A Gansett Island Christmas

by Marie Force

  “What’re you guys doing?” Big Mac asked.

  “Same as you. Poutin’ about not gettin’ ta see our babies.”

  “Damn snow.”

  “Thought ya loved it?”

  “I do til it messes with my plans.”

  Ned laughed and then went silent for a few seconds. “What if…”

  “What?”

  “Nothin. Just an idea I had.”

  “What idea is that?”

  “Let me think on it a little more, and I’ll let ya know if I can make it happen,” Ned said.

  “What’re you talking about, old man?”

  “Gotta run. I’ll call ya back later.”

  The line went dead, and Big Mac stared at the phone. “What the heck?”

  “What’s Ned up to?” Linda asked as she made a pot of coffee.

  “Hell if I know. He’s up to something, though.”

  Linda’s cell phone made a sound he hadn’t heard before. She picked it up to check it. “It’s an alert from Blaine,” she said of the Gansett Island police chief. “Asking people to stay off the roads today.”

  Big Mac sighed. If the police were asking people to stay home, that meant the roads were bad.

  Then the lights flickered again, and this time the power went out.

  “Christmas is doomed.”

  “Don’t be silly,” Linda said. “We have each other, a fridge full of good food and a generator. We’ll be fine.”

  They would be fine, but the holiday wouldn’t be the same without the kids.

  * * *

  “What do you think you’re doing?” Francine asked, following Ned to the mudroom where he donned his heaviest parka and pushed his feet into boots.

  “I gots an idea.”

  “What kind of idea?”

  He kissed her cheek. “The kind that’s gonna save Christmas.”

  “You’re not going out in this.”

  “I ain’t goin’ far, so don’t worry.”

  “Ned, seriously, it’s a blizzard. You have no business being out there.”

  “This ain’t nothing. I been out in much worse over the years.”

  “That was before you had a wife at home who will worry about you.”

  That gave him pause. Until the last couple of years, he’d never had anyone at home to worry about him. Now he had his dream girl, and knowing she would worry made him question the sanity of this mission. But then he thought about how depressed Big Mac had sounded. It had reminded Ned of how his best friend had been after he suffered a head injury a few years back.

  Ned couldn’t bear to hear him so down, and if there was something he could do to fix it for everyone, then that’s what he’d do.

  “Ned…”

  “I’ll be back before you miss me,” he said. “Promise.”

  “What’ll I do if you don’t come back?”

  “Call Blaine. But that won’t be necessary. I’ll be back.”

  She sighed. “You’re a crazy old fool.”

  “Ya knew that when ya married me.” He kissed her again. “Pack up yer stuff to go to Linda’s.”

  “We’re not going to Linda’s. We’re staying home like our son-in-law the police chief told us to.”

  “We’re going to Linda’s. Get yerself ready and pack us a bag just in case we get stuck there. I’ll be back to getcha soon.” This idea got better with every passing minute.

  “Ned—”

  “Get ready,” he called over his shoulder as he went out into the howling wind and snow to fire up the woody station wagon he used as a cab. After pulling out of his driveway, he discovered the roads were bad. Worse than bad, in fact. But he knew this island better than anyone and took it nice and slow. He made his way past the Southeast Light, which was barely visible through the snow.

  Ned wondered if Slim and Erin had made it back to the island ahead of the storm or if they’d hunkered down in Florida to wait it out. Big Mac would know. He kept tabs on their pilot friend Slim.

  He crept along at five miles an hour, the station wagon fishtailing here and there. Francine might’ve been right about this being a fool’s errand, but if he could pull it off…

  He went by the entrance to Martinez Lawn and Garden. Alex and Paul were no doubt hunkered down with their families, their houses walkable to each other even in the blizzard.

  Half an hour after he left home, what should’ve been a five-minute ride landed Ned at the home of Gansett Island Town Councilman Royal Atkinson. Ned parked the car but left it running as he dashed through the snow to ring the doorbell.

  The rotund councilman pulled open the door. “Ned? What the heck are you doing out in this?”

  “I need a favor.”

  * * *

  Adam McCarthy woke up cold and realized the power had gone out while he and Abby were sleeping. “Crap.”

  “What?” Abby asked, her voice sleepy and sexy.

  He curled up to her. “We’re going to have to share body heat. We lost power.”

  “I love sharing body heat with you.”

  “We’ll have no choice but to stay in bed all day so we don’t freeze.”

  She laughed at his shameless ploy. “There are worse ways to spend Christmas than snuggled up to you in bed.”

  “Far worse ways.”

  “It won’t be the same without naked boy, naked girl,” Abby said, referring to last Christmas when Adam’s nephew Thomas and his cousin Ashleigh had coined a new term when they ran through the family gathering completely naked.

  “We can play naked boy, naked girl all by ourselves. It’s my favorite game.” He worked his hand under her T-shirt.

  She screamed. “Adam! Your hand is freezing!”

  “Warm me up.”

  She shivered. “It’s too cold.”

  “I’ll go downstairs, build a fire and then come back for you.”

  “Hurry. I’ll freeze without you.”

  “I’ll be quick.” He got out of bed and grimaced at the smack of cold air that greeted him. “Damn, this house gets cold quick.”

  “Gonna be a long day without heat. I told you we should’ve gotten a generator when they had them at the hardware store.”

  “Yes, dear, you did.” Adam jammed his feet into fleece-lined slippers and pulled on a thick sweater over a long-sleeved T-shirt. At this rate, he’d need a parka inside the house before much longer.

  “You can also say that from now on I’ll act immediately on all my wife’s good ideas.”

  “Nice try. Going downstairs now.” He darted down the stairs and went directly to the fireplace, thankful that he’d heeded Abby’s suggestion to bring in firewood last night, just in case they needed it. He built the fire and had it going strong within a few minutes.

  Then he went back upstairs to get Abby.

  “All set, sweetheart. Let’s go.” He held up a down blanket that he wrapped around her when she got out of bed.

  Downstairs, Adam pulled cushions off the sofa and set them up with a bed by the fire.

  “My hero,” Abby said, when they were snuggled up in front of the fireplace.

  “Your hero should’ve bought the generator when he could.”

  She patted the hand he had on her belly. “My hero can’t be perfect all the time.”

  Adam laughed. “I promise to do better in the future.”

  Linking their fingers, Abby held on tight to his hand. “Do you think someday we’ll have little people waking us up way too early on Christmas?”

  “I do. I really, really do. I see that for us.”

  “You’re so sure.”

  “I am sure. It’s going to happen. It’s just a matter of when.”

  “Sometimes I think I should move on and let it go.”

  “Don’t do that yet. I’ll let you know when it’s time for that—but it’s not going to happen.”

  “I wish I had your confidence.”

  “You don’t need it. I’ll be confident for both of us.”

  “It’s too bad we won’t get t
o see the kids today,” she said, sighing.

  “We’ll see them tomorrow. Go back to sleep for a little while. We’ve got nothing to do and nowhere to be. There’s no one I’d rather be marooned with on Christmas than you.”

  “Me, too.”

  Adam was on his way back to sleep when the phone rang. Groaning, he untangled himself from Abby and grabbed the phone off the coffee table where he’d left it the night before. What the heck did Ned want so early? “Hey, Ned, what’s up?”

  “Merry Christmas,” Ned said, speaking loudly over a whirl of noise in the background. “Pack yerselves up. I’m comin’ to getcha.”

  “Huh?”

  “Just get ready. I’ll be there soon to take ya to yer mama’s. Pack a bag. Just in case I can’t getcha home tonight.”

  “Uhh, okay...”

  The line went dead.

  “What did he want?”

  “He’s coming to get us to take us to my mom’s.”

  “Coming to get us in a blizzard? Seriously?”

  “That’s what he said.” Wondering what Ned was up to, Adam said, “Looks like we’ll get to see the kids after all.”

  * * *

  While on the phone with Big Mac earlier, Ned had recalled the estate sale Mrs. Chesterfield’s heirs had held right before they put her home on the market. Ned had scooped up her old Cadillac. Royal had bought the oversized sleigh that Ned now navigated over snow-covered roads. The one thing he hadn’t anticipated was the wind that made it difficult to see where he was going.

  Royal had made two of his sturdiest workhorses available to Ned, saying they could handle anything, including a blizzard. He’d also sent Ned with oats to feed them and filled the sleigh with red plaid blankets to keep Ned’s precious cargo warm. He was giddy with excitement as he turned the sleigh with the jingling bells toward his home to pick up his first passenger. There was nothing he wanted more than to make the ones he loved happy on Christmas.

  Approaching his house, he saw Francine looking out the window, her eyes wide with what he hoped was delight. He brought the sleigh to a stop and jumped down into snow that came up to his knees.

  Inside the door, he knocked the snow off his boots. “Doll! Getcher coat on! We’re goin’ for a ride.”

  “You have lost what’s left of your mind,” she said.

  “Aww come on! It’ll be fun. Doncha want to see yer babies on Christmas?”

  “Of course I do, but—”

  “No buts. Get yer coat on, grab yer bag of presents and let’s go. I gotta lotta stops ta make.” He helped her into her coat and kissed her before wrapping a scarf around her neck and face. Gathering up her bags of gifts, the picnic basket full of food and the bag he’d told her to pack—just in case they couldn’t get home later—he hustled her out of the house.

  He helped her into the sleigh, tucked a blanket around her and stashed her things in the back compartment, covering them with another blanket.

  “This is the craziest thing you’ve ever done!” She had to yell so he’d hear her over the wind.

  Ned directed the sleigh back to the road and headed for Adam’s house. “Tisn’t it fun though?”

  “Oh yeah. Lots of fun.”

  “Ya mean that?”

  “You’re still crazy, but it is fun. Leave it to you to figure out a way to save Christmas.”

  A few minutes later, he guided the horses for a right-hand turn into Adam’s driveway.

  “Are you kidding me?” Adam called from the doorway.

  “Let’s go!” Ned said. “We’re on a schedule!”

  Adam and Abby came running through the snow, bags in hand and got in behind Ned and Francine.

  “This is awesome!” Adam said.

  “Glad ya think so. Ready?”

  “Ready!”

  “Bundle up and hold on.”

  Fifteen minutes later, they pulled up to the McCarthy’s White House, and Ned helped Francine down from the sleigh. He carried her bags and opened the gate to the white picket fence that was crusted with snow. Adam and Abby followed them up the walk.

  Big Mac threw open the door and the euphoric expression on his face made Ned’s day complete. “You gotta be kidding me!”

  “I ain’t kidding ya.” Ned handed over Francine’s bags to Linda. “I gotta go to town. Call Tiffany, Mallory, Grant and Evan. Tell ‘em all to get ready.”

  “I want to go with you,” Big Mac said. “Give me one minute.” He ran to grab his boots, parka, hat and gloves and kissed Linda.

  “Crazy old fools,” Linda said, but she couldn’t hide her delight.

  “Get dinner in the oven, doll,” Ned said. “The kids are comin’ home!”

  “We’re on it,” Linda said, glancing at Francine, who nodded.

  “Don’t get your fool selves killed out there,” Francine said. “That’d put a damper on the day.”

  Ned laughed and kissed her. “Doncha worry ‘bout us. We may be fools, but we’re hardy fools. Ya ready?” he asked Big Mac.

  “Ready. Let’s do it.”

  The two men ran out into the storm and climbed aboard the sleigh for the ride to town to collect the kids.

  “This is awesome,” Big Mac declared when they were underway.

  “Tisnt it? These horses are fearless.” He guided the horses through a huge drift. “What’d ya hear from Slim?”

  “They stayed in Florida for the holiday with Erin’s folks, but they’ll be up for a visit in the next few days. He said they were waiting out the storm.”

  They plowed through the snow, undeterred by the drifts, the wind or the cold, arriving in town about half an hour after they set out. First stop was the pharmacy where Evan and Grace lived in the loft upstairs. “Go get ‘em,” Ned said to Big Mac.

  Big Mac was halfway up the stairs when Evan and Grace came out, bundled up and carrying bags of presents.

  Evan had his guitar slung over his back. “You guys are crazy,” he said, laughing at the sight of the sleigh.

  “Ned’s the crazy one,” Big Mac said, relieving Grace of the duffel bag she carried. “I’m just along for the ride.”

  “Bundle up, kiddos!” Ned said. “Let’s go get yer sister.”

  They stopped to pick up Mallory and Quinn as well as Grant and Stephanie before heading to Tiffany’s place.

  She sent Ashleigh out first, and Ned snuggled her in next to him.

  “You can help me drive,” he told her. The little girl who looked just like her mama had him wrapped so tightly around her little finger it wasn’t even funny.

  Big Mac helped Tiffany with her bags and carried baby Adeline, bundled into a snow suit.

  “Am I really taking my babies out in a blizzard?” Tiffany asked when she climbed in next to Grant, who helped to tuck blankets around her and the baby.

  “We can’t let a little bit ‘o snow ruin our Christmas,” Ned said, turning the sleigh to head back to the White House.

  “Did you tell Blaine where to find you?” Big Mac asked Tiffany.

  “He’s working, so I texted him. Needless to say, he wasn’t pleased to hear we were going somewhere.”

  “He’ll catch up to ya later. No sense you girls bein’ home alone if ya don’t hafta be.”

  “I’ll let you tell him that,” Tiffany said.

  “Mommy,” Ashleigh said. “I’m driving!”

  “Oh dear God,” Tiffany said while everyone else lost it laughing.

  * * *

  Ned delivered the group from town to the White House with instructions for them to call Mac, Janey and Luke to put them on notice that they were coming for them.

  They went first to Mac’s house.

  “If I forget to tell you later,” Big Mac said as they headed down Sweet Meadow Farm Road, “thank you for this.”

  “We couldn’t have Christmas without our babies,” Ned said.

  “Wouldn’t have been the same.”

  Ned brought the sleigh to a stop in Mac’s driveway. “Go get ‘em!”

  Big Mac bound
ed up the stairs to Mac’s deck. His son met him at the sliding door. “What’re you two up to now?”

  “We’re saving Christmas. You guys ready?”

  “We aren’t really taking a baby out in a blizzard, are we?” Maddie asked, eyeing the storm with trepidation.

  “It’s only a mile,” Big Mac reminded her. “We’ll have you bundled up so tight you won’t even know you’re out in a blizzard.”

  “Right,” Maddie said skeptically. “If you say so.”

  “Have you ever known my dad not to be right?” Mac asked.

  “Not once, ever,” Maddie said with a warm smile for her father-in-law.”

  “Mommy!” Thomas said. “There’s horseys out there! Can we go? Can we?”

  “Let’s go,” Maddie said, seeming to realize when she was outnumbered.

  Mac held Hailey, Maddie carried baby Mac and Thomas took care of himself while Big Mac juggled bags of gifts, a suitcase and a diaper bag.

  “Off to the Cantrells,” Ned said, directing the team with the assistance of Ashleigh and now Thomas, too. He tried not to notice that the storm seemed to be intensifying. They were so close. He couldn’t quit now. Fifteen arduous minutes later, they pulled into Janey’s driveway. “Hurry,” Ned said to Big Mac. “It’s getting worse.”

  “I’m hurrying.”

  Janey let out a scream of delight when she saw the sleigh. “Joe! Look! Oh my God! This is fabulous!” She carried baby Vivienne while Joe brought P.J. They wore backpacks and had bags of gifts hanging from their arms.

  “Cantrells get the prize for most ready to roll,” Ned said when they were loaded up.

  “Janey was so excited to hear you were coming, I practically had to sit on her to keep her inside until you got here,” Joe said. “She even got Mr. Davis next door to agree to come over and check on the menagerie a couple of times. Oh, and Luke called to say thanks for the offer, but they’re staying home.”

  “Good thing cuz I don’t think we coulda gotten there.” Ned directed the sleigh toward the White House. “Off we go!”

  “This might be the craziest thing we’ve ever done,” Maddie said.

  “If this is the craziest thing you’ve ever done,” Big Mac said, “you kids need to get out more.”