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CHARITY PARKED THE rental car in the staff parking area at Scott Thompson Hospital. Her father had sent her the parking pass a while back and today she finally decided to use it. The snow must have been falling for most of the day. There was a pile already on the ground when her plane landed an hour earlier.
She pulled her coat tightly around her and grabbed her purse and briefcase from the passenger seat. A gust of cold wind helped close the car door. She did not pack for the snow. Atlanta had been warm and sunny when she left so she hadn’t even thought about taking mitts and a woolly hat. She quickened her pace and stomped her feet just inside the hospital doors to try and get the snow off her jeans and sneakers.
Her cheeks burned from the cold. She could imagine how red they probably looked at the moment. She pressed the up button for the elevator and bent down to brush a mini pile of snow trying to hide under the tongue of her shoe. She danced, trying to get the ice melting away from her sock and skin. “Stupid snow,” she muttered.
A person standing beside her, also waiting for the elevator, began to giggle and then laugh. Charity thought she heard the girl say, “The timing couldn’t be more perfect,” but couldn’t be sure; she hadn’t been listening. She straightened and smiled at the girl. “Maybe next time I’ll check the weather report before I leave the airport.” The stranger looked vaguely familiar, but Charity couldn’t place where she recognized her from.
“Crazy always messes things up.” The girl giggled again and stepped into the elevator when the door slid open. “Don’t you hate it when someone ruins everything?” She coughed. “I mean, someone, like Mother Nature.” She turned and pressed the sixth floor button and covered her mouth, trying to hide her smile.
Weird. Charity leaned against the back wall of the elevator and stared unfocused at the back of the stranger’s frame. Her father and Elijah were both probably in their offices and she’d have to talk to both of them. She fidgeted with the buttons on her coat and pulled it off, tucking it neatly under her arm. The elevator felt warm compared to outside. She licked her dry lips. She needed to talk to Elijah. Her father’s birthday gala was another three months away and trying to avoid him until after the event would be impossible. Not to mention stupid.
The girl jabbed the fifth floor button just as they passed the fourth floor. “Hope your Christmas is full of surprises.” She squeezed through the door as soon as it slid partly open and raced down the hall.
Charity stared at her retreating figure until the elevator door slid shut. Could she have been at the meeting back in October? A strange noise sounded from the back of her throat when she realized who she was – Elijah’s old stalker! The nurse from that night Charity kissed Elijah to save his butt. Did the woman recognize her? Probably not. It had been dark that night and it was over three months ago.
The elevator opened again to the sixth floor. Charity swallowed and tucked a strand of hair behind her ear. Did she go straight to her father’s or knock on Elijah’s door? She could also take the stairs down a flight and head over to Julie’s office. When the door started to close, Charity finally reacted and quickly hit the button to open the door again. She stepped out and passed the nurses’ station and went down the hall. Why did Elijah and her father have to have offices across from each other?
Stop it! She scolded herself. Go see Dad. I can deal with Elijah when I see him.
“Charity!” Her father stepped out of his office wearing his lab coat. “You’re early. I thought you weren’t flying in until tomorrow.”
Nice to see you, too, Dad. “This was the only available flight before Christmas.”
“It’s probably a good thing. The snow isn’t supposed to stop for a couple of days. Will definitely be a white Christmas.” He checked his watch. “I’ve got to see a patient for a follow up. Why don’t you wait in my office and I’ll be back in fifteen, twenty minutes?”
She could close the door and hide from Elijah. She shrugged. “Sure.” She needed to call the contractor for the hall and make sure everything was on schedule and meet with him while she was here. She also needed to confirm things with the caterers.
Her dad held the door open for her. He paused at the door, picking at some fluff on his shirt. “You’re here for Christmas Eve.”
She set her briefcase on the chair facing his desk. He kept his head down, refusing to look at her. She wondered why. Maybe he didn’t want her here tomorrow night. Her mother used to do a dinner fondue and as a kid, Charity always opened one present on Christmas Eve. Did her father have plans? “It’s no problem if you have to work.”
“I booked it off. Tomorrow evening and Christmas evening. I’m on call for Christmas day.”
She’d book her usual room at the hotel so it wouldn’t be an issue. “Okay.” She didn’t know what else to say.
He finally looked up. “Want to do the fondue tomorrow night? I’ve still got those silly things and those ugly forks your mother bought.” He shrugged. “Forget it... bad idea.”
What else would she being doing alone on Christmas Eve? She’d flown home for a reason, not just work related, so she might as well be in the house she grew up in the night before Christmas. “Let’s do it.”
“Really?”
She smiled at his genuine look of surprise. “Sure. I’ll grab the meat from the butcher’s in the morning and also hit the grocery store.”
“I’ll get you a key for the house so you can head over whenever. I should finish up tomorrow around three or four.”
“I can just meet you there.”
“No. I’ll get you a key.”
She didn’t feel like arguing. “Sure.”
“I’ll be back shortly.” He left, closing the door behind him.
It felt awkward to be in his office without him in it. She sat down in the chair across from his desk and it still felt like she was snooping. She averted her gaze and flipped open her briefcase, wishing it wasn’t so quiet. She went through her messages on her iPad. The building contractor where the birthday gala would be had left her an email. He added pictures of what had been done at the hall. The place looked fantastic, like they would be stepping back a hundred years in time when they entered the building. She wrote a reply and suggested they meet tomorrow afternoon or on the twenty sixth, after Christmas, if it worked better for him.
As she sent the message she heard her father’s laughter outside the door. A moment later he opened it and stepped through with Elijah in scrubs right behind him.
Her breath caught. He must have caught the sun while in New Zealand and the blue from his clothes made his eyes look brighter. The smile he wore flattened into a thin line when he noticed her in the chair. The only positive thing was he wouldn’t look away from her... like he couldn’t.
“Charity!” Her father clapped his hands.
Her head turned to her father but it took longer for her eyes to drag away from Elijah. “Yeah?” she said absently. Why did she have to picture Elijah without a shirt on right now?
“There’ll be a plus one tomorrow.”
“Okay.” She blinked and focused on her dad. “Wait. What was that?”
Dr. Thompson elbowed Elijah. “Dr. Bennet is on his own through the holidays and I invited him over tomorrow night.”
Elijah glanced between the two of them. “I didn’t realize your daughter would be home. Why don’t we take a rain check? I’m working Christmas Day so it’s really no bother.”
Dr. Thompson nodded at Charity. “He’s a bit like me when it comes to work. The guy never leaves the office. That’s why I hired him.” He slapped Elijah on the shoulder. “But you still need to eat.”
What he didn’t add Charity was able to figure out. Then I don’t have to be alone with my daughter. Her father couldn’t be more obvious.
“I guess it’s settled then.” Charity stood. She wanted to talk to Elijah alone and needed a plan. “I’m about to head out. Dad, I forwarded you photos of how the hall is coming along. It’s great. Wait till you see it.” She swallowed. “Dr. Bennet, are you leaving now too?” She played with the strap on her briefcase now hanging over her shoulder.
Elijah stared at her, his face a mask devoid of any emotion. He finally moved, raising a hand to scratch the back of his neck. “I’m staying. Dr. Thompson and I need to go over a few things.”
Ouch. “I’ll see you tomorrow evening then.” She suddenly wanted to get to her hotel and bury her head under the pillows.
The next morning Charity woke up feeling exhausted. She had slept like crap and even a phone call to Julie hadn’t lifted her spirits. Dinner tonight would only be one thing – excruciating. She didn’t want to get up but she had no intentions of being disorganized for tonight. She needed boots and new clothes. She might as well knock ‘em dead, looking pretty on the outside while her insides were all disorganized and chaotic.
It snowed more through the night; the big, fluffy flakes which made perfect snowmen. Not that she had any intentions of making one. Freezing the two men in her life seemed more advantageous than trying to build another one, even made out of snow.
Surprisingly, the stores were not that busy first thing in the morning. Or she just got lucky with timing. She found a pretty blue dress and fantastic tall black leather boots to match perfectly. She sent a pic to Julie, who raved and promised to show Simon to get a guy’s opinion on the dress. He gave her two thumbs up. Unfortunately, it did little to cheer her mood.
Off to the butcher’s next. Whoever hadn’t been at the clothing store must have gone to the meat market instead. Charity waited nearly an hour in line. The butcher wrapped all the assorted meats she picked out and that he had suggested.
“What do you plan on doing with all the meat?” he asked.
“Fondue.”
“The deep fry kind? Obviously not the cheese one.” He laughed. “You know, instead of doing an oil fondue, why don’t you try the new kind of cookery that’s popular this holiday season?” He came around the counter; his striped apron was stained with meat sauce so he tossed it in the corner and grabbed a fresh one. He led her to an aisle just past the spices. “These are still burner based but hold small pans to cook your meats or vegetables in. Like mini frying non-stick pans. You can grill on them and everything.”
“Do you have the oil for the burners as well?”
The butcher smiled, his podgy cheeks bright. “Sure do.”
Charity bought three sets. At least she would have something to add to the conversation tonight. After another long stop at the grocery store for vegetables, she sent a text to her father. She planned on heading over to the house to wash and cut everything up, set the table and then head back to the hotel to shower. She wondered if she needed to grab a few bottles of wine as well.
Her father replied shortly later. He had put a spare key in the bottom of the mailbox. He also sent her the alarm code entry to turn it off.
She took her time on the roads to her childhood home. She was glad to be doing it on her own. How long ago had she been home? Over two years now.
The drive had been plowed, and out of habit, she parked on the left side of the driveway. She turned the engine off and stared at the house. She sighed long and hard. “I miss you, Mom,” she whispered. Her dad had put a Nativity set in the garden with spotlights. The snow made the house look warm and cozy. Except without her mom, it would just be empty.
She grabbed a few of the grocery bags and headed up the front steps. She collected the key to the house out of the mailbox and realized her dad hadn’t changed the locks since she’d moved out. She still had the house key on her keychain. It didn’t matter. She opened the front door and turned the alarm system off.
The house smelled clean, like lemons or limes. She flipped a few lights on and walked to the kitchen to drop the bags off. Everything looked the same. Her mother’s love of antiques suited the house and her father hadn’t changed that. She nearly dropped the groceries by the kitchen. He’d had the archway molded and widened, and had redone the kitchen. A big island now stood in the middle with a fancy collection of pots and pans hanging above it. It was awesome. The wood, chrome, copper, and black detail suited the house.
Charity set the groceries, her purse and phone on the island and then went back to the car to grab more bags. It took three trips before she had everything inside. She pulled her iPod out of her purse and set it on her father’s docking station. She started with Christmas music as she washed the vegetables and got everything organized for cutting. She switched the music to her workout dance shuffle as she started searching drawers and cupboards for bowls and dishes.
She danced and sang along to the music, her mood getting better as the day wore on. In the dining room, she set the fondue pieces out, along with wine glasses, plates, and cutlery. She visualized where all the meat and vegetables would go. Her stomach rumbled in agreement. She glanced at her watch. “Damn!” It was nearly five o’clock!
She grabbed her phone to call her dad and saw he had sent a text about an hour ago.
Leaving in an hour. Giving Elijah a lift as we are both still at hospital. You mind driving him home?
