Christmas Hearts in July

by Marlene Bierworth

  “But I am returning to Sebring and I hope you will receive me when I come calling,” Craig said. “I can’t live a lie—I won’t live a lie. When Selene gets back to work, she’ll be stronger, and the leaving will be easier. She doesn’t need me, or even want me for more than the occasional distraction to her true passion, which is rising to the top of the ladder at Fashion Queen Magazine.”

  “You appear to be attracted to career women,” Jolene said. “Such a troublesome burden for you to bear.”

  “With you, I will gladly bear it—until death do us part—I promise.”

  Was now the time to tell him of her dissatisfaction in choosing career over love? It might just complicate things, or it could clarify things. Not tonight, was her final decision. It would be enough to deal with this top-secret meeting with her father tonight.

  “I’m going to my room and rest a bit,” Jolene said. “Might need additional strength for the upcoming reveal of my dad’s confused confession.”

  “Wonder who else will be there,” Craig said.

  “Besides you and me—probably Barbie, and most likely, Sheki, since she seems to be in the loop. And that will drag in Selene, as well.” Jolene laughed. “A rather full house of lit fuses, if you ask me.”

  “I suppose.” His face displayed a depth of sadness she could not identify.

  “Relax. It won’t be a big reveal for you, right? You already know—you’re just there to dry the tears.”

  “If you need me, Jolene, just call out. I’ll be sitting on the sidelines.”

  “And I will sit next to Father, in case that weakness overtakes him again. That scared me. He is generally strong in both mind and body. Goes to show you the destructive power of secrets.”

  “Now would be a good time to make your escape,” Craig said. “The enemy approaches.”

  Jolene looked up to see Selene headed their way. “She is not my enemy. I don’t even know her.”

  “She does have good character traits, most of which are buried so deep, she doesn’t even know they exist. Rest well, Jolene.” Craig stood as Selene approached and turned his back to Jolene, making her departure easy.

  The hands on the clock showed seven-forty-five, and Jolene felt no more ready for the meet-and-greet as she had earlier. Truth be known, she’d rather bury her head under the pillow and sleep it away.

  An ominous weight bore down on her as she dressed in jeans and a light sweat shirt. The engraving on it read: “Sebring Sunshine” and she claimed the peace that thoughts of home brought. Her feet shuffled along the hallway as if attempting to drag her back to safety. She’d succumb to it if she wasn’t so bent on having this secret out in the open, once and for all. There was no turning back the clock when deception poisoned the air she breathed.

  Jolene knocked on the door and Barbie answered. She immediately gathered her into an embrace and whispered, “I’m praying for you all.”

  When they parted, Jolene smiled. “You are a gem, Barbie. My father is lucky to have found you.”

  “Well, come in. Craig is here and I suspect the others will make a grand, but late entrance.” The women chuckled and joined the men that waited quietly on the lake-side balcony. Jolene drank in the peace of the evening air and sprawled out on a lounge chair.

  Within five minutes, another knock sounded and Barbie went to receive her guests. When they stood to meet the newcomers, Jolene did not view the confident magazine women she’d expected, but rather ladies just as nervous as the rest of them were in this moment.

  Sheki smiled and attempted to take the lead, a role which she was most comfortable. “Shall we get this over with, Trace?”

  It came as a surprise when Sheki plunked down on the swing seat next to Trace and stared straight ahead at the group gathered around them. Barbie sat beside Jolene and took her hand, grasping it tightly in hers. She squeezed it, her smile oozing with kindness. It was obvious that her husband had told her the secret before their arrival, for the seating plan did not seem to phase her a bit. Selene squeezed close to Craig on an over-sized seat designed for one.

  Selene’s eyes made brief contact with Jolene, and although she was relieved to see the hostility gone, she grew concerned with the fear that had replaced it. Craig was right. The woman wasn’t nearly as strong on the inside as she portrayed on the outside.

  Trace exhaled deeply and then cleared his throat. “Thank you all for coming. I’m afraid this meeting is long overdue—when in fact, it was never supposed to happen. Sheki and I made an agreement and for twenty-four years have managed to keep it between us. Although it served our purposes at the time, it has weighed heavy on my conscience.”

  He looked toward the woman seated at his side and she smiled encouragement. It was a lovely smile and Jolene wondered why she didn’t show it to the world more often.

  “I refuse to let Trace take all the blame. I pushed him, as I tend to do on a regular basis, and he succumbed. Girls, we hope you will not hate us for our decision.” She looked at Trace again and said, “continue.”

  “Sheki and I were married for four years before we became pregnant. The good-news was ill-timed as her next great career move was on the horizon. She spent the final months in a depressed state. Our marriage was on the rocks, mostly because our careers had taken over our lives, and God had chosen the wrong time to bless us with the baby we might have welcomed in year one of marital bliss. We both portrayed the perfect couple to our colleagues and friends, but it was a façade. When delivery day arrived, we believed the answer to our problems dropped into our laps. A solution from above—which of course was absurd—but it helped to blame the Almighty when we came to our senses too late.”

  “You see, on June18th, twenty-three years ago, I not only delivered my darling daughter, Selene, but also her twin sister, Jolene—not identical, which just added fuel to the plan raging in our minds.” Seika’s eyes lingered on Selene while silent pain shot like invisible arrows between the two grown women.

  Trace continued with the account. “I took Jolene and moved to Sebring for a fresh start, and when my daughter asked about her birth mother, I told her she was dead.” His lips quivered as he held Jolene’s gaze. “That was unfair and wrong on every level, but death was what our young selfish hearts agreed on so that the girls would not go looking for one another at a later date. A clean separation—it sounded so noble back then.”

  “I stayed in Atlanta and my career grew bigger than I dreamed possible, providing ample funds to supply Selene with the best nannies the city offered. I married immediately after and gave Trace’s daughter the new husbands surname; Gabel. His was a marriage of convenience and I am ashamed of the men I’ve gone through while trying to replace my first love.” She turned to Barbie. “Not to say, I want him back. That would be ridiculous, and I know he has found happiness with you.” She nudged the man at her side. “Trace was the smart one to wait all those years for the perfect match, while I stumbled with one obsession after another, none of which brought me lasting happiness. I am a career woman and should stick to what I love most.”

  Trace looked at Selene. “I’ve watched you grow from a distance. Your mother and I agreed to send yearly updates to one another of our children’s progress. But I have no idea how the girls managed to show up at the same resort as I had booked for my honeymoon.”

  “Mrs. Claus might have something to do with that,” Craig said, and when doubtful stares were cast his way he added. “Forget I said anything. Continue, please.”

  Sheki took a turn. “When Trace called me in sheer panic at the situation evolving here, I couldn’t deny coming to his aid, and then, as if things weren’t bad enough, he added the final nail to our coffin in the fact that Craig was also present and has somehow managed to date both daughters. A bit of a tailspin for us all.”

  Silence filled the room until Jolene thought she would scream. “How can a mother just pass her child off and say goodbye for life—satisfied with pictures and updates? It sounds barbaric.”

/>   Sheki squirmed in her seat. “It does sound barbaric, and by the time we realized the inescapable trap we’d set for us all, it was too late to come good with our secret. We truly expected to go to our graves with it.”

  “And deprive me of a sister, a twin sister,” Selene’s voice cracked. “Mother, I knew you were tough, but never suspected you were inhumane.” She buried her face in Craig’s shoulder and gentle sobs broke the stillness caused by her accusation.

  No one moved, unsure as to how to deal with the news. Barbie filled in the gap. “I think everyone is in shock right now. Perhaps the girls need a break, to take it all in. We still have four glorious days at this resort and time enough to get to know one another better. I think we will all find that this honest revelation will be for the best as we move into the future.”

  “Your wife is wise, Trace.” Sheki said. “A good night’s sleep will do us all good. I am looking forward to getting to know you, Jolene, and hope you can forgive me someday.” She stood and walked toward Selene, offering her a hand. “Shall we go to our suite and try to heal your broken heart?”

  The two women left together, and Barbie and Craig conveniently disappeared into the suite. Jolene faced her father alone, and the silence ate at her soul. “I suppose we do need to sleep on it. Seems I can’t think of anything to say.”

  “The fact that you are not throwing things at me and screaming at the top of your lungs is relief enough for tonight,” Trace said.

  “I am angry, disappointed, and hurt. Throwing things is not my way of dealing with it.”

  “If I can help…”

  “You’ve done quite enough for now, daddy. Goodnight.”

  Chapter 12

  Jolene skipped breakfast the following morning and headed for Pineville. Street sales should give her the last bit of privacy she needed to come to grips with her expanded family. A cream cheese everything bagel and coffee from the café and she was ready to hit the many garage, yard and street sales to find that perfect used-gift to stuff in stockings hanging around the fireplace at the Inn.

  Mr. and Mrs. Spivy had talked of nothing else but their 50th Anniversary Alaskan cruise to all who would listen, so when Jolene spotted the stoneware sculpture of a musher and dog-sled team, she nabbed it for fifty-cents. At this rate, her allotted budget of twenty dollars for this endeavor would be easy. A clown for Mr. Fiddle who loved to spout riddles at every turn; a crochet hook and pattern for Mrs. Jenkins who seemed to always have a home-made project on the go; a handy-dandy mock-tool with Pineville written on it for a fix-it guest who loved hanging out with the maintenance man. The outing proved to be the distraction she needed and she found herself slowly unwinding from last night’s ordeal.

  When she saw the ceramic love birds hanging from a thick branch, she thought of Craig and Selene. That would be a good peace offering for her new sister. She’d longed for a sibling her entire childhood, but when her father did not remarry there was no hope of that dream becoming a reality – until now – and the mere thought of a grown twin sister brought tears to her eyes. But they both loved the same man and Jolene instinctively knew that was going to present a problem moving forward. Even if Craig chose to end it with her and move back to Sebring, there would always be the connection to Atlanta, and she couldn’t imagine betraying her new-found relative and hindering their relationship before it had time to root.

  “Judging by that grin on your face, you must have slept well.”

  Jolene spun around and nearly collided into Craig who stood behind her, one breath away. She backed up and hit the table holding all the trinkets the owners were pawning off on eager shoppers.

  “You caught me in the act. Found an ornament for you and Selene. But now you’ve ruined the surprise.”

  Craig looked down at the hands that gripped the gift. “Lovebirds—really?”

  “Yes,” she stammered. “I can see how she depends on you and looks at you with such adoration.”

  “Did you see how I look at her?” Craig asked.

  “Well no…”

  “Like a future sister-in-law that I will honor as such.”

  “Oh no! Don’t think along those lines. Especially now that Selene is my sister. I could never take the man she cares for—not now.”

  “Selene cares for her career, everything else takes second place.”

  “I have a career,” Jolene almost choked on the words while attempting to place her in the same league as Selene.

  “I sense that your priorities have changed. Am I reading that right?” Craig asked.

  “It doesn’t matter. Last night altered everything – don’t you see that?”

  “It didn’t change the way I feel about you and after you get to know your sister, you will see that any feelings she may have for me will be cast to the sidelines the moment she returns to work. At least with you, I knew you would actually miss me and be just as eager to spend every moment of your down-time together.”

  “Craig – we can’t do this now.” She scanned the area. “Where is Selene?”

  “Not interested in other people’s junk or saddling others with such a gift. She and her mother have gone shopping and are having a leisure lunch together. Lots of talking to do, I suppose.”

  “You neglected to address Sheki as our mother – mine and Selene’s. That is the one thing I cannot wrap my head around. My father and Sheki Gabel married. I wonder why she still goes by her second husbands name.”

  “She couldn’t go by Sumpter – with you thinking your mother dead. Besides, I imagine when her daughter took on the Gabel name, she decided to keep it as well and not take on any new surnames from the rest of her marriages.”

  “Most famous people don’t nowadays,” Jolene said.

  “Guess I’m a bit old-fashioned. I’d like my wife to feel proud to be called Mrs. Landers. I figure it’s one way of making us feel sheltered under the same umbrella.”

  Jolene grinned. “I imagine it’s also important to a man because he wants to carry on the family lineage under his name.”

  “Heritage Inn and Resort have a great legacy. Have you been to the second floor to read it?”

  “I have not.”

  “And I suppose you haven’t sneaked out to the barn to see the Christmas owls that the Inn is famous for?”

  “Guilty as charged.”

  “Mrs. Fredricks told me how the owners met. Some magical interaction with Mrs. Claus and owl ornaments.”

  “Do you think Sandra Fredricks is Mrs. Claus in disguise?” Jolene asked.

  “Nope – claims to be her helper though. Understand she found her true love with a globe ornament. Brought her straight to Robert, the man she’s now married to.”

  “It all sounds very mysterious,” Jolene said.

  “I want to believe God is still in the miracle business of matching two hearts,” Craig said.

  “God? I thought we were talking Mrs. Claus,” Jolene said.

  “According to Sandra, the lady from the North Pole is merely His hand extended to a lonely world, thus making it all a grand miracle. Suppose everyone way-up-north must have some important role to play in the giving department in order to meet the Santa-helper job criteria.”

  Jolene laughed at the ridiculousness of their conversation. “If you ask me, it sounds like a lot of hands are taking claim to new love.”

  “Sometimes new love is resistant,” he said, casting a playful wink in her direction. “Needs all the help it can get.”

  “If you are referring to us, we do not fall under the new category. So, it must be Selene who has been targeted for you.”

  “You keep trying to pawn me off on your sister.” Craig’s voice bordered on anger.

  “She needs you. I’ve been managing quite fine on my own.”

  He threw his hands in the air. “Can we call a truce? I’m dizzy from repeating myself – I love you, not Selene.” He exhaled deeply. “Now let’s shop. We can do that, right? Friends do shop together.”

  “We can sh
op.” She leaned over and looked in the bag he carried. “Did you buy anything for me yet?”

  “No. I have something special in mind for you.”

  “Now you’ve got me curious.”

  “You must wait until tonight. And I suggest you don’t show Selene – save me some explanations.”

  “Fine. Another secret – just what we all need.”

  They moved on down the street and continued to fill up their bags. Jolene managed to do it successfully for just under her twenty-dollar limit. Back at the Inn they parted company. She went to her room and dropped off her purchases, then changed into beach wear. Today the kitchen staff were serving lunch at the Heritage-Hut close to the lake.

  She could not put off the unavoidable meeting with Selene and their mother. It felt strange to even categorize that duo in her head. To have had no mother her entire life, and then, in the same week that she’d welcomed Barbie into the family, she discovered the woman who’d given her birth was alive and kicking. How could her father keep such a secret from the daughter he claimed to love? And worse still, how could he divide his heart and stay detached from Selene all these years?

  The twins had paid the price for their parents need to divorce. That had to be the ultimate offence and she wondered how she’d ever forgive either of them.

  Jolene had been taught solid biblical principles at Sunday School, and knew its power to keep a child of God free from a guilty conscience when harboring offence. Forgiveness was necessary in moving forward, but the pain etched deep into her being and she didn’t know how she’d detach from it. Perhaps when she got to know her estranged family better, forgiveness would flow. She prayed it would be so.

  Grabbing her bag, Jolene squared her shoulders and headed for the door. No time like the present to start the process.

  The sandy beach was littered with sunbathers but she found a lounge chair and deposited her paraphernalia before heading for the Food-shack. It was a tropical-looking hut that sent out wafts of yummy smells that her tummy eagerly responded. She chose a chicken breast burger, sweet-potato fries, and a bottle of ice-cold, sweet tea.