Sleigh Bells Ring in Romance Read online

  Doris’s eyebrow shot upward. “Romance and blah skies seem far too contradictory. Let’s call it a scene-setting mist, accented with frosty edges, as hearts turn toward the approaching holiday.”

  Jess shook his head and gave Doris a long look. “Ever thought of auditioning for one of the community plays? I think you’d do great at it with that kind of theatrical vision.”

  “Oh, hush up and get in the car, old man.” Doris opened the passenger door to her car and waited as he eased inside then took his walker and set it on the backseat. After multiple trips in the car together, they’d established a routine.

  Doris had no idea, and neither did the doctor, but he had plans and they didn’t involve being an invalid for much longer. For now, Doris could think he needed her help so she’d keep coming over to feed him and harangue him to do his exercises. But he figured since he was already in better shape than most people his age and he’d been doing additional exercises to strengthen his knee, he ought to be back to normal in a few more weeks.

  As soon as he could drive himself, Doris better watch out because he had every intention of going into courting mode. After the day she’d burst into the bathroom while he was in the shower, he’d seen interest lingering in her eyes. Sometimes he caught her watching him with a look that he could only interpret as longing.

  Whether that stubborn, obstinate, infuriatingly wonderful woman wanted to admit it or not, she was as attracted to him as he was to her. This time around, he wasn’t going to accept her half-hearted no as an answer. Not until she realized they both still had, he hoped, many good years of life ahead of them. There wasn’t any reason for them to spend the time alone when they could enjoy the years they had left together.

  Jess wasn’t under any delusions where Doris was concerned. She was nothing like his soft-spoken, mild-tempered Julia. No, Doris was nothing like her. Opinionated, independent, sassy-mouthed and mule-headed, Doris was not the most peaceful woman he could pursue. But she was the one his heart wanted.

  With Doris, he knew he’d never be bored. Never have a dull conversation. Never wish there was something to break up the humdrum routine of one day rolling into another. She was full of light and energy and life — exactly what he needed.

  And if she’d just admit it, she needed him, too.

  Regardless of his plans, he had to bide his time until the doctor cleared him to get back to a regular existence.

  The trip into town took longer than normal with the fog making driving conditions hazardous, but Doris got them there with no problem. In spite of what he’d said about her ability to handle a car, she was a good driver. At least she was when wasps weren’t swarming into the vehicle.

  “Here we are,” Doris announced as she pulled into a parking space at the doctor’s office. She hopped out and handed him his walker while he got himself upright. Next time, he might suggest bringing Julia’s old SUV or his pickup because they had to be easier to get in and out of than Doris’s car. She kept step beside him and pulled open the door to the office then followed him inside.

  Jess took a seat while Doris spoke to the receptionist. She’d barely settled into the chair beside him when Jess was called back.

  “Want to come along?” he asked Doris, although he didn’t know why. The words had popped out of his mouth before he could reel them back.

  She shrugged and followed him and the nurse down the hallway to an examination room. In the small room, she took a seat on one of the plastic chairs while the nurse helped Jess onto the examination table.

  The nurse took his blood pressure and pulse, recording the information in his chart, then left with a promise the doctor would see him soon.

  “I hate these rooms,” Doris said, looking around at the colorful posters on the wall and taped to the tiles of the ceiling.

  “Why?” Jess asked. He had no fondness for them either, but Doris seemed wholly uncomfortable sitting on the edge of the ugly puce-colored chair.

  “They seem so cold and sterile and impersonal, even with their attempts to make the room cheerful with the artwork.” She pointed to a framed print of a butterfly landing on a bright pink flower.

  “I guess I never gave it a lot of thought,” he said, glancing up at the posters of hot air balloons taped to the ceiling. “It’s not…”

  “Hello!” the doctor said with a cheerful smile as he stepped into the room. He glanced at Doris and nodded in greeting before turning his attention to Jess. “Ready to get those stitches out?” he asked, pushing the leg of Jess’s loose sweatpants up above his knee.

  “I sure am and if you let me dump the walker, I’ll be even happier.” Jess forced himself not to wince as the doctor felt around his knee.

  The man’s non-verbal noises did nothing to reassure him until the doctor gave him a pleased look. “It’s coming right along, even better than I hoped. Let’s get those stitches out, shall we?”

  The nurse assisted and in no time the stitches were removed. The nurse pulled the leg of Jess’s sweatpants down to his ankle and stepped back. The doctor dictated while the nurse entered notes in Jess’s file then he looked from Jess to Doris.

  “You must be the one giving Jess such excellent care,” the doctor said with a smile.

  “I don’t know about excellent care, but I’ve been making sure he’s fed and does his exercises,” Doris said.

  “That’s perfect.” The doctor clasped his hands between his knees as he sat on a rolling stool and glanced over at Jess. “I’d like you to come back in ten days. We’ll see how you’re doing then. If you’re healing as quickly as you’ve been the last two weeks, I might even give you permission to drive.”

  Jess grinned. “That’s great news. And the walker?”

  “Use it through the end of this week, then you can try the cane, but only if you have good balance. One fall and you’ll be back to square one.”

  Jess nodded. “Anything else I need to know?”

  The doctor glanced over some notes and recited a list of things Jess could expect in the following weeks. “The incision swelling and bruising should be completely gone by the end of the week. You should be back behind the wheel of your pickup between week five and seven. You may resume intimate…” he glanced at Doris then back at Jess, “activities in a few weeks.”

  Doris drew in such a startled gasp of air, Jess wondered if she’d suck the artwork right off the walls. The doctor raised both eyebrows and glanced at her then Jess.

  Jess did his best to hide a grin and ended up covering his mouth with a fake cough.

  The angry daggers shooting from Doris’s expressive eyes might have sliced him to ribbons if he’d thought she really intended to inflict harm.

  Her lips spread into a thin line. “I assure you, Doctor White, if there are activities of an intimate nature taking place, it most certainly is not with me!”

  “I see,” the doctor said, winking at Jess. “My apologies, ma’am. I didn’t intend an insult but was just giving Jess our standard list of recovery expectations.” He stood and placed a hand on Jess’s shoulder. “Just don’t overdo it, continue building your strength, and be back here in ten days.”

  “Hey, Doc, is it okay if I do things like attend a few community events?” Jess asked as the doctor opened the door to the room.

  “Sure, as long as you are careful not to do anything that might hurt your knee. I wouldn’t recommend standing on it, especially in the cold, for extended periods of time, but you’d be fine to attend the tree lighting or that sort of thing, if that’s what you have in mind.” The doctor gave Doris another look. “You folks have a good day.”

  The nurse helped Jess off the table and walked him out to the waiting room with Doris trailing behind, looking like she’d just drained the juice from a whole bucket full of sour lemons. The nurse handed her a cane for Jess to use later in the week.

  For a moment, when he smirked at her, he thought Doris might just wallop him over the head with it.

  Instead, she marched out the
door, back ramrod straight, and headed for her car. She opened the door for him and tossed his walker in the back with his cane, but as soon as she was behind the wheel, she started the car, turned on the heater, then pinned him with a venomous glare.

  “What did you say to the doctor to make him think that we’re… that I would… that you and I…” She looked as though she wanted to strangle him as her hands clenched the steering wheel until her knuckles turned white. “I’ll have you know I’m not that kind of woman, Jess Milne. Don’t you go spreading any rumors or getting any ideas about me that are not true and are never going to happen!”

  “You were sitting right there in the exam room with me. Unless you’d jammed your ears full of cotton, you’re well aware I never said anything to indicate you and I are… well, I didn’t mention you,” Jess said calmly. He admired the bright pink color of indignation painted across her cheeks. “I assume what he shared is just standard information he provides to everyone and didn’t mean anything by it.”

  “Humph!” Doris gave him another long icy glare before she backed out of the parking space and drove through town.

  Jess had hoped she’d be willing to have lunch with him, but he doubted he could talk her into stopping anywhere in her current mood. It was debatable if she’d even stop at his house instead of opening the door and giving him a shove when she passed by the ranch.

  Amused by his ponderings, he glanced out the window to hide his smile from her. As they drove along the street, he spied something that might get Doris to stop.

  “Oh, look at that. Brooke’s decorating her window. Did she make those snowflakes?” Jess asked, turning to glance at Doris. “Do you think she’d help me pick out something to send to Janet and Mallory?”

  Doris appeared to soften at the mention of his daughter and granddaughter. “I’m sure she’d be happy to. Would you like to go in?”

  “If it isn’t too much trouble,” Jess said, sounding like a little boy who was begging for the teacher’s approval.

  Doris tossed him a wary frown but circled the block and parked in front of Blown Away, Brooke’s glass blowing shop. Located across the street from the town’s square, Jess studied the gazebo, already decorated with lights, garlands, and bright red bows, lending a festive air to the structure.

  In fact, most of the businesses in town were decked for the holidays, and Brooke’s shop was no exception. Garlands and lights rimmed her big display windows and an evergreen wreath hung on the door. Even though December was a few days away, it appeared the residents and businesses of Romance were more than ready to welcome the Christmas season.

  “Come on, it’s too cold to stand out here gawking,” Doris said, setting the walker in front of him as he got out of her car.

  Quietly, Jess followed Doris inside Brooke’s shop.

  “Hey, Grams! I didn’t expect to see you today,” Brooke said. She hurriedly hung another glass snowflake in the window then moved out of the display and greeted them with a broad smile. She gave Doris a huge hug, as though she hadn’t seen her in months rather than that morning before she left the ranch. Brooke was as tall if not taller than most men Jess knew, and her height always caught him by surprise.

  Jess smiled as Brooke gave him a gentle hug, acting afraid of somehow hurting him. “That Blayne is a lucky fella. I think you just get prettier every time I see you, Brooke.”

  The woman blushed but appeared pleased by his compliment. “How did your doctor appointment go, Jess?”

  “Good. My stitches are gone, and I might even get rid of this walker soon.”

  “That’s wonderful news.” Brooke motioned to where a large coffee pot rested behind her front counter. “Would you like something hot to drink? I have coffee or I could make tea.”

  “Coffee would be great. I like it black,” Jess said, looking around the shop, noticing Brooke had many Christmas pieces on display as well as a variety of other items like vases, bowls, and platters. He walked over to a tree made of twisted iron that had little hooks fashioned right into the ends of each branch and studied a clear ornament shaped like a teardrop with a beautiful snowflake inside the glass. The design almost looked frosty with its delicate, feathery lines.

  “Blayne got one of his friends to make this display tree for me. I love it,” Brooke said, handing Jess and Doris cups of coffee. He noticed Doris’s appeared to have a generous helping of cream. If he remembered correctly, it would be sweetened with two scoops of sugar.

  Jess took a sip of the good, strong coffee. “It’s a clever way to display ornaments. Certainly draws your attention to them.” He took another sip, watching Doris out of the corner of his eye. She stood beside Brooke, doing her best to ignore him as she looked around the shop.

  “I don’t know how you do what you do, Brooke, but I can see why people say you have a rare talent. The snowflake in that ornament looks like something from a fairy tale.” He grinned at Brooke. “I don’t suppose it’s for sale.”

  She nodded. “It is for sale. In fact, anything you see here in the showroom is up for grabs.” Brooke tipped her head toward Doris and winked at him.

  Doris scowled at her then walked over to a built-in shelf that held an assortment of vases, pitchers, and glasses.

  “Well, in that case…” Jess stared at Doris’s back then looked at Brooke. “I’m shopping for gifts for my daughter and granddaughter. I think Mallory would love that ornament.”

  “I think she would, too,” Brooke said, lifting the ornament off the tree and carrying it over to the counter. She pulled a small box from beneath the counter and carefully wrapped the ornament in bubble wrap, then tissue, before nestling it into more tissue inside the box. “What does Janet like?”

  “Well, she has a lot of pine cone stuff she sets out during the holidays,” Jess said, recalling the decorations he’d seen at his daughter’s home when he’d been there last year.

  “She might like this,” Brooke said, showing him a bowl with pinecones and pine branches in the design of the glass. The bowl rested on three feet made of glass pinecones.

  “She’d love that,” Jess said, then pointed to a shelf nearby that held animal figurines. “How about that polar bear family. Mallory loves polar bears.”

  “Great choice.” Brooke took the three polar bears and the bowl back to the register and boxed them while Jess continued to look around.

  He made his way around the shop and stopped near Doris in front of the deep shelves full of colorful blown glass.

  “What’s that design? It looks like feathers,” he asked, reaching out and touching a vase that made him think of peacocks, both with the design in the glass and the rich teal and blue colors.

  “I call that peacock glass,” Brooke said, stepping behind him. “In the light, it looks luminescent.” She picked up the vase and held it up so the overhead lights reflected off it.

  “Let’s add that for Janet.”

  “Perfect,” Brooke said, smiling at him while tilting her head toward Doris again. “You know, it’s been pretty quiet this morning. I was thinking about taking an early lunch and indulging in some good Mexican food. I don’t suppose you’d like to join me so I don’t have to eat alone?”

  “Oh, sweetheart, we wouldn’t want you to eat alone,” Doris said, placing her hand on Brooke’s arm. “Of course we’ll join you.” She gave Jess a hard look, daring him to argue.

  Meekly, he nodded. “I reckon that would be just fine.”

  “Great. I’ll wrap up your purchases, Jess, then we can head over.”

  He made his way back to the counter and paid for the gifts, then took a seat in one of the two chairs Brooke kept in a little area near the front of the showroom where impatient husbands tended to wait while their wives shopped.

  It didn’t take long for Brooke to wrap the gifts and return with them tucked into a large gift bag with her store name emblazoned across the front.

  Jess stood and started to take the bag, but Brooke retained her hold on the handles. “I can carry
it out to the car for you, and then we can grab lunch.”

  “I’ll take that, sweetheart,” Doris said, grasping the handles of the bag. “You get your coat and lock up while I put it in the trunk.”

  Brooke nodded and disappeared into the back, returning with her coat and purse. Jess stood on the walk in front of the store while Brooke locked the door and Doris slammed the lid on the trunk of her car.

  He walked between the two women as they made their way past The Good Egg, a great place for breakfast, then waited for a few cars to pass before they crossed the street to El Torero. The scent of onions and seared meat filled the air as they stepped inside, making Jess’s stomach growl with hunger.

  Fortunately, the music playing in the background kept anyone from hearing it. Five minutes later, they were seated at a table, dipping warm tortilla chips into bowls of fresh salsa while they waited for their orders to arrive. Doris made sure she sat by Brooke in the booth. Jess sat across from them with his leg stretched out to one side.

  “Everyone’s excited about the tree lighting,” Brooke said, breaking the silence that had fallen between them. “Will you be able to come into town for it, Jess?”

  “I’d sure like to,” he said, wondering how he could convince Doris to go with him.

  “Why don’t you ride with us?” Brooke asked. “Blayne is on the tree committee. This year’s tree is a real beaut.”

  “Is it a noble fir? They are just an all-around great Christmas tree,” Jess said, knowing Doris always choose a noble fir for the tree at her house, although Julia had always preferred a Douglas fir.

  “It is a noble fir, and it’s thirty-feet tall.”

  Jess whistled softly. “Now, that should be something to see. I wouldn’t miss it. If you don’t mind giving me a ride, I’d sure appreciate it.”

  “Great! We’ll be by to pick you up about an hour before the fun begins. Blayne has some things he’ll have to help with before the lighting.”

  “I’ll be ready and waiting.” Jess smiled at the young woman then gave Doris a glance. She hadn’t stopped scowling at him since they’d sat down. He had no idea what to do to sweeten her disposition, but he’d give it some thought.