total jerk and I haven’t given you any real reason to trust me, but I’d like a chance to prove how much you mean to me.”

  Her eyes went wide at his words. “Gavin…”

  “No, hear me out. Please,” he begged, squeezing her hand gently. “This week, I got invited to fourteen Christmas dinners. Fourteen! I’ve never been invited to fourteen regular dinners so I have to admit I was a little overwhelmed.”

  She laughed softly as she shook her head. “You probably would have had a lot more invitations sooner if you actually talked to people.”

  He laughed with her, loving how light and happy he felt. “Maybe, but I didn’t want to commit to anyone just yet.”

  “Holding out for a better offer?” she asked, but now there was a twinkle in her eye that told him she was teasing. Unable to help himself, he tugged her in close until they were touching from head to toe.

  “I think I am,” he admitted gruffly.

  His name came out as a soft sigh just before Gavin captured her lips with his. It was like the sweetest homecoming. Bailey’s purse dropped to the floor as her arms went around him and feeling her pressed up against him was better than he ever imagined.

  Maybe there was something to all this Christmas magic he’d always heard about after all.

  13

  “Oh, my gosh!” Bailey cried minutes later, breaking the kiss. “The girls! Hannah and Amber have to be wondering what I’m still doing up here!” She went to move out of his arms, but Gavin held her firm.

  “Actually, they’re not.”

  She froze and looked at him. “What? How do you know?”

  “Because they’re gone. They went home already.”

  Now she was seriously confused. “I don’t…wait…what’s going on?”

  Sighing dramatically, Gavin planted a quick kiss on her lips before explaining. “I asked them to get you here so I could talk to you.”

  And she was still confused. “Why didn’t you just call me yourself?”

  He shrugged. “I wasn’t sure if you’d take my call after the way things went this weekend and I thought it would be better if they called you.”

  Pulling back, she frowned at him. “So…was Lola ever on the run?”

  He shook his head. “No.”

  Part of her really wanted to be annoyed, but relief was the bigger emotion at knowing the dog had never been in danger. On top of that, he felt so good and warm and smelled even better that she just couldn’t be mad. If a little white lie is what it took to get them here, she could be okay with it. “That means I drove around for thirty minutes worried sick for no reason. Do I have that right?”

  “Unfortunately, yes.” He gave her a lopsided grin and kissed her again. “Are you mad?”

  “No,” she said softly. “I’m glad Lola’s safe and I’m glad you took the first step to getting us here.”

  “I know I shouldn’t have lied—or asked Amber and Hannah to lie—but I didn’t know what else to do.”

  She studied him for a moment. “How did you explain it to them? I mean, didn’t they think it was odd to go through such an elaborate ruse to get me here?”

  Gavin maneuvered them back to the sofa where they sat down. “First, I called them both last night and asked them to come in thirty minutes early today.”

  “Oh, boy…”

  “Then I shocked them with the Christmas decorations.”

  “I wish I could have seen their faces!”

  He chuckled. “I have to admit, it was kind of priceless. Both of their faces were full of confusion, then shock, then total curiosity.”

  “I’ll bet. So what did you tell them?”

  “I apologized for being such a jerk about the whole thing and told them that if there was anything they wanted to add to display, they were more than welcome to.”

  “Very generous of you.”

  He smiled and kissed her hand. “Thank you. Then I sat them both down and explained a little about my past, what I do on Thursdays, and how I had fallen hopelessly and completely in love with you.”

  She gasped and felt like her heart squeezed hard in her chest. “What?”

  Scooting closer to her, Gavin nodded. “It’s true, Bailey. I fought how I felt about you for a long time. I’ve been attracted to you almost since we met but we always seemed to be arguing and disagreeing about everything so I told myself it was simply a physical thing and that I’d get over it. After a while, I realized I couldn’t.”

  “Oh, Gavin…” She reached up and cupped his cheek.

  Resting his forehead against hers, he continued. “Of course, you manage to push every single one of my buttons with your chatty nature and overall enthusiastic attitude.” He chuckled again. “But once we were forced to interact with each other outside of work, I knew it was those things that made you who you are. And who you are is an amazing woman, Bailey.”

  “Wow,” she sighed, leaning into him. How was it possible that less than a week ago she thought of him as Dr. Grinch? And how had she worked side by side with him for almost a year without knowing how he felt or trying harder to get to know him?

  Bailey caressed his cheek as she looked at him in wonder. “How did we get here? I still can’t believe it. It’s like an amazing dream and I’m afraid I’m going to wake up.”

  “We’re here because you are an incredible woman who has captured my heart. When I’m with you, everything feels like it’s going to be okay—more than okay! You give me hope, Bailey. You are everything that is good and pure and right in this world.”

  But she shook her head. “No, no I’m not.”

  He pulled back. “How can you even say that?”

  “You pointed something out to me the other day that…that sort of made me ashamed of myself.”

  The tortured look on his face was almost more than she could bear.

  “I did have a very privileged life—I have two parents who love each other, siblings, a wonderful home, and I’ve never known what it’s like to struggle. I never even thought about what that would be like because nothing like that ever touched my life.” She paused and remembered her carload of gifts she still needed to bring to the shelter and told him about them. “I know it’s not much, but it’s a start. I want to help more and find ways to volunteer my time.”

  Gavin hugged her close and kissed her cheek. “I think that’s a wonderful idea and I know Matt and his staff are going to be very appreciative.”

  “Plus I want to swing by my house and grab some cookies to bring with me. Maybe they can put them out on Christmas Eve for the kids or something.”

  “You baked extra?”

  She laughed, “No, but I ate enough of them myself that I have to bake some more so I can spare a couple of dozen to bring to the shelter today.”

  “See? You’re amazing.” He kissed her again and if Bailey wasn’
t so determined to get her care packages to the shelter, she would let him keep on kissing her.

  Pulling back, she was breathless. “How about I go and do that and we get together for dinner later?”

  “Or…”

  She grinned. “Or?”

  “Or I go with you, we go to the shelter together, and then bring all of your baking supplies and an overnight bag back here. I’ll make dinner while you bake and then I can take you to bed and make up for lost time.”

  “Ooh…I like the way you think!” This time she leaned in to kiss him and practically melted in his arms before he moved away. She blinked at him in confusion.

  “If we don’t stop now, nothing’s getting to the clinic, no cookies will get baked, and we quite possibly could starve, so…”

  “Okay, okay…I see what you’re getting at.” She stood and stretched and then smiled when Gavin stood and had her in his arms again.

  “But we can spare a few more minutes, right?” he asked between kisses.

  “Absolutely.”

  It was after eight and they were just sitting down to dinner—Chinese takeout. Their time at the shelter had taken a bit longer than they had anticipated, but they found Lola’s owner and spent some time showing him pictures of her and the puppies. His name was Roger, and he was so grateful for everything Gavin and Bailey did for his beloved pet that neither felt right about rushing to leave.

  “Matt found a job for me,” Roger had told them, “and I start on Monday. It’s not much but by the end of January I should have enough money to get off the streets and into a small place of my own.”

  “That’s wonderful,” Gavin had said. “Good for you.”

  “Here’s the thing,” he went on, “I don’t think I can keep Lola. The place I’m hoping to get doesn’t allow pets and…I know she’s going to be with you for a while, but I wanted to ask you to find her a good home. One with a family and a yard and someplace she can be warm and dry and well fed. Can you do that?”

  Gavin had looked over at Bailey and saw the tears in her eyes. Holding one of her hands in his, he told Roger he’d make sure Lola found the best home and he’d send him updates.