Christmas Steele

by Vanessa Gray Bartal

  “Are you here to arrest me, officer?” She crossed her wrists, holding them submissively in front of her.

  He clasped her wrists, circling them with his fingers as he stepped inside and closed the door with his foot. “What’s your crime, Miss Steele?” He quirked an eyebrow, waiting for her to incriminate herself.

  “I plead the fifth,” Lacy replied.

  He smiled. “You look festive, Red.” His eyes swept up and down the length of her, causing her to flush until she was uncomfortably warm. “Merry Christmas,” he added softly.

  “Merry Christmas,” she returned. For a few seconds it was as if they were the only people in the room, or on the planet, for that matter. But reality came rushing back, and Lacy remembered that not only were there other people present, but one of those people was intensely interested in their little interaction.

  Sure enough, when Jason dropped her wrists, Lacy turned to see Tosh staring at her, paying half-hearted attention to Sean who was animatedly describing the war game he had played with Lacy.

  “Come and meet Sean,” Lacy said, beckoning Jason to follow. Perhaps it was unwise to put Tosh and Jason within striking distance of each other, but Sean was the only person in the room Jason didn’t know.

  “Officer,” Tosh said, his tone cool and sarcastic.

  “Reverend,” Jason answered in kind. “How do you do, Sean?” he added, infusing warmth and politeness in his tone when he spoke to the boy.

  “Sean let me beat him at video games the other day,” Lacy said, smiling at Sean.

  “That was a good choice,” Jason said gravely. “This one doesn’t like to lose.” He pointed to Lacy. “She goes all Yosemite Sam on you.”

  “Who?” Sean asked, looking confused by the reference. A debate about old cartoon characters was sparked while Lacy tried to protest that her temper had been exaggerated.

  “I’m going to have to agree with him on this one, only it’s more like watching David Banner turn into the Hulk,” Tosh said.

  Jason snickered, and Lacy wasn’t sure which was worse—their jealousy or their agreement.

  “You guys are exaggerating. My temper is not that bad,” Lacy protested.

  “The hole in my drywall disagrees,” Tosh said.

  “Tosh,” Lacy said embarrassed that he had brought it up.

  “I think we’re going to need to hear this story,” Jason said.

  “No,” Lacy said, attempting to cover Tosh’s mouth with her hand, but he pinned her arms to her side and spoke over her protests.

  “She was mad because I was out of butter and she was baking cookies. She threw a spoon through my wall,” Tosh said.

  “That is a total fabrication, and you know it,” Lacy said. “I was mad because I had just bought you some butter two days before and you gave it to your neighbor even though I had told you I was planning to bake with it. And I didn’t throw the spoon; I tripped and the spoon flew out of my hand.”

  “So you say,” Tosh said, smiling fondly at Lacy.

  “No, I think the falling story sounds believable,” Jason said. “Mind you, this is the same woman who was trampled by the percussion section of the marching band during halftime.”

  “How would you know? You were in the locker room,” Lacy said.

  Jason shook his head. “Someone came and told us and we all ran up to watch, even the coach. Sorry, Lacy, but it was funny.”

  “That was not funny. It hurt, and they broke my clarinet. A chivalrous person would have come to my defense instead of standing on the sidelines and laughing at me.”

  “I didn’t want to get trampled,” Jason said.

  “Well I think Lacy is perfect,” Sean added loyally.

  “Thank you, Sean. It’s nice to know who your real friends are,” Lacy said.

  “Suppertime!” her grandmother called.

  “She sounds cheerful,” Tosh whispered.

  Lacy nodded. Her grandmother wasn’t an extrovert, but maybe having her friends and family nearby was having a heartening effect on her because she was all smiles as they sat. Lacy was between Tosh and Jason. There was a moment of awkwardness as they both attempted to help her with her chair. At last she simply sat and scooted her chair forward without assistance.

  Tosh prayed, and the meal started. For a while, they were busy passing dishes and filling their plates. “Everything looks delicious, Grandma,” Lacy said.

  “Thank you,” her grandmother replied. “But I had a lot of help.” She turned to Mr. Middleton, patting his hand with a smile before picking up her eggnog to take a sip.

  “She really likes eggnog,” Tosh whispered, leaning close as he passed Lacy the dinner rolls.

  Lacy nodded and passed the dinner rolls to Jason who also leaned in close. “You’re in big trouble,” he whispered.

  “Why?” she asked, feigning innocence.

  “You know why,” he said, but he was smiling. “Later, I’ll think of a way to punish you.”

  “What did he say?” Tosh leaned in again to whisper on her other side.

  Lacy shook her head.

  Tosh leaned back to scowl at Jason who returned his look. Lacy cleared her throat. “Who’s up for a game after supper?” she asked.

  “I am,” her grandmother blurted, smiling.

  Lacy blinked at her in surprise, as did everyone else. Lucinda was usually the last person in the room to speak, and she wasn’t much of a gamer. “Great,” Lacy said halfheartedly. She shot a questioning look to her grandfather who shrugged one shoulder before turning to inspect Lucinda with a smile. I guess she’s just happy, Lacy thought.

  “Mom, you’re cheerful tonight,” Frannie said warily.

  “Why shouldn’t I be?” Lucinda said. “I have my family here, my friends, my Tom. It’s a happy gathering.”

  “I suppose,” Frannie said, sounding subdued. “I wish Riley was here, though. I can’t help but feel like something is missing.”

  Yes, the drama, Lacy thought. For once the family was having a nice, peaceful family event. Even Tosh and Jason were getting along, which was practically a Christmas miracle. So of course it couldn’t last.

  “How are Riley’s wedding plans coming along?” Gladys asked. Lacy wasn’t sure if it was a pointed question or general nosiness. Sometimes her grandmother’s friends seemed catty, but Lacy could never be sure if their intentions were purposely cruel or simply ignorant of any ensuing awkwardness.

  “Slowly,” Frannie replied, oblivious to the way Lacy was now staring intently at her plate, her hands clenched in her lap. “Robert’s family has certain ideas about how things should be, and they’re not always cognizant of our budget. And then there’s the issue of her maid of honor.”

  “What issue?” Gladys asked, leaning forward intently.

  “She doesn’t have one. She wants Lacy to do it, of course, but hasn’t had the opportunity to ask.” Now it was her mother’s turn to stare pointedly at her oldest daughter.

  “She wants me to do it?” Lacy repeated, incredulous. Could her sister really be that selfish and oblivious to the havoc she had caused in Lacy’s life? At that moment the only thing that kept Lacy from turning and fleeing for safety was the mental image of Tosh and Jason fighting over who would go and get her.

  “You’re her sister, Lacy. Who else would she ask?” Frannie said.

  Someone whose fiancé she didn’t steal, Lacy thought. “I don’t know, Mom, anyone on the planet but me because I won’t do it.”

  “Lacy,” her mother intoned.

  “If I get married again, I’m going to elope,” her grandmother blurted, startling everyone. Tosh sputtered a laugh and Jason dropped his eyes to his plate, his shoulders shaking in silent mirth.

  “Mother!” Frannie exclaimed, diverted from Lacy. “Please tell me you’re not planning on eloping.”

  “Well, Frannie, I’m not getting any younger, and I’ve always wanted to go to Vegas,” Lucinda said. That’s when everyone at the table lost it, including Lacy, her father, and Mr. Middleton
who put his hand over his eyes to wipe away the tears. Only Frannie remained stoic as she disapprovingly frowned at her mother. Lucinda was oblivious, though, as she surveyed the gathering with a bemused smile and sipped her eggnog.

  “This is the best Christmas ever,” Sean announced, sparking another round of laughter.

  The remainder of supper was equally as merry with no more mention of Riley, marriage, or any other awkward topic. Lacy’s grandmother was in especially high spirits and either seemed to feel it was her mission to keep things lighthearted or just couldn’t stop herself from being funny because she kept them in stitches throughout the meal.

  Lacy’s father volunteered to clean the kitchen as soon as supper was finished. She wasn’t sure, but she thought maybe it was to escape her mother and the tension that seemed to be constantly between them lately. She would have worked with him and asked him about it, but Tosh and Jason were both circling her, waiting to claim her attention. Before she could try and decide which one to talk to first, her grandmother spoke, claiming all of their attention.

  “You know what we don’t have enough of in the Episcopalian church, Tosh? Dancing.” Everyone watched, spellbound, as Lucinda turned on a CD of Christmas music and started to dance what Lacy could only assume was the twist.

  “Oh, my,” Gladys said, taking mental pictures so she could tell everyone she knew.

  “What’s up with your grandma?” Tosh whispered.

  “If I had to guess, I’d say it’s that eggnog she’s been pounding all night,” Jason said. “I didn’t picture your grandma as a drinker.”

  “She’s not,” Lacy said. “She’s never tasted alcohol in her life.”

  “She did tonight,” Jason said. He reached for the cup that now only contained trace amounts of eggnog, and held it under Lacy’s nose. She blanched and turned her head away, trying not to gag at the overwhelming alcohol smell.

  “Tosh!” She turned accusing eyes to a sheepish-looking Tosh. “You brought alcoholic punch to my grandma’s Christmas party?”

  “I didn’t know it was alcoholic. Most of the other stuff everyone has been serving at the parties has been alcohol free. Only some of my parishioners drink. I’m going to go dump it before she drinks anymore and starts taking her clothes off.” He escaped to the kitchen while Lacy stared helplessly at her grandmother who was now sashaying around the living room doing a two-step all by herself.

  “What should we do?” Lacy asked, sure that her grandmother would be humiliated when she came to and realized what she had done.

  “Dance,” Jason said. He grasped her elbow and Mr. Middleton’s, leading them forward into the center of the room. Leaving Lacy to dance with her grandfather, he caught hold of her grandmother’s hand and steered her into a more subdued, yet still lively, dance routine. Giggling like a schoolgirl, she giddily twirled around the dance floor until her daughter’s booming voice interrupted her progress.

  “Mother, what has gotten into you?” Frannie demanded.

  “She’s in love,” Mr. Middleton answered, letting go of Lacy and grasping Lucinda’s hand. “And so am I,” he added, bowing to kiss Lucinda’s hand while she blushed and fluttered like a schoolgirl.

  “But…” Frannie started, but her husband interrupted her.

  “Oh, come on, Frannie. It’s Christmas. Let your mother have her fun, and let’s have some fun, too.” He finished drying his hands on a dish towel, tossing it behind him into the kitchen, and then he grasped his wife’s hand, drawing her onto the makeshift dance floor. Tosh came back to the room then, too. Ignoring Gladys’s protests, he led her onto the dance floor, and soon she was laughing along with everyone else.

  Lacy turned to look up at Jason with a smile. “Thanks for doing this,” she said.

  He returned her smile. “Your grandma is a nice lady; no reason for her to make a spectacle of herself if she can help it.”

  “I guess you just can’t escape drunk people today. I bet you never thought you’d have to help subdue one here. How has your day gone, by the way?”

  “It’s been quiet. Your grandma was the most excitement I’ve had all day. At least she’s a happy drunk. If they were all like that, I’d be out of a job.” Electricity began to crackle between them, and everything else faded away, including the music which was too upbeat for their slow dance. “Is Christmas always this much fun at your house?” he whispered, smoothing his fingers across the hair at her temple.

  “No, you caught us on a boring year. Wait until Riley’s here; then things get interesting.” Her smile faded at the mention of her sister.

  “I’m sorry you’re hurting, Red,” Jason said.

  “It’s not so bad,” Lacy said. “I’ll get over it.”

  “I’m banking on that,” Jason said. “About my house,” he began, but then his lapel radio crackled to life with a set of codes that meant nothing to Lacy but everything to Jason because he swiftly let her go and took a step back. “That’s my cue,” he said. “Thanks for supper, and please thank your family for me. I have to go.” Ducking forward, he placed a swift kiss on her cheek before turning to sprint out the door.

  Lacy looked around and saw Sean sitting alone, watching everyone else dance. She caught his eye and beckoned him forward. “I don’t know how to dance,” he said when he reached her, red-faced with embarrassment.

  “Neither did I when I was your age, but you have to start somewhere. It’s easy.” She took his arms, resting them on her waist and shoulder and they began to sway gently to the music. “See, you’re a natural,” she added.

  He smiled, but didn’t respond. Instead he seemed to be concentrating very hard on not stepping on her toes. Sometimes Lacy felt like she was still an insecure kid, but being near Sean made her realize how far she had come. She so vividly remembered being his age, feeling as if the world was ending over every embarrassment, wanting to simultaneously be noticed and slip into oblivion. She had never felt comfortable with kids her own age, preferring instead to spend time with her grandmother when she wasn’t at school.

  Another memory occurred to Lacy then, too. When she was fourteen, she’d had a huge crush on a neighbor boy who was a senior in college. He had been someone safe, someone to dream about that she didn’t have to talk to—someone who couldn’t reject her because she was so out of his realm. She smiled, knowing once and for all who had sent her the locket.

  Chapter 13

  Before Lacy could confront Sean about his too expensive and inappropriate present, Tosh claimed her attention.

  “Lacy, I need to go. I have to get ready for the Christmas Eve service, and something tells me you won’t be attending.” He turned to look at her grandmother. She was smiling dreamily, draped on Mr. Middleton who didn’t look like he minded at all.

  “No,” Lacy agreed, shuddering at the thought of her very drunk grandmother at church. Who knew what she might do?

  “Walk me out,” he said, clasping her hand and leading her to the front porch. “So, I’m sorry I got your grandma drunk.”

  Lacy laughed. “It wasn’t actually your fault; you didn’t know the eggnog was apparently filled with so much alcohol that it was practically paint thinner.”

  Tosh sighed. “Still, I feel like I keep messing up where you’re concerned.”

  “Tosh, you’re not messing anything up. You’re my best friend,” Lacy added shyly.

  He smiled. “And you’re mine. Speaking of which, Merry Christmas.” He handed her a small, prettily-wrapped box. She opened it to discover two tickets to the Nutcracker.

  “Tosh, how did you know I wanted to go?” she asked, beaming up at him.

  “Maybe it was those twelve times you told me and the brochure you left on my kitchen counter.”

  “That was an accident,” she said.

  “Sure it was. Look closely.”

  She held the tickets closer, peering at them in the dim moonlight. “This is for the performance in Chicago.”

  He nodded, biting his lip in uncertainty. “I thought
since I’ve already claimed you for New Year’s Eve, we might as well make a week of it. Will you fly to Chicago with me in a couple of days after your parents leave? I promise you’ll have fun.”

  “Of course I’ll go,” she said. “You know I’ve been dying to meet your family.”

  He sagged slightly in relief. “Great because I already bought the plane tickets. Oh, and there’s one more thing. I found this, and it must be used.” He pulled a piece of mistletoe from his pocket and held it over their heads.

  Lacy smiled and grasped his lapels, pulling herself aloft so she could reach him. “Silly, you don’t need mistletoe to kiss me on Christmas.”

  “Sneaky you, adding that ‘on Christmas’ qualifier in there.” Resting his hands on her waist, he leaned down to give her a sweet, lingering kiss that was far more than their friendship called for. Lacy didn’t protest, though. She was tired of feeling like she always said no to Tosh when he gave so much and asked so little of her in return.

  At last the kiss ended and Tosh looked at the mistletoe now crushed in his hand. “This stuff is worth its weight in gold,” he said.

  Lacy laughed and patted his chest. “Good luck on your sermon.”

  “Someday soon we’re going to have to have a theological discussion about luck and pastors. But not tonight. Merry Christmas.” He leaned forward to kiss her forehead one last time and then he walked down the steps.

  “Merry Christmas,” Lacy called. “I’ll bring your present to your house tomorrow. It’s big,” she added.

  He laughed, waving halfheartedly over his shoulder.

  She smiled, leaning against the banister until he was out of sight and then she turned and went back inside.

  Gladys and Sean were gathering their things as they prepared to leave, too. Lacy hastily retreated to her room, grabbing Sean’s present and the locket. She paused before leaving her room, studying the pretty locket. Now that she knew it was from a child, she felt a little foolish for how much stock she had put in it. At least Jason would never know she thought it was from him.