As Brandon pulled her close on the dance floor, the fear began to abate, and she found herself once again wrapped up in his safe arms. Leaning her head against his shoulder, she enjoyed the solidity of it and the slight tickling of his beard on her forehead.
His phone did not ring the rest of the night, and Presley allowed herself to believe it was a one-time thing. When the dance ended, they gathered their coats and headed out into the cold night with the rest of the crowd.
“Oh, come on, Max, you know you had fun,” Presley heard Layla say off to their right.
“Or how about a cat day care? You know like a dog one, only for cats?” Ned’s voice carried from the left.
Giggling, Presley snuggled into the crook of Brandon’s arm, and he pulled her closer. “I’ll never get tired of that view. Bet you don’t see that in Dallas.” She pointed to the sky above, clear and filled with stars.
“That you don’t,” he said, “but we have other things that you can’t get here.”
Presley kicked herself as she heard his voice shift. She didn’t want him thinking about what he was missing. It was clear she still had her work cut out for her.
Chapter 10
After church the next day, Presley stopped by Max’s and grabbed sandwiches to take to Brandon’s house. She didn’t know if they had gone to a different church or even if they’d had lunch, but she felt the need to show up with something.
Max eyed her as he placed the wrapped sandwiches in a paper bag. There was something on his mind evident from his frownier than usual face and his slightly pursed lips.
“What?” Presley asked with a sigh when he didn’t offer his thoughts.
“I just wonder if you know what you’re getting yourself into. I don’t want you sitting in my corner table scaring the customers away again when he leaves.”
It had only been two days, right after Brandon told her about Morgan, that she had sat in his corner table, eating ice cream and sketching, refusing to talk to anyone, but Max had let her know in no uncertain terms that she had affected his bottom line and should take her sulking elsewhere.
“I’m not getting into anything.” Presley was trying to convince herself as much as Max. “It’s just lunch with his family.”
His eyebrow raised, but he said nothing more as he finished filling the paper bag and pushed it across the counter. Presley plopped down two twenties and picked up the bag.
“What about your change?” he asked as she headed toward the door.
“Put it on my tab for next time.” She pushed the door open to the white wonderland outside. The snow was still falling lightly outside as she headed to Cooper Street.
Though not heavy, the bag was awkward, and she ended up shifting it several times from one hip to the other before reaching Brandon’s house. He opened the door before her finger could hit the bell, and her eyes widened in surprise.
“I listened for the step.” He grinned and took the bag from her. Presley stomped the snow off her boots before crossing the threshold into the house. After carefully removing her hat, coat, and scarf, she hung them on the rack and followed him into the kitchen.
“Presley brought lunch,” Brandon said as they entered.
“Oh, good, I’m starving.” Anna shut the book she had been reading and jumped up to search for paper plates.
“I want to build a snowman,” Joy said.
Presley touched her head. “Let’s eat, and I’ll help you build a good one after lunch.”
“You promise?”
The question caught Presley off guard, but it was the look in her eyes that really bothered her, as if Joy was often used to having promises broken. She sneaked a glance at Brandon, but he wasn’t paying attention. He was busy emptying the bag and doling out the sandwiches.
“I promise.” Presley dropped down to her knees to be on eye level with Joy. “Building snowmen is one of my favorite pastimes.”
Her eyes sparkled and she leaned in as if sharing a secret. “Mine too, or at least I think it will be after I build my first one.”
Laughing, Presley grabbed her hand and led her to the table where Brandon and Anna had laid out plates and sandwiches. Beverly arrived with two bags of chips and cups. Bruce, probably needing to feel useful, poured iced tea in each cup and passed it to his right.
After lunch, Presley helped Beverly clear the table as Brandon took Joy to add on layers. The snow was still falling, which meant the air was still cold outside.
Joy returned a few moments later, walking stiffly with her arms out and her legs straight. A scowl lined her face. “I can’t move like this, Daddy.”
“But you’ll be warm which is more important.” He was also bundled up, but only in a coat and hat.
“How many layers is she wearing?” Presley counted at least two from the different colored necklines protruding from her coat.
“Four. She doesn’t have a heavy coat, and I don’t want her to freeze.”
Presley mashed her lips together to stifle the laugh. She didn’t want Joy thinking she was laughing at her, but the situation was comical. “Maybe it will loosen up as you move.” As she hurried into the living room, a giggle escaped her lips. She grabbed her coat, hat, scarf, and boots and hurried back to them.
Brandon held the coat for her as she shrugged her arms into the sleeves, and then he wrapped his arms around her, sneaking a quick peck on the cheek before letting go. Cheeks still aflame, Presley pulled her hat on and wrapped the scarf around her neck. Her gloves, tucked safely in her coat pockets, were the last item she added, and then they ventured into the backyard.
The snow, while light, had been falling almost steadily since it started the night before, and now a few inches coated the ground. Enough to build a snowman if it was the right kind of snow.
Joy squealed with delight and ran around in circles, stopping every few minutes to stick out her tongue and catch snowflakes. “It’s so cold.”
While Brandon watched Joy, Presley bent down and rolled up a ball of snow. She pelted him with it before he had time to turn around.
“Hey.” His shout was more from surprise than annoyance, but the evil glint appeared in his eye. Squealing, she ran as he scooped up his own snowball.
His ammo hit the side of her leg, spraying her with cold pellets. Joy stopped to watch, and after realizing they were playing, she began scooping up her own balls and pelting Brandon.
Presley landed another one as he turned to deal with Joy.
“Hey, no fair,” he shouted. “This is two against one.”
“That’s right.” Presley dodged his next ball, a smile on her face.
Joy landed one on his hip and doubled over with laughter as he pretended to be angry and come after her. She didn’t even try to get away, but allowed him to pick her up and swing her around.
“I’ll get you later,” he said. “Right now, we need to get Presley.”
She agreed, and Presley sprinted toward the safety of some bushes, but not fast enough. Brandon’s longer stride caught her, and as he grabbed for her coat, she lost her footing and fell to the soft snow.
Brandon, tripping over her flailing feet, landed on top of her, his face inches from hers. His arms, thankfully, caught his fall or else they might have smashed faces.
She could feel his breath on her face as his eyes stared into hers and began to close, his face lowering.
“What are you doing?” Joy asked.
Brandon’s eyes snapped open, and he scrambled up. “Nothing, Presley and I both fell is all.” He held out his hand and helped her up.
“Uh huh, sure.” She eyed them both and Presley bit back her smile. Joy was smart. Maybe too smart for her own good. Presley could tell Joy knew something was different, but she appeared unsure what to do with her information. “Can we build the snowman now?”
Presley took a deep breath to calm her racing heart. “Yes. Let’s do this.” Bending down, she began to push the snow into a ball shape. It was not quite as wet as it should be and pi
eces of snow kept falling off the ball, creating more of a lopsided circle.
Brandon pushed with her as the ball grew bigger, his eyes stealing furtive glances. When the base was made, they paused to catch their breath, and Joy brought snow over to patch the holes. A large winding trail of green grass where they had taken snow contrasted with the white of the rest of the backyard.
After the second ball was finished, Presley noticed Joy’s teeth chattering. “Let’s finish the head quickly,” she whispered to Brandon. He looked up at her in surprise, and she nodded in Joy’s direction. She was stalwartly still bringing snow over, but her nose was bright pink, and she couldn’t keep her teeth locked together.
Brandon deftly rolled up the last smaller ball and placed it on the top before turning to Joy. “Okay, little one, let’s get you inside and warmed up.”
“I’m o. . .o. . .okay,” she insisted, through teeth still snapping repeatedly together.
“No, you’re not. You’re freezing. We’ll finish dressing the snowman later after you’ve warmed up.”
Though she looked like she wanted to protest, the cold won and Joy nodded. Together, they trooped back into the house and peeled off their cold, wet layers.
Beverly, Anna, and Bruce were nowhere to be seen, so Brandon started a tea kettle warming on the stove for hot chocolate, and Presley took Joy into the living room and flicked on the electric fireplace.
As she sat, teeth still chattering, Presley grabbed a blanket from the back of the couch and wrapped it around both of their shoulders. “Is that better?” Joy nodded and curled into her. Unsure what to do, Presley opened her arm and allowed the girl to snuggle in.
Moments later, the tea kettle whistled, and Brandon entered bearing a tray with three steaming mugs of hot chocolate. He smiled at their pose before handing the smallest cup to Joy. “Be careful, it’s hot.”
“I know Daddy.” Her nose was returning to its normal color, and she had warmed up enough that she could control her mouth. She pushed away from Presley and cupped the mug with both hands, holding it just under her chin and letting the steam float up to her eyes.
Brandon handed Presley a mug, holding her fingers longer than necessary. She flashed a warm smile up at him as he sat beside her. In silence, they sipped their hot chocolate and enjoyed the warmth, and it was easy for Presley to envision this as a regular occurrence for them. It felt like home for the first time in years.
When the hot chocolate was gone, and the trio was sufficiently warmed, Joy grabbed Presley’s hand. “Do you want to put a puzzle together with me?”
Presley followed her over to a card table and was surprised to see a five-hundred-piece puzzle spread out over the table.
“She loves puzzles,” Brandon said, coming behind her and placing his hands on her shoulders. It was an innocent gesture, but it sent a chill down her spine. It had been too long since anyone placed their hands on her shoulders in a show of possession, and it made her smile. With her left hand, she reached up and squeezed Brandon’s hand, while her right searched for a puzzle piece to place.
An hour later the puzzle was finished, and they went off in search of the rest of the family. They had been mysteriously absent for the past few hours.
They were found in the family room, passed out in front of the television, which was playing the highlights of some football game. Putting her finger to her lips, Presley motioned them to follow her out of the room.
“Joy, are you warmed up enough?”
She nodded. “I’m toasty.”
“How about we go get a tree?”
Her mouth opened, and Presley flung her finger back to her lips, sure Joy was about to squeal. She clapped a hand over her mouth and nodded, eyes wide and dancing.
“Fine, but you need another layer.” Brandon steered Joy down the hall to the bedrooms.
Her sigh was audible down the hallway, and Presley smiled as she headed back for her own coat and hat. They were still a little wet from the romp earlier, but she figured they would be okay. They met back at the front door and headed into the cold.
The snow had stopped, which meant the air was slightly warmer, but only slightly. Brandon steered them to his father’s pickup parked on the side; his city car would never be able to hold a tree.
He started the truck to warm up the engine and then headed into the shop, returning a moment later with a saw and some rope.
When the truck was sufficiently warmed up, he backed out of the drive slowly, partly because of the snow on the ground and partly because Joy wasn’t in her usual car seat. The forest wasn’t very far, and there was little traffic, but Brandon still drove cautiously. His shoulders hunched forward, and his hands gripped the wheel so hard that white erupted around the knuckles. Presley couldn’t decide if he was more worried about the snow or the lack of a car seat.
Ten minutes later, he pulled the truck to a stop outside the forest. It was as she remembered it. Tall Virginia Pines filled the forest, like an army of green triangles ready to march into battle. They were accompanied by smaller scraggly trees and brush.
They piled out of the truck, and before the doors were shut, Joy took off running. “Daddy, look at all the trees.”
“Find us a good one,” he hollered back.
“She sure seems excited,” Presley said, meeting him at the back of the truck.
“Yeah, well there aren’t many places to get a real tree in Dallas.” The saw swung from his hand as they made their way to the forest.
Presley tried again to picture him in a big city, but couldn’t do it. He fit so well here in this small town where he didn’t have to try and impress anyone.
“Over here, Daddy. This one.”
Joy’s voice led them into the forest, where she stood pointing at a tall tree. It had to be nearly eight feet judging by how much taller it was than Brandon who stood at just over six feet.
“Will it fit?” Presley couldn’t remember how tall the ceilings in his living room were, though she thought they were taller than eight feet.
“Yeah, but just barely.” He walked slowly around the tree, perusing every branch and detail. Presley had forgotten what a tree connoisseur he was. The first year he brought her, he walked around for nearly half an hour before deciding on the perfect tree. “You sure this is the one?”
“Yes, this one.” Joy jumped up and down, accentuating her words.
Smiling, Brandon crouched down and began to saw the thick trunk. The crunching noise of the saw ripping through the bark broke the stillness and Joy scurried to Presley’s side. She put her arm around the girl and pulled her close.
“Here it comes.”
The tree began to tilt their direction, and Presley moved Joy to the side a minute before the tree tumbled down. Brandon sawed the ragged edge at the bottom and then grabbed the trunk and began pulling the tree back toward the truck.
Remembering the last time and the slew of needles they lost as the tree dragged on the ground, Presley picked up the end. Joy, pretending to help, placed her little hands on the middle.
When they reached the truck, Presley placed her end in first and then Brandon shoved his end until the tree lay securely in the bed. Then he tied the tree down with the rope.
They repeated the procedure in reverse when they arrived back at the house, and Anna, who must have heard the commotion, opened the front door for them. Presley and Brandon shuffled down the hallway and into the living room.
“I’ll go get the tree stand,” Anna said and rushed off, a wide smile on her face.
“I’ll get the ornaments,” Beverly announced as she hurried off toward the attic.
“I’ll just sit here, I guess,” Bruce grumbled, the agitation at his inability to help clear in his voice.
Presley walked over to him, hoping to offer some words of encouragement. “You can help us make sure we don’t have any holes once we’re done decorating. I know it’s hard right now, but at least you are home for Christmas.”
He squeezed her hand
and nodded.
Chapter 11
Watching Presley with his father, Brandon couldn’t help but picture the kind of wife and mother she would be. She always seemed to know exactly what people needed to hear and when they needed to hear it.
A tug on his pant leg broke his daydreaming, and he bent down to Joy, who motioned with her little finger. “I like her too, Daddy. She’s nice.”
“Yes, she is, Pumpkin. Yes, she is.”
“Are you going to marry her?”
Brandon glanced up to see if Presley had overheard, but she was still talking with his father. “I don’t know, Joy, but I’d like to see her more. Would that be okay with you?”
She nodded, and her eyes lit up. “I know what to ask Santa for.”
Before Brandon could say anything, she darted out of the room.
“What was that about?” Anna asked as she returned. She presented the tree stand to him like a gift.
“I have no idea.” He unscrewed the tongs that held the tree in place, and then Anna and Presley joined in lifting the tree and guiding it into the hole. While they held it steady, Brandon crawled under the tree and screwed the tongs back in to hold the tree in place. “Can you get me some water while I’m down here?”
Anna’s feet moved toward the kitchen and returned moments later. She handed down a plastic pitcher filled with water, and he slowly poured it into the base.
His mother returned with the lights and ornaments as he wiggled out from under the tree. She set the boxes on the couch and then grabbed the remote to turn on music. After a few clicks, cheerful Christmas music filled the air.
Brandon and Presley began untangling the lights and winding them around the tree. Joy returned a moment later, looking like the Cheshire cat with her silly grin, and watched.
After a few tries, the lights were on correctly and plugged in. Blue, green, white, and red colors burst forth from their plastic prisons.
“Oooh pretty.” Joy smiled and clapped her hands.
With the lights on, they moved to the ornaments, taking turns picking one from the box and hanging it on the tree. Brandon’s father shouted out directions from his chair. “No, a little higher. We need one to the right. There’s a hole right by your hand.”
When Love Returns Page 7