Desiring Dylan - Suzanne Jenkins Page 0,1
would last another hour without falling apart. They were at his parents’ house, a huge rambling stone mansion in East Falls. Being at the house, in that neighborhood, was the only saving grace. She loved it there, dreamed of living in such a place someday, but it would take a surgeon’s salary.
Spending Christmas with Dylan’s family was the antithesis of her family’s modest celebration. The tree in the formal living room was ten feet tall and professionally decorated. Fresh pine roping cascaded down the grand staircase. Red velvet ribbons festooned the roping.
The massive fireplace mantel held Mrs. Cross’s prized collection of antique nutcrackers, so cherished that they’d been featured in a show at the museum of art.
Everything was precious, decorated and expensive. Landon looked, intrigued, but it left her cold. “I’m afraid to touch anything.”
“Yeah, I get it.” Dylan snickered. “I spent many hours, as a kid, standing in the corner after being reprimanded for touching the tree.”
Friends and relatives started dropping by at six p.m., stashing lavishly wrapped gifts for the family under the tree. By seven, the alcohol flowed freely. At eight, in the stately dining room, dinner was served, the huge catered spread replenished by uniformed servers throughout the night.
“Come on, let’s eat, and then we can chill out and watch TV.”
“Just what we should be doing on Christmas Eve. Watching TV.”
“What else is there to do?”
“We were invited to about ten parties. You’re supposed to spend it with people who want to talk to you.”
“I like spending Christmas with my family,” he said resolutely. “We’re talked out.”
“Yeah, I like that too, but with my own,” she muttered.
The only problem, her family lived on the other side of the Delaware River in New Jersey in an ancient farmhouse. Dylan would probably never stoop to spending Christmas with her family. That was another thing she was tired of, giving up her family for his.
After Christmas, they plodded along, trying to get away for the occasional ski weekend in the Poconos, which were usually so much fun and so romantic that they’d feed her soul for the dry spell that was sure to return.
If she could simply shut up and take a deep breath.
That was what she did for the next six months, kept her mouth shut and went along with the program. The relationship was okay as long as she didn’t make demands on Dylan, and in the meantime, she made herself available to him when he needed her. This meant rarely making plans with friends, in case he called to get together at the last minute. Fortunately, he had to take in-hospital call frequently, giving her a block of free time that she could plan to her heart’s content.
Then the next hurdle, he wasn’t taking a break between the end of his residency and the fellowship. He was offered one, but he declined, saying he wanted to get started. The relationship with Landon wasn’t a factor.
“Dylan, I’ve waited for this damn residency to be over. Do you think you could have talked to me about not taking a break before making that decision?”
“Look, I want to get it over with as fast as I can. I’m almost guaranteed a position with a practice at Medical if I do a fellowship there. I don’t want to have to move away.”
“There’s, like, twenty hospitals in Philly, Dylan!”
“I know that. But I’m a trauma surgeon. I want a level one trauma center. I wish I could make you understand.”
“I completely understand that. What I don’t understand is why we are together. You can barely stand to spend an evening with me. I’m getting paranoid.”
“It’s not you, Landon, I swear to god. I’m uptight all the time. I’m either working or I’m trying to sleep. The little free time I have when I’m awake, I want to spend with you.”
Giving credit where it was due, he surprised her with a weekend at the Jersey Shore at the end of May. It would be the last chance they’d have to get away together before his fellowship began.
“Arvin bought a house a couple of years ago, but it’s always rented in the summer. Evidently, this week the rental fell through, so he invited us to come down.”
“Gosh, I haven’t been to the shore in forever.” She didn’t add, since I’ve been dating you.
“Here’s our chance. I’m glad you don’t have a show, and I’m not on call for a change.”
“I’m getting all excited. Who else will be there?”
“A bunch of their friends, all