by Lynn Crain
“Are you nervous?”
Tessa turned to him with a tremulous smile. “A little…does it show?”
“Not at all. Just remember…this is an elf’s house and things are different here…you’ll see things in a whole new way after our visit.”
“I think I can handle that.”
Jedrick sighed. “The elf thing doesn’t bother you?”
“Bother me? Why would it bother me?”
“I just thought I would ask…I mean, we didn’t talk about that aspect of our lives. We talked about everything else, but that was kinda left hanging.”
Reaching up she caressed his cheek. “It really doesn’t bother me that you’re an elf…I find it kinda exciting,” she murmured and stood on tiptoe to place a tender kiss on his lips. Coming back on her heels, she was rewarded with the warmth of a glowing living room as the door opened wide.
“Well, don’t just stand there you two, come on it.” Jedrick’s mother stood back and opened the door wide to a warm interior. “I can’t believe you stood out there in the snow. Jedrick, since when do you not just walk in the home where you grew up?”
“That’s my fault, Mrs. Locklin. I told him that I was a little uncomfortable about just walking in unannounced. I’m Tessa Winston.” She stepped forward, quickly taking the older woman’s hand and was glad to find that the woman had a firm, warm grip.
“Thank you, now I understand.” She turned to her son, who had hung up his coat and was reaching for Tessa’s. “You should have explained to her that she could freeze in the time it took me to answer the door.”
“We weren’t out there that long, Mother.”
She clucked her teeth in displeasure. “That was hardly the point. But come on in…you’re a little late and everyone is already here.” Janice turned and walked toward the dining room. “Everyone, that is, except Aingeal.”
Jedrick rolled his eyes and took Tessa’s hand. “What is she doing now?”
“God only knows, Jedrick. And before you asked, I never got a chance to talk to her today at all. She’s been gone all day. I only hope something hasn’t happened at her job.”
“Great,” he muttered, wondering what other lurking disaster might befall them.
“Is that a problem?” Tessa whispered.
“Everything’s a problem with my sister,” he said when he could no longer see his Mother’s back.
“I heard that!”
Tessa laughed. “That was good.”
“She has ears like an elephant.”
“And eyes like a hawk,” came a voice from inside the dining room.
“My Father,” Jedrick whispered in Tessa’s ear, pulling her along.
Tessa found herself in the middle of a large family dining room.
“Jedrick, why don’t you introduce us to your lady friend?”
Tess turned and saw a very handsome man standing before her. He reminded her of the man who had played Frodo in the recent Lord of the Rings movies. Although he was shorter than she was, that in no way detracted from his good looks, with amber hair and azure blue eyes.
“Tessa, this is my Dad, Bevan.”
“Hi, I’m Tessa Winston,” she said and reached out her hand.
His warm hand gripped hers in a strong handshake. “Santa was right…you are very beautiful.”
“Umm…thank you,” Tess said and blushed profusely. The man was certainly a charmer, and it was no wonder that a human woman had fallen in love with him.
“Why don’t you come in and meet the rest of the family?” Bevan took her hand and propelled her toward the large family room.
Helplessly she looked back at Jedrick, who only shrugged his shoulders. Once inside, she glanced around the room and was surprised to see family pictures on every wall. It amazed her that so many images could fit in one small space.
“Wow,” she said and peered at the wall.
“Janice likes to take photos and she’s been taking them ever since we got married. But here, I need to introduce you around.”
Turning her toward the small crowd gathered inside the large room, she immediately was taken in by smiling faces.
“I think you already know this guy.”
“Hi, Santa. I guess I have you to thank for all of this,” she said cautiously.
Taking her hand gently in his, he smiled eyes twinkling. “Guilty as charged. I really didn’t think you would mind,” Santa replied. “You do know that my real name is Kris Kringle, right?”
Tessa smiled. “I believe I have heard that somewhere.”
Santa reached and touched the arm of the woman next to him. “Johanna, this is the young lady that I told you about, Tessa.”
“Hello, Tessa. I’m sure this place seems rather strange after being in what is termed ‘the real world.’ Right?”
“Well…” she began, “it is different than home. I will admit that.” She’d a fleeting thought of home then…her tiny little, lonely house…the lack of snow and realized that she’d felt more at home here than anywhere since her parents died.
Tessa let her gaze wander over the older white-haired woman and knew that she really must have been beautiful when she was younger. Her eyes went from Santa to the Missus and tried to gauge their age and couldn’t. They were the epitome of everything she’d heard about the Clauses and she was really happy to meet them both here in a casual environment.
“Jedrick, why don’t you introduce Tessa to your siblings? Your grandparents are in the kitchen with your mother.” Bevan indicated the younger group at the far end of the room gathered around a pool table.
Jedrick took Tessa’s hand and guided her toward the group. “Come on. Might as well get it over with,” he muttered. All eyes turned to them when they were close.
“What’s up?” a young black-haired man asked.
“That would be Maddox, Tessa. He’s one of the twins.” Jedrick turned to his siblings. “Everyone this is Tessa Winston.”
“Hi,” she said as they all murmured their hellos.
Maddox scowled at his older brother. “Hi, Tessa. Jedrick, you say that like I’m cursed or something.”
His older brother laughed at the serious look on the kid’s face. “You just might be, kid.”
“Hey…that’s not fair…does that mean I get lumped with him?” a girl questioned from the corner.
“And that would be his twin and co-conspirator in crime, Merna.”
Tessa looked at the lovely girl. True, she did look like her brother with black hair and startling blue eyes. But she would have to reserve her opinion about just how much they were truly alike for a later time. She doubted she would get to know them that well tonight. “Hi, Merna. Is it hard having a twin brother?”
“Hard! Sometimes it’s the pits. Between him and Ardan, I just don’t know what to do. They are both overprotective, if you ask me.” Merna sighed and glared at her brothers.
“Ardan?” Tessa questioned.
“That would be him.” Jedrick pointed to a man standing by the pool table with a cue in hand. “His scowl doesn’t have anything to do with meeting you. He doesn’t like anyone.”
“Oh,” she said and followed his finger. The blonde man inclined his head in her direction but said nothing. The man was incredibly handsome, with his long straight blonde hair and the same startling blue eyes as the twins. There was something aloof about him…something that spoke of deeper hidden feelings that he didn’t want the others to see…and somehow Tessa caught a glimpse of them. “I see what you mean,” she replied, sighing and turned to Jedrick.
“The other guy with him is Cuinn, and he’s even a bigger nerd than I am.”
Chuckling more to herself than anyone, she asked, “Really? I wouldn’t consider you a nerd.”
“Yeah, really.”
Smiling, Tessa made a mental count. “I thought you said you had five siblings.”
“I do. Aingeal is missing.”
“And that’s not necessarily a bad thing,” Merna whispered.
Tessa turned and looked at the young woman, wondering what was so wrong with this sister that she would say something so negative. “Why’s that?”
“I’d rather not divulge any of that information. She’ll kill me if I say anything bad about her. All I can tell you is that you’ll see.”
Bevan motioned for Jedrick and Tessa to come back for more introductions. She was then introduced to Jedrick’s grandparents, Bowen and Alys, who had slipped in while she was in the game room. She could see where Jedrick’s father and all of them had gotten their good looks. It was obviously genetic, as Bowen was handsome and Alys was beautiful. Both had the amber hair and blue eyes that Jedrick possessed. And other than the size, she saw no difference between themselves and she…they were wonderful people.
Janice came out of the kitchen. “If you all don’t mind coming and helping me get the table ready, we can eat.”
Everyone pitched in and they finished setting the table in record time. Tessa was amazed by their quick efficiency and wondered if this is why the elves had been the chosen keepers of Christmas. Their organization skills were top-notch. In no time at all they were sitting and laughing at some joke that Santa told.
The air took on a sudden chill as the front door opened and a parka-heavy person came in.
“It sure is cold today.”
Standing at the entry, she took off her coat and hat. “Did you guys see the release of sexual energy the other night? Some elf must have really been at it.” Coming into the dining room, she stood looking like a wild woman with black curls tumbling around her face.
Tessa felt like sinking into the floor, because somehow she knew just who the elf was. Peering closer at the person who could have only been Aingeal, she saw gold glitter in her mouth and realized that the girl had a tongue piercing.
Suddenly, nine pairs of eyes were all turned in Aingeal’s direction. “What? Did I say something wrong?”
“Can’t you come in just once without making a scene?” Jedrick questioned angrily.
“Jedrick,” his father’s hand gripped his arm. “Aingeal, this is Jedrick’s friend, Tessa.”
Aingeal looked across the table at her. “Hi, Tessa. Did you feel that…oh…I am so sorry,” she said seeing the look on Tessa’s face. “I didn’t mean….”
“That’s okay.” Tessa leaned forward and peered a little closer. “Is that a tongue piercing?” she questioned innocently.
“That does it,” Janice said and looked more closely at her daughter. “Young lady, you and I are going to have a talk after dinner.”
Aingeal stared at her mother in defiance. “It is my body, Mother.”
“That is hardly the point, Aingeal. And we will discuss it later.”
Tessa glanced at the other family members, all who looked just a little embarrassed. “I think it’s kind of cool. Not that I’m anywhere near that brave.” She smiled at the woman sitting across from her.
“Really? No one here thinks it’s anything but disgusting.” She looked at her parents and stuck out her tongue. “I had it a week before anyone noticed. You're the only one who noticed it right away.”
“Aingeal, I must ask you to stop this at once. You are just upsetting your Mother more.” Bevan glowered at his daughter with a stern face.
She looked down at her plate. “Yes, Father, I’ll try and be good.”
“I know that, Aingeal. We just want you to try to live up to your name.”
They started eating again but it took a few minutes before the conversation flowed smoothly. Tessa finally decided to break the ice herself, since it was her revelation that caused the problem in the first place.
“You all have such unusual names. How did you come up with them, Mrs. Locklin?”
“Janice, please, Tessa. I study ancient languages and cultures. The names are all Celtic.”
The conversation then turned to why each name was chosen, why certain ones weren’t. Even Santa and the Missus got into the rousing conversation, even though they didn’t have any children of their own. Apparently the Locklins had consulted them on most of their children’s names. From that moment on until Tessa and Jedrick left, she’d never felt so at home or loved.
Shrugging into her coat, she was surprised when Janice took her hands in her own.
“I really like you, Tessa. I think you will do nicely.” Leaning over, she kissed her on the cheek. “Please come and see us at the workshop soon.”
Walking out the door to their sleigh, Jedrick pulled her close. “My parents like you.”
“That’s good.” She smiled confidently.
“Yes it is…it is very good,” he said and put her into the vehicle, tucking the blanket around her knees.
Jedrick leaned in and kissed her, his tongue traced the full contours of her mouth.
Smirking to herself, she quipped. “So does that mean we’re going to give them another magic display tonight?”
Chapter Six
The next morning, Tessa stretched and snuggled deeper into the warm covers, wondering if Jedrick would mind taking her to the workshop. She really wanted to see where he worked, where all the elves worked. She wanted to learn where she would fit into the whole scheme of things should she decide to stay. She really dreaded the thought of having nothing to do all day. She would definitely want to contribute something. She enjoyed her job as a computer programmer, and would need to keep her mind fresh if she was to stay with this man.
And she supposed that was the crux of the whole thing. The sex was excellent, there was no denying it and when the magic flowed around them, she absolutely felt like she was part of something bigger than just herself. But sex didn’t always make a good relationship. Tessa would need to discover within the next few days exactly what she wanted to do. She wasn’t so sure she wanted to leave her old life behind. Then there was Angie.
Angie, her best friend, had been her lifeline when her parents had died and she couldn’t just leave her high and dry without a soul in the world to care about her. As it was, all Angie had left was a cat and a string of lovers she’d never really cared about. Tessa sighed then and knew whatever decision she made, it wasn’t going to be easy. She was already more than half in love with the Jedrick.
She curled on her side and let her gaze travel around the room taking everything in, wondering where Jedrick might be. At that exact moment he entered the room with a breakfast tray. Now this was something a girl could get used to. Scooting up, she put a pillow behind her. “Thank you, you are so sweet,” she murmured when he placed the tray over her lap.
Leaning down, he gave her a quick peck on the forehead. “I thought you might like to go to the workshop today.”
Tessa stopped mid-bite. “That is just so uncanny. I was thinking about the same thing right before you came in.”
“I sense a ‘but’ there. Something is troubling you. Was there anything else you were thinking about?”
She frowned. “Yeah…I was thinking about my life in Reno, Jedrick…and what I was going to do if I came here to live.”
He shook his head. “Hard decision. I don’t know what would happen if I ever had to leave here. I’m not sure that elves would even be accepted in your world.”
She put down her knife and fork. “Why do you say that?”
“Well…Tessa, the first problem would be our magic.”
“I would think it would be a blessing,” she said, watching his face for any reaction.
“Usually, I would agree with you but in this case I can’t. People have tried to seek us out before. Now if it were for the right reasons, I think the elves that still exist in your realm would come out.”
“Ah…I see,” she said, knowing immediately what he meant. “It goes back to the old argument, are people basically good or are they basically bad.”
“That would be putting it very simply. The elves have a very strict policy about what can and can’t be done in the human realm. Most who seek us out are looking for us to further their own personal gain.”
“I can see that would be a problem.”
“It’s one of the reasons that my parents have such a problem with Aingeal.”
“I don’t understand. Why?”
“Because she works in an Eskimo village about two hundred miles from here. The village is also home to an oil refinery.”
“I didn’t realize that,” Tessa said frowning. “Why does she do that?”
“Because she wants to help the Eskimo kids to succeed in their world and your world. Most of them have to leave their village. There’s nothing there for them and the old ways are dying fast for them. Especially with the new oil reserves that they’ve found recently in their area.”
Tessa sighed. “I can understand her wanting to spread her wings and all…but isn’t it kind of dangerous?”
“Not with the Eskimos…they are a kind and loving people who wouldn’t betray us at all…but the oil men are a different story.”
“Yeah, from what I hear they can be a rough bunch.”
“They don’t call them roughnecks for nothing, Tessa.” He gave her a knowing look.
Smiling, she said, “That’s true. I can see where your parents would be concerned.” She reached for his hand and squeezed. “Have any of you ever attempted to leave?”
“We all went to school in Alaska. My parents wanted us to have the best education possible so we could survive in either world. Both Cuinn and I have engineering degrees…mine is in design and his is in computers.”
“Really? So is mine. Computers, that is,” she said.
“And Ardan is the doctor of the group. The twins haven’t decided what they are going to do yet. I think Merna wants to find the next great elven treasure and Maddox just wants to keep up with her.”
“Treasure hunters, huh? And Ardan’s a doctor…really?”
Jedrick looked at her. “That surprised you?”
Shaking her head, she didn’t know what to think. She’d listened to Angie ranting enough times about how arrogant some doctors were to patients and just people in general. And to add Ardan’s elf arrogance on top of it, she understood a little more about his brother. “Actually…yes…but looking at him, I would say that he is just like one of those arrogant doctors that Angie is always talking about.”