Christmas, Alabama

by Susan Sands

  “Seems bigger this year. Maybe a sixty-fiver. Last years was about fifty-eight. This bastard’s huge.” He turned and cupped his hands over is mouth and called out to someone. “Hey, girls, come check out the tree.”

  A couple young girls in their early teens ambled toward them. Rachel recognized them as Samantha Harrison, Cammie and Grey Harrison’s daughter, and Junior and Maeve’s daughter, Lucy. They both had their phones out and were staring at the screens and looking ahead alternately, so as not to actually bump into anything or one another along the way.

  “Wow, Dad, it’s huge,” Lucy said, marveling at the enormous sight. Lucy had an open and friendly personality that wordlessly included everyone in her conversation without even trying. Everybody knew where they stood with Lucy. In short, she was Junior’s daughter all the way.

  “Yeah, epic,” Samantha agreed, almost in a whisper. Now here was a girl Rachel could identify with. She was dark-haired with incredible green eyes that matched her dad’s. She was a sweet child, but not quite as open and bubbly as Lucy. Sam had some sad and scary skeletons rattling in her closet, even at such a young age. Not anything the young girl was responsible for, but like Rachel, Sam had some terrible junk done to her by a parent she’d trusted.

  Cammie arrived, pint-size Stephie in-tow. Cammie was pregnant with another little nugget as well. The water here might just have sperm swimming in it. It seemed just that easy to get pregnant around here. Either that, or those Larouxs were just that prolific.

  Lucy scooped up Stephie and pointed to the grand tree, now being hoisted to its full height. “Look, Stephie. It’s soooo big.”

  Stephie squealed and clapped her chubby hands together, dimples deepening with delight. “Twee, twee; it’s soooo big.” Stephie had just turned two and enjoyed teaching her cousin, Janie all the words.

  Sam was Stephie’s older sister and stood next to Lucy and Stephie. Samantha had lost her mother in a single-car drunk driving accident when she was ten.

  Grey’s and Cammie’s second-chance was a love story that could melt the hardest non-believing heart. It was the kind of tale that gave Rachel hope.

  Sam loved Cammie. They were as bonded now as any healthy mother and daughter. “Wow, this one is even bigger than last year,” Cammie said.

  “I guess it is. Last year was kind of a blur for me,” Rachel said.

  Cammie smiled. “Yeah. Imagine it was. Do you think your dad will want to come for Christmas?”

  Rachel frowned. “I hadn’t thought about that. Mom and Sabine haven’t mentioned it, but he wasn’t here for Thanksgiving. Maybe we should invite him to drive up from Orange Beach for the day.” She hadn’t thought about including her dad, even though she should have.

  “I don’t mean to stick my nose where it doesn’t belong. I just wondered what his status was since he’s gotten out,” Cammie said. Rachel knew she meant well. The Larouxs were notorious for wanting everyone’s family to be as happy and intact as their own.

  “I really should be in closer contact with him. As much of a disappointment as he’s been to all of us, it’s Christmas, and we’re all he has,” Rachel said.

  Cammie smiled, then they heard Sam call, “Mom, can you grab Stephie?” Fast as lightning, Cammie turned to give chase to her slippery, speedy little toddler, whose chunky legs were carrying her as fast and as far away from them as possible with every second.

  “A little help here, girls, please,” Cammie called to Samantha and Lucy when Stephie managed to slip past Cammie, who was likely pregnant enough to realize thirteen-year-olds had a better shot at catching the tiny bolt of greased lightning who was headed across the grass at a dead run.

  If Rachel hadn’t had the camera with her very large, expensive lens strapped around her neck, she’d have given chase as well. But the two girls were every bit as fast as the toddler, and had her well in hand in under a minute.

  “Wow, she’s so fast. I had no idea,” Rachel said to Cammie, who was slightly winded, watching the little girl giggle, as she’d now turned her little run-away into a game of dashing back and forth between the two girls.

  Cammie laughed. “She does that every chance she gets. I can’t let her down in parking lots or at the grocery store. She takes it as a sign to run fast and free, and let’s face it, I’m not as fast as I used to be.”

  “I don’t know how you maintain a daily taping schedule and raise an active toddler, a tween—and a baby on the way. I can barely remember to feed myself,” Rachel said.

  “I’ve found that we can handle more than we realize. We’re women, after all. But, I’ll admit to wondering how life will change when this little one makes his appearance. We’re a manageable group right now; I’m afraid my scales are soon going to tip.”

  Rachel smiled. “Oh, I’ll bet you’ll handle it just fine.”

  “One thing at a time here. If we can get through this holiday taping week without my feet blowing up, I’ll call it a step in the right direction,” Cammie said.

  “Do you think Jessica Greene will make it to do the show?”

  Cammie shrugged. “Who knows? Her publicist reached out and practically begged for the opportunity on her behalf. She’s hoping it will spark a comeback of sorts if it goes well with viewers.”

  “You’re awfully kind to say yes. I mean, she did fire you from her show not so long ago,” Rachel said.

  “Well, the woman has had a couple awful years since then. Now that I’ve pretty much taken over her role with viewers, I can afford to show her some grace.”

  “Careful she doesn’t throw the grace back in your face,” Rachel said, remembering some of the awful things the woman had said.

  “We’ll be live, so no matter how it plays out, the truth will be there for all to see. It’s a risk, I guess, but I’ve definitely got the home advantage in this situation,” Cammie said.

  “I guess.” Rachel hoped so. Jessica Greene wasn’t known for her cooperative and drama-free nature.

  “What’s up?” Matthew Pope, Cammie’s producer had approached without either of them realizing it.

  “We were discussing Jessica Greene’s upcoming appearance on the live show. Rachel has some concerns about her causing a ruckus,” Cammie told Matthew.

  “Just let her try her shenanigans on my watch. She’s lucky I wasn’t there the first time.” Matthew was Emma’s husband, but he was fiercely protective of his sisters-in-law as well.

  Matthew focused on Rachel and asked, “How’s the photography business?”

  Rachel understood he was asking as one professional to another, which she appreciated. “I’m super busy. I’m saving for my own studio space in town.”

  “That’s fantastic. I know how hard it is to drag equipment around for studio shots. You do know that you’ve got a standing offer to use my studio whenever you need it, right?” he asked.

  “That’s so generous, but I hate to impose, or to use your fancy equipment.”

  “Are you kidding? You’re family, Rachel. Emma would have my head if she thought for a minute you were struggling and I didn’t help in every way possible. But that’s not why I’m offering. Artists should always give a hand up to one another. What we do is hard to make a living at. Many don’t understand our vision. When you find success within your creative outlet beyond a hobby, you’re in a lucky minority.”

  Rachel nodded. “I tried my whole life to find the right sport or activity I wanted to pursue, but nothing fit until I picked up a camera, and my life changed the second I looked through the viewfinder that first time.”

  Matthew laughed and nodded. “I had a similar experience, but I was a movie and television addict, and would memorize dialogue from my favorite shows. I knew from the time I was a young kid that I wanted to make that kind of magic.”

  “Too bad you got stuck here doing a cooking show,” Cammie said and jabbed him in the ribs.

  “The best rated cooking show on the air for two years running, with the most awards, hands down—including best director.�
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  “Poor Matthew pissed his boss off at the network and got sent here to do my show when we started. He wasn’t happy to be here at first, but then he met Emma.”

  “Let’s just say it wasn’t where I saw myself long-term.” Matthew’s expression was near-comical.

  “Oh, hey there, Doctor Nick,” Cammie said.

  Rachel turned to see Nick approach. He was a really sexy guy. Had she noticed how tall he was before? Or how well his jeans fit his muscled thighs? “Hi there. I thought you would be at the hospital right now.”

  “Dr. Granger stopped by and told me to go to lunch. Said he had a meeting and would cover anything that came in while he was finishing some phone calls and paperwork. One of our patients said they were putting up the tree today. I figured you’d be out here taking pictures, so I hoped you might be free for lunch.” He grinned at her like he was her real boyfriend.

  “Sounds great.” She grinned back, remembering their deal. On impulse, she leaned toward him and kissed him quickly on the mouth. She didn’t expect the thrill that went through her, or the sudden desire from such brief contact. “Let me take a couple shots of the tree now that it’s in place and then we can go. I’m starved.”

  He covered his surprise at her kiss pretty well, considering. But his eyes darkened with desire for an instant. Then he asked the group, “Anybody else hungry?”

  They noticed that the others gathered around them were staring with varying degrees of surprise. Cammie recovered first. “I’m always hungry, but I don’t want to interrupt y’all’s lunch date.”

  “Nonsense. Let’s all head to the pizza joint and put some tables together,” Rachel suggested.

  “Sounds like a plan,” Matthew agreed. “I’ll call Emma and see if she wants to join us.”

  Really, their dating shouldn’t have been such a surprise considering he’d sat next to her at Thanksgiving dinner, and been with her the other night in the square when most of them had been there decorating. But it hadn’t occurred to Rachel that coming out officially as a couple might raise some eyebrows.

  She wasn’t planning to tell anyone, not even her family, that this was a ruse. Rachel had her own reasons for having a sexy fake boyfriend, besides doing Nick a favor. One of them was getting her family off her back about finding a nice young man.

  She only wished she didn’t want to jump his bones so much.

  Nick had arrived just as Matthew made a profound statement. “Let’s just say it wasn’t where I saw myself long-term.” It sounded like Matthew had landed here from getting his arm twisted by the powers-that-be by his employer as well. Matthew’s words had pretty much stopped Nick in his tracks, because, while Nick had experienced that same frustration at being forced to take the job here, he too had found himself warming to this town and its people and way of life.

  At first, he’d felt manipulated by others, and he’d been powerless to make his own choice about this abrupt change to his life. He’d not been able to see anything positive about the move or the job change, however temporary. But it hadn’t taken Nick long to feel as if he’d been whisked away on some kind of permanent vacation from stress to a new way of life he hadn’t ever been exposed to. It was eye-opening and important.

  Lately, all he could think about was re-adjusting his prior goals and vision for his life and fitting it into a new and very different one here. He’d spent much of his time since he’d been in Ministry thinking how right this place felt, but wondering if he’d snap out of it the minute he got back to Atlanta.

  As Nick approached the gigantic tree, he shouldered some of Rachel’s equipment. In that moment, he thought that there wasn’t anywhere he’d rather be. She was stunning. Her long black hair streaming down her back as she crouched down to capture just the right angle of the magnificent tree. She was completely unaware of his thoughts or how she affected him. His suggestion of her pretending to be his girlfriend might not have been such a phony or foolish idea.

  They fit. He’d never been so at ease with another human being. Since they’d met, and in the short amount of time they’d spent together, he’d shared more of his past, and his thoughts about family and hopes for the future with her than he ever had with Monica. It was as if he’d been offered the opportunity to know Rachel, and now he must re-evaluate everything he thought he wanted for his life if he wanted a shot with her.

  That sounded ridiculous after barely two weeks. And he had no idea how she felt about him. He figured she liked him well-enough, based on their interactions thus far, but if he wanted a chance with this woman, Nick decided he’d better start working out a strategy right now. He had about six weeks give or take.

  As the group of friends and family made their way a couple blocks to the local pizza joint on Main Street, they passed the giant tree, which was now totally upright and being anchored in place by the workmen. Other than Rockefeller Center, Nick had never seen one quite this impressive.

  Once they arrived at The Pizza Pie, Junior sought out the owner, and arranged for their group to be seated together. Pizza Joe, they called him, came out to welcome his guests, and had several of the wait staff pull tables together to accommodate the party. Several other customers were filing in for the lunch hour as well, and the place clearly did a brisk business, but was well-prepared for the crowd. The hospital was about two miles from here, so hopefully, Nick would have plenty of time to eat and get back within the hour.

  Once they were seated, Nick asked, “So I was wondering how do you put lights on and decorate a tree that size?”

  They all kind of smiled and laughed, like there was a story behind that. Junior answered, “Well, Nick, a few years back, we decided on full-blown building scaffolding. We tried fire ladders and buckets, and that worked okay, but it was slow-going. So, we looked into how they handled it with that great, big tree they put up every year in New York City. Those Yankees do it right, and since our tree isn’t so much smaller than theirs, we decided to give their way a try.

  “You mean you build scaffolding all around it to put on lights and decorations?” Nick was amazed at the time, money, and effort the town put into this tree.

  “Yup. That’s what’s going up next. Have to use a crane to place the star on top,” Junior said.

  Junior nodded toward Cammie. “We’re lucky enough to have Grey Harrison’s company available to provide the scaffolding. They do major structural renovations of historic buildings. He’s an architect and a master carpenter.”

  Cammie chimed in then. “The town schedules the use of his scaffolding a couple weeks this time of year to get the tree done.”

  “Who actually spends days threading the lights into the tree?” Nick wondered aloud.

  “That’s the one job we hire out to professionals. It’s just too big of an undertaking for anyone here. A team of about twenty comes in from a company who specializes in commercial work. They use the hundreds of decorations our citizens have made over the years that are special to us, and ones we’ve all collected and donated to add to the tree. This year, we voted to use colored LED lights instead of white lights only. The company uses solar panels as a power source, in addition to electricity, since it takes so much power to keep it lit.”

  “That’s smart. I can’t wait to see it all finished,” Nick said.

  “It’s beautiful beyond words,” Rachel said then, her eyes shining. “The kids in town spend their time running and playing on the green, around the tree, after school and during their break for weeks. They wait to take it down until New Year’s Day to get the most enjoyment from it.”

  Rachel was sitting next to him, and he put an arm casually around her shoulders. It felt so natural to want to reach out and touch her—to physically connect with her. Even out in public, though she might think it was for show, it wasn’t.

  As soon as he did this, Rachel glanced over and smiled at him, leaning in just enough to let him know she was okay with his touch. Nick relaxed and completely forgot about the pretend part of their agreemen
t.

  One of the reasons he came here this afternoon was to let her know he’d arranged to take the time off so they could attend the Falcons/Saints game together. He hoped she would still be as excited about the prospect as when he’d mentioned it the other night at her apartment.

  So far, he hadn’t had a minute alone to discuss it with her. The discussion here was lively, with the current participants laughing and debating how many ornaments and days it would take to complete the decorating of the tree. “Last year, the star wouldn’t sit straight, so we had to keep calling the crane operator to come back and fix it,” Junior said.

  Junior spoke directly to Nick. “In case you were wondering, one of my Christmas festival jobs is making sure the tree is delivered, set up, and decorated on time.”

  Nick nodded. “I figured you were in charge here. You appeared to have a personal stake in how things go.”

  “Heaven forbid things don’t go well if you’re the man in charge around here. The snow-blower broke down one year on my watch and you’d have thought I’d killed puppies.”

  “Junior!” Cammie shushed him.

  “Oh, stop. You know what I mean. People around here always blame everything on the guy in charge, even if it’s not his fault. I wonder how they’ll react if the snow-blower breaks down if it’s Emma’s gig?” Junior asked.

  “Probably not the same as you, but the sin is often in the delivery. ‘Show’s over, folks. Machine’s broken,’ probably wasn’t the best way to break the news,” Cammie said.

  “Can’t tiptoe around every dang thing,” Junior grumped at Cammie’s comment.

  Nick quietly handed his platinum card to the waiter while they were distracted, and motioned that both tables’ pizza should be added to his check.