by Pat Simmons
But time did bring about a change in her attitude. Now, most nights, she would just ask for strength to make it for one more day. That night, she not only thanked God for supplying the food for the meal, but Christian’s presence. There was something about him that made her feel like she had hope again. “Jesus, if it’s Your will, let whatever is supposed to happen between Christian and me happen in Jesus’ name. Amen.”
***
The next morning, Joy jolted awake from the annoying sound of her cell phone. She answered it, mumbling, “Hello.”
“You’re not up?” Christian teased in a deep baritone tone that made her want to drift back to sleep for another round of dreams about him.
She groaned and struggled to open one eye. Joy checked for room guests. Surprisingly, no one had sleep walked to her bed during the night. “No, and don’t want to be.”
Christian’s rich laugh caused her to open the other eye.
“Aren’t you the one who is supposed to be braving the mob for that one-of-a-kind toy?”
“Clothes first,” Joy corrected and laughed. “All I need is fifteen more minutes of sleep. Plus, I’ll still be able to catch some good sales.”
“Request denied, Miss Knight. Get your crew up and be ready to go in two hours,” he ordered.
“How did you know that I would need that long?” Tossing back the covers, Joy begrudgingly got out. While angling the cell phone on her shoulder, she made her bed.
“I notice everything about you, including how much you love the children. Now hurry up, I really want to see you, Joy—my Joy to the world.”
“Umm-hmm.” She hadn’t heard that since she was a little girl from her mother. Once they disconnected, Joy jumped into the shower. When she went to wake the children, Joy wasn’t surprised to see Bethani already awake, dressed, and in the girls’ room supervising their bed-making skills. Joy smiled at her niece. Bethani was truly the sunshine in her life.
“Good morning, sweetie.”
Her daughter whipped around. “Hi, Mommy.” Jada raced to her and offered a hug.
Not to be outdone, Darla ran for a hug. Sometimes, her niece called her auntie. When she was tired, Joy was given the mommy endearment.
“Thanks for getting them up, Bethani. I’m going to wake up the little terror and get him ready. If only I could get that boy potty trained, I wouldn’t have to give him a bath almost every morning.”
“I’ll brush their hair, Auntie.” Bethani beamed, offering to help.
The phone rang as Joy was about to enter Shane’s room. She backtracked to her bedroom and checked the caller ID. Smiling, Joy answered, “Hi, Mom. I guess you weren’t going to give me a chance to call you back.”
“I might have been waiting a long time,” Francine Knight good-naturedly scolded her daughter. “Bethani said a Mr. Andersen was your guest. She talked about ice cream and on and on. Since you’ve never mentioned him, I became a little nosy.”
Joy laughed. Her mother was never a little about anything. She was vocal about her opinions. Joy championed Francine when she told Langston what a disgusting human being he was to desert his children. Her mother didn’t mince her words either about Steven’s irresponsible shenanigans. That was after reminding Joy that she expected better of her daughter. No one could accuse her mother of not being an equal opportunity tongue-lasher.
“Bethani said he is very nice and likes you.”
Joy rolled her eyes.
“So now I need a big girl’s translation. What are the facts, Joyce Knight?”
“It’ll have to be abbreviated because Christian has offered to drive us around while I shop.” She paused. “Mom, I’ve never met a man like him. It’s almost like he’s not real.”
“Humph. Or it’s been a while since you’ve come in contact with a real man.”
Joy could imagine her mother’s defiant attitude with her arms folded and chin lifted.
“There’s so much I don’t know about him and it’s not because he’s not willing to share. Your grandchildren are vying for his attention, too, and he tries to oblige them. Can you believe he’s patient with them?” She chuckled. “Bethani says Christian is an angel.”
“Well, you need an angel after that devil you had. That no-good Steven. If I had—”
“Okay, Mom, I know. I’ve got to go and get ready. You had only two daughters. I have three girls and one boy to get ready.”
“Okay, hon.” Her voice softened. “I wish your father and I hadn’t retired so soon so I could be there for you. Then with his disability…” Francine continued babbling as if she hadn’t heard Joy say she had to go.
“I’ll be fine. I don’t know when, but the children and I will get to North Carolina soon, maybe next summer. Love you. Bye.” Joy exhaled when she disconnected. She loved her mother dearly. It was split down the middle about what they agreed upon. One thing for sure, she and Christian needed to get to know each other better. She was still curious about his women’s underwear conversation with Mrs. Thomas.
Joy got Shane bathed and dressed in record time. When she entered the kitchen with Shane, Bethani was pouring juice in the girls’ cups. It was the apple juice included in the extra groceries Christian had sent. While preparing breakfast, Joy had to field endless questions about Christian. The doorbell rang as they were finished eating. Although Joy had showered, she wasn’t dressed to go.
Walking out the kitchen, she wished she had at least put on makeup, but she was a mother and basically, what Christian saw was what he got. Her hair was swept up into a lopsided ponytail, and she was wearing blue socks, a pink T-shirt and purple bottoms. She opened the door with a smile. “I guess it was God’s will…” the words died in her mouth as her jaw dropped. Dressed in all black—sweater and fashionable jeans—Christian was crazy fine, or at least he made her crazy.
“Yes, isn’t God’s will amazing that I can see your beautiful face this morning?”
Joy blushed. “Evidently, you aren’t a morning person. I don’t plan to walk out of my house like this.”
“It doesn’t matter. You’re still hot, Miss Knight, whether in kiddie house slippers or your business suits. You don’t need the so-called beauty enhancements.” Christian winked as he shook off his hooded jacket and removed his gloves as his fan base stood behind her waiting their turn.
“Hi, Mr. Christmas.” Jada waved to get his attention, suddenly acting bashful.
He tugged on her bushy ponytail. Shane shoved his way in front and stretched out his arms. Christian didn’t hesitate to scoop the toddler in his arms.
He nuzzled the boy’s neck until he squealed his delight. The sight stirred a melancholy moment. Look at what the children were missing. If she was a cursing woman, Joy would chew Langston out for not being there for his children, especially his son who needed a father figure.
Could that be the reason why it was taking her so long to potty train the boy? Langston didn’t even call to wish his children happy Thanksgiving. Loser. Christian was temporary, too. No doubt, they all would feel the void when he moved on.
“Me too,” Jada shouted.
Flexing his muscles, Christian obliged.
Eying her shy niece, Joy doubted Darla would ask. As if sensing the girl’s hesitation, he shifted Jada to the arm holding Shane, then lifted Darla.
Christian grunted. “You all are so heavy. What did you eat this morning?”
Through the giggles, they shouted what had been on the menu. With a slight bow in his swagger, Christian strolled into the living room and gently deposited them on the couch.
“Bethani, will you watch them while I put on something that matches?” Joy asked. At the top of the steps, Joy heard the children trying to outtalk each other. “Yes, Christian, we will miss you when you’re gone,” she whispered.
She quickly changed into warm wool clothes, then slipped into ankle boots. Next, she brushed her curls. She put on light makeup and a dab of lip gloss. When she rejoined them downstairs, Christian rewarded her appearanc
e with a twinkle in his eyes. “Wow, wow, even more beautiful.”
Joy glowed at his compliment. Yes, Lord, thank You for Your will today. “Okay, let’s go.”
Chapter 10
As Christian helped Joy with her jacket, he hoped they would be able to steal a few private minutes to talk. He whiffed Joy’s subtle perfume. Nice.
“Since I have the car seats already buckled in my vehicle, we can take mine.”
“Joy, it’s no trouble. Besides that’s just like inviting a woman to dinner and asking her to pay the tab. I am your driver for the day, so allow me to do my job.”
To prove his point, once everyone was bundled up, Christian transferred the car seats quickly. While doing so, he noted that Joy’s SUV could use an interior vacuuming. She might be neat, but the children weren’t. Maybe with her permission, he would drive it to a full-service car wash next weekend.
When he was behind the wheel of his SUV, Christian slipped on a black chauffeur cap and waited for Joy’s instruction. Eying him, she burst out laughing. The children screamed their delight. Christian couldn’t keep a straight face and he joined in.
Joy shook her head. “You’re really going to take this seriously, aren’t you?”
Tipping his cap, Christian answered, “Yes, madam.” He looked away to keep from starting another round of laughter.
“You are truly one of a kind, Christian Andersen.” Joy began digging in her purse and pulled out a pocket notebook with coupons stuffed inside. No one could accuse her of not pinching pennies. “What am I going to do with you?”
Christian took advantage of the moment. “Now that you’ve asked, I would like to know the answer to that, too. I have some suggestions.”
Holding her stare, Christian waited as she sucked in her breath. Finally, she mouthed, “I don’t know.”
“There’s nothing like having a study partner to help figure out the answer.” He started the engine. “So where to, Miss Knight?”
Flipping the cover over, she scanned her list. “Walmart and T.J. Maxx.”
After a mock salute, Christian checked his rearview mirror and pulled away from the curb. Traffic was light on the interstate compared to the store’s packed parking lot. He had to call on all his patience and then some because of the snail’s pace of the cars inching through the aisles in hopes of finding a vacancy.
“This is insane.” Through some quick maneuvering, Christian got to the entrance and double parked. “I’m going to let you all out. Give me about ten or fifteen minutes to find a parking space. “Save me a cart!” he teased the children.
“Okay, Mr. Christmas,” Jada said, bobbing her head. She was the prettiest little girl with thick black hair. Without question, she would have been a daddy’s girl if her father had stuck around, but his absence could be Christian’s Christmas blessing down the road.
He didn’t try to correct Joy’s daughter. If he could represent Christ in the most positive way this holiday season, then it would be an honor. Once all the children were out safely, Christian took off in search of a spot.
After prowling three aisles, he got behind a long, but moving line to leave. It seemed like forever, but he found a vacancy on a side street. Since he didn’t have his morning workout, Christian used the opportunity to jog the distance back.
Inside the store was a madhouse. Ignoring the odd looks because of his cap, Christian continued trolling the sections until he spotted one of the children. He snuck up behind Joy and whispered in her ear, startling her. “You would make a nice Christmas gift.”
Twirling away, Joy flirted. “I’m not a toy,” she said at the same time the children noticed his presence. Christian had to pull his eyes away from her lips.
“See, we saved you a cart, Mr. Christmas,” Darla said, pointing to two shopping carts Joy had somehow commandeered.
Jada and Darla pleaded to ride in his cart. Christian consented as Shane began to climb out of his cart. Saving him the trouble, he lifted the boy in his arms. Joy apologized.
“Stop it. I want to be here. If I want to see you, they are part of the package. End of conversation.” Once that was settled, he urged Joy to start shopping for the items she came for.
While Christian was occupying the children, angry voices on the other aisle drew his attention. Growing concerned, he instructed Bethani to take the cart that held the children and find Joy, then he went to investigate. Two customers were arguing over a miniature toy. “Ladies, please. Surely, another store might have them,” Christian tried to intervene.
They both turned on him. With the wad of cash in Christmas envelopes, Christian could easily have offered them double the asking price to keep the peace. The money wouldn’t change their heart, so they would miss out. Leaving them to their own evil bickering, Christian strolled away.
A colorful toy caught his eye and there weren’t that many left. He wondered if they were hot items. He checked the age range and swiped four, leaving two on the almost bare shelf. Then he found Joy, scrutinizing children’s sweaters. When she looked up, Joy’s eyes lit when she saw the toys in his arms.
“Where did you find those?” She whispered and glanced at the children in the other cart who were distracted by the maze of toys. “How did you know that was on Santa’s list?” She grinned.
“I didn’t. Christ has the master list, and He knows our needs and wants.”
Joy’s eyes said otherwise. She relieved him of the items, stuffing them in her cart under bigger items, then Joy continued shopping, scanning her list. As Christian followed her, he wondered about the bickering customers. He silently prayed, Lord, help us to see You in Christmas and not glorify the devil.
Sooner than Christian expected, Joy had checked off items from that store’s list.
“Auntie, don’t forget my present for my secret Santa.”
Joy blinked at Bethani then scanned her list. “Hmm. A gift ten bucks or less. Do you know what you want to give?”
Bethani shrugged. She turned to Christian. “What would you give a boy?”
“For Christmas? That’s tricky because I wouldn’t give him a better gift than Christ.”
“Is that some kind of code between you two again, because I don’t get it,” Joy said, keeping an eye on Shane who was trying to climb out the cart.
“Not really. If you’re having a birthday party, wouldn’t you be insulted if I brought everyone a gift except you or gave everyone a better gift than yours?” he explained. “Whatever gift her classmate receives, he should be satisfied, understanding that it’s not his birthday.”
Joy chuckled and pushed her cart toward the checkout line. “I totally disagree with you on that one, Mr. Andersen. What do children know about Christmas except Santa Claus—”
“There is no Santa, Auntie,” Bethani interrupted.
Clearly fluster, she answered her niece, “Okay, sweetie,” then squinted at Christian, silently conveying this predicament was his fault. “Christmas is about a big splendid tree, beautifully wrapped gifts and festive parties and food. That’s tradition.”
Christian had no problem bumping heads with her on this. When he closed the space between them, he stole a whiff of her perfume. She was intoxicating and with little or no makeup. He opened his mouth, but nothing came out. Christian was actually tongue-tied.
“Yay,” Bethani said excitedly. “I won’t give Brian a better gift than Jesus, I promise.”
Bethani broke the trance Joy had on him. “That’s my girl.” Christian winked at the child, then glanced around. As far as he could tell, every possible register was open, but the lines didn’t seem to be moving. Christian grinned. He would never think about a long line again without recalling how he met Joy.
Everywhere, carts were piled high, including that of one of the angry customers from earlier. Then a gentleman caught his eye. Maybe to someone else he wasn’t worth a second glance with his tattered jean overalls and a thick jacket. The short Black man stood quietly in line with two small well-behaved children at
his side.
Christian heard God whisper, Bless him.
He faced Joy. “Can you handle it from here while I get my SUV and wait at the door?” Christian wanted to be as discreet as possible or God wouldn’t get the glory. “Will you be okay?” he added.
Joy nodded and shooed him away. Then turned to Bethani to take the cart with the children to the front and wait while she paid for her purchases.
Instead of going toward the exit, Christian detoured toward the man with the small children. Christian lowered his voice, “Pardon me, sir.”
The man’s tired eyes faced him. He shifted his body as if he was prepared to step back to let Christian through.
Since Christian was Christmas shopping for people, he pulled an envelope containing a hundred-dollar bill out his pocket and placed it in the man’s hand. “In the spirit of Christ, remember that Jesus can supply all your needs according to His riches. Be blessed and bless someone else with whatever you have left.”
As he walked away as if nothing had taken place, the man’s voice cracked. “Thank you.”
Outside, the blast of cold air propelled him faster to his vehicle. It seemed like forever before he picked up Joy and the children from the store, he asked, “Where to?”
The same shopping frenzy played out at two other stores. Finally, Christian and his crew ended up at the St. Louis Mills Mall. On the way to the food court, Joy took the children to the potty.
Waiting, Christian crossed his arms and leaned against the wall. He admired the way she walked as she disappeared down the long hall to the restroom. Only for her would Christian be out in this madness. But it was worth it. Christian admired Joy for taking on the added responsibility with a good attitude. Even when Christian saw glimpses of her being flustered, Joy was still breathtaking. “Jesus, bless her please.”
Christian heard the squeals before he saw them exit the restroom. As fast as their feet could carry them, Darla and Jada raced to him with Shane trailing them, shouting, “Mr. Christmas! Mr. Christmas!”