“You haven’t seen her in over six years. You didn’t even know Jim was dead, or that they had a child. People change, yet you’re going to invite her to live with you. Are you out of your mind?”
“Not her.” He spoke with enough authority that Jason just looked at him, his eyes wide. “I couldn’t just do nothing. If things were the other way around, I know they’d have done the same. Nora and Destiny deserve a few days outside of the hospital before the treatments begin. They’re going to stay with me, end of story. I have the room and I want them there.”
Jason set his coffee down with a thump and shook his head. “You’re attracted to her.”
“What?”
“You heard me. Tell me I’m wrong and I won’t say another word.” When Brian didn’t deny it, Jason nodded. “I’m right. That’s why you invited her to stay with you.”
“I invited her because it’s the right thing to do. Now there’s nothing more to say on this.” Brian grabbed the folders he’d placed on the counter and turned to leave.
“That woman is going through enough right now. I don’t think it’s wise for you to get involved.”
“I’m already involved.” He strolled out of the lounge without another word. He’d check on the last patient and then find Nora. What he wouldn’t do was let Jason make him doubt what he was doing. Jason was the older brother and the two of them had always looked out for each other, but right now Brian didn’t need that.
Once he got them out of the hospital and back to the house, the pressure would be off. There wouldn’t be anyone around watching them intently, wondering what was happening between them. He could catch up on old times with her and begin to get to know her again. Damn, he couldn’t wait to have her alone, without the distractions of the hospital.
Even as his thoughts twirled around her, he reminded himself that he couldn’t have a relationship with her. Not with how he’d left things with Jim. She deserved someone better than him, someone like the man Jim was. He’d be there for her as a friend, maybe even a surrogate father to Destiny, but nothing more.
Twenty minutes later he finally stepped off the elevator, heading toward Destiny’s room. As he neared, soft giggles escaped the room, mixing with Nora’s voice. They were in high spirits today because they were being released from this prison.
“Excuse me, there’s none of that in a hospital.” He teased from the doorway, watching as Nora tickled Destiny’s feet and the little girl wiggled around in the bed.
“Mommy.” The little girl squealed.
“Oh, Brian, come in.” Nora turned to him and smiled. “Destiny, this is Doctor West, he’s the friend of mine that I told you we’d be staying with for the next few days.”
“Where’s his white coat?” She scooted up to the edge of the bed and eyed him with reservation.
“I left it in my office since I’m off duty, but if you’d like to see the proof I can take you there.” He stepped into the room and placed his hands on the foot rail of the bed. “How about my hospital badge? Is that enough proof for you?” He held out the badge to her.
She looked at it and then at him. “Are you going to poke me again?”
“Poke?” He looked to Nora.
“She means the needles. There’s been lots of blood work and other testing done today. She’s tired of all of the jabs,” Nora explained.
“Oh, no, sweetie. I’m just here to see if you’re ready to go. I’m not here as a doctor.” He clipped his badge back onto the pocket of his dress shirt. “To prove it, you can call me Brian instead of Doctor West.”
“I’m hungry and Mommy said we could get pizza.”
“Did she?” He glanced at Nora who was busy putting the last remaining things in a suitcase. “I think we can arrange for you to have the best pizza you’ve ever dreamed of having.”
“Mmm, pizza.” She bounced on the bed.
“You feed that girl pizza and she’s yours forever. It’s the way to her heart.”
How about a way into her mother’s heart? He swallowed the thought before he opened his mouth and ended up inserting his foot there. “Well, Greta makes a pizza that most would give their right arm for.”
“Oh no, we can stop by somewhere. I don’t want to put Greta out.” Nora handed Destiny her coat.
He chuckled. “Greta’s called twice today to find out what Destiny wanted for dinner. So you’d be putting her out if you wanted to order something. She’s excited to cook for people, and that I’m going to be home at a reasonable hour.”
“Who’s Greta?” Destiny slipped her arms into her coat and picked up her teddy bear.
“She’s a good friend of mine. She lives at my house too and kind of keeps things tidy.”
“So, like a Mommy. She’s your mommy.” She jumped off the bed and came over to him.
“Greta is his housekeeper, not his mother.” Nora shut the suitcase. “Are you ready, sweetie?”
When the little girl nodded, he stepped around her, and placed his hand over Nora’s on the suitcase. “I’ll take that.”
She gave him a light laugh and nodded. “Fine, I’ll grab the smaller one.”
“Mommy, will I have to come back here?” Destiny grabbed a pillow from the edge of the bed and tucked it under her arm.
“Sweetie, remember, we talked about this last night. We’ll be coming back every day for you to get medication to make you all better, but if everything goes okay you won’t have to stay the night anymore.”
“When do we come back?”
“In a few days.” She took hold of her daughter’s hand. “Ready?”
The little girl nodded and both of them turned to look at him. “I’m at your disposal,” he said, grabbing the bag and walking toward them. “Where are you parked?”
“Near the front of the hospital.”
“Then how about you ladies come with me? The doctor’s parking lot is closer, that’s where my car is, and we’ll drive around the building to your car. That way you can follow me back to the house.”
Nora nodded and they left the room. When they neared the nurses’ station, Carly stepped around the counter and squatted before Destiny.
“I heard you were going home today and I’m glad I caught you because I have something for you.” The nurse reached into her pocket and pulled out a small star keychain. “When I was a little girl I was sick just like you, so I had a keychain just like this. I put it around my stuffed animal and every time I had to be jabbed or didn’t feel good, I would rub it.”
“Did it make you feel better?”
“Not right away, but every night I’d make a wish. You know how you’re supposed to make a wish upon a star in the sky? Well, I’d do the same thing with this and eventually I got better.”
“You’re all better now?” Destiny touched the keychain, her thumb glided over the smooth silver star.
Carly nodded. “I haven’t been sick in a very long time. Now I want you to have it. If you do just what I told you, I know you’ll be better, too.”
“Really?”
“Yes. Doctor Mathews and the rest of us here are going to do our part. Will you do yours?” She held out the keychain.
“I will.” Destiny nodded and took the keychain. “Will I see you again?”
“Yes. I’ll still be here, and I’ll make sure of it.”
Destiny wrapped her arms around Carly’s neck and kissed her cheek. “Thank you.”
“Come on, sweetie.” Nora laid her hand on her daughter’s shoulder.
“I’ll see you again real soon,” Carly told her as Destiny slipped her arm from around her neck. “You be good for your mom.”
Brian had watched the exchange silently. Carly was new there, and young; she cared for the patients, but that could burn her out in the long run. She showed a compassion some of the other nurses had hardened from over the years. This ward was more challenging than some of the others in the hospital, and saw more rotation with the nurses because of it.
Carly was good with Destiny, and he was sure
she was with the other children, he just hoped it didn’t burn her out quicker. They needed more nurses like her, who took the time to give an encouraging word to a child in need. Touched and filled with hope for the future, Brian walked with the two ladies out of the hospital and into the parking garage.
Chapter Seven
Nora opened the car door, stood, and looked up at the large two story brick house. It was beautiful and grand with thick white pillars in front. Trees surrounded the house on all sides, while still allowing plenty of open space.
“Mommy, look at the deer!”
“I see, sweetie.” Even after looking to where her daughter was pointing, she couldn’t keep her attention from the house. She looked back toward the front door as an older woman with short brown hair stepped outside.
“You’re finally here.” She came down the steps, heading straight to Destiny. “Aww, what a cutie you are. I’m Greta, and you must be Destiny.”
The little girl nodded. “That’s Mommy.”
Nora came around the car. “I’m Nora. It’s nice to meet you.”
“You too. Now if I could steal your little girl away for a bit, I have a welcome treat for her.” Greta held out her hand.
“Mommy, can I?”
Nora paused, looking between Greta and her daughter. “Okay, but don’t cause any trouble. I don’t want you spoiling your dinner, either.”
“Just a little snack to welcome her.” Greta winked at the little girl. “Then she can help me with the pizza.”
“Behave,” she warned her daughter as the two of them headed back into the house.
“Now that she has you two, I’ve been completely ignored,” Brian teased. “I guess that leaves us to bring the stuff in.”
“Greta seems nice and motherly. I bet you catch hell with your long hours.”
“More than you know.” He nodded and grabbed the suitcases he’d set aside. “She’s been so excited about the two of you staying here. She loves kids and has even offered to watch her while you search for an apartment if you’d like. Not that there’s any rush on that.”
She reached into the car and grabbed Destiny’s pillow and stuffed animal that she’d left behind. “I know you want to get back to your life. You don’t want us hanging around. I checked the paper this morning and left a message about one. We’ll have to wait to see when they call me back. The other two I called about were already taken.”
“Places around here go fast…and I’m serious, there’s no rush. Now let me show you around.” He headed up the steps to the front door, leaving her no choice but to follow.
She still wasn’t sure how to handle him or this forbidden attraction she had toward him. Their near kiss the night before still weighed on her mind, but it seemed as if he had forgotten. There was no uncomfortable mess or unease between them, but she couldn’t stop thinking about it.
Part of her wished they had kissed, then the tension wouldn’t have been there. She could have written it off as a mistake and moved on. Now, it seemed like yet another thing she’d let slip through her fingers. A near miss.
She wanted to feel his hands on her again, caressing up her back, just holding her. She longed for the comfort, not just the sexual side of things. She never realized how much she had missed it until suddenly she had it again but it was forbidden. It held so much more desire since it was a temptation she knew she had to deny.
Settled into their temporary accommodations, Nora set out a few of Destiny’s toys, doing her best to make the place feel like home. She wasn’t sure how long they’d be there, but she wanted her daughter to be able to play with whatever she wanted. The few days before the treatments started, they were going to try to forget about the cancer and just be normal.
“Mommy.” Destiny came running into the room. “Greta showed me the pool. Can we go swimming now?”
“Not tonight, sweetie.” She sat one of the baby dolls she’d unpacked onto the chair. “You had a busy day already so we’re going to take it easy tonight. We’re going to have pizza and then I’ll put a movie on for you.”
Destiny went to the bed and grabbed her teddy bear. “Is this my room?”
Nora nodded. “I thought you would like the purple comforter. The bathroom is across the hall. I’ve taken the room next to this, unless you want me to stay with you.”
“I’m a big girl. I can sleep all by myself,” her little girl stated proudly. “The bed matches my pillow.”
“I know.” She smiled. Purple was Destiny’s favorite. A few months before her daughter got sick, they had painted her bedroom in a pale lavender to accent the purple and white design. It was one of the saddest parts of having to sell the house because it was the first sign her baby was growing up.
“There you are.” Brian stood in the doorway. “Destiny, there’s someone here to see you.”
“Me?” She placed her bear on the bed. “Who?”
“Doctor Mathews and his wife.”
“Doctor Mathews?” Nora’s voice cracked and the worst thoughts ran through her mind. Had they found something else on the test results? Did Destiny no longer qualify for the study? Did that mean she’d have to go back to the hospital?
Brian stepped away from the doorway and went to Nora. He wrapped his arm around her shoulder, squeezing her gently. “It’s a social visit, don’t worry.”
“Social for you, maybe, but why does he want to see Destiny?”
“Sweetie, why don’t you go ahead downstairs? Your mom and I will be down in a moment.” He waited until the little girl practically skipped from the room before he turned back to Nora. “His wife, Chelsea, lost her daughter to cancer a few years ago. In her memory, she started a charity—Hope’s Toy Chest. It started out delivering presents to children at Cedar Grove for Christmas, and has expanded. This past Christmas the two of them helped a parent put together a Christmas celebration for her daughter a few weeks early because she wasn’t expected to make it. Chelsea takes toys to children who just need a pick-me-up.”
“I don’t understand. Why are they here?”
“You left most of your stuff behind to move here and get Destiny the best care. Chelsea wanted to drop a few toys off for her to play with. Before you say it, I had nothing to do with it, this was Kingsley’s idea. It will give her something new to play with.”
She looked at the few things she’d put out for Destiny and nodded. Space in the car was limited and toys weren’t the top priority when they were packing. They were only able to take her favorite things, and even that was inadequate. “You said Hope’s Toy Chest was started in memory of her daughter…”
“Hope, she passed away a few years ago.” He ran a hand down the length of her arm. “Don’t think about it. Destiny is going to be okay. We’re going to get through this.”
“There are no guarantees in life.”
“I know.” He pulled her around to the front of him. “Destiny is going to beat this. She did it once before and she’s going to do it again.”
“I hope so.” She blinked the tears away. “I don’t know how I’d go on without her.”
“You’re not going to have to think about that because you won’t have to. Trust me, she’s going to pull through this and she’ll be stronger than before.” He kissed her forehead. “What do you say, shall we go downstairs?”
She nodded and he took her hand. “This is sweet of them but they didn’t have to do something like this. I’m sure there are plenty of others who need it more.”
“This is what Chelsea does. It’s kept her sane and helped her get over the loss of her daughter. She just recently agreed with Kingsley to bring on someone to help her and that’s only because she found out she was pregnant.”
“Pregnant, that’s wonderful.” She remembered how joyous it was when she found out she was pregnant with Destiny. Even after the news came that Jim had been killed, being pregnant was the one thing that kept her going.
“They married almost a year ago and have been trying for several months. They
just found out a few weeks ago and she’s due at the end of September. She wants to train someone she trusts before she’s too far along. With her due date so close to the busy season for Hope’s Toy Chest, she wants to make sure whoever she brings on to help is able to handle it,” he explained on their way downstairs.
“Sounds like it will be a busy time for her. A new baby, the holidays, the charity, it will keep her on her toes.”
“I’m not sure if Chelsea knows any other way.” He chuckled. “It seems like every few months she’s got an idea to make the charity better than it was before.”
“It sounds like a great organization.” She had been involved in charity work before her daughter was born. It was mostly visiting injured military personnel at the hospital, talking with their families, making sure their needs were met, and sending care packages. She had been very involved with her husband’s platoon and had made the most out of military life. It had been a way to ease the loneliness.
But when Jim was killed, that ended. All the friends she had were military spouses and they seemed to fall away after she moved off base. Their lives were different. The months before Destiny’s birth had been the longest and loneliest time in her life. It was sad that with Jim’s death she’d lost so much more than just her husband.
“Mommy, Mommy, look.” Destiny hollered to her the moment they came around the corner to the living room where everyone had gathered. She held up a big purple stuffed dog with white spots. “It’s a message dog. There are these markers and you can draw or write all over him. Then you throw him in the wash to clean him, so you can do it all over again.”
“Wow, and he’s your favorite colors. Did you say thank you?”
Destiny nodded and uncapped one of the pens to start doodling on her dog.
“Hello, I’m Chelsea. I hope you don’t mind the impromptu visit, but I thought Destiny might like a few new toys to keep her busy.”
“It’s very kind of you, thank you.” She looked around, suddenly unsure what she should do.
“Nora, you okay?” Brian touched her arm.
“Sorry, normally I’d offer a guest a coffee or something, but as I’m a guest here I’m not sure what to do. It’s the southern heritage in me.” Everyone shared a good laugh while she began to feel slightly at ease.
Destiny's Wish Page 4
