by Landra Graf
He’d also changed, and the town’s perfect girl didn’t fit what he wanted. No, he wanted…desired…someone else…. That someone stood right next to him. “Yeah, but class separation went away hundreds of years ago. Rose is fair game. You should give yourself a shot.”
Every guy in town would’ve traded their testicles to hear him say those words ten years prior. Regardless of the delay, he’d said them now. How the folks of Charming got hooked on an idea they wouldn’t let go of was beyond him.
Then came the death stare. If he’d been watching those green eyes fire up at a guy trying to get her number, he would’ve been impressed, but Emma was training her famous I-could-kill-you eyes on him. He didn’t know how to react, so he threw back a what-the-hell-did-I-do stare.
“I think my friend can decide who she wants to date without any help from you.” She tilted the bottle back and took a long pull, finishing the beverage. He couldn’t help but glance at her neck and the swallowing movements of her throat. He swelled against his jeans. Surprising what a slender neck and a drink could do to a guy.
“I agree 100 percent. Now can you tell me why everyone is harassing me about her and why you keep mentioning she’s going to get here soon?”
“It may have something to do with her being in love with you and planning to win you back,” Emma replied, voice laced with annoyance as if she were talking to an idiot. Then she turned toward the bartender. “Would you care to dance?”
“Don’t have to ask me twice.” Ewan hopped over the bar with ease, hollered at another bartender stationed at the opposite end, and took Em’s extended hand.
Okay, maybe he was an idiot some of the time, but the days of prom queen and king were forever gone. The guy fitting those qualifications died his junior year of college. Now he longed to earn some smiles from the one person who believed him capable of more than throwing a football. Except she’d decided to push him away and dance with someone else. His irritation deepened as Ewan twirled the principal’s daughter around, and she laughed. A pure, melodic sound. Damn, he needed to figure a way to cut in.
Instead, he got an elbow to his arm from another old school chum standing beside him. “The most beautiful person in the whole wide world just arrived.”
Jason tore his focus from Emma in time to see the grand entrance. Today’s matched all the others. Rose’s long blonde hair swayed, held back from her face with a headband. Her classic heart-shaped face with its set of full, berry-colored lips was capable of igniting wars. A blue top and white skirt showing her shapely legs reminded him of the subtle way she’d always dressed, nothing flashy or skimpy. Eight years ago, he’d have fallen all over himself to be near her, to be the center of her world, but now he found contentment in viewing her as a pleasant memory.
“Hi, Jason.” The sweet honey of her voice washed over him. No spell existed any longer.
“Hi, Ro—” She stumbled into him, and he caught her arms just before she would’ve slid onto the bar floor. “Are you okay?”
“Honey?” The sweet voice that had been laughing moments before now sounded panicky beside him.
This wasn’t the way he’d planned the evening. For a second, he wondered if he’d been punked. Her skin felt hotter than popped corn, and her pulse raced underneath the fingers he positioned on her neck. “She’s burning up.”
He readjusted her in his arms to get a better hold as Emma moved from behind him to put her hands on her friend’s face. “You’re right. She’s on fire. We need to get her to Dr. Mason’s. Come on.”
As he moved, Rose gripped his shirt. “I’m fine. Really. No need to worry. Just give me a second. All the excitement of today and you—”
Then she fainted.
“Won’t take no for an answer. You’re going to the doctor.” He gained a good foothold, lifted her up, and rushed out the door, following Emma. He’d make sure she got help; the least he could do for her after everything. Even if she wasn’t the woman he planned to be with for the rest of eternity, feelings and friendship never died.
Chapter Two
Because she was unable to undo the wicked wish, but only to soften it, she said, “It shall not be her death.”
Emma hammered her fist on Dr. Mason’s door. She glanced back at Jason slowly working his way up the sidewalk, Rose limp in his arms. Something was seriously wrong. She knew working with the elderly meant her friend got exposed to all sorts of illnesses, but not any fatal ones at present—at least none that she’d told her about.
“One minute, one minute,” came the doctor’s bass voice from the behind the door.
“No time, Mason. We’ve got a sick woman here,” Jason shouted back as he reached her. Rose’s usual glowing skin was extremely pale and clammy. Emma was praying for a flu bug or exhaustion, easy to combat and treat. The funny part of this whole thing is that the prom queen hadn’t been majorly ill since childhood, and she’d maintained a super healthy lifestyle, one she’d been trying to get Em to try out for years.
A lock clicked. The door opened. The doctor, who still sported a bushy mustache, grayed with age, slipped on his glasses and looked out at them. Then he turned on the porch light for good measure. Emma brought a hand up to shield her eyes from the light and the fast influx of bugs.
“Ah, Prince, Emmaline. Who’s that you have?” The doc took two steps forward, a frown marring his face. “Come quickly. Place my niece in the examination room. What happened?”
Edging by Em, Jason went first, his steps a quick shuffle. She followed him in, and the doctor slammed the door shut behind them.
“We’re not sure,” Emma said turning to face the doctor. “She walked into Sound Awake, said about five words, and fainted. When I got to her, she came to for maybe thirty seconds and then fainted again. She’s also running a fever.”
“Doesn’t sound promising. Gladys? Honey, I’m going to need your help,” Mason said, walking toward the open door that led to his kitchen. His house had been built onto the back of his office building years ago. Seemed appropriate for the small town doctor who wanted to make sure he was never far from his patients or equipment if he needed to travel out in the night.
Emma followed her friends into the examination room. The smell of laundered linens with a touch of mothballs invaded her nostrils. The scent still surprised her, even after all the time she had spent in labs carrying the same smell.
Rose was already on the table, her arms positioned to rest by her sides. She wasn’t moving at all, no tossing or turning, completely unresponsive, except for the slow, labored rise and fall of her chest. Watching Rose like this twisted something in Em’s insides, and her hand naturally reached out to swipe away a strand of hair clinging to her friend’s lip.
Her motions halted when a female voice called out to her. “Oh, honey! You’re finally back.”
She turned, only to be embraced by the doc’s wife, Gladys. “Sorry I have to see you under these circumstances. It’s good to have you home again, dear. I’ll slide past you.”
“Oh, that’s fine.” Emma stepped aside.
The petite, white-haired woman, who’d acted as Rose’s mother, was also a member of Emma’s mother’s sewing circle and had played doctor’s nurse and midwife until Rose got out of school. As soon as Gladys passed by her, Emma caught Jason’s gaze.
“I’ll wait out here. Doc says he’s going to have to remove a few things,” he said, making a circular motion around his clothes.
His decision worked perfectly well for her. She didn’t really want him, his tight jeans, or unnaturally good-smelling body to stay. And, of course, a fresh wave of guilt came, thanks to her wayward thoughts. When Rose woke, she’d probably want him, and they could cross that bridge when it arrived. For now, Emma would enjoy the chance to attend her friend without his distraction. “You don’t have to wait. I mean, you can, if you want to. I know she’d feel grateful knowing you were here.”
His response was interrupted by the sound of metal
scraping against metal. Gladys had begun to gather the required patient gown and other equipment to prepare for the doctor’s arrival. She gave them both a sheepish smile. “Sorry. Guess I need to break out the WD-40 when we’re done here.”
He sighed. “I never said anything about leaving, at least not until we know something.” Then he walked out, headed for the waiting room.
She refocused on the task at hand, moving to assist the nurse in removing Rose’s top and getting a hospital gown on her. Right when she was prepared to help, Dr. Mason entered the room and told her, “You can go ahead and join Jason in the waiting room.”
“What? But she needs me. You may need me.” She flushed at the mere suggestion she leave. Where the hell does he get off? If there was one person less required, Gladys could go, for all she cared. It wasn’t like she and Rose hadn’t changed in front of each other over the years. Or like she’d never worked with bodies before. Part of her training involved medical work. Chemical engineers had to know how the chemicals they worked with affected the body.
“We’re going to draw blood, run plenty of tests and other medical procedures. You’ll just end up being in the way and—”
“But I know about medical procedures and proper patient care. I took classes,” she responded as reasonably as she could while still cutting the jerk off. So far, Charming’s dear doctor had proved to be different than she remembered him. Back then, he’d been nice—eccentric, but nice. Now there were a few choice words she’d use to describe him.
“Classes don’t beat experience. Rose is my niece. We’ll take good care of her. The best thing you can do is go out there and be patient.” Hardass.
“But—”
He raised his hand. “No buts. As soon as we have things taken care of, I will let you back in the room. Okay?”
She hated feeling helpless, unable to offer assistance when her friend needed help the most. Not to mention the guilt. If this was karma’s way of punishing her for flirting and, truth be told, relishing the look of frustration on the prince of Charming’s face when she’d left the bar to twirl with Ewan, she’d do what whatever she needed to do to make amends. For now, she’d start by following Dr. Mason’s instructions, even if they went against every fiber of her being.
“Fine.”
***
Jason looked up from the three-month-old Sports Illustrated as Emma walked into the room. Her eyes were red, tears imminent. He didn’t have a solution to combat those at the moment, yet he refused to be less of a man by attempting to escape a few waterworks. Sitting up, he raised his arm and motioned for her to come closer. It felt awkward, unlike how he’d been with Rose so many years ago. Emma made him nervous, as if he was afraid he wouldn’t measure up. “So what’s the verdict?”
She let out a sigh and plopped into the chair next to him. “Nothing yet. Absolutely nothing. They kicked me out of the room, and Dr. Mason said it might take all night to figure things out. Doesn’t matter anyway. It’s all my fault.”
“How?” Jason sat up straight. “You told me yourself it’s been three years since you’ve seen each other. Longer since you left town. If anything, this is probably one of those twenty-four hour super flu bugs. Getting here sooner wouldn’t have stopped it.”
“I’m her best friend. I should’ve been here to help. Maybe if I’d offered a little assistance with some of these town projects, she wouldn’t be working herself to exhaustion. You really can’t say she hasn’t been going overboard. What with work, the government grants, the town’s historical application…it’s too much for one person.”
“Yes, but there are other folks in Charming who could play assistant.”
Em scoffed. “Really? Because last I heard, there were only a hundred or so, and most of them were either too old or working in multiple positions. The school closed down. The last graduating class got diplomas and left three years ago. I should’ve stepped up.”
“You know, I think you’re overreaching here.” Jason grabbed hold of her arm for the first time since they had run into each other at Sound Awake. A small jolt traveled through his body as their fingers connected. “I learned a long time ago that I can’t be responsible for other people, especially when their dreams and aspirations are different from mine. And you shouldn’t regret letting people here follow their own paths. Rose chose her way, and if help was needed, you can bet she’d ask for it.”
Her eyes darted back toward the examination room. He couldn’t hear anything that gave the impression things were worse than they’d been a few moments ago. In fact, the silence in the room made him anxious, and he started to tap his boot on the linoleum floor. The rising tension around them or the number of feelings invoked knowing someone he cared about lay suffering in the other room failed to help as well. He gave a little shiver and involuntarily gripped Emma’s hand tighter. She tried to pull away, but he wanted to hold on to her a little longer.
“All right then, let’s break up this mood. I’m going to read your palm.” He hoped the ploy would cast away her urges to break their bond.
“Palm reading?” One brown eyebrow lifted, but her frame and hand relaxed at his touch.
“Yes, I’ve studied with the finest masters fair corn dogs can buy.”
She giggled.
“I can tell you your future, Miss Emmaline Fay,” he said with a grin. She gave one back and the effect was breathtaking. She’d always possessed a beautiful smile, one known for lighting up rooms, and he enjoyed being the recipient.
“Fine, Master Prince. Tell me my future.”
Jason turned her palm over in his, trailing his fingers along the lines. Leaning in for a closer look, he picked up on the scent of vanilla, flowers, and a hint of something he couldn’t identify beyond pure Emma. The power of the smell made his groin swell again, something he didn’t need at the moment. One glance downward and she’d see the evidence of how she affected him. So he thought about cold showers and his grandmother’s gnarly hands and focused on the soft palm covered with lines.
“Ah, your life line is extremely long. I also see a man in your love line. This is a man who has loved you for a long time and watched you from afar.”
She scoffed. “Sounds kind of creepy. I don’t know if I want a stalker in my life.”
“Not a stalker, but an admirer. He’s always appreciated your loyalty.” Jason locked eyes with her green ones. “Your kindness and bravery, too. And your ability to push ahead. Strength like that is rare.”
She leaned forward, her nose barely touching his. “How rare?”
“Uh.” His words caught in his throat. To have her so close, too close…exactly where he’d wanted her since he’d seen her sitting behind the wheel of her car. “Rare enough that I’ve only known one other person to possess it. I—”
“The fever is coming down,” Dr. Mason announced, bursting into the room, face filled with relief.
Jason silently swore as she jumped out of her chair and moved toward the entry. “Can we go in?”
“No, not yet. I want you both to stay here, though, in case you come down with the same thing due to proximity. We've taken blood, and we're doing everything we can, but I don’t know if this is contagious.” The doctor moved to a cabinet on the far wall and removed two blankets. “You can camp out in the waiting room.”
“Completely understandable, Doc. I know we won’t leave until Rose is able to, anyway. We’ll want to be on the nurse-Rose-back-to-health team.” Jason stood to accept the blankets.
Her momentary excitement deflated, Emma shuffled back to her chair. “That’s right. I’ll be nursing our girl back to health or whatever else it takes, so I’m staying until everything is perfectly fine.”
“Good. I’ll see you both in the morning,” Dr. Mason said, leaving by way of the kitchen door. Jason could only imagine the amount of coffee the doctor planned on consuming for the night.
Emma curled up in her seat, slipping her feet out of her brown cowboy boots.
Jason sat down next to her and leaned back in his chair. “He certainly knows how to offer comfortable beds.”
“And there’s the sarcasm I know so well.” She leaned her head on his shoulder.
He tried to ignore how right it felt. “Yes, and that’s why you should just close your eyes and rest. Don’t worry. It’ll all be better in the morning.”
He allowed himself to relax against the high back of the chair, and Emma stayed in position instead of falling further against his body. Her hair touched his neck, and he longed to reach up and run his hands through it, to see if the long strands were as soft as they’d been years ago. She seemed unable to recognize his feelings for her, but he wouldn’t rush her. There was time, even if she guessed at his intentions but didn’t want to acknowledge them. Instead, he closed his eyes, too, with a silent prayer that his words promising a better morning would ring true.
Chapter Three
But scarcely had she touched it before the prophecy was fulfilled, and she fell down, lifeless, on the ground.
Emmaline opened her eyes. Everything looked a bit fuzzy.
Then the memory of being at Dr. Mason’s house came back full force, including the realization she’d spent all night in a chair and now had a male arm wrapped snugly against her as if attempting to bring her comfort.
Jason. The last thing she remembered, her head had collided onto his shoulder with ease. Obviously, they’d both gotten more comfortable with one blanket on the armrests between them as a cushion and another wrapped around her waist. His breath rustled a few strands of her hair, and the rise and fall of his chest against her arm made the entire moment seem like a dream turned reality. She swallowed, hoping he couldn’t hear her throat contracting or the thundering beat of her heart.
“Good morning.”
Shit! No time to avoid the awkwardness of the moment. “Good morning.” As she began to move, he pulled his arm away. The temperature in the room dropped with the lack of physical contact, and she missed the heat. “Sorry for invading your space last night.”
