Christmas Cocoa

by ID Johnson

  “He’s so cute,” Delaney said as she stood and watched Critter enjoy the scratching.

  “He’s a good dog,” Josh said, and she wasn’t sure if he was talking to her or to Critter. “Older than dirt, but a sweet boy.”

  Delaney laughed. “He reminds me of our old dog, Skeet, although he was a Lab, so totally different. But Skeet loved to have his belly rubbed.” Thinking of Skeet, who’d passed a few years ago, made her sad.

  “You don’t have a dog now?” Josh asked, standing.

  “No,” Delaney replied, realizing her bottom lip was protruding. “My parents have a couple of Goldens, but Nana is more of a cat person. She has barn cats that she insists on taking care of all by herself, though sometimes I notice she forgets to feed them so I do it for her. I miss having a dog, though.”

  “I’m definitely a dog person,” Josh nodded, giving Critter one last pat and then standing. “Cats are too finicky.”

  “I agree,” Delaney nodded, though she really enjoyed playing with the kittens she’d find in the barn when she was younger.

  “Let’s go in before your freeze.” Josh held open the screen door, and Delaney waved goodbye to Critter who was beginning to make his way back into the yard, not even realizing she’d been shivering until she was back inside the Taylors’ warm kitchen.

  The smell had dissipated a bit with the removal of the microwave, but it was still there. “I’m really sorry about the odor,” Josh said as he crossed back to the part of the kitchen they’d vacated earlier. “I wonder if my mother has something we can spray.”

  The idea of anything mingling with the burnt coffee made Delaney’s stomach begin to flip flop again. Pine scented burned coffee? Mango breeze, perhaps? “It’s fine,” Delaney assured him. “I think it’ll go away in a bit.”

  He opened the cabinet under the sink and brought out a can of pure Lysol, which Delaney thought might be better than nothing, and at least it was the clean-scented kind. He sprayed it over where the microwave had stood and the put it back under the sink. “I’d light a candle, but I don’t think my mom keeps those around much anymore.”

  Something about the way he intonated the statement made Delaney think there was more he wasn’t saying. “Why is that?” she asked, realizing it probably wasn’t her business.

  Josh crossed to the sink and began to wash his hands. At first, Delaney thought maybe he wouldn’t answer. Realizing she had just petted the dog herself, she decided a good hand washing was probably in order and crossed to join him. He scooted out of the way and dried his hands on a towel as Delaney pumped some soap onto her hands out of a bottle she assumed was his mother’s since it was “Sugar Cookie” scented. As he handed her the towel, Josh replied, “I think Mom’s afraid Dad might light one and forget.”

  He was standing right next to her now, and without the weight of their bulky coats, she could see his muscular frame. His jaw was set, possibly to hold back the emotions from what he’d just said, and his strong hand gripped the corner of the granite countertop next to the sink. Delaney could still detect a waft of pine and mint, even over her own sugar-scented hands, and setting the towel aside, she gave him a sympathetic look. “Nana has a lot of trouble remembering things, too,” she said quietly. “I worry a lot about her. In fact, I insisted she go over to a friend’s house today while I was gone. She’s alone enough as it is, and I’m afraid something will happen.”

  Josh sighed and ran a hand through his unruly dark hair. “It’s just… my dad isn’t even that old, you know?” he asked. “I mean… I’m not saying because your grandmother is older that makes it any easier. I just… I’m not sure what to do.”

  “I didn’t take it that way,” she assured him. “I know what you’re saying. Has your mom talked to a doctor?”

  “Not for a while,” Josh admitted. “My dad is very stubborn and never wants to go.”

  Delaney couldn’t help but giggle. Her dad was the same way, and to some extent so was Nana. “Maybe that would help. I’m going to take Nana first thing next month. I want to see if there are any supplements or medications she could be taking to help. I’ve also been doing some research, and there are some games and apps that are supposed to help.”

  Josh’s face brightened a bit. “Right. I’ve looked into those myself. I’m not sure if any of them would help Dad because I can’t imagine I could get him to use them. But....” He hesitated, and Delaney raised her eyebrows, wondering what it was he was contemplating telling her. Eventually, he shrugged and said, “I’m toying with the idea of designing an app myself.”

  “You can do that?” she asked, surprised. “What is your day job?” She realized she had never even asked.

  He chuckled. “Currently, I work in IT, but my degree is in programing, so yes, I think I can do it. I’m just not sure exactly what I want it to do. The games and puzzles they say will help with brain development are great. I also want there to be resources for family members and some sort of a reminder system that will help with scheduling and maybe even alert to danger somehow.”

  “That would be awesome,” Delaney proclaimed, turning to face him. “Nana has so much trouble remembering to do things. I’ve talked to her about setting alarms, but she’s afraid of the sound they make.”

  “It would definitely have to be something gentle,” Josh replied thoughtfully. “I don’t know…. I’m still in the early stages of working it out. I want to make sure that it’s helpful and not just some catchy, worthless technology that either serves as a crutch or takes the focus off of the real problem. Ultimately, we need to find a cure for… Alzheimer’s.”

  His hesitation at even saying the word tugged at her heartstrings. Delaney could relate. To her, old age and a lack of short term memory were totally different than the disease he’d just named, and she’d always chosen to think Nana suffered from the former. But what if she was wrong? Would Delaney be able to accept that label either? “Well, I’d love to help you with it, if there’s anything I can do. I think it’s extremely important to continue to do research and find a cure as well, but in the meantime, if there’s something that could make people’s lives better, I’d be all for it.”

  His face brightened, and Delaney thought he looked genuinely reassured by her statement. “Thanks, Delaney. That’s really nice of you to say. The biggest problem I have right now is there just doesn’t seem to be enough time to work on it. Even though this is the only vacation I ever get to take, I don’t have a lot of time to relax.”

  She hadn’t thought about this being his only vacation. “Well, that stinks,” she said, not sure what else to say.

  He nodded and approached the refrigerator. “Ham sandwiches sound good to you?” he asked, pulling the door open.

  “Sounds great,” she replied. “What can I do to help?”

  “Why don’t you have a seat, and let me take care of it?” he asked, gesturing toward a barstool at the nearby island. He pulled out a covered plate, which Delaney assumed was the ham, along with some cheese and butter.

  “Well, I guess I won’t argue with that,” she said. Even though Nana cooked dinner almost every night, Delaney couldn’t remember the last time a man cooked anything for her. Certainly, Bradley wouldn’t have entered a kitchen even if it was on fire and she was trapped inside. She had a seat on the the barstool and watched as he got out a frying pan and began to heat slices of ham in melted butter. “So I guess you’re pretty busy working when you’re in DC?” she asked, an attempt to continue their previous conversation.

  “Yes,” Josh called over his shoulder. “I tend to work more than anyone probably should.” After a moment, he added, “You can probably relate.”

  “How do you know that already?” she asked, amazed at his perception.

  “Well, you’ve recently given up at least one Saturday, it’s pretty clear your business means a lot to you, and I assume anyone who runs a successful small business probably doesn’t get to take too much time off,” he replied, ending his statement by turning
to flash her a smile that melted her heart almost to the degree of the butter in the pan.

  “I do work a lot,” she admitted. “I love my bakery, but there are times when I wish I could just take a week off. That hasn’t happened since… forever.”

  He stepped to a bread box and pulled out a package of white bread. “I can imagine. So no beach for you either then?”

  Delaney let out a sigh. “Nope. Sounds nice, though.”

  “Hey,” he said, turning to face her, “I didn’t mean to get you all depressed.”

  Letting out a giggle, she said, “I’m not. I mean, I love my job. I’m so lucky I get to go to work everyday and do something I love. But… there are some downsides, too. I wish I had someone who could run it for a while if I ever did decide to take a vacation.”

  He assembled the sandwiches and plated them, adding a hefty side of potato chips and a dill pickle spear before bringing Delaney her plate and setting his down beside it. “Do you drink soda, or are you strictly a cocoa kind of girl?”

  She couldn’t help but laugh as his hazel eyes stared at her in all sincerity. “Water would be just fine, thank you,” she replied. The sandwich smelled heavenly, erasing all hints of the burned coffee, and as he set down a glass of ice water in front of each plate, she folded her hands and said a quick prayer and then dug in. It was just as delicious as it smelled. “Wow,” Delaney said between chews. Swallowing, she managed, “This is so good.”

  “Thanks,” he said, “although I can’t take much of the credit. Mom did most of the work.”

  “She is definitely a fabulous cook,” Delaney replied. “Maybe she should think of opening a restaurant or something.”

  “I think she would’ve liked that back in the day,” Josh mused before popping a chip into his mouth. Once he finished chewing, he said, “Now, I think Mom just wants to spend time with the grandkids and make whatever she wants in the kitchen.”

  “I can understand that,” Delaney nodded. “She’s definitely talented though.”

  “I’ll be sure to let her know you said so,” he said with a smile. “It’ll mean a lot to her. She likes you.”

  Delaney’s eyes widened, happy for the news. “You think?”

  “For sure. Which means… I’ll get all sorts of questions the rest of the evening after you leave, but that’s okay.”

  Delaney felt a blush invading her cheeks. She didn’t know what to say, so she changed the subject. “You mentioned grandkids. How many nieces and nephews do you have?”

  “Payton is the oldest. You met him. He’s my sister Mackenzie’s son. Then my brother Travis, who you also met, has two little girls named Chloe and Bridgette. While Mom loves all three of them, as well as her great-nieces and nephews and various cousins who spend a lot of time here, especially around the holidays, she adores those little girls.”

  “Oh, I bet they’re precious,” Delaney gushed. “How old are they?”

  “Bridgette will be six in January, and Chloe just turned three,” he replied, brushing his hands off and reaching for a nearby napkin out of a wooden holder. He handed one to her as well. “They are all little girl.”

  Delaney couldn’t help but smile. She’d always hoped someday she’d marry and be the mommy of a little girl or two. “How sweet. And you’re the only one who lives in the city?”

  Josh let out a deep sigh, and Delaney wondered if she’d hit a nerve. “Yes,” he finally said. “Although, my father has been asking me to take over the farm.”

  He was quiet, and Delaney wasn’t sure what to say. Clearly, this was a sensitive issue for him. While it was tempting to launch into an argument for why that sounded like a great idea to her—after all, Shepherdstown was a lot closer to Charles Town than Washington, DC—she knew it wasn’t any of her business, at least not at this point in time. “I guess that’s something not to take lightly,” she finally managed.

  He forced a smile, his lips drawing into a tight line. “Definitely not,” was all he said. They sat in silence for a long moment, and Delaney took a slow sip of her water, trying to think of something else to say. Nothing would come to her, so she waited, wondering how deeply he was lost in his thoughts.

  It took a moment, but eventually, Josh said, “So, have you ridden a four-wheeler before?”

  Delaney nodded. “Yes, my parents own a farm, so we started riding at a pretty young age. Back then, I don’t think it ever even crossed my mind to put on a helmet or watch out for potholes. It’s a wonder I’m still alive.”

  Josh laughed. “I can relate. We have helmets,” he assured her. “Well, if you’re ready to go, I’d love to take you out to the far acreage, let you see the view from the top of the hill, and maybe even introduce you to my dad if you don’t mind me checking in on him.”

  “Sounds great,” Delaney smiled, wiping her hands off on the napkin one more time. She followed him to the trash can and scraped off her plate before they both put them in the dishwasher, and Delaney noted that he sure was a good son, cleaning up after himself. He even rinsed the pan and put that in the top rack as well. While she was slightly nervous to meet the elder Mr. Taylor, she was excited, too. Things may have been moving a bit more quickly than normal, but she really liked Josh. The more time she spent with him, the more she wondered if this might have possibilities, particularly if he planned on sticking around Shepherdstown.

  A few minutes later, she found herself bundled up in her coat, gloves, and hat, with a helmet atop her head straddling an ATV. It had been about a year since she’d ridden one, but she was sure it was like a bicycle, and it would all come back to her as soon as she started the engine, and once Josh signaled that he was ready to go, she cranked it up and followed him out across the snow-covered fields.

  She realized he wasn’t going that fast, probably considering she had never ridden here before and it was snowy, but even at the lower speed, the wind was whipping through her hair, and the snow crystals began to sting her face. It was coming down a little more now, and riding along amidst the dancing flakes gave her the sensation she was flying. Everywhere she looked, there was an untouched blanket of white spread along the hillside, up into the surrounding mountains, the boughs of Christmas trees reaching out to the heavenly blue skies. Delaney felt more free than she could remember ever feeling, and for a moment, she thought about lifting her arms, standing up, and letting the wind take her. What would it feel like if the breeze actually took her up into the sky, and she was free to fly like the cardinals that flittered between the trees to her right?

  They began to climb up the hillside, and Delaney was careful to stay right behind Josh, certain there must be a path here she couldn’t see. The higher they climbed, the steeper the terrain became, and she was cautious so as not to flip the ATV over. They rode through some heavier brush, and in a few places she was afraid a branch might snag her coat. Eventually, they came to a clearing on the top of a hill—or was it a mountain?—and there below she could see almost the entire Christmas tree farm laid out before her, like a miniature scene inside a snow globe. As she removed her helmet and climbed from the ATV, she gasped. It was one of the most beautiful sights she’d ever seen.

  “It’s something, isn’t it?” Josh asked, stepping right next to her.

  “Oh, wow. It’s just gorgeous….” she agreed.

  He began to point out the various fields where certain trees were grown, the village, which she’d spotted right away, his parents’ house, and a few other locations that were clearly important to him. She listened intently, but mostly she just marveled at the beautiful, picturesque scene beneath her.

  “It really is unlike anything I’ve ever seen before,” she finally said, which was saying a lot considering she’d lived in West Virginia her whole life and farmscapes were a natural backdrop for most of her existence.

  Leaning in close to her ear, he said quietly, “All of this could be mine, if I want it.”

  She could feel the warmth of his breath on her neck which sent a tingly sensation down
her spine. The smell of pine and mint she knew to be his aftershave was even stronger than the woodsy smell of the trees behind them, and she wondered how it was that she felt so close to this man already, having just met him a couple of weeks ago. It took her a moment to form a coherent sentence. “You’re not sure what you want to do, or you don’t want to disappoint your parents?”

  He sighed and took a step backward, which broke the spell she’d been under just a bit. “Both, I guess,” he replied with a shrug. “I do love it out here. I love spending time with my family, and I want to be here for my parents when they need me. I just worry that I will miss my life in the city.”

  “You must have a lot of friends there,” she offered, turning to face him.

  “No, not really,” he replied, chuckling, which Delaney thought was a little odd. “I mean, I guess I do. I just don’t have a lot of time to socialize away from work. Here, I don’t have a lot of time either, but I already know everyone. Family, friends, all the people I grew up with still live here for the most part.”

  “Are you afraid you’ll miss working with computers?” she asked, taking a step toward him, her boot crunching in the snow.

  “I think so,” he admitted, “although my dad thinks I might have time to do some of that on a smaller scale in town. I honestly don’t know exactly what it is that’s keeping me from making a decision.”

  Delaney had never been in a similar situation; she’d known from the time she was in high school she would temporarily go off to culinary school and then come back to open her own bakery. That’s exactly what she had done. It must be hard to dream of spreading your wings and flying away, only to find out there was a tether. “Do you have to decide soon?” she asked.

  “No, I don’t,” he admitted, and his countenance changed just a bit, as if she’d reminded him to breathe. “When I stand up here, though, and look down there at all of those trees, my parents’ house, the village, it reminds me that eventually I will have to make up my mind.”