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She gave him a weak smile and squeezed his hand. “Thank you.”
“You’re welcome.” As much as his body urged him to pick up where they’d left off, to take her in his arms and kiss her until she was breathless and begging
for the release he craved, he just clasped her hand in his and walked.
Patience might not be his virtue, but some things were worth the wait. He had no doubt that when he and Trinity made love, and they would make love, the wait would be worth having the patience of Job.
How could her schedule have been changed? No one ever wanted to work on Christmas, so surely she wouldn’t have been randomly taken off the schedule?
She stared at the holiday work schedule. Her name was not on the twenty-fifth anywhere. Christmas Eve, yes, but not the big awful day itself.
She had been on that list. How had her name been taken off?
“What are you looking at?” Karen asked, stepping up behind Trinity and looking over her shoulder to see what had her so captivated.
“There was a message in my inbox about last-minute holiday schedule changes and for everyone to recheck the hours they’d be working.”
“Yeah, I saw that.”
“I’m no longer scheduled for Christmas Day.”
“Lucky girl.”
“Not lucky girl.” Because if she wasn’t working, she had to go with Riley to his family dinner. Not that there wasn’t a teeny tiny part of her that wanted to go, to meet the people he spoke of with such love, but the thought of a Christmas Day dinner was too much. Plus she’d have to buy them presents. Not that she was such a tightwad that she minded spending the money, but what the heck would she buy people she’d never met and who were from such a different social background from her own?
“You sound as if having Christmas Day off is a bad thing.” Karen grinned at her. “Enjoy yourself, spend some time with family.”
Time with family? Ha. Her only family had been her mother and she’d died several years ago from liver problems.
But Riley’s family?
“Or that good-looking man you’re dating. Now, there’s a way to spend Christmas Day. Unwrapping really great packages.” Karen waggled her brows.
Panic tightened Trinity’s throat. She glanced at the schedule again. “You’re supposed to work. Let me take your place.”
Karen looked at her as if she was crazy. “Why would you do that?”
“Because I moved here from out of state, remember? I don’t have any family. I’ll be by myself if I’m not working. I should work and you go enjoy your day with your family.”
Karen shook her head. “No way. Pay for Christmas Day is always double time and I need the extra money. I’d put in to work and was glad for the schedule change as I’m helping put my kid sister through school. Besides, I seriously doubt Dr. Williams is going to let you spend Christmas Day alone.”
Okay, so convincing Karen to swap with her wasn’t going to work. Maybe one of the other cardiac nurses would swap with her.
No such luck.
Trinity couldn’t work out why not a single one of the nurses scheduled to work on Christmas Day preferred to have the holiday itself off. Not a single one of them was willing to let her work instead of them. Unbelievable.
What was up with this hospital anyway? Didn’t they have any Christmas spirit? They were supposed to want to be at home, to be with their families, to…not be like her.
Annoyed at herself, she went into a patient room and forced a smile onto her face for Jewel’s benefit.
“Not working.”
“Huh?” she asked, confused by her patient’s immediate comment. “What’s not working?”
“That fake smile.” Jewel pursed her lips. “I take it you still haven’t found that pair of glass slippers?”
“If you recall our conversation, you’ll remember that I don’t want glass slippers. Way too impractical for a practical girl like me.”
