I'll Be Home for Christmas

by Lori Wilde

  She turned to see Emma coming toward her carrying a box that was almost as big as she was overflowing with Christmas ornaments.

  “Let me help.” Gabi hurried to take hold of one side of the box.

  “Thanks.” Emma blew out her breath so forcefully it ruffled her bangs. “It was getting heavy.”

  “You didn’t have a cart?”

  “I thought I could handle it. Sam would scold me if he knew I was lugging this around myself. Those Cheek men, they are so overly protective,” Emma grumbled, but she was smiling. “But you’ll see.”

  “What do you mean by that?”

  “Why, you and Joe.”

  “What about me and Joe?”

  “He’s serious about you.”

  Gabi’s heart climbed on the roller coaster again. “I’ve only known him a few days.”

  “Falling in love only takes an instant.” Emma laughed. “Especially with Cheek men. When they find the one they want, it’s all over but the wedding bells.”

  “Umm, that’s not the case here. I’m temporary.”

  “Uh-huh. Sure.” Emma nodded at Gabi as if she was completely deluding herself.

  “Where are we headed with this?” Gabi asked, wondering if Emma had been drinking Belinda Murphey Kool-Aid over at the Sweetest Match.

  “Wedding bells.”

  “Not me and Joe,” Gabi said, trying to keep exasperation from her voice. “I meant where are we taking the box of decorations.”

  “Oh.” Emma’s laugh rang out across the park. “The Sweetheart Tree. At Christmas we turn it into the Cherub Tree.”

  “What’s a Cherub Tree?”

  “It’s Twilight’s version of an Angel Tree,” Emma explained. “The project benefits underprivileged, disadvantaged, or seriously ill children.”

  “I thought that’s what the toy drive is for.”

  “It is, but that’s just for toys. The Cherub Tree fills in the gaps where benefactors supply food, clothing, and even medical equipment if needed.”

  “A toy drive and a Cherub Tree. That’s very generous of such a small community.”

  “We’re a very giving town. You won’t find a nicer place to live,” Emma said, conviction drawing her shoulders up and back.

  “Everyone has been so welcoming,” Gabi agreed.

  “Hey.” Emma snapped her fingers. “Are you doing anything right now?”

  “Not particularly.”

  “Wanna stay and help decorate?”

  “Okay.”

  “Great. The others will be here soon.”

  “Others?”

  “Decorating the Cherub Tree is a big deal. Everyone wants in on the act. Including Santa.”

  “Santa?”

  “You’ll see.”

  As if by decree, other people started appearing in the park, carrying boxes of ornaments like Emma’s or ladders and tools. Gabi and Emma reached the Sweetheart Tree first and set the box down. Both of them leaned back at the same time to take in the full length of the tree.

  “It’s really tall,” Gabi said. “How high up do we decorate?”

  “As far as the ladder extends.”

  “I got your ladder right here,” said a six-foot-tall middle-aged man dressed as an elf. “Hang on, ladies, and I’ll have you scaling that tree in no time.”

  “Thanks, Harvey.” Emma had to go on tiptoes to pat his shoulder.

  Harvey erected the ladder as other people gathered. They greeted one another, scooped out what was in the boxes, talked of the weather, their kids, the upcoming holiday.

  “Up you go,” Harvey said to Gabi and stood aside so she had unimpeded access to the ladder.

  “Me?”

  “Yup. You’re a guest to our fair city. It’s tradition for guests to hang the first ornament.”

  “We’re an all-inclusive town,” one of the older women Gabi had met at the luncheon with Belinda piped up. “We want everyone to feel welcome.”

  Harvey extended his hand to help her onto the ladder. “Upsy-daisy.”

  People were watching her expectantly. When in Rome, right? Wishing she had blue jeans on instead of a skirt with leggings, Gabi took Harvey’s hand to stabilize her while she climbed.

  “What now?” she asked, once she reached the top of the ladder.

  “We feed you ornaments,” Emma called from below.

  She looked down to see people were coming over to decorate the lower branches as well. Emma stepped up on the first rung of the ladder and handed her a large plastic red ball. Gabi came down a couple of rungs to reach it and when she raised her head, she was staring right at “Joe’s heart belongs to Tatum 4ever.”

  Yeah. She got that message loud and clear. High school sweethearts rule, everyone else is outta luck.

  Never mind that. She had a job to do.

  For several minutes, Emma passed ornaments up to her, and Gabi hung them. When she filled up as many of the branches as she could reach, she climbed down so Harvey could move the ladder over to another spot.

  Gabi tilted her head to survey her handiwork. Not bad if she did say so herself. She wondered what Derrick would think about the Cherub Tree and this town and decided he would have loved it.

  A wistful sadness for the brother she’d lost caused her stomach to ache. She wished he were here so she could talk to him about Joe and ask his advice.

  “Next year, I’m thinking peacocks,” Emma mused.

  “Peacocks?”

  “Sorry.” The redhead giggled. “I have conversations in my head sometimes and then forget to say all of it out loud. I was watching a Christmas special on the DIY channel last night and they were decorating with peacock feathers. It might be a nice addition to the Cherub Tree.”

  “Umm … okay.”

  “Unless you think it’s too random. Is it too random?”

  “In regards to?”

  “Thematic structure.”

  Gabi again studied the tree, which was decorated with every color, texture, and pattern imaginable. “You mean besides the cherubs?”

  “Yes.”

  “I think you could get away with peacock feathers.”

  “You’re right. I’m probably overthinking things. I didn’t get much sleep last night.” Emma suppressed a yawn behind her palm.

  “Because you were watching Christmas shows featuring peacock feathers?”

  “No, I was watching because I can’t sleep.”

  “You have insomnia?”

  “It’s the worst.” Emma’s tired eyes belied her cheery smile.

  “Let’s sit down,” Gabi said. “There’s plenty of other people to decorate the tree.”

  “But I’m the organizer,” Emma protested, yet she didn’t resist when Gabi took her by the elbow and guided her to a park bench some distance from the activities.

  Gabi could tell something was bothering Emma, but she wasn’t going to pry. She simply sat with her.

  “I love my kids,” Emma said. “More than life itself, but sometimes being a mom is the most exhausting thing in the world.”

  Gabi gave Emma her full attention. “You are raising human beings. Not a job for the faint of heart.”

  “You can say that again.” Emma met her gaze. “You don’t have children, do you?”

  Gabi shook her head. “I haven’t been blessed yet.”

  “Blessed.” Emma nodded. “I need to remember that word when I’m tossing and turning at three in the morning and one kid’s running a fever and another kid is sneaking out the bedroom window.”

  “You’re facing some challenges right now.”

  “No more than any other mother and I’ve got an amazing husband. The love of my life.” Emma’s face softened. “But Sam’s such a giver. He loves animals so much that he can’t say no to anyone who has a pet in need, even if he’s already worked a twelve-hour day. Instead of sending patients to Fort Worth to the twenty-four-hour pet emergency, he’ll get out of bed and go take care of them. And don’t even get me started on how much money people owe us beca
use they couldn’t pay their vet bills. Sam just lets it slide. I mean we’re doing fine financially, but we do have two kids to put through school.”

  “Have you talked to Sam about it?”

  “I don’t have the heart. He’s so good and kind and he’s trying the best he can.”

  “Have you considered that maybe Sam is so caught up in his work, he’s not aware of the strain it’s putting on you?”

  “I do try to make everything look easy so he can relax and enjoy the kids when he’s home,” she acknowledged.

  Gabi waited, honestly interested in what Emma had to say, but not offering advice. Emma had a strong marriage. She could figure this out. All Gabi had to do was hold space for her new friend, by not rushing to jump in with conversation or to tell her what to do.

  “Maybe I will talk to him,” Emma mused, perking up. “And I can cut back on the caffeine to make it easier to get to sleep. And when I’m exhausted, it’s okay to hire a babysitter to watch the kids if I need some down time.”

  Gabi nodded.

  “And maybe I’ll stop worrying about peacock feathers on next year’s Cherub Tree and pay attention to what’s right in front of me.”

  Gabi reached out and squeezed Emma’s hand. “See. You know the answers.”

  “You are such a good listener,” Emma said. “Have you ever thought about being a counselor or a therapist?”

  “Yes,” Gabi admitted.

  “You should totally do it,” Emma said. “You have a soothing way about you. You’re kind, understanding, not the least bit judgy. That’s a rare quality.”

  “You just needed someone to hear you,” Gabi said.

  “If you set up shop as a counselor, people would totally flock to you. Why haven’t you already done it when it’s clear you’re so good at it?”

  “My parents really want me to be a lawyer.” She told Emma who her parents were. “Follow in their footsteps.”

  “Oh wow, no kidding. The daughter of Felicity Hester and Gilbert Preston.” Emma crinkled her nose. “That is a lot of pressure.”

  “I couldn’t bring myself to disappoint them.”

  “And I thought it was tough growing up without any parental guidance at all.” Emma made a sour-pickle face. “I guess there needs to be a happy medium from uninvolved parenting to all up in your business.”

  Gabi laughed. “Moderation seems to work best in most everything.”

  “The Cheeks were good at balancing it. They’re good at keeping tabs on their children while still allowing them the autonomy to make their own mistakes. They’re a really well-adjusted family.”

  “Joe included?”

  Emma’s eyes clouded. “Oh yes. Sure, the ADHD has created some challenges for him. I mean that’s why he’s had so many different jobs. He’s smart as a whip, but he gets bored easily.”

  “It’s not terribly obvious that he has ADHD.”

  “The older he gets the better it gets. He’s on low-dose medication. The condition is completely manageable. According to Sam, he was quite a handful in his teenage and young adult years until Joe learned how to channel his hyperactivity. Tatum was part of that chaos. She inflamed him.”

  “You think those days are behind him?”

  “For sure.” Emma lifted one corner of her mouth. “Joe doesn’t much like to talk about his past. Please don’t tell him I told you.”

  “I do appreciate you letting me know. I won’t say anything to him.”

  They sat together on the bench in silence, watching the rest of the town decorating the Cherub Tree, its branches reaching high in the balmy blue sky. It had turned out to be a beautiful December morning after all.

  It was a nice moment.

  A beat-up old clunker parallel-parked at the curb a short distance away and a big-breasted blond so gorgeous that she could have been a supermodel got out. She wore skin-tight jeggings, a scarlet sweater, and a black leather jacket. Several men in the park turned to stare. The blond looked both ways before hustling across the street to the small hometown grocery store, on long legs encased in stylish boots.

  Emma startled, gasped, sat up straight, and pressed a hand to her mouth. “Oh no.”

  “What is it?” Gabi worried.

  Emma shook her head, ironed her lips into a grim line. “Tatum’s back.”

  CHAPTER 16

  Happy, happy Christmas, that can win us back to the delusions of our childhood days, recall to the old man the pleasures of his youth, and transport the traveler back to his own fireside and quiet home!

  —Charles Dickens

  Dumb idea, dumb idea.

  Burning with curiosity for an up-close view of Joe’s ex, Gabi entered the grocery store a few minutes after Tatum ducked inside. Her breath was more a pant than anything else because she’d practically run across the road.

  “Welcome to Grant’s Grocery,” exclaimed the greeter, and shoved a flyer into her hand. “We’ve got grapefruit on sale. Ninety-nine cents a pound. Cornbread mix, three for a dollar.”

  “Thanks,” Gabi said to get him to be quiet and shoved the flyer into her purse. She didn’t want to call attention to herself.

  “Cranberries marked down to—”

  Yeah, yeah. Gabi waved at the elderly man over her shoulder and traipsed through the produce aisle, trying to convince herself that her behavior wasn’t as deranged as it felt. Emma had sort of put her up to it in the first place.

  Don’t blame Emma. You’re the one acting like a jealous girlfriend.

  It wasn’t too late to leave. She could just turn around and slink out. Gabi spun on her heels to find her way blocked by a lady on a motorized scooter.

  Fate. She was supposed to go down another aisle.

  She slipped around a shelf of bread, inhaled a big whiff of yeast, and peeped around the corner. Saw the back of the shapely blond. Freaked out, she pulled back and plastered her spine against the bread shelf.

  Great. She was stalking Joe’s ex-wife. This was not the behavior of a rational person.

  Get out. Get out, while you still have some dignity left.

  Okay, yes. One last look.

  Gabi craned her neck around.

  Someone touched her arm.

  She let out a shriek, managing barely to muffle it with her hand. Heart pounding, she spun around to see Joe leaning over her shoulder. “You.”

  “Me.”

  “You scared the crap out of me. What are you doing here?”

  “What are you doing?” He appeared to be fighting off a smile.

  “I asked first.”

  “I saw you come in here after my ex-wife came in.”

  “So?” she said, trying not to sound defensive. “I needed some things.”

  “Yeah?” He stopped fighting the grin. Damn his knee-melting dimple. “What kind of things?”

  “Feminine hygiene kind of things,” she said, simply to embarrass him for sneaking up on her.

  “So what are you doing in the bread aisle?” He peeked over her shoulder.

  “Don’t look around, for crying out loud. She’ll see you.”

  “Good point.”

  “I can’t believe that’s your ex.”

  Joe sighed. “Unfortunately.”

  Gabi darted around the end of the aisle for another look. “She’s supermodel gorgeous.”

  “She’s like one of those pretty packages under the Christmas trees on the square. Dazzling wrappings with a rock inside.” Joe shook his head. “No, that’s not fair. Forget I said that. Tatum does the best she can. I hold no ill will.”

  Gabi bit down on her bottom lip and studied the exquisite creature browsing the snack aisle. How did she stay so trim hanging out in the snack food aisle? “You could have warned me. A little something along the lines of ‘Oh by the way, my ex-wife makes Gisele Bündchen look like a fishwife.’”

  “What’s a fishwife?”

  “A wife who sells fish.”

  “Beautiful wives can’t sell fish?”

  “Beautiful wives don
’t have to sell fish.”

  He moved closer, pressed his mouth against her ear, whispered, “Tatum’s got nothing on you, Trouble.”

  “I’ve got eyes, Cheek. Every man in the grocery store is ogling her.”

  “Not me,” he said, staring pointedly at Gabi’s breasts.

  “That’s because you’re just trying to impress me.”

  “Is it working?”

  “Yes. Maybe. A little.” She grinned back, and then checked out Tatum again. “Just look at her. Poets write poems about women like that. Faces like hers launch ships. Bodies like hers bring men to their knees. She inspires awe. I’m awed.”

  “It’s a little hard to inspire awe when she’s shoplifting.”

  “What? No!” Gabi was aghast.

  “Chocolate bar in her back pocket. She just slipped it in there.”

  “I didn’t see her.”

  “You weren’t watching closely. She’s good at it.”

  “That’s just sad.”

  “C’mon.” He took her elbow. “Let’s get out of here.”

  “What? You’re just going to let her shoplift?”

  “She needs to learn from her mistakes.”

  “But think of the store. They’re losing money.”

  “I’ll pay for her candy bar, will that make you feel better?”

  “No.” Gabi took a deep breath, wrenched her elbow from Joe’s grasp, and marched up to Tatum. “Excuse.”

  Tatum turned, a smile on her face. “Yes?”

  Gabi sank her hands on her hips. “Put it back.”

  “Excuse me?” Tatum looked affronted.

  “The candy bar you just stuck in your pocket. Put it back.”

  “Who are you?” Tatum tossed her beautiful head, her hair flowed like water down her shoulders.

  “It doesn’t matter who I am. Put the candy bar back.”

  Tatum’s eyes widened in faux surprise. “I’m going to pay for it.”

  “Fine.” Gabi crossed her arms over her chest. “Let’s go.”

  “Excuse me?”

  “Let’s go to the cash register and I’ll watch you pay for it or you can put it back.”

  Tatum peered over Gabi’s shoulder and her face dissolved into a beatific smile. “Why Joe, is that you?”

  Joe walked up behind Gabi. “Put the candy on the shelf, Tatum.”