WG2E All-For-Indies Anthologies: Winter Wonderland Edition

by Scott, D. D.

  Zane gave her a sidelong glance.

  “What? Sheez. A girl can’t have a drink for helpin’ a man out? You’re such a stickler. Did I mention that Leroy’s oldest son is super cute, too?”

  Suppressing a smile, Zane said, “Did anyone ever tell you that you have this, sort of, irritating charm about you?”

  Gemma grinned. “Not quite in those words, but I’ll take that as a compliment.”

  “I thought we were never getting out of her brother’s house. My God, is everyone in her family that competitive.”

  An automatic smirk twisted Gemma’s lips. “No, but that’s Jimmy for you. His place is usually one of Wynn’s first stops. Obviously, she got an early start since we just missed her.”

  He remembered his hope of finding her at her brother’s house and the subsequent disappointment when he told them that she had just left without telling anyone where she was going next.

  Jim took Gemma and him inside, one arm wrapped around Zane’s shoulders and the other around Gemma’s waist. “Hey, look guys. It’s Wynn’s boyfriend. What’d you say your name was again?” He turned his face to Zane.

  Unsure of what to say and not wanting to give the wrong impression, Zane floundered for words. “My name is Zane. And I’m not her boy—”

  “Hey!” Wynn’s brother clapped his hands in front of them, rubbing them together as if he had come up with a brilliant plan. “Since Wynn left, we’re down one. Why don’t you take her spot?”

  Zane’s forehead wrinkled. “Well, actually, we were just going to find her now?”

  “Oh don’t worry; you’ll see her plenty later. You two lovebirds will have all the time alone you want. Now, how do you feel about Gestures?”

  Ignoring Zane’s soft protests, Jim led him into the living room with the other couples.

  Gemma cleared her throat loudly behind them, to which Jim turned around, unfazed. “Oh, hey Gemma. You can keep score.”

  Gemma threw her hands up. “Brilliant. Listen, Jimmy, we don’t have time for this.”

  Smiling, Jim plopped down on the couch next to his wife. Gemma’s protests clearly had no effect on him. “You know, that explains why Wynn was out of it. Kind of down. She must’ve been waiting for you and was bummed you weren’t here yet.”

  Christine’s eyes lit up. “She and I talked. I think maybe she was about to mention you, but we never got to finish our conversation.”

  In an effort to hide his discomfort, Zane bit the inside of his cheek. “Really? Cuz I’m not her—”

  Jim leaned forward and clapped Zane on the side of the arm then pointed to his wife. “We can get details and talk later. Now is game time! Right guys?” He smiled, far more excitedly than any grown man should over the impending board game competition.

  Olympic athletes had nothing on Wynn’s brother. Somehow, he managed to coerce Zane into playing two of the most competitive games of Gestures and Scatagories he had ever seen, until over an hour later, they finally managed to get out from under his tyranny.

  Zane stopped at a red light and glanced over at Gemma, his face serious. “I don’t think I’ll ever look at the game Gestures the same way again. That group was cutthroat.”

  “Yeah, too bad Wynn wasn’t there. Then this whole thing would be over, I could go home, get some sleep, and we wouldn’t have had to endure Jim’s retarded games.”

  Zane tensed. The reminder that he had been within a hair’s breadth of Wynn, but had, nevertheless, missed her, stung. He wasn’t sure what he would say to her once he finally found her. He just knew it had to be tonight, and it had to be perfect.

  He glanced over at the list of names and addresses Gemma held in her hands, his roadmap to finding Wynn, and gave her a skeptical look. “Does she really visit that many people on Christmas Eve?”

  “Yep, that’s Wynn for you. Spreading holiday cheer across all of Pittsburgh.”

  “Are they all family?”

  “No. There are some friends on here,” Gemma said, skimming through the names. “Some of these people, though, she just visits to drop off gifts or cookies. She only actually stays and visits with about seven of these.”

  “Unbelievable.”

  “What? You think she’s crazy, too. Lord knows, I do.”

  He shook his head. “No. It just goes to show the kind of person she is, that she would go to all of that effort and spend all that time showing these people she cares.”

  Gemma snorted. “Man, you’ve got it bad.”

  * * *

  They arrived at Wynn’s Uncle Leroy’s with the hopes of not only finding Wynn because Zane was anxious to speak with her, but also because the amount of snow blanketing the roads, along with the dropping temperatures and warning’s from local forecasters of icy conditions, were quickly becoming a concern they could no longer ignore. The second Uncle Leroy welcomed them inside, however, it became clear after asking, that Wynn was no longer there. Apparently, she had stopped by and only stayed an unusually short amount of time, which seemed to be her pattern for the evening.

  They tried to make a polite and quick departure, but this time, Gemma was the hold-up. Her one “quick” drink soon turned into a two hour affair as Uncle Leroy danced her about the room, past the gaudy silver garland, the snowcapped village under the tree, and his collection of dancing Christmas Santa’s—refusing to let her leave until she had spoken with every family member there and drank at least five glasses of his “special” eggnog. For all of Gemma’s blasé attitude, Zane quickly realized that she wasn’t the emotionless gnome she liked people to think she was. As he watched her laugh and mingle with Wynn’s family, he saw that Gemma was much more than a best friend to Wynn. She was a sister of sorts.

  While Gemma had fun with Uncle Leroy, Zane got stuck on the couch next to Wynn’s great Aunt Minnie, discussing the ins and outs of all her medical testing over the last two months and the downsides of having diverticulitis. By the time they had left Uncle Leroy’s, he knew a whole lot more about Barium X-rays, but little more about Wynn’s whereabouts.

  “Okay, we’re just going straight to her mom’s. I know you want to find her now, but we could search all night and never catch up to her. You can just wait for her if you need to. She’s usually in by one o’clock because she likes to be there to set up the gifts, but she’s not following her usual pattern. She always visits Leroy’s and her brother’s for more than she did tonight. She’s upset, so I’m willing to bet she’ll cut her night short. If not, you’ll just have to wait up for her.” Gemma shrugged.

  Zane sighed, resigned to waiting the evening out at Wynn’s mothers’. As much as he wanted to find Wynn right that second, all that mattered was that he found her—tonight. Besides, the weather conditions were starting to worry him.

  He drove, being mindful and cautious on the slick roads. Gemma directed him on where to go, heading back towards Mt. Lebanon where they had started.

  “Okay, you’re going to make a turn onto Overlook Drive. We’re almost there.”

  Zane turned as his heart pumped harder in his chest. Excitement overcame him. She was there, he could feel it. He turned the wipers on high, squinting to see through the wall of white, and proceeded slowly down the dimly lit streets. It took his full concentration to prevent his anxiety and excitement from forcing his foot harder against the gas pedal.

  The car shuddered.

  “What the hell was that?” Gemma asked, tilting her head towards the window and peering out.

  Zane leaned into the dashboard and studied the speedometer. The needle seemed to be dropping on its own accord. The car hitched then slowed to five miles per hour. “What the…we’re slowing down.”

  Gemma glared at him. “Really, genius?” She leaned over him, taking a look for herself. “Oh, brilliant. We’re out of gas.”

  As if on cue, the engine died and the car glided several feet over the snow, before coming to a complete stop. Zane glanced out his rearview mirror to make sure no one was behind him then banged a clenched fist
against the steering wheel. “Great!”

  “Didn’t you even check to see if we had any gas?” Gemma asked, staring daggers through him.

  “No,” Zane said, stretching out the word. “Obviously not. I was too set on finding Wynn. I didn’t even notice.” Fury pumped through him. How could he overlook something so basic? “Damn it!” Zane seethed. He glanced out the window, taking in the falling snow, which glittered in the moonlight. Bright, white lights covered every nook and cranny on the house across the street.

  “Alright, I’ll push, you steer.” Zane got out and went behind his Nissan and began rocking the car until it started to move. Inch-by-inch he managed to push it enough for Gemma to steer it off the road.

  Sighing, Gemma got out of the car at the same time Zane was smacking the snow off his gloved hands along with the prospects of finding Wynn any time soon. She stood with her hands on her hips. “So, what now? I can call Triple A.”

  “How far are we from her mother’s?”

  “I don’t know. Like, a mile?”

  Zane’s head shot up. The discouragement growing in the pit of his stomach slipped away like melting snow, replacing the defeated look in his eyes with a gleam of hope. He moved forward and grabbed her arm. “We’re only a mile away?”

  Gemma tilted her head and gave him a sidelong glance, but the buzzing of her phone interrupted them. She plucked it out of her pocket, glanced at the screen, and smiled. “Good ‘ol Uncle Leroy. Apparently, after we left, he did some digging around and found her. She’s there, at her mom’s.”

  Zane smiled as the nerves in his stomach fluttered. “Come on,” he said, grabbing her arm.

  “Where are we going?”

  “To her mom’s. We’re walking.” Zane let go of her arm and turned around. The snow crunched under his feet as he continued to walk backwards. “It’s only a mile.”

  A deep scowl etched itself into Gemma’s face. “Yeah, and it’s like a blizzard out here.”

  Zane shrugged. “The way I figure it, you have no choice. What are you going to do? Stay in a car with no heat? Wait for an hour or more as Triple A gets to you when we’re only one mile from our destination.” He raised a brow at her.

  Groaning, Gemma walked towards him. “Tell me why I agreed to help you again?”

  “Because you like me. Because you think I’m perfect for her.” He grabbed Gemma’s hand and met her eyes. His breath came out in puffs. “Because…you’re like a sister to her. You love her and you want her to be happy. You figure I’m what’s going to make her happy.” He shrugged.

  Gemma snorted. “Just start moving.”

  Zane turned and did Gemma one better. He started running—dashing through the snow. He smiled, knowing that with every step he took he was that much closer to Wynn.

  Chapter Eight

  Wynn wrapped the blanket tighter around her shoulders and sipped from her mug of hot chocolate. While the warmth of the drink was comforting, the powdery texture remained on her tongue after each sip, leaving behind an unsatisfying aftertaste. Her sister, Tammie, sat across from her, braiding her daughter, Clara’s, hair before bedtime so it would be “crinkly” for the annual Christmas day photo with the family. The subtle scent of strawberry shampoo permeated the air.

  In a graceful Waltz, Wynn’s mother danced into the room, crossing in front of a heavily decorated tree and the fireplace adorned in lighted garland, old fashioned stockings, and family photos. I’ll Be Home for Christmas, her mother’s favorite carol, played in the background. “Well, Wynn, I don’t know what we owe your early arrival to, but I sure am happy you’re here already,” she said, setting a tray of Wynn’s cookies and nut roll on the coffee table.

  Wynn glanced up at her mother and tried her best to give her a genuine smile. “The weather was getting pretty bad, and I wanted to make sure I got here in time. Plus, there was no way I was spending the night at Uncle Leroy’s. When I got there, it was still early, yet I think everyone was on their fifth round of cocktails and his homemade eggnog. And, Aunt Minnie cornered me.”

  Her mother groaned and gave her a knowing look. “Is her diverticulitis acting up again?”

  Wynn nodded. “Yep.”

  Immune to the topic of conversation and impervious to her sullen mood, Clara scurried over to Wynn and begged for a bedtime story. Neat, thick braids hung from both sides of her head.

  “How about as soon as I finish my cocoa. If that’s okay with your mom that is…” Wynn glanced at her sister for approval.

  Tammie pointed a finger of warning at Clara. “You can stay up until Wynn’s finished, and then after your story, that’s it—bed time. Your brother will have a fit in the morning if he discovers you got to stay up over an hour longer than him.”

  “Maybe I’ll see Santa Claus!” Clara’s voice was filled with glee. Her eyes sparkled at the prospects of every child’s dream.

  In her footed, red and white pajamas, Clara danced skipped the room, celebrating her victory. Wynn winked at her as her step-father came into the room, placing his finger over his mouth, signaling them to keep quiet. He stepped lightly, tiptoeing behind her mother, until he reached her, wrapped one arm around her waist and held the other high above their heads. A clump of mistletoe dangled from his fingers. Her mother giggled, planting a solid kiss on his lips.

  A myriad of reactions to the display of affection trickled through the room. Tammie rolled her eyes and her husband Pete groaned as he walked past them with a handful of Wynn’s cookies. Chuckling, Clara leapt onto her mother’s lap. Wynn, on the other hand, glanced away. Despite being happy for her mother at finding Jack (seven years following her father’s death) a discontentment in her own life gnawed at her. When was it going to be her turn? Her time to find the one?

  The chatter ceased at a knock on the door.

  “I’ll get it,” her mother sang. She swayed and moved to the music, proceeding out towards the hall and into the foyer. The red wine sloshed in her glass, punctuating her cheerful dance. Chatter filled the hallway, but Wynn ignored it, not in the mood to care about what the commotion was all about. Less than a minute later, her mother yelled. “Wynn. Someone’s here for you.”

  Puzzled, Wynn glanced towards the hallway, realizing for the first time that everyone had left the room. She got up and walked to the hall, where she found her entire family and all the friends in attendance, lining the walls. Smiles painted their faces, and their eyes glimmered, as if they were a part of the Christmas decorations or some cheesy, live family portrait. Wynn wiped her clammy palms on her thighs. Why was everyone staring at her?

  Wynn stepped to the door, eyeing the group, waiting for some sign of what was going on, until Gemma stepped into the open doorframe. Moisture pooled in Wynn’s eyes. How had she known? She needed Gemma tonight. She needed her sarcasm, her flippant attitude. She needed her friend.

  With outstretched arms, Wynn moved forward, ready to embrace Gemma. But something caught her eye in front of the door. She hesitated. A man’s shoe peeked out from beside the doorframe. Wynn focused on the shoe, preparing herself to look around the corner and see who it was, when she glanced back up and saw Zane standing there. Her breath caught in her throat.

  “I brought you a little early Christmas present.” Warmth emanated from Gemma’s voice. She squeezed Wynn’s arm as she brushed by her, leaving Wynn and Zane face-to-face.

  Wynn spoke past the lump in her throat. “What are you doing here?”

  Zane stepped forward so he was just inside the foyer and only a foot away from her. Cheeks flushed and nose red from the cold, his eyes glowed. Everything about him resonated warmth. “Wynn,” he whispered. His breath came out in puffs of steam as the cool air whipped inside the house and around them. “I have something to tell you,” his gaze moved over hers as if trying to read the emotion in her eyes.

  A burning in her chest made it hard for her to breathe, but Wynn swallowed, took a deep breath, and dowsed the flames. “What?”

  He smiled and reached out,
grasping a lock of her hair and running his fingers down it. “I absolutely hate pumpkin pie.”

  Everyone around her chuckled.

  He grabbed her hands, his skin cold in sharp contrast to the warmth of hers. Regardless, her skin burned from his touch, making it hard to think. “You what?”

  “I hate pumpkin pie. The only reason I’ve been eating it for the past five years is because I didn’t have the heart to tell you otherwise. And because I wanted to please you. Wynn…,” his voice lowered, nearly a whisper, “I think I’ve been in love with you for the past five years. It just took me this long to get the courage to tell you.”

  The gasps, the intake of breath behind her were nearly palpable, but Wynn only heard one thing—Zane’s words mingled with the beating of her own heart. She let the meaning of them soak in. Then slowly, as if she was afraid he might disappear, she moved her hand up to his face and placed it over his cheek. The feel of his skin, rough from a day’s worth of stubble, was a welcome sensation. She smiled as she rolled the relevance of what he said, along with the fact that he went to such lengths to find her, around in her head—in her heart.

  She leaned forward, standing on her toes, as she threw her other arm around his neck, and kissed him. His lips were soft and his breath sweet, more perfect than she had ever imagined.

  All the years she had agonized over not being good enough faded away like a forgotten memory. All her wishing and pining for Zane, heightened to a crescendo by the applause of her family members around her, turned their kiss into the perfect moment.

  Their lips parted and Wynn leaned back so she could see his face. “Next time you have something to tell me, don’t take so long.”

  About the Author

  T.M. Souders was born in Johnstown, PA and grew up in a suburb outside of Pittsburgh. She graduated in 2004, from Youngstown State University, with a degree in Psychology and minor in Women's Studies. She is the author of bestselling women's fiction novel, Waiting on Hope, as well as the holiday novelette Dashing Through The Snow. Her young adult novel, Freedom Road, is to be released by the end of the year. She currently lives in rural Ohio with her husband and children.