“I know she’s angry about your father’s death. I am too. But what I don’t understand is why she’s taking it out on both of us.” Lacey’s lips puckered. Mallory continued. “I don’t know how much more of this I can take.”
Lacey hugged her tighter. “I’m sorry, Mom. Don’t cry.” Lacey stroked her mother’s hair. “She’s just mad that Dad died.”
“Me too,” Mallory said, shaking her head in agreement. “I loved your father, Lacey. I begged him not to ride that motorcycle.”
“I know you did, Mom. So does Jenny. But she’s mad anyway.”
“Well, she needs to grow up.” Mallory reached for a tissue and blew her nose. After wiping her tears, she stood and walked to the door deciding Lacey didn’t need to hear anything more. Why put her in the middle of a fight that would never be settled. “You can watch television in my bedroom if you want. You weren’t the one to start the fight. There’s no reason for you to be punished.”
“Thanks, Mom.”
Mallory picked up the romance novel sitting on the corner of the table and tried to focus on reading, but she was too upset. She thought of Dina’s push to get her married off again. Yeah, that would work out well. Having a man in her life was a very bad idea. Besides, with Jenny’s attitude, she’d have any man who even came close to being in her life heading for the hills. She forced out an exasperated breath and shook her head. Dwelling on something she couldn’t change did her no good. Maybe once the tree was in the house and decorated, things would feel better.
She turned on the television in the living room and flipped through the channels, settling on a Hallmark movie already in progress but in a commercial break. She couldn’t believe her eyes when she saw the title, A Boyfriend for Christmas. AJ and Miriam immediately came to mind. She snickered. This was all too surreal. Were the gods trying to mess with her head? Chalking it up to coincidence, she walked back to the kitchen and poured herself a glass of wine when she heard Jenny’s voice call out.
“Mom.”
“I don’t want to talk to you right now, Jenny. Shut out your light and go to sleep.”
“Mom,” she repeated sternly, “our Christmas tree is here.”
“What?” Mallory walked to the window and looked out. Indeed it was, but how could that be? She’d only asked Jesse to tag the tree. Placing her wine down on the corner table, she turned on the outside light so the deliveryman wouldn’t trip over the shrubs and wind up suing her. She already had her share of problems; she didn’t need any more. She opened the door to a fierce blizzard.
Stepping outside, she greeted the man. “I didn’t know you were going to deliver the tree, Jess.” She walked down the front steps rubbing her arms to keep warm. “But I’m most appreciative.”
“I’m glad you are,” his deep timbre voice rang out.
Shocked, she couldn’t believe it. She’d recognize that voice anywhere. “AJ?”
“In the frozen flesh,” he said. “Where would you like this tree to go?” he stopped and held onto the tree to prevent it from falling.
“I…I guess, on the porch is okay. I don’t understand,” she said “Why are you delivering my tree? Are you working at the orchard now?”
“No. I was there at the same time you were when I heard you say you’d pick it up in a few days. I did call out to you, but you were already out of earshot, so I offered to deliver the tree.”
“Well, Mr. Miller, that was very nice of you. Thank you so much. Now, come inside, it’s bitter cold out here.”
~~~
“Nah,” he said, “I’m soaking wet and all covered in snow. I’ll only mess up your floors.” He could feel the excitement mounting inside his chest. Maybe he was making progress after all. But if he was going to win this hand, he had to play his cards right and curb his enthusiasm. She seemed friendlier than normal. Maybe the next time he asked, she’d accept his invitation to have coffee.
“Oh, don’t be silly. I can wipe it up.” She watched him lean the tree against the house and rub his hands together to warm them up. “C’mon, I can see that you’re freezing.”
“Thanks, but no. I really need to get back home. Dinner is waiting for me.”
“Well, then wait a minute while I get you a tip.”
He laughed. “Mallory, thank you, but no. Geez, I don’t want a tip.” He began to turn away.
“I can make you a cup of hot chocolate,” she said obviously trying to entice him.
“No. Honestly, I’m good. You have a good evening.” He waved his hand and walked back to his car certain handling her like this was going to pay off. A few seconds later when she called out to him, he was smiling because he knew she was watching him walk back to his car.
“Be careful going home, AJ. You’re not used to driving on these icy roads.”
“Yes, ma’am,” he said. When he heard her door shut, he wanted to release a loud whoop, but gave an internal one instead. No sense in ruining a good thing. Driving back to his aunt’s, he sang along with the radio, something he never did, but tonight had turned out better than he’d expected.
Pulling into the driveway, AJ exited the car and removed the bungee cords securing the tree. Brushing the snow off the roof, he grabbed the trunk of the tree and pulled it down to lean against the side of the garage. He would have preferred to pull the car inside the garage, but with the snow accumulating as quickly as it was, the driveway was bound to need a second plowing. Planning for tomorrow, he turned the car around and backed it into the driveway so the car was facing out. That would give him more traction and a much better chance of being able to get out in the morning. AJ pushed on the remote to raise the garage door and carried the tree inside, snipped the mesh and inserted the trunk of the tree into a bucket of water he’d prepared ahead of time. Checking the branches, he flattened them with his hands to help the tree relax. Hearing his aunt milling around inside, he shut out the garage light and entered the warm house enjoying the feel of heat hitting his face, and the aroma of something freshly baked.
“Where have you been?” his aunt asked.
“I helped a friend out and now I’m here. How are you this evening?”
“I’m okay. I baked your favorite pie, Arden.”
“You did?” he said, pretending he hadn’t figured it out. “I wondered what that glorious smell was when I walked into the house. Thank you. When can I dig in?”
“Now, you know I won’t allow you to have dessert before dinner.”
“I remember, Auntie. Did you have your dinner yet?”
“Nope. I waited for you.”
“What are we having?”
She ambled around the kitchen and pulled two plates from the cupboard.
AJ lifted the lid off the pot on the stove and took a whiff. “Mmm, you made beef stew. Perfect for a cold night. Do we have biscuits too?”
“In the oven. I left them in there to keep warm.”
“What can I do to help?”
“Get out of those wet clothes and pour us a glass of wine.”
“I’m going to take a shower first. Is that okay?”
“Absolutely. It’ll warm you up.”
~~~
Exiting the shower, he toweled off feeling much better than he had the last hour. The warm water had managed to get his blood circulating again. He dressed and walked back out into the kitchen whistling.
“My, my. Someone’s happy. That must mean you met a woman.”
“Now, there you go again.”
“So who is she?”
He grinned. “You always could read me quite well, couldn’t you?”
“Well, I didn’t just fall off the turnip truck, you know. I know infatuation when I see it. Now, who is she?”
“I doubt you’d know her.”
“Do you now?” She snickered. “As the municipal clerk, I know everyone. They may not know me, but I know them.”
“All right,” he said with a huff. “Her name is Mallory Gardner.”
“Ah, see. I do know her. She ow
ns the Christmas shop in town.” She raised her hands. “And?”
“No ands. I’m just trying to get her to have coffee with me but she refuses.”
“You know she lost her husband in a motorcycle accident, don’t you?” she said in a hushed voice as though afraid someone could hear her.
“No. At this point, she’s avoiding me, my questions, and having coffee with me.”
“There was always something fishy about the way he died,” she continued. “In the mountains with young drug addicts.” She gave a disgusted shake of her head. “A wife and two kids; the man had no business trying to act like a teenager.”
“That must have been really hard for her. Maybe that’s why she’s so reluctant to get involved.”
“Ask her to help decorate that tree you just brought into the garage,” she said with a grin.
“Geez! Can’t I get anything by you?”
“I’m afraid not,” she said, filling the bowls. “Here,” she said gruffly, “grab this basket of biscuits and bring them to the table.”
“I wanted to surprise you,” he said in a huff. “You stole my thunder.”
“I’m sorry, but if you want to give me the perfect gift, find a woman and settle down.”
“By Christmas?”
“Why? You think that’s too soon?”
CHAPTER SIX
AJ meandered down the stairs in the old house, praying his slow pace wouldn’t make the old floorboards creak too loudly and wake his aunt. When his foot hit the floor, he was glad he’d kept the noise to a minimum. He scrubbed a hand over his face and released a yawn, exhausted from a sleepless night. Not that he was complaining. He’d been dreaming of Mallory decorating the Christmas tree. He entered the kitchen when his aunt’s voice startled him.
“You too?” she grumbled, and filled a cup with coffee. “Those snowplows can be pretty noisy.”
“Yeah.” He stood by the window and watched the neighbors scraping their car windshields. The snow was up to the top step of the house. “Holly cow, that snow is probably about three feet high.”
“It’s actually three feet, five inches.”
“Semantics.” He turned to watch her walk toward him with the cup. “You’re not planning to go into work today, are you?” he asked.
“As soon as those roads are plowed, I’ll be heading out.”
“How are you planning to get there? A horse-drawn sleigh?”
“No. I’ll be driving.”
He strained to see the driveway from where he stood and released a groan. “Damn, they’ve boxed us in.”
“Not for long. Willy will be here in a little while to plow the driveway and shovel the walk out in the front of the house.”
“I can do that for you. Let him do the driveway, and I’ll shovel the walk.” He watched a few teenagers walk by carrying snow shovels over their shoulders. “It looks brutal out there.” He leaned over checking further down the road. “I’ll take you to work.”
“That won’t be necessary,” she said, handing him the coffee. “Here, drink this.”
“That’s for me?”
“Of course, it’s for you. I already had half a pot. I’ll be jittery for the rest of the day with the amount of caffeine I’ve consumed.”
He reached out for the mug. “Thank you.”
She began to walk down the hallway toward the bathroom. “I made some flapjacks for you. They’re in the oven,” she said over her shoulder. “Think you can handle making your own dish so I can shower?”
“You’re spoiling me too much.”
“And I wouldn’t be if you didn’t deserve it.” She continued down the hall. “When is my tree going to get decorated?”
“As soon as I can convince that little lady to do the job.”
“That’s my boy.”
“Thanks,” he said, blowing her a kiss.
“Ooh,” she said, waving his gesture off, her face a rosy color from embarrassment, “save that mushy stuff for Mallory.”
He grinned and walked back to the window. At least it had stopped snowing. He reminisced about his childhood snowball fights. Naturally, he always won. That was one thing he was better at than his sisters.
A neighbor across the street flicked on the Christmas lights that glittered through the snow clinging to the garland-clad railings. He watched a gust of wind remove the snow from the tops of the automated Christmas lawn ornaments. Lingering for a few minutes more, he watched the three reindeer heads move up and down until his stomach growled and he decided it was time to eat. Tuning in a Christmas station on the radio, he hummed to White Christmas while he pulled the rack out of the oven and lifted out the hot pan.
~~~
Mallory groaned as she watched Willie plow the driveway. A few minutes later, Jenny called out from her bedroom door.
“Can I come out of my room, Mom?”
Mallory grinned. That was a new one. Usually, Jenny was rushing out as though nothing ever happened.
“Yes. You guys aren’t going to have any school today.”
“Yay,” Jenny said before putting her arms around her mother’s waist. “I’m sorry, Mom. I wasn’t very nice last night.”
“No, you weren’t. And I’d like you to apologize to your sister too.”
“What? The little puke girl?”
“Jenny, stop that before I send you back into your room. No name calling in this house.”
“Sorry.” Her arms gripped her mother’s midriff tighter. “Can I go wake Lacey up?”
“Only if you’re nice about it. I don’t want you yelling at her and scaring her half to death out of a sound sleep. Just a little nudge.” She gave her a warning look. “Are we clear?”
“Yes, Mom,” she said with a sigh and took off for the bedroom.
Mallory held her head in her hands when she heard Jenny’s loud voice.
“Get out of bed, soldier!” she screamed.
“Get out of here, barf face,” Lacey yelled back.
With a frustrated sigh, Mallory rushed into the room and grabbed Jenny by the arm, pulled her out into the living room and forced her to sit in the chair.
“Jenny, do I have to keep you in your room day and night? I warned you not to yell.”
“You said if she was sleeping. But she wasn’t sleeping, Mom, she was staring out the window.”
Mallory looked skyward and closed her eyes. She was at her wits’ end with Jenny and didn’t know what it was going to take to get her to start obeying. She’d been grounded from seeing her friends, wasn’t allowed phone calls, and the television had been taken away. What more could she do?
“Lacey, come out here, please.”
The girl walked out and punched her sister’s arm.
“That’s enough,” Mallory said. “Sit down next to your sister. This nonsense is going to stop now. I will be calling Dr. Bean and scheduling an appointment for us.”
“A shrink?” Jenny’s snarky tone ripped through the air.
“She’s a family counselor, and I think it would do us a lot of good.”
“Well, I’m not going,” she said, crossing her arms against her chest.
“We’ll see about that.” Hands shaking, Mallory headed for the kitchen and poured another cup of coffee. “Eat your breakfast, girls. You’ll be coming into work with me today.”
“I don’t want to,” Jenny’s sarcastic voice bounced off the walls.
“And that’s too bad. In case you didn’t notice, I’m the mother in this house, and what I say goes.” Mallory took her cup and walked to her bedroom and shut the door. Sitting down on the bed, she set her cup down on the nightstand and cried the tears she’d been holding onto while she punched the pillow, swearing at her dead husband as though he was there.
An hour later, she walked back out into the living room. The girls stared out the window with their arms wrapped around each other, their coats on the chair beside them and ready to leave. She gave a frustrated shake of her head and decided not to mention anything about thei
r embrace.
“I’m going to heat the car, girls. Please get your coats on. It’s pretty cold out there.”
She raised the garage door and looked outside, wondering how AJ was handling all this snow. Sliding behind the steering wheel, she shook her head. Why was she even thinking about him? Didn’t she have enough problems?
CHAPTER SEVEN
The ride into work was slow as the tires crunched through the crusted, slush-covered roads. The bright sunlight was melting the snow, making the trip easier, and the girls were reading books instead of fighting.
The snowplows ahead continued to scrape the roads in front of the long line of cars, trying to remove the melted snow before nightfall when it would freeze. Mallory made a right turn into the parking lot and drove to the back of the store where a crew of workers shoveled the area.
“Do you have work for us to do today, Mom?” Jenny asked.
“I always have plenty of work you can do,” she said, looking at her in the rearview mirror. “The train hasn’t been set up yet. Want to do that?”
“Sure,” both girls said in unison.
Surprised by their reaction, she decided to keep her mouth shut as they shuffled out of the car and into the shop. The phone was ringing when she entered. Jenny ran to pick it up.
“Every Day is Christmas,” she said. “Yep, we just got here.” She was nodding her head. “All day…I think.” She turned to her mother. “How long are we going to be here?”
“As long as we have customers, we’ll be open.”
“Okay,” Jenny said and hung up.
“Who was that?” Mallory asked.
“Some guy. He said he’s coming over. He wants to talk to you.”
AJ came to mind and had her wondering if he was the man on the phone. With the girls at the shop with her, she hoped he wouldn’t bug her about having coffee with him.
“Hey, maybe it was that guy from last night,” Lacey said.
“What guy?”
“The guy who delivered our tree.”
Mistletoe and Magic Page 3