Eggnog and Candy Canes: A Blueberry Springs Christmas Novella

by Oram, Jean

  “Is she here?” He perked up like a boy expecting Santa.

  “She managed to get back home to check on her turkey—only she can do that, apparently. And it sounds as though she’s snowed in now. A lot has come down.”

  Her father tossed the blanket off his legs, eyes lolling back in his head at the sudden effort. “I need to go shovel for her!”

  “No.” Katie gently pressed him back into bed. “You can’t go anywhere.”

  “But…” He pouted, then glared at Nash, who was watching from the doorway. “You—” he pointed a finger “—said I could go home after I got this dang-blasted thing out!”

  “I said maybe. The day is still young, Mr. Reiter.” Nash flashed a smile and hightailed it from the room.

  Katie wished she could, too. Maybe follow him, then trap him in a broom closet for a little post-op shakedown. Because honestly? What was up with getting snowed in at work on Christmas Day and having your father around like a chaperone, when you could be getting it on with the most eligible man in town?

  * * *

  “Katie, could I speak to you for a moment?” Nash stood in the doorway to the continuing care area, where she was checking on the residents. The gleam in his eyes had her up and across the room before she remembered to act cool.

  Way too late for that now.

  “Yes?”

  He pulled her into the hall, double-checking to make sure nobody was listening. Katie almost laughed. There were no secrets in Blueberry Springs. For example, everyone had known Beth was pregnant almost before the mom-to-be did. They had known Devon’s sister Mandy loved her best friend Frankie and that it was just a matter of time before they hit the sack and created magic. And everyone knew Jen Kulak, the local guide, hadn’t burned down the forest. Oh, and Amber—daughter of one of Benny’s long-standing waitresses, Gloria—had a new boyfriend who was away a suspicious amount of time. Not that Amber, who was gaga for the guy, seemed to see anything odd in that.

  “You know how you were talking outside your parents’ place last night about—”

  Katie leaped on him, finger pressed to his lips. “Shh!” She glanced up and down the hall, then dragged Nash off, seeking somewhere more private.

  More private, more private…where was that? The place was dead, but there was nowhere exactly private. Staff room? Amy could walk in. Operating room? Trey was cleaning it. ER? Someone might come in needing medical help. There was nowhere. Nowhere inside. She hip-checked the ER’s side door and pushed, using it like a plow. The snow had piled up so much that even with the entry’s mini overhang the drifts were blocking the way.

  “You don’t think people will be suspicious of us out in a snowstorm?” Nash shouted, above the wind howling through the doorway.

  Shards of ice and snow stung her cheeks. Wow! When had all this blown in? Not too long ago there had been beautiful, fat flakes blocking out the midday sun. Now it was a raging midafternoon blizzard.

  Katie pushed Nash back indoors. Well, mostly she hurtled back to his side, seeing as he’d been too smart to come out in the first place. He brushed the snow from her shoulders and smoothed her hair. “Cold enough for you?”

  “Shut up,” she muttered. “This is as private as it is going to get.”

  He sighed, his posture sagging in defeat. “Fine. I was talking to my friend Monica.” He lowered his voice as Katie shushed him. “And she says you can intern for her in Dakota. However long you need to figure out decorating. She does residential as well as businesses. Homes, hotels, building lobbies, you name it.”

  “You called her on Christmas Day?” Who was this woman to him?

  “Yes.”

  “Did you at least wish her a wonderful Christmas before asking a favor?”

  “She’s Jewish.”

  “I can’t really afford to be an intern, but thank you for asking her.”

  “She would pay you well.”

  Katie couldn’t meet his eyes. She hadn’t shared her dream with anyone because she knew they’d then expect her to seize the day, make it happen, then skip off into the tastefully decorated sunset. All the while adding commentary on why she wasn’t doing this, that or the other thing faster and better. Everyone would become an expert on her life, her career. But how could she make a living, picking out the right curtains to make a space feel homey? Who would pay for that sort of thing in Blueberry Springs? She’d have to leave everything: her hometown, her friends, her family, as well as a perfectly okay job.

  All she wanted was to be happy. Was that too much to ask?

  It probably wasn’t, seeing as Nash was here to lift her onto the stepping stone between where she was and where she wanted to be.

  The problem was, something like this would change her entire life.

  “You could stay with me, or Monica, until you found a place. Take your time and add some experience, build a client base and then go out on your own.”

  “Quit pushing me,” she whispered. This was just like with Beth. Nash had tried to make her into something she wasn’t. And now he was trying to change Katie—make her become a decorator. And even though it was her dream to change careers, there were a lot of good reasons why Katie hadn’t made that change on her own—and finding a place to intern wasn’t one of them. Nash only saw the end result and not the hitches along the way. If she followed the path to decorating she would change herself as well as her entire life, and, frankly, she wasn’t sure she was ready for that.

  “I’m sorry.” Nash pulled her close, hugging her with one arm. “I took it too far, too fast, didn’t I? Grabbed your idea and ran with it, forgetting it was yours.”

  She nodded reluctantly. Now she felt like a big baby. He was trying to help and she was afraid to face change.

  “Nursing isn’t really that bad,” she said.

  “I didn’t mean to scare you off.”

  “You didn’t scare me off.” Was this man a mind reader? Holy moly. She scooted out from under his arm. “And for your information, you don’t determine me or my life.”

  “You should do this, Katie.” He’d taken her slipping away to his advantage and faced her, grasping her arms. “You have what it takes.”

  “From what I’ve heard, I’m a good nurse, too.”

  “But does it still do it for you? Does it make you want to get out of bed each morning? Is it all you think about? Can you hardly wait to dive into each and every day? Do you lose yourself in it?”

  “What about you? I thought your big dream was administration?”

  He let go. “Beth told me I’d miss my patients, and she was right. I do.” His expression clouded. “I’ve made many mistakes in my life, but you won’t know if this is your real dream unless you chase it. What if there is something better out there for you?”

  “Look, I’ve given it a lot of thought. It won’t work, okay? It was only Mom’s eggnog talking.” Katie crossed her arms and backed down the hallway. “So let’s drop it. It never happened.”

  “It wasn’t the eggnog.”

  “You don’t know squat.” Katie hurried away, ticked that Nash was pursuing her.

  “I know plenty and I know you aren’t happy.” He snagged her arm, turning her to him, his free hand at her jaw. He tipped her head up, his eyes serious. It was just like in her romance novels.

  She got it now. To have someone care enough to chase you down when you were upset. To not care if you got mad at them, because they needed to see you. To understand you. To show that you weren’t alone.

  Too bad it was Nash. A man who would be leaving in less than twenty-four hours.

  “You need things your life isn’t giving you, Katie.” He lowered his mouth to hers and she sagged against him, knowing he could give her so many things. So many things.

  But so many problems, too.

  She pushed him away.

  “What do you want from me, Nash? Am I just your new pet project?”

  “No, Katie. You are the woman I’ve always needed.”

  Okay, she
was going to swoon. He’d better be ready to catch her, because it was happening in three, two, one…

  No, she was not going to swoon. He was totally the wrong guy, even though he was perfect in so many ways.

  All the ways in which he wasn’t perfect? He was trying to take over her life, as he had with Beth. He was leaving town tomorrow. He was Beth’s ex. Katie’s brother’s arch rival. Her own nemesis. And he was a controlling perfectionist.

  In other words, he was Nash.

  She launched herself at him, banging him against the wall of the hospital hallway, her lips moving in a flurry over his warm skin. He lifted her up—man, he was strong—and turned so her spine was against the wall, her butt riding the narrow railing that ran along the corridor. His back was warm under her hands and his buttocks were a most excellent blend of firm and soft. Her body was tingling and she never wanted to let go.

  “Well now,” said a familiar voice, and Katie fell off the railing as Nash stepped back in surprise. She crashed against him, cheeks burning.

  “Mary Alice,” she croaked. “There’s a blizzard out there.”

  The woman harrumphed, sending her large bosom lifting under her black snowmobile suit. “Give me some credit, kid.” She brushed the skin near Katie’s mouth. “You have some of Nash’s tonsils on your cheek.”

  He laughed and Katie sent him a glare.

  “Mary Alice.” Nash gave the woman a hug.

  Nash hugging Mary Alice? Okay, something was definitely up. Mary Alice and her sister, Liz, had practically run him out of town when he’d been chasing Beth. And when, weeks after the broken engagement and failed wedding, he’d gone back to the city, the sisters had all but dusted their hands and locked the town gates behind him. Not that the town had gates, but still, metaphorically speaking.

  And now? The sisters were acting way too welcoming around Nash. It had to be more than his cologne setting them off. Cologne he seemed to not be wearing today.

  Mary Alice released him and swung her snowmobile helmet jauntily. “Now, where is that father of yours, Katie?”

  She inhaled sharply. Her father! He was still in the recovery room. Katie spun on her heel and took off, the squeak of Mary Alice’s wet boots trailing behind her.

  Pausing outside her father’s door, Katie turned to Mary Alice. The woman unzipped her thick, one-piece snowsuit and plunged a hand down the neck of her fuzzy sweater. She fished around, her lips twisted in concentration. Her face brightened as she pulled an envelope from her cleavage. “I have a card for Harvey. Brownies, too. From Mandy’s restaurant. Got them yesterday.” She began exploring her cleavage again.

  “Well, that’s nice. Warm brownies. He’ll like that.” Katie fought her gag reflex at the thought of eating brownies warmed by Mary Alice’s mega breasts. “It will be a few hours before he’s up to eating. He just had surgery.”

  “It’s the thought that counts. Did you know that when I had my hysterectomy last spring I went and saw Nash in the city? He made me feel so much better about it all. You don’t need a womb to be a woman.”

  Katie shook the image of Mary Alice and Nash discussing reproductive parts from her mind. “That’s…lovely.”

  “Did you know his ex-wife used to be a lawyer? Well, she still is, actually. Very nice lady. She’s hoping he’ll find someone nice to marry.” Mary Alice gave Katie an assessing glance.

  “That’s great that they’re still friends.”

  “Beth and Nash are, too, you know. Not all men can remain friends with an ex.”

  “Yeah, rather odd, huh? Well, here we are.” She peeked into the recovery area, where her father was sleeping. “He’s ready to go back to a regular room. Do you want to meet me in 107 in a few minutes?”

  But Mary Alice followed her in, making herself at home. “What a place to spend Christmas. No offense to those who work here, but I mean, you understand…” She patted Katie’s shoulder, then roused Harvey with a foot jiggle. “Hey, old man! What’s the meaning of having appendicitis on your wife’s big day, huh? Trying to get yourself killed? Angelica might be sweet and kind, but I don’t doubt she’d take you out if amply motivated. We’d better get you home, pronto.” Mary Alice waved a hand for Katie to help her as she began whipping blankets off him.

  “He hasn’t been cleared for anything but a regular room. He got out of the OR less than forty minutes ago.” Katie grabbed the blankets back and flung them over the shivering man.

  “I’m cold,” her father said groggily. “Mary Alice, you look different.”

  “Oh? You like my hair?” She fluffed her short do and twisted her head from side to side.

  “Maybe you could bring my mom here,” Katie said, regretting the words as they left her mouth. “You managed to get through the snow. Wouldn’t it be safer to try and bring Mom here instead of take Dad home?”

  “Nonsense. I’m already here.” Mary Alice lifted Harvey’s arm and studied his IV. “How do you take one of these things out without making blood squirt everywhere?”

  “I’ll call security, Mary Alice,” Katie warned. Nobody messed with Nurse Reiter and her orders. Not even Mary Alice.

  “I want to go home,” her father said. He struggled to sit up.

  “Not a chance.” She pushed her father back into a prone position. “Mary Alice…” Katie used her best warning voice.

  Mary Alice lowered Harvey’s arm and stared at her in shock. “Don’t you go taking that tone with me.” She lumbered over for a showdown. “And just so you know, Miss Katie Reiter, security isn’t on tonight. Went home two hours ago. Had a nice rum and eggnog at your parents’ place.”

  “Then I’ll call Scott. He’ll…arrest you.” Katie winced. She was grasping at straws. Scott had never arrested a soul—not even Mandy, when he’d busted her spray painting her feelings for her best friend, Frankie, on the town’s water tower. Apprehended her, yes. Arrested? Nope.

  “I think he’s consoling Amber, since her boyfriend, Russell, got stuck in the city.” Mary Alice gave Katie a knowing look. “Again.”

  “She’s not going to cheat on Russell. Mr. Book Deal is The One. Scott is just…he’s…” He was a good friend who looked out for Amber. That was all. And yeah, maybe Scott still had a bit of a schoolboy crush on Amber, but that would never lead to anything between the two of them.

  “Look, Mary Alice, you’ll be endangering my father’s life if you move him. There will be other Christmases.”

  “Not like this there won’t.” She turned to Harvey. “I’ll bet you faked this attack, just like Katie asked to be put on the Christmas shifts.” Mary Alice drew herself up, her snowsuit expanding in an alarming fashion. “You two might not respect the hard work that Angelica went to in order to ensure you have a good holiday season, but I, for one, will not stand here and allow you to ruin it!” The woman’s eyes were damp.

  Katie’s adrenaline surged. Something was wrong. Really, terribly wrong.

  “Mary Alice…” The soft words came from Nash. He walked slowly over and embraced her. To Katie’s surprise, Mary Alice began sobbing.

  He shushed her as he would a baby. Katie, unable to focus on anything else, watched in shock. Finally, she broke her spell by checking on her father. He was sleeping again. Quietly, she began prepping him for the move, hoping not to disturb the hugging duo.

  This was another side of Nash she’d never seen before. He used to come across as cold and professional, but no more, and to mark the change, he was consoling one of the strongest women in town. More importantly, he knew whatever it was that was upsetting her.

  Mary Alice had to be dying.

  Heat flushed through Katie and she nearly fell over. What would Blueberry Springs be like without the woman? Mary Alice knew everyone and their business, and was there for the good, the bad, and the in between, always ready to help in the way she felt was best. And let’s face it, in the case of Beth and Nash—which everyone knew was a bad idea—hinder. She was the core of this town and without her they’d just be someplace
out in the wilderness.

  And speaking of wilderness, Jen Kulak, the nature guide who worked at Wally’s Sporting Goods, was tracking massive amounts of snow through the halls as though all was right with the world. The woman paused and stared through the doorway, ski goggles half buried in her snow laden hat.

  “Is there a doctor here today?” she asked.

  “I’m a doctor.” Nash released Mary Alice, who surreptitiously wiped her eyes.

  “Who are you?” Jen inquired.

  “Dr. Leham,” Katie said. “He used to work here a few years back.”

  “Oh, right. Used to be engaged to Beth and all that. Well, I have an injured bird and couldn’t get as far as the vet. Could you take a peek at it?”

  “Where’s your man, Jen?” asked Mary Alice. “Not out in the forest, is he?”

  “Rob’s shoveling the hospital walk. A ton of snow’s come down already.”

  “How’d you get here?” Katie asked. She was fairly certain the outdoors hadn’t turned to sunshine and rainbows in the ten minutes since she’d left the howling doorway.

  “Snowshoes.”

  “Where is the bird?” Nash asked.

  Katie sighed. Didn’t anyone see how ridiculous this was? Everyone risking their lives in a blizzard?

  “It flew into my window,” Jen said. She glanced at Harvey. “Is that your dad? Is he okay?”

  “Just had his appendix removed,” Mary Alice interjected. “He’s going home in a few minutes. I have my snowmobile out front. I just need to get him detached.” She lifted the arm that had the IV. “Do you know how to unplug one of these things?”

  Jen shook her head.

  “Where’s the bird?” Katie asked, nudging Nash toward Jen.

  “It’s in the lobby on a heat vent.”

  “Let’s go take a look.” Nash guided Jen out of the room, leaving Katie to face Mary Alice once again.

  “A bird, huh? The world has gone crazy,” Katie said, turning to her. The woman collapsed into a chair. “Are you okay?”

  Mary Alice closed her eyes, her jaw tight. She was fighting it. Hard.

  “I’m so sorry.” Katie sat beside her.