Santa to the Rescue Read Free

hospital last year. They communicated almost as well with body language and facial cues as they did with speech. Their non-verbal exchanges were sometimes necessary to avoid disturbing young, fragile patients. “Okay, you win. I met someone at the supermarket. A firefighter.”
    “You met a firefighter?” Lilly’s voice squeaked at the end like it always did when she got excited.
    “Who met a fireman?” another R.N. on the floor asked as she entered the break room. Marsha’s scowl said she couldn’t have cared less, but Heather knew from experience that if Marsha found an opportunity to put Heather down, she’d take it.
    “Heather met a hunk at the supermarket.” Lilly’s green eyes flashed, ignoring Marsha’s chilly reception. “You know Heather, she’s a man magnet.”
    “Do bring us his calendar,” Marsha replied, deadpan. She snubbed the boxes of candy canes and went straight to the row of lockers to put her purse away. Marsha never helped with parties and claimed holidays were a waste of time and money. Heather had no idea what made Marsha so disagreeable. She was smart, capable, and attractive, but had the personality of a barracuda.
    “Yes, do. I’ll be first to buy one,” Lilly said with a laugh, ignoring Marsha’s trademark sarcasm. “Too bad the hospital doesn’t make a calendar called ‘Morgue Hunks’ so your boyfriend could be in it, Marsha.” She stuck a hand on her hip and struck a thinking pose. “Oh wait. That would be an oxymoron, wouldn’t it?”
    Marsha glared at Lilly and then smirked at Heather. “Let’s hope Mr. Firefighter is a better catch than Dr. Heartthrob. Who knew the surgeon had a fiancé in another town? Not me , of course. And let’s not forget Mr. Pharmacist…or was the guy who dumped you from Radiology? You might be a man magnet, Heather, but men sure don’t stick with you long.”
    “I dumped him . I don’t settle,” Heather replied defensively, wishing she wouldn’t let Marsha get to her. “I have standards.” It had taken a broken heart to figure out what those were, but Heather had become more sure-footed in her choices and expectations since then.
    “Why should you care, Marsha? You’ve met your ghoul. I mean, goal, to find Mr. Right,” Lilly said. It was no secret that Marsha’s boyfriend, Kenny, had asked Heather out first. It clearly rankled her that she’d taken Heather’s sloppy seconds.
    “Have a nice day!” Lilly called out as Marsha shot them a look frostier than an arctic blast and hurried from the room.
    Heather released a weary sigh. “This would be the perfect place to work if it weren’t for her.” She resisted the urge to nibble her cuticles. She’d almost broken the nail biting habit that had plagued her since childhood. Heather hated when self-doubt derailed her resolve. “I should know better than to react to her taunts.”
    “There’s always a Marsha, no matter where you work,” Lilly replied. “Let’s forget her and meet here at break time so you can tell me about this guy. Then I’ll help you hang candy canes and decorate the tree. We’ll see how many kids can join us.”
    “Hopefully, most of them can go home for the holidays and enjoy their own Christmas tree.” Heather took her cell phone out of her purse and turned it off. She stored it in her locker with her handbag.
    She’d toyed with the idea of sending a “thank you” text to Jamey before she got to work, but dismissed the idea. If he was half the man she suspected he might be, he’d make the first move. Heather was done with giving men the benefit of doubt before they’d earned her trust.
    …
    During his return trip to the fire station, Jamey couldn’t help but smile all the way. The promise of seeing Heather again filled him with…something good he couldn’t quite put a name to.
    He hadn’t dated anyone in a long time. It hadn’t bothered him, though—he’d been busy interviewing for full-time firefighter positions and then preparing to