She just nodded while the two men gave one another the evil eye. There was a story here, but right now all she wanted was to get these bindings off and make a quick trip to the ladies’ room. Whatever the two men had between them would wait.
Another nurse entered the small examination room with scissors and a bottle of something liquid. Probably alcohol.
“Now, Miss”—she looked at Angelica’s arm bracelet, which had been attached sometime during her visit—“Shepard, I’ll try not to pull or get your hair caught, but I can’t make any promises that this won’t hurt.”
“Just yank it off, I really want to get to the ladies’ room,” she said, as the nurse began to cut through the heavy layers of tape on her neck and head.
The nurse laughed. “Sorry, I can’t do that, but I’ll try to make this as quick and painless as possible.” She snipped, clipped, and tugged, and in under five minutes, Angelica was free from the binding tape.
Thankful that she was able to move freely, she pushed herself into a sitting position, then flopped back on the pillow. “I’m so dizzy!” she said, surprised.
“That’s why you can’t drive,” Parker stated from his position at the foot of her bed.
“No, I’m dizzy because you had to go skiing away from me, like that friend of yours, Max Jorgensen. If you hadn’t been in such a hurry, this wouldn’t have happened.”
“Okay, it’s my fault. Satisfied?” he asked as she tried to push herself up a second time.
Angelica knew when enough was enough, and that time had arrived. Slowly, so as not to jar her head in any way, she pushed herself up. So far, so good, she thought as she scooted to the edge of the examining table. From there, she swung her feet to the floor, careful to keep a firm hold on the bed.
“Dr. Mahoney said you worked here. What are you, an orderly or something?” she asked Parker when her feet found the cool tile floor.
“Something like that. Now, let me help you. The ladies’ room is just down the hall.”
If she hadn’t been so light-headed and unsure on her feet, she would have told him flat out NO! But she had a concussion, and she wasn’t going to risk falling flat on her face. She’d done that once already and did not want to damage anything else unnecessarily.
Parker North wrapped one arm around her waist, and with the other he held her hand firmly in his own. While he knew he wasn’t one hundred percent responsible for Angelica’s injuries, he did hold himself responsible for skiing off without really knowing her skills as a skier; for the rest, she could thank the jerk who didn’t know how to come to a complete stop.
“So, what do you do here?” Angelica asked as she baby-stepped down the hall.
“Does it really matter?” he asked.
That made her think about her own situation. Did people always define themselves by their profession? She wasn’t sure about Parker, but she knew that she’d lived her life for her profession. Not sure if that was good or bad, she was certain of one thing: she had never been this cold in her entire life. She’d pursue deeper thoughts when she was physically able. For the moment, the restroom was her goal.
Parker stopped when they reached the end of the hall. “You sure you don’t need assistance? I can ask one of the nurses to go inside with you. Just in case,” he said, a worried look on his handsome face.
“No, thanks. I’m fine. If you hear me fall, just call a doctor,” she said before entering the restroom.
“And that would be me,” he said to himself when she was out of earshot. That was him. Like his father and grandfather, he’d been destined to become a doctor. Why the realization came to him just then was beside the point. He was a trauma surgeon. He’d saved many lives, more than he could count. Yes, he had lost a young patient, but he knew the moment he’d laid eyes on her that it was too late. One child mattered, and he knew he would never forget her face, but he also knew that he had a job to do, and that was to save as many lives as possible for as long as he could.
The bathroom door opened, revealing a relieved-looking Angelica. “Okay, I want to see that doctor again. I need to ask him how long the tests are going to take. I don’t want to spend the rest of the day lingering in the halls like an unwanted virus.”
Parker laughed, deciding he’d kept her in the dark way too long even though he’d only known her for less than twenty-four hours. “It depends on how busy they are.”
“And you know this because . . . ?” she interrupted.
“Because I am a doctor. A trauma neurosurgeon, and I have asked for the same tests for patients of my own on many, many occasions.”
There, it was out in the open. He was not ashamed of himself or his chosen profession. He’d worked his ass off to get to this point, and he knew, just as any other doctor knew, that there would be times when you couldn’t save a patient. Those were the low times. Times he hoped he wouldn’t have to experience too often, but if anything, he was a realist. Though there would be more death and sadness, he wasn’t going to let that prevent him from practicing medicine.
Angelica had stopped in the middle of the hall. She stared at him as though he had three eyeballs. “Yeah right,” she said before turning around and heading back in the direction she’d come from.
Parker raced to her side. Curious, he asked, “Why did you say that?”
She rolled her large brown eyes and laughed. “Come on, give me a break. First of all, if you were a doctor, you wouldn’t be driving such a hunk of junk. Secondly, if you were really a doctor, you would have saved—”
“I did,” he said, her reaction suddenly amusing.
She flushed, but remained silent. “You . . . it was you! The angel I thought I saw!”
“Yes, it was me. When you opened your eyes, I can’t tell you how relieved I was.”
Angelica wasn’t so sure she didn’t have a brain injury. She did remember opening her eyes and seeing a bright burst of sun, a halolike glow hovering above and behind him as he bent over her. In her state of semiconsciousness, she’d mistaken him for an angel!
“You really are the angel,” she said, sounding like she’d just solved the biggest mystery on earth.
He led her back to the room. “I’ve been called a lot of names, but never an angel,” he teased as he helped her get back up on the table before continuing. A low, buzzing noise coming from his pocket stopped him dead in his tracks.
“Now it decides to work,” he said before answering the cell phone that he was going to replace as soon as possible. He was a doctor, and doctors needed to be contacted at all hours.
“Hello.” He held up a hand, indicating he needed a minute. “Max, what gives?” A smile as wide as the mountain spread across his face.
“I can do that. Sure. Okay if I bring a guest? Great, I’ll see you tonight. One more favor—could you send someone to check on Leon?” Parker turned to Angelica, his eyes filled with laughter. “Yeah, he’s the cat I told you about.” Parker spoke into the phone a few more seconds, then ended the call.
“That was Max Jorgensen—you remember him?”
Angelica rolled her eyes. “Yes, about like I recall you just said you were a doctor.”
Frustrated, Parker picked up the phone and dialed a number. Less than a minute later a nurse entered the room pushing a wheelchair. “Hi, Dr. North. I thought you’d taken a leave of absence.”
“I’m off for two weeks, skiing. My friend here, she needs an MRI and an X-ray, stat. Mahoney issued the order, but we’re kind of in a rush. It seems I’ve, rather we’ve, been invited to see Angels with Paper Wings.”
“Well, then, let’s not keep this girl waiting. Come on, honey, if Dr. North asks, we jump. He’s the best trauma neurosurgeon in the area. Of course, I’m sure you already knew that. We’ve been dying, well not literally if you know what I mean, but most of us nurses have had our eye on Dr. North for a long time. Oh, not like that, but we’ve been waiting for him to meet someone . . . nice, not in this profession. The hours are terrible, the money isn’t that
good, or at least from what I hear. Me, personally, as an RN, I do just fine, but for a man of his caliber, well you would think he’d be a—”
“Ruthie, please take Ms. Shepard down for her X-rays. And please don’t annoy her with all the details of my private life.”
“Oh, Ruthie, I love details,” Angelica said with a wicked grin. “All the dirt and gore, too,” she added, as the nurse pushed her out of the room.
“Don’t you dare,” Parker said, his words nothing more than an echo before he remembered there really wasn’t anything in his private life worth repeating.
Epilogue
Eagle Valley High School
Eagle, Colorado
Angelica Shepard could not recall when she enjoyed a local production as much as that night’s performance of Angels with Paper Wings. And they were high-school kids! Awed and overwhelmed with emotion, she didn’t care when Parker saw the tears flow down her face like two shimmery Christmas ribbons.
The gymnasium was packed, standing room only. She could see why. These kids were better than some of the actors and actresses on Broadway! The actors returned to the small stage one last time for yet another standing ovation. Angelica clapped so hard her hands hurt, plus she was beginning to feel a slight headache just as Doctors Mahoney and North had promised. She’d taken three ibuprofen before she left the hospital just in case. All of her test results were perfectly normal, and for that she was grateful. But more than anything, she was so excited over the performance she’d just witnessed. Not because it was pure excellence, though that was part of it, but she knew what she wanted to do in her professional life. Now more than ever. Why she’d spent so many years wasting time onstage didn’t matter. She’d learned her craft, had been moderately successful, and she wouldn’t trade the experience for all the tea in China. However, it was time to move on. Her reason for taking this strange trip. And now, here she was, barely a day into the trip, and she’d solved her career dilemma!
“Why are you crying?” Parker asked as he thumbed the tears from her face.
“Have you ever had an epiphany?” she asked, knowing he’d just had a rude awakening in the career department himself. On the drive from the hospital to the high school, he’d told her about his doubts when he’d lost the little girl who’d been hit while riding her bicycle. Doubts that had sent him into hiding. Doubts that had led them straight to one another, she’d thought then and still did. This was not going to be easy, but they would make it work.
“I’ve had a few in my day. I take it this is the reason behind your tears?” he asked.
Never in her life had she ever been in such sync with another human being, and especially one of the opposite sex. “Yes and no. When I left New York, my agent had just told me that a younger actress had gotten the role I’d been dying for. If I’m honest with myself, she is the best actress for the part. Al said he’d find another part for me, but just now, here in this gymnasium filled with normal people, I realized I don’t want to be onstage. I want to direct, to lead and guide and show and . . .”
She didn’t get the chance to finish. Parker wrapped his arms around her and pulled her next to him. As though they’d been a couple forever, he leaned down and kissed her fully on the mouth. It took a minute for Angelica to break away. “Hey, we’re at a high school! What will all these kids think? And their parents?” she asked, not really caring about anything except the moment.
“They’ll think a sexy hot actress from New York City just kissed a handsome prince.” He kissed her again, only this time it was deeper, more passionate. He drew in a deep breath. “Maybe this isn’t the place, but I promise you, I won’t forget where we left off. Now.” He turned to a group of people who were waiting by the foot of the stage.
Angelica realized that they were waiting for Parker. Without another word, Parker introduced Max Jorgensen, and he, in turn, was introduced to Max Jorgensen’s wife, Grace Landry, and their daughter, Ella. Not to be outdone, next came Patrick and Stephanie.
Then came the girls and Mr. Nicholas Star.
“Now, these are those girls I was tellin’ you about,” Nicholas said. “I think they’re just about as pretty as this little actress you’ve hooked up with. What’d ya think?”
“They’re beautiful,” Parker said.
Two girls, around nine and twelve, held out their hands as though they were royalty and did this every day. “I’m Ashley, the oldest, and this is Amanda. She’s three years younger than me. Are you and Dr. Parker going to get married?” the dark-haired oldest girl asked.
Normally, Angelica would’ve been mortified by such a question, and coming from a child, too. Not this time. She looked at Parker before answering. “Someday, I’m sure, we’ll both get married. I don’t know if we will marry one another if that’s what you’re asking.” Pure and simple. No in between the cracks.
“Ashley! I can’t believe you asked Ms. Shepard such a personal question. You know better,” Stephanie said to her daughter before turning to Angelica. “I’m sorry. I hope she didn’t embarrass you too much. She is obsessed with weddings now. Ever since Patrick and I married, then it was Melanie and Bryce. He’s Grace’s younger brother. Well, I’ve said too much. Please, accept my apologies,” Stephanie asked, then grabbed both girls by the hand and took them to a nearby corner.
“And to think I was going to catch the next flight back to New York,” Angelica said, still in awe.
“You know, it is quite a leap from Colorado to New York. You have any suggestions?” Parker asked as they followed their new friends out of the gymnasium. “And there’s Leon to consider. He hates flying.”
“I hope you have a lot of frequent-flier miles,” Angelica teased, before adding, “but if not, I kinda like this neck of the woods. And I’m sure Leon will fall madly in love with me when he gets to know me.”
Parker leaned down to whisper in her ear, “Does that mean what I think it means?”
“What do you think it means?” she couldn’t help but ask.
“I think it means this is the beginning of something new, maybe the best new beginning of my life. Would I be correct in my assumption?”
“Look, we hardly know one another. Plus, you owe me big-time for today’s injury. But, I am willing to make you a deal,” she stated before climbing back inside the limo Max had sent to the hospital.
“And what would that deal be?”
“I want free medical care for the next two weeks. If, and this is a very big if, you and I, well, if we are as good as we are right now . . .” She let her words trail off.
“Sweetie, you ain’t seen nothing yet. This is only the beginning,” Parker said before sliding in beside her.
“Something tells me this is going to be the merriest Christmas ever.” Angelica finally relaxed. Her trip had started out on a sour note, but something told her this was just the beginning.
“And you have your very own personal angel to watch over you,” Parker added, then kissed her.
Today was perfect, Angelica thought as she melted in his arms. Tomorrow would be even better.
Candy Canes and Cupid
Chapter 1
Monday, December 1, 2014
Hannah Ray glanced at the calendar. December already, a month and a holiday she dreaded every year. Christmas. If asked why, and she had been on numerous occasions, she would pause for the briefest of moments, as though she were truly contemplating the question, and then she would give her standard reply: “You know, I’m not really sure.” Friends and colleagues would then look at her as though she were out of her mind, but it was simply the truth.
Growing up in Florida, she’d never really been bitten by the holiday bug. While she honored the religious aspects of the sacred holiday, she personally thought all the hoopla was nothing more than just one more reason for giant corporations to increase their already more-than-insanely-adequate bottom lines with even more in the way of profits, and for their CEOs to line their very deep pockets with even more money. Hannah smile
d when she realized that she sounded exactly like her father, who, it just so happened, used to be one of those CEOs of a giant company. But Hannah had always assured him that he had a heart.
When he’d keeled over from a heart attack five years ago, she was shocked. Her father had always been meticulous about his diet. Red meat no more than once a week. Fish only three times, and the other days were vegetarian. An avid runner who ranked high in his class when he was nearing seventy, he’d looked at least ten years younger than most men his age. His sudden death derailed her for a while, but she knew he would want her to continue to pursue her career. After passing the bar, Hannah decided she didn’t want to be confined to a courtroom. So she applied for her Florida private investigator’s license, which she received without a hitch, opened an office in Naples, and one year later was so busy she had hired three full-time agents, two retired police officers as part-timers, and Camden, her best friend and personal assistant, who played a large role in running the office. Hannah didn’t know what she would do without Camden’s excellent organizational skills as she herself wasn’t the most organized in a “paper” kind of way. Her ability to keep details clear in her head was her major talent. While Camden could locate a Post-it in a pile of a thousand, Hannah could tell you what was written on the Post-it and in what color ink.
Less than a month short of thirty-four, Hannah was pretty set in her ways, and again, she had her father to thank for that as well. Her mother had died of breast cancer when Hannah was six, leaving her father to raise her alone. With no family of his own to guide him through the waters of single parenthood, Frederick Ray did the best he could. Hannah had missed her mother after her death, but with the passage of time, and the fading memory of a six-year-old child, she was soon conversing at dinner with her father about all sorts of very adult financial and legal matters. They would discuss the law as it pertained to Ray Enterprises, a conglomerate of manufacturers that produced items ranging from high-end perfumes to plastics. When he died, her father left everything he owned to her, which enabled her to choose what she wanted to do in her professional life. While she was a voting member of the boards of directors of the various companies controlled by Ray Enterprises, she was fortunate that Albert, who had been her father’s right-hand man, continued to perform in that same capacity for her, relieving her of the burden of day-today involvement in the affairs of those companies. Not only was he the one who acted on her behalf at board meetings, but he was like an uncle to her, and she trusted him implicitly.
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