Chistmas Ever After (17 page)

Obviously, Nurse Flanders had heard it all before, and she rolled her eyes toward the ceiling.

“So, does that mean you and Alex are good friends?” Dr. Phillips asked.

Jennifer swallowed. “Alex?”

Dr. Phillips crossed his arms. “Yes, Jason’s father.”

“Oh, Alex! You mean, Alex?”

“Yes.”

Jennifer shifted her weight. “Well, yes, we’re good friends…Alex and I...Yes, we’ve been friends for…oh, yeah, for a while, now.”

Jason spoke up. “You have?”

Jennifer turned to him, folding her hands tightly, her eyes shifting anxiously. “Yes, Jason, you know that.”

“But my Daddy didn’t believe me when I told him about you,” Jason said.

Jennifer laughed, awkwardly. “Your father’s just teasing you, Jason.”

Dr. Phillips said, “Well, Alex should be here any minute.”

Jennifer faced him, alarmed. “Really?”

Dr. Phillips looked at his watch. “Yes, he left to get a few things for Jason. He called just a minute ago. Said he was on his way.”

Jennifer nodded, rapidly, struggling to think. She looked at Jason. “I should probably be going.”

Jason sank, disappointed. “Don’t leave. You just came. I want my Daddy to see you, because he didn’t believe me.”

“Yes, Jason, but now Dr. Phillips has seen me and he will tell your father that I exist. I mean, your Daddy knows I exist.”

“You look dressed for a night out, Jennifer,” Dr. Phillips said. “A Christmas Eve party?”

It gave her an idea. “Yes… And, I’m late. I’ve really got to be going. People are waiting…”

“Don’t go!” Jason called out. “My Daddy… he doesn’t believe me! He doesn’t believe that you’re an angel!”

Jennifer went to him, and eased down on the edge of the bed next to him. “Jason, I’m just a woman, and I was so lucky to have met you. But I’m not an angel.”

Jennifer’s back was to the door and she didn’t notice when Alex and Valencia entered the room. Jason didn’t notice either.

“But you were there with me on the sled,” Jason said. “You kept it from hitting that sleigh.”

“Yes, I was with you, but you wanted me to follow you, remember? You asked me to take the sled ride with you.”

“But you steered the sled away from the sleigh and you held me when we hit that tree so that it didn’t hurt. You did! Don’t you remember?”

“I remember holding you, Jason, but I’m not an angel.”

“Who are you, then?” Alex asked.

Jennifer spun around and saw a tall man of perhaps 30 looking back at her. He wore a dark leather jacket, blue jeans and black cowboy boots. He stood firmly, with his barrel chest lifted, in a stance that was strong but not threatening. His dark hair was long, stylishly unruly, combed back from his smooth forehead, revealing a broad handsome face and sharp jaw-line.

There was a subdued charisma about him. His dark prowling eyes startled her. There was a remote fire in them that seemed clouded by worries and concerns. As his eyes held her for a long private moment, she didn’t run from his gaze, which surprised her, even while she felt the heat of embarrassment rise to her face for staring back so long.

Jennifer gradually became aware of the woman standing next to him, who in her middle or late 20s, had the luster of wealth and privilege about her. It showed in her aloof, aristocratic face, the confidence in her expression, the expensive full-length cashmere coat and dangling diamond earrings. Her hair was richly long and blond, her lips full, denim blue eyes watchful and narrowed, as if perceiving a threat.

All the eyes in the room were on Jennifer: Jason’s, Alex’s, Valencia’s, Dr. Phillips’ and Nurse Flanders’.

Dr. Phillips turned to Alex and said, flippantly, “She said she’s a family friend.”

Jennifer stood slowly, and became surprisingly aware that the dress helped give her poise and strength. Magically, she felt her chest and shoulders lift, her head rise comfortably. She looked at Alex directly, confidently. “I’m Jennifer Taylor.”

In those seconds, she saw a clearing in his eyes, like dark clouds fleeing to the corners of the sky, leaving a fathomless dome of blue. They boldly looked back at her and, suddenly, she felt tremors of astonishing attraction. It took a Herculean effort for her to look away from him.

“And you were with my son on that sled?”

“Yes.”

“Didn’t you know that he had run away? Didn’t you try to find me or Valencia? We were worried sick! We didn’t know where he was or what had happened to him.”

Jennifer stuttered. “I didn’t know…”

“Why did you run away?”

“I didn’t… I mean…I…”

Valencia interrupted. “Well, you certainly weren’t around when the people from the sleigh arrived. If you were with Jason, then why did you run away? Why didn’t you help him?” she asked, accusingly.

Jennifer struggled to come up with an answer, but knew that whatever she said wouldn’t make any sense, so she didn’t even try.

“She did help me!” Jason yelled. “She did! She saved me! She saved me!”

Nurse Flanders lowered her head and left the room. Dr. Phillips remained, enjoying the drama.

Alex laid the little suitcase down next to Valencia, and started toward his son, gently brushing Jennifer. When they touched—which was ever so slightly, the brush of his left arm against hers—they both felt an unexpected heat arise from an unknown place deep within, and with it, a sharp, rapid recognition of familiarity and longing. He paused for only seconds in that mystery of vulnerability and excitement, then went to Jason.

Jennifer was short of breath. Just standing still, watching him lift his son into his arms, made her short of breath!

“It’s all right, Jason,” he said, smoothly, giving him a playful hug. “Everything is great now that you’re okay. We’re going to eat pizza, go to movies and…”

“… But you don’t believe me!” Jason said.

Alex held him at arm’s length. “Of course I believe you, J-boy!”

“Then tell Jennifer you believe her.”

Alex lowered his head, then turned to Jennifer. “I believe you,” he said, flatly.

Jason made an ugly face.

Alex tried again. “Ms. Taylor, if Jason says you’re an angel, then I believe you’re an angel.”

“Alex,” Valencia said, sharply, “I hate to remind you, but we have some last minute Christmas shopping to do.”

Alex turned to her reluctantly, consciously avoiding Jennifer. “I don’t think I can leave J-boy.”

“But we have a hundred things to do before we go to my parents’ party at nine o’clock,” she continued, looking directly at Jennifer.

“Don’t go yet, Daddy,” Jason pleaded. “Please!”

“We’ll be back in a few hours, Jason,” Valencia said. “Just a few hours.”

Jason ignored her. “Please, Daddy…”

Alex tapped his son’s nose, playfully, and looked at Valencia. “Why don’t you go ahead, Valencia? I’ll catch up with you a little later.”

The room turned quiet. Valencia gave Alex a cool gaze, then put her full attention on Jason, forcing a sweet tone that came out mildly strident.
 
“Jason will be fine, won’t you, Jason? You’re a big boy, now.”

Jason shook his head, sadly. “I’m not that big. I’m just a kid.”

Alex said, “I need to stay here awhile, Valencia. Really… You go ahead. J-boy and I need some time together. He’s been through a lot.”

Jason looked at Valencia. “Yeah, I’ve been through a lot!”

Valencia slowly adjusted her purse strap, then switched the purse from her right shoulder to her left, unsuccessfully suppressing an angry look. She pivoted and left.

Jennifer looked away, aware that Dr. Phillips’ eyes were still on her.

“I should go,” she said looking down at her watch.

“Stay with me!” Jason said.

Dr. Phillips spoke up. “Jason, you need to get some rest. You’ve been through quite an adventure.”

Alex turned to the doctor. “Can I stay with him?”

“Of course,” Dr. Phillips said. “But he should try to sleep.”

“But I’m not tired!” Jason protested.

“The doctor’s right, J-boy,” Alex said, easing him back down onto the bed. “You need to rest.”

Jason looked at Jennifer, hopefully, reaching for the teddy bear she brought him. “You’ll come back, won’t you, Jennifer?”

Jennifer hesitated. “I’ll try.”

“Promise me,” Jason said.

She smiled. “Okay, Jason, I promise I’ll come back.”

Alex stole a quick glance at Jennifer, and their eyes met again, briefly. Jennifer drew an inconspicuous breath, to cool herself down, then started toward the door.

As she was leaving the room, she heard Jason say to his father, “Go with her, Daddy! Go with Jennifer!”

In the hallway, she walked toward the elevators, but stopped when Dr. Phillips called for her and hurried over.

“Look, I’m out of here in an hour or so. How about dinner or something?”

Jennifer looked back toward Jason’s room, feeling a heaviness in her chest, a strange feeling that she was leaving a part of herself behind. “I don’t think so, Dr. Phillips.”

“Someone waiting for you at the party?”

“No… no one is waiting for me.”

“Wow, I find that hard to believe, Jennifer. You know, I sense something about you.”

“Really?”

“Yeah… I sense that you’re about to make the biggest decision of your life.”

She perked up. “What do you mean?”

“I’m not sure really. Call it a doctor’s intuition. The first time I saw you, I said to myself, what a great time we could have together—I mean, a truly great time, even awesome. Don’t ask me why, it’s just one of those strong feelings, and you can ask anyone around here, I’m not one of those people who has these kinds of rash and sudden feelings. I’m logical, practical and generally dependable, not given to quick and irrational decisions. However, in your case, I’m making an exception and, I must admit, I’m completely baffled as to why.”

Jennifer stared at him, suspiciously, seeing Nurse Flanders out of the corner of her eye, shaking her head.

“No thanks, doctor,” she said, smiling weakly.

He shrugged. “I’m not bad to look at, am I?”

“No. Not bad at all.”

“I have a great career, a beautiful duplex apartment here in the city, and a home in Bridgehampton. I also know where all the best parties are. You would have a wonderful Christmas.”

Jennifer looked at him frankly. “And what happens after Christmas?”

He stuffed his hands into his white jacket pockets. “We’d cross that bridge when we came to it. No promises, but a hell of a good time.”

Jennifer turned toward the elevator, seeing two doors. It occurred to her, inexplicably, that she
was
about to make a decision that would affect the rest of her life and, as weird as that seemed, she was suddenly terrified.

Dr. Phillips could see she was vulnerable. “We’d have an adventure together, and I guarantee you wouldn’t regret it. I know how to make women very happy,” he said, with a confident grin.

Jennifer was about to walk away when she saw Alex watching her from the doorway of Jason’s room. It was unnerving. Two men—two attractive men—were looking at her longingly. She had never thought of herself as being particularly attractive. For most of her life, she’d defined herself by what Lance had thought of her: how he reacted to her thoughts, her clothes, her make-up, her actions. After his death, there was no need to be pretty or attractive—there was no need to waste thoughts on clothes or makeup or having a family. There was no room for any of them in her life.

She swung into her coat. As she stared into Dr. Phillips’ face, searching for an answer, she saw Alex approach from the corner of her eye. When she turned to him, he had a peculiar look on his face.

CHAPTER 13

Jennifer, Dr. Phillips and Alex all stood awkwardly in the hospital corridor, while a lively orchestral version of
We Wish You a Merry Christmas
drifted in from a distant room.

“I just wanted to apologize for what I said back there,” Alex said. “It’s just that I was so worried when he ran away,” he continued, running his fingers through his thick hair. “And then when we found him like that, unconscious…”

“How did you find him?” Jennifer asked.

“Whenever J-boy and I go out, I always make sure he’s wearing a little identification tag and chain around his neck with my name, cell number and home number on it. People in the sleigh found the tag and called me before the ambulance took him to the hospital.”

“When had you noticed he was missing?”

“At F.A.O. Schwartz. We were together one minute, then I just looked around and he was gone.”

“I wish I could explain it all,” Jennifer said. “But…”

Dr. Phillips crossed his arms. “I’m just curious, Jennifer. What happened to you after the sled struck the tree?”

Jennifer stared, thoughtfully. “I don’t know. Maybe I hit my head or something. When I woke up, I was alone. I looked for Jason everywhere, but he was gone.”