Twelve Days of Christmas

by Debbie Macomber

  “Not that kind of trouble. Besides, what can David do to help me a thousand miles from Seattle?”

  “He’d do whatever was necessary, because he loves me and he knows you’re my best friend. Now tell me what’s up.”

  Julia hardly knew where to start. They spoke nearly every day. If she were to blame anyone, it would be Cammie. This whole experiment had taken control of her life, and Cammie was the one who’d suggested it. Like she told her friend, she was in deep trouble. “First off I’ve got the flu.”

  “Oh no.”

  “And I got it from Cain.”

  “I read your blog. Do you have any idea how crazy successful this has been? I hope you’re looking at the numbers. It’s nuts the way people are following what’s happening. At this rate you’re a shoo-in for the job.”

  “Yeah, I know. That’s where the trouble part comes in.”

  Her words were met with silence. “Cain found out you’re blogging about him?”

  “No, thank God.” That would be disastrous. “It’s worse than that.”

  “Worse? What’s happened?” Cammie demanded.

  Julia dragged in a deep breath, hoping that would help her sort through her feelings. “You know how I intensely disliked him not more than a week ago.”

  “Of course I remember.”

  “Well…” She paused and then blurted it out. “I don’t feel that way anymore. In fact, I’m starting to feel the opposite.”

  Silence.

  “Julia.” Cammie’s voice was low and concerned. “Are you falling for this guy?”

  The denial didn’t make it past her lips until finally she confessed. “Maybe.”

  “It’s clear I’ve missed more than a few details in the last couple days. Tell me what’s changed.”

  “It all started this evening when Cain stopped by to check on me. I was shaky on my feet,” Julia murmured. “Cain put his arm around me to keep me upright. It was all innocent and…and, this is embarrassing to admit, but I wanted more. A lot more.”

  “What about Cain?”

  “I don’t know. He’s hard to read, but I get the impression he’s feeling the same way.”

  “You’re in trouble, all right,” Cammie confirmed. “But it’s a good kind of trouble. Come on, Julia, it’s time you moved on in your life.”

  Julia flattened her hand against her forehead and it wasn’t to check for a temperature. “I know but this complicates everything.”

  “It does, but you’ll figure it all out. Have you…you know, told him about the blog?”

  “No! Cain is…is…”

  “Is what?”

  “I don’t know…he’s Cain. It’s complicated.”

  “Tell me when anything is ever uncomplicated with you,” Cammie demanded.

  Her friend had a point.

  —

  Julia was sick and Cain blamed himself for that. He tried to get her to stay away, but the woman was nothing if not stubborn. The truth was, and it took him time to admit it, he’d been happy to see her. The fact that she’d first brought him the soup and then disinfected his apartment was above and beyond anything he would ever have imagined. She’d even walked Schroeder.

  It’d been a long time since he’d felt this strongly attracted to another woman after Dani. His coworker had nearly destroyed his trust; it’d taken him five years to be willing to make himself vulnerable again.

  Julia made him want to open his heart, and while he was wary, he felt alive and happy. He found he couldn’t wait to see her each morning, wondering what she had up her sleeve.

  Even his grandfather had noticed a difference in Cain. He hadn’t mentioned Julia, but the old man laughed and said it must be a woman. Cain didn’t confirm or deny.

  All Cain could say was that life was better than it had been in a good long while.

  Julia’s Blog

  TWELVE DAYS OF CHRISTMAS

  December 20

  No Good Deed Goes Unpunished

  * * *

  * * *

  For those of you who suggested I should have drawn a line in the sand when it came to nursing Ebenezer, I want you to know you were right.

  Despite getting a flu shot weeks ago, I came down with the same bug and in fact have spent nearly the entire day visiting parts of a toilet that no one should examine that closely.

  From the first, I’ve made no secret of how I feel about my neighbor. I didn’t like him when I started this twelve days of kindness. He was annoying. Still is.

  He’s still unreasonable, too.

  And exasperating.

  What I didn’t expect is that he is also surprisingly caring and thoughtful and funny. Turns out Ebenezer has a sense of humor. Who knew?

  When I say caring, I’m not exaggerating. He stopped by this morning and called me twice during the day and then brought me soup. He stayed with me and watched television and didn’t even complain about the program I chose.

  This morning, he tucked me into bed and kissed my forehead. I know he was probably feeling guilty that I’d gotten the flu, but still…

  I haven’t even told my best friend this—not because I wanted to keep it a secret but because I’m unsure how best to process what’s happening.

  Tell me, dear readers, what does this mean? What’s happening to me? To Ebenezer?

  Julia felt decidedly better in the morning. Weak as overcooked pasta but able to function. She didn’t dare stay in bed another day, not this close to Christmas. She woke to a text message from Jeremy.

  U better?

  Much, she replied, balancing the phone on the side of the bathroom sink while she applied her makeup.

  Last practice is tomorrow. U OK for that?

  I’ll be there. Promise.

  Thanx. Take care.

  Will do.

  The holiday program wasn’t the last of her volunteer responsibilities, either. She had yet to fulfill her obligation to the Red Bucket Brigade. She’d signed up to ring for an hour and was scheduled for that very afternoon.

  Grabbing her phone off the sink, she collected her coat, gloves, and purse and was just about to head out the door when Cain knocked. When she appeared fully dressed and ready for the day, he seemed surprised to see her up and about.

  “You’re going to work?” he asked.

  “I can’t stay home,” she said, gently attempting to ease her way around him. “People are counting on me.”

  “I don’t think returning to work so soon is a good idea.”

  “Cain.” Her hand moved to his chest. “I don’t have time to argue.”

  “Good.” Frowning, as if unsure what to do, he continued to block her way.

  “I’m gonna miss my bus,” she pleaded. “I’m running late as it is.”

  To his credit, he moved aside, although reluctantly. The truth was Julia would have enjoyed lounging in bed another day, but it simply wasn’t possible. Not with her schedule.

  She locked her apartment and met Cain at the elevator. She felt his censure, which she chose to ignore.

  “You sure you feel up to this?” he asked.

  She did and she didn’t, and she answered with a flip-flop of her hand. “I guess we’ll see.” It was destined to be a long day, and all she could do was hope she had the energy to make it through.

  Once inside the elevator, Julia felt Cain exhale in frustration. “I think you should take an extra day. Screw the season.”

  “Cain, I wish I could, but I can’t. You only took off one day, and I’m as tough as you.”

  He snickered.

  “You took a later lunch yesterday because you had so much work to catch up on, right?”

  “You’re in retail,” he countered.

  “I still have commitments.”

  “To sell so many sweaters? Fold display socks?”

  Julia stiffened, surprised how offended his comment made her. “If you’re belittling my job, I don’t appreciate it.” Working at Macy’s wasn’t her choice for a lifelong career, but her years with the c
ompany had served her well. She was able to pay her bills until she found employment in her field of work.

  He pinched his lips and then sighed. “You’re right. That came out wrong. It wasn’t what I meant to say. I’m concerned you’re going back too soon, and I would hate to see you relapse.”

  She accepted his apology with a soft smile. “I’ll be fine.”

  “Promise me you’ll do your best to take it easy. I have a desk job, but you’re going to be on your feet all day.”

  “I’ll do my best,” she assured him, touched at his concern.

  The elevator doors glided open and they stepped into the lobby. Cain paused long enough to collect his newspaper.

  “Hey, is that yours?” she demanded, remembering his habit of stealing. Generally, he collected it earlier when he walked Schroeder.

  “Yes,” he insisted, without looking.

  “Prove it,” she demanded, with a hand at her hip. It looked to her like he was up to his old tricks.

  Cain grinned. “Aren’t you going to be late for your bus?”

  “No. Give me that newspaper, I want to check.”

  “Julia.” He groaned and showed her proof positive. His apartment number was marked on the plastic wrapper. “Aren’t you going to get yours?” he asked.

  “I canceled the newspaper,” she said pointedly. “Someone from the building kept stealing it.”

  Cain laughed out loud, and together they walked out of the building. “You have time for coffee this morning?” he asked.

  Watching the approach of the bus, she shook her head. “Not today.”

  “Tomorrow, then. We’ll leave ten minutes early.”

  Julia did her best to hide a smile as she came to a standstill in front of the bus stop. “Is that a date?”

  Walking backward in order to continue their conversation, Cain looked undecided. “Yeah, I guess you could call it that.”

  “I’m flattered,” she called out just before she boarded the bus.

  Cain stopped moving and people were forced to walk around him. “Text me and let me know how you’re doing today,” he called.

  “I will if I can.” The only time she had to text was her lunch break, and she’d be checking to see what was happening with her blog. Reading the comments and keeping track of the number of hits and shares had become something of an obsession.

  “Do it.”

  “Aye, aye, Captain,” she said as she stepped onto the bus. It would have been impossible to hide her smile. Already she felt better, more energized, and she credited Cain.

  The driver caught her eye. “You’re in good spirits this morning.”

  Julia realized he was right. “Aren’t I every morning?”

  “Pretty much; more so than usual today. Looks to me like you got yourself a boyfriend.”

  Her immediate response was to deny it, but then Julia changed her mind. It would be silly to argue. Still, the bus driver’s comment sobered her, and Julia quickly took her seat. Cain was fast becoming someone important in her life, more important than her blog. What had started as an experiment in kindness had turned into something else. Exactly what that “something else” entailed remained an unknown. At this point she was leery of examining it too closely.

  —

  By the time Julia took her lunch break, she was physically dragging but on an emotional high. Sitting in the break room, she put her feet up and ate her soup, which seemed the best option for her stomach after her bout with the flu.

  Her phone dinged, indicating she had a text message. Even before she went to check, she guessed it was Cain and she was right.

  U feeling OK?

  Leave it to Cain to be brief and utilitarian. No verbose language for him.

  She typed in her reply. Doing fine.

  When she didn’t get a reply, she set the phone aside but couldn’t help feeling disappointed. Her hand was barely off her phone when she snatched it up again, her fingers bouncing against the keys. Looking forward to our date.

  Dinner tomorrow night?

  If she read that right, Cain was asking her out to dinner. Well, well, that was a big leap from grabbing a cup of coffee in the morning. She loved the idea of having dinner with Cain, but then remembered she had the last practice session with the kids scheduled for the following evening.

  Can’t. She added a round yellow face with a sad smile.

  Y not?

  Helping Jeremy. She barely pushed the send button when she got a reply.

  Jeremy?

  She enjoyed thinking he might be concerned. You jealous?

  Should I be?

  Depends. It probably wasn’t kind, but she didn’t think it would hurt to let him assume he wasn’t the only man in her life.

  Explain tonight.

  OK. It’d been childish and immature of her to tease him. What was she thinking? It wasn’t like they were in a relationship. They were friends. Nothing more. For that matter, Cain had probably brushed the idea of her being involved with anyone else aside as fictitious. It wasn’t like Julia had a parade of suitors streaming in and out of her apartment. Furthermore, she had no business looking for ways to make Cain jealous.

  Because she was caught up in texting with Cain, she barely had time to check her blog results. When she logged on, her eyes felt like they were about to bug out of her head. She’d gotten more than twenty-five thousand hits on her latest post.

  Twenty-five thousand.

  This was far and beyond anything she’d anticipated when she started this experiment. For the last few days, it hardly felt like being kind to Cain demanded any effort. At first “killing him with kindness” had taken resolve and determination. It didn’t seem like he’d ever crack, but in reality it’d taken only a few days, which was astonishing when she thought about it. Even his demeanor had changed. The difference between Cain this morning and the surly, unpleasant guy he’d been as little as a week earlier was night and day.

  She read a dozen of the shorter comments from the latest blog, and then, looking at the wall clock, she sighed and returned to the floor.

  BetterWatchOut: What does it mean? Sweetie, watch out before your heart gets involved. Or is it too late for that?

  MandyPandy: What do you mean no good turn goes unpunished? You got the first real sign this guy is actually human. Ebenezer has a heart and it looks to me like you just might have found it. Good for you. Keep up the good work.

  When she finished her shift, Julia reported to the volunteer Red Bucket headquarters a block away from Macy’s for her shift at ringing the bell and collecting cash for those in need. Her commitment was for only an hour, which was good because of the cold. This wasn’t the first year she’d volunteered, and she had always enjoyed doing it. People tended to be generous and thoughtful.

  The volunteer supervisor gave her directions on where to report and promised her a replacement would arrive when her hour was finished. As luck would have it, her assigned position was directly outside of Macy’s, which was sure to be a great spot. While most shoppers wouldn’t know her name, she might look familiar. That gave Julia hope that those passing by would be inclined to donate.

  The retired gentleman she replaced assured her all was well and this was an excellent location before he handed over the bell.

  “Anything else I should know?” she asked.

  “Just be friendly and smile, but a pretty girl like you shouldn’t have a problem filling that bucket. Don’t let the cold get to you. Move your feet often.”

  “Will do.” The sun had long since set and the wind was piercing. Her predecessor wasn’t kidding about the cold. Julia was glad she’d remembered her gloves but wished she’d thought to bring the thick cowl her grandmother had knitted for her last Christmas.

  Ringing that little bell for all she was worth, Julia called out in a fun singsong voice, “ ‘Merry Christmas. God bless us every one.’ ” She was convinced she’d make Tiny Tim proud.

  She could barely contain herself when someone paused lo
ng enough to insert a folded one-hundred-dollar bill into the red bucket. “Wow, thank you.”

  She’d been at her station less than ten minutes when she spied Cain walking toward her. She had accidentally on purpose not mentioned she’d be doing this, fearing he’d have a conniption.

  He recognized her at about the same time that she recognized him.

  Cain stopped directly in front of her, blocking her exposure to the heavy foot traffic.

  “Julia?” He made her name sound like a swear word.

  “Cain?” She twisted her body to look past him and continued ringing the bell. “Move. People can’t see me.”

  “What are you doing?” he demanded.

  “What does it look like?” she returned. “I’m ringing the bell for charity.”

  He looked completely exasperated with her. “Do I need to remind you that you just got over the flu?”

  Julia couldn’t argue. “I couldn’t cancel at the last minute. It’s hard enough to get volunteers as it is. Now please move. You’re discouraging donations.”

  For half a second it looked like he was about to toss her over his shoulder and gleefully cart her away. Thankfully, he resisted the urge.

  “Okay, fine. You want to catch pneumonia, don’t let me stop you.”

  “You aren’t going to stop me. Now quit overreacting. I’m only volunteering for an hour.”

  He shook his head and stalked away down the street, disappearing around the corner and out of view.

  Julia’s heart sank; the old Cain was back. The one who was impatient, demanding, and impossible. A heaviness settled in her chest and she immediately wanted him to return so she could explain that she was tired and cranky and didn’t mean to sound defensive.

  Standing just outside of Macy’s, shoppers made their way around her. Julia softly sang, ringing the bell in time to the lyrics, doing her best to remain upbeat and energetic and most of all warm. She even joked that people were paying her not to sing.

  When she heard Cain’s voice come from behind her, she nearly jumped out of her skin. “Here,” he said, and held out a Starbucks cup to her. “This should help keep you warm.”