Just South of Christmas

by Grace Palmer

  She peeked outside her door. “I might have to climb over you to get out. It’s a tight squeeze here.”

  He smiled at her and she found her heart jump with relief. It was his first smile of the day.

  “We might have to climb out the hatch. Not sure I can open my door either.”

  “Welcome to Winter Fest, my love. Get used to it. This is the way it’ll be for the next two weeks.”

  He’d missed most of Winter Fest last year because of a pre-planned trip to see his sister. He grinned at her. “I can’t wait. I love this time of year. And this year it’s even more special because I…”

  Suddenly, his face darkened and his eyes narrowed. “Oh, no,” he muttered under his breath, his eyes looking past her and into the interior of the truck that had wedged her in.

  “What it is?”

  When he didn’t reply, Melanie turned to see what he was looking at—and shrank back at once. There, in the truck next to them, was none other than Alfie Burrows, the very same man Colin had fired just hours before.

  And he was glaring right at them.

  5

  Tasha

  “I’m glad you don’t mind my pranks,” Eddie said. They were in the car on the way back to their apartment. Outside, snow flurries were covering the town with a beautiful white blanket. Perfect for the Walkabout.

  “I don’t.” She spoke the words knowing that a part of her minded very much. Still, they always agreed that marriage wasn’t something they needed in their lives and so she knew she couldn’t just turn around and get upset at him for the pranks. Besides, she was usually a willing participant.

  “People just seem to like ‘em, you know? Makes ‘em laugh. And if we keep doing that, it will only help the theater, right?”

  Tasha nodded and flicked the indicator on before making a right turn toward their building. “Sure, yeah. Any publicity is good publicity, right? At least that’s what Candace always claimed.”

  Eddie rolled his eyes at the mention of her former employer, the movie star who’d made her life a misery for most of her time in Los Angeles. “If Candace Walker said so, we certainly must all obey.” He chuckled at his own joke.

  “Like her or not, she is a legitimate movie star,” Tasha replied. While she didn’t like the woman personally and had positively despised working for her, her success spoke for itself. She parallel parked the car outside their apartment complex.

  “Well then,” he said, “we shall continue to draw attention to ourselves and the theater by way of pranks.”

  She nodded, her heart a little heavy but too afraid to show it. “Perhaps we ought to wait a little bit before the next one. Too much of a good thing, you know?”

  He grinned. “Not when it comes to you, my love.” She rolled her eyes but smiled as Eddie leaned forward and placed a kiss on her lips, sending a rush of warmth through her. “I’ll see you at the Walkabout in a couple of hours, my leading lady.”

  “Count on it.” He got out of the car and sprinted across the street, his wavy hair bouncing as he went. When he disappeared inside the building, she turned the car on and pulled back into the road. It was time to put the finishing touches on the Christmas tree lights in the town square to make sure it was all set for the Walkabout.

  “Tasha!” Caroline Piedmont, this year’s Winter Queen, waved at Tasha the moment she parked the car. She was dressed in a shimmering, silver winter coat that reached all the way to the floor. It sparkled under the street light. A trim of white faux-fur ran along the length of it and her curly, shoulder length brunette hair cascaded down the outfit. She looked every bit the Winter Queen.

  Tasha looked down at herself. She was in jeans, furry winter boots, and a long-sleeved sweater with a black velvety parka on top. I suddenly feel a bit underdressed…

  She’d hardly stepped out of her car when Caroline was at her side and hugging her close. From up close, it was obvious the woman was stressed out. Her face, pale with fine lines around her eyes and mouth, had a clammy look.

  “I’m so glad you are here,” she gushed.”

  “Of course, Caroline, don’t worry. Are you alright?”

  The woman nodded as they made their way toward the large Christmas tree in the middle of the town square. “I am, but I’ll admit it—I always thought being Winter Queen would be a lot more fun and a lot less stress. Managing all these volunteers and committee members is more difficult than managing a room full of kindergarteners!” She chuckled, but the strain was evident in her tone.

  Tasha knew well that Caroline did not have it easy. Most years, the Winter Queen and the Winter Fest committee worked hand in hand to ensure the festival was a success. But then, most years, the quest to become Winter Queen was not as contentious as it had been this time around. The other contender, a woman named Evelyn Barber, put up quite the fight.

  While the majority of the committee, Tasha’s mom included, voted for Caroline, there was a fraction who preferer her rival and those members hadn’t made it easy for Caroline to do her job. Silly, really, given that Winter Queen was a taxing job that was by nature a volunteer position. It made no sense for townsfolk to cause a fuss for Caroline.

  “Don’t worry, Caro. I’m here. We’ll get it done. What do we have left to do?”

  Caroline sighed and looked around. The tree was up and lit. Large gifts sat on the classic red and green tree skirt. A sleigh, itself full of gifts, was next to it. It looked perfectly wonderful, as in years past.

  However, Tasha’s gaze fell to the other side of the tree. Usually, a podium stood there, decorated with a wreath and lights. A ribbon was supposed to stretch from the podium to the sleigh, which the Winter Queen would then cut to signal the start of both Winter Fest and the Walkabout.

  There was a podium, but it was not the usual one made of rich oak. It was an old, rickety thing devoid of decoration. And there was no ribbon. Tasha walked to it.

  “What happened here?”

  Caroline Piedmont fidgeted beside her. “Chad Roberts and Lynn Wilshire are in charge of setting up the ribbon-cutting ceremony each year. They were supposed to bring the podium from City Hall and decorate it, and line up the ribbon. They never showed.”

  “That’s crazy. Her daughter takes acting classes at my studio and she told me she’d be at the Walkabout when she picked up Heather yesterday. Let me call her.”

  Caroline shook her head. “I already tried. She won’t answer. She knows you’re here to help me.”

  She was correct. The phone went straight to voicemail. “I don’t understand.”

  Caroline shrugged. “Lynn is quite friendly with Evelyn. And Chad works with her at the bank. They both lobbied hard for her to be Winter Queen.”

  Tasha cocked her head. This was sabotage, clear and simple. She would not stand for it. Caroline Piedmont was a lovely woman. She played a small part in their summer play ‘Wedding Belles’ and Tasha found her a pure delight to be around.

  “What’s the story with this piece?” She stepped up to the podium.

  “Henry, my ex-husband, brought it over when I called him in a sheer panic. He had it stored in his attic from his days as a hobby carpenter. Do you think we can work with it?”

  Tasha scratched her chin with her index finger. “I think so. Are those the supplies and decorations?” She pointed at a box behind the Christmas tree.

  “Yes, that’s all we have. Sarah Porter was in charge of bringing in decorations and…”

  “She is Evelyn Barber’s sister-in-law. Right, I got it. Tough break.” She sighed, disgusted by the shrewish behavior.

  “I’m just lucky the volunteers for the tree decorating were all squarely on my side; otherwise, we might not have a tree. That and the after-party are really the most important aspects of the day.” She reached for Tasha’s elbow. “Please tell your mother how grateful I am to have her assistance. Without her support, who knows where we’d be?”

  Tasha was already squatting down beside the box and sifting through the contents when
she looked up. “Of course, I will. I know she was happy to support you.”

  “I just hope Evelyn doesn’t blame Georgia for it. She was very vocal and you know how unpleasant Evelyn can be when she doesn’t get her way.” She grimaced at the thought.

  Tasha pursed her lips in reply. “I would hope not. Besides, Mom wasn’t the only one opposed to her. I think most on the committee remembered the last time Evelyn Barber was in charge of an event. Remember the baking sale ten years back? I was a senior then, and I can assure you if she managed Winter Fest like she did the bake sale, it would have been a disaster. She let everyone do whatever they wanted instead of assigning the bakes. In the end instead of twelve different items, we ended up with…”

  Caroline nodded enthusiastically. “…three sets of cinnamon rolls, four sets of hot cross buns and four sets of blueberry muffins. I remember. She appointed all of her friends to the baking committee and most of them didn’t know how to cobble together a simple dough. My daughter was a freshman, so I was there for it also.”

  The two women smiled at each other as they relived the disaster in their minds.

  “Perhaps I was right to stand against her in the vote.”

  “Most definitely,” Tasha agreed. “Now, let us show these defectors they will not bring a good Winter Queen down. I have some extra length of crushed velvet in the back of my car that I bought for the founders’ costumes. We can use it to cover the podium.”

  She got up. “That is an idea. I can get the wreath from The Little Hopper. We’ll put it at the front. And I have a roll of red gift wrap ribbon we can use. It’s already getting dark, and with the light of the tree and the street lights nobody will be able to tell that it’s gift wrap ribbon.”

  “Now you’re talking like a woman in charge. How’s this: I grab the velvet and you drive over to get the wreath? We’ll meet back here in fifteen minutes and knock it out before more people arrive.” She pointed with her chin toward the small crowd of people who were gathering to kick off the Walkabout.

  She glanced at her phone again. The event wasn’t supposed to officially start for another two hours, but with the pretty weather and the Christmas Market going on in the Founders’ Park right beside the town square, they’d need to get a move on before folks started to gather.

  “Meet you in fifteen, Tasha! And thank you again.” Caroline waved as she ran toward her car.

  Tasha waved back and made her way back to her own car where the crushed velvet was buried in the back seat underneath a pile of other materials that she’d intended to use, but never did.

  “Success!” she called out as she retrieved the velvet. Tasha was about to strut back to the town square when her eyes fell on a familiar-looking car parked beside a large black truck.

  “Mel?”

  She stepped to the car and confirmed that it was indeed her sister’s. Or rather, her future brother-in-law’s. Peeking inside, she found it unoccupied. Melanie’s white wool scarf, knitted by their mom, was on the passenger seat. She shrugged. Perhaps they’d gone to the Christmas Market before the Walkabout began.

  She was about to leave when she spotted the occupant of the truck who was staring at her. She frowned. He looked familiar, but she couldn’t place him. The man glared at her and then held up a bottle full of beer. He tipped it at her as if to say, “Cheers,” before taking a reckless swig and then setting his truck into motion.

  Without breaking eye contact, he pulled into the road and then sped off into the distance, leaving Tasha with a bad, foreboding feeling in the pit of her stomach.

  6

  Drew

  “I thought the meeting was never going to end.” Rachel Roberts filed out of the office building behind Drew, who was already rushing toward his parked car.

  “I know, right? Do we really need a progress update by each and every one of the twenty-odd people who work here? Seems such a waste of time.”

  Rachel nodded, buttoning up her red winter coat. “Honestly, after our department is done, I zone out and think about something else. Like for the last half hour, I thought about nothing but what I’m going to do this evening.”

  “Walkabout?” Drew guessed, as most people in town would either participate in the walk or sit outside their homes to wave at the passersby.

  To his surprise, she shook her head. “I’m not into Christmas. Nah. My love and I are going to throw on a good steak, bake some potatoes, and relax with a glass of rosé in front of the TV.”

  “To each their own, you Grinch,” he replied with a teasing laugh. “Well, if you do change your mind, my whole family will be at the Walkabout. Look out for us.”

  She shook her head as she unlocked her car. “Thanks, but no thanks. I’ll see you Monday!” She slipped into her car before he had a chance to reply and a moment later, her vehicle rumbled to life.

  Drew shook his head. He liked Rachel a lot more than her brother. She was a good person, if not terribly sociable after work. He pulled out his phone and speed-dialed Ashley’s number as he pushed the button to unlock his own car.

  She picked up on the second ring. “Howdy, partner,” she said.

  He smiled when he heard her voice and the greeting she always used when he called her. “Howdy yourself. Finished with work?”

  “Just about. I reckon another ten minutes and I’m done. I’m looking forward to tonight.”

  “Me too, Junebug.” Alma Anderson, his mother’s friend, had a habit of referring to anyone she didn’t yet know as “Junebug.” Upon first meeting Ashley, she’d bestowed the moniker on her and Drew liked it so much it was one of his go-to nicknames. Ash pretended she didn’t like it, but he suspected she really did—and besides, even if it really did drive her crazy, isn’t that what boyfriends are for?

  He added, “I might even break into dance at the sound of Jingle Bells.”

  “Like heck you will. You know you’ve got the same two left feet as the day we first went dancing together. I’ll politely decline any requests to dance. From you.”

  “You wound me deeply, young lady.”

  He loved the ease in how they conversed and teased one another. Ashley was his perfect fit; he knew it.

  If only her father could see it too.

  “I have to check on these kittens one more time, then I’ll be home. Drive careful, Drew.”

  “No worries. I’ll see you soon. Love ya!”

  “Right back at you,” she replied, and then hung up.

  Drew pulled onto State Road 45, the connecting highway between Groverton, where his new office was located, and Willow Beach. It was only a ten-minute commute and generally, he found it relaxing.

  But there was no denying that it was a strange stretch of road. Between the quaint but bustling Willow Beach and the more industrial town of Groverton lay several miles’ worth of empty fields and green spaces. Several were marked with large Porter Property Management signs—part of a larger project to build a condominium complex between the two towns.

  He wasn’t involved with the project, as it didn’t fall into his department. Still, he couldn’t help but wonder how his commute, and the town at large, would change once construction began in earnest.

  Right now, the commute was easy—calming, even. Drew always enjoyed the little bit of time to himself. In the mornings, he’d put on his favorite podcast, On Base, to keep up with developments in baseball. It used to make him feel nostalgic and a little sad to hear all the changes in the major and minor leagues, especially if he happened to recognize the names of someone he’d played with or against finally getting their shot at stardom. Often, he’d fall into a daydream and imagine the hosts talking about him and his achievements.

  Lately, this wasn’t the case. He found the podcast relaxing rather than melancholy.

  In the afternoon, on the way home, he’d turn on the radio or listen to his own playlist. Today, however, he found himself not in the mood for music. He drove along the nearly-deserted road in silence with the window rolled down and the freezi
ng air whipping through the car.

  Ashley would complain if she were beside him. She didn’t care for the cold. He loved it, though, especially if he could experience it with his rear end squarely in the heated driver’s seat. “You are an odd duck, Drew Baldwin,” he could almost hear Ashley saying. The thought of her made him break into a smile. He’d see her soon.

  As he left the future building site behind and made it to the outskirts of town, his gaze drifted to the old church to his left. Ever since he took the job at Porter, he’d found himself fascinated by the old building.

  It was of a wood design and it was the oldest in the county, according to his mom. He always meant to stop by to explore it further, but never found the time or the energy. He was either late for work, or tired from work and in a rush to get someplace else.

  It wasn’t so much the architecture that snagged his attention. In fact, his soon-to-be brother-in-law Colin deemed it “architecturally boring” in his professional opinion. No, what caught Drew’s attention was the billboard outside. Even though the church seemed to be empty most days, the billboard was updated often, sometimes twice a week.

  And lately, the messages outside spoke to him.

  He noticed it the first time on his drive to his interview for this very job. “Your past does not define you – only you can do that.” Those few words gave him the boost he needed at the time.

  Ever since, he found himself glancing at the billboard every day upon passing. Some days the message resonated strongly, other times not as much.

  Today, however: “To open one door, you must close another.”

  He read it out loud as he passed. “Well, that’s the truth. I guess to open the door to marrying Ashley, I had to close the door to my childhood dream of being a ball player.” Drew sighed.

  He’d grown to accept that the life he imagined he’d lead was not going to come to pass. He wouldn’t be a superstar ball player. Little kids would not have his poster in their room or line up to get his autograph. He wouldn’t be enshrined in the baseball Hall of Fame.