In the Midnight Hour

by Deborah Cooke

  Damon slung his jacket over his shoulder, peeked in on his mom one last time, then headed for the nurses’ station. He could put the time to good purpose and see what he could find out about Nurse Neat.

  It was only fair, given how much she’d already learned about him.

  * * *

  “That was Haley,” the nurse said in response to Damon’s question. “Haley Slater. She’s been on staff here for years, if you’re worried about her coming by.”

  “No, I was just curious. She seemed quite interested in my mom and I wondered why.”

  The nurse nodded, unsurprised. “Haley’s usually in oncology, and she’s really interested in complementary therapies and palliative care. I’ll bet she heard about the effect your massages have on your mom’s condition.”

  “You talk about that?” Damon asked, a bit surprised.

  The nurse cast him a sparkling smile. “That and other things.” She glanced over him with appreciation and her smile broadened. “But the effect is incredible. If anyone in this place were interested, I’d expect it to be Haley.”

  “Why isn’t she in oncology now?”

  “Oh, she switched off with Anna in the cardiac ward for three months.”

  Damon waited and the nurse, predictably, filled the silence.

  “Anna had to start her mat leave early. She’s having a rough second trimester and they ended up a bit short-staffed.” She grimaced. “Lots of heart attacks after Christmas.”

  “That’s Haley,” said a second nurse who was counting pills into plastic cups at the other side of the nurses’ station. She was referring to a computer screen, presumably double-checking patients and dosages. “Always stepping up to fill the void. I think she’d work double shifts every day if they’d let her.”

  That was interesting. Didn’t Haley have any family commitments?

  Was she single?

  Damon knew it didn’t really matter. He was only going to teach her about massage, but he wanted to know. “Workaholic?” he asked lightly. “I know a few of those.”

  The first nurse smiled. “They’re good to know. Haley’s the one to call if you get stuck with a holiday shift.”

  “She filled in for me this past Thanksgiving,” offered the second nurse.

  “Christmas Eve for me,” agreed the first. “Or if you’re sick, she’s right there.”

  “Good old reliable Haley.” The second sighed and straightened, then smiled at Damon. “I guess that’s the hazard of not having a life.”

  “She has a life,” the first nurse said, a little bit defensive on Haley’s behalf. “But her family is all in Illinois or Ohio or somewhere.”

  Not married then, and without a significant other. The detail gave Damon unexpected satisfaction. He told himself because it was less complicated that way.

  “I thought she didn’t have any family at all,” the second nurse said. “She never takes vacation. If she’s off, it’s because she’s taking a course somewhere.”

  “Not true,” said the first with a shake of her head. “She always takes January 27th off.”

  “Really? Why?” The second nurse asked the question that Damon wanted answered.

  “Some family birthday. I guess they’re pretty close.”

  The second nurse frowned. “She can’t get to the Midwest in a day. Even Haley isn’t that organized.”

  The first one shrugged. “Maybe they come here. I don’t know. It’s an annual thing, though. She always takes that day off. It’s the only day of the year that she won’t work. It’s right in her file.”

  “Maybe they come to visit,” Damon suggested. “It’d be nice to take a couple of days to show family around.”

  “Queens in January doesn’t sound like a dream vacation.”

  “No, it doesn’t, actually,” he had to agree.

  “To each their own.” The nurse smiled at him, then a bell sounded. She straightened. “Mrs. Young, right on time.” She turned to the second nurse. “Have you got her meds measured out?”

  “Right here. I’m heading that way in a couple of minutes.”

  “I’ll take them now and get her settled.”

  “Sounds good. Mr. Matheson will be up next,” the second nurse said. A bell rang before she finished speaking and the two nurses exchanged a smile. “Is your mom okay?” she asked Damon as she gathered up meds.

  “She went to sleep,” Damon said. “I’ll check on her one more time then head out.”

  “We’ll call if there’s any change,” the first nurse said with a smile. “Have a good night, Mr. Perez.”

  “Thank you.”

  Haley Slater. Single. Workaholic. Interested in alternative care. It was only a superficial glimpse into the character of the nurse he’d met but it was more than enough to spark Damon’s curiosity.

  And leave him hungry to know more.

  Chapter Two

  Haley halfway expected Damon to change his mind and leave, to think better of his impulsive offer and go home rather than hang around a hospital at night waiting for her. She wasn’t the kind of woman who attracted gorgeous men, or at least attracted them for very long. She thought of Aidan for the first time in years as she finished her shift, but pushed him out of her thoughts. He had his life and she had hers—without Aidan.

  She had her work and that was plenty.

  Still, when she was done for the night, Haley hurried to change into her street clothes, running to the elevator as if two minutes could make all the difference in the world.

  “Hot date?” Daphne teased from the nurses’ station.

  “I wish!” Haley said and laughed because it was expected. She ducked through the closing elevator doors before Daphne could ask anything more. Haley clutched her backpack as the elevator descended, glad she was riding alone. Would Damon be there? She felt a mix of anticipation and uncertainty that had become rare in her life.

  It felt kind of good. Tingly. Vital.

  She definitely should take chances more often.

  The doors opened and her heart sank that the lobby was empty. The streetlights shone through the automatic doors opposite her to illuminate the vacant space. The volunteers’ desk was unmanned. The gift shop was closed. There was no one sitting on any of the chairs arranged in clusters in the lobby and the coffee shop was dark.

  She left the elevator and looked around, almost overwhelmed with disappointment. So, Damon had done the practical thing, maybe even the predictable thing. Haley had a whole week to decide whether she should go back to his mom’s room and talk to him again.

  Then she heard a rattle. It was exactly the sound a vending machine made when someone gave it a shake. She took a few steps forward and peeked into the nook where the machines stood in a long row. Damon had put on his jacket since she’d seen him last. He was glaring at one of the machines and gave it another shake as she watched.

  Haley smiled. “That one eats your money if you don’t know the trick,” she said and went to his side.

  “It’s outrageous enough that they want two bucks for a bottle of water,” he replied. “They could make sure you actually get the water.”

  Haley hit the machine with her fist on the left side, hard, at a spot just below her waist. The machine wobbled, thunked, then the bottle of water was dislodged. It dropped into the delivery chute and rolled into the bin at the bottom.

  Damon cast Haley a smile that turned her inside out. She flushed and dropped her gaze, thinking that a smile like that should be classed as a lethal weapon and come with warning labels. “Thanks.”

  She blinked as she tried to slow her pulse. “It’s easy when you know how.”

  “That’s true of pretty much anything, isn’t it?” He didn’t seem to expect an answer but bent and retrieved the bottle. Haley treated herself to a quick look at his butt, then felt like she shouldn’t have. A peek just made her want to touch. Maybe fondle. Caress.

  It had definitely been too long.

  She remembered the F5 billboard and stole another pee
k. Had the image been touched up? She was thinking not.

  Damon opened the bottle and drank, his gaze fixing upon her. “I thought you’d change your mind.”

  “I was sure you had.”

  He glanced over the quiet hospital lobby. “Look, I was teasing about going to your place or mine. Is there a classroom or something we could use here? That way, you don’t have to worry about letting a stranger into your home.”

  Haley wasn’t worried about that. Not only did she have far too much defense training, but she doubted a man with such healing power in his hands could have any inclination to violence. She believed that Damon would never hurt her, or any other woman.

  Her mom always said that the way a man treated his mom revealed the truth of his character.

  “I’d just have to worry about being naked with a man where my coworkers could find me,” Haley replied.

  Damon looked surprised.

  She lifted the keys from her bag and spun them on her finger. “I think I know enough about you to feel safe.”

  If he was skeptical, he hid it well. He lifted her coat out of her grip and held it for her, a gesture that both pleased and surprised her. “Let me guess. You’ve got a black belt.”

  “And more,” she agreed because it was true. She met his gaze, letting him see that she wasn’t afraid of him.

  “You seem to be the kind of person who takes care of herself,” he said mildly.

  Haley shrugged. “No one else is going to do it.” She eyed him again. “I don’t mean that to sound bitter. It’s just true and I don’t mind.”

  “It sounds practical,” he said, almost smiling. “But then, I understand that Haley Slater is a very practical nurse.”

  Haley froze. “I didn’t tell you my name.”

  “I had some time. I asked the nurses at the station about you.” He fastened his coat. “You’re not the only one who likes to know what they’re getting into.”

  It was a little strange to find that she had anything in common with him. Haley wondered how much the other nurses had told him. She ducked her head to fasten the zipper of her coat, which she thought would hide her thoughts.

  She was wrong.

  “They don’t know much about you,” Damon continued. “Or they’re not inclined to share it. All I learned was that you’re completely reliable and that you offer to take other people’s holiday shifts.” He shrugged. “I expect I’ll be doing the same at work next year. Also, they weren’t surprised you came to see my mom, since you’re usually in oncology and are interested in complementary care, like massage.”

  She sounded almost boring by this summary.

  Haley supposed that she was boring.

  She had a vehement urge to show Damon that she could be interesting.

  “Should we go?” he asked and she realized she hadn’t moved.

  “Do you have a car? It’s only about four blocks.”

  He shook his head. “Sounds like we need a cab.” They headed for the door and he gave her a look that reminded her of her older brother. “You don’t walk that distance alone at this hour, do you?”

  “No, but I do in the daytime. It’s just across the park. That’s why I took that apartment in the first place, so I could walk to work.” Haley felt like she was chattering, so she deliberately shut up.

  The fact was that she was a bit nervous to be taking Damon back to her place. She wasn’t afraid of him, but she didn’t routinely take men home. It had been a while. She told herself to lighten up.

  It was just a massage lesson.

  She’d had more than one chance to back out or have it elsewhere. She wanted to prove Damon’s expectations of her wrong, didn’t she?

  As taking chances went, this was a pretty low risk.

  There were three cabs lined up outside the door and Haley saw that the driver in the first one was Joe. He was reading a newspaper, but folded it away when he saw her, then gave her a wave and started the engine.

  There were four cabbies who regularly waited for fares at the hospital and Joe was one of them. He was older, a teacher who had started driving a cab after his retirement. When Haley asked why, he said it was better than driving school buses. She knew that wasn’t the full story, but respected his privacy.

  “New friend?” Joe asked when they got in and Haley saw him surveying Damon in the rearview mirror.

  “Yes,” Haley said simply, seeing no reason to lie and less to elaborate. She jingled her keys. “You know the way, Joe.”

  “You need anything, Haley?” the older man asked.

  “No. Everything’s just fine.” She smiled. “Thanks for asking.”

  Haley could see that Joe’s curiosity wasn’t satisfied but he didn’t ask any more questions. It only took a few minutes to get to her building—it actually was further to drive, as they had to go around the park instead of across it—and he stopped in front of her building. Damon paid the fare before she could, then got out and opened her door for her. Joe nodded approval of that, then he was gone, heading back to the taxi line at the hospital.

  Haley was keenly aware of Damon’s presence behind her as she unlocked the security door. The elevator felt very small with him in that space with her and she couldn’t think of one casual comment to make. On her floor, she was sure all of her neighbors were taking a look out their peepholes. She could just guess what conclusions they’d be making. It was easy to remember college, when people had talked about her and Aidan. Of course, she had routinely snuck him into her room, although it had hardly been a secret. Everyone in her dorm had known. Haley felt herself begin to blush that she had ever been notorious and walked a little faster.

  It was a relief to step inside her apartment and lock the door behind them. Haley flicked on a light and moved to draw the shade over the one big window. She hung up her coat and Damon did the same, and she felt him surveying her home.

  What did it look like to him?

  Practical? Austere? It was pretty plain and functional, but Haley had never seen a lot of reason to accumulate stuff. What if the next course she took was only offered on the other side of the country? She liked the freedom of being able to just go. In this particular moment, though, she wished she had at least a colorful throw cushion or two.

  Her apartment made her look boring, too. Predictable. Bland. She took a deep breath, wishing she could be other than she was, and slanted a glance at Damon. He seemed enormous in her apartment, larger than life, dominating the space.

  Male, all male.

  Not any less impressive than on the billboard ad.

  Of course, he wasn’t going to make a move on her. Why would he?

  Should she make a move on him instead?

  The idea caught fire in Haley’s thoughts, challenging her to be the kind of woman she wanted to be. Just because she didn’t want love, marriage, and family didn’t mean that she couldn’t have sex.

  Wild sex with no strings attached.

  With a gorgeous man.

  One night.

  Could Haley ask for what she wanted?

  Did she dare?

  * * *

  Damon had seen barracks furnished with more flair than Haley’s apartment. It was clean and tidy to the point of severity, furnished in basic beige. The hardwood floor was clean. The kitchen counter was clean. There wasn’t one thing out of place. He wondered if the supplies in the kitchen cupboards were arranged alphabetically. The bookshelf was tidy. Even the basket of knitting wool, the only spot of color, was neatly organized.

  He was aware that Haley was uncomfortable with his presence in her sanctuary and felt the need to reassure her. It was just a lesson. He wasn’t averse to one-nighters and he wouldn’t have refused one with Haley, but he understood that wasn’t her style.

  She’d made an exception. She’d let him in. She’d chosen to trust him.

  And Damon, as a man who understood the rare gift of trust, wasn’t going to betray it.

  He respected vulnerability, especially when it was unusual
for the person in question. She’d taken a chance, because she wanted to learn. Damon wasn’t going to poison that.

  He admired it too much.

  Damon was putting the empty water bottle on the counter—because he knew she’d recycle—when he saw the picture on the fridge. It was straight and perfectly centered, the only item on the fridge door.

  The photograph featured a group of smiling people against a vivid blue sky. The fierce sunlight and the silhouette of the hills behind them was all too familiar. They were in fatigues, young and healthy, perched on and around an armed personnel carrier that could only be in one place. Damon’s heart clenched tightly and he could almost taste the endless dust. They weren’t yet tanned or beaten down by the constant danger. There were red crosses on all of their gear.

  Would he find Haley in the shot if he looked closer?

  Or was it a friend in the photo? A lover?

  Alive or dead?

  It took a lot to avert his gaze when his curiosity was so strong.

  He reminded himself that he had no right to be curious.

  “No place like home,” she said, as if she felt the silence had stretched too long. “Can I get you anything?”

  “No, thanks.” He glanced her way and saw that she was taut with uncertainty. He could put her at ease. He’d known nurses like her in Afghanistan. They survived on facts. “What do you know about massage?”

  “That it’s been shown to reduce anxiety and stress, particularly for patients who’ve had cardiac surgery, and that it can decrease pain in a high percentage of patients with chronic or degenerative illnesses.” She might have been reciting a passage from a textbook or reading a research paper aloud.

  “No academic citations?” he teased.

  Haley straightened. “I can give them to you, if you like. The Mayo Clinic has done some studies and published results.” She turned to her bookshelf. “I have several references here...”

  Damon stopped her with a fingertip on her shoulder. “I was teasing. You’re so serious.”

  “Healing is serious.” She looked at him, then glanced away quickly. “Pain is serious.”