by ID Johnson
“Is he one of the kids from church?” she asked.
Realizing she needed to stop beating around the bush, Melody said, “No, his dad fixed a broken door knob at our house last week, and Michael just happened to be with him.”
“Oh, you mean Reid’s little boy?” Edie asked, stepping behind Delaney. “I met him a few weeks ago when Reid had to come over and fix a busted pipe one night. What a cutie!”
“Do you mean the boy—or the dad?” Delaney asked, smiling mischievously at her coworker.
“Yes!” Edie said with a wink before she flipped her curly red hair over her shoulder and went on about her business.
Questioning brown eyes peered at her, waiting. “Michael asked me to go,” Melody assured her friend.
Delaney’s wide smile told Melody she wasn’t buying it. “Okay…” she said, but the way she drew out the last syllable was more proof that she thought something was up.
“What’s the name of the tree farm?” Melody asked, deciding it was about time for her to make an exit.
“Taylor Tree Farm. Tell him we’ll be there around 11:00?”
“Perfect. Thanks, Delaney,” Melody said with a smile.
“Sure thing. See you later!”
Melody waved goodbye at Delaney and Edie, who was standing in the distance behind her filling a coffee mug. She pulled her white coat tighter around her as she went back into the chilly December air.
Walking to her car, she thought about calling Reid to tell him where and what time to meet them on Saturday and felt the butterflies in her stomach buzzing around like dragons. While she really wanted to speak to him, calling him on the phone made her feel very nervous, and she thought she should maybe put it off for a day or two. Maybe she’d get lucky and he’d call her—or she’d bump into Michael again somewhere. Texting would be easier, but that seemed so impersonal, so she knew she’d have to get the courage up to call him. In the back of her mind, she heard a nagging voice questioning whether or not he really wanted to talk to her at all and if he had only said he’d meet her at the tree farm to quiet his excited child.
Christmas decorations were everywhere now. Garlands and large, velvety red bows hung from the lampposts, and every shop had a wreath on the door, their display windows covered in red and green. Each evening when the sun began to go down, the entire downtown area would blaze to life with the sparkle of thousands of twinkling, white lights decorating every building, every post, and every tree. Charles Town was absolutely beautiful at Christmas, and even though she longed for the days when she’d walked these streets hand in hand with her father, this year getting past the pain of losing him did seem a bit easier than the one before. She was hopeful that the trend would continue and eventually she could look at a Christmas tree without thinking of that Christmas Eve night when her mother had gotten the phone call that her dad wasn’t ever going to make it home.
Sighing, and pushing the thought out of her mind, she unlocked her door with the key fob and slid into the driver’s seat. The desk had been delivered, as had four more boxes of various collectibles. Her mother had been able to sell quite a bit this week, and Melody was beginning to think her social media efforts were paying off. Still, she needed to hurry home and post some new pictures she’d taken of the items her mother had put out on display this morning. Owning a family business meant the work never stopped, and for a moment, she missed her old life in Chicago where she’d been able to go home at 5:00 each evening and let the rest of her work wait until the next day.
She threw the car into reverse and made sure her path was clear before heading home. Charles Town was so different from Chicago. Though she’d only had a few friends there that she had made at work or college, there was always something to do in the big city, something to see. Here, you couldn’t even watch a movie without driving to another town. The area was rich in history, and as a child she’d enjoyed going with her parents to visit the museums and battlefield nearby, but most of the year, Charles Town did not have a lot going on.
The next few weeks made up for that, however. The people of Charles Town certainly knew how to celebrate Christmas. There would be a parade, Santa would visit the library, and then there was the festival. Even though the First Baptist Church hosted it each year, it was more of a city wide occasion, with people coming from far and wide to enjoy the festivities. As Melody pulled into the driveway, she remembered all of the times she had stood on stage at church on Christmas Eve singing her heart out while her father played the piano, every seat in the house filled with friends and family.
With a sigh, she turned the car off and pulled the keys out of the ignition. Part of her missed it, but the thought of standing up there all alone amidst a thousand people brought tears to her eyes. “I miss you, Daddy,” she whispered, squeezing her eyes tight to keep the tears from falling. Making her way to the house, she thought, At least this year I have Michael to keep me distracted—and maybe someone else, too. Although, she really had no way at all of telling what Reid really thought of her. Maybe spending more time with him on Saturday would let her know if she had a chance of making some of those daydreams come true or if this would be another Christmas spent all alone.
Chapter 5
Reid found Mrs. Gregory in her kitchen sipping a cup of coffee with a catalogue in front of her on the island, the heavenly aroma of sugar cookies radiating out of the oven. She looked up as he walked in, and setting her cup down said, “Did you get it all patched up?”
“I did,” he assured her with a smile. “I think it’s in pretty good shape, and I trimmed the tree back a bit more while I was up there so you shouldn’t have to worry about it anymore for a while.”
“Oh, thank goodness,” she exclaimed with a smile. “One less thing to worry about.”
“Do you mind if I use your sink?” he asked. He’d taken his work gloves off for part of the more delicate repairs and now his hands were dirty.
“Not at all,” she said, hopping up to fetch him a clean towel. “You’ll sit a spell with me and have a cup of coffee before you go, won’t you?”
Reid turned the faucet off and accepted the towel she was holding out. He glanced over his shoulder at the wall clock and saw that it wasn’t quite 2:15 yet. “I suppose I have a few minutes before I have to go pick Michael up from school,” he said. Mrs. Gregory was not only one of his best clients, she also told all of her friends about his services. Her referrals alone had made him enough money to pay the mortgage this month.
“I can’t believe they suspended him from the bus!” she exclaimed, reaching into the cupboard to find a clean coffee mug. She retrieved it and poured his coffee. “If you wait long enough, I’ll have fresh cookies.”
Taking the mug, he said, “Oh, thank you. Your cookies are delicious, but I’m afraid I’ll need to leave in a few minutes.” He sat down on a bar stool, and she went around to her original seat. “I guess I can’t blame them for temporarily suspending his bus riding privileges. He did forge a note after all.”
“That bus driver should’ve known better than to accept an unsigned note.” She was wearing a Christmas sweater today that some might classify as ugly, but on her, Reid thought it just looked festive.
“Michael might be cute, but he isn’t perfect. He can get into mischief,” Reid reminded her, taking a sip of his coffee, which had a distinct note of hazelnut. “It’s an inconvenience to have to go get him every afternoon for the next week and a half, but at least I get to spend a little more time with him.”
“I think he might need an outlet for some of the mischief,” Mrs. Gregory said, a bit of an impish gleam in her eye.
Wondering what she might suggest, and how he might politely decline, Reid asked, “Did you have something in mind?”
“I’ve been asked to direct the children’s portion of the Christmas Festival program this year,” she said, setting her cup down and putting both hands on the island, her smile beaming. “Wouldn’t Michael just love coming up on stage with the rest of
the kids and singing a song or two? He could even have a little speaking part.”
“I thought that’s what you might be proposing,” he said, running his hand through his hair and managing a nervous smile. “Mrs. Gregory, I really appreciate the sentiment, but church just isn’t our thing.”
“Isn’t Michael’s thing or isn’t your thing?” she asked, leaning forward in her seat, her face taking on a more serious expression. Before he could respond, she continued, “Reid, people don’t usually say something like that unless there’s been some sort of an event to precipitate it. I assume that means you’ve gone to church before, and something has happened to make you decide it’s not for you?”
He nodded but didn’t say anything. While he both liked and respected the older woman, there was no reason to drag up the past just now, and he refused to reopen old wounds and pour his heart out, even if she might be able to give some useful advice.
She offered him a small smile of encouragement. “I won’t ask you what happened; it’s not my business. If you’d like to talk about it, I’m always willing to listen. What I will say is, I don’t think you should let your past interfere with Michael’s present—or his future. I understand you don’t want to go, and I can appreciate that. But I am more than willing to pick him up and drop him off if you feel that it is something he would enjoy.”
Unsure if it was just the fact that they lived in a small town where everyone seemed to run in the same circles or if it was happenstance that everyone seemed to be talking about the Christmas Festival, he thought back to a conversation he’d had with Michael just the night before. A few of his friends at school had been talking about the it and how they’d be singing on stage. Michael had asked if he might be able to do it, too, and while Reid had told him not this time, he knew Michael really would love it if he was allowed to participate. With a weak smile, he asked, “Are you sure it’s not any trouble, Mrs. Gregory?”
She was grinning now. “Not even the least little bit. I have a booster seat that I use when my grandson comes to visit, and I know where you live. It’s not all that far from the church or my place.”
“Well, okay then,” Reid said, accepting that he could no longer allow the negative experience of his past to prevent his son from taking part in an activity he would likely really enjoy.
“Great! I’ll pick him up at 5:30 and have him back by 8:00. Oh, he’s going to love it! He’ll even get to see his favorite gal, Melody, a bit while he’s there.”
At the mention of her name, Reid felt his countenance change. His heartbeat hastened a bit, and he felt those butterflies in his stomach again. “Oh, that’s right,” he said, trying to keep his voice calm and even. “He really will like that.”
“Yes, that Melody sure is a nice girl. And so smart. Did you know she was the salutatorian of her graduating class? She got a scholarship to go away to school, too. Her folks sure were proud of her.”
Not exactly sure how to reply, Reid took the easy route. “Michael sure does like her.”
Mrs. Gregory took a sip of coffee and set her mug back down. “Why do you think that is?” she asked, her expression unreadable.
Reid had been asking himself the same question for a week now, not because he couldn’t think of a thousand reasons why a person might like Melody but because he wasn’t exactly sure what it was about her that had Michael longing to spend as much time with her as he could. “I’m honestly not sure,” he admitted. “She’s nurturing but not matronly by any means. She’s old enough to be a mom, but not quite Michael’s mother’s age. And she looks absolutely nothing like his mom. I’m not sure if there’s just something about her smile, the way that she listens to him, or another quality he’s picking up on that has him enthralled, but whatever it is, she’s just about the only thing he talks about.”
He glanced across the island to see Mrs. Gregory’s wide smile, her eyes dancing and realized he may have said more than he’d meant to. “Melody has that effect on a lot of people,” she replied as simply as possible. “I think, if you have the opportunity to spend more time with her, you’ll learn to see what your son sees.”
Deciding not to give Mrs. Gregory any more hope that he might be ready for a relationship with Melody—something he hadn’t even allowed himself to consider, as much as the thought lingered in the periphery of his mind—he smiled and said, “I think it’s about time I go get myself in the parent pick up lane. I’m told if you’re not there plenty early, you’ll find yourself pretty far back in the line.”
“All right. I guess I’ve done enough prying for one day, anyway,” Mrs. Gregory said with a wink. “Please tell Michael I am very excited to see him tomorrow afternoon.”
“I will let him know,” Reid promised, wondering how he’d let Mrs. Gregory influence his decision making so drastically in a ten-minute-long conversation. This woman was both wise and perceptive, two qualities that could potentially cause problems for him if he wanted to continue to leave his past buried. She might just force him to confront some issues he’d been unwilling to address for quite some time. But then, she might also convince him that he really was ready to try his hand at love again, and if the other component of that equation happened to be with the pretty brunette his son was entranced by, well then, maybe Mrs. Gregory’s powers could be used for good after all.
Bible study started at 5:30 and was over by 6:30 so that the choir—or this time of year, those who would be participating in the Christmas Festival—could get an hour’s worth of practice in before little ones needed to head off to bed. Melody had made several friends in her study group and knew others from high school, but she was so busy these days trying to keep the shop open, she rarely saw any of them outside of their Wednesday night meetings and Sunday service. This time of year, it was hard for her to focus because the lessons were always about how to be thankful and appreciate the ones you loved, the sort of themes that went along with the Christmas spirit, and since she spent most of the hour thinking about her father, she was seriously considering skipping from now until after the new year.
A few of the girls in her group called her over to chat once the leader, Dan, dismissed them, but she made an excuse and headed out the classroom door, hoping to get out of the building without having to talk to anyone else. She just wanted to go home and immerse herself in work, forgetting all about her father, Christmas, everything.
She saw her mother across the vestibule as she neared the door and waved at her. Her mom would stay and sing in the adult choir, like she had every year for as long as Melody could remember, except for the year her father had passed. Losing her father hadn’t effected Sarah exactly the same way as it had Melody when it came to music, but her mom understood and waved at her with a small smile as Melody headed for the door.
Stepping out of the way for an older couple coming in, Melody was shocked when she heard a familiar squeaking voice shouting her name. She looked back, and bounding down the hall behind her was none other than her sweet friend Michael.
“Miss Melody!” he shouted, his arms open wide as he plowed into her. “I’m so glad I got to see you before you left.”
“Michael!” she said, wrapping her arms around him. “What are you doing here?” Instinctively, she looked around for Reid, but when she saw Mrs. Gregory walking up slowly behind Michael, a smile on her face, she thought she knew why he was there.
“I came to sing with the other kids,” he explained, stepping back and looking up at her with a big grin on his face. “Dad said I could.”
“How fun!” Melody exclaimed. “Did you ride with Mrs. Gregory?”
“Yup,” he said, turning to smile at the woman who was standing behind him. “I got to learn all about the shepherds in Bible study, and now I get to go in there and sing on the big stage,” he said pointing into the sanctuary where other children were starting to gather on the stage.
“How are you, Melody?” Mrs. Gregory said, smiling and leaning across Michael to hug her.
Melod
y returned the embrace and said, “I’m good. It’s so nice that you were able to bring Michael. I know he’s going to love singing in the festival.” She looked down at him and giggled at the broad smile on his face.
“I remember another little girl who loved singing in the festival,” Mrs. Gregory said with a sharp wink, and Melody steeled herself for a possible confrontation, hopeful that Patricia Gregory was wise enough to leave it alone. “Michael is also going to have a line to recite, aren’t you?” she continued, resting her hands on his small shoulders.
“Yup!” he repeated. “I can’t wait!”
“Well, you have a wonderful time,” Melody smiled, seeing that the group in the other room seemed just about large enough for Mrs. Gregory to get in there and get started.
“You’ll come watch won’t you?” Michael asked, grabbing hold of Melody’s coat sleeve. “You gotta.”
“Oh, I’ll definitely come and see you sing in the festival,” Melody assured him. “I wouldn’t miss it for the world.”
“No, not the festival,” Michael clarified, adamantly shaking his head, “tonight. At the practice. There’s lots of seats in there, and all the other kids have parents here.”
“Not all of them,” Mrs. Gregory offered. “And most of them are in the adult choir, sweetie.”
“Please, Miss Melody?” Michael continued, slipping his sticky little fingers into hers. “Please?”
Melody opened her mouth and closed it, not sure how to explain in a way that he would understand that the last thing on earth she wanted to do was watch a group of children sing the very Christmas songs she was trying to run away from. And she had so much work to do now that her mother was selling the inventory so quickly. Still, when she looked into those bright blue eyes, the declination wouldn’t come, and before she knew what she was saying, the words came pouring out of her mouth. “All right, Michael. I’ll come and watch.”