Tidings of Joy Read online

  In five minutes, he was turning down Cardinal Lane with Joy’s envelope tucked into his inside coat pocket. Honestly, it looked like junk mail to him, but it didn’t matter. The important thing was that he’d see her again, without his postal uniform on and at a time when he had no need to rush away.

  Maybe she’d invite him inside for another cup of that tasty cider. Maybe he’d even work up the courage to ask her out. Not that there were many places to take a date in Faraday, beyond his parents’ café or the pool hall. Neither place appealed to him, but it wasn’t that far to drive up the highway to Mount Hood. An hour down the mountain would take them to Portland. Perhaps he could buy tickets to a show. He’d heard his mom mention something about the symphony doing a holiday performance. Joy seemed like the kind of girl who’d enjoy that.

  Thoughts swirled through his head as he drove to the end of the street and parked in front of Joy’s house. He got out and strolled around his Jeep. Fear almost sent him racing home, but he forced himself to keep moving forward.

  He’d just pushed her gate open when he heard her yelp. Anxieties were forgotten as he ran through the snow to the side of her house. Another scream compelled him to open the side gate and speed around the corner of the house. Joy was on her back in the snow with Bacon licking her chin while a fuzzy donkey leaned over her, nuzzling her arm.

  Before Drew could get close to her, the donkey brayed and ran toward him, as though he intended to either chase him away or stomp him into the snow.

  “Pete! It’s okay, buddy! Stop, Pete!” Joy called as she struggled to sit up. “Come back here, Pete. It’s okay.”

  The donkey obeyed her, returning to stand behind her. Pete glared at Drew, as though daring him to come nearer.

  Drew didn’t care if he had to hogtie the donkey and leave him snubbed to the front porch swing, nothing was going to stop him from helping Joy.

  “What happened?” he asked, dropping down to one knee as she sucked in a ragged breath and closed her eyes, in obvious pain.

  Joy opened her dark eyes and focused on his face. “I’m so glad to see you. I came out here to make sure Pete’s water wasn’t frozen. The back steps are just a sheet of ice. One moment I was walking down them and the next I was here in the snow. I did something to my knee. It popped and I can’t put any weight on it to stand up. I think if you give me your hand, I should be able to get up.”

  Drew held Bacon at bay with one hand and offered the other to Joy. She tried to use it to raise herself, biting her lip so hard a drop of blood appeared. With a sigh of defeat, she closed her eyes and took several deep breaths, as though she rode out a swell of pain.

  “How long have you been out here?”

  “I don’t know,” she said, not opening her eyes as she continued to take deep breaths. “Maybe five minutes?”

  Without saying a word, Drew slid one hand beneath Joy’s thighs and the other around her back then lifted her in his arms.

  “Drew! You’ll hurt yourself. Put me down. I’m sure I’ll be fine if I just walk this off.”

  “I don’t think so,” he said, carrying her around the side of the house and kicking the gate closed with his boot. Bacon barked in protest and Pete stuck his head over the fence, braying his displeasure.

  Joy leaned back in Drew’s arms and looked around him to the donkey. “It’s okay, Pete. Be a good boy and keep an eye on Bacon.” She glanced up at Drew when he headed for her front gate instead of her front door. “Where are you taking me?”

  “The clinic. We have one doctor, a physician’s assistant, two nurses, and a receptionist. Someone will be there.” Drew toed open the gate then shut it before he carried Joy to his Jeep. He opened the passenger door and gently set her on the seat. Before he closed the door, he leaned past her and snagged a blue plaid fleece blanket from behind the seat and tucked it around her.

  Oblivious to the ear-splitting noise emitted from Bacon and Pete, he slid behind the wheel and hurried down the snowy street toward the heart of town. He turned a block before the café and pulled into the parking lot at the clinic. An open sign glowed in the window, making him sigh in relief. He’d drive Joy all the way to the hospital in Portland if necessary, but the sooner he got her help, the better.

  Her face was nearly as white as the snow when he carried her inside the clinic. The aromas of rubbing alcohol and a room freshener from the hardware store assaulted his nose, bringing back memories of visiting the clinic when he was a boy.

  The nurse, a former classmate of his, shook her head as she jumped up from the desk. “Drew Miller! What on earth have you done? Nailed someone with your mail bag or run over them with your postal vehicle?”

  “Neither, Melody. She slipped on the ice and can’t stand. I thought it better to bring her in than wait for someone to come get her.” Drew looked around the empty waiting room. “Where can I set her?”

  “Follow me,” Melody said, pushing open the door that led to the back of the clinic and the examination rooms. She pointed to the second door down the hall. “In there.”

  Carefully, he set Joy on the exam table, wondering where Melody had disappeared.

  “You’ll be okay, Joy,” Drew said, wanting to reassure her as she leaned against him for support. He’d never liked coming to the clinic as a boy and hated it even more now. Especially with Joy so pale and in obvious pain. His fingers brushed a lock of silky black hair away from her face. “Doc will take good care of you.”

  Uncertain and far out of his element, Drew started to move away, but Joy’s hand grasped his. “Don’t go. Please?”

  A thrill of satisfaction shot through him that she wanted him to stay. He moved closer and tucked another strand of hair behind her ear.

  “What time is it?” she asked, eyes still closed as she leaned into him.

  “It’s almost five. I got to your house about fifteen minutes ago.”

  She opened one eye and glared at him. “I went outside at four. It sure didn’t seem that long that I was in the snow, and yet it seemed like forever, too.” Joy snuggled against him and sighed. “You’re warm and smell good, too.”

  Drew’s mouth kicked up in a half smile as he chalked up her actions and words to being in shock or extreme pain. “You smell pretty good yourself,” he said, and pressed a kiss to the top of her head, breathing in the enticing aroma of her scented shampoo.

  “The doctor’s on his way in. He’ll be here in a few minutes. In the meantime, let’s make her more comfortable,” Melody said as she breezed inside the room and lifted an extension on the exam table so Joy’s feet were elevated. “Just go on and lay back, hon.”

  Drew helped guide Joy back until she rested with her head on a pillow. He would have left the room then, but Joy continued clinging to his hand.

  Melody grabbed a chart and pen then plopped down on a chair with wheels and looked up at Drew. “I need her info. Do you have it?”

  “Melody Beavers, this is Joy Cooke. You remember her grandparents. They had that nice brick house at the end of Cardinal Lane.”

  “Oh, sure. Mrs. Cooke gave out the best homemade cookies every Halloween. They had M&Ms baked in them and were as big as bread plates.” Melody smiled at Joy when the woman opened her eyes. “I’m sorry for your loss.”

  Joy nodded then closed her eyes again and swallowed hard.

  Melody hopped up and filled a cup with water. She helped Joy take a sip before she returned to the chart. “Address?”

  Drew rattled it off without thinking. Melody raised an eyebrow at him and he shrugged. “I know most every address in town, Mel. Don’t read anything into it. I can recite yours, too.”

  She grinned. “Fine. Whatever. How about insurance? Next of kin? Birth date?”

  “Christmas,” Joy whispered.

  Drew and Melody both looked at her. “Christmas?” Melody asked.

  “Birthday is Christmas.”

  “Oh, that’s rough,” Drew said.

  Melody and Joy both looked at him. He shrugged. “I just
meant that I always felt bad for anyone who had a holiday birthday. It seems like they get stiffed on the presents and don’t have a day of their own.”

  “It’s good,” Joy said, closing her eyes again as she gave Melody her birth year. Drew made a mental note Joy was almost twenty-seven.

  “Great. Thank you.” Melody started to ask another question but a draft of cold air wafted down the hall followed by loud footsteps.

  “I came as soon as I could,” a young doctor said, stepping into the room and washing his hands at the sink before he glanced from Drew to Joy then to Melody.

  The nurse grinned. “Although Drew claims he’s innocent, he brought in Miss Cooke with a leg injury. She slipped on the ice and can’t stand.”

  “There’s a lot of that going around today. I wish people would just stay inside on days like this.” The doctor smiled at Joy as she opened her eyes. “I’m Doctor Tim Alvarez, but you can call me Doc or Doc Tim. Heck, I’ll even answer to hey, you.”

  Joy cracked a slight smile then sucked in a gulp as the doctor felt her knee.

  “It’s X-rays for you, young lady. It doesn’t feel like anything is broken, but from the swelling, I’d say something is wrenched or torn, maybe both.” The doctor made a show of elbowing Drew out of the way. “Go sit in the waiting room and we’ll have her back to you soon.”

  Joy gave him a pleading look as he stepped out of the room. If he knew her better, he would have insisted on staying beside her. But he didn’t even know her middle name. Where she was born. Who her parents were. Nothing. He knew nothing beyond the fact that being around her made his heart feel as warm and syrupy as the sweet chocolate candy the color of her eyes brought to mind.

  Given the opportunity, though, he was ready to learn all he could about Christmas Joy.

  Chapter Four

  Joy winced as the doctor moved her leg so he could take an X-ray of her knee.

  “Can you tell me what happened?” he asked as he and the nurse worked together to take the X-rays.

  Joy took a deep breath, trying to subdue the waves of nausea rolling over her. Focus. She could do this. “I was heading into the backyard to water my donkey. I think the puppy might have gotten underfoot and the steps were icy. Anyway, one moment I was walking down the porch steps, the next I was at the bottom on my back. I heard something pop in my knee then the pain was almost unbearable. I tried getting up several times, but just couldn’t seem to bend it enough to get up. I was afraid to crawl on it, worried I might do more damage.”

  In truth, if Drew hadn’t happened along and heard her yelp of pain as she tried, again, to get up, she might have frozen to death in her backyard. That thought made an involuntary shiver ripple over her.

  “I know you’re cold and hurting, but hang on just a few more minutes and we’ll get you back to an exam room where it’s warmer,” the doctor said in a kind, understanding voice.

  “So what’s the connection with Drew?” the nurse asked as she helped her back into a wheelchair and pushed it to the exam room.

  “I’m not sure why he came by, he didn’t say. All I know is I’d probably be dead if he hadn’t shown up and rescued me. My house is on the end of the street and the backyard goes on into the woods. Other than Pete and Bacon, no one was around.”

  “Pete and Bacon?” the doctor asked, lips twitching with amusement as he helped her onto the exam table then rotated her leg in a series of movements.

  “My donkey and puppy.” Joy cringed as he moved it in a particularly painful position. She heard something click and swallowed down the bile rising in her throat.

  The doctor pulled a rolling stool over to a computer screen and began tapping on the keyboard. “You haven’t lived here long, have you?” he asked.

  “Since August. The donkey just showed up one day and I got the puppy in hopes it would help keep Pete occupied and out of trouble.”

  The doctor shook his head. “A donkey. With a camel in town, why not?” He busied himself studying her X-rays while the nurse covered her with the blanket Drew had wrapped around her earlier.

  “The good news is it won’t require surgery,” the doctor said, turning the screen so Joy could look at the black and white images of her knee. “You’ve got a hairline fracture across your kneecap. Although an MRI would confirm it, I’m certain your lateral meniscus is torn, too.”

  “Oh, boy.” Joy said, moving her gaze from the images to the doctor.

  He raised an eyebrow. “You know what that is?”

  She nodded. “I’m a medical transcriptionist for a clinic in California. It’s the stuff that acts like a shock absorber for the knee and provides support as well as stability. Right?”

  “That’s right.” The doctor typed in a few more notes. “Do you spend most of your time sitting at a desk?”

  “I do,” Joy said, hoping that meant he wouldn’t cast her leg.

  “Okay. We’ll try a brace and see how you do with that. A cast would be a worst-case scenario, because of that tear, but you’ll have to promise to be a good girl and do everything I tell you.”

  “Done,” Joy answered without hesitation.

  The doctor laughed as the nurse left the room. “Let’s go over the details. The two key things are immobilization and elevation right now. I want you to put ice on your knee ten minutes out of every hour until you go to bed then at least once during the night. Keep that leg elevated. And here’s the part you won’t like: I want you to stay off it, completely off it, for the next ten days. That means no weight on it at all. No walking on it at all. Understood?”

  “Yes, sir,” Joy said, nodding in agreement. She didn’t like it, but she’d follow orders. How she’d manage would be another matter, but she’d figure it out.

  “Do you have someone who can help you out for a day or two?” the doctor asked as he wrote a prescription for painkillers and handed it to Joy along with a few samples to get her through the weekend until the pharmacy opened on Monday.

  “No, not really. I haven’t met too many people here in town yet, other than Mrs. Carol and her little boy, Pastor and Mrs. Thomas, and a few business people.”

  “Neighbors?” the doctor asked as the nurse returned with a sturdy-looking brace.

  “They’re nice enough, but so old they couldn’t be of help. I wouldn’t want them out in this weather anyway.” Joy tried to ready herself for the pain as the doctor lifted her leg and slid on the brace.

  He spent another five minutes giving her detailed directions on what she could and could not do, how to fasten the brace, and insisted on seeing her again on Tuesday to check her progress.

  “If I can’t walk, how am I supposed to get here?” she asked as the doctor and nurse helped her into the wheelchair.

  “I’ll make a house call,” the doctor said, pushing the chair into the waiting area where Drew sat on one of the chairs, nervously jiggling his left leg as he leaned forward with both arms braced on his thighs.

  The moment they appeared, he stood and gave Joy a questioning look.

  “Hairline fracture and a bad tear. She’s going to be down and out of it for a while. If you know anyone who can help her for a few days, I’d suggest giving them a call.” The doctor pushed the chair to the door then seemed to suddenly recall the blizzard blowing outside. “I’m not sure the chair will go through the snow.”

  The nurse held up a pair of crutches she snagged from a closet behind the front desk. “How about these?”

  The doctor shook his head. “She can use the crutches indoors, later, but for now, it’s out of the question. One slip on the ice in those and she might permanently damage her leg.”

  “Well, that’s settled then,” Drew said. Before anyone could object, he scooped Joy into his arms and carried her to the door.

  Melody hurried to open it and the doctor grabbed the crutches, carrying them outside. He opened the passenger door on the Jeep and stepped back as Drew set Joy inside, tucking the blanket around her for warmth.

  “Thanks, Doc. I�
�ll make sure she isn’t alone this evening and figure out something for the next few days.” Drew took the crutches, nodded to the doctor and hurried around to the driver’s side. He dropped the crutches behind his seat then slid in. He smiled at Joy as he started the vehicle and turned the heater on full blast. “It won’t take long for it to warm up.”

  Joy merely bobbed her head up and down, afraid if she spoke her teeth might begin to chatter. It wasn’t just the cold air, but a combination of her injury and the alluring, almost overwhelming presence of Drew. The man was unlike anyone she’d ever met.

  Who helped a complete stranger like he’d done? Of course, he was her mailman, but up until the other day, they’d never even exchanged a word of hello. Yet, here he was, going out of his way to help her.

  Maybe he was some kind of pervert, waiting to get her alone. A serial killer?

  Joy decided the medication the doctor gave her for the pain must be making her loopy. There was no way on earth Drew Miller was anything beyond a very nice, sweet guy.

  A few minutes later, he pulled up in front of her house and parked close to the front gate.

  “Ready to do this?” he asked as he unbuckled his seatbelt.

  “I think I can make it,” she said, reaching back for the crutches.

  Drew grabbed her hand. “Did you not hear the doctor say no crutches outside in this mess? You aren’t even supposed to use them inside until Doc tells you it’s okay. Be a good girl, and unfasten your seat belt. I’ll take care of the rest.”

  The husky sound of Drew’s voice made tendrils of warmth curl through Joy, but she wasn’t in any state of mind or body to ponder the reason why. She undid her seatbelt and turned toward the passenger door when Drew opened it. He carefully lifted her in his arms and carried her to the front door. Unfortunately, she’d left it locked.

  “No problem,” he said, going back down the slick steps and walking around to the gate that led to the backyard. The second it swung open, Bacon and Pete rushed forward, braying and barking excitedly.