Forbidden Pleasure

'Got everything. Walt says, 'Merry Christmas.' The sundaes were on the house,' he told her.

'He always did that when I was a little girl,' Emily said. 'What did you do, Devlin? I didn't know you could cook.'

'I can't, really. And this is nothing fancy. I just made us turkey sandwiches and salad, angel face. The turkey breast was already cooked.' He handed her a plate.

She still wasn't really that hungry, but she nibbled at half of the sandwich and a few mouthfuls of salad to please him. When he returned from the kitchen after taking their supper things back, she had fallen asleep again. The telephone rang, and he grabbed it before it could awaken her.

'Devlin?' It was Rina Seligmann. 'You got here.'

'Traveling at Christmas is not advised, Rina,' he told her. 'I got on the red-eye. Since I had left the car at the airport I just drove straight out. I've done her shopping and fed her-she didn't eat much, and she's asleep again.'

'You're a good man, Mick,' Rina said quietly. 'Is she taking the pills Sam left her last night?'

'Yeah, but she's still got a temperature, I believe. She's hot and dry,' he said.

'Keep her warm,' Rina advised. 'With luck the fever will break tonight or tomorrow. Still coughing?'

'Yep. And she smells of Vicks.' He chuckled. 'Reminded me of me grannie.'

Rina laughed. 'I doubt Emily has ever remotely reminded you of your gran, Vicks or no Vicks. I'm glad she had the sense to use it. It's old-fashioned, but it will help break up that congestion in her chest. Sam will come over tomorrow in the afternoon,' Rina said. 'If you need him before, just call. Good night, Mick.'

'Good night, Rina.' He hung up the phone.

'Who was that?' Emily asked sleepily.

'Rina, checking up. Are you awake enough to go up to bed?'

'Uh-huh,' she said, struggling to her feet. 'Where's my sundae?'

'In the freezer. You can have it later. Now you have to go to bed,' Michael Devlin said, helping her upstairs and into her bed. 'I'll be back. I want to clean up first.'

'You're a great editor, a great lover, and it would seem a great houseman too,' Emily half whispered.

He went back downstairs again to clean up, and when he had finished he sat down in the den, with its little Christmas tree on the table in the bay window and the crackling fire in the hearth. He was home. And the woman he loved above all else was asleep upstairs in her bed. He had been delayed in London for two reasons, one of which was to purchase Emily's Christmas present. He knew what he wanted, and it had taken the jeweler some extra time to find it, but he had. Michael was through with indecision.

He sat for some time until finally the fire had burned down to glowing red-orange embers. It was Christmas Eve, and everything around him felt magical. The clock from St. Luke's struck ten. Santa would be on his way, Michael Devlin thought with a small smile. Give me just a little time, Santa, he said silently. Then, standing up, he went upstairs, washed, got into his pajamas, and climbed into bed with Emily. She murmured softly and burrowed into him. Wrapping his arms about her, he knew that he had been given the greatest Christmas gift he had ever received.

***

Emily awoke to a bright, sunny day. She could hear Devlin in the shower and rolled over, smiling. She ran the tips of her fingers over the indentation his head had made in the pillow. She was sweaty, but she knew her fever was finally breaking.

'Happy Christmas, angel face,' he said, coming into the bedroom, a towel about his loins.

'Damn, you look all fresh and clean, and I am so scuzzy. I think my fever's breaking, Devlin. I'm suddenly hungry, and I want a cuppa.'

'Let me get my clothes on, and I'll go down and bring you one,' he said.

'And my sundae too,' she said.

He laughed as he dressed, pulling on his jeans, and a soft crewneck sweater. 'Ice cream for breakfast, angel face?'

'Why not?' she asked. 'It's Christmas. I'll come downstairs, but first I need a shower too.'

'Is that wise if the fever hasn't broken yet?' he asked.

'Go make tea, Devlin. You're starting to sound like Rina,' Emily chided him.

He left her, and Emily jumped out of bed and hurried to shower, tucking her hair in a cap to keep it dry. Drying herself thoroughly, Emily pulled on a pair of peach-colored fleece sweatpants, a matching tee, and over it a peach fleece sweatshirt. She ran a brush through her hair. It didn't look too bad, considering. Sliding her feet into her sheepskin slippers, she padded down the stairs. She felt suddenly normal. The fever had obviously broken while she was in the shower.

'In the den, angel face,' he called to her, and Emily joined him.

'Two sundaes?' she said, surprised.

'One for you and one for me,' he told her. 'Tea?'

'No, ice cream first. My fever is gone, Devlin.'

He popped the lid from a sundae container and handed the dessert to her with a spoon.

Emily accepted it, digging her spoon into the ice cream, and then suddenly she stopped and stared. Sticking out of the whipped cream atop the sundae was a diamond ring. Carefully she set the sundae down on the table and pulled the ring away from the cream. The diamond was a square-cut, with two rectangular baguettes on either side. The stones were set in platinum. Emily licked the cream from the band, rubbed it against her shirt, and put it on her finger. Holding out her hand she admired it, and then she said, 'Well, this sure beats a cherry, Devlin. Yes.'

'I haven't asked you yet,' he said.

'Just take the yes,' she told him.

'No,' he said. 'I am going to ask you, Emily Katherine Shanski, if you will do me the honor-the great honor-of becoming my wife. Now you may answer.'

'Yes,' she said, and, throwing herself into his arms, she added, 'I don't think I'm contagious anymore.' And then they kissed. When he was finally able to release her from his embrace several minutes later, Emily said, 'I have to call Rina. She will never forgive us if I don't.' Picking up the phone, she punched in the Seligmanns' number.

'Hello?' Rina answered.

'Rina, it's me. The fever has broken. Who's there with you?'

'Sam, my brother, and Kirk. The boys came for breakfast,' Rina answered.

'Put me on speakerphone,' Emily said excitedly.

'Okay, you're on,' Rina said, suspecting what was coming, and unable to contain her smile. 'What's up?'

'Devlin and I are getting married,' Emily said happily.

Rina looked to her husband, her brother, and Kirkland Browne, nodding. 'Emily, that is wonderful! We'll come over later, all right?'

'Okay,' Emily said, and hung up.

'What did I tell you three doubting Thomases?' Rina Seligmann said triumphantly, looking at the three men sitting around her breakfast table. 'Did I call it or not?'

Kirkland Browne and Dr. Sam nodded silently in acceptance of her wisdom, but Aaron Fischer, smiling, looked up and said only two words: 'Thank heaven!'

'Thank heaven?' his sister asked. 'For what?'

'For the miracle I asked for, Rina. My Hanukkah miracle,' Aaron replied.

'For my Christmas miracle,' Kirkland Browne added.

And then the four broke out in happy laughter, clinking their coffee mugs together as they toasted the wedding to come.