by Debbie Mason
“It won’t matter. What we need is information about the clinic and the doctor who treated Heather previously.”
“Easton’s getting close. He needs another hour.”
“Brickman’s out in less than forty-five minutes.”
Alexander and Oliver came flying down the stairs. Alexander held up a doe-eyed puppy, who yipped and yapped and wriggled and squirmed. “Look what Santa gave us. We have to go to the hospital and wake up Mommy. Henry says all she needs is to hear us talk. It’s important. Really, really important.”
Oliver nodded, his thumb in his mouth. He took it out. “Weally portant.”
“Okay, let’s go. Hurry, Matt. We have to go.”
Matt was staring up the stairs. “But that guy…Where did he go?”
“Back to the North Pole. He’s Santa’s head elf,” Alexander said.
Chapter Ten
The citizens of Christmas were praying for another miracle to save CGH. In their minds, Heather Brickman coming out of her coma five minutes before her husband walked into her hospital room was a miracle. As a doctor, Matt could give them several medically sound reasons why that wasn’t the case.
It had only been a matter of time before Heather regained consciousness. Hearing her sons’ voices had no doubt played a part, and having a roomful of determined and supportive strangers, along with her boys, had no doubt helped Heather find the strength and courage to bring charges against her husband moments after he arrived with the sheriff.
Henry was harder to explain. And Matt was fine with that, because, like the citizens of Christmas, he was hoping for a miracle, too. He only had a matter of weeks to convince Charlotte to stay, and a lot of folks in town were making her feel less than welcome. He’d go so far as to say they were making her feel like she’d be lucky to survive the next month while she sold off the hospital’s assets.
No one understood their fears and frustrations better than he did. After all, he’d soon be looking for work like everyone else. But Charlotte didn’t deserve to be treated like a cold, heartless woman. They had no idea how much she empathized with them or how hard she’d worked to try to save the hospital. To no avail.
Jeremy had outmaneuvered them. Somehow, he’d gotten wind that they were looking for evidence of collusion with Maureen Cheever to present to the board. Yesterday, he’d called an emergency meeting to address the charges. Maureen had appeared before the board via Skype. Nothing short of a miracle could save Christmas General now.
As Matt drove his truck up to the entrance, he leaned on the horn to move the protesters out of the way. They were marching in front of the hospital carrying signs sporting the Grinch. They looked similar to the ones folks in town had used to protest against Madison McBride a few years before. Charlotte had the misfortune of the closure being announced at Christmas. It would’ve been bad regardless of the time of year, but the holidays made it seem worse.
Matt left the truck running and hopped out. “Back off, and back off now. Sherriff Anderson is on her way.” He bodily pushed people aside to reach Charlotte, who was making her way through the angry crowd, holding her purse over her head. She never fought back or defended herself. Maybe she was right. Nothing he said had gotten through to the protestors, and he tried every day. Some of them had even taken to calling him…
“Trainer the traitor!”
Charlotte stopped in her tracks and removed the purse from her head to stare down his detractor. One word against Matt and the woman who wouldn’t defend herself was ready to take on thirty sign-wielding protestors. Which made him groan in aggravation and smile, just a tiny bit, at the same time.
“You can say whatever you want about me, but you don’t get to say one negative word about Matt. He’s the heart and soul of Christmas General. He’s everything good about this hospital and town, so if you—”
He made it to her side and drew her against him, shielding her from the waving signs. “Save your breath.”
“Trainer the traitor! Trainer the traitor!” It sounded like the guy from maintenance had gotten a few of his friends on board.
“Look, he’s had a problem with me since I reported him for drinking on the job,” Matt told Charlotte, tightening his hold on her as she tried to wriggle free and shout over his shoulder. “I don’t care what they say about me. What I do care about is you, and I won’t be able to show you just how much if you’re sitting in jail or in the emergency room. So let’s leave peacefully and enjoy the night.”
She nodded as he guided her to his truck with a protective hand at her back. Jill arrived, and almost immediately the crowd dispersed. Pulling out of the lot, Matt waved his thanks.
“There’s a bag for you in the back. Grab it and see if they fit. We still have time to stop by Hardy’s Mountain Co-op if they don’t.”
She leaned around the seat and reached into the bag. “Skates?”
“Yeah, our rink in the park is twice the size of the one in Central Park, and the trees are all lit up for the holidays.”
“Um, Matt.”
He glanced at her. “Yeah?”
“Well, the thing is, while watching people skate at the rink in Central Park is something I love to do during the holidays, I don’t actually do it.”
“You just like the idea of watching them?”
“I watch them, but I don’t actually skate. I don’t know how.”
“No problem. It’s easy. I’m a pro. I’ll teach you.”
* * *
Forty-five minutes later, Matt worked to keep the frustration from showing on his face when he fit his hands under Charlotte’s arms and hauled her to her feet.
She tipped her head back to smile up at him, her cheeks and nose pink. “I nearly had it that time.”
Shockingly, she actually seemed to believe that. Matt was afraid she was going to break something, but didn’t have the heart to tell her he had met toddlers who learned to skate faster than she did. Or at the very least stand up on their skates, on their own, for longer than sixty seconds.
“All right, you can let me go now.”
“I thought maybe we could skate like this for a few minutes. You just lean back and relax against me.”
“But I’m not doing anything.”
Which is why you’re still upright and not taking out the other skaters, he thought but didn’t say. “Indulge me. I like holding you in my arms.” And even though he was pushing her around like she was a corpse, it was kind of nice.
It was the perfect night for a skate. The stars were out, and it wasn’t too cold. The rink wasn’t packed. Well, it had been until Charlotte got out there and took out half the skaters. He smiled at the thought and kissed the top of her head.
“Why are you laughing?” she asked, turning to look back at him.
“No, don’t…”
Her feet began to scrabble, and her right leg went one way, her left between his. She cried out, fisted her hands in his jacket, and brought him down with her. He got his hands behind her head just before it hit the ice.
* * *
“It was a good idea to take a little break,” she said, smiling up at him from the bench.
He handed her a hot chocolate and sat down beside her. “Yeah, we should probably call it a night. You don’t want to overdo it your first time.”
“No, I’m fine,” she said, and he worked to hold back a groan.
He was about to suggest that they do something else when her cell phone rang. “Facetime. It’s Kate and Abbie. Wait until they see me skate,” she said as she held up her phone.
The smiling faces of Charlotte’s dad and her best friends Abbie and Kate filled the screen. The three of them wore Santa hats and held Champagne flutes. They looked like they were in a partying mood. Charlotte put down her hot chocolate and waved. “You guys! You look so cute. I miss you!”
The three of them looked down at the phone in the redhead’s hand as if waiting for a text. There was an audible ping, and then their heads popped up. They beamed. “Look
over your shoulder. Do you see the sleigh?” Abbie asked.
Matt followed Charlotte’s gaze. At the edge of the park, Calder Dane dressed as Santa stood behind his sleigh, the dogs yapping as they tried to catch the lightly falling snow.
“Yes, why?”
“Santa’s making your wish come true. You’re coming home for Christmas! There’s a private airport fifteen minutes away. Your plane’s waiting for you.” The three of them squealed liked three-year-olds who’d been given their Christmas wish.
Charlotte frowned. “I don’t understand. Jeremy—”
“You never did like to be surprised,” her father grumbled, and then sighed. “I don’t know why we expected you to change. All right, we might as well tell her now. Are you ready?” Her friends nodded, and the three of them held up their Champagne flutes. “Cheers to our new chief medical officer at Bailey Healthcare, Dr. Charlotte Bailey!”
“What? How?”
The three of them groaned. “Charlotte!”
“I know, it’s amazing. The best news ever. It’s just that I don’t understand how it happened.”
Matt was confused, too, as much by Charlotte’s reaction as the news. She looked at him. He forced a smile, nodding as if it were the best news ever when, for him, it couldn’t get much worse. But it was everything she wanted.
“I was reinstated as chairman of the board fifteen minutes ago. Jeremy’s out, and so is Samantha,” her father said.
“And it’s all thanks to your friend Nick,” Kate said.
“Nick who?”
“Nick from the New York Cab—” Abbie began before Charlotte’s dad cut her off with a laugh.
“Nick Clause, can you believe it?” her dad said. “He even looks like Santa. Anyway, your friend Nick found Jeremy’s briefcase in the back of his cab and was returning it to his office. Only the briefcase popped open on the elevator, and Jeremy’s papers went all over. Which wouldn’t have been a big deal if the head of the hedge fund hadn’t been the one to help Nick pick up the papers and discovered what Jeremy had been up to at Bailey Healthcare. Like colluding with the CEO of one of their major competitors for personal gain. You were right all along, Charlotte. Jeremy worked out a deal with Maureen Cheever, just like you suspected. But that wasn’t what brought him down. He’d lost heavily on several trades last year and needed authorization before acquiring shares, which he didn’t do when he bought out a majority of Bailey Healthcare on behalf of the hedge fund. The good news is they think we’re a solid-performing company, and they’re holding their shares as well as buying up Samantha’s.”
“Wait!” Charlotte raised her voice to be heard over their cheering. “This means Christmas General stays open? No cuts to staff or beds?”
“Yes. Now get on Santa’s sleigh and come home where you belong!” her father said.
“Go, go!” her friends cried, waving ticket stubs. “We have front row seats for the Rockettes tomorrow night!”
“Can you believe it? Christmas General isn’t closing. No one’s losing their jobs. You’re not losing your job.” She threw herself in his arms. “It’s a miracle, Matt. A Christmas miracle.”
It was. And he was happy for her, for the town, for his friends and colleagues. It just wasn’t the miracle he’d been hoping for. “You better get going. Santa’s waiting.”
She pinched herself. “This feels like a dream. It’s all happened so fast.”
“It’s what you want, though, isn’t it?”
“Yes, of course. I just didn’t expect it to happen.” She glanced over her shoulder. “I guess I better go. I’ll call you. We’ll talk, okay? We’ll—”
“Go. You’ll miss your flight.”
“I’ll miss you. I.…” She cupped his face between her mittened hands. “Merry Christmas, Matt.” She kissed him and his arms went around her, holding her tight, praying that she’d change her mind.
She didn’t.
* * *
Two days after Matt had watched until the sleigh was out of sight, he was packed and ready to head to the airport. If his flight wasn’t delayed, he’d land in New York on Christmas Eve. He planned to surprise Charlotte. He hoped it would be a happy surprise. She’d only been gone a couple of days, but he missed her like crazy. He loved her, so much so that he was willing to relocate to the Big Apple. He hadn’t told anyone of his plans. Who knew? Charlotte may not feel the same. But Matt was willing to take the risk. So he’d taken the week’s holiday owed him, and here he was, doing one last check of the house to make sure everything was turned off.
A wave of nostalgia washed over him as he walked through the bedrooms. He’d put a lot of love into the old place. It wouldn’t be easy to say goodbye to either the house or the people who’d become a family to him. Then again, there was no comparison to the thought of being without Charlotte in his life.
He glanced at his phone, checking to see if she’d responded to his last couple of texts. She hadn’t. He reminded himself that it didn’t necessarily mean anything. She was busy. It was like she was packing all her holiday traditions into a single day. She’d sent pictures of herself at the Russian Tea Room, at Rockefeller Center, at the Radio City Christmas Spectacular, and decorating a tree with her dad. She’d been up on a ladder, putting the angel on top. She looked beautiful and happy, excited to be home with her father and friends.
His front doorbell rang, interrupting his thoughts. Which might’ve been a good thing because he was questioning his decision to fly to New York. He left his bags on the upstairs landing and went to answer the door. Later, he’d wonder if he’d made his decision to stay home then. He opened the door. It was only the memory of Charlotte’s voice that kept him from slamming it shut. If you ever talk to him, tell him thank you for me.
His baby brother hadn’t changed much since the last time Matt saw him. Only this time he was fully clothed. They had the same light brown hair and light brown eyes and, once, the same taste in women.
Ryan took a step back, and his hands went up. “Your girlfriend must have read you wrong. Sorry.” His brother turned to walk away.
“What are you talking about?”
“Charlotte. She called me yesterday. She wouldn’t happen to be a cop, would she?”
“No, why?”
“Because she asked about a hundred and ten questions before telling me to haul ass up here to spend Christmas with you. She thought it was time we talked. She thought you were ready to. I guess you’re not.”
And there it was, the reason he wasn’t already halfway to the airport. She obviously didn’t want him to be alone for Christmas, but she didn’t want him with her. If she did, she would’ve invited him herself or responded to his texts.
“You made the drive. You might as well come in.” He stepped back, gesturing him inside.
“Yeah?”
He saw the hopeful gleam in his brother’s eyes and had a sudden memory of him tagging after him. He remembered all the Christmas Eves and all the Christmas mornings. Their mother’s funeral, and two years later, their dad’s. For years it’d just been the two of them, and then the three of them, and then for the past five years Ryan with Lara, and Matt on his own.
There was no longer any anger that accompanied the thought. Maybe just sorrow at all he’d missed out on with his brother. Matt nodded and then smiled. “Yeah.”
He saw the tears swim in his brother’s eyes before he grabbed Matt and hugged him hard. “I’m sorry. You have no idea how sorry I am.”
“I know,” he said, returning the hug.
His brother let him go and stepped back, rubbing the sleeve of his jacket across his eyes and nose. Then he turned to wave at the black SUV parked just up the road. Matt briefly closed his eyes. While Charlotte was having the Christmas of her dreams, Matt was being visited by the ghost of Christmas past.
As Ryan went to help his wife out of the vehicle, Matt texted Christmas General to let them know they could put him back on call tonight. He heard a woman’s voice and prepared himself b
efore raising his gaze.
“Jen?” He frowned at the dark-haired woman waddling up his driveway beside his brother. Growing up, Jen had been their next-door neighbor and Ryan’s high school sweetheart. Matt had loved her like a sister.
She elbowed Ryan. “Did you let him think you’d brought Lara for Christmas?”
“I told his girlfriend. I thought she would’ve filled him in,” his brother said and rubbed the side Jen had jabbed with her elbow. Then he grinned. “You must’ve really missed me if you were going to let me and Lara stay for Christmas.”
“I’m sure he’s beginning to wonder why he missed you,” Jen said before smiling at Matt and moving in for a hug. Then she reached up as much as her generous baby bump allowed to whisper in his ear, “He was an idiot, but he regretted it the moment he married her. He loves you, Matt. He’s missed you like crazy. We both have.”
He met his brother’s gaze over Jen’s head. “He’s not the only one who’s been an idiot.”
* * *
It wasn’t the Christmas Eve Matt had dreamed of, but it was better than he’d hoped for, much better. And he owed that to his girlfriend, who he’d been trying to reach for the past several hours. He stood outside the bank of elevators at Christmas General to check his smartphone for about the hundredth time. Still nothing.
“Matt. Merry Christmas, son. Thanks for coming in,” Dr. McBride said and patted Matt’s shoulder.
“No problem. How was the cruise?” He held the elevator door open for the older man. Paul had called Matt in for a second opinion on a new admission.
“Great, even better that we came home to such wonderful news.” Paul pressed the button to the fifth floor. “I was all set to get off at the next port of call and come home, but both my aunt and Charlotte assured me things were under control.”
