Recreational Therapist Ava Kennedy is in charge of Valentine’s Day festivities for shut-in patients at Honeysuckle Cove Children’s Hospital. When a winter storm threatens to derail planned events and steal the children’s joy, Ava calls on longtime friend and firefighter Nick Jones for rescue. The two have been close, platonic friends since kindergarten, but Ava soon finds her heart whirling like the drifting snowflakes outside her office window.
Nick Jones is skilled at extinguishing fires, so he doesn’t count on kindling a flame with lifelong friend Ava Kennedy. But he’s got a sweet spot for kids and women…especially when one particular woman—Ava—possesses a soft heart and laughter that draws like an electron magnet. Despite Nick’s valiant efforts to resist, he finds himself caught up in the attraction.
Will these friends’ new feelings weather the shifting tempest…or is this simply a passing storm?
Extract:
Ava Kennedy paced
Honeysuckle Cove Children’s Hospital’s fifth floor breakroom as she watched
Channel 12 News run down the week’s forecast. Snow and more snow was on its
way.
She grimaced. Not now…please.
“The weather’s
not looking good, is it?” Tami crossed the room and slipped a dollar into a
drink machine nestled in the corner. The petite pediatric nurse often recharged
her energy with an afternoon caffeinated soda.
“No. Not at
all.” Ava frowned as she used a remote to lower the TV’s volume. “And the worst
of it looks like it’s going to hit on Saturday—same day the Valentine’s party is
scheduled for the kids.”
“Ouch. That
smarts.” Tami snagged her drink from the dispenser, snatched her lunch box from
the community fridge, and slipped into a plastic chair at a round table near
the window. “All the work you’ve done…the months of planning…it’s all in
jeopardy.”
“It’s not my
work I’m concerned about.” Ava sank into a seat across from Tami and glanced
through an expanse of window glass to study the sky. The temperature that
morning had felt mild and even now the heavens appeared a peaceful, angelic blue
without so much as the slightest hint of clouds. Perhaps the meteorologist had
miscalculated his snow forecast and the storm would skirt right past
Honeysuckle Cove. She sighed as she sent up a silent prayer and returned her
gaze to Tami. “It’s the kids I’m worried about. They’ll be crushed if the party
has to be cancelled. Mr. Aster has already phoned me half-a-dozen times to
remind me that he refuses to drive in heavy rain—let alone through a raging snowstorm.”
Mr. Aster was a
hugely successful sixty-something local business owner with ageless energy and widely-acknowledged
eccentricities. He also proved one of the most generous benefactors of
Honeysuckle Cove Children’s Hospital. He’d lost a granddaughter in a snowboarding
accident several years ago, and had recently helped to fund a state-of-the-art physical
therapy wing in her memory. He had backed Ava’s suggestion of a holiday party
for the shut-in kids on one condition—he and his wife wanted to play the lead
roles of Mr. and Mrs. Cupid, complete with matching red velvet, heart-shaped
sacks of toys filled with gifts for the children.
The costumes had
been specially hand-crafted and the Asters had brought them by to show off to
Ava. The matching set now hung in the small closet in her office, waiting to be
worn. Posters had been plastered along the hospital corridors and on elevator
doors, and the entire hospital staff had talked up the party with the kids who were
undergoing long-term treatments. Those children would call the therapy wing
home during the holiday. Even the local newspapers and TV stations had done
their part to spread the word. Ava couldn’t let the kids and their families
down.
“Yes, I’ve heard
about Mr. Aster’s odd driving quirks.” Tami scooped hummus onto a cracker and
took a nibble. “He’s a bit of a nervous Nellie since he and his wife got T-boned
by that snow plow during last winter’s ice storm.”
“Luckily, no one
was seriously injured. I can’t say I blame him for being a bit over-cautious.
Even so…” Ava pouted. “I suppose it’s a moot point since Mrs. Aster has the
flu. She couldn’t come near the children anyway. During his last phone call,
Mr. Aster finally admitted they wouldn’t make the event. He told me to find
someone to take both their places. But I’m not left with much time. When it
rains, it pours.”
“More like when
it flurries, it blizzards.” Tami giggled briefly at her own joke, until she
realized from Ava’s daggered stare that she missed the humor in it. “I’m sorry,
Ava.”
“Me, too. It’s
too late to change our plans. And even if we could switch the event date, it
would defeat the purpose of the party. It’s for the kids. On Valentine’s Day.
While they’re shut in here. Away from family and friends.”
“Right. Well,
that’s crummy.” Tami frowned. “You know I’d be more than happy to help with the
festivities, but I drew the proverbial short straw this holiday so I’m pulling
a double shift at the nurse’s station that day.”
“Oh, you’re sure
to have your hands full doing that, especially with the storm bearing down.”
“Yes, but I’m
settling in with double duty for a great cause.” She winked conspiratorially. “Fiona
has a hot date. I think Isaac is going to pop The Big Question.”
Ava wasn’t
surprised by this tidbit of news. Fiona, a pediatric nurse and Isaac, a fifth
year resident had been dating for more than two years and proved the picture of
love. Most of the hospital staff had been wagering on when the nuptials might
occur.
“That’s
exciting.” Ava was happy for them, yet she couldn’t help but feel a little
pinprick of envy. Though she’d weathered her fair share of frogs, she had yet
to find her prince charming. She feared she never would. “I hope their plans
aren’t derailed by the storm.”
“Oh, I don’t
think Old Man Winter himself could keep Isaac from sliding that engagement ring
on Fiona’s finger. He’s been hinting about it for weeks now. She’s the one who’s
been dragging her feet. She thinks he should finish his residency first.”
“Well, if they
can manage to carry on through the storm then so can I.” Ava nodded with stiff
determination. “Yes, it’s time to be proactive. I’m going to launch a backup
plan.”
“Well, you are the planner extraordinaire so if anyone
can pull it off, you can.” Tami’s laughter danced along the window glass. “But
from the looks of that mess—” She motioned to the TV, where a snow-ridden 5-day
forecast was plastered across the monitor “—you’re going to need to pull out
every trick.”
“Right. So it’s
imperative that I draft someone who has use of a four-wheel vehicle and exhibits
mad driving skills in the snow.” Ava pulled a steno notepad and pen from her
pocket. She flipped open the pad, quickly scrawled a few notes, and then paused
to tap her chin with the pen as she considered further possibilities. “He’ll
have to help me pick up toy donations the morning of the party—or possibly the
evening before if the storm hits early. It would be a bonus if he’d also roll
up his sleeves to help with last-minute decorations and lead a few of the activities.
Mr. and Mrs. Aster had planned to spend the entire day here and I was really
counting on their help.”
“That’s a tall
order.” Tami polished off the last cracker and snapped shut the lid of the hummus.
“Paul Bunyan sort of tall.”
“Perhaps…but not
impossible.”
“Of course it’s
not. Nothing’s impossible. But what about Cupid and his heart-shaped sack of
toys? Will this Jack of all trades be able to take Mr. Aster’s place? And will you take Mrs. Aster’s place?”
“I can certainly
fill in as far as Mrs. Aster goes, but Mr. Cupid…hmm, that’s the most important
part.” Ava frowned thoughtfully. “Well, whoever agrees to help will just have
to be a good sport when it comes to wearing the costume and handing out gifts.
The kids have their hearts totally set on the visit, and I’m not going to let
them down.”
“Speaking of
Cupid, is that hunky firefighter friend of yours going to bring you lunch again
today?”
“Hunky…firefighter?”
Ava wracked her brain until a light finally dawned. “Oh, you mean Nick?”
“Yes…Mr. Tall,
Dark and Blue-eyed. Emphasis on the blue eyes…and the hunky.” Tami popped the
tab on her soda, drew a sip, and then fanned herself with dramatics worthy of
an Oscar. “Yes, definitely hunky. He’s oh-so-easy on the eyes.”
My review:
Another page turner from Mary Manners, that doesn't make an early night possible. Based in a hospital during a severe storm, this story has a hunky firefighter and an adorable nurse as the main characters. Not to mention a very fetching outfit. (not saying who wears it... spoilers, don't ya know)
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