Tales From Christmas Town

by Betty Hanawa, Roni Adams, Allie Standifer

  "Huh?” Just because she used to baby-sit him when he was a little kid, Leon resented Sarah always nagging him like a second mother or one of his sisters.

  "Your skin coloring's not right. You look sallow and sickly as a brunet."

  "Thanks a bunch."

  "And Leon is a punk name,” Barney added. “Sounds like someone who goes looking for trouble. Go back to Noel."

  "Oh, like my Aunt Noel? This suggestion from the man who's wearing a cartoon character sweatshirt and who wears tennis shoes that flash lights when he walks and criticizes me for making blankets for traumatized children being helped by The Linus Project?"

  Barney studied Leon making him feel like a squirmy worm. No, a worm had more dignity. More like the way-too-drunk who ate the tequila worm. Or, Leon wanted to squirm at the thought, a spoiled brat who threw a temper tantrum.

  Leon swallowed his self-humiliation which tasted as nasty as the tequila worm from the trip to Cozumel when he was eighteen. “I'm sorry. I lost my temper. I'm tired of everyone criticizing my hair and teasing me about my hobby."

  "Yeah, well, okay. I'm sorry about the teasing,” Barney apologized. “You're right. The Linus Project is a really worthwhile program. You deserve admiration about contributing to it rather than being teased."

  Clay cleared his throat. “I'm sorry about picking on you about the crocheting, too."

  "But your black hair still sucks,” Sarah added.

  "Thanks a bunch. Mom put you up to this?"

  "Naw, just stating the obvious."

  "Sarah, stop harassing the boy,” Barney said without looking up from his data while his fingers flew over the keyboard. “He has to live with his own decisions."

  "Yeah, but we have to look at it."

  Clay shoved the pizza carton out of his way, retrieved his own laptop from under the coffee table, and booted it up. He popped open another beer and handed it to Sarah who wedged herself on the couch between him and Leon.

  "Tell me about this woman who distracted you enough that a kid kicked you,” Clay said as he started putting his data into the Naughty and Nice program.

  "Yeah, Leon, maybe we can help,” Sarah added.

  Leon stared at the guts of his software program again, trying to divine a vision to help him go into a back door. He crocheted furiously, hoping that by keeping the creative side of his mind busy, his logical side might find the solution.

  He'd forgotten what an elegant program he'd created. Like studying a painting done by several artists, he saw the distinct differences in the programming where Lorena and Joseph had written their sections to mesh into his and where he had smoothed all the styles into a single purposeful operation. But with three of them working on it, they'd definitely covered their asses and plugged any possible holes. Even the contractor they'd hire specifically to hack into it had admitted defeat.

  "Leon? Hello, Leon? The woman? Why are you still trying to get into the Naughty and Nice program?"

  "I need a back door to hack into the Old Man's account. I need to find her address."

  "Why? Are you planning to stalk Ms. Candice Craig?"

  "Mrs.” Leon corrected. At the sudden silence, he looked up from the laptop monitor. “Widowed several years ago. Doesn't even wear her wedding band any longer. I haven't deteriorated into that bad on the Naughty List."

  Relief flashed across all three faces.

  "And I'm not planning to stalk her. I'm taking her out for breakfast provided I can find her address. And borrow your car, Clay?"

  "I get to drive the Ducati?"

  "Natch."

  "Deal."

  "Pity you two aren't elves and can't use the magic traveling dust without the Transportation elf's help,” Sarah gloated.

  "Such are the limitation of the non-elf,” Clay said, with the pop and hiss of opening the last can of beer. “Now I get to use the Ducati, if we find Mrs. Craig's address. Why didn't she give it to you anyway? Playing hard to get?"

  "I guess so, in a way. She thought I was joking when I told her I was Santa's only son, so she set me the challenge of finding her. ‘Since Santa knows where everyone lives.'” he quoted her response. “If I can't find her, I'm supposed to me her at the El station near the mall at 9:30 in the morning and we'll go to breakfast then."

  "And, of course, she's had her personal information deleted from the easy access data bases. And you don't have authorization to get into the other data bases."

  "Exactly. And the Old Man doesn't share his information either. ‘Confidentially, son, confidentially.’ And don't suggest I suck up to Holly because she's just as tight lipped as he is when it comes to the Old Man's business."

  Clay grinned at him. “I've got a back door of my own. Let me have the Ducati for a week and I'll try my connection."

  Sarah and Barney both started to laugh. Leon looked at each of them. “What is so funny?"

  "Is it a deal?” Clay asked.

  "Yeah, yeah. Deal. You can use my Ducati for a week and I'll drive your clunker. Who's your connection?"

  Clay unsnapped his cell phone from his belt with the same pizzazz his great-grandfather, a sheriff who help civilized the Old West, whipped out his six-shooter. He hit the first speed dial button. “Hey, Joy, how are you doing, darlin'?"

  "Joy? My Joy? My twin Joyeux?” Leon's head swiveled from Clay to Sarah to Barney, all of whom grinned at him. “Darlin'? he hissed at Clay who had the audacity to wink at him.

  "Yeah, that's your brother. Yeah, I know he's over-protective. But he might soon get his own life, then maybe he'll leave you girls alone.” Clay paused, then said, “Well, darlin'—"

  "Darlin'?” Leon nearly strangled on the word. He didn't know what was worse—some man calling his sister ‘darlin'’ while wearing a smile normally only produced by winning the entire pot at poker or Sarah and Barney snickering at him.

  "Oh, darlin', that's just your twin being a pain in the ass. Yeah, that's right. Standard operating procedure with him. The only reason I'm trying to help him out is I'll get to ride the Ducati for the next week and he'll be stuck with my junker."

  Leon weighed the advantage of Clay getting Joy to help find Candice's address versus getting Clay off the phone with his sister. His sister, damn it. Clay and Joy?

  Reluctantly Leon faced the unpleasant fact he was out of luck trying to break the relationship up. In the first place, Joy might finish the job Joshua started this afternoon and she knew how to aim better. Leon shifted the ice pack again and hoped he didn't limp in the morning.

  Plus he liked Clay. If Joy dated someone, at least she picked someone he liked. Not that she gave a damn what his feelings about the matter were—obviously. Otherwise she would have told him.

  Oh, great, he realized with disgust, he was feeling sorry for himself just because his twin didn't bother to tell him she was dating a friend of his. Like he would have been happy to find out earlier? But, damn it, when they were little, he knew all her secrets and his other sisters’ secrets, too. When did they stop telling him things?

  Probably, his conscious smacked him across the head, it started when he beat up the boy in high school who broke Holly's heart and insisted on double-dating with Krista and Chrissy, not to mention Joy who never got to talk to a boy alone if her brother was anywhere near.

  But he just wanted to take care of his sisters, he tried to justify to himself.

  Almost if his sisters were all in the room with him, he heard their voices raised in chorus, “You can stop it right now. We can take care of ourselves."

  "Just get the address for him. Anything else he wants to know about the lady, he can find out on his own. That's why it's called dating. Thanks, Joy, we'll be waiting for your text message. And, I'll call you later."

  On the last sentence, Clay's voice dropped to a deep tone that made Leon squirm. He'd used the tone himself with former lovers. But, damn it, Clay was using it on Joy? His twin sister? Hell, he hoped they weren't having phone sex.

  Oh, cripes, he wished he hadn't
thought about them and sex. His stomach roiled at the thought of the two of them in bed. Together. Joy naked and doing the sweaty nasty with Clay?

  He might have to kill Clay anyway and take his chances with Joy's ire. Now to figure out how to get rid of the body. Damn shame the magic transportation dust the elves used didn't work on a human like Clay.

  Surely, the Old Man would understand the necessity of killing Clay. He might have a way to dump the body. He probably had a bag of coal labeled for Joy already.

  But then, if Joy came through with Candice's address, he might eventually be able to make some naked, sweaty plans of his own. Did he really have any right to judge his twin? Or the rest of his sisters? His head logically answered, “No.” His gut screamed, “Kill the bastards who got his sisters naked!"

  Leon took firm control of his gut reaction. He'd have time later to kill Clay and anyone else who got one of his sisters naked. For now, he wanted Candice's address. Leon forced himself to make civil conversation.

  "How is Joy going to get Candice's address?"

  "She figured your mom might be able to talk your dad into releasing the address."

  "She's going to tell Mom and Dad!” Leon yelped.

  "Gotcha!” Clay yelled. Sarah and Barney joined him in hooting with laughter.

  "Sometime when you least expect it, I'm going to kill you,” Leon promised.

  "At least,” Sarah put her empty beer can on the top of the pyramid stack on the empty pizza carton, “he's not threatening to put you on the Naughty List."

  "You say that like Santa and Mary don't know all about Joy and me."

  "Yeah, we've all known,” Barney informed Leon. “They've been dating over a year. You're about the only one who didn't know."

  "Over a year?” Was he that self-absorbed he hadn't realized his twin had been dating his friend? Yes, he had been. He'd been so concerned about changing his image from the nice geek Noel to someone who'd get more respect—or so he had thought, because it hadn't happened—he hadn't paid attention to what anyone else did. And just wait a damn minute. He narrowed his eyes at Clay. “Mary? Mary? Since when do you call my mom ‘Mary?’”

  "Since Joy and I became unofficially engaged at Thanksgiving,” Clay said. His eyes crinkled with laughter while Sarah squealed and jumped up to hug him.

  Leon glared at Clay. “She's not wearing a ring and how come no one told me?"

  "Aw, poor Leon. Left all alone in dark,” Barney said shaking Clay's hand. “Congratulations, Clay. She's a wonderful girl. May you have a terrific life together. Although that may be a stretch considering who your brother-in-law is going to be. You can let go of my wife any time now."

  "Thanks, Barney and Sarah,” Clay said releasing Sarah from his hug. She went straight into Barney's. “Joy wanted her engagement ring as her Christmas present. She wants to announce our engagement at a party after Christmas so not to interfere with the rush we're all dealing with right now. We're having a March wedding with a honeymoon in Hawaii. I was going to ask you to be my Best Man, but with that sour look on your face, I'm not sure any longer. You might slit my throat and then Joy will have to kill you."

  "I'm sorry,” Leon swallowed hard. He was losing his twin. Never again would she turn to him with her problems. From now on, Clay would know her secrets and he wouldn't. Just like he didn't know about this engagement. Life was going to be very strange. “It's a shock. I just found out you and Joy are dating, um, have been dating. Then you hit me with this engagement news."

  "On the plus side, Leon, you're finally going to be gaining a brother,” Sarah pointed out.

  "Come on, gorgeous. It's getting late. Let's go to bed and leave these boys to discuss their future together privately."

  "And we need some private time of our own,” Sarah agreed. Arms wrapped around each other, they headed to their bedroom.

  "Yeah, Barney's right. I'm finally getting a brother. And at least I like you, Clay. Most of the time.” Come to think about it, maybe Clay might be willing to take over the Santa Claus magic when the Old Man retired. He'd been doing the mall gigs for years now. This might be his chance to escape everyone's automatic assumption he'd be the next Santa Claus.

  Clay looked at him solemnly. “I like you most of the time, too. Except for times like right now when you get that look on your face like you're plotting something."

  "Nothing you need to worry about.” At least not now, Leon added silently. But let's just see what happens when the Old Man decides to retire. “Welcome to the family. I'll keep my mouth shut until you and Joy make the official announcement. Can I at least congratulate her or do you think her feelings will be hurt that you've told me?"

  It took him a minute to realize those words came out of his mouth. He actually asked for Clay's opinion about Joy's feelings. Maybe he was going to be able to accept this situation easier than he thought at first.

  "She told me to go ahead and tell all my roommates,” Clay said with a satisfied smile. “She knows I'm ready to shout it from the rooftops."

  Leon's cell phone beeped with the text message signal. Joy's cell phone number showed. When he thumbed View, an address popped up. He hit reply.

  "Thanks,” he text back. “Congrats engagement. Clay good man. Luv U."

  A few moments later, Joy's text popped up again. “He the Best. Luv U 2."

  Despite Joy's affirmation of her love to him, jealously still galled his stomach. His memory gave him the sound of Joy's voice through the years. At four, “You're the bestest, Noel.” At eight, “My brother is the best.” At twelve after her first crush stamped on her heart. “I'll always love you best, Noel.” At college during a companionable night watching movies and drinking in the apartment they shared, “You're always my best friend."

  Now Clay was the best and he was just her twin.

  But he wanted her happy, the way he wanted all his sisters to be happy.

  "Alwys b happy.” he text to her.

  "4 evr,” came back .

  Leon turned to Clay, busy putting in his data and pretending to ignore Leon's and Joy's text messages to each other. “Take care of her."

  "Promise."

  Male bonding done, Leon busied himself with getting GPS directions to Candice's apartment house, then correlating the El routes and schedules to figure out what she had to take to get to the station by the mall at 9:30 in the morning. He wanted to be waiting outside her apartment early, just in case she decided to run errands before heading to the El.

  Chapter Four

  Candice pulled on her gloves and wrapped her muffler against the wind outside before she stepped out of main door of her apartment building. Then she saw her breakfast date.

  Wearing a black leather coat, with a dark maroon knitted ski cap and matching muffler, Leon leaned against the front fender of an old beat-up Ford Escort. His long legs in black jeans were crossed at the ankles of his black boots. He pulled the muffler off the bottom half of his face and smiled at her.

  Despite the wind, cold and sharp enough to freeze a person's eyeballs, his smile warmed her as though someone had turned on a blast furnace. This heat though started deep inside in her most intimate being and spread through her, tightening her breasts and making her melt.

  "Son of a gun."

  "Nope,” he said with a grin, “son of Santa.” He walked to her and kissed her, his mouth warm against her cheek in the cold morning wind. “Morning. Ready for breakfast?"

  "Sure,” she replied easily, slipping into the passenger seat after Leon opened the front door.

  He shut the door, which promptly bounced open.

  "I'm going to have to slam it,” he warned.

  "Go for it."

  Leon banged it shut. It flew open and into him, making him gasp. Something hit the pavement with a metallic ping. Leon hung onto the contrary door, breathing heavily.

  "Are you okay?” Candice got out of the car, prepared to catch him or call 9-1-1, whichever might be necessary.

  "Yeah, just knocked my breat
h out. If it wasn't winter and I didn't have on this heavy coat, it might have hurt, but...” he took another deep breath. “Okay. Let me try again."

  Candice started to get into the car, then glanced at the door. “The door's not going to stay shut.” She stuck her finger in the empty socket where the latch was supposed to be. Leon groaned.

  "I heard something hit the ground.” She searched, then bent down, and retrieved the broken piece. “Yes, here it is."

  "Damn."

  "Why don't I run up to my apartment and get some wire? We can wire it shut temporarily and you can get it fixed later.” She came back a few minutes later with what had been a thin wire clothes hanger. “I cut it with pliers while I was upstairs so I didn't have to make a second trip up to take the pliers back."

  "Smart lady. Thanks.” Leon had already set the door into the frame and wrapped the wire through the open window around the door frame and the column between the front door and the back door.

  Candice looked at the still sagging door. “Leon, I wouldn't feel safe riding with the door like that. I'd be afraid it'll fall off."

  "You can ride in the back seat."

  "I'm serious. I think it's going to fall off the first time you hit a pothole and maybe cause someone else to have an accident when it falls. It needs to be fixed."

  "The whole car needs to be junked."

  "Let me make a call.” Candice called her uncle and told him about the problem while Leon watched her. “Thanks, I'll have him leave the keys with Momma.” She snapped the cell phone shut and told Leon, “I'll get in the backseat and direct you around the building to the tenant parking. You can leave it in the slot reserved for our apartment. We don't use it right now. I sold my car a few months back. Either my uncle or one of my cousins will fix the door later this afternoon and you can come back after work to pick it up and stay for supper."

  "That's asking a lot of your family."

  "That's what family's for. It's not a problem. They'll be here for supper tonight anyway, so they'll fix it."

  "I don't want to impose on your family dinner."