The Nurse Who Saved Christmas

“You’re not getting enough rest.”

She pushed an empty IV stand against the wall, out of the way. “I slept eight hours each of the past couple of days. I’m getting plenty of rest, Dr. Kelley.”

His name came out with emphasis, coated with annoyance.

He followed her around the room. “Obviously your body needs more rest.”

“Obviously,” she agreed wryly, picking up a stray alcohol pad package from the counter. “But it’s choosing the wrong time of year to tucker out on me. I’ve got too much to do to get sick right now.”

“Like what? More spreading Christmas cheer stuff?”

Her eyes narrowed into an outright glare. “I like spreading Christmas cheer. If anything, volunteering makes me feel better about life. Not worse. Maybe you should try it sometime instead of all that bah-humbug stuff.”

“Maybe when you’re healthy, but at end of shift, you need to go home and get some sleep. Doctor’s orders.”

“This morning, after my shift ends, I’m picking up boxes of food to deliver to the poor.” Her expression dared him to say anything. “After I finish that, I’m delivering fruit baskets to a nearby nursing home.”

Boxes of food. Fruit baskets. Hadn’t she mentioned something earlier in the week about volunteering in a soup kitchen, too? Plus, she’d been doing all this baking.

“Aren’t you on schedule to work again tonight?” He knew she was. He knew each and every night they’d be working together. And the ones they wouldn’t.

“I’m due here at seven. For the record, you’re not my doctor and I didn’t ask for your advice, neither do I want it.”

He crossed his arms, pinning her beneath his gaze. “So when are you planning to sleep?”

“After I get the fruit baskets delivered.” She winced, confirming what he already suspected. She hadn’t left much time for sleep. “Normally, I can do this and more without so much as blinking my eyes. Getting called in to work on the night of the Christmas party threw off my rhythm a little, that’s all.”

She didn’t comment that he’d played a role in her rhythm being thrown off. She didn’t have to. She had to be on the verge of exhaustion and whether she wanted his advice or not, she was going to get it.

“No wonder you’re coming down with something,” he scolded. “Didn’t they teach you anything about taking care of yourself while you were in nursing school? Sleep is important.”

Said he who had slept very little over the past few weeks. How could he when every time he closed his eyes his dreams took him back to the morning he’d made love to Abby? A morning where he’d felt guilty for taking advantage of her goodness. After that, he’d done all he could to avoid her, to keep things completely professional between them. Abby hadn’t pushed, hadn’t asked anything of him. Not until she’d asked him to play Santa.

He should have said no.

None of this would be happening if he’d just said no.

“I do this every year,” she insisted, sounding more and more annoyed. “I just have a light virus or something. It’s no big deal and really none of your business.”

Dirk gritted his teeth, took a steadying breath, and managed to keep from pulling her into his arms to shake some sense into her.

“Yeah, well, you might try to kill yourself every year, but I’ve never been here to watch you run yourself ragged in the past,” he reminded her, moving in front of her, placing his fingers on her chin and lifting her face so she had to look at him. “I’m going with you.”

Her forehead wrinkled as her brows lifted high on her heart-shaped face. “Do what?” she scoffed, her hands going to her hips.

Yeah, that’s pretty much what Dirk was wondering, too. Do what? But the thought of her pushing herself all day after working such long shifts back to back bothered him. Especially knowing she planned to come in and work another long shift despite the fact that she wouldn’t be able to squeeze in more than a few hours’ sleep at most.

None of his business? That bothered him, too. Right or wrong, he cared about Abby, didn’t want her pushing herself so much. Friends could care about friends, could want to help each other.

“I’m going with you,” he repeated, his tone brooking no argument. “You’ll finish quicker and be able to get some of the rest you obviously need.”

She regarded him a long moment, then her lips twisted into a rather sinister smile. “You’re welcome to go with me, Dirk. Not because of me, but because you need a lesson in what Christmas is really about. Helping the needy is a great way to learn that lesson.”

He didn’t need to learn any such lesson.

“That’s not why I’m going.” He was going because she needed him, whether she was too stubborn to admit it or not. If easing Abby’s self-imposed load counted as helping the needy, so be it.

“No, but it’s definitely what you’re going to learn. Come on, Scrooge. Let’s finish our shifts so we can go make a difference in the world.”