Hope's Toy Chest (7 page)
Chapter Twelve
With the Christmas celebration off without a hitch
, Kingsley leaned back in his office chair, a mixture of happiness and exhaustion coursing through him. It was something that was sure to leave Kelly with the best memories when the worst happened. He was quite proud of himself and Chelsea for pulling it off.
His cell phone rang
. With a silent prayer that it wasn’t an emergency, he answered it. “Doctor Mathews.”
“Le, it’s Chelsea. I
called Liz and got your number.”
He s
at up straight. “I was just thinking about you. Is everything okay?”
“Yeah. I was just wondering how the Cooks are doing.
Have you moved Jessica back downstairs?”
“
No, Nancy is staying upstairs with them for one final night. She’ll be moved back down in the morning before her next treatment. I was just getting ready to leave. Are you at my house?” He hoped she was because he wanted to see her.
“Yeah. I thought I would cook us dinner if you were coming back soon. It will be a way to repay you for allow
ing me to take over your house, and all the meals you’ve fed me.”
He glanced at the pile of paperwork and decided it could wait until the next day. “I’ll be there in about thirty minutes. Shall I pick anything
up on my way? A bottle of wine perhaps?”
“I already have one chilling. Just bring yourself and your appetite.”
“I’ll see you soon.”
He could get used to the idea of someone waiting at home for him.
In that moment he realized just what others saw in having a life outside the hospital. Maybe having Liz pressure him to find something or someone outside of his career wasn’t such a bad thing. Love was something everyone should have. There were ways to balance his career and romance as long as it was with the right person. Chelsea was the right person for him, he knew that. In his heart, he knew they could make it work.
A whole chicken with oranges and vegetables roasted in the oven
, a salad with a colorful arrangement of vegetables sat on the table, and homemade rolls were waiting to go into the oven. It was a simple dinner but one Chelsea was sure Le would enjoy. She suspected he didn’t get many home cooked meals except when he went to Liz’s. After everything he’d done, he deserved something special in return.
When she spoke to Liz earlier that day
, she had been encouraging, as if she wanted them to end up together. Shaking her head, she put the final touches on the cheesecake. There wasn’t a chance he’d ever see her as anything more than just a friend and she wasn’t sure she was ready for any kind of relationship after her marriage had gone sour.
The front door opened and she heard Le call out. “I’m home.”
Home.
What was it like to have a home? She couldn’t remember any longer. She had an apartment, but living alone it wasn’t a home. Her daughter had made it
a home.
He strolled into the kitchen, his white dress shirt taut against his chest. “Something smells delicious.”
“Roasted orange chicken.” She leaned against the counter, the curve of the granite cool against her back. “It will be ready in thirty minutes.”
“If you don’t need me, I’d love to shower and change.” He loosed the knot of his tie.
“Go ahead. The chicken needs twenty minutes and then I’ll put the rolls in.” With a quick nod, he disappeared down the hallway to the master bedroom, her gaze following the way the slacks cupped his butt.
“Get back to work.” She whispered to herself before turning back to the strawberries that need
ed to be cut before dinner.
As she worked on the strawberries, her mind wandered as she imagined
suds running down his body. Since Le had stepped back into her life, she couldn’t keep him out of her fantasies. Knowing he was just down the hall and naked heated her body from the inside out.
She leaned against the corner of the counter, letting the sharp edge dig into her hands a
s she pictured him naked. Water cascading over his chest, little ripples falling down his body, along the sweet curve of his butt and down his legs. Her body heated with lust and need.
Her vibrating cell phone pulled her back a second before she made a fool of herself and went to him. She slipped it out of her pocket and tried to shake the thoughts free. “Hello.” It came out a little too breathy and full of desire.
“Mrs. Waters?” A woman’s voice spoke on the other end.
“Yes, this is she. Who’s this?”
“My name is Jamie Hopkins. My daughter and I collected toys at my office and around town for your organization. Mrs. West, the grief counselor at Cedar Grove Children’s Hospital is the one I’ve been going through, however I’ve been trying to get in touch with her for two days and she’s been out of the office. Not knowing what else to do I found your number on the website for Hope’s Toy Chest.”
“Mrs. West should be back in the day after tomorrow
, but is there something I can help you with?” Chelsea was disappointed and thankful for the interruption to her fantasies.
“I had expected to b
ring all these toys down to you, but I was in a nasty car accident and can’t drive. I don’t know what to do to get these to you, and I’d hate for all my daughter’s hard work to be for nothing. Everyone I know who could make the trip is busy with the upcoming holidays, and Monday my daughter and I leave to meet her father in Germany for the holidays.”
Monday.
That meant she only had that weekend if she was going to get the toys.
“I’m sorry to hear about your accident. We can see about working something out. Where are you located?”
“It’s a little over a two hour drive, I’m in Three Forks. I’m sorry, this was supposed to be something great and giving back to the hospital that helped save my daughter. Now I’ve just made a mess of it all.” Tears coated the woman’s words.
“No
, it’s wonderful that you did a collection. I appreciate it. Let me see what I can arrange for this weekend. Can I reach you at this number?” She wasn’t sure how she’d do it, but somehow those toys would be picked up before the woman left for Germany. She knew the type of work and dedication it took and there was no way she’d let it be for nothing.
“Yes
, I’m available at this number anytime. Thank you.”
“You’re welcome and I’ll be in touch soon.”
She ended the call and pulled up the weather app on her phone. Earlier that day there had been talk of a snowstorm heading toward them, so she needed to see how bad it was supposed to get. The mountains she’d have to pass over would make the trip terrible if there was a nasty storm. She’d have to look into renting a four-wheel drive vehicle, because her little car wouldn’t make it this time of year.
“Anything I can do?”
She looked up to find Le standing beside the table in a pair of faded blue jeans and a gray T-shirt. Never before had she seen him in anything but dress clothes, and the casual fashion suited him. He looked amazing.
“Ahh…everything’s almost ready. I just needed a minute.”
“Everything okay?” He pulled out the chair next to her and sat down.
“I received a call about toy donations, but I need to go pick
them up.”
“
Surely it can wait until after dinner, then I’ll drive.”
“I appreciate the offer but it’s a little more complicated than that.” She locked her phone and pushed it away from her. “The woman’s daughter was brought to Cedar Grove, I’m not sure when or for what, but it must have been a good experience because they did a collection.
The woman was in a car accident and can’t make the trip to deliver the toys. They leave for Germany on Monday so I’ll have to make arrangements to pick up the stuff this weekend.”
“There’s a snowstorm coming in. Where are they located?”
“Three Forks.” She frowned, knowing it wasn’t going to be an easy trip.
“Hmm, that could be a nasty journey and your car won’t handle those mountains with snow very well.”
“I’ll call about renting something in the morning. They put in a lot of time and effort to do this, I can’t let them down.”
“Let me make arrangements to have someone cover me at the hospital if anything comes up
, and we’ll go Friday morning.”
“You don’t have to.”
She didn’t miss the fact he was taking time off work to help her with this.
“I want to.”
He placed his hand over hers. “I’d like to accompany you on the trip if you’d have me. The weather’s going to be bad and my truck can handle those roads better than your car. It also will allow you the whole truck bed for whatever she’s collected.”
“What about the hospital? The Cooks?”
“I can do my rounds early Friday morning, check on everything, and then we can leave. Another doctor can cover for me if anything comes up, and I can be reached on the phone if anything happens.” His fingers teased along her knuckles. “If you don’t want me to go, all you have to do is say so.”
“No, I want you to go. It would be nice to have company, I just don’t want to put you out.” Suddenly she felt like she was on eggshells, like she had been when they first met. The uneas
e tightened the muscles between her shoulders.
“Then it’s settled
. We’ll leave early Friday morning and everything is going to work out just fine.”
She smiled with both nerv
ousness and excitement. The idea of being alone with him, driving through a snowstorm, seemed dangerous and appealing. To have him all to herself with no distractions was more than she could hope for.
Now if she could only find a way to get him naked.
The next day passed with incredible slowness. Le found himself looking at the clock thinking an hour or more had passed when in reality it had only been a few minutes. He was anxious for their trip, even if it would only allow them to spend a few additional hours together. He was supposed to be putting distance between them, keeping her out of reach before he couldn’t keep his feelings to himself any longer. Instead he was offering to go on a road trip with her. How was he supposed to keep any distance between them while they were locked in his truck all day?
H
e leaned his head back against the leather chair and closed his eyes. Immediately his mind conjured an image of her in that body-hugging cami shirt she had on the night before, after she slipped out of her sweater when the heat of the fireplace and oven had overwhelmed her. Damn, he practically had to sit on his hands to keep them to himself. He hadn’t had this much trouble controlling his desires since he was a teenager.
Someone stood in the door clearing their throat, pulling him from his thoughts before they could turn too erotic.
He found his sister watching him with amusement.
“I’d ask you if you had a rough night
, but I already know Chelsea was there until nearly one in the morning.” She stepped into the office and closed the door.
“What
’s your point, little sister?”
“Just not used to you having a life outside of this place. Is there anything I should know?”
“Yes, there is.” He leaned forward, placing his hands on the desk. “You should know to mind your own business. Do you see me butting into your life?”
“Actually, yes.” She took the chair across from him. “You’ve always know
n everything that goes on in my life and you questioned Jason so thoroughly he thought he was on trial for murder.”
“I
’m the older brother; it’s my job. Now was there something you wanted or did you just stop by to harass me?”
“
Now that Jason’s parents are here, we’re having Brian over on Sunday, so I wanted to invite you and Chelsea as well.”
Normally he’d agree without hesitation
. Going over to Liz’s meant a home cooked meal and good company. The fact she invited Chelsea made him question Liz’s motives.
“I’ve seen that look before. I invited Chelsea because she’s a friend of mine, and at this time of year no one deserves to be alone. She already agreed to come for Christmas dinner. So if there’s unsettled waters between you two, you better deal with it quickly.” She stood
but didn’t move away from the desk. “She’s a wonderful woman, and as you know she’s been through a lot of shit. If you’re not interested in something long term with her, don’t lead her on. She deserves better than that. Now I’ll see you Sunday at six. Have a safe trip.”
Before he could argue that he couldn’t get involved with Chelsea because she deserved so much more
, Liz was gone. Just like Liz, leaving before he could defend himself. She had never been fond of confrontation.
Nevertheless, she was right;
he couldn’t lead Chelsea on. Either he had to be straight with her about his feelings, or he had to put distance between them. Neither one was going to be easy for him.
With nothing else to do but get back to the paperwork that littered his desk, he vowed to talk to Chelsea after their trip. She deserved him to be upfront with her. In the meantime, he had to decide if he was willing to give up what he could have with her before they even had a chance to explore it.
As he opened the next file on his desk that needed his attention, his cell went off with an emergency message.
Code blue: radiation room three.
Glancing at the clock again, he jumped out of his chair and charged for the door. At that time of day, his only patient in radiation was Jessica.
Damn!
Skipping the elevator
, he raced down three flights of steps to the radiation ward. He wasn’t a religious man, but with each step he said a silent prayer. Jessica’s frail body couldn’t take much more and if her heart stopped they might not be able to get it restarted. He made a mental note to talk to Mrs. Cook to see if she had changed her mind on a living willing for Jessica. Kelly needed to consider if she wanted them to perform extreme measures to try to save Jessica…or if she preferred them to let nature take its course.
He realized h
is thoughts sounded too similar to what the nurse had said, and he scolded himself. Coming through the stairwell doors, he didn’t have time to consider it. Doctor Cole Roberts, the pediatric radiation oncologist handling Jessica’s treatment, and one of his nurses stood waiting outside room three.
“What happened?”
Cole tipped his head to the side, dismissing the nurse before turning to Le. “We just finished Jessica’s treatment when suddenly she said something was wrong. She didn’t have time to explain before she went into cardiac arrest. After a flat line, we were able to get her heart beating again. Doctor West is with her now.”
“Damn it.” Le grabbed hold of the door handle.
He was glad it was Brian in there with her. He was a good pediatric cardiologist and held the same beliefs as he when it came to saving children.
“Her heart
and body are giving out, and you know the probability of her surviving this latest round of cancer. Is it wise to continue the treatments?”
“It’s our duty to do everything we can to help our patients
,” Le reminded him, his tone heated with anger.
“We also made a vow not to do harm. Have you considered the treatment might be doing more harm than good?”
He had considered it but wasn’t willing to admit it yet because that would mean defeat. The minute they stopped doing the treatments it would be an automatic death sentence for her.
“All I’m asking is for you to run a new batch of tests, see if we’re making any progress with this treatment. If
there are no changes, sit down with her mother and consider the options. Will you at least do that?”
Le nodded. “I won’t put her heart under anymore strain until Brian clears her.”
“Very well. With today’s reaction, we’ll postpone her treatment for tomorrow in order to give you time to perform the tests.”
He opened to door, stepped inside, and found Kelly hovering by Jessica’s bed
. Tears streaked her face.
“I hear you had a negative reaction to the treatment
. How are you feeling now?” Le asked.
“Tired.” Jessica’s voice was faint, and her eyes fluttered.
“Why don’t you rest here for a few minutes while I speak with Doctor Mathews and your Mom?” Brian patted her hand. “Would that be okay? We’ll just be right outside in the hall.”
Jessica nodded
, not opening her eyes, and Kelly kissed her forehead. “I’ll be right back, sweetie.”
Le opened the door for Kelly and Brian and when they stepped outside, he left it slightly opened so they could watch Jessica.
“How is she?” Kelly asked.
“Her heartbeat is faint and she’s extremely tired. This episode took a lot out of her
,” Brian explained. “I need to do a chest x-ray, EKG, and a few other tests before I can rule out any lasting damage.”
“Is it from the treatment?”
“I can’t say for sure. All I can say is she’s a very sick little girl.” Even as Brain spoke, there was something in his eyes that made Le wonder if he suspected the underlying cause but didn’t want to worry her. “I’ll get a nurse to take her for the tests and then she can go back to her room and rest. I’ll check on her after I have the results.”
“When she’s
brought back upstairs, I also want to do a full blood work up again,” Le added. “It can wait until after your tests, or even tomorrow. We don’t want to put her through any more than we have to today.”
“I want her to take it easy for the rest of the day
,” Brian ordered. “Make sure she stays in bed, and no strenuous activities or we’ll have to sedate her. I don’t want any more damage until we know what caused this episode.”
“She’ll take it easy
,” Kelly promised and went back to Jessica’s bedside.
Now that they were alone
, Le nodded for Brian to follow him farther down the hall, giving them a little more privacy. “Do you believe the treatments caused this?”
“I believe this is one of the cases where there are no easy choices.”
“Brian, we’ve known each another a long time. Just give it to me straight.”
“It’s a possibility. I’ll know more when the tests are finished.” He shoved his hands into the pocket
s of his white lab coat and nodded. “Okay. It’s more likely that it’s from the treatment than not.”
It was what he
’d expected, but it wasn’t the news he wanted to hear. She would either die from her cancer if they stopped the treatments, or her heart would give out if they continued. Nothing was easy.