Christmas Comes to Dickens

by Nancy Fraser

  He glanced at the floor and shuffled his feet. “Okay, then. See you in the morning.”

  “Breakfast is at eight.” She gave him a smile. “Mom’s best meal is breakfast, and you don’t want to miss it.”

  “Thanks for the tip.” He pulled her door closed and smiled. He could see why Uncle Frank was attracted to Georgia, she looked just like her beautiful daughter.

  Chapter 3

  WHEN VERA WOKE, THE sun was out and the snow sparkled like millions of tiny crystals. She squinted and wished for sunglasses. Now, wouldn’t that be a hoot to go to breakfast wearing shades? All she really wanted to do was pull the blankets up over her head and snuggle in, but the smell of bacon and coffee tickled her senses and made her mouth water. Mollie was tucked in close to her body, snoring like a lanky, fur-covered freight train.

  “Hey girl, time to get up.”

  She would swear the dog groaned at her. Vera flicked the covers off and over Mollie and picked up her clothes for the short trip across the hall to the bathroom. The carpet was toasty under her toes. She never bothered with slippers when she was upstairs. Mom strongly believed bedrooms should be carpeted to keep the noise as low as possible, and on cold winter mornings, feet would be warm.

  Vera hurried through her morning routine and added an extra dab of makeup. Might as well look her best for getting a close-up on Frank. And, for that matter, Tony. Last night, she had noticed his long and lean frame was filled out in all the right places and his jeans seemed to hug his backside perfectly. And the dark hair and blue eyes were straight from the pages of a magazine. Not that she had looked. Much.

  Before she headed down the back stairs, she whistled to Mollie, who finally decided to make an appearance, bounding down the steps ahead of her.

  “Morning,” she said to no one in particular and opened the back door so Mollie could go out and tend to her business. While she kept one eye on her fur baby, she trained the other on the stove.

  “What’s for breakfast?”

  Tony hadn’t put in his appearance yet, but based on the thudding on the front stairs, it would be moments before he joined Mom and Frank.

  “Something simple. Blueberry pancakes, bacon, and Frank whipped up some blueberry-infused maple syrup. There’s juice in the refrigerator and I picked up light cream for you, too.”

  “Thanks Mom.”

  Tony stepped in and gave Vera a smile as he dipped his head. “Good morning Mrs. Davis, Uncle Frank.”

  Mom waved her hand at him. “Georgia, please. After all, we’re almost family.”

  Mollie decided at that moment to bark. She was ready to come in for her breakfast. Vera fumbled with the doorknob. Tony smoothly put his hand over hers and helped her to pull it.

  “Breathe,” he said for her ears alone.

  She flashed him an appreciative look. This was not going to be easy. First, how to slow down the older generation’s romance, and two, fight this urge to flirt with the man currently holding her hand. “Got it.”

  Mollie forced the door and rushed to see Mom, her second-best friend in the world, who broke off a piece of crisp bacon. Mollie quickly dropped to just about sitting on the floor and actually licked her mouth in anticipation of the treat.

  “Here you go, Mollie.”

  With a very dainty bite, the dog took it from Mom and trotted over to where her water and food dish would be.

  She said to Tony, “At least someone here doesn’t sense the awkwardness.”

  To cover their lack of conversation, he asked, “Any coffee?”

  “Help yourself, and could you pour a cup for Vera? She seems to be moving in slow motion this morning. Must have been the stress from leaving the city last night.”

  Mom had no idea. To lose a job the week before Christmas was harsh, but in hindsight, it might not be a bad thing. She could stay here a while longer, maybe even permanently, so Mom wouldn’t be lonely and need to have Frank living with her.

  Tony passed her the coffee and Mom handed her the cream. Everyone was moving around the spacious and sunny kitchen like they had been doing this for years.

  “Sit. Frank will deliver our pancakes hot off the griddle.”

  The small round table was set for four, and it was cozy quarters. It was obvious to Vera this was just the way Mom and Frank liked it, as they made goo-goo eyes at each other while he put a stack of flapjacks on each plate.

  They ate quietly for several minutes; Vera was savouring the blueberry sauce, which she did mention was delicious, and Frank looked pleased.

  “Tell me, where are you off to this morning?” Mom asked, “Maybe a little last-minute shopping, stroll around town. I know! You should stop in the adorable tea shop, you know, Miss Amelia Crumpton’s Tea Emporium? Edna Withers owns it now. They have some wonderful new blends for the holidays and the most delicious little cakes. You two might really enjoy it.”

  “Mrs. Withers, my old teacher?”

  “One and the same.”

  Vera opened her mouth to say they weren’t going out and about together when Tony piped up.

  “That sounds great. I need to stop by the mechanic to see when they can fix my truck, so maybe we can walk around.”

  “It’s not too cold out. You could probably leave Vera’s car and just walk. You know, make room for the tea shop and all.” Mom had a mischievous gleam in her eye. What was she up to now?

  “That, Mrs., I mean Georgia, sounds like a good idea.” Tony stabbed a forkful of pancakes. “What do you think, Vera? Will you be up for a stroll around town?”

  “Sure. Maybe we’ll take Mollie with us. She could use the exercise too.”

  Frank rested a hand on Mom’s arm and grinned. “That means we can wrap presents while they’re out.”

  “Speaking of that, Mom, why don’t you have a tree yet?”

  “I wanted to wait for you. We always cut one down at Gridley Tree Farm. Maybe even a sleigh ride. That would be something fun to do after lunch. The four of us out tromping through the rolling hills and row after row of evergreen trees, picking out the first of what I hope will be many trees we’ll share.”

  Vera began to choke and Tony thumped her back. Tears sprang to her eyes. Was this a permanent arrangement?

  She nodded and croaked, “Sounds like fun.”

  MOLLIE WAS PULLING on her leash while Tony and Vera wandered down the freshly plowed sidewalk. The breeze was crisp and the sky clear. Little puffs of breath lingered in the air as they exhaled.

  “What’s your take on all of this between my mother and your uncle?” Vera asked.

  “No offense, but they are rushing into this, not looking left or right. Blinders on. I mean, you become friends and then move in together. What happened to his house?”

  “You should ask him. Maybe he kept it on the off chance things don’t work out.” Vera could only hope. It was so weird seeing a man other than her father in her childhood home. She did have to admit, grudgingly, that her mom smiled a lot more than she remembered. But they needed to slow down.

  She stepped on a slick patch of concrete and slipped. Tony looped his arm through hers and hauled her back up. “Don’t worry. You won’t fall.”

  His eyes were the prettiest shade of blue and they twinkled when he looked at her. Like he had a secret and wasn’t willing to share. At least not yet.

  “Thanks.” Mollie was looking at them as if to say come on, let’s keep going.

  “Why don’t you hold onto my arm? If nothing else, you can keep me on my feet.”

  She smiled at him. “Teamwork. I like it.”

  “Just like we’re putting our heads together about the other issue we have.”

  Vera took a few more cautious steps. “What are we going to do about that?”

  Tony mused, “What if we try and highlight all the things they don’t have in common?”

  “Frank said how they met in that class about plants, but I’ll bet there are a ton of things she likes to do that he would find boring.”

  “That
’s right.” Tony’s voice perked up. “Uncle Frank hates new movies. He only watches stuff from the forties and fifties. He loves the Abbot and Costello and Laurel and Hardy movies. Slapstick comedy at its best.”

  “Mom’s favorites are thrillers and romcoms. But she does love the old holiday musicals.”

  “Tonight, let’s suggest we watch Holiday Inn. Uncle Frank will hate it.”

  “Mom will love it.” She tightened her grip on his arm and hugged it to her side. “Great idea. I’ll bet it’s on Netflix.”

  “Even better.”

  She steered them to the right toward South Main Street so they could make their first stop to check on Tony’s truck.

  “If you don’t mind, I would like to swing by that tea store and get a to-go cup. Mom made it sound like it was a must do for this morning.”

  “I’m not a huge fan of tea, but what we had last night was good.” He gave her a grin. “What the heck. We’ll get tea and a cookie for the rest of our walk.”

  Vera drank in the sights of all the holiday decorations. Seeing everything again gave her a fresh wave of nostalgia. Could she see herself settling down here and starting her own social media marketing business? She didn’t need to be in an office building to contact clients. That’s what Zoom meetings were for, and living here would give her a quality of life she was lacking in the city. It was something to mull over.

  “Tell me about your writing. You’re a newspaper columnist?”

  “I’m a reporter.”

  “What do you write?”

  He was strangely mum on the details.

  “You do know this is how conversation works,” she teased. “I ask questions, you answer, and then you can ask me questions and I answer.”

  “I write under a pen name most of the time. Occasionally I get a byline. Under my name, I write about gardening.”

  Vera stepped over a pile of slush as they crossed the street. The garage was a short way down the road. “Like uncle, like nephew.”

  “He always had me hanging around him, puttering in his greenhouse.” He lit up. “Does your mother have a greenhouse?”

  “No.” She gave him a sidelong glance. “Why?”

  “That is his passion. Working in the greenhouse. I can’t see he’ll give that up.”

  “Good to know.” They stepped up on the curb and Mollie stopped to sniff the telephone pole.

  They started walking and she said, “Here’s the garage.”

  He pointed to a sleek, deep green restored Ford truck. “There’s my ride.”

  “It’s old.” She could have bit her tongue. “I’m sorry. That was rude.”

  “You’re right.” He laughed. “But I rebuilt it myself and just can’t part with it. My other ride is a motorcycle. But only in good weather.”

  “I’ve never ridden on one.”

  He disengaged his arm from hers. “Maybe someday I’ll take you for a ride.”

  He pulled open the door and she said, “I’ll wait here with Mollie.”

  “Be right back.”

  She walked away from the door and Mollie stuck by her side. Tony was a nice guy and she was glad to have a partner in crime with Operation Slow Down.

  Within a short while, Tony came outside and looked around. When their eyes met, his smile touched her heart. If nothing else, she had someone she could enjoy time with.

  “Another day or two and I can pick up the truck. Until then, I’m on foot.”

  “Not to worry. If you need a ride, I’ll drive you. After all, we’re going to be spending a lot of time together until after the holidays.”

  He grinned. “It could be much worse.”

  Chapter 4

  AFTER A QUICK BITE for lunch, Mom and Frank drove his truck to Gridley’s Tree Farm while Vera and Tony took her car. Mom thought it was the perfect way to create a memory with her sweetie—her words, not Vera’s.

  The sun had melted the snow from the blacktop as Vera drove behind Frank. “What do you think of Dickens at Christmastime so far?” She adjusted the fan on the heaters to blow onto their feet. Hers were still chilled from their walk around town earlier.

  “It’s very quaint here. Almost as if we stepped back in time when life was simple and people actually cared about their neighbors. Most people in my apartment building seem jaded and are cool toward each other.” He looked her way. “What about you? Do you like living in the city?”

  “I did. But more and more, I’m missing small town life.” She tightened her hands on the steering wheel. “I’m thinking of moving back and starting my own company.”

  “What is it you do?”

  “I handle social media for businesses. Create some advertisements, budget, and schedule to run. Then I track trends and the like. It’s fun, portable, and never the same.”

  “Sounds interesting. How did you get into social media?”

  “I was in marketing and as the world of online communication exploded using tiny bites of information, I gravitated toward it and worked to become an expert. Most people thought I was nuts to deviate from the traditional marketing, but it has paid off.” She stared straight ahead. Until recently, when her company thought they could hire a high school graduate for a lot less money.

  “I sense there is more to the story,” Tony said.

  “Oh look. Here we are.” Grateful to be at the tree lot where she could escape this line of conversation, she parked next to Frank. “Ready to play Paul Bunyan?”

  He snapped his fingers. “Ah, shucks. I didn’t bring my hatchet.”

  “Don’t worry. They let you borrow one, and if you have never wielded one”—she jutted her thumb toward her chest—“I’ve got you covered.”

  “This, I can’t wait to see.”

  They joined Mom and Frank and after securing a small saw, not a hatchet as Vera promised, they headed in the direction of the blue spruce varieties. Frank casually mentioned in passing that it was one of his favorites and Mom jumped on it even though she wasn’t a fan. Mildly surprised, Vera figured it was just the beginning of change for their traditional holiday.

  Trudging through half-plowed rows, Mom veered off down one long row that had a sign for the blue spruces. She wanted to remind her mom they preferred Douglas Firs but hey, she’d give in for this one. There were a few traditions she wouldn’t part with, though.

  Tony caught her eye. “What are you plotting?”

  “Nothing. Mom likes a fir tree and I’m kinda surprised she’s agreed to the spruce.”

  “It’s called compromise.” He glanced at his uncle and her mom. “They look happy. Do we have the right to poke at it?”

  “You thought it was a great idea last night and this morning too.” She threw a look his way as he tripped over a root. She grabbed his arm and pulled him upright, but he just happened to land with a thump against her body.

  “Did you hurt your ankle?”

  He waved a hand. “It’s no big deal. Nothing I can’t walk off. I’m tough.”

  He took a limping step forward and she bit her lower lip. It had to hurt.

  She slipped her arm around his waist. “I’ll get you back to the car.”

  “I’ll be fine.”

  “If you persist on hobbling through the field, then I will insist on holding your hand.”

  He eyed her suspiciously. “How sweet of you.”

  With a loud snort, Vera said, “Don’t flatter yourself. It’ll give you some support. Otherwise I’ll end up having to get one of the workers to come get you on an ATV.” Her eyes lit up. “Or we could catch a sleigh ride back up the hill once we get the tree. You said it was something you’ve never done before.”

  “You talked me into it.” He tucked his arm under hers and clasped her hand. “Just go easy.”

  “If you start to feel a worsening pain, let me know.” They took a few slow steps. “Are you anything like Frank?”

  “Some people think so. Why?”

  “No reason.” But if Frank was sweet like Tony, it could explain how h
er mom had fallen for him. On top of that, for an older man, he was good looking. She cocked her head and caught sight of them up ahead. She watched as they chatted and exchanged a glance or a laugh. They looked good together.

  AS SELFISH AS IT MIGHT sound, Tony was kind of glad he had twisted his ankle. It was a good excuse to be close to Vera and hold her hand. At this point, he was surprised she hadn’t mentioned a boyfriend left behind in the city. She was smart, funny, adventurous, and beautiful. She was the complete package, as far as he could tell. And for the next week, he was going to spend lots of time with her.

  His eyes trailed to her full red lips which were slicked with a clear lip gloss. And he had to admit he was a sucker for brown eyes. His normal choice in women was petite, slender, and of the high maintenance variety, but Vera was the opposite in every way: tall and curvy, with minimal makeup. She didn’t need much to enhance her attributes and the smattering of freckles across the bridge of her nose, well, let’s just say he wanted to count them, which meant he’d be very, very close to her.

  The saw swung comfortably from his hand and Uncle Frank was pointing to a tree. They had found the one.

  He steered Vera toward the row.

  “Can you make it through there? The snow looks about eight inches deep.” She gave him a warm smile. “If you fall, I’m coming down with you, so it’s all good.”

  “A tumble with you in the snow.” He grinned and liked the way her eyes crinkled with laughter.

  “Reminds me of this morning when you were holding me up.”

  “Seems we have a job on this vacation: Make sure you don’t connect to any hard surfaces like the ground—and I’ll do the same for you.” He tucked her arm into his side and they slowly made their way down the row to Georgia and Uncle Frank.

  Georgia had her cell phone out and was taking pictures of the tree. “Hey, you two slowpokes. Get in front of the tree so I can take a picture.”

  “Mom,” Vera groaned. A picture with her and Tony wasn’t necessary. It wouldn’t need to be preserved for all eternity in some old photo album.