Midnight Angel
Authors: Carly Phillips
Carly Phillips
InkWell Publishing
To Phil—for giving me my girls and such a great
life. And to Jackie and Jen—I’m so glad I have two girls so we can
go see the movies Dad would never want to see. Win a Date with Tad
Hamilton led to the idea for this story. I’m so glad we all love
Leo on AMC. I love you!!!!!! Love, Mom
Last but not least, to Janelle—for
everything!
Midnight Angel
is published in
eBook format
by
InkWell Publishing
521 Fifth Avenue, 26
th
Floor
New York, NY 10175
Original Copyright 2004 by Karen Drogin
eBook Copyright 2011 by Karen Drogin
Cover Design by Julie Ortolon, copyright Julie
Ortolon, 2011
Cover Photo by Fenias, copyright Fenias at
Dreamstime.com
eBook Format by
A Thirsty Mind
Smashwords Edition, 2011
All rights reserved. No part of this book may be
reproduced in any form by any means without the prior written
consent of the Publisher, excepting brief quotes used in
reviews.
This book is a work of fiction. Names, characters,
places, and incidents either are products of the author’s
imagination or are used fictitiously. Any resemblance to actual
events or locales or persons, living or dead, is entirely
coincidental.
Dear Reader,
This short story is such a special treat and
I am so excited to share it with you. MIDNIGHT ANGEL is a reissue
of a story that was published in print in 2004 (
Stroke of
Midnight
). The idea for this story came after I saw the movie
Win a Date with Tad Hamilton
starring Josh Duhamel. (Yum!)
In my version, the hero, now a big Hollywood movie star, comes home
for the girl he left behind. I loved writing the story and I'm so
happy to be able to make it available to you now in eBook form.
I hope you enjoy! As always, you can visit
me at
www.carlyphillips.com
,
I’d love to hear from you. You can also find me at:
Contact Carly at
(http://www.carlyphillips.com/contact-carly/
).
And follow me on Facebook
(http://www.facebook.com/carlyphillipsfanpage
),
Twitter
(www.twitter.com/carlyphillips
)
and my Blog
(www.plotmonkeys.com
) for
updates and all things Carly!
Happy Reading!
Carly Phillips
CONTENTS
Daily Dirt Column
The pride of Acton, Massachusetts, returns! Welcome
banners drape the streets of the small New England town when
favorite son and Hollywood action hero comes home for Christmas.
But are all residents really as thrilled as appearances imply?
Stay tuned as events unfold.
Dylan North walked down the streets of
Acton, savoring the familiar sights. Old man Roscoe still sat
outside the diner, refusing to give up his spot on the bench for
people who were waiting to be seated. In his hometown, the cars ran
at a slow pace, the people even slower. As a kid, Dylan couldn’t
wait to get the hell out and never look back. As an adult, he
appreciated everything he’d once hated because this place possessed
the peace and tranquility that were nowhere to be found in L.A.
As he strode down the street, destination in
mind, one more important thought struck him, cementing his reason
for coming back now. Everywhere he went reminded him of Holly
Evans.
Dr. Holly Evans
, he thought,
shaking his head. Damn, but he was proud of her. She may not know
his feelings, but by the time his short trip home was over, she’d
know that and a whole lot more. But first he needed to find firm
footing. To see where he stood with Holly now. They hadn’t spoken
in over ten years, and Dylan understood that the girl he’d left
behind might want nothing to do with him. He also realized that his
own feelings might have changed too. He doubted it, but he needed
to keep an open mind.
He understood these things deep in his gut,
in a way he couldn’t have managed in his youth—and not just because
his manager, his publicist and his personal assistant all told him
he was an ass to turn his back on the beautiful actresses at his
beck and call. Specifically Melanie Masterson, his latest and
longest-lasting relationship. Melanie desperately wanted a
reconciliation, but only, he thought, because being on his arm
benefited her career. But he was finished hanging on to Melanie or
any other woman in a futile search for the normalcy he’d
experienced only once before. With Holly.
He wasn’t a man prone to believing in omens,
but a month ago he’d dreamed of Holly—which wasn’t unusual since he
dreamed of her often. But this time had been more vivid. In the
dream, it was Christmas Eve and they sat in his house, opening
gifts they’d bought for each other with their hard-earned money.
Feeling warmer and more content than he could ever remember, he’d
drowsily reached for Holly only to find Melanie in bed beside
him.
The shock to his system had been greater
than if he’d crawled into a cold bed all alone. It was a wake-up
call he’d taken seriously.
So now he entered the office that had once
belonged to Holly’s father and glanced around, noting that although
much was the same, such as the old doctor’s diplomas and the
black-and-white photos, Holly had added her own touches too. Aside
from the Christmas tree in one corner, tinsel draping the walls and
decals on the windows, there were more permanent fixes. She’d
painted the place a cheery yellow color, a corner of the waiting
room held a large toy box and a shelf filled with children’s books,
and an array of magazines lay on the center table.
Doc Evans had a great bedside manner, but
he’d never updated the decor. His daughter had. Dylan wondered if
the old man had lived to see it. Today Dylan had learned that the
dad Holly adored had passed away last year, and right now her mom
was out of town visiting her sick sister. Dylan hadn’t been here to
cushion the loss of her father. Had anyone? he wondered. The
thought caused a cramping in his gut.
How many other major events had he missed in
her life? And was it too late to even approach her now? So many
questions.
“Can I help you?” a red-haired woman he
didn’t recognize asked, interrupting his thoughts as she grabbed
her coat from one of the hooks in the hall.
“I’m looking for Holly—I mean Dr.
Evans.”
Without looking up, the other woman shrugged
her coat over her shoulders. “Dr. Evans is in the back, but we’ve
seen our last patient for the day unless it’s an emergency. Is it
an emergency?” As she spoke, she finally glanced into his face for
the first time. “Oh my
God
! You’re him! I mean, you’re
Dylan North. The actor.”
Used to this reaction, Dylan merely treated
her to his stock fan smile and reached out a hand in greeting.
“Pleased to meet you.”
She pumped his hand with enthusiasm until he
thought his arm might fall off.
He eased his hand out of her grip. “And you
are? Your name, I mean?”
“Oh, sorry,” she said, her cheeks turning as
red as her hair. “Nicole. Nicole Barnett. Oh my goodness, I can’t
believe you’re standing here.”
She gushed like every other fan he met, and
though Dylan understood the reaction, he hoped that the more time
he spent here, the more people would get used to him and treat him
no differently than anyone else. Funny how after craving the
spotlight, he now wanted the ordinary.
But Nicole continued to ramble in the face
of idol worship. “I’d heard you were in town, and of course Holly’s
been talking about you, but I didn’t think I’d meet you in person.
Oh my gosh, this is so exciting.”
“Holly’s been talking about me?” His heart
rate kicked up a notch. That his return was on her radar had to be
a good sign.
“Your return is all anyone can talk about.
Our patients keep reminding her that you two used to be an item,
not that she
wants
to remember….” Nicole’s voice trailed
off as she realized that in her excitement, she’d slipped big-time.
“I’m sorry. I really do need to get going. Should I tell Holly
you’re here first?”
He shook his head. “I’d rather surprise
her.”
Nicole grinned. “Good idea. And if you don’t
mind a suggestion, if she gives you a hard time, just say you’re
here for a flu shot. Holly can never turn down a patient in need.
Unless you’ve already had one?” She raised an eyebrow in
question.
“No, haven’t had one.” Nor did he desire a
shot, but he supposed the cause was worthwhile. “I’ll keep your
idea in mind.”
Nicole smiled. “It was really nice to meet
you, and good luck,” she told him, and eyes still impressionably
wide, she slipped out the door.
Dylan exhaled hard. He hung his coat on a
hook in the hall, then turned the lock, ensuring his reunion with
Holly wouldn’t be interrupted. In silence, he headed for the back
room.
Holly stood with her back to him. Her silky
blond hair had been clipped back into a ponytail that hung to her
shoulders, a huge difference from the long cascading hair she had
favored in high school. He couldn’t wait to see it framing her
beautiful face.
Since she hadn’t heard his approach, he took
a minute to watch. To cement his certainty that the emotions and
feelings in his heart weren’t shadows of the past. And doing so, he
was more certain than ever that they were just as intact today as
they once had been.
She scribbled in a chart and then glanced at
the calendar on the wall. For a brief second, he caught a glimpse
of the profile he remembered, her features more defined and grown
up but still the same. Her makeup had faded from a day of hard
work, something the women he knew would rarely let happen, hence
the entourage of traveling makeup artists to handle touch-ups and
constant trips to the restroom to powder their noses.
The woman before him was real, and he wanted
her to be his again. This time forever. Steeling himself, he
cleared his throat and knocked twice on the doorframe.
“I thought I told you it’s okay to go home,”
Holly called without glancing up from replacing the paper on the
examining table. “I can clean up the last few things and get the
office ready for tomorrow. Go get ready for the Christmas party at
Whipporwill’s tonight.”
Her voice hadn’t changed either. The light
sound was still capable of sending rippling waves of desire through
him, especially when she laughed. If he accomplished nothing else
on this first encounter, he wanted to make her laugh.
“It’s not Nicole,” Dylan said, drawing
attention to himself at last.
She inhaled sharply and turned around fast.
Shock, pleasure and anger all flashed across her features until
finally she folded her arms across her chest, schooling her face
into a blank mask. Just not soon enough to prevent him from
discovering she still had a variety of feelings for him, and he
hoped to tap into the more pleasant ones.
“Dylan,” she said, having regained her
composure.
He inclined his head. “Holly. How’ve you
been?”
She narrowed her gaze, obviously assessing
him. “Is that really the best opening line you could come up with?”
she asked, then chuckled, a sound he knew was forced because it
lacked the warmth and genuineness he remembered.
It didn’t count as the laugh he’d promised
himself. He shrugged. “I didn’t think you’d appreciate it if I
tossed some old line your way.”
Holly nodded slowly, still unable to believe
Dylan had come to see her here. She knew all about his return; how
could she not when it was all her patients could talk about? But
she didn’t think he’d bother to look her up.
She tried to breathe steadily, a nearly
impossible feat when he was still so good-looking, sexy and, damn
him, charming in person. His raven hair had barely any gray and
those blue eyes were just as bright.
“You’re right. I wouldn’t have appreciated a
flip line,” she said, surprised that he remembered how important
honesty was to her, when he’d forgotten all about truthfulness in
his rush to leave all those years ago.
She and Dylan had a history she’d never been
able to forget. They’d met at thirteen when Dylan’s family had
moved to town, started dating at sixteen, begun sleeping together
at seventeen and by eighteen and their high-school graduation,
Holly had been planning their happily ever after.