Secret Christmas Twins

by Lee Tobin McClain

  “Thank you.” Erica swallowed and started searching through the jeans and sweaters, trying not to wrinkle her nose at the stained ones, putting aside a couple that would be wearable, even cute, with a good washing.

  The woman came back. “I’m really sorry, but rules are rules. You see, if we let one person take more than one thing—” she brushed back her hair and waved an arm around “—everyone would want to, and it wouldn’t be fair, because—”

  “It’s fine,” Erica interrupted. “Thank you, anyway.”

  Jason coughed and she looked over to see him lift an eyebrow and point to his own chest, clearly offering to claim the additional item as his own. She just shook her head a little, picked up the little pair of elastic-waist jeans she’d found for one or the other of the twins and moved on to the next table.

  “Nothing like treating other adults like kids,” he muttered.

  “Yeah. Annoying, isn’t it?” Of course, Jason wasn’t accustomed to being spoken to in a patronizing way; he had a good job and had never been reduced to accepting handouts from anyone.

  “What all do you need? I’ll have a look around.”

  “Pretty much anything warm. They’re fifteen months, but we could go as high as eighteen to twenty-four months, sizewise.”

  “There are more boys’ clothes over here.” Another well-dressed woman about Erica’s age approached, this one with hollows under her eyes. She gestured Erica over. “Your babies are...” She swallowed hard. “They’re really sweet.” Her voice got rough on the last words, and she excused herself and walked rapidly out of the hall.

  There was some story there. And it was a good reminder to Erica: just because someone was pretty and dressed in designer clothes, that didn’t mean her life was easy.

  Most of the people working were incredibly kind, and Erica ended up with a useful little stack of clothing that would help the boys manage winter for now. As she was trying to figure out whether she was done and could escape, there was a small commotion at a table behind her.

  “Mommy! That girl has my Princess Promise game,” the little girl behind the table said, pointing at a bedraggled mother and daughter.

  “Oh! Oh, no, ma’am, that’s my daughter’s. These are the free toys.” She indicated the much less shiny toys on the table.

  “I’m sorry.” The poor mother blushed as she handed the toy back and knelt to comfort her disappointed daughter.

  “What’d she say, Chandie?” A scruffy-looking man with bloodshot eyes and the pinpoint pupils of an addict came to stand beside the woman and child. “She disrespecting you?”

  “Nothing, it’s fine.” The young woman, Chandie, took the man’s arm and steered him away, beckoning for her little girl to follow.

  The little girl hurried after, looking frightened.

  So there were drug problems even in the sweet little town of Holly Springs.

  Erica made an internal vow. Once she got on her feet, she’d keep the twins miles away from anyplace people with those sorts of issues hung around.

  She spent a few more minutes thanking the volunteers, then turned to locate Jason. She was done here. And from the look of things, he hadn’t found anything for Teddy. She wanted to leave.

  They came together near the door. “Do you want to stay for dinner?” he asked. “I usually do. It’s a holiday-type meal and it’s open to everyone.”

  So that was the source of the mouthwatering smells, of turkey and pie.

  “If you’re staying, we’ll stay, too,” she said, squaring her shoulders. “If the twins fuss, though, I’ll probably have to take them out to the truck.”

  “There’s child care in the church nursery. In fact, Ruth usually takes charge of it, so she’ll know what to do with the twins.”

  “That’s good, then.” She reminded herself to be grateful for the church dinner, and for the kind people who had put this event together, rather than being ashamed that she had to participate.

  “Here, I’ll take the stuff to the truck, and then I have to run out on a quick errand. By the time you get the twins settled, it’ll be about time for the dinner. Do you want to shop a little for yourself?”

  “Is something wrong with my clothes?” She narrowed her eyes, daring him to say it. Kimmie had always been on her to wear things that showed her figure rather than hiding it.

  He backed away, palms up. “Nope. Nothing at all. I just thought most women like to shop.”

  “Nice of you to call it shopping.” Get that chip off your shoulder, girl. You’re poor. She forced a smile. “I really do appreciate your help. Take as long as you need. I’ll see if Ruth needs help in the nursery, and if she doesn’t, I’ll meet you wherever those great smells are coming from.”

  On the way out, she saw Sheila, the woman who’d already given her the snowsuit for the twins, beckoning her over.

  “Hey, I’m going to say something, and if it makes you mad, just tell me and I’ll shut right up.” She smiled at the babies. “They are so cute.”

  “I doubt you’ll make me mad. Shoot.”

  “There’s this green winter dress here. It’s great quality and it’s only been worn a couple of times.” She flipped through the rack. “Look. Pretty, isn’t it?”

  And it was, absolutely gorgeous. A sheath dress with a lace overlay of the same shade over the shoulders and sleeves, and a row of gold grommets around the neckline.

  “It’s gorgeous,” Erica agreed, fingering the fabric.

  “I donated it, and it hurt me to do it, but—” she gestured down at herself “—these hips are never fitting into that dress again. You should take it.”

  “Oh, I couldn’t.”

  “Why not?” Sheila held the dress to her. “It would fit you perfectly. And you’d rock it, with your red hair and being so tiny.”

  “Someone else could use it more. I never go out.”

  “It’s not super fancy. You could wear it to a Christmas party, or a church service.”

  “That’s true...” Temptation overcame her. She’d feel like a queen in that dress.

  “It’s been hanging here all evening and nobody wanted it.” She tickled Mikey’s chin, making him laugh. “Go on, take it. Otherwise it’ll just stare at me from my closet and make me think about how much weight I’ve gained.”

  So, feeling a little foolish and a little excited, Erica let the woman wrap it up for her.

  Once the twins were settled in the nursery with plenty of attention—no help needed, as Ruth had two other assistants—Erica went to the door and looked out into the parking lot. If Jason’s truck were here, she’d find him, get his key and put the silly dress in the truck before going to dinner.

  He was just pulling in, as it happened, so she went out to meet him. Cold wind whipped through the icy parking lot, and she was grateful for the coat she’d borrowed from the front closet back at the farmhouse.

  Jason emerged from the truck, and when he saw her, he looked almost guilty.

  “I got something for myself, like you suggested,” she said, holding up the bag. “Can I just stick it in the truck?”

  “Um, sure.”

  When she did, she saw that the floor of the back seat was full of bags that hadn’t been there before. A red snowsuit peeked out of one, a big plastic tool set from another.

  Slowly, she backed out of the truck and looked at him. “You...have friends with babies?”

  “I hope you consider me a friend.”

  She stared at him, then at the bags, then at him again. “You did not just go out and buy a bunch of stuff for the twins.”

  “I actually did. But I kept the receipts. I got the sizes you said, but we can exchange them if anything doesn’t fit or if it’s not what you like.”

  “Why are you doing this?” Inside, emotions churned. She didn’t deserv
e for someone like Jason to treat her well. She’d never had that. People like her didn’t get treated well.

  And beyond that, she was deceiving him, so she really didn’t deserve his help.

  Not to mention that taking such big gifts—charity, really—from anyone made her uncomfortable.

  “You lost your job to take care of my sister, okay?” His voice was rough. “It’s the least I can do.”

  “I didn’t do that to get something.” Which she could see now was exactly how it looked. Did people think she’d bribed Kimmie? I’ll care for you if you give me half the farm?

  “I can afford it,” he went on. “I have a good job and a good salary.” He frowned. “At least, I think I’ll go back to it.”

  That distracted her. So he might not return to Philadelphia? Did that mean he might stay here?

  “You’re a good mom, you’re doing your best, you love your kids.” He said all those things flatly, as if they were facts, and the words buoyed her up. “We all need a hand sometimes. Kimmie did, and you gave it.”

  She opened her mouth to protest some more and then closed it. Looked up at the stars for guidance and didn’t find any.

  “Just accept someone doing something nice for you and your kids,” he said, his voice persuasive now. He reached out to adjust her coat, pulling it higher on her neck against the cold wind. Then he cupped her chin in his work-roughened hand and looked into her eyes. For a breathless moment she thought he was going to kiss her.

  And she thought she might let him.

  But he pulled his hand away, his eyes dark and unreadable, and nodded toward the church. “Come on, we’d better get some of that good food while we can.”

  As they turned toward the church, she felt his hand at the small of her back, guiding her, gently caring for her.

  It was appealing. Beguiling. Tempting.

  And incredibly dangerous.

  Because getting close to Jason—as her heart longed to do—meant betraying Kimmie’s wishes for the twins.

  Chapter Five

  Normally, Jason loved church dinners. He’d eat massive amounts of fried chicken, marshmallow fluff salad and green beans cooked to within an inch of their lives and still save room for a couple of pieces of pie.

  Today, sitting across the long table from Erica, he wasn’t even hungry.

  This thing with Erica was getting weird. Intense. Dangerous.

  He hadn’t dated anyone since Renea, and for good reason; she’d pegged him correctly as bad at relationships. Before her, he’d dated a lot, but it had all been shallow. His heart hadn’t been involved in the least.

  But against his will, he was connecting with Erica, feeling strangely close to her. To the point where, when he’d seen her tension at the clothing giveaway, he’d wanted to ease it.

  He’d wanted to pull her into his arms, but he knew better. So he’d done something to help her sons, instead.

  He hadn’t even minded, because he liked Mikey and Teddy, which was weird because he was not a baby kind of guy. He’d bought them a couple of matching outfits, flannel shirts and jeans, rugged country winter clothing they could wear as they crawled around the floor of the house.

  That was the thing, though: he wanted them in the house, not out at the cabin.

  He could blame his desire for them to stay on Papa, but the truth was he wanted them there for himself.

  Wanted Erica there for himself.

  “Eyes bigger than your stomach, young man?” Mrs. Habler, an apron tied around her waist, scolded as she looked at his still-full plate. “I made that three-bean salad, you know.”

  “And it’s delicious,” Erica said, giving Jason a chance to shove some into his mouth and nod.

  Mrs. Habler turned to focus on Erica. “Still staying out at Holly Creek Farm, are you? Tongues have been wagging, I’m afraid.”

  “Erica was a friend of Kimmie’s,” Jason interjected. “Having her and her boys there is making Papa happy.”

  “Then that’s reason enough, and I’ll try to quell the gossip.”

  “Wait a minute, Mrs. Habler.” Erica put a hand on the woman’s arm. “You seem like you know a lot of what’s going on in town. Do you happen to know of any job openings?”

  Now, that was interesting. Suggested that Erica would stay around, as did her desire to fix up the cabin, actually.

  The thought put way too much joy into his heart.

  “I might know of a couple of things.” Mrs. Habler pulled out a chair and sat down beside Erica. “I just heard Cam Cameron is looking for help at the hardware store. And there’s going to be an opening at Tiny Tykes Day Care, since Taylor McPherson got put on bed rest today.”

  Erica’s eyes widened. “I love kids. And maybe the twins...” Her cheeks flushed with obvious excitement. “Does anyone from the day care happen to be here tonight?”

  “Ruth Delacroix is in the nursery, I believe. She’s the owner.”

  “I know her!” Erica clapped her hands together. “Maybe that’s what God has in mind for me. Thank you so much, Mrs. Habler!” She leaned over and gave the woman a one-armed hug.

  “You’re surely welcome.” Mrs. Habler bustled over toward a small group of women clustered near the kitchen, clearly delighted to have put her interfering skills to work.

  Erica looked to be brimming with excitement, but before they could discuss the possibility of her working at Tiny Tykes, Pastor Wayne stood to offer a message.

  “Keep it short, Pastor!” one of the men cleaning off tables called, grinning.

  “That’s not in my skill set, George,” the pastor called back to general laughter.

  As he launched into a message welcoming guests and focusing on coming home to Christ if you’d been astray, Jason finished his plate of food, listening to the pastor’s remarks with half an ear.

  He hadn’t felt the presence of God in some time, even though he dutifully attended church with Papa when he came home. He’d gotten angry at God for letting Kimmie go downhill so badly. Which was wrong, of course.

  He hadn’t done things right, faithwise. It looked like Kimmie hadn’t, either. It occurred to him that he didn’t know whether Kimmie had been right with the Lord or not when she’d died.

  As for himself—was he right with the Lord? He’d certainly strayed far away.

  Appropriately enough, the pastor was sharing the story of the prodigal son. As he started to wrap it up, Ruth Delacroix came into the fellowship hall and approached Erica. For a moment Erica looked excited, but as Ruth whispered to her, she looked increasingly concerned. As soon as the pastor finished, Erica followed Ruth out of the fellowship hall.

  Jason debated with himself. He shouldn’t follow after Erica, should he? For one thing, as Mrs. Habler had said, tongues were already wagging. For another, Erica could handle things herself and didn’t need him interfering.

  But the worry on her face...

  Before he half knew what he was doing, he was out of his chair and headed out the same door where Erica had gone.

  When he reached the nursery, the twins looked to be fine—a relief.

  But Erica didn’t.

  She was sitting on the floor next to Lori Samuelson, the local pediatrician and an active member of the church, while Ruth dealt with the twins and two other toddlers and listened in.

  It wasn’t his business, and it wasn’t right to eavesdrop. The twins were fine. But as he turned to leave, he caught Erica’s concerned question: “So you think it’s serious?”

  “They’re quite delayed for fifteen months. The earlier you get help for them, the more likely they’ll catch up by the time they’re in school.”

  He forced himself to walk away, but he couldn’t force away the look on Erica’s face nor the worried tone of her voice.

  The twins wer
e in some kind of trouble. And for better or worse, he cared. He wanted to help.

  * * *

  “Can I take you to lunch as a thank-you?” Erica asked Jason the next morning as they drove away from Ruth Delacroix’s big Victorian home, half of which operated as the Tiny Tykes Day Care.

  She felt like she was about to burst—with anxiety, with gladness, with worry and anticipation.

  She’d basically gotten the job. She could start right after the Christmas week closure, provided her paperwork turned out fine. Best of all, the twins could come. They’d be together in the infants and toddlers’ room, and Erica would be alternating between that room and the preschoolers’ room. It would give the twins a lot of time with her, and some time without her, too, to get more accustomed to other people and to get a different kind of stimulation.

  Their life here was shaping up—except for the secret she had to keep and the worry of getting the twins the help they needed. She had an idea about how to handle the early intervention issue, but she had to talk Jason into it very carefully.

  “You don’t have to buy me lunch,” he said as he steered the truck through the snowy streets of downtown Holly Springs.

  “I want to. What’s the best lunch place in town?”

  He grinned over at her and her heart just about stopped. “Well, if you insist... I do love a good burger at Mandelina’s.”

  “Let’s do it.” It was just a thank-you, she assured herself. Nothing more.

  In the corner diner, overwhelming stimulation confronted them. The combined aroma of grease and coffee. Bright Christmas streamers, multicolored lights and three Christmas trees. “Grandma Got Run Over by a Reindeer” blaring from corner speakers.

  “The best place, huh?” she murmured as the hostess took them to the only empty booth.

  “You’ll see.”

  When the menus came, Jason plucked hers out of her hand. “I know what you’re going to do. You’re going to order a salad. It would be a mistake.”

  “How’d you read my mind?” She lifted an eyebrow.