The Patricia Kiyono Christmas Collection

by Patricia Kiyono

  Mitch swiveled toward the voice and his nose nearly brushed against a very tight red sweater. Every curve was on display, and a few of them poured out from the top. Mitch’s throat dried, and his jaw dropped. Belatedly, he realized there was a question in there he was supposed to answer. Above the sweater, a mane of curly platinum blonde surrounded a face about four shades darker than the rest of her skin. Sarah hadn’t worn that much makeup, even when she was on camera.

  “Umm, no. There’s nobody sitting there.”

  The woman sat, surrounding Mitch in a cloud of cloying floral fragrance. He stood, searching the rink for his daughter, but the woman’s sultry voice stopped him. “You’re not trying to get away from me, are you?”

  “Uh, no. Just want to keep an eye on my daughter,” he improvised.

  “She’s fine. Sophie will keep a close eye on them. That’s her job. You’re new around here, aren’t you?”

  “Yeah.” He remained standing and kept his eyes on Angie. The woman’s perfume was way too strong for him.

  “I hear you’re a photographer for one of those news magazines.”

  “Used to be.”

  “How exciting. So you’ve been all over the world and photographed really famous people. Don’t you find this hick town boring?”

  He shook his head. “Nope. There’s plenty to see and do here.” And most of it had to do with a certain blonde who was encouraging a little girl to skate with her.

  “I’d love to hear about some of your adventures. Where have you been?”

  “Here and there.” He had to get the woman to lay off. “Listen, I’m not the best company right now. This is Angie’s first time skating and I’d really like to watch. Maybe some other time.”

  The woman pouted and huffed, but she closed her mouth. She didn’t move, though. And the silence ended only a few moments later. “Which one is she?”

  Mitch’s senses went on alert. Why would she want to know? He tried for a vague answer. “The cutie with the ponytail,” he answered. There were at least a dozen out there matching that description.

  But the woman’s powers of observation were keener than he gave her credit for. “Well, I’m assuming she looks at least a little like you, so that eliminates about half of the ponytail wearing girls out there. I’m going to guess she’s the one who fell just before you cringed. The one with the pink sweatshirt.”

  Rather than give her credit, he tried to change the subject. “Which one is yours?”

  “The tall boy with the Red Wings jersey on.” She nodded toward a dark-haired boy who looked years older than any of the other kids on the floor. “He wants to be a hockey player someday.” The boy wove through the crowds with a natural speed and grace. But he also liked to tease the smaller kids. So far he hadn’t bothered Angie, but if he did, then what? Mitch looked down at his own skates. He couldn’t actually save her. He’d have a hard time even reaching her.

  He looked out at the rink again, wondering if he should take Angie home. Hockey Boy made a nuisance of himself, pulling girls’ ponytails and grabbing caps off other boys. Mitch went on high alert, hoping the boy wouldn’t target his daughter. Other parents noticed the boy’s antics too, and a few of them started yelling.

  Beside him, Hockey Boy’s mom apparently sensed the impending problem and tried to fend it off. “Hey, Ronnie!” she yelled. “Come here.” The woman’s voice carried over the music booming through the arena’s speakers and heads turned toward her from every direction.

  The boy glanced at his mom and frowned. He started to skate toward his mom, but passing a tiny blonde, he grabbed her ponytail and yanked. Hard. The little girl fell backward and landed in a heap, along with the two girls skating with her.

  Before any of the adults on the sidelines could react, a red blur streaked across the rink. Sophie scooped up the sobbing little girl and brought her to her mother, who had already entered the rink. Then she swung back toward Hockey Boy with a frown. The boy glared back at her with bravado.

  “I didn’t do anything,” he insisted. “I was skating to my mom and she got in the way.”

  Sophie crossed her arms. “Is that so?”

  “Yeah. I didn’t touch her.”

  “She just slipped and fell backwards?”

  “Yup. That’s what happened.”

  “So how did that little pink bow get in your hand?”

  The boy stared at the pink ribbon in his hand then threw it on the floor. “I don’t know how it got there! I didn’t do anything. You’re just trying to get me in trouble!”

  “I think you need fifteen minutes in the penalty box.” Sophie pointed toward the gate.

  Hockey Boy continued to protest, but one of the other dads opened the gate and waved him over. “Give it up, Ronnie. We all saw you pull Katie’s ponytail. You’re lucky it wasn’t my daughter or you’d have a lot bigger problem than a fifteen-minute penalty.”

  Several other parents agreed, and Ronnie slid off the rink. “Mom, I wanna go home.”

  “Yeah, good idea,” his mom said. “These people here are on a vendetta. They just don’t appreciate good skating. Let’s go.” She went over to the lockers and grabbed their coats, sashaying out as if she were queen of the prom.

  Mitch sighed in relief. One less danger to his little Angie. He wondered if the fears and the helplessness would ever go away. His glance slid toward the rink again. His little girl skated confidently, her hand tucked in Sophie’s. And his heart calmed. He hadn’t yet called any of the babysitters on his list because he didn't trust someone else to take care of his daughter, but his heart definitely trusted one green-eyed beauty.

  Chapter Eleven

  “What do you mean you’re in labor? You’re not due for another month!” Sophie dropped her chopping knife onto the cutting board and raced into the den to her sister, who sat doubled over.

  “Try and explain that to the baby. She’s on her way.” Joanie groaned as she heaved herself off the sofa.

  “Okay. I’ll call Dave.”

  “No time. He’s in class for another hour, and he’s got another one right after that. You’ve gotta take me to the hospital. I’ll call and leave a message in the department office and he can come when he’s done. With Joey I was in labor for a day and a half, so I don’t expect this one to be here any time soon.” She picked up her cell phone and waddled toward the front closet.

  “Let me help you.”

  “I can get myself to the car. Would you please grab the suitcase at the foot of the bed? I think it’s all packed. I’ll meet you at the car. You can drive my SUV — it’ll make it through the snow better.”

  Sophie raced to Joanie and Dave’s room and found the overnighter. She double-checked and found her sister had indeed packed everything she’d need, including a cute little pink outfit to bring the baby home in. There was also a small framed photograph of the family: Joanie, Dave, Joey, and Sophie. She cracked a smile, seeing herself included. Mitch had stopped by one evening at Joanie’s request and taken the picture. Joanie planned to have Mitch take a photo of the new baby and include both pictures on their Christmas card.

  Hearing the front door open, she quickly closed the suitcase. Showtime.

  Holland was on the Lake Michigan shore, and the lake-effect snows were even deeper than those in Zutphen. Joanie’s car had front-wheel drive, so it was a safer choice than her own vehicle, but Sophie said an extra prayer as she started the ignition. Despite the urgency, Sophie decided to take the main plowed roads rather than the interstate to the Holland Community Hospital. She’d experienced the helplessness of losing control on icy highways more than once, and she didn’t intend to do so now, with her sister and unborn niece on board. Joanie groaned as another contraction hit, and Sophie wondered if she’d made the right decision. Would they make it to the hospital in time?

  The drive to the hospital seemed to take forever. Much of the previous night’s snow had been plowed, but deep drifts still covered some of the road leading into town. Joanie converse
d with her doctor, explaining how far apart the contractions were.

  How can she remain so calm? If I were in her shoes, would I remember what to do? She pushed those thoughts away. Nate’s abandonment had quashed her dreams of having her own family.

  As soon as Joanie hung up, she called the college history department office and left a message for Dave. And then she called a neighbor, asking her to please pick Joey up after school. Good grief. Sophie hadn’t even thought of that. Poor Joey might have been waiting outside a locked house. Joanie made another call to Kathy Sikkema at the school, explaining the circumstances and giving her permission for Joey to leave with the neighbor.

  Sophie reached for the radio controls, flipping through her favorites until she found a calming country ballad. Then she took a deep breath and concentrated on the road. Beside her, Joanie hummed along with the melody. Apparently the music calmed her, too.

  At last, they rounded a bend in the road and the towers of the hospital came into view. Only a few more miles to go. Sophie breathed a little easier knowing they were closer to help. She pulled into the drive and made her way to the emergency drop off, where a burly attendant came up to the passenger door with a wheelchair. He helped Joanie into it while directing Sophie to the parking structure.

  She parked the car and ran into the hospital, stopping at the information desk to ask, “My sister is here to have her baby. Where can I find her?”

  She plowed through an endless maze of hallways, pausing only to remove her jacket when the sweat began to pour down her face. On the second floor, she spied a sign directing her to the birthing center. Good. She had to be close. A friendly receptionist checked her ID and gave her directions to Joanie’s room.

  Joanie sat on a hospital bed, already changed into a gown. A nurse took her vital signs, hooked up the fetal monitor, and adjusted her pillows. Sophie stood back, unsure what she should do. With nurses coming and going, it was a challenge just to stay out of their way. Should she go to a waiting room? No one had told her to leave, and she didn’t want to leave Joanie alone. She decided to sit in a chair in the corner until someone told her to do something else.

  Dave burst into the room, his face white, his hair a mess. “Baby, I’m so sorry it took me so long. The roads from campus are deadly. I thought I’d never get here.”

  “I didn’t expect to see you here so quickly,” Joanie remarked as Dave enveloped her in a tight embrace. “You’re supposed to be in class for another hour.”

  Dave’s head reared back. “You didn’t think I’d be able to teach knowing you’re in labor, did you? I had the secretary cancel my classes for the rest of today and all day tomorrow. They know I need to be here.”

  “I wasn’t sure you — oh!” Joanie’s face scrunched as another contraction hit.

  Dave hugged her again, murmuring his encouragement. He held her tight until the pain passed and her breathing returned to normal. A nurse entered and checked her and assured them that things were progressing normally.

  Sophie stepped away from the scene. She wasn’t really needed.

  “Joanie, do you want me to call Mom and Dad?”

  Joanie’s eyes opened wide. “No! Not yet. We can call everyone afterward. Mom would drive everyone here nuts, especially me.”

  Sophie understood Joanie’s reaction. Joyce Gardner was a loving mom, but she could be a mama bear when it came to her children and grandchildren. If she felt Joanie wasn’t getting the best care, she would make sure everyone in the hospital knew of her displeasure. Best to let her know after the fact.

  “Umm, do you want me to go back to your house and stay with Joey?” She waited while Joanie dealt with another contraction.

  “Sure,” she said between pants. “He’s with Grace Talsma. It’s Thursday, so she’s probably got her book club there at her house. Or maybe it’s her gourmet cooking class. Anyway, she’s usually got plans every night of the week, and she’d probably appreciate it if she didn’t have to bring Joey along.”

  “Joey would probably appreciate it, too,” added Dave. He reached for his wallet and took out a twenty. “Here, take him out for pizza. That’ll soften him up about having had to spend the afternoon at Grace’s house.”

  Sophie was torn between relief and guilt at leaving. It was difficult, watching her sister go through such agony. As her sister, she felt she should be there with her. On the other hand, she’d gotten Joanie to the hospital, and Dave was there. She could do her part by taking care of their older child.

  Once again, she navigated the roads back to Zutphen. In spite of the rush hour traffic, the trip was easier than the one going to the hospital. The day’s sunshine, in addition to the county salt trucks, had cleared the roads. Sophie followed the speed of the traffic and made it back to the village before she knew it. She stopped at Grace’s house to pick up Joey and headed to Pizza Barn. Maybe spending time with an energetic seven-year-old boy would cure her longings for a family and remind her why she’d wanted a career.

  ~~~~

  Mitch stared at the charred mess in front of him. He’d burned dinner again, even after reading the instructions and setting the timer on his phone. The authors of Fifty Foolproof Dinners had apparently underestimated his ability to make the easiest meals inedible.

  “Daddy, what’s that smell?” Angie stood at the doorway, clutching her book. She’d been reading to him when Mitch realized that his timer should have gone off several minutes earlier. “It kinda smells like when Grandpa Carson burns the marshmallows in the campfire in their backyard. Kinda yukky.”

  Mitch grimaced. “Yeah, sweetness. Dinner turned out kinda yukky. How would you like to get some pizza tonight?”

  Chapter Twelve

  Judging from the Pizza Barn’s crowded parking lot, it seemed the rest of the village had the same idea. She and Joey walked in to find it full of young families. The owners, Frank and Mary Veeninga, had built a play area for kids, and that seemed to be a big draw for business.

  Mary met them at the door. “Hi, Sophie. I hope you don’t mind waiting a bit. Every single table is full right now.”

  “We don’t mind, right, Joey?” She looked down at her nephew, who nodded. “We’ll just wait over here on the bench.” Before they could sit, a quiet voice stopped her.

  “Miss Sophie?” Angie Carson greeted her with a shy smile.

  “Hi there, Angie. Are you enjoying your pizza?”

  “We haven’t gotten it yet. You can come and sit with us. We have room at our table. Daddy said you could.” She flicked a glance over at Joey. “And he can come, too.”

  “Where are you sitting?”

  “Over there.” Angie pointed, and Sophie craned her neck to look. Mitch waved from a booth near the window. She turned to her nephew. “Is that okay with you, Joey? This way we won’t have to wait so long.”

  “Okay.” Joey followed Angie, and Sophie took up the rear.

  Sophie was a bit surprised that Joey went so willingly to sit with the girl, but maybe he was hungry. She herself was more than ready to eat. Joanie’s labor had interrupted lunch. Right now she could devour several of Mary’s breadsticks and still be able to eat her share of a pizza.

  Angie sat next to her father, and Joey slid in the seat across from Mitch. Sophie sat next to Joey and introduced her nephew to Mitch. Joey, to Sophie’s surprise and pleasure, asked politely if he could have a breadstick.

  Mitch picked up the basket and handed it to him. “Here you go, buddy,” he urged. “Help yourself.”

  Joey took one and tore into it, but Sophie hesitated, even as her stomach growled. “Are you sure?”

  Mary answered her question by stepping up to the table with a fresh basket of breadsticks. “Thanks so much for doubling up, folks. We haven’t been this busy in ages. I think the storm cut off electricity for a lot of homes. She looked back and forth between Sophie and Mitch. “Shall we make it a large pizza instead of a medium?”

  Mitch glanced at Sophie. “Pepperoni okay for you two?”
r />   Both she and Joey agreed, and Mary nodded. “Coming up.” She dashed off.

  Sophie shook her head. “Mary doesn’t write anything down, but she’s never messed up anyone’s order. I don’t know how she does it.” She took one of the hot buttered treats and sank her teeth into it, sighing in satisfaction. She opened her eyes to catch Mitch’s smirk.

  “Do I have something on my face? Cheese hanging from my lips?”

  “No, you just looked like you really enjoyed that breadstick. Either that’s your favorite food in the world, or you haven’t eaten in a long time.”

  “It’s the second. I was just ready to start making a late lunch when Joanie went into labor.”

  “Really? She had the baby?”

  “Not yet. At least, not that I’ve heard. I took her to the hospital and Dave met us there. I came home to stay with Joey.”

  “She’s lucky you’re around. I’m not sure what I’d do for Angie if I ran into an emergency.”

  “What happened to that list of teenagers I gave you? You can call one of them unless it’s during the school day. If they’re in school you can call me — or Joanie after she’s back on her feet. Angie’s no problem at all. And then there’s Linda Myers over on Pine Street. She’s got a little girl about Angie’s age. Toni Myers.”

  Angie perked up. “I know Toni Myers,” she chirped. “She’s nice.” Then her face fell. “But she gets in trouble with the teacher a lot.”

  Mitch rolled his eyes. “Not the kind of kid I want my daughter to become close with.”

  “Aunt Sophie, can I go play in the playground?” Joey asked.

  “I guess so.”

  “Daddy, can I go, too?”

  Mitch looked over at the play pit. “I don’t know, angel. It looks pretty dangerous.”

  Sophie bit her lip. She admired dads who looked out for their children, but right now he seemed a little overprotective. Still, it wasn’t her place to argue or disagree.

  “I’ll watch her,” Joey assured him. “I’ll make sure she won’t get hurt.” Mitch’s eyebrows rose, and Sophie assumed she must have looked equally surprised, because the boy continued. “Well, Mom said I’m going to have to get used to watching my little sister. I might well practice on Angie.”