Dearly Loved Read online

  The clerk stared at her in surprise as if wondering how she could be so hard-hearted.

  On her way home, Meredith had second thoughts about getting a dog. It would be nice to come home to an eager puppy. Someone who cared she existed.

  Meredith frowned. Where had that thought come from? Maybe I’m more tired than I thought. She glanced at her watch. Eleven o’clock in the morning and past time for me to be in bed.

  ***

  Meredith reached over to put an end to the annoying drone of her alarm clock. When she sat up, her head throbbed. With bleary eyes, she looked around her room. Late afternoon sunlight filtered in through the sheers at the windows, casting the room in a soft glow. She pushed back the cotton quilt and slid from the bed. Her bare feet landed on the cool wood floor and she padded into the bathroom, splashing her face with water from the sink. Her reflection in the old beveled mirror on the medicine cabinet attested to her fatigue. Disturbed by dreams about David, she quickly readied for work, anxious to check his condition.

  At the hospital, Meredith made her way to David’s room before reporting in. Inside the doorway, she let out a little gasp. In his bed lay an elderly woman hooked up to a respirator. Meredith closed her eyes for a moment to regain her equilibrium. Either David been moved to another room or...

  Don’t panic yet. Get the facts.

  She strode to the nurses’ station and saw Erin Morgan, the night Charge Nurse, behind the desk working at the computer. Her red hair and cool green eyes seemed to match her personality. Oh, great, the grouch is on duty. Erin glanced up at her and grimaced.

  Meredith cleared her throat. “What happened to the previous patient in two-thirty-two, David Steller?”

  Erin’s eyes narrowed. “What’s it to you? You another one of his groupies?”

  Spotting the patient assignment sheet, Meredith reached for it.

  “They moved him down the hall,” Erin mumbled. “Somebody’s grandma needed his room worse.”

  Scanning the information, Meredith went limp with relief. He’d been upgraded from serious to stable condition and moved to a room slightly further from the nurses’ station. Thank you, Lord. Replacing the clipboard, she hurried down the hall to his new room.

  Meredith was relieved to find David’s color improved and his pulse, stronger. She touched his hand, silently rejoicing in his improvement. Noticing of the smell of flowers in the air, she looked around and saw a vast profusion of flower arrangements, Mylar balloons, and stuffed animals crowding the counter. Obviously he’d had several visitors over the course of the day. That was David. She remembered his name meant dearly loved. He’d always been popular, and she’d been just one more of the many who wanted to be close to him. The thought was depressing—and familiar.

  Unable to stop herself, Meredith smoothed his hair from his face, breathing a prayer for his continued recovery. Before leaving the room and beginning her shift, she looked again at all the flowers. Tomorrow she’d bring him some from her own garden.

  The door opened and a woman walked in. As she came into the low light above the bed, Meredith recognized David’s aunt. “Gloria!”

  “Meredith Ambrose, is that you? I heard you’d become a nurse. Thank God you’re here!” Gloria, dark-haired, with brown eyes similar to David’s, choked on a sob and gave her a hug.

  The last time Meredith had seen David’s aunt and uncle was when her mom died seven years ago. Why is it tragedy rather than good fortune that brings people together?

  Gloria released her. “I just got the news. How is he?” She sat next to the bed, reaching out to touch his hand. Tears filmed her eyes. “We’ve been out of town for the past month and just got home today. I heard about him on the TV news!”

  “He’s actually doing better than he looks. His surgery went well and his condition has been upgraded.” Meredith smiled. “David has always been tough.”

  Gloria gave a nervous laugh. “That’s true. How long do you think he’ll be here?”

  “Another week. Two at the most unless there are postoperative complications, which the doctor doesn’t anticipate.”

  Sinking into the chair near the bed, Gloria covered her eyes with her hands. “I feel terrible I wasn’t here for him. Roy wanted to come, but he has the flu and didn’t want to expose David unnecessarily.” She looked over at Meredith and gave her a warm smile. “But you’re here for him. You always were.”

  Meredith felt her face grow warm. How aware had David’s aunt and uncle been of her pathetic obsession of their nephew? She motioned to the flowers. “It looks like he’s had some visitors today.”

  A nurse poked her head through the door crack. “Meredith, are you in here?”

  “Yes?”

  “Erin’s asking where you are. It’s time to get to your reports.”

  “Okay, thanks.” Turning to Gloria, she said, “I need to go. It’s good to see you.”

  Gloria stood and gave Meredith a quick hug. “I only wish it wasn’t under such circumstances.”

  “Me, too.”

  ***

  The night seemed to go on forever. Two nurses called in sick, so they were short-staffed, which had the usual effect of making everyone grumpy. In a room containing two patients, Meredith quietly prayed over a man after checking his stats. The door swished open. She looked up.

  “Who are you talking to, Ambrose?” Erin barked, walking all the way into the room.

  Meredith stifled a sigh. Here we go again. “God.”

  “Wrong answer.” Erin crossed her arms over her chest. “Superstition has no place here. What if I were to sit down and figure out how much time you spend involving yourself in religious activities on hospital time? Unless you want to lose your job for waste and inefficiency, I suggest you quit that muttering and get to work!”

  Meredith clenched her jaw and moved on to the next patient in her rounds. It was useless to be drawn into an argument with Erin. She knew she could get the Charge Nurse in trouble for religious discrimination, but Erin otherwise ran the unit well. Besides, it wouldn’t help their dubious relationship any by making a formal complaint against her. Is it me she can’t stand, or just religion in general?

  ***

  Meredith’s shoulders slumped when she finally got home after her shift. All she wanted was sleep. After brushing her teeth, she changed into her pajamas and burrowed under the blankets of her bed. Blessed drowsiness weighed her eyes and limbs. Her heartbeat slowed. Almost there.

  Yip. Yip. Yip. The sound of a barking dog filtered into her ears. She groaned and pulled a pillow over her head to shut out the noise.

  Yip. Yip. Yip.

  Meredith counted to ten. Then to twenty. She ripped her blankets aside and stood up, clutching the edge of the bed as a head-rush threatened to land back onto the mattress. Peering sleepily out the window, Meredith was surprised to see the mellow rays of the afternoon sun gilding her bedroom. It felt as though she’d fallen asleep only minutes ago.

  Trying to get any sleep during the day is a joke. Something always wakes me up—noisy kids, motorcycles lacking mufflers, door-to-door salesmen, and loud dogs!

  Meredith wrapped a light robe around her frame and went out the kitchen door into her small backyard. A barking bit of dirty white fluff had cornered her neighbor’s tabby cat up a vine maple tree.

  “Bad dog!” she croaked. “No, no! Go home!”

  The little white dog turned at the sound of her voice and raced up to where she stood, barking up a storm. Suddenly intrigued by the cute little thing, Meredith bent down and held out her hand. Sniffing at first, the dog apparently decided she didn’t pass muster and began barking more furiously than ever.

  “Oh, fine.” Meredith put her hands on her hips and gave the dog a gimlet look. She had to do something to make it stop the infernal racket. She lunged and caught hold of its leg. The dog squirmed like a fish on a line, twisted around, and nipped her on the chin.

  “Ow!” With renewed determination, Meredith grabbed hold of the dog and wre
stled it into the house. When she shut the back door behind her, she let the dog go and watched, bemused, while it raced in circles around the kitchen.

  Rubbing her chin, Meredith went to get the newspaper. She flipped to the classifieds, hoping someone was looking for an ornery white fluff ball. When she didn’t find a corresponding ad, she called the paper to place one for a found puppy, anxious for someone to take the tiny terror off her hands.

  Meredith cocked her head. Uh oh. It’s way too quiet in the house. With visions of destroyed shoes and scratched furniture filling her mind, she went in search of the dog. When a quick check of her living room and bathroom yielded no puppy, she headed for her bedroom. Inside her room, she stopped and stared.

  “Oh, no you don’t! Get down from there!”

  The dog ignored her, lying sprawled on its back in the middle of her bed. Its beady brown eyes shined with obvious contentment and its little pink tongue hung out of the side of its mouth. Well, now I know it’s a boy. When she made a move to shoo him off the bed, the dog flipped over and burrowed under her blankets.

  And I can add laundry to my list of chores today. Meredith glanced at the clock, and realized six hours of sleep would have to suffice. She picked up the dog, holding it well away from her body, deposited it in the garage, and headed for the shower.

  ***

  Two hours later, Meredith arrived back from a trip to the mall, with a rawhide bone, collar, leash, kennel, and a sack of puppy food. On her drive home from the store, she’d looked through her neighborhood looking for Lost Dog signs. No luck. The dog danced around her feet as if he had every confidence she intended to keep him.

  “This is only temporary,” she groused, spying a gnawed leather sandal under the dining room table.

  Meredith shook a small amount of dog food into a bowl and placed it on the floor near the puppy. While she watched him scarf down his complimentary dinner, she had an uneasy feeling that she hadn’t actually found the dog. He found me.

  After dubbing the dog Bitsy, named for his size along with the pink mark he’d left on her chin, Meredith spent the rest of the afternoon puppy-proofing her home and yard to the best of her ability. She put all her shoes in a box up onto a shelf in her closet, hoping the rawhide bone would satisfy his chewing needs. In the backyard, she piled rocks in the gap in the fence where the dog must’ve wiggled through.

  Seeing the flowers reminded her of her plan to put together an arrangement for David. Irises would make a nice bouquet. They were at their peak right now and she had several varieties. The dog pranced up to her and put his paws on her leg. Meredith absently patted his furry head and said another prayer for David.

  ***

  Meredith found every possible excuse to go into David’s room during her shift, and ended up lingering longer than necessary. It’s a slow night. Or so she told herself. She tried for more professional detachment, but the advice didn’t alter her behavior. Besides, she wasn’t as confident as she’d appeared to Gloria.

  Meredith knew of the potential for life-threatening complications. She’d feel a lot better if she could see David open his eyes, and hear his voice. During the night, patients tended to be under more sedation. It might be a while yet.

  Midway through her shift, after passing pain meds and checking the vitals of each of her patients, along with catching up on a heap of paperwork, Meredith went back to David’s room once more. Looking down on his quiet form, her gaze traveled along the planes and angles of his face. The swelling had almost disappeared. Even so, she knew every dip and hollow by heart.

  She wanted to look into his eyes again. Has anything changed there? Will he still see me as the forgettable girl next door? Will he remember me at all?

  Meredith chastised herself for such self-centered thoughts. How can I dwell on a long-ago schoolgirl crush at a time like this? She squeezed his fingers before she left the room. When she stepped back into the hall, she almost collided with Erin.

  “Oh, excuse me!”

  “Ambrose, what are you doing in there again? You’ve already checked on that patient more than necessary.” Erin glanced at the name in the slot next to the door. “What’s with this obsession with Steller, anyway?”

  Meredith resisted the impulse to squirm under her superior’s steely scrutiny. “He’s a personal friend, so naturally I’m anxious for his recovery.” Seeing Erin’s disbelieving expression, she added, “He used to be my next door neighbor.”

  Erin gave a harsh laugh. “That’s a good one. Best one I’ve heard all night. I can see how a gorgeous celebrity like him would remember the queen of wallflowers.” She crossed her arms over her chest. “I’m sure your other patients would appreciate such devoted attention.”

  Meredith took a deep breath, fighting to control her temper. Try to appreciate the stress Erin works under day after day. Dealing with understaffing, power plays between nurses and doctors, and the fear of more budget cuts plus her regular duties must take their toll.

  Reminding herself this was her last shift of the week, she stuffed her anger down and went on with her job.

  ***

  After working thirty-six hours in three days, Meredith stumbled through her front door. Just as she landed on her sofa and kicked off her street shoes, she heard a strange scratching sound at the garage door connected to the kitchen. Pushing off the sofa to investigate, she promised herself a long hot bath and at least twelve hours of sleep.

  She pulled open the back door and stumbled as a blur of white whizzed by her legs.

  “Bitsy! I forgot all about you!”

  Meredith awkwardly petted its head. The little dog stood up briefly on his hind legs and put his paws in the air.

  “Good job!” she said, wondering who’d trained him. The dog seemed to soak up her praise like a sponge and danced around in a circle as if proud of his skill.

  Meredith filled his bowl with food and watched him eat. How could such a scraggly ball of white be so cute? When Bitsy licked his bowl clean, he gave her a look of pure adulation.

  This time she stroked his fur, wondering why her eyes were hot with tears. Fatigue. I just need some sleep.

  Meredith checked the classifieds and her answering machine for a response about Bitsy. So far no one seemed to be looking for her dog. But she felt sure some little girl or boy went to bed each night, sick with worry over their lost pet.

  Bitsy didn’t have a collar and was skinny and filthy from his travels. She decided if she had to share her home with him, even temporarily, he needed cosmetic attention. Sleep would have to wait. First she took him to a veterinarian, who told her Bitsy was a West Highland Terrier, approximately nine months old. He received the appropriate shots and was pronounced healthy, aside from slight malnutrition.

  From there, Meredith took him to a grooming salon for dogs, where he underwent a shampooing and clipping, emerging adorned with baby blue bows, much to his apparent dismay. Back in her car, she took out the bows, apologizing for the affront to his tender male ego. He surprised her with a wet puppy kiss for her pains. She wiped her cheek with a tissue. Dog germs. Yuck.

  When she returned home, and collapsed onto her bed, Bitsy jumped up and snuggled against her. Meredith raised a brow. “I don’t think so, mister.”

  She introduced him to his brand new kennel complete with a soft flannel blanket. He didn’t seem convinced.

  “In you go!” She propelled him inside and closed the door, tamping down the vague sense of guilt. It’s just the way it’s gotta be.

  Three

  After four days of re-acclimating herself to daytime hours, Meredith headed to work Friday evening, leaving the diurnal world behind. Having a dog around the house, though she was reluctant to admit it, had its compensations, and she was in a better frame of mind as she began her days on.

  Her thoughts turned to David. During her time off, she’d called in to find out his current condition, but didn’t visit him. On her lunch break, with a new bouquet of garden flowers she’d brought in earl
ier, Meredith slipped past the nurses’ station. Thankfully, Erin was nowhere in sight.

  In David’s room, she set the vase of flowers among the others on the counter. Her eyes automatically flicked over him and the bags and monitors, checking for any anomalies. When satisfied all was acceptable, Meredith perched on the edge of a chair next to the bed. Gazing down at him, she wrapped her fingers around his and felt comforted by his warmth. Take it easy, girl. Just ‘cause he looks innocent at the moment doesn’t mean he can’t bite. She dropped his hand.

  She’d relived many memories over the last few days, but what amazed her was that even unconscious, he still held some sway over her. The seesawing emotions had drained her and she knew it wasn’t healthy to live in the past. She needed David to get well so he could look at her and say Meredith who? putting an end to her silliness once and for all.

  Meredith saw his head move. She caught her breath, watching in wonder as David slowly opened his eyes. A wave of goose bumps made their way up her arms when his gaze focused on her face.

  David licked his lips. “Merrie, you’re here.”

  She smiled through an involuntary blur of tears. “I could say the same thing about you.” Biting her lip, she attempted to control her emotions and retain a modicum of professionalism. “You’re in the hospital. Don’t try to talk.”

  “I have to leave,” he said, his voice raspy. “I have a job—”

  “Shhh. You need to rest.” Meredith smoothed his hair back with a shaking hand.

  David closed his eyes and the features of his face relaxed. She watched him closely, her adrenaline surging, heart thundering. Releasing a pent-up breath, she glanced at the monitors, checking that all remained well.