by Debbie Mason
Moments later emergency vehicles filled the other lane of the highway. Two tall men got out of the sheriff’s white Suburban. They were extremely good-looking, so Charlotte wasn’t surprised when Ty flagged them down. “Gage, can you check my nose?” he asked, lifting his chin at the dark-haired man.
“Ty, I was a paramedic, not a doctor. Looks fine to me, though.”
Apparently not happy with his answer, Ty looked to the fair-haired man for advice. “Chance, tell me the truth. Has she ruined my face forever?”
“Put some ice on your nose, take two ibuprofens, and you’ll be as good as new.” Chance winked at Charlotte, and she blinked. No wonder Madison and Vivi didn’t mind leaving New York.
“Can I call you in the morning?” Ty asked, but the two men had already walked off to make themselves useful.
Charlotte continued to treat the injured until the paramedics took over. She helped them load an elderly man complaining of chest pain onto a stretcher.
The younger woman thanked Charlotte and then said to her partner, “Matt said we’re to take everyone to CGH.”
“Will do,” her partner responded with a nod.
“No, I’m sorry. You’ll have to take them to Valley Ridge,” Charlotte said.
“Sorry, ma’am, but we take our orders from Dr. Trainer.”
“Yes, and Dr. Trainer takes his orders from me. I’m CEO of Christmas General, Dr. Charlotte Bailey, and you will do as I—”
“Charlotte, what do you think you’re doing?” asked a deep and unhappy voice from behind her.
She turned around. “Matt, we’re not equipped to—”
“I don’t have time to argue with you about this, Charlotte. Everyone is going to Christmas General.” He lifted his chin at the paramedic, who nodded and wheeled the patient away.
Charlotte stared after the woman and then looked up at Matt. “I can’t believe you countermanded my order like that. We’re down to a skeletal staff. We can’t handle—”
“We can, and we will. Now I have a patient to get back to.” He turned and walked to one of the other ambulances. Tucking supplies under his arm, he waved over the McBrides. “Hey guys, I could use a hand.”
Ty was gone, and most of Charlotte’s patients had been loaded in the ambulances or taken away in other emergency vehicles. She started to walk in the direction Matt had taken but then turned back. If he wanted her help, he would’ve asked. Obviously, he wasn’t happy that she’d wanted to send the patients to Valley Ridge. She wasn’t happy with him, either. Which proved she’d been right all along. She couldn’t afford to get involved with an employee, no matter how much she wanted to.
She walked over to where the dark-haired sheriff stood beside the white Suburban with a picture of Santa on the door. Jill was on the radio. The call sounded serious. She didn’t mean to listen in but couldn’t help herself. It sounded like the call was about Matt’s patient.
The woman’s children were being transported to Christmas General now. The jaws of life had finally cut through the vehicle, and the woman was being removed. From what Jill said, it was only because of Matt’s heroic efforts that she was even alive.
Charlotte turned and ran down the road. Matt had to listen to her. The woman was in a life-and-death situation. CGH was already overextended. Charlotte had closed most of the long-term beds. The rest were filled. She had to make him see reason.
The beep, beep, beep of an ambulance backing toward the side of the road was barely audible above the engines and howl of the wind. Lights from the emergency vehicles lit up the path the McBride brothers and two paramedics walked along as they carried the woman on the stretcher toward the waiting ambulance. Matt stood beside the mangled car with two firemen. It was dark now, and the snow was still heavy so it was difficult to see what he was doing, but he appeared to be treating one of the firefighters.
Someone shouted. From where she was, it was hard to make out the words. In seconds, she didn’t need to hear what they yelled to know Matt and the firefighters were in trouble. Carried on the wind was the smell of gas. The McBride brothers pointed something out to Matt. A spark. A flame. He was already moving away from the car. And then it was like someone had turned a camera on slow motion. Matt’s face was lit up in an orange glow as he looked over his shoulder. One of the firefighters had tripped and was struggling to get up. Matt started back, heedless of the danger.
“Matt!” she screamed.
Boom! A ball of fire lit up the night sky.
Chapter Seven
There was standing room only in the emergency room at Christmas General, where Matt waited for someone to stitch his head. At least he had company to keep him entertained. The McBride brothers, their great-aunt’s best friends Ted and Fred, and a few guys from the old-timers’ hockey league Matt played on, including the sheriff’s husband and owner of the Penalty Box, Sawyer Anderson. Jill was there, too. So was Ethan O’Connor, three guys from Search and Rescue, and two of Matt’s firefighter friends.
And that right there was why he loved the town of Christmas, Colorado. He counted himself blessed. And lucky. Other than a mild concussion, some scrapes and bruises, and a minor head wound, he’d survived tonight’s explosion in one piece. Both firefighters had escaped with minor injuries, too. The person Matt was most worried about was the young mother they’d extracted from the car just before it blew.
He raised his voice to make himself heard. His visitors were getting loud. “Jill, how are Jane Doe’s kids?” Whatever could’ve helped them identify the woman was now destroyed by the explosion, and, as far as Matt knew, the kids weren’t talking. Matt suspected the older boy—who was maybe four—was in shock.
“They were having a hard time. Dr. Bailey thought it might help if they saw their mom. She has them in the room with her now. Before you ask, yes, she’s still unconscious, but she’s stable. Thanks to you and your field work.”
It was more thanks to his time in the military. He’d learned to think on his feet and improvise. “Cold weather helped some.”
“So, you and Dr. Bailey, anything to share?” Gage asked Matt.
“Ah, no, and I’m not sure why you’re asking.”
“He can’t help himself. He has three daughters,” his older brother Chance said.
“What do you mean you don’t know why Gage is asking? The only reason a woman runs toward danger instead of away from it is—”
Matt cut Ted off before he said what he thought he was going to. Insinuating that Charlotte was in love with him wouldn’t do either of them any good, especially in a small town. Especially given their last exchange. He had little doubt his boss had a few things to say to him about overruling her at the scene tonight. “I wasn’t actually thinking or seeing clearly for a few minutes. But the only reason Charlotte would run to my aid is because she’s a doctor.”
“No, siree, the woman had tears streaming down her face. She thought you were dead. Ain’t that the truth, Ted?” Fred asked his best friend of seventy years.
They reminded Matt of Jack Lemmon and Walter Matthau in Grumpy Old Men. Fred was Walter, and Ted was Jack. Only it wasn’t Ted and Fred who worried him. It was their best friend, Nell McBride.
Maybe Matt’s hearing had been affected by the blast or his concussion was worse than he thought. Because he was pretty sure Fred had just said Charlotte was crying. He glanced at Jill, figuring it was safer to ask her than Fred or Ted.
“So, how about the big game last night?” he said, knowing that would get the conversation started and distract them from the one he planned to have with Jill. Christmas was a big hockey town, thanks to Sawyer Anderson. He used to be captain of the Colorado Flurries.
Sure enough, they were all eager to share their opinion of the game. It helped that a couple of guys were cheering for the opposing team. As soon as the conversation got heated, Matt turned to Jill, who sat on the edge of the bed.
He’d made a slight miscalculation: He’d forgotten that Jill was as big a fan of the game as the
rest of the guys. “You’re joking, right? He’s a baby. See how many goals he scores without his team protecting him.”
Before he lost his chance, Matt nudged Jill. “Fred said Charlotte was crying. Did she hurt herself?”
“No, you idiot. She thought you were dead.”
“Keep it down, would you?” He should’ve known better than to ask Jill.
“Why? It’s a good thing, isn’t it? If she gets that upset at the thought of you dying, she’s probably in love with you. And if she’s in love with you, she’ll fight to ensure that you keep your job and that Christmas General stays open. Way to go, Matt.” She raised her hand to high-five him.
The guys stopped arguing and turned to look at him.
Sawyer laughed. “If you expected Jill to keep it on the DL, you must’ve hit your head harder than we thought.”
“Okay, just so you all know, that wasn’t what it sounded like. Charlotte and I are friends. That’s it. That’s all.”
“Won’t be for long. Nellie’s coming out of retirement,” Fred said.
“No, she’s not,” Matt said, his voice rising an octave. Everyone laughed at him.
“Yes, she is,” Ted said, turning his phone around. “She just announced it on Facebook.”
* * *
Charlotte cast a nervous glance at the older woman sitting with the two little boys on the couch in her office. Nell McBride had been waiting for them when they returned from visiting with the boys’ mother. Charlotte supposed she should be grateful for the older woman’s presence. Nell had come straight from Santa’s Village, where she’d been performing in her role as Mrs. Claus, and was providing a welcome distraction from the little boys’ grief and fear as she read them a Christmas story.
Charlotte’s gratitude was tempered with worry only because Nell’s reputation preceded her. Perhaps she was worrying for nothing. At the moment, the older woman looked sweet and grandmotherly with her rosy cheeks and smiling blue eyes. As though she sensed Charlotte’s perusal, Nell raised her gaze from the page. “Why in the Sam Hill are you staring at me? Go see to Matt.”
Nell had no idea how much Charlotte wanted to do that, but she had to ensure the children were taken care of first. She knew Matt would feel the same. “I will as soon as I’ve met with social services.”
They were looking for someone to take in Jane Doe’s sons while they searched for their extended family. Both boys had curly light brown hair and hazel eyes. Charlotte guessed the youngest to be somewhere between two and three, and the oldest to be between four and five. So far, neither of them had said a single word. Although she’d seen signs they were communicating with each other. The oldest was sweetly protective of his baby brother.
His wary gaze narrowed on her over the top of the book, and she had a feeling he understood more than she’d thought. Charlotte smiled at him. “It’s just a temporary arrangement until your mother gets better. We’re going to make sure you and your brother stay together and that’s there’s lots of toys for you to play with. You’ll see your mom every day, I promise. I’ll bring you to the hospital myself. Okay?”
The boys shared a glance, and then the oldest looked at her and shook his head. Charlotte moved to the chair closest to them and sat on the edge. “If you told us your names and where you live, it would help us find your family. Can you do that? Can you tell us your names?”
An emotion sparked in his eyes just before he lowered his gaze to the book. Fear or panic, she couldn’t be sure which. He’d reacted the same way when she’d questioned him earlier. At the time, she’d put it down to worry about their mother and being among strangers. Now, though, she had a feeling it was something more.
“We don’t need social services involved, do we, boys? How would you like to stay with Dr. Bailey? She lives a couple blocks from the hospital.”
“Well, um, I’m living at the lodge right now, and that’s not really a suitable…” Trapped by two pairs of hazel eyes set in adorable, scared little faces, she trailed off helplessly when the oldest gave her a tiny nod.
“You’re right, the lodge is no place for two little boys during the Christmas season. You need a big yard to play in and a house to decorate, don’t you?”
Thank God, Charlotte thought, Nell’s taking them home with her. Charlotte stood up, her relief turning to delight at what looked to be a gleam of excitement in the oldest boy’s eyes. And she might be mistaken, but she thought she caught a hint of a smile on the toddler’s face just before he stuck his thumb in his mouth.
“All right, you get on the horn and tell social services we’ve got the boys set, and I’ll put out a request for toys and clothes on Facebook. When you go down to check on Matt, ask him how he’s set up in the way of Christmas decorations. I can put out a call for them, too, if need be.”
Charlotte froze with the phone in her hand and slowly turned to look at Nell. “Why do you want to know if Matt has decorations?”
“You’re a smart girl, why do you think? Kids like to decorate with colorful lights for the holidays, don’t you?” she asked the boys, who nodded. “And Matt lives in a nice, big, family-sized house just around the corner. I’ll feel better knowing you’re with him on account of the head injuries he sustained playing hero tonight, Dr. Bailey. Seems to me we’ve found the ideal solution for everyone.”
This time there was no mistaking the expression on the boys’ faces, and no matter her near panic at being caught in the crosshairs of Christmas’s resident matchmaker, Charlotte would not be the one to make their smiles disappear. Which, as evidenced by her satisfied grin, Nell McBride knew full well.
Ten minutes later, after clearing the arrangement with social services and leaving the boys in the capable hands of the manipulative Mrs. Claus, Charlotte went in search of Matt in emergency to break the news. It wasn’t difficult to figure out where he was; all she had to do was follow the sound of male laughter. Opening the door was more difficult. She heard a grunt as she shoved it open. Crossing her arms and raising an eyebrow, she leaned against the doorjamb. The laughter in the room trailed off then died.
“Uh, oh, looks like you’re in trouble, Trainer,” the firefighter in the corner said.
“Take good care of our boy, Doc. It’s a busy time for Search and Rescue. We can’t afford to have him out of commission for long,” a hulking man said as he and his friend gave Matt a fist bump.
Matt was watching her as warily as the little boy had fifteen minutes before. Ha. He should save his wary looks for a woman who warranted them. But Nell was the least of her worries at the moment. Charlotte had received the radiologist’s report on Jane Doe on her way to see Matt. And now that she saw him, she didn’t like his coloring or the blood seeping through the gauze on his forehead.
“Your boy should’ve been taken care of an hour ago.” Charlotte leaned back to look for a nurse.
“Charlotte, they’re overrun, and I’m fine.”
“You’re not fine. And they’re overrun because someone vetoed my directive to send the accident victims to Valley Ridge,” she snapped, and then winced at the expression that came over the other men’s faces. In their eyes, she’d officially become the witchy Dr. Bailey. Given the way Matt’s mouth flattened, he thought so, too. Wait until he found out the witchy doctor and two children were having a sleepover at his house tonight.
Two grizzled older men stood up. She recognized them from the pileup this afternoon. They said their goodbyes to Matt and gave her polite nods as they walked past.
When they were a few feet down the hall, she heard the taller one say, “Ted, I’m thinking Nell’s been retired too long and doesn’t have it anymore. Those two are no Maddie and Gage.”
Charlotte had no idea why, but she felt slightly offended by the older man’s remark.
“Good thing you got here when you did, Charlotte. He’s been threatening to stitch himself up. I offered, but he didn’t take me up on it,” Gage said as he and his brother filed out with the rest of the men. They’d officially
introduced themselves to her after Matt was loaded in an ambulance. By that time, she’d recovered from her meltdown. She’d been so certain Matt was dead that she’d lost it. Like completely lost it. She hadn’t been as upset about losing Jeremy as she’d been at nearly losing Matt.
Her cheeks heated with embarrassment at the thought. His friends had probably told him she’d made a fool of herself. She went to the small sink in the room and washed her hands, wishing she could splash cool water on her face. She felt the weight of Matt’s gaze on her back.
“Have you had a CT scan?” she asked, keeping her voice professional and detached.
“No, and I don’t need one.”
She turned, her mouth open to argue only to realize he was no longer sitting on the bed but moving to the door. “Get back on the bed. I need to examine you and stitch your head.”
“You’re not stitching my head or examining me. What you can do is sign me out.”
“Yes, I am, and no, I will not. And if you don’t allow me to do so, I won’t clear you for work.”
“Fine. I’ll wait until one of the other docs is available.”
“I’m afraid that’s impossible. You’ll have at least a two-hour wait, and the boys need to be put to bed before then. They’ve had a trying day, and so have I. Of course, you have, too. So would you please just do as you’re told and not make such a fuss about it so we can go home?”
He rubbed his temple as he returned to the bed. “You know, I might have hit my head harder than I thought. Because for a minute there, it sounded like you and I were married with children…” He groaned. “Ted and Fred weren’t joking, were they? Nell’s come out of retirement, hasn’t she?”
“On the one hand, I’m pleased to report that, given how quickly you figured that out, you’re probably only mildly concussed. While on the other hand, I’m sorry to report you’re right. Thanks to Nell, I’m moving in with you, and so are Jane Doe’s sons. And before you give yourself a headache trying to come up with excuses, the boys smiled when Nell told them, so we’re staying.” At his stunned expression, she explained how it had transpired. As she did, she also began removing the gauze from the wound on his forehead.
