“Actually, I don’t feel sorry for you,” I corrected. “I think you’re a petty and foul individual. I’m not going to let you sway my decision. If I can help those kids – and I will be making calls as soon as I get out of here to find out – I’m totally going to offer up my help.
“It’s the Christmas season, after all,” I continued. “We’re supposed to give of ourselves for others. That’s what I’m going to do.”
“Then you’ll be the only one,” Margaret snapped.
I scanned the room with a weighted gaze, internally crowing when I saw that at least a few residents – although not nearly as many as I would have liked – were clearly thinking along the same lines. “I guess we’ll have to see about that, won’t we?”
Margaret folded her arms over her chest, determined. “I guess we will.”
“Now can I say something mean about her?” Clove whispered.
I nodded.
Thistle stilled Clove with a hand on her arm. “I’ve got it. You might not be mean enough and we’ve only got one shot at this.” She turned to face Margaret head-on. “You look like a plucked chicken when you dance naked in front of your mirror every morning.”
I pressed my lips together to keep from laughing.
“How do you know I dance naked in front of my mirror?” Margaret was incensed as she pinned me with a murderous gaze. “How could you possibly know that? I mean … I don’t do that. Why would you think I do that? Don’t tell people I do that. I’ll sue if you ever say anything of the sort again.”
I knew exactly how Thistle knew. It was the same way I knew. We did a little harmless spying when the weather cooperated. There was nothing wrong with it.
“I’m not backing down from this, Margaret,” I called out. “I’ll help save Christmas for those kids. Shame on anyone else who won’t help.”
And with that, I swept out of the room. I know how to make an entrance and an exit, and this was no exception.
I had plans to make calls to place. It seemed Christmas needed to be saved … again.
Two
It turned out it wasn’t hard to offer my help. Terry followed us to the parking lot and supplied the number to the state agency in question. The woman who answered the phone sounded harried – and grateful – and before I even realized what was happening she was making arrangements to drop off three boys at the house.
Thistle, her expression hard to read, stared me down when I disconnected.
“What?”
“Don’t you think you should’ve asked Mom and the aunts about this before you did it?”
Bay is generally the one with a pragmatic streak. She didn’t say anything this time. That’s how I knew Thistle was only arguing to mess with me.
“It’s my property,” I reminded her. “I can do what I want with my property.”
“It’s technically their property, too,” Thistle pointed out. “They own half of it together and you own the other half. Once you die, they’ll own everything.”
“How can you possibly know that?”
“I know things.”
“Nothing that could be construed as good,” I countered. “Now, get in the truck.” I pointed toward the passenger side when Bay moved to get behind the wheel. “I’m driving home. We need to make it there before dark – and in one piece. If we get in an accident before your mother finds out I’ve added three members to the family things will get ugly.”
“But I need to practice,” Bay complained.
“Terry is taking you to practice this weekend. You’re done practicing today.”
Bay’s expression was pouty enough that it caused Terry to smile as she moved past him. He patted her on the shoulder before fixing his full attention on me.
“I think what you’re doing is great, but I also tend to side with Thistle on this one.”
“Ha!” Thistle barked from the middle of the seat, triumphant.
“No one is talking to you, mouth,” I barked. “Fasten your seatbelt and shut your hole.”
“Fine, but I’m going to do a little dance when I’m right again back at the house,” Thistle said. “This is totally going to blow up in your face.”
I wanted to argue but feared she was right. “It’ll be fine.” Somehow I would make it fine. “Your mothers are giving souls. When they realize we’re helping those less fortunate they’ll reward me for being so altruistic.”
Bay, Clove and Thistle made identical faces of doubt. When I turned back to Terry, his expression mirrored theirs.
“You, too?”
Terry held his hands palms out and shrugged. “The thing is, I don’t believe you did this because you were in the giving spirit. I think you did this to get one over on Margaret Little.”
That sounded like an insult. “I am full of giving spirit,” I argued. “I am so full of giving spirit that … um … they should create a whole other me just so they can fill it with the overflow.”
“That sounds like a nightmare,” Thistle said. “Heck, that sounds like a nightmare that I’ve had a time or two. Can you imagine two Aunt Tillies? That’s like cruel and unusual punishment.”
“Given the things I know you’ve done over the years – and the stuff I’m sure you’re hiding – it seems an apt punishment,” Terry argued, although his eyes were kind. “As for having two Aunt Tillies, I think that law enforcement should have a say in whether that’s possible or not.”
Oh, well, I was getting it from all sides now. I didn’t like it. “I don’t have to take this abuse.”
“It’s not abuse,” Terry said. “I’m trying to be rational here. Winnie, Twila and Marnie won’t be happy when they hear what you’ve done. I thought you were just going to make an initial call. I didn’t realize you were going to volunteer to take kids without running it past them.”
“Well, it’s done.” I hauled myself up into the driver’s seat and jammed my key into the ignition. “I think you’re wrong about my nieces. They’re going to be thrilled when they hear about the very wonderful and Christmas-y thing I’ve done.”
Terry remained dubious. “Good luck.”
Sadly, I had a feeling I was going to need it.
“YOU DID WHAT?”
Winnie was positively apoplectic when I told her what had happened. I wanted to drag it out, butter her up, maybe conk her over the head when she wasn’t looking so I could tell her she knew about the visit and merely forgot thanks to an injury. Instead, because the boys were due to arrive within the hour I had to come clean right away.
“You weren’t there.” I fought hard to maintain my temper. “You weren’t there and you didn’t see what Margaret was doing. She was basically labeling those kids Crips and Bloods. I couldn’t have that.”
“You mean you couldn’t let her win,” Marnie corrected. She looked nearly as unhappy as Winnie. “How could you volunteer our home without telling us?”
“Hey, this is my home, too.” I switched tactics. “It’s Christmas. Those kids were already going to have a lousy Christmas and then they lost their home on top of everything else. What have I told you about Christmas?”
“It’s best to make a list and threaten people if they don’t adhere to it if you want to get your heart’s desire under the tree,” Clove replied helpfully, grabbing a cookie from the counter. The little monster was enjoying the fight, remaining unobtrusive until she found an opening to drive me crazy with her snarky comments.
“Not that,” I snapped. “I’m talking about the Christmas season, that giving feeling that’s supposed to overtake all of us at this time of year.”
“You told us we were supposed to ignore that giving feeling until we’re eighteen,” Bay said.
“And on birth control,” Thistle added.
“And not just pills, but condoms and stuff, too,” Clove interjected.
“I said you were supposed to do that with teenaged boys,” I shot back, my temper flaring. “That’s a very important caveat. Don’t you ever listen to a thing I say?”
Oh, well, she had me. I really hate that. “Stop talking.” I grabbed a cookie from the counter and shoved it in Bay’s mouth to cut her off from saying something else that would make me look stupid. “I’m not sorry for what I’ve done. Those boys need a special Christmas, and I won’t rescind the invitation.”
“And I think if you’d asked us about it we would’ve agreed with you,” Winnie said. “I don’t argue with what you’re doing. That’s not what I’m upset about.”
“So … what are you upset about?”
“The way you did it.”
Oh, now she was just arguing to argue. “I did it just fine,” I said. “Those boys will be here in about an hour. We’re going to shower them with love … and family togetherness … and cookies.”
“That should make everything better,” Thistle said, wisely keeping to the other side of the counter as she perused the cookie selection while ensuring I couldn’t kick her. “Cookies will make the fact that their house burned down all better.”
“It doesn’t matter,” I barked. “They’re coming. I’m not going to rescind the invitation, and not just because Margaret would never let me live it down. It’s done. Deal with it.”
Winnie licked her lips as she pinned me with a dark look, her mind clearly working overtime. “Fine.” She heaved out a sigh, resigned. “You’re right. We can’t turn them away when they get here. We’re simply going to have to make things work. How long are they staying?”
“The woman on the phone said a few days. They’re working on permanent placements.”
“So, the first thing we need to do is find a place for them to sleep.” Winnie has an organized mind and there’s nothing she loves more than making lists. “I think we’ll have to go with the attic guest room. We can grab an extra cot from storage. That room needs a quick cleaning.”
I smiled. They were coming around to my side. “Okay. Great. While you guys do that, I’ll watch the girls.”
Winnie’s eyebrows flew up her forehead. “Oh no! You created this mess. You’re going to help clean up the mess in the attic as penance. Besides, we’ll need the girls to help, too.”
“Oh, man!” Thistle made a face. “You know how I feel about cleaning.”
“Yes, the same way you feel about being polite.” Twila grabbed Thistle’s cheek and gave it a good squeeze. “It doesn’t matter. You girls are going to be polite and helpful to these boys when they get here. If you’re not, well … .”
“There will be dire consequences,” Winnie finished, her expression serious. “We have to work together to pull this off. Does everyone understand?”
I understood. That didn’t mean I was happy about it. “I still think I should stay down here and watch the cookies while the rest of you get the room into shape.”
“Don’t even think about it,” Winnie hissed, leaning closer. “We’re still going to have a talk about this, by the way. We’re doing it – but we’re also going to have a talk. You’d better prepare yourself.”
That sounded ominous. “It’s Christmas. I think we should have a moratorium on talks.”
Winnie pointed toward the stairs, her expression stern. “Upstairs. Now.”
I knew she wouldn’t fall for that. Crap! It was going to be a long couple of days.
ROSA WARREN DROPPED off David, Michael and Andrew Forrester shortly before six. The woman, who I had spoken with on the phone, looked haggard and exhausted. Winnie picked up on that right away as she ushered the foursome into the house.
“Can I get you something to drink? We have fresh cookies.”
I thought for a moment that Rosa would take her up on the offer. Instead, she merely smiled and handed over a stack of paperwork.
“We’re in a real pickle right now, especially because of the holidays, and I honestly don’t have time,” she responded. “I need you to fill this out before I can go.”
Winnie didn’t as much as blink as she accepted the paperwork. “Sure. Just give me a minute.” She disappeared into the kitchen, leaving me with Rosa and the boys.
I pasted a bright smile on my face as I studied the three brothers. “I’m Tillie. Welcome to our home.” That was as warm as I got, so I wasn’t surprised when the boys merely stared.
“Don’t forget your manners,” Rosa prodded, elbowing the oldest boy in the ribs.
“Thank you for having us,” David gritted out, his dark skin gleaming under the living room lights. Walkerville was a quaint town, although hardly set in the dark ages. Still, there weren’t many people of color around. I hoped the boys wouldn’t feel out of place because of it.
“Tell me about yourselves,” I said, sitting in the chair at the edge of the room.
“We used to live in the juvenile home and now we’re here,” Michael, the middle brother, answered. “What more is there to tell?”
There was a lot more to tell but I knew they weren’t going to immediately open up to me. “That will do for now. My nieces are making a big dinner for you boys. Meatloaf. Mashed potatoes and gravy. The works. We also have fresh cookies.”
“Doesn’t that sound nice?” Rosa looked between the boys hopefully. “I want to thank you so much for volunteering your home, Mrs. Winchester. When I initially called, my contact for this area didn’t give me much hope. She said she would hold a meeting, but I’d pretty much written off Walkerville. Then you called and a bunch of other people called after you so … thank you.”
That was an interesting turn of events. “Other people called after me?”
“At least five other families.”
“Well, that’s nice.” I internally crowed when I pictured Margaret’s face once the news filtered down to her. She would have a conniption fit. Good. She deserved it. “I know this won’t be easy for you boys, but Walkerville isn’t as bad as you think it’s going to be.”
“Really?” Michael’s expression was dubious. “Rosa drove through town. We saw that there’s nothing to do here. You don’t even have a movie theater.”
“We don’t,” I agreed. “That doesn’t mean there’s nothing to do.”
“Oh, yeah?” Andrew spoke for the first time. He was the youngest and looked frightened compared to his brothers. “What do you do for fun?”
“I plow snow.”
Andrew made a face. “What’s fun about that?”
“Maybe we’ll get some snow and I’ll be able to show you,” I replied. “We’re due for some flurries. Even if you’re not up for that, we have a lot of land. You can build snow forts and … have snowball fights … and make snowmen.”
David snorted, catching me off guard. “We’re not five. We don’t make snow forts. Do you even know anything about teenagers?”
I met his challenging gaze with an even one of my own. “More than you can imagine. In fact … .” I gestured toward the stairs, urging a reticent Bay, Clove and Thistle to descend. They’d been watching the show from the shadows, and they didn’t look happy to greet their new houseguests. “These are my great-nieces.” I ran through the introductions. “I’m sure they can find some way to entertain you if you’re really bored.”
“Oh, sure,” Thistle said, rolling her eyes. “We’ll take them upstairs and drag out the old dollhouse. I’m sure everyone will have a ball with that.”
I flicked her ear, causing her to yelp. Rosa widened her eyes to comical proportions, but remained silent.
“Don’t be a pain, Thistle,” I gritted out. “This is your home. You’re supposed to be welcoming these boys with an open heart and mind.”
Thistle made an exaggerated face. “Have you started drinking already? It’s a bit early, isn’t it?”
I knew what she was doing. She thought she might be able to manipulate Rosa into taking the boys back if the woman thought I was a poor option for a caregiver. Well, that wasn’t going to work.
“When I start drinking, it’ll be with you right by my side,” I warn
ed. “Then I’m going to come up with a chore list that’s unique to your … talents.”
“Did you hear that?” Thistle turned a set of plaintive eyes to Rosa. “She’s crazy. She’s unbalanced. I can’t believe you’re just handing over three impressionable young minds to this old lady.”
Instead of reacting with anger or worry, Rosa merely smiled. It seemed Thistle’s show managed to do the opposite of what she intended. It put Rosa at ease.
“I see that the boys are in good hands here.” Rosa’s grin was so wide it almost swallowed her entire face. “I worried they might try some shenanigans, maybe pull a prank or two. They’re known for that.”
“Oh, everyone in this house is known for that,” I said. “You don’t have to worry about us falling for it. I’m well aware of how to handle teenage shenanigans.”
“I’ll bet you do.”
Rosa turned her attention to Winnie as my niece returned to the room with the completed paperwork. “Here’s my card.” She handed it to me. “If you run into problems, don’t hesitate to call. I’ll be in touch as soon as I know more about permanent placement.”
“Don’t worry about us,” Winnie said. “Everything will be fine here. Trust me.”
“I don’t have much choice in the matter,” Rosa said. “Still … I think things will turn out. Again, I’m unbelievably grateful. You boys, try to behave yourselves. If you don’t, something tells me that Mrs. Winchester will know how to handle the situation.”
I offered up an evil grimace. “Oh, you have no idea.”
David swallowed hard as he met my gaze. “I’m not afraid of you.”
Thistle made a clucking sound with her tongue. “You should be. She’s going to suck the life out of you like she does us. Welcome to our world.”
Three
Things didn’t go exactly as planned with the boys. They were surly, depressed and downright mean throughout dinner. They clumped together at one end of the table and glared while Bay, Clove and Thistle grouped together at the other end and scowled right back. There seemed to be a battle of the sexes brewing, and it was clear that Winnie, Marnie and Twila blamed me for it.
[A Wicked Witches of the Midwest 10.9] How Aunt Tillie Stole Christmas Page 2
