Page 8 of Just A Dash of Holiday Magic
Chapter 4
MARIE
Uncle Everett had already been making calls about Billy when I called to let him know the situation in his condition has gone from bad to a worst-case scenario. We were quickly approaching the point of no return if we had any hope for this little boy.
Will met with some of the doctors when we arrived, and they explained that Wendy was filling out the paperwork for Billy to go into surgery. I'm not one to throw my family's name around to get what I want, but I can't deny the service you get from having the same last name as one of the wings of the hospital.
I don’t want to intrude when the Chief of Medicine offers to escort Will to a private waiting room so he’d be more comfortable.
“Your sister will be brought there as well once she’s signed off on everything.”
I don’t move when Will starts to follow him but stops when he notices I’m not next to him.
“Aren’t you coming?” He asks, holding out his hand to me.
The pull of such a simple gesture takes complete control of me, and I link my fingers in his. The spark from earlier is there, and the urge to never let go fills me.
The private waiting room is filled with plush sofas and has a stocked kitchen in case anyone gets hungry, but I doubt that anyone will be eating until we find out how everything went.
“Can I get you something?” I ask Will.
He's sitting on the sofa next to me with my hand still in his hand. His leg is bouncing like he's just downed ten energy drinks in a row. I rest my other hand on his knee, and it stops bouncing. Will's gaze meets mine.
“Everything is going to be fine,” I assure him. “This hospital is one of the best in the state, and the surgeon working on him is the best. Billy is in good hands.”
Will’s knee starts bouncing again, but not as wildly as before. “I don’t know what I would’ve done if you hadn’t made all this happen.”
“Well, you don't have to think about it. The only thing I want you to focus on is helping Billy add new plans to his list of things he wants to do.”
Will's gaze dips down to my lips, and I want so badly for him to kiss me again, but this isn't the time. Right now, I need to be strong for him. I don’t need for him to tell me his life story to know that the world has been hard on Will. I can see it in the deep lines around his eyes, aging him to look older than he really is. He’s lived harder in one day than I have in probably my whole life. I’m not sure what he sees in me, but I hope it's more than the superficial surface that so many judge me by.
WILL
It's only been a couple of hours, but the updates we keep getting from the nurses that stop in to check on us are all the same. They are still working on him, and if anything changes, they will let us know.
Marie has been more than just a benefactor for Billy’s surgery. She’s helped distract me from pacing a hole in the carpet, and she's been so attentive to Wendy.
My eyes can't go more than a minute without finding her. I want to memorize every line of her delicate features, every dip, and every curve of her body. I don't know what tomorrow will bring, but if this is all the time I get to spend with her, I want to have the clearest memory of her to look back on. She's done something to me that I never thought any woman could do. She's burrowed deep beneath my skin and penetrated my heart. It feels more alive with her near than it ever has before.
“You like her,” Wendy whispers next to me.
I check to see if Marie heard her, but she is standing in the tiny kitchen area brewing another pot of coffee.
“I don’t know what you are talking about,” I say.
“Don’t try to lie to me, little brother. I’ve been able to spot your tells since you were a little boy. Like that—” she points to my hand. “You always scratch your chin when you are trying to hide something from me.”
“So what if I do? She's only here for Billy," I say defensively.
“No.” Wendy shakes her head. “She’s already done everything she can for Billy by moving mountains in this hospital to get him the surgery. If that's all she cared about, then she would have left hours ago. But, instead, she is spending Christmas Eve," Wendy looks at her watch. "Or rather Christmas morning with two strangers, wanting to make sure they are okay."
“She’s a nice person.”
"My gosh, you are as stubborn as Dad was," Wendy groans. "You both had this warped idea of yourself that no one else could see. Well, let me tell you that this girl likes you. And if you don’t pull your head out of your ass, you are going to lose any chance you might have with her."
“You really think I might have a chance?”
Wendy doesn't respond verbally because Marie is walking over with a cup of coffee in each hand for both of us. But she gives me a quick wink, and for the second time in less than twenty-four hours, my heart fills with hope.
