The Christmas Angel

by Jim Cangany

  The Christmas Angel

  A Holiday Novel Byte

  By

  Jim Cangany

  Uncial Press Aloha, Oregon

  2013

  This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places and events described herein are products of the author's imagination or are used fictitiously and are not to be construed as real. Any resemblance to actual events, locations, organizations, or persons, living or dead, is entirely coincidental.

  ISBN 13: 978-1-60174-173-8

  The Christmas Angel

  Copyright © 2013 by Jim Cangany

  Cover art and design

  Copyright © 2013 by Judith B. Glad

  All rights reserved. Except for use in review, the reproduction or utilization of this work in whole or in part in any form by any electronic, mechanical or other means now known or hereafter invented, is forbidden without the written permission of the publisher.

  Warning: The unauthorized reproduction or distribution of this copyrighted work is illegal. Criminal copyright infringement, including infringement without monetary gain, is investigated by the FBI and is punishable by up to five (5) years in federal prison and a fine of $250,000.

  Published by Uncial Press,

  an imprint of GCT, Inc.

  Visit us at http://www.uncialpress.com

  The Christmas Angel

  Today was going to be tough for Kaitlin Summers. If she was honest with herself, she'd admit she was dreading it. Fussing with her long, brown hair in the bathroom wasn't going to help, either. It was December Ninth, her birthday. It was also the day of the annual Christmas Parade, and her roommate, Dani, was intent on making sure Kaitlin had fun.

  Especially this year.

  The inevitable knock came as Kaitlin was in mid-brush.

  "Come on, honey. I want to find a place to park close to the parade route, so we don't have far to walk."

  Kaitlin stifled a bitchy comeback about how it was always about what Dani wanted. She pulled her hair back into a pony tail and fastened it with a red and green bow. Red and green--the colors of Christmas. Her mother had given her the bow a few years back for her birthday.

  The memory nearly brought her to tears, yet again.

  "Almost ready." She added a touch of makeup to hide the dark circles under her eyes and pulled the door open.

  Dani gave her a once-over. "Well, don't you look adorable?" Isn't that sweater a little bulky though, if you know what I mean?"

  Kaitlin glanced down at her ruby red sweater. Made in Ireland of Shetland wool, it had been another gift from her mom. The last thing I got from her. Well, almost...

  "I love this sweater, and this way I don't have to worry about getting cold. As opposed to some people I know."

  "Please, honey." Dani did a little dance move. The tall blonde looked like a Nordic goddess in her form-fitting white sweater dress with matching red leggings, knee-high boots and belt. On any other woman, the outfit would have looked trashy, or worse. But on Dani, it looked stylish and almost regal. "Once I find one of Santa's little helpers to my liking, I'll let him keep me warm."

  Kaitlin spread her arms wide. "Yeah, and standing next to you, nobody'll even notice me."

  With a click of her tongue, Dani took Kaitlin in her arms and held her tight. "Stop that. You're a talented, vivacious woman who deserves to have some fun on her birthday. We've gone to this parade together since what, junior high, and we're not missing it this year. Especially not this year, okay?"

  Kaitlin took a deep breath and nodded. Underneath the runway fashion and the high-end salon styling, Dani had a heart of gold. The unwavering support she'd shown since Kaitlin's parents had been killed in an auto accident ten months before had proven it a million times over.

  "That's my girl." Dani took a step back and held Kaitlin at arm's length, smiling. When she noticed the pin on Kaitlin's sweater, her smile grew wider. "Nice touch with the angel brooch. It'll be good to have your mom with us in spirit."

  As if her hand had a mind of its own, Kaitlin touched the pin above her right breast. The golden angel was a family heirloom, passed down from her grandmother, to her mother, and now to her. She fought back tears as she was flooded with memories of her dad calling her Mommy's Little Angel in preschool. When she'd gotten to middle school, Dad had shortened it to Little Angel, and in high school to Angel.

  Her older brother had insisted the pin go to Kaitlin and she'd treasured it every day since receiving it. Today was the first day she'd worn it, though.

  Kaitlin gave her best friend a light pat on the arm and grabbed her purse. "I'll drive. The supplies are already in my car. Besides, I doubt there's any place you could stash a key in that outfit of yours." She opened the door to their apartment and waved Dani through.

  "Wanna bet?" Dani winked and sauntered down the hall.

  Kaitlin grinned and rolled her eyes. Ah, Dani my dear, always the perfect comeback. She pulled the door closed and hurried after her bestie as fast as her hiking boots could carry her.

  The late morning sun warmed the leather interior of Kaitlin's new Subaru Outback during the drive to the parade. It was the one thing she'd spent some of her inheritance on, and would come in handy during the long, snowy Northern Indiana winters. As she pulled into the parking lot behind Joe's 24 Hour Coffee House, Kaitlin glanced at the thermometer.

  "It's only forty degrees in the sun. Sure you're going to be warm enough?"

  "I'll be fine." Dani opened the passenger door and stepped out. She leaned back in and gave Kaitlin a wicked grin. "I've got some hi-tech thermals on underneath this. It'll be fun having someone help me get them off."

  Kaitlin eased herself out of the car and watched Dani, the yin to her yang, head into Joe's. When the coffee shop door closed behind Dani, Kaitlin popped the hatch and pulled out their parade watching supplies--two fold-up lawn chairs with cup holders and two heavy wool stadium blankets. She hummed a holiday tune about letting it snow while she made her way to their spot on the parade route. By the time she had the chairs unfolded and blankets spread across them, Dani would be along with two tall cups of steaming hot chocolate.

  She rounded the corner onto Lincoln Street, where the parade would pass, and came to an abrupt stop. Three guys were standing in the exact spot from which she and Dani had watched the parade for years. She turned to see Dani coming up the sidewalk. Before taking the hot chocolate being offered to her, Kaitlin pointed at the interlopers.

  "They took our spot."

  Dani's eyes grew wide. "Ooh, a couple of them look cute. Let's hope they're single. Come on."

  "Dani, hold on a sec, please." Kaitlin's shoulders sagged. She knew her friend meant well, but surviving her first holiday season without her parents was proving to be hard enough. She didn't need the added stress of meeting people right now, especially a group of potentially single guys.

  Not after what Lance had done to her.

  * * * *

  Michael Weatherby wrapped his arms around himself and stamped his feet. He cursed himself for not wearing something heavier as the cold seeped through his running shoes. It hadn't been his idea to come to the parade. His buddies, Seth and Kal, had talked him into the hour's drive into town for a day to blow off steam before knuckling down for finals.

  Have a few beers. Maybe meet some girls. As a fifth-year senior, a break from studying for his last round of finals sounded great. Intentionally or not, Kal hadn't mentioned anything about standing out in the cold all afternoon watching the locals parade by.

  "Are we really going to stand here and watch a dumb Christmas parade?" Michael grumbled.

  "Dude." Kal slapped him on the back. "Give it a chance. I've been going to parades since I was a little kid. It's really kind of fun and it's a great
way to meet chicks. Right, Seth?"

  The third member of their group nodded as he flipped up the collar of his hunting jacket. "Yeah, I mean, I did meet Amy at the Indy 500 Parade a couple of years back, and well..." He took off his left glove and held up his hand to display the gold band on the third finger.

  "Whatever." Scanning the assembling crowd, Michael saw nothing to convince him that this was the place to pick up women. If they were interested in striking up a conversation with a six-year-old dressed up in an elf costume or a middle-aged woman operating a video camera, then they were in business. Single girls their age? He had his doubts.

  Kal nudged him in the side and nodded behind them. "Don't make it obvious, but we got two prospects coming this way."

  Bending down to re-tie a shoe that hadn't needed re-tying, Michael looked in the direction Kal had indicated. His jaw went slack and he had to shake his head to regain enough focus to finish with his shoe. A tall blonde, who looked like someone straight out of a Christmas holiday movie, was walking toward them. She was chatting with the absolutely cutest brunette he'd ever seen in his life.

  They were moving at a snail's pace. With the wind blowing, he couldn't hear the conversation, but from the way the blonde kept smiling and the brunette, who had to be six inches shorter, kept shaking her head, it wasn't hard to figure out who was getting her way and who wasn't.

  "Dude, you could've tied your shoe, like, nineteen times by now. Get up and make some room." Seth's words didn't really register with Michael, but the soft kick to his leg did.

  With the grace of a drunken sailor on shore leave, he scrambled to his feet and was brushing off his knee when the ladies came to a stop in the gap he'd created between them and a couple with three kids.

  "Mind if we join you, gentlemen?" the blonde bombshell said.

  Michael had to swallow and count to five before he could respond. "Uh, yeah, sure." He leaned past her and indicated the chairs and blankets under the cutie's arm. "Can I give you some help with those? You look like you've got a pretty full load there." Without waiting for an answer, he held his hands out.

  As she transferred her burden to him, she gave him a shy smile.

  He couldn't tell if the rosy hue of her cheeks was due to the cold or him, but he hoped it was the latter. Her green eyes sparkled, but the dark circles underneath them hinted at something less merry.

  With the practiced hand of somebody who'd hung out at tailgate parties for years, he had the chairs in position, with the blankets draped over them, in no time flat.

  The blonde relaxed into her chair and eased her hot chocolate into the cup holder. "Now this is more like it. Thank you." She smiled and batted her long eyelashes at all three of them. "I'm Dani."

  "Nice to meet you. I'm Seth."

  Before she could respond, Kal slipped himself between Seth and Dani. "And I am Kal. It is quite the pleasure to meet you." He took her gloved hand and bowed.

  "My, my, how chivalrous. And what, pray tell, brings you gentlemen to our humble parade?"

  "Other than to spend time with a vision from Heaven such as yourself? I'm proud to say I'm a devotee of parades."

  "Oh, really?" Dani leaned toward Kal. "Do tell."

  Once Dani and Kal found out they were both parade buffs, they started chattering away like long-lost friends. Michael made eye contact with Seth, who simply shook his head, as if to say, Did you really think Kal was going to let a chance like this go by?

  With a flock of butterflies bouncing around his insides, Michael turned to the cutie. In the mid-day sun, her brown hair revealed a few reddish highlights that he had to force himself not to touch.

  He offered to shake. "I'm Michael."

  After removing an emerald-colored mitten, she took his hand. The hair on the back of his neck sprang to attention at her warm touch. "Hi I'm Kaitlin, and your hands are way cold."

  In spite of the temperature, Michael's face burned as he shoved his hands into his pockets. "Yeah, sorry about that. This is my first time here and I'm learning the hard way I'm not quite dressed for the occasion."

  "Well then, you're in for a treat. Here, you can borrow my blanket to warm up a little."

  "Thanks." Michael wrapped the heavy, cotton covering around him.

  "That blanket's more than big enough for two to share, you know," Dani said.

  Kaitlin rolled her eyes. "Don't mind her. She's been trying to set me up with a guy ever since...well, for a while." A few clouds drifted in front of the sun, making the cold seem even colder. Kaitlin shivered.

  Michael had a feeling that just being near Kaitlin would keep his temperature on the plus side of a hundred, so he took the blanket off and wrapped it around her. He leaned close for a moment and breathed in deeply. She smelled like a pine forest after a spring shower. The scent mingled with the hot chocolate aroma drifting up from her cup to conjure images of sitting around a nighttime campfire, one of his top three favorite things to do in the world.

  A long, high-pitched whistle blast from down the street drew everybody's attention. A moment later, the Central High School Marching Knights struck up a marching band version of "Rockin' Around the Christmas Tree," and the parade began.

  Michael took up station behind Kaitlin as the parade went by. Every so often she'd bounce on her toes and wave at somebody she knew who was a parade participant. All of a sudden, an old-fashioned, hand-cranked fire truck siren brought a squeal of delight from Dani and got her out of her chair.

  "Oh my God, here they come!" She grabbed Kaitlin's shoulder and gave her an excited shake.

  Michael looked up the parade route. He didn't see anything to email home about. "Who's coming?"

  Kaitlin shrugged off the blanket and handed it to him. Her eyes were wide. "The firefighters--the best part of the parade, at least for us girls." As an antique fire truck came into view, Dani grabbed Kaitlin's hand. They stepped into the street and started waving their arms as if their lives depended on it.

  It didn't take a genius to see what, or rather who, had the girls so worked up. As the truck drew closer, a half dozen muscular firefighters, three on each side, leapt in unison from the truck and sauntered over to the sidewalks. Going without jackets, the better to show off their form-fitting T-shirts, the firefighters were dropping things into the outstretched hands of the female spectators. A few of the bolder young women, Dani included, gave a firefighter a kiss on the cheek after receiving the tiny gift.

  Kaitlin was grinning from ear to ear when she returned after getting a hug from one of the firefighters. "Next to Santa Claus, the best part of the parade, hands down." She shook her head and laughed. It was an easy sound that brought to mind freshly baked chocolate chip cookies and sent Michael's heart into overdrive.

  "So what are they handing out?"

  She held up a little piece of hard candy in a red, plastic wrapper. "Red Hots, to help keep you warm for the rest of the parade. I got two. Want one?"

  Michael's voice caught in his throat. He hadn't been all that jacked about the parade part of this trip. But now, gazing into the most luminous pale green eyes he'd ever had the pleasure to enjoy, he couldn't believe his luck.

  "Hello? Michael?" Kaitlin waved the Red Hot in front of his eyes. "You haven't frozen solid, have you?"

  "No, I was just...your eyes." He shook his head. "Never mind, thank you. I thank you fifty times. Bless you." He took the candy and popped it into his mouth.

  Kaitlin's eyebrows shot up. "Ah, Scrooge. Very nice. I adore Dickens. Have you read much of him?"

  As if their friends no longer existed, Kaitlin and Michael spent the rest of the parade side by side, chatting about books and cheering the youth groups that marched past, until the Big Man, Santa himself, floated by on a massive red sleigh being pulled not by reindeer, but by an antique red tractor. When a couple dozen women marched past, singing "We Wish You a Merry Christmas," people started folding up their chairs and drifting away.

  Kaitlin handed her blanket to Michael and bent to fold up her
chair. At the same moment someone shouted, "Coming through!"

  He turned just in time to see two teenaged boys barreling right at them. He tried to warn Kaitlin, who'd been looking the other way, but he wasn't quick enough. All he could do was watch her turn just in time to be rammed by the first boy's forearm.

  She pinwheeled backward and fell to the rock hard ground. From the corner of his eye, he saw something gold spin out of his sight. As a second boy flashed by, Kal took after them.

  Michael knelt by Kaitlin and brushed back her hair. His heart was thrumming double-time, and it wasn't just from the adrenaline that had been dumped into his system. "Are you okay?"

  She opened her eyes and blinked a couple of times. After a moment or two her gaze focused on him and her lips curled up at the corners. She pushed herself upright as Dani knelt on the other side of her.

  "Oh honey, are you hurt?" Dani's tender tone shocked Michael. Because of her looks and the way she'd flirted with Kal, he'd assumed she was shallow. But because of the way she was holding Kaitlin's hand and fussing over her, Michael made her a silent apology.

  Kaitlin took a deep breath and rocked back and forth a few times. "Just got the wind knocked out of me. I'm okay." She gave Dani a look, causing the blonde to grin. Michael and Dani helped her to her feet.

  His heart ticked up to triple time when she leaned into him while Dani brushed her off.

  "Thank you," she said, in a breathless tone that made him forget the December weather.

  Before he could respond, Kal returned. "I tried to run them down, but no luck."

  Dani threw him an appreciative smile. "Thank you Kal, and you, Michael. Now, I think we should be going." She gathered up the chairs and blankets. "We're meeting some friends in Irvington, and we're running a little late. We've had a lovely time though."

  With her free arm, Dani turned Kaitlin around and led her away. Kaitlin looked back and gave Michael a little wave. He returned the wave as the late afternoon cold began slicing its way into him again.