by Hebby Roman
In the kitchen, she opened the fridge door and stood pondering. “I do have carrots for the nose. And... I know! Let’s use cranberries for the mouth and eyes. Give our feathered friends a treat. In fact, I think I’ll sprinkle bird seed around the base. I’ll get to look out my window and watch.”
Faith nudged her. “So you and my brother….”
“Oh, is this where you tell me embarrassing things about him?”
“Nope. Leland Jennings the Fourth, the most dependable, honest man on the planet.”
“The fourth. Hard to imagine there’s been four of them.”
“We’ve been working on our Leland model of man for generations now.”
“It appears you got it right.”
“You two are so cute together!”
“Thank you. It’s nice of you to help him today.”
“Honestly, it’s the only way I can pin him down and have a conversation with him lately, and I really need to talk to him.”
Melody passed over a bowl of cranberries and a carrot to her. “Well, the holidays….” It wasn’t her place to get involved in family business. “You know what? In keeping with the birdfeeder snowman idea, I think I’ll hang orange slices from his stick arms. How about that?”
“Yeah, that would be cute, but listen, Leland needs to get his head out of the sand and help make some decisions.”
“I’m sure he will. Would you like some coffee? I bet Leland would. And I can make hot cocoa for the kids. You can bring them in here, if you want.”
Faith pursed her lips in frustration but took the cranberries.
Chapter Nineteen
December 23
He watched her as if her hands mesmerized him. He was quiet this evening, but she caught him regarding her with a thoughtful expression on his face. She snapped the wrapping paper in at the corners and then folded the flap down. He handed her a piece of tape, which she fixed over the corner of the flap.
She gave the box a slap of satisfaction. “And that is how you wrap a present. Ready to try one yourself?”
“I think I’d like to watch you one more time.”
“I have wrapped all but two of your presents, mister. What kind of a Tom Sawyer game are you playing?” She put the gift aside and crawled toward where he sat cross legged on the floor.
He gathered her in his arms and let her climb into his lap. “Listen, before we go much further, I have a confession to make.”
“Uh, oh. Spill it.” She smiled, but a lump formed in her throat when she saw the seriousness in his eyes.
He twined a lock of her hair in his fingers and seemed to be putting his thoughts in order. “Melody. I have to be honest with you.” He knit his brows. “I know how to wrap presents. Who doesn’t?”
It was when she let out her breath, she realized how on guard she’d been. Still waiting for the other shoe to drop. “You’d be surprised, or rather put it this way, when you said you didn’t know how to gift wrap I wasn’t surprised. So why the ruse?”
“Just my clever trick to get you over here.” He kissed her ear with a loud smack.
“Asking me ‘do you want to come over?’ is another trick that would have worked.”
He held her hands. “Truth be told, I worried you’d think you’ve seen enough of me this week.”
“Hmmm. Let me see.” She cupped his chin in her hand and turned his face from side to side. “Nope. I don’t feel like I’ve had enough of this sight this week. But now that I’m here, I hope you’re going to feed me.”
“I do have some canned goods.”
She took him by the hands and stood up, bringing him up with her. “Leland, honestly! Let’s go in your kitchen and see what we can fix up which doesn’t involve a can opener. You do have eggs, right? We’ll start with that.”
She led him to the kitchen area, throwing him a smile over her shoulder. When she opened the fridge, he stood behind her, close but not touching, but she could feel his body anyway, keenly aware of the space he occupied from the heat radiating off his body to the subtle way the light changed.
“Well, well. We have eggs and cheese. I could make an omelet but that would be boring. Oh, I see you have grated parmesan cheese! And Bacon. If you have pasta I can throw together spaghetti carbonara.”
“That’s what I admire about you.”
“What’s that?”
“You take the ordinary and make it extraordinary.”
She gave him a peck on the cheek. “You’re pretty extraordinary. Now, do you have pasta?”
“Yeah. I’ll open a bottle of wine and start the pasta.”
She pulled the eggs and other things out. “All right.”
She glanced over at him when she sensed he’d stopped moving. He looked down at the bottle opener in his hands. He clearly had something on his mind tonight.
She scrunched her eyes tight a second. “Is there something you want to talk about?”
Something like relief washed over his features. “Yes, there is something I want to put out there. I remembered you said you have plans for Christmas and Christmas Eve, but we’d love to have you join us.”
For a brief moment she felt overwhelmed, not knowing how to frame the words to tell him how much she wanted this. And not just Leland—though lord knows he was enough, but to be part of a family at Christmas again. Not just a guest.
“No pressure,” he added in a rush when she didn’t respond right away. “You know you’d be more than welcome to join us for Christmas dinner. Just saying.”
“Of course, I want to spend Christmas with you.” This time the smile on her face jumped out immediately and she actually had to blink back tears, so she looked down, pretending to be busy with the eggs. “When I told you I had plans, I wasn’t lying exactly. I do have a number of invitations. But I wasn’t excited about any of them. I was hoping to spend it with you.” She caressed the back of his fingers with a light touch. “I was wondering if you were going to ask. I’m...I’m touched that you asked because that’s where I want to be.”
He laughed and pulled her into his arms. “I was afraid you’d say no. Aren’t we a couple of teenagers?”
“I feel that way with you. I guess it’s because I care.” She spoke the last words in a quiet voice.
“Me too.”
“It’s just that...I’m trying to figure out who I am now. What does Melody like to do? Do you know what I mean?”
“Not really.”
“Well, I guess you’re fixed in place. Oh, I don’t mean that’s a bad thing! You have your place in your family. Your family has traditions. History. Since losing the only family I had I feel rootless. I have to reinvent things for myself. Like the holidays. It scares me sometimes.” Her throat tightened with sudden emotion and she found herself fighting back tears again. What’s wrong with me?
He took her chin in his hand and pulled her face up until she met his gaze. “It’s okay to be sad sometimes.”
“Oh, I know that.” She formed a smile on her face.
“And, it’s okay to let others know when you feel that way. You don’t have to put on a brave face all the time like I see you doing. Especially with me.”
She let herself surrender to his embrace with a sudden sense of deep relief. “I’m grateful we met when we did. I’d love to spend the holiday with you and your family.”
He rolled his head with an “aw shucks” kind of grin. Then something caught his attention and his face fell.
“What’s the matter?”
“Look at the time! I forgot I told Faith I’d check in on Mom tonight.”
“Oh, go do that now!”
“Naw, I’ll sneak in a call to her later after we eat. Remind me if I forget.”
Just then the wind picked up to a pitch. Tree branches slammed against the house, and the view out the window showed they were in a white out. He rocked her back and forth in his arms. “Quite a storm brewing. It’s a good night to be inside.”
Chapter Twenty
December 24
Melody breathed in the scent of fresh coffee as she surveyed the damage from last night’s storm from the comfort of the kitchen window. Not as much snow as expected. Remembering last night, she bit down on her lip to stifle the bubbles of joy rising up from her chest. There’s having sex, and then there’s making love, and you know the difference when it’s done right.
Her car was covered in a powdery coating of snow. Easily brushed off. It was beautiful out here where Leland lived. She lost herself for a moment in the view. The white, stillness of it. The light reflecting off the snow bathed the kitchen in a soft, white glow. She grabbed two mugs out of the cabinet and filled them. It pleased her to know he took his coffee black. Just like he put hot sauce on his eggs. It was a simple pleasure, knowing things about each other.
Shuffling across the floor in a pair of thick socks, and nothing else except the shirt he’d discarded last night, she was careful not to spill a drop. Up the stairs she went, smiling when his sleeping form came into view. He was exactly as she left him when she stole out of bed to make coffee: on his side, facing the spot she’d recently vacated, his arm under his head, and his bare feet sticking out of the blankets.
She put down the mugs, being as quiet as possible. Still, his eyes shot open when the mugs hit the table with a muffled clunk. He reached over and pulled her back into bed by her hand.
“Served coffee in bed by a beautiful woman. Anytime, I say. Good morning, sweetheart.”
She slid in beside him under the covers. “Happy Christmas Eve,” she whispered before kissing him.
He stretched his arms over his head and yawned. “That’s right. Christmas Eve. Food. Presents. More food. More presents.” He fake grimaced. “Family. I got me a new girl though!”
She made a sad face. “I didn’t get you anything. Maybe we could do some last minute shopping today. I couldn’t make up my mind. I didn’t know what you’d want.”
“Well, I knew what you wanted and you already got it last night.” His blue eyes twinkled.
“You’re pretty pleased with yourself, but remind me again what you gave me last night.” She wriggled in next to him and ran her hand along his bristly jawline while twining her legs through his.
“What more can I give you? Oh, I see...you want my shirt.”
She ripped open the shirt in one move, snaps popping. “I don’t want your old shirt. Can you think of something else I might want?”
He propped himself up on one elbow. “Hang on a moment. I want to take a mental snapshot of this. The best Christmas Eve wake up I ever got. I want to remember the way you look right now forever.”
“Oh, Leland! I love you!”
The words shot out of her mouth before she thought it through. Her hand flew to her mouth. He looked back at her, stunned, slacked jawed, sights frozen on her.
He opened his mouth to say something, when someone started banging frantically on the front door and ringing the doorbell at the same time.
“What the heck….” he said, sliding out of bed.
He stepped into a pair of boxers and crossed to the window. “Faith!” He pounded back on the window to signal he’d seen her.
He turned back to her while he put on his jeans and socks. She threw his shirt back to him. His lips began lifting in appreciation of the view she afforded when his sight lit on something over her shoulder and he froze in horror. “It’s after ten in the morning. I didn’t check in on Mom.”
She heard him race down the stairs and the sound of the door being flung open. Conscious of being visible from certain points on the first floor, Melody rolled out of bed and moved hunched over, collecting her clothes as she went to step into the bathroom to dress.
“I’ve been calling you and calling you!” She heard Faith shout. Her voice held a note of panic.
“I didn’t hear...Oh. I left my phone downstairs.”
“Is Ma with you?”
“No, she’s not. What’s going on?”
“I went to her house this morning and the door was wide open. Her purse was on the table, but Ma wasn’t there! Leland, I’m so worried. It looks like she’s wandered off. And she’s not answering her phone. What time did you leave her last night?”
“I didn’t make it over there last night as it turned out.”
Melody made her way downstairs. By the shocked look on Faith’s face when she saw her, Melody realized she hadn’t chosen the best time to make an appearance. Faith’s sights slid back and forth between Leland with his shirt hanging open and her on the stairs.
“Oh, I see.” In a beat Faith’s face registered horror. “But, that means...Oh, Leland, she could have been out there for who knows how long. Nobody can survive—”
Leland put his hands on her shoulders. “We don’t know she’s out there. Did you call the police?”
“Yes!”
“And you searched the house and all the outbuildings?”
“Yes! I could see footprints leading out of the house but then the snow drifted over them in the yard.”
“Okay,” said Leland doing up his shirt and heading for his coat and boots. “I’m going to get out there. I want to check the house and the outbuildings myself. Then I’ll search the property. I’ll take the truck in case… There are bandages and things.” He turned toward her, his face taut with fear.
“I want to go with you. I can take my car and drive around,” Melody said.
Faith grabbed her arm. “It might be better if you sit at the house. That way if she comes home or there’s any calls there, you can let us know. Would you do that? I’m going to hit all the places nearest the ranch. Seth is out driving around.”
“With the kids?” Leland asked in alarm.
“No, they’re with a neighbor. Come on, let’s go.” Faith hurried to the door, but just as she left she shot Leland a murderous look. “I’ve been telling you. You didn’t want to hear it. Now look where we are.”
Chapter Twenty-One
Melody stood up and paced the living room for the tenth time. Each time the same unchanged view out the windows met her. No car pulling up full of people. No woman miraculously crossing the yard. As she walked around, peering out the windows, she had her phone clutched in one hand. She’d called everyone she and Alma knew in common but nobody had an idea where she was. Now her phone was busy with texts and calls wanting to know if they’d found her yet. Some people had gone out looking for her. Still no news. She’d vanished.
Before Leland drove off, they’d gone through the house together, calling out. They checked all the outbuildings. There was no clue as to where she’d gone.
Her phone rang and Leland’s name came up. Melody took in a sharp breath; a feeling of dread ran through her. “Any news?”
“No. No news. Have you heard anything?”
“No, sorry.”
“I’ve driven everywhere within a reasonable walking distance. I’m coming back to get my horse so I can cover the whole property. Would you fill a thermos with coffee for me? Anything hot, really. You’ll find the thermos under the sink.”
“Of course. Have you heard from Faith?”
There was a long pause. She heard him breathing hard. “Yeah. She’s assuming the worst given the weather and all.”
Tears spilled down her cheeks. “How are you?”
“Melody, when you fill that thermos put plenty of milk and sugar in it.”
“But you don’t take—”
“It’s not for me. When I find her, Ma’s going to need it. I’ll be home to collect it in about ten minutes.”
As she stood watching the coffee gurgle into a coffee maker for the second time that day, Melody couldn’t shake the sense of unreality. The possible outcome of events loomed over the day like a dark shadow she couldn’t face head-on. Instead, she looked around the kitchen thinking about Leland growing up in this very space.
The photo album she saw weeks ag
o still sat on a sideboard. She walked over to it and leafed through it for the second time. The first time she looked at the pictures, it was as a detached observer. Now she looked at the same pictures with the feeling she was connected to the people pictured. These were Leland’s people. Could be her people….
At that moment the back door banged open and Leland came in through the mudroom into the kitchen, bringing the cold with him. She wanted to rush into his arms, but he looked too distant in his intensity. He took his hat off and ran his hand through his hair.
“I was just going to fill the thermos.”
“Thanks for all you’re doing, Melody.”
“No thanks necessary. Can I pour a cup for you?”
“Yes.” He shook his head. “No, forget that. My stomach is all tied up in knots. Just give me the thermos and I’ll be on my way.”
She found the thermos under the sink and after putting milk and sugar in it, she poured the coffee in.
“Heck of a Christmas Eve this is for you,” he said.
She handed him the thermos. “Don’t worry about me. You go do what you have to do. I’m here as long as you need me.”
For a second his face crumpled. “If anything happens to her, I’ll never forgive myself.”
She grasped his face in both hands and forced him to look her in the eye. “Don’t you go there. Understand? This isn’t about what you did or didn’t do. You have to stay strong now. Okay?” His Adam’s apple bobbed up and down and for a moment she felt afraid he would break down.
“Okay.” He grabbed his hat and jammed it on his head.
“You need a scarf.” She went to the coat rack in the mudroom, and took her scarf off the peg. When he came up next to her, she wound it around his neck and patted his chest. “There.”
He parted his lips like he was going to say something. Instead he kissed her on the forehead and with a quick squeeze on her arms, he was out the door.
She folded her arms tight across her chest. She stood there a long time watching him walk across the yard to the barn where he disappeared. She remained there until she saw man and horse exit together, making tracks through the snow. And she watched them get smaller and finally disappear into a distant stand of trees.
