by Codi Gary
They started walking again and Olive piped up, “Have you thought about what you’re going to wear to dinner tonight?”
“Jeans and a sweater. It’s just the Jeffries. I’ve been to their house dozens of times.”
“That doesn’t mean you can’t dress up, especially since they haven’t seen you in years. I find that if I get pretty from my undies to my jacket, I am in a better frame of mind for whatever life throws at me. More confident. Better conversationalist.” Olive snapped her fingers. “I’m taking you into Tammy’s place. You’re going to love it. She has some little black dresses, but her specialty is bling and pops of color. I got this off the shoulder purple sequin dress at home that makes my chest look huge.”
“Your chest is huge.”
Olive smirked. “Yes, but the dress really makes them vavavoom.”
“Olive, I packed plenty of clothes. I don’t need to shop.”
“Yes, you do and do you know why? Because I bet every outfit is serviceable. That’s too much able in one suitcase. It won’t hurt you to look and who knows, the right outfit can do wonders for your libido.”
“Oh, good God, you leave my libido alone.”
“You’ll thank me later.” Olive led her down to a storefront window. Tammy’s Glitzy Boutique used to be a thrift store until they moved into a bigger space down the street. Glittery, fake snow covered the floor of the window and silver snowflakes hung around three stylish mannequins. One was draped in a slinky, red sequin dress with cute black boots. The second wore a white fuzzy sweater, a green wreath in the center, paired with distressed blue jeans, while the last mannequin stood decked out in an iridescent halter dress and gold heels.
“This is awfully fancy for a small-town store.”
“Please! We are freaking fabulous and we need Tammy’s. The big cities got nothin’ on us.”
Olive opened the door to the store and shooed Anna Beth inside. Several women browsed the racks of clothes throughout the store, cheery Christmas music playing overhead.
A woman sporting a blonde mohawk waved from behind the computer and walked over next to Olive, giving her a hug. Her eyes, cheeks, and even her hair were dotted with specks of glitter and she greeted them with a wide, infectious smile on her face.
“Olive, so good to see you. Did you come to check out our new Christmas collection?”
“Yes, but not for me. Do you remember my friend, Anna Beth? Sarah Driver's niece?”
Tammy’s blue eyes lit with recognition. “Yes! Oh my goodness! How are you? I haven’t seen you since I used to help out down at the community center. Your aunt said you were some hot shot writer in Hollywood! She is so proud of you!”
Anna Beth coughed to hide her surprise. “I’m fine, thanks. How are you? Your shop is lovely.”
“Thank you. I love it. Making ladies feel beautiful is what I was meant to do, so I am fabulous.”
Olive jumped in. “A.B. needs something to get her sexy back and I told her this was the place.”
“You flatter me," Tammy said with a wink. “I’ll let you look around while I pull some things. Size twelve?”
“How did you know?” Anna Beth asked.
“It’s my job, baby. Now, you just relax. You’re in good hands.”
“We’re actually just looking.” Anna Beth ignored Olive’s death stare and continued, “As beautiful as your clothing is, I don’t really have anywhere to wear them. I’m a homebody.”
“You make your own occasion! I never leave my house without looking amazing. But I understand.” Tammy winked. “Today we’re just testing the waters, but maybe in the near future, you’ll take the plunge. When that happens, I’m here for you, girl.”
Seven
Jared parked his truck behind Anna Beth’s Chrysler on the side of the road. He’d forgotten tonight was supposed to be the family tree trimming party and his parent’s driveway was packed with cars from his other foster siblings. He’d thought about telling his mom he couldn’t make it to dinner since he’d only had four hours of sleep, but he didn’t want to disappoint her.
That wasn’t the only reason he wanted to go. He needed to see Anna Beth. Now that he’d run into her several times, he wanted to make amends. Maybe, one day, they could even be friends again.
If she could forgive him for putting her in such an uncomfortable situation.
In hindsight, he should have never confessed to Anna Beth on her wedding day, but he’d been consumed with the thought of losing her. In the end, he’d lost her anyway. It was a selfish motivation, and hopefully she could see he’d grown from that scared kid.
The trim around the house was lit up with multi-colored Christmas lights, flashing brightly in the dark. A ginormous blow up Frosty graced the front yard, weaving in the breeze. Jared turned the corner and jumped as an animatronic Santa by the front door moved. The eyes lit up bright blue as it sang Santa Claus is Coming to Town, the arms and body twitching as though possessed.
The porch light flipped on, making the Santa even more terrifying in the light, and the door opened as his mom stepped out onto the porch.
“Jared! I thought I heard someone out here.”
“Yeah, Santa was coming for me. Where the hell did you get that? It's creepy.”
“We ordered him from some Christmas store online. I think he’s great!” She stood back, waving her hand for him to enter. “Come in before you freeze your buns off.”
Jared bent to kiss her cheek as he passed, the rich smell of fresh-baked bread wafted from the kitchen, causing his mouth to water. “Speaking of buns, what did you make? Smells good.”
“Lasagna, a tossed salad and a cream pie for dessert, but Anna Beth came early with this bread she bought. You just pop it in the oven for a half an hour to bake and viola, tasty bread!”
“I can’t wait to try it.” He slipped out of his coat and hung it up on an empty hook by the door.
“I’m going to head back into the kitchen. Go, say hi to your dad.”
“I’ll be in to give you a hand in a bit.”
She patted his cheek playfully. “Such a sweet boy.”
“Now I feel like a toddler. Thanks.”
“It’s a mother’s job.”
His mom disappeared into the kitchen and he headed into the living room. The high vaulted ceiling with two bay windows faced East and, between those windows, stood an eight-foot-tall Noble fir without lights or ornaments adorning it’s branches. Perfectly prepared for tonight's activities. His parents took in dozens of foster kids over the years, but they’d only adopted four. Unofficially, he made five. Isabel, Savannah, Forrest, and Grayson.
Isa was two years older than him. After college, she’d taken a job at Mike’s trucking company running the office, where she’d met Gil, one of Mike's drivers, and fallen head over heels in love. They’d married five years ago and, along with a very sassy three-year-old niece, Alana, Isa was seven months pregnant with his nephew, Simon.
Savannah, Forrest, and Grayson were biological siblings. Savannah was the eldest at twenty-five, then Forrest at twenty-three, and Grayson rounded out the trio at twenty.
Sometimes they’d get a surprise guest, but for the most part, they were the only ones who showed up.
His dad sat in his recliner, watching an action movie with Forrest, Grayson, and Isabel’s husband, Gil. His dad lost at least thirty pounds since his diagnosis and even though they’d removed his prostate and labeled him cancer free, he still hadn’t quite bounced back.
Mike looked up when Jared put his hand on his shoulder.
“Nice Christmas movie, Pop.”
Mike looked up at him, patting Jared’s hand. “Hey there. Your mom said I couldn’t watch any without her.”
“Still only one a night?"
“I can’t stay up the way I used to. I barely make it through one.”
“I’m the same way, Pop. Don’t feel bad.” He sent a salute toward the others. "Sup, guys?”
Gil raised his beer to him, while Forrest stood up and gave him a one-
armed hug. Several inches shorter than Jared’s six-foot three, Forrest made up for the lack of height in breadth, the kind of stocky that genetics played a huge part in and five days at the gym created the rest. Jared spent hours at the gym for years just to put on fifty pounds of muscle.
“How’s it going, bro?”
“You know me. Keeping the peace.” Jared looked around. “Speaking of peace, where’s Casey?”
“He’s back in his room,” Gil said. “He dashed back there the minute you pulled up.”
Mike patted his arm from his sitting position. “Maybe you could go talk to him? Clear the air?”
“I’ll see what I can do, Pop.”
Grayson looked up from his phone and gave Jared a nod. Although Grayson shared the same blue eyes with Forrest, his build was slight in comparison and his hair a lighter shade of blonde with long strands falling into his face.
“Hey, Jared, busted any drug dealers with massive amounts of cash?” Grayson asked.
“Not recently, why?”
“Cause I was hoping you could slip a little money my way to help a poor, starving college student.”
Forrest leaned over the arm of the couch and punched Grayson in the shoulder. “Maybe if you actually saved money instead of spending every dime you make; you wouldn’t be so broke.”
Grayson pushed his hair back behind his ear, glaring at Forrest. “I have needs.”
“Get a girlfriend. Then you won’t have to fill your life with video games.”
“Video games are cheaper.”
“Girlfriends have other perks,” Forrest said, waggling his eyebrows. “You’d probably have to cut the man bun to get one, though.”
Grayson climbed to his feet, and Jared jumped in to defuse the situation. “Speaking of girlfriends, is Megan here?”
Forrest’s face lit up at the mention of his longtime girlfriend. “Yeah, she’s in the kitchen. She drove so I could have a few beers with you guys. She’s awesome like that.”
“I rode with you. Can I have a beer?” Grayson asked.
Mike, Jared and Forrest answered at the same time. “No!”
“Just asking, geez,” Grayson grumbled as he sat back down.
They drifted into silence for a few moments, watching tv. Jared’s gaze bounced around to each of them before chuckling. “Does anyone else find it archaic that all the women are in the kitchen preparing the meal, while the men folk sit out here watching T.V.?”
All of them stilled, glancing around at each other.
“You don’t want to go in there, man. They are plotting,” Grayson said.
Forrest nodded in agreement. “I walked in to grab the beers and Isabel was talking about her pregnancy…things I am still too young to hear about.”
Gil shrugged. “Your mom said they were fine when I offered.”
Jared pinned Mike with an amused stare. “And you? What’s your excuse?”
“I was ordered to sit down and stay out of the way. I do what my wife tells me.”
Jared laughed. “Well, I’m going to go and check on them. If it gets too hairy, I’ll be back.”
Grayson grinned. “You just want to see Anna Beth, who is looking fiiiii--ow!” Grayson rubbed the side of his head where Forest smacked him. “What?”
Jared saluted Forest. “Thanks.”
“What did I do?” Grayson asked.
Forrest folded his beefy arms over his chest. “You need to learn how to talk about women with respect.”
“I’m gonna get in there,” Jared said.
Mike took his hand in a firm grasp. “Thanks, son.”
Jared warmed at the simple word. Making his parents happy meant the world to him, especially after almost losing Mike.
Jared headed into the kitchen, the sound of women’s laughter filling the air. He stood in the doorway; his gaze immediately trained on Anna Beth. She sliced bread at the counter on one of the large cutting boards, laughing at something his sister, Isabel, said. A long blonde braid fell down her back and the red V-neck sweater she wore brought out her rosy cheeks.
When his sister saw him, Isa squealed, “Jared!”
It had been a few weeks since he’d seen her and guilt settled into the pit of his stomach. He needed to make more of an effort to visit, but he was an introvert and preferred staying home on his own than socializing with anyone, even his family.
Anna Beth glanced up for a split second then winced. She dropped the knife on the counter and stared at her hand.
“Shit,” she muttered.
Jared made it around the kitchen and stood at her side before he realized he’s taken a step. He took her hand in his, frowning at the bleeding gash on her thumb.
“You might need stitches.”
“I’m sure it’s fine.” She tried to take her hand back. He held it gently, but firmly.
Isa passed him a clean kitchen towel, hovering over his shoulder. “Here, wrap it around so blood doesn’t get all over the place.”
“Oh no, I got blood on the bread,” Anna Beth whimpered.
Jared glanced down at the two slices with red splatters across the surface and grimaced. “We’ll throw those away. Let’s get you cleaned up.”
Anna Beth dug in her heels. “I’ll be fine, really. You don’t need to help me.”
His sister, Savannah sat at the counter next to Forrest’s girlfriend and put her two cents in. “I’d listen to him. Jared’s had a ton of stitches. Mom took him to the ER once a month when he was in middle and high school.”
“Hush, Nana. There’s a first aid kit in the bathroom,” his mother said, cradling little Alana on her hip. “Jared will take care of you.”
Anna Beth didn’t argue anymore and silently allowed him to lead her down the hallway to the bathroom.
“Take a seat.” He crouched down and opened the cupboard under the sink, his heart pounding. Even though she’d been hurt, being alone with Anna Beth for the first time had him keyed up so bad, his hands shook. He found the red plastic tub and set it onto the counter.
“Mom usually keeps it well stocked. Force of habit from having up to six kids under one roof,” he explained, standing up.
“You don’t have to doctor me. I can handle it,” she said.
“After my mother gave me a direct order? Not a chance.” He popped the lid on the kit open, eyeballing the contents. “I have everything we need, but I can take you to the ER, if you want me to.”
“Really, I think it will be fine with a bandage. It’s already stopped bleeding.”
Jared removed the towel, noting the blood had slowed to a mere ooze. “It’s going to hurt like a son of a bitch when I clean it.”
“Go for it. I’m tougher than I look.”
Her lighthearted attempt at humor put him at ease a bit. With steadier hands, Jared opened up an antiseptic wipe and cleaned the wound as gently as possible. Her hand jerked once and he blew across her skin. “Sorry.”
She didn’t respond and he glanced up at her, but her attention was directed past him. Either she was trying to distract herself from the pain or being alone with him disconcerted her too.
While he was putting on the Neosporin, he tried to break the ice. “You were surprised I showed up.”
Her eyes widened. “Why do you say that?”
“Because you sliced your finger right after Isabel said my name. Doesn’t take a genius to realize you got spooked.”
“I wasn’t spooked.” He shot her a skeptical look and she rolled her eyes. “Fine, yes. I was a little surprised to see you, but that’s only because I figured you’d avoid me.”
“It’s my family tree trimming. No way I’m missing that, no matter who showed up.”
“Yes, but we haven’t talked since...my wedding. I didn’t want to stir up the past.”
“Honestly, Anna Beth, I feel like an idiot and you have every right to be angry with me. I shouldn’t have put you in that position. I’m sorry.”
She blinked at him rapidly. “Thank you. I know you were takin
g a risk and that’s not your nature. I’ve felt horrible for hurting you--”
“Don’t. You did nothing wrong.” He wrapped her finger with gauze. “I should have apologized a long time ago but, honestly, I didn’t think you’d want to hear from me.”
“Of course, I wanted to hear from you. You were the only person in Snowy Springs besides Olive who ever understood me. You don’t know how many times I almost called you. Especially when things got bad. One moment shouldn’t have completely derailed ten years of friendship.”
“I know.” Jared’s chest squeezed at the pain in her voice. “I’m sorry about Ian. He seemed like a good man.”
Anna Beth dashed her tears with her free hand. “He was. It’s been hard. He died just a few days after Christmas last year, but he’d been unresponsive weeks before that. I still miss him like crazy.”
Jared’s stomach constricted at her admission, although logically he knew she had every right to miss her husband. He secured the tape around her wound and stood, praying his face gave nothing away of his discomfort.
Then his eyes met hers and the sadness in her green depths tore into him. She opened up about the second most painful moment of her life, and he’d only thought of himself.
Yep, you’re an asshole. Now fix it.
He took her good hand and pulled her to her feet. Before he could consider Anna Beth’s reaction, he pulled her into a hug.
“I am very sorry.”
For several moments, she let him hold her, his hand traveling from her neck to the small of her back. Anna Beth relaxed against him, her arms going around his waist and she buried her face in his chest. It took him back and he lost himself for a moment. The sugary scent of Anna Beth’s body spray still reminded him of fresh baked sugar cookies. Her soft curves molding against his body.
Damn, but it felt good to hold her again.
The door squeaked open and Jared glanced up to find Casey leaning against the door frame, a smug expression on his face.
“What’s going on in here?”
Anna Beth pulled away, rubbing at her tear-soaked cheeks. “Nothing.” She cleared her throat, avoiding his gaze. “I better head back out there. I’ll ask your mom for an Ibuprofen.”