by CeeCee James
This time she laughed.
“Good, your smile is back. Now, come on. Let’s go out and get a ham or something,” Jason said.
“Sweetie, there isn’t anything open in this weather. Where are we going to find a ham?”
“Something will be open. We’ll get the kind of ham in packages of eight called hot dogs. Perfect for the grill.” Jason nodded with enthusiasm, hoping it would be contagious.
“We’re serving our guests hot dogs?” Miranda rubbed her temple and quietly muttered. “How do these things keep happening to me?”
Jason’s phone buzzed again. He frowned as he read the text. “Down to six now. Dave and his wife canceled. Hey, we’ll have leftovers.”
“You’re so very funny.” She gave a wry grin and wrapped her arms around his waist for a quick hug. “Always Mister Positive.”
“What can I say? I like hot dogs. Can we get onion rings too?”
Miranda rolled her eyes. “I had such big dreams for tonight. Seriously, I was on the laptop for weeks learning how to throw the perfect holiday party. Now, we’re down to onion rings, hot dogs, and a bare Christmas tree. I should be hailed as the queen of Pinterest fails here.”
“We’ll make this work.” Jason bent down to kiss her lips. He deepened it, relishing her softness as she melted into him. Gently, he ran his hands down her arms. “Now, no more stress, okay? What’s the worst that can happen?”
“Knock it off. Nothing ever good comes from that question.” She shook her finger at him warningly.
He laughed. Quickly, he grabbed their jackets off the hook by the front door and tossed over hers.
“Let’s get out of here.”
2
The wind hit them as soon as they stepped out the front door. Blowing snow stung his cheeks and he could tell by Miranda’s red face that she was feeling it too. They staggered through the cold drifts to the truck.
The snow was halfway up the tires of the Ford, but Jason was confident the truck had the power to dig itself out. It was so cold out, he could barely feel his fingers when he stuck the key in the ignition. The truck’s engine rolled over with a slow cough. “Come on, ol’ girl. You’ve got this. She’s got this,” Jason tossed to Miranda as he patted the dash encouragingly. The truck started with a backfire, and a plume of exhaust spouted from the tail pipe as the truck idled down.
“Told ya.” Jason smiled at Miranda.
“I never doubted it, sweetie.”
Carefully, he steered down the driveway, leaving behind deep ruts of tire tracks.
“It’s so beautiful out here,” Miranda whispered, after she wiped the passenger window free of fog. She stared up at the trees. “Don’t they just look like sentries guarding our driveway? I love the way snow magically changes the appearance of everything.” She glanced back at him. “You know, makes everything so beautiful and fresh. Brings a hush to all the normal outdoor noise.”
Jason frowned, studying the horizon where the clouds brooded in a black line. Not good. The dark sky made it feel much later than three o’clock. “Looks like you’ll have lots of time to enjoy it. There’s another storm coming.” He turned on to the empty street.
Miranda’s phone buzzed. Using her teeth, she pulled off her glove and unzipped her jacket. After tugging the phone free, she swiped at the screen and read the text out loud. “Sorry friends. My car is stuck in the driveway.” She jammed the phone back into her pocket with a groan. “That’s from Claudia.”
“An intimate party for five. Think of how much further that wine is going to stretch.” He rounded the corner into the grocery store parking lot.
“Wine, huh? I can’t remember… is it red or white wine that pairs the best with hot dogs?”
“Just has to be something strong. That’s all that matters.”
“Yeah? Well I don’t think we’re getting red or white here. Looks like they’re closed,” Miranda noted with a nod at the store.
Jason stared through the windshield. Yep. The store’s lights were off. He bit back a grimace and circled the truck toward the exit. “We’ll get something from 7-11. Preferably in a box.”
“This keeps getting better and better.”
“Don’t mock the box. I hear this year is a good one.”
Ten minutes later, they stopped outside the convenience store. “So,” Miranda asked. “Boxed wine, and what else? I don’t think they have a large variety of dinner options. What are we getting to eat? A bag of beef jerky, maybe? I can dress it up with Worcestershire sauce.”
“Don’t mock the power of beef jerky,” Jason said with a wink. “It’s been known to bring peace to many families.”
“Oh really. How?” Miranda asked, her eyebrows raised.
“By keeping their mouths shut.” He jumped out of the truck into nearly knee-deep snow. Patiently, he waded to the convenience store’s front door.
He returned a few minutes later with two plastic bags. Opening the door, he chucked them on the seat and climbed in after them.
“Brr. It’s getting colder,” he said, blowing on his red hands. He rubbed them together and held them over the heater vents.
“What the heck did you find?” Miranda rifled through the first bag.
“This.” A big grin spread across his face as he reached into the closest bag. He held the container out to her like it was a prize.
Miranda raised an eyebrow. “Cheese in a can? What do you want me to do with that, fashion a turkey out of it?”
“You think that could really work?” His eyes flashed in amusement. “Seriously, it’s what made the holidays when I was a kid. I used to get it in my Christmas Stocking.”
“You’re kidding me?”
“Nope. Santa loved me.” He dropped the can back in the bag and pulled out a package of Sour Patch Kids. “And we can have these for dessert.”
Miranda glanced at him and nodded. She bit her lip. “To go with our wine. Awesome. That shopping experience was just a trip down memory lane for you, wasn’t it? And here I am on the edge of a panic attack.” She sat back against the seat, frowning. “At least I have a full container of Tums. We can pass the bottle around like after-dinner mints.”
The truck slid more than once on the slick roads on the way home, and Jason’s knuckles were white as he gripped the steering wheel. Two more dinner guests canceled before they’d turned down their road.
Miranda and Jason both breathed a sigh of relief when they pulled into the driveway. Before climbing out, Jason called the last guests to let them know that the party was off. “We’ll have to do it another night. Better safe than sorry. Merry Christmas, guys.”
As he pocketed the phone, a transformer across the street exploded in a brilliant shower of blue sparks. Miranda let out a squeal and clutched Jason’s arm.
The neighborhood went eerily black.
The two stared at each other for a moment before climbing out of the truck. The snow was well-over the tops of their boots. Jason reached over for Miranda’s hand as they walked to the porch.
“Well, sweetie,” his wife began. “The only thing that could make this night better is a game of Monopoly. You know, the game that never ends. With you hogging all the Railroads, hotels, and Park Place.”
“We could always play Twister.” He arched an eyebrow, making her laugh.
They stomped the snow off from their feet on the porch and Jason unlocked the door. Archer jumped to his feet as they walked into the house. Laying his ears back, the German Shepherd slunk around the corner with his tail between his legs.
“That’s weird,” Jason muttered. “Maybe the transformer spooked him.” He headed for the kerosine lantern to light it.
Miranda unzipped her jacket and hung it on the coat tree. She pulled off her hat and fluffed her hair as she walked into the kitchen. Jason heard her gasp and followed after her.
The oven door had been left open, forgotten. But instead of a raw turkey on its shelf, the poultry lay decimated in bloody pieces all over the vinyl floor.
>
Miranda turned wild-eyes at Jason. A tiny squeak came from her mouth.
“Archer!” Jason shouted, setting the lantern on the counter.
Miranda slid down the side of the cupboard to the floor and sat with her face buried in her knees. “This has to be the worst Christmas ever.” She peeked through her fingers at the scattered bits of white turkey skin and meat, before covering her eyes and shaking her head.
Jason picked up the carcass and examined it. “Seems like the bones are intact anyway.” He flung it into the trash where it landed with a heavy thump.
Archer peeked around the corner at them with his ears back and his eyes dark with doggy sorrow.
“Whatever, dog,” Jason muttered and sank to the floor next to Miranda. He wrapped his arm around her shoulders and pulled her close. “It’s okay, baby. We’re in this together.” He kissed her cheek.
She rested against him and picked at the cuff of his shirt. “I know. It’s just not how I pictured our first Christmas. I feel like I jinxed this all up.”
“Jinxed it? Hey, this isn’t your fault.”
“Jason, I’m the one that forgot to turn on the oven.” Her face scrunched in embarrassment.
“Wow. You are way too hard on yourself. Anyone can make a mistake. I promise someday this will make a great memory.” The turkey pan clattered to the floor from where it had been precariously balanced on the oven door. He swallowed, and tried to keep her focused on him.
Miranda sighed at the sound. “You can be as positive as you’d like, but I promise you, this is never going to be a good memory.”
“Aww come on, it’s not over yet. We can still have fun. I have a couple of inner tubes outside in the barn. Why don’t we go sledding?”
“In a blizzard?” Her eyebrows raised dubiously. She rubbed her hands down her arms and gave a little shiver.
“Sure, why not? And afterwards I’ll get the fireplace roaring and we’ll warm up with some hot cocoa. Come on! You used to be up for any kind of adventure. Geez, first turning your nose up at the banister, and now sledding? You really are getting old.” He covered his mouth to hide his grin. Man, he loved teasing her.
She punched him lightly in the arm in response.
“I mean, if you’d rather play Monopoly….” His voice trailed away.
“What about all this?” Miranda waved to indicate the mess.
“We’ll whip out a few paper towels and get it clean. I already picked up the bones. The rest will just take a minute.”
He stood and hauled her to her feet. Moving slowly like all her muscles ached, she walked to the cupboard and grabbed the Windex. Jason found the paper towels. She sprayed the floor, and together, they wiped it clean.
Archer remained out of sight until the garbage bag was tied and Jason had carried it out to the trash can. The black German Shepherd poked his nose from behind the couch when the front door opened.
“I see you, you rascal,” Jason said as he walked inside. He reached for the dog’s neck and scratched it. “But, if I were you, I’d stay hidden just a bit longer.”
3
Ten minutes later, Miranda and Jason shrugged into their jackets and were back outside. Their breath puffed out into white clouds. Jason grabbed the tubes, and they hung on to one another for balance as they climbed the slippery hill.
Miranda’s boots squeaked in the snow, her nose bright red from the cold. She scooped a mound of snow that had formed on top of the fence post. Quickly, she formed it into a ball.
“You sure you want to go there?” Jason asked. “Because I’ll just pick you up and toss you in that bank.”
Rolling her eyes, she dropped the snowball. “You’re no fun.”
“Heck, I’m plenty of fun. I just don’t think you like to play as hard as I do.”
Miranda squealed as she slipped and grabbed onto his arm for support. “It’s not an even playing field when I can’t dump you into a bank, too.”
“Hey, don’t hate the player, hate the game.”
“Oh, for crying out loud. Really?” Her breath came in pants as they neared the top of the hill. Her boots slipped again and she lowered her hand to the ground to catch herself.
He started to shrug in response, before gasping in surprise. She’d grabbed a handful of snow and chucked it at his face before running away.
“Get back here!” he yelled, chasing after her.
“Parlay! I want to parlay!” she squealed when he caught her.
“Parlay? What do you think I am? A pirate?” He caught her and pulled her close. “Fine. We’ll parlay.” Tipping her chin, he slowly kissed her. Snowflakes fell and melted on their faces. Her lips were cold but quickly warmed after a few more kisses.
“Mmm. Kisses in the snow,” she whispered.
“I’ll give you a blizzard of kisses,” he growled in her ear.
“I think I like this game,” she laughed when he pulled away. She leaned back to catch a snowflake on her tongue.
Jason squeezed her hand. “Come on, let’s go.”
At the top of the hill, Miranda gazed down the slope. The moon glowed faintly behind the clouds. “First time I’ve been night sledding.”
“Just head for that,” Jason pointed to the wide white expanse at the bottom of the hill. “And avoid that.” He gestured in the general direction of the lone tree that stood half-way down the hill. Fog clung to the top of the tree like winter smoke.
“Pssh, what do you think I am? An amateur?” Miranda snatched the inner tube away from Jason and flopped it in the snow. She smiled at the crunch.
“I’ll time you. We’ll see who gets the fastest run.” Jason said.
“How are you going to time me without a watch?” She tugged her hat on tighter and adjusted her gloves.
“I’ll count out the seconds.” He laughed at her expression. “What? Hey, I’m fair.”
“Yeah, I bet you’ll count them. Nice and slow, I’m guessing.” Carefully, she situated herself on the tube like a hermit crab climbing into a new shell. “You just watch. I’ll show you old.” With a thumbs up to Jason, she kicked off.
Quickly, the tube gathered speed, whizzing down the hill. A victory shout erupted from her throat.
Jason watched with a big grin stretched across his face.
The wind blew Miranda’s hat off and sent it flipping through the air. Her hair streamed behind her like a black wind-sock. Her laughter carried up the hill.
The tube hit a bump and bounced high. Landing, it spun a 180, and sent her hurtling backward down the hill.
Oh, Crap! Jason watched Miranda fling out a boot in an attempt to change directions. The tube whipped around and now headed straight for the tree.
His heart froze in his chest. Turn, baby! Turn!
She leaned her weight to the side, and the tube lifted.
She’s going to miss it!
Her ankle connected with the trunk as she flew past. Miranda tumbled through the air, arms and legs extending out like a pinwheel. She crashed to the ground and slid for another fifteen feet before finally coming to a stop.
Everything was quiet. She didn’t make a sound.
Jason ran towards her, his boots sinking deep into the snow. “Miranda! Are you okay?” He fell to his knees and gently helped her roll to her side. “Sweetheart?”
“I stuck the landing,” she whispered, her eyes still closed. “Tell me that wasn’t a ten.”
He exhaled in relief and tried to calm his pounding heart. “Definitely scored a ten. You hurt?”
“Throbbing doesn’t begin to describe it. If I could cut my foot off with a rusty butter knife, it’d be a relief,” Miranda said through gritted teeth.
Jason carefully tried to rotate her foot and Miranda let out a strangled cry. He set her foot down as his eyebrows creased into a frown. Keep calm. Don’t let her freak out. “You know. No Christmas is truly complete without a trip to the emergency room.”
Miranda let out a sad sigh that wrenched his heart. He tucked his arm under her
and lifted her up to his chest. “Alright, sweetheart. You’re okay. Let’s get ‘er done.”
Half-sliding, he clambered down the hill with Miranda in his arms. Clumps of snow gathered and rolled ahead of them, leaving tiny snake-like tracks behind.
“Don’t fall,” she murmured into his neck as she squeezed him tighter.
“Have some faith, woman!” Jason carried her over to the truck and set her on the cracked passenger seat. Miranda bit her lip as her face creased in pain. Her fingers dug into her thigh when she lifted her foot into the cab.
Jason ran around the truck and slid into the driver’s seat. Miranda glanced at him. “The worst part about all of this is that we never did get our gourmet hotdog dinner.”
“Still time for that!” He grinned at her cheerfully. “It’s only six o’clock yet. Hours to spare.”
Snow clung to his hat and she brushed it away. “All right, Frosty. Let’s see what else this night has in store for us.”
4
The truck skidded over the icy patches along the highway. Luckily, the road was abandoned. Their lone headlights cut through the darkness as snowflakes hit the windshield with wet splats.
“Do you ever think of Star Wars when you’re driving through a snowstorm like this?” Jason shifted into a lower gear and reached for Miranda’s knee.
She cupped her hand over his and nodded. “All the time. Warp speed ahead.”
The truck slid again, and Jason counter-steered. “Hang on,” he muttered and downshifted again.
“You’re doing good, sweetie,” Miranda ran her thumb gently back and forth across his.
The hospital lights seemed brilliant on the otherwise pitch-black street. “Generators,” Jason muttered, half to himself. He parked the truck in the garage and came around the passenger side to scoop Miranda up. Carefully, he made his way to the emergency door.
“You’ve always done this, even when we were teens,” Miranda murmured.
“Done what?” He tried not to pant. Don’t let her think she’s too heavy for me.