The next time Charlie looked up, her father was gone. Had she made the wrong choice by asking him to leave?
Sage popped in to offer coffee and told her sister that she could monitor him overnight. She was a nurse and fully qualified. No one could argue that fact, so once Trig appeared stable they left Charlie alone with him with strict orders to get Sage if anything seemed off.
She climbed into the bed beside him. “You silly man. You should have told me how badly you hurt yourself.”
She touched his forehead and a sense of relief overwhelmed her when he no longer felt on fire. Her fingers skimmed the chiseled plains of his cheekbones and brushed over his soft supple lips. She rose and pressed her mouth to his. “You have to get better. You owe me more kisses.”
She waited for his reply, but it never came. She snuggled into the side of his body and draped her hand over his chest. So many scars. So much hurt in his lifetime. While his scars were visible, hers were hidden deep inside her heart.
She woke several hours later when Sage entered the room to change Trig’s IV and check his fluid output. She’d winced when they put a catheter in him, but she was grateful that Sage thought it all looked good. While Trig still had a fever, it wasn’t as high as before.
“You think he’ll be okay?”
Sage frowned. “Infections are dangerous. Right now he seems to be fighting it.” She pulled the sheet up to his chest. “You should get some rest. He’ll be okay for now.”
“No,” Charlie replied. “I’m staying with him.”
Sage smiled. “He’s lucky to have you. Many women wouldn’t be able to look past all this. Especially since you’ve only just met.”
Charlie sat on the edge of the bed and brought Trig’s hand into her lap. “As crazy as it sounds, I feel like I’ve known him forever.”
Sage turned and walked to the door. “Like I said, he’s lucky to have you.”
Charlie gave her a weak smile. “Somehow I think I’m the lucky one.”
Sage told her she’d check on him in a few hours. She shut the light off and closed the doors.
“Don't you die on me, Trig Whatley. I have plans for you.” She snuggled into his side and fell asleep.
The next morning Clovis nudged her awake. Dogs always had that funny sixth sense and Clovis had somehow known Trig was ill.
The door opened and Lydia walked inside. “I’ll take it from here. Go get some coffee and something to eat. Agatha dropped off Bisquick breakfast casserole.”
At the mention of Agatha, Charlie felt the waves of guilt flood her senses. She’d come to Aspen Cove to make amends with her father and yet she’d basically shut him out of her life again. She didn’t want to leave the room and face her truth. She’d been unreasonable. Unfair. Her actions had been unwarranted. “I want to stay.” She wiped the sleep from her eyes.
“The last thing he needs is for you to get sick too. I promise he’ll be fine while you fortify.”
Charlie leaned over and pressed a kiss to Trig’s cheek. “Get better fast,” she told him. “Tomorrow’s Christmas.” She turned to Lydia. “Is it normal for him to sleep so long?”
Lydia walked her to the door. “Sleep is the best thing he can get. It can’t hurt you either.”
Charlie knew she was right, but she also knew in her heart that it would mean a lot to Trig if she was there when he woke up. Lord how she wanted—no—she needed him to wake up.
When she walked into the living room she was met with her father, who sat on the couch staring out the window at the frozen lake.
“Dad, what are you doing here?”
Dark circles sat like coal smudges under his tired eyes. “Did you think I’d leave and not come back? I refuse to disappoint you again. Even if you don’t want me to provide care for that man, the least I can do is provide support for you.”
Charlie rushed to her father and fell into his arms. The last time he’d held her while she cried was the night her mother died. How could she forget that while he grieved the loss of his one great love, he still nurtured her?
“I’m so sorry. I know it wasn’t your fault.”
He thumbed her tears from her cheeks. “Oh honey, I would have saved her if I could. I would have given her my life if possible. It wasn’t possible. There was nothing I could do.”
Charlie sat back and really looked at her father for the first time in a decade. She’d missed him so much. “Daddy,” she said in a small voice. “Trig needs you.”
Though her father was visibly exhausted, his broad smile made him seem recharged.
“You want me to help Lydia?”
Charlie shook her head. “No.”
Doc gave her a confused look. “Okay, honey. Whatever you want.”
“Lydia can assist you in making sure Trig recovers. He needs the best care and that will always be you. I’m sorry I forgot about who you were for a second. You’re Doc Parker and you’re like a wizard in these parts. Go work your magic.” She moved off her father’s lap and helped him to his feet.
“I’ll do my best, sweetheart.”
She hugged him hard. “That’s all I can ask for.” She gave him a hug. “How’s Louise?”
Doc smiled, “Aspen Cove has a new resident. Paul Robert Williams was born at three o’clock this morning.”
“She named him after you?”
Her father smiled with pride. “It’s about time. I’ve delivered every single one of those kids.”
“I’m so happy she honored you.” She felt a stab of guilt for not showing him the same respect the last ten years.
While her father went to care for Trig, Charlie entered the kitchen to grab a plate of breakfast casserole and visit with everyone that had congregated there. It was as if the entire town was holding vigil over Trig. In reality, it was only the Bishops, Dalton and Samantha, Wes, and Agatha who were present. Of course, Sage was there too since it was her bed and breakfast. The kitchen counters were filled with foil-covered dishes and plates of muffins from Katie.
“Where did all this stuff come from?” Charlie lifted a muffin from the plate and took a bite.
“You know what small town life is like,” Dalton said. “Word gets out and people cook, it’s what they do.”
Charlie’s father came out of Trig’s room looking relaxed. “He’s still asleep.” He walked over to Agatha and gave her a kiss. It warmed Charlie’s heart that he’d found love in his seventies. Kind of made her jealous that at twenty-eight, she’d never found it at all until she picked up a man and his dog on the side of the road.
“I’ll be right back.” She rushed into the living room where she found the basset hound curled up next to Otis. She dropped to the floor and pulled him into her lap. After a few wet sloppy kisses, he let her look at his eye. When she saw that the eye was healing nicely, she let out a whoop of excitement. A few more doses of antibiotic ointment and the dog would be good as new.
As the morning turned into the afternoon and then the evening, Charlie traded places with her father, Lydia, and Sage as they took turns caring for Trig. The more time she spent alone with him, the more she came to appreciate who he was as a man. She’d nearly memorized every scar on his body. She’d certainly memorized the feel of his lips from the kisses she stole every few minutes. While her father changed his IV bag, Charlie walked outside and sat on the same chair where she’d curled into Trig’s lap days ago. Had it only been a few days?
She stared into the clear night sky and gazed at the thousands of sparking stars. She found the brightest one and closed her eyes in prayer.
As a child, every Christmas Eve, Charlie headed outside with her mother and they wished upon the brightest star. Phyllis Parker called it the Christmas Eve Star and told Charlie that if she wanted something bad enough, the Christmas Eve angels would do their best to grant the wish. She hadn’t wished on that star in ten years. In her mind, the angels owed her.
“Please heal Trig,” she whispered. While she’d like to say the prayer wasn’t for her bu
t an unselfish hope to heal a stranger, she knew she wanted him healthy as much for herself as she did for him. She wanted it for her father too, because even if she wouldn’t hold him responsible if Trig didn’t heal, she knew her father would never forgive himself.
“Sweetheart,” her father said from behind her. “Agatha and I are heading out. We’ll be by in the morning. He’s sleeping peacefully. His fever has broken and his wound is healing.”
Charlie hugged her father hard. “Dad, thanks for everything. I have a feeling everything is going to be okay.”
He kissed her forehead. “You know what, Charlie? I think you’re right.”
She stayed on the deck for a few more minutes before she went back to Trig’s room and climbed into his bed. She giggled at the fact that she’d already slept with him, and he had no idea. As soon as he was better, she’d make sure the next time she spent the night tucked next to his body he’d remember it.
Chapter Thirteen
Trig woke to the beeping of machines. He felt the telltale tug of an IV line in his arm. While his right side was cool, his left side was hot and heavy.
A body moved next to him. He didn’t have to see her to know it was Charlie. She smelled like cinnamon and sugar—like toaster pastries or maple syrup. She smelled like happiness.
The last thing he remembered was sitting on the ice with the guys. He had a vague recollection of being put into a bed.
He shifted and she flew up from a sound sleep. “Are you okay?” She rubbed at her eyes, which were rimmed in deep shadows.
“I’m perfect. Where are we?” He tried to lift up, but she pushed him back down.
“Don’t move,” she said.
She grabbed her phone and called her father while Trig took in the situation around him. He was still in his room at the bed and breakfast.
“What happened?”
Charlie tried to move off the bed, but he pulled her back to his side.
“I got my wish. That’s what happened. I asked for you to get healthy and to wake up and look at you.”
He pieced together the bits that he knew. “You didn’t let them take me to the hospital.” He leaned into her and kissed her lips.
“You begged me not to but I would have if it meant saving you. However, there was an ice storm.”
“Give me a kiss.”
“How can I deny a begging man?”
“You like me.” He knew his smile was broad because he saw its reflection in her eyes. Eyes that looked tired with worry but happy with relief.
“I more than like you, mister. While you were sleeping I decided I could love you.”
“Is that right?”
She nodded. “Of course, that means we’d have to spend more time together because I need you to learn to love me too.”
He chuckled. “Charlie, look at me. I’m a mess and you want to love me?”
She brushed back his hair and peppered his face with kisses. “Too late. I think I already do.”
“It’s settled then. I will love you forever, too,” he said.
She scooted close to him. “You’ll have to because we’ve slept together and my father knows. I told him to bring his shotgun.”
“You slept with me last night?”
“The last two nights. It’s Christmas, silly. Merry Christmas, Trig Whatley. I’ve got nothing to give you but my heart.”
It was hard to maneuver with the IV, but he managed to roll on his side and wrap her in his arms. “You’ve given me so much already. You’ve given me hope. Now kiss me,” he repeated. “I miss your kisses.”
She laughed. “There’s so much you missed while you were sleeping.”
“Tell me.”
“I’ve given you at least a hundred Christmas kisses.” Just as he was getting his one hundred and first, Doc Parker walked into the room and cleared his throat.
“Good morning, Trig. Merry Christmas.”
Trig sat up, but didn’t let Charlie escape from his side. “Good morning, sir. Merry Christmas.”
Doc took his vitals and deemed he was going to be all right. When he asked Charlie to leave so he could remove the catheter and IV, she laughed. “I’ve seen it all, Daddy. Trig isn’t hiding anything from me.”
Doc gave them both a dark look. “Son, when you’re feeling better, you and I are going to have to have a talk about your intentions toward my daughter.”
Trig gave Charlie’s hand a squeeze before he asked her to step out of the room.
Doc removed everything that kept Trig tied to the bed.
“Sir, I think I love your daughter. My intentions are as follows. Number one, I plan on buying us a house and staying here in Aspen Cove where I’ll partner with Bowie and provide for your daughter. Number two, I plan on marrying her as soon as she’ll say yes. Number three, I plan on making her the happiest woman in the world. If you give me your blessings, I’ll get to work on it right away.”
Doc sat at the edge of the bed and looked Trig straight in the eye. “Son, if you’re not feeling too weak, get yourself dressed and meet me in the living room.” He pointed to a pair of crutches in the corner. “Use those until your leg heals a few more days.”
Trig wasn't sure if meeting him in the living room was a good thing or not. That certainly put him closer to the front door. Was Doc getting ready to boot him to the curb?
“Should I be worried?”
“Only if you don’t make her happy. I may be old, but I’m determined.” Doc rose from the bed and walked to the door. “I’d ask if you needed help, but you’re the stubborn type. Just don’t fall and break your head. She’d never forgive me.”
Trig swung his leg over the edge and stood up slowly. Lucky for him he’d had plenty of fluids the last few days so he wasn’t particularly dizzy or unstable. His stomach growled, telling him he was hungry. He hopped to the bathroom, took a quick shower, dressed, and hobbled his way into the living room, where Doc and Agatha sat on the sofa together. Cannon and Sage sat cross-legged in front of the tree. Clovis and Otis were spooned in the dog bed.
Charlie came out of the kitchen with two cups of coffee. “I thought you might like some more liquid.” Trig made his way to an empty chair and as soon as Charlie set the cups down, he pulled her into his lap. She squealed with delight.
“Merry Christmas,” he said to everyone present. “I’m sorry to put a damper on the holidays.”
Charlie smiled. “You didn’t. You helped us see it’s not what you have, but who you have that matters. Christmas is about family and friends.”
Doc rose from his seat and walked a plain white box to Charlie. “I’ve been holding on to these for years hoping that someday you would find it in your heart to come home.” He handed her the box.
Trig swiped the tear that ran down her cheek.
Charlie cleared her throat. “You know what’s so funny about that statement? I had to come home to find my heart.” She opened the box and inside was two keys. “Really?”
Trig had no idea what that meant, so he looked between father and daughter.
“They have always been yours. Your mother would have wanted you to have the house and the space next to the clinic has been waiting for you since the day you left.”
She turned to him. “I’ve got a house and a clinic. Now all I need is a partner. What do you say, Trig Whatley? You want to take a chance on me?”
He turned toward Doc Parker.
“Son, I took care of number one on your list. It’s up to you to take care of the rest.”
He would have liked to get up and shake on the deal, but that would require letting go of Charlie. In his heart, it was too great a sacrifice. He knew he’d never let her go, not even for a moment.
Trig spent the rest of the Christmas day enjoying his new family. When the sun set, he feigned exhaustion and led Charlie to his room which Sage had turned back into his very own romantic getaway with wine for Charlie and candles for ambience. While Doc warned him not to exert himself, there was no way he wasn’t m
aking love to her. He didn’t care that his body was recovering. Nothing mattered except Charlie and making her realize she was his for all time and eternity.
“So you saw it all, huh?” He tossed his crutches to the side and pulled his T-shirt over his chest. His hands skimmed over the countless scars running across his skin. “Everything?”
He tugged at the button of his jeans and pulled the zipper down one tooth at a time.
She blushed, but her eyes never left him. She didn’t look at him in horror, but in awe. He watched as her chest rose and fell and her breath picked up.
“Everything. How could I not? You’re so perfect.”
“You’re so blind.” He bent his finger and motioned for her to join him. She didn’t hesitate. “Charlie, I’m going to make love to you tonight. You belong to me. You belong with me. I know it’s quick but…”
She placed her fingers over his lips. “Stop talking and do it.”
Trig wasted no time getting her naked. She lay in the center of the mattress. Her soft white skin glowed against the blue sheets. He climbed on top of the bed resting on both knees and, while his left was painfully sore, nothing would be more painful than not making love to her.
He brushed his lips against hers and trailed down the column of her neck to her shoulders and then to her perfect breasts. As he plucked a pebbled nipple into his mouth, the only thing he felt was alive.
He made love to her breasts, making sure to spend equal time between them before he moved south. His tongue ran down her stomach until he dipped inside her belly button. And when he came to the sweet spot between her thighs, he loved her for long minutes. When she shook and shuddered beneath his tongue with a whisper of his name on her lips he knew he’d be hers forever.
He shifted up her body. His erection lay painfully heavy between his legs. “Would you be unhappy if you got pregnant our first time?”
One Hundred Christmas Kisses (An Aspen Cove Romance Book 6) Page 8
