by Lyn Gardner
“What’s wrong?” Diana asked.
Grabbing Diana’s hand, Jamie said, “No time to explain, but I’m late. Come on.”
Jamie led Diana to a set of steps at the far end of the porch. Gesturing toward a path shoveled in the snow, she said, “We’ve got to run. Okay?”
Clueless, but loving the spontaneity of the moment, Diana said, “I’ll follow you anywhere.”
“I’m going to hold you to that.”
Giving Diana’s hand a quick squeeze, Jamie trotted down the stairs with Diana following close behind, and when they reached the path, Jamie smiled. “Try to keep up. That is…if you can.”
In the second it took for Diana to register what Jamie had said, the woman was already several yards down the path, and setting her jaw, Diana sprinted after her. Trying not to laugh as she ran as fast as she could, the sting of the crisp air against her face brought back memories of sleds and snowball fights.
Of brightly-colored boots and mittens fastened to her jacket with a string, and snowsuits so stiff, it was all she could do to move.
Seeing Jamie disappear behind some tall evergreens, Diana sped up, but as soon as she cleared the trees, she stopped in her tracks. Hidden behind the pines was a barn entirely outlined in white lights, and leaning on one of the doors was Jamie, playfully tapping the face of her watch.
“I wasn’t that far behind,” Diana said, trotting over.
Snickering, Jamie said, “I know.”
Pointing to the far door, she said, “Grab the handle, and it’ll slide open. I’ll get this one.”
“Okay,” Diana said, jogging to the other door. Being two-thirds the height of the barn and covered in wide planks of oak, when Diana grasped the iron handle, she did it with purpose. Tugging with every ounce of strength she had, she promptly fell on her ass when the hefty panel moved almost effortlessly.
Giggling, Diana scrambled to her feet, and refusing to acknowledge the amused look on Jamie’s face, she clutched the handle again. “Let’s try that again, shall we?”
Easily opening her door while Jamie did the same with the other, the snow-covered ground was instantly awash in the light streaming from the barn. Filling her lungs with air, Diana peeked inside and her eyes opened wide. “Oh my God! Jamie, how did you do this?”
Wearing the largest smile she owned, Jamie said, “My sister works for an ad agency. They use it on photo shoots sometimes, but it’s usually back in storage by now. I leased it from them, and…and a friend helped me with the rest.”
Before Diana could say a word, a booming voice echoed through the barn.
“You’re late!” Turning, Diana watched as Santa Claus strode past the two white stallions tethered to a sleigh, and came to a stop directly in front of Jamie. “You were supposed to be here ten minutes ago.”
“Sorry, I kind of lost track of time,” Jamie replied.
Raising an eyebrow, Santa directed his attention to Diana. Eyeballing her for only a moment, he returned his focus to Jamie. Seeing that both women were displaying radiant smiles, he chuckled and shook his head. “Yes, well, speaking of time, we’re running out of it. I’ve loaded the sacks, so climb in and let’s go.”
Walking to the front of the festively decorated red sleigh, he climbed onto the green-upholstered seat in the front.
Adjusting the overfilled sack next to him, he glanced over his shoulder at the two women still standing near the sled.
“Well, what are you waiting for?”
Taking Diana’s hand, Jamie asked, “So…how’d you like to go on a sleigh ride?”
Chapter Eight
Amidst the snow flurries and darkness of Christmas Eve, and with the sleigh bells jingle-jangling as the horses trotted, the sleigh shushed through the snow. In the back seat, with a plush red and white blanket draped over their legs, the two women sat with cheeks rosy from the wind, enjoying every single second of the ride.
Diana’s mind was awhirl. She had never believed in fairytales, but sitting behind Santa on a sleigh sliding over the frozen ground has a way of changing a person’s beliefs. The last few hours had been filled with the smells of Christmas, the laughter of children and the charity of the season, and Diana had never felt so warm, so alive, so aware, and so much in love.
The man in the Santa costume guided the sleigh to the outskirts of Jamie’s property before slowly heading back toward the house. Between the sound of the bells jangling on the horse’s bridle and Santa’s boisterous and continual “Ho, ho, ho,” by the time they reached the house, the patio was filled to capacity.
Parents held their children’s hands, preventing them from running at the moving sleigh, and the older kids, the ones who thought they no longer believed in Santa Claus, believed again.
The snow was falling, the air was crisp, and as the clock struck nine, the bells in the church steeple began to toll. It was magical.
When they came to a stop, Santa turned to Jamie and Diana. “Okay, time for you two to hop out. I only work with elves, and you’re not dressed for the part.”
“You sure?” Jamie asked, quickly jumping out and helping Diana do the same.
“I’m fine,” Santa replied. “Now get out of here. I’ve got gifts to give.”
Nodding her head, Jamie winked at the man, and with her fingers still laced through Diana’s, she led her away from the sleigh. In a loud, booming voice, Jamie shouted, “Merry Christmas!” and then watched as the overjoyed youngsters scampered down the patio stairs and dashed to the sleigh.
By the amount of children racing across the snow, Santa knew that one sack of presents definitely wouldn’t be enough. Reaching in the back seat for the other bag, he jumped when he discovered that he wasn’t alone. On the upholstered bench sat a little man dressed as an elf. “Where did you come from?” Santa asked.
“I’m here to help you, sir,” the elf replied.
Pausing for a moment, Santa let out a hearty chuckle. “I should have known that she’d have thought of this,” he said, holding out his hand. “Well, you best do your job, then. Start handing me those presents before the children overtake us.”
“As you wish, sir,” Percy said, handing the faux Santa the first of many toys in the bag. “It’s what I live for.”
Standing under a tall pine a short distance away, Jamie and Diana watched as the children gathered around the sleigh.
“You thought of everything, didn’t you?” Diana said.
“It’s just a few toys.”
“No, I mean the elf.”
Confused, Jamie said, “What in the world are you talking about?”
“The elf…in the back seat,” Diana said, pointing to the sled.
Glancing over at the sleigh, Jamie chuckled. “I think someone’s had one too many eggnogs. There’s no one in the sleigh except for Santa.”
With a huff, Diana looked back at the sleight. Seeing only Santa Claus, she frowned. “I swear to you that there was a little man dressed as an elf in the back seat a minute ago.”
“Of course there was,” Jamie said in a placating tone. “And I suppose you see reindeer instead of horses, too?”
“I’m telling you, I know what I saw,” Diana said, crossing her arms.
Seeing the change in Diana’s posture, Jamie asked hesitantly, “Did I make you mad?”
“What? No, of course not.”
“Are you sure?”
With a snicker, Diana said, “Trust me. You’ll know when I’m angry.”
Amused, Jamie said, “Well, I guess I should let you know that I’ve got quite a temper, too.”
“Do you now?”
“Yes, thus the need for a stone home,” Jamie said, glancing back at her house. “I can huff and puff all I want, and the walls will never fall down.”
“Wanna bet?” Diana said with a devilish snigger. Expecting the exchange to continue, when Diana saw a broad smile appear on Jamie’s face, she asked, “What’s that about?”
“I was just thinking that we both have tempers, which
means we’ll probably have lots of arguments.”
“Definitely a possibility.”
“And I’ll be the first to admit that I can be quite pigheaded at times.”
“That makes two of us.”
“So…we’ll probably have to spend lots of time…um…making up,” Jamie said, holding back a grin.
The frigid air had already caused Diana’s cheeks to turn red, but Jamie’s inference instantly added more depth to the shade. Enjoying the fact that Diana was blushing, Jamie pulled her into her arms, and as she lowered her mouth to Diana’s, she said, “I think we should start practicing right now. How about you?”
The magic of Christmas Eve had allowed Percy to become visible to all, but as soon as the last sack of presents had been emptied, he had jumped from the sleigh and vanished into thin air. As he skipped eagerly to the house to deliver the last sprig of mistletoe, he saw Jamie pull Diana into her arms.
Percy was on a mission. His job was to deliver three sprigs of mistletoe in hopes that under one, Diana would meet her soul mate. Although he was fairly positive she already had, as far as Percy was concerned, until Diana and Jamie met under the last sprig, there would be no kissing.
Packing some snow into a hard, round ball, he repeated what he had done earlier that night. Winding up like a major league pitcher, he took aim and let it rip. Once again, Percy hit his target with a resounding splat, and once again, his target was not happy.
“What the fuck!” Jamie blurted, stumbling to the side.
Halfway between amused and concerned, Diana asked with a snicker, “Oh my God, are you okay?”
Rubbing her head, Jamie scowled and looked out across the yard, intent on discovering who had thrown the snowball. Seeing that Ted Phelan was wearing an unusually large smile, she growled, “I should have known!”
Scooping up some snow, she packed it hard, took aim and fired.
Unfortunately, just as the snowball was about to reach its destination, Lillian Willoughby walked over to talk to Ted and promptly got thwacked in the back of the head.
“Oh, my word,” Lillian shrieked, lurching forward.
Tickled at the sight of the dumpy woman struggling to remain on her feet, Jamie looked at Diana and shrugged.
“Oops.”
Having witnessed the exchange, Ted tried his best not to laugh. “Lil, you okay?”
“I’m fine,” she grumbled back, dusting the snow from her jacket. “But when I find the child who—”
“It was Nash,” Ted said flatly, pointing to where Jamie was standing.
“See for yourself.”
Narrowing her eyes, Lillian whipped around, and when she saw the smile on Jamie’s face, she snatched up some snow to retaliate. A few minutes later, adults and children alike joined in on an impromptu, crazy snowball fight…started by an elf on a mission.
~~~
An hour later, Jamie stood at the front door of her house bidding farewell to her guests. Parents carried sleeping children to their cars, while staff members dressed in elf costumes followed closely behind with their hands filled with bags of food and gifts. Some of the invited, unable to find the words to express what they felt, offered Jamie only a smile when they walked out the door, while others embraced her, kissing her on the cheek as they thanked her again and again for the wonderful, magical night.
“So, I suppose now we should be calling you Jamie Claus, eh?” Phelan said, walking over.
Refusing to allow him to dampen her spirits, Jamie let out a long breath and shook her head. “Call me whatever you’d like, Ted. I’m used to it.”
Something in the tone of Jamie’s voice stopped Ted Phelan from saying another word. Stepping aside so that another family could bid their farewell to their hostess, he looked around the decorated entryway, and then down at his two children who had presents from Santa clutched in their hands. Tenderly placing his hand on his son’s head, the little boy looked up and gave his father a gap-toothed smile, and taking a deep breath, Ted grinned back. Raising his eyes to meet Jamie’s, he paused for a second before reaching into his pocket to pull out his wallet. Opening the billfold, he removed all the cash, folded it in half and placed it in Jamie’s hand.
Confused, Jamie asked, “What’s this?”
“It’s for whatever they need,” Ted answered, glancing around at the families roaming about. Noticing Jamie’s befuddled look, he said, “Look, I’m hardly a bleeding heart, but it is Christmas after all, so just take it and use it for them. Okay?”
Stunned, Jamie looked down at the cash in her hand. Sliding it into her pocket, she debated for only a moment before extending her hand to Phelan.
With a smile, she said, “Thanks, Ted.”
Frowning at her attempt at civility, Ted waved away her handshake. “Don’t get the wrong idea, Nash. This doesn’t change anything between you and me.
It’s a donation, pure and simple. Don’t try to read things into it that aren’t there.”
“Of course not. My mistake, “Jamie said, lowering her hand to her side.
“Good,” he said, guiding his children to the door. “I best get these two home before their mom starts calling. Thanks for the party.”
Without waiting for an answer, he walked outside, but stopped on the stairs when he heard Jamie call out, “Merry Christmas, Ted. Be safe.”
He had spent the night in her house, playing with his children and watching as they frolicked with kids wearing hand-me-down clothes two sizes too large. He had chatted easily with the men about football, and had partaken of more than one cookie baked by women who looked older than their years. When Santa made his appearance, it had been impossible to stop the goosebumps from appearing on his skin, and when the snowball fight started, he had joined in with not one ounce of malice in his heart. It was a Christmas Eve that he would never forget, and he owed it all to the woman standing behind him. With a sigh, he let go of his children’s hands and walked back into the house.
Believing that Phelan had forgotten something, Jamie stepped back to let him pass, but when he held out his hand, she cocked her head to the side in surprise.
Their eyes met, and as she warily placed her hand in his, he said, “Merry Christmas, Jamie, and thanks for the wonderful night. Take care.”
Before she could respond, he turned and trotted down the stairs, leaving Jamie standing at the door with a rather quizzical smile on her face. Deciding to chalk Phelan’s mood up to Christmas, she shook her head and turned just in time to see Lillian Willoughby walk from the living room.
With two of her grandchildren practically wrapped around her legs, and another asleep in her arms, the woman struggled her way through the foyer wearing her usual just-sucked-a-lemon expression. Weighed down by not only the children, but two shopping bags filled with presents from Santa, halfway across the entrance hall, the little boy in her arms began to slip. Before Willoughby could react, Jamie was at her side, pulling the sleeping child from her arms.
“I’ve got him,” Jamie said. As she gently laid the boy against her shoulder, she noticed Lillian’s steely-eyed expression. With a sigh, Jamie added, “Don’t worry, Lillian, I’ll give him back. I promise.”
Realizing that the woman was only trying to help, Lillian offered Jamie a weak grin as she placed the bags on the floor.
“I was surprised not to see your husband here tonight, Lillian. I hope he’s not sick,” Jamie said, watching as the staff helped the woman on with her coat.
“No, Charlie’s fine, but when he saw your invitation, and it included children, he decided to sit this one out. His patience with the little ones isn’t what it used to be.”
“That’s too bad.”
“Actually, I prefer it,” she said, fumbling through her coat pockets for her gloves. “This way, I have the darlings all to myself without having to listen to him moan and complain all night long. Be warned, Jamie, when husbands get old, they whine about everything.”
“I’m not sure that really applies to me, Lillian, b
ut thanks for the warning,” Jamie said with a twinkle in her eye.
Realizing her mistake, Lillian’s pursed her lips. Yanking on her gloves as she tried to regroup, she said, “Quite a party you threw here tonight, Nash.”
“I’m sure it wasn’t what you were expecting.”
“That’s putting it mildly,” Lillian said with a snort.
With a sigh, Jamie shook her head.
“I’m sorry, if you didn’t enjoy yourself, Lillian. Feel free to decline the invitation next year.”
Pausing for a moment, Lillian asked, “So you’re planning on repeating this little Christmas soiree of yours, are you?”
“Yes, I am.”
“Would you like some help?”
Jamie stared back at Lillian Willoughby as if the woman had just grown another head. Leaning in close, she said, “Excuse me?”
If there was one thing that Lillian Willoughby hated to do, it was to admit when she was wrong, but that’s just what she was about to do. She had spent an evening in a home filled with the sounds and the smells of Christmas, and she had thoroughly enjoyed herself. She had read stories to wide-eyed youngsters, played in the snow with her grandchildren, and stood teary-eyed on a crowded patio when Santa had arrived on his sleigh. It had been a wondrous night, orchestrated by a woman who Lillian was now having a hard time hating. Although her views on homosexuality hadn’t changed, Lillian’s level of tolerance had.
“I can’t speak for Ted, of course,” Lillian started, straightening her posture as she took a deep breath. “But I’m getting too old to throw lavish Christmas parties for my clients. I’d just as soon send them fruit baskets and be done with it. So, I was thinking that next year, well…perhaps…perhaps I could contribute some time…oh and money of course, and maybe help you with the party plans.”
Remembering the glitz and gaudiness of Lillian’s home, Jamie said, “Thanks for the offer, Lillian, but I’d prefer to do it myself. Too many cooks in the kitchen, if you know what I mean.”
“Oh, oh…that’s not what I meant,” Lillian blurted. “What I thought is that I could put some money toward the gifts for the children, and if you needed help with the baking…or decorating, then I’d arrange my schedule, so I’d have time to give you a hand.”