Stranded On Christmas

by Burns, Rachel

  “You're welcome.” It was a stupid thing to say, but I couldn't think of anything else.

  I heard him chuckle a little. He pulled out of me and moved so we were lying next to each other again. He moved the blankets around. I was perfectly covered up. My head was still on his arm.

  “Sleep well, darling.”

  That said it was bedtime and time to sleep. I guess I hoped for a bit of pillow talk, but I was so tired that I drifted right off to sleep anyway.

  Gideon

  I prayed to God, thanking him for bringing her to me before I let myself fall asleep. I hoped that God would understand about us sleeping together even though we weren't married yet. It had been the single most amazing experience I ever had in life. I could hardly believe that we got to do this every night for the rest of our lives.

  We would marry as soon as the storm cleared away.

  I held her tight to my body. She was already asleep. She'd had such a hard past couple of days. I would explain to her that she should never do anything so foolish ever again. Driving twenty-four hours straight was just ridiculous. I'd even bet that that jerk Jamie didn't even care. I, on the other hand, would care for her forever.

  The responsibility that was now mine was kind of overwhelming me. I moved the covers so she was properly covered again and again. My wife would never have to be cold again. I would chop enough wood to make sure of that.

  I still couldn't believe the luck of her car running out of gas right by my house. This is what the pastor meant when he spoke of divine intervention. God had brought her to me, so I could take care of her. I now had a wife to love and who would take care of me too.

  I kissed her cheek again before my eyes drifted shut.

  Chapter 3 - Waking Up With You

  Jessica

  I woke up when I felt him moving around. He moved the covers, so I was warm. He did that a lot. It woke me for a few seconds each time he did it. I was now lying with my head on his chest. He had one hand on the back of my head. The other was wrapped around my shoulders. He was breathing too loudly to be asleep.

  I was so comfortable, but the sun was coming up, and I had a feeling that he couldn't sleep like this. I moved my head, so I was looking at him.

  He quickly moved the blankets, covering up my shoulders. He was smiling at me like I was the best thing since sliced bread.

  I smiled back at him.

  “I really hate to leave you, but I have to milk the cows. You can stay in bed and catch up on sleeping.”

  “Oh, of course. It's morning now.” That meant that the dream bubble from last night had popped. He would need to be getting back to his real life.

  “That doesn't matter. You still need to sleep.” He got out of bed. I got to see him naked again. He was heading off to the bathroom.

  “No. I'll get up and see to it that I get out of your hair.”

  He stopped at the door and twisted his upper body, so he could see me. He looked sad for a moment. Then he smiled. “You know I like you in my hair. Sleep some more. I'll take Pumpkin out with me and introduce him around. You don't have to worry about him either. I'll take care of everything.”

  There was nothing sexier than a beautiful naked man saying that he would take care of everything.

  But I couldn't impose on him like that. “Is it still snowing?”

  “Yes, baby. It won't clear up until after Christmas.” He stood there naked talking to me like this was all very normal.

  “I hope I didn't ruin your plans for Christmas.”

  “No. I would have been all alone if you hadn't happened into my life. This is a lot better. Now sleep some more.” His voice had gotten very deep and low at the end. It was like he was hypnotizing me.

  “Okay, maybe for another hour.”

  The next time I woke, the sun brightly lit the room. It must be around mid-day, I thought. Gideon was lying in bed with me reading a book. I looked over at him. He was just so good-looking. I kind of wanted to sleep with him again.

  One couldn't just come out and say something like that, could they?

  Besides, I was naked and he was dressed. Last night had been a one night fling thing.

  “It's time for me to leave, isn't it?” I asked him.

  He laid his book to the side and looked at me like he was confused. “No. Why would you say that?” His forehead was wrinkled up in worry.

  “The sun is out. I can walk to the nearest gas station and get enough gas to get my car going again.”

  “The roads aren't plowed yet. And it will snow again. Besides, if you needed gas, I, as the man, would be the one to go out in the cold and get it. You don't have to do things like that. You have me for that stuff.”

  I smirked at his speech. “You’re too good to be true.”

  “Funny, I was just thinking the same thing about you.” He leaned in and kissed me on my lips, making my whole body feel so warm.

  My hand moved of its own accord again. I had to smile and move away from him. “I'm in your hair again,” I grinned.

  “Well, I guess that’s just my cross to bear,” he joked before he went back to kissing me again. With time he took off his clothes, and we made love again. This time he lasted a bit longer.

  It was so good while it lasted. I had been braver this time, running my fingertips over his warm skin that covered taut muscles.

  Gideon made me feel loved – and safe.

  His body made me feel weak in the knees.

  I looked at myself in his bathroom mirror again. I felt I looked different than yesterday, especially around the eyes. I looked like I could pick up the pieces of my life and go on. Maybe coming here hadn't been such a bad idea after all.

  Right now Gideon was outside chopping down a Christmas tree for us. He had said that it didn't pay to have one just for him alone. He seemed so happy to have me here with him.

  We were going to pop corn and string it up on the tree. He said we were going to have an old-fashioned Christmas. It was Christmas Eve now. He and I would make a big meal together.

  This was so much better than sitting around with two-faced Jamie and his parents.

  All of Gideon’s talk about an old-fashion Christmas made me want to wear the dress that I planned to wear to church on Christmas morning with Jamie's parents. I did my hair up in a pretty old-fashioned way too. I had a huge smile on my face.

  How could I be this happy when only two days ago I thought that I would never be happy again?

  I went downstairs and saw that Pumpkin's basket was empty. Gideon seemed to take him everywhere he went.

  When we left, Pumpkin would probably miss Gideon very much. I probably would too.

  The door opened, and Gideon came in with Pumpkin. “Whoa there boy. Sit down on the mat while I take my coat off. I'll get your paws dried off in a second, but we don't need you tracking in snow all over the house.”

  I went over to them and saw him kneeling on the floor and wiping Pumpkin's paws with a towel that hadn't been there yesterday. Pumpkin was looking at Gideon with so much love and thankfulness.

  Pumpkin needed a man in his life. A real one, not one like Jamie, but one like Gideon, who would go out with him and care for him.

  “Thank you so much for being so good to him. You could have reacted a lot differently to some strange woman and her dog showing up like we did.”

  “I feel like I should be the one thanking you for showing up when you did. This is going to be the best Christmas ever.” He stood up and kissed me. He paused and looked deeply into my eyes. I had a grin on my face that I just couldn't wipe off.

  He took hold of my hand and walked me into the living room by the fireplace. “I have the tree in the barn. It has to thaw a bit, but I promise that it will be up and ready for this evening. I have a box of old decorations in the attic somewhere. We will do this right.” He kissed me again before we went into the kitchen.

  I was kind of hoping that he would take me back upstairs to his bedroom.

  “You missed brea
kfast and lunch, and it is almost time for supper.” He looked through his cupboards. “Let's see what we have. Would you like crêpes with jam? The chickens laid a lot of eggs today, like they knew that you were here. They sure noticed Pumpkin. He chased them around.”

  “Sorry about that, but I'll bet he had fun.” I had to grin thinking about it.

  “A farm is a great place for a dog. He will make a great watch dog.”

  “Sure, in case someone gets stranded in their car and wants refuge here. I bet that happens all the time.”

  “I tell you, it's a coming and going.” He even sighed, like he was exasperated.

  I grinned and shook my head at his nonsense. I was getting so used to being with him. I liked being teased by him.

  He showed me how to start the stove. It really did work with fire.

  “What is wrong with an electric oven?” I asked him.

  “This is the traditional way of cooking and doing things. I need to conserve energy. I try to make this farm self-sufficient.”

  “Sorry, but I'm a tree hugger. This just seems like a lot for just one meal. I mean in winter I can understand the need for heat, but in the summer it just seems a bit much to start a fire for one person's meal.”

  “I don't eat a warm meal from the stove everyday in summer. Sometimes I grill outside or just eat bread and salad from my garden. That's normal, isn't it?” He looked a little offended.

  “I guess I’m just the modern luxury girl. Microwave meals are my specialty.”

  He squinted at me again. He was taking me in and thinking about something.

  “I live off the land. I see it as a sign of failure when I have to buy something in town.”

  Now it was my turn to raise my eyebrow. “But there is so much that you just can't make yourself.”

  “Like what?” he asked confused. He couldn’t fathom that a person would need store bought things.

  “Maybe a guy could live that way, but a girl needs her conditioner.” I lifted a strand of my long hear and looked at the ends. There wasn’t a split end among them.

  “What is that?” He looked amused now.

  “That is what I put in my hair to make it so soft.”

  “Wouldn't cream do the trick too?” he asked.

  “I don't think so. Besides, if it isn't broke – don't fix it.”

  “You’re right about that.” He got a bowl and started mixing in flour, milk, eggs and a bit of sugar.

  “You couldn't have grown sugar here on the farm.” I felt like I had him with that question.

  “No, I trade for it. Eggs and milk mostly.”

  “A person could trade for something important like conditioner, too,” I muttered under my breath.

  “Sounds like we need more chickens.” He was grinning in a friendly way. I watched him put a scoop of lard in the frying pan, real lard. Then he waited for it to melt before he added the batter. I watched him cooking away. I got out some plates and set the table while he flipped the crepes.

  “The lights are electric, right?”

  “Yes, they are. You’re really worried about that, aren’t you?”

  “It is just that mankind has advanced so far. To ignore that is kind of a slap in the face of those who have worked so hard to move mankind ahead.”

  “I understand. But I don't think that they wanted to force their inventions on us. It’s our decision what we choose to use and what we choose not to use. I decided that this is the best way, a back to the basics way of life with the family in the center.”

  “You have a family? You're married?” I backed away from him, thinking that his wife was probably at her parents with the kids.

  “No, how can you think that. I’ve only been with you.”

  “What? Really?” Was he kidding me? He didn't mean what I thought he meant, did he?

  He had just slept with me.

  “Yes, really.” He was pissed off now.

  “But you’re an especially good-looking man?”

  “And you’re an especially good-looking woman.” He was grinning again.

  I shrugged, thinking that that make sense. It explained why he had finished up so quickly. Maybe if we practiced a little more? He could work on that and we could have fun.

  I finished setting the table and he told me more about his old-fashioned farm. He was really into this. He talked about a stress-free life.

  I just listened to him thinking it was great for him, but I had my business back in Chicago. That was very important to me.

  I had learned that men come and go, but my business was always there for me. My dreams of us getting together for real would never come true. He couldn't give up this, and I couldn't give up what I had.

  We cleaned up and did the dishes together. Then we started in with the popcorn. I was stringing up dried fruits and popcorn.

  Gideon went up to the attic and came back with a large box of Christmas stuff, which he set down in the living room. He came back into the kitchen and told me that he would bring the tree in. He took off and Pumpkin went off right behind him like that was the way that things were supposed to be.

  A minute later, he was back and calling out for me. I went into the living room and helped him set up the tree. I must have said that the tree smelt so good a dozen times.

  Gideon looked pleased, and once it was standing and steady, he laid his arm around me and just smiled at it.

  Then he jumped into action again. He was pulling out the decorations that he had. He confessed that he had bought the whole box as it was at a flea market a few years ago. We strung the popcorn berry strands around the tree. Then he put on real candleholders.

  I protested, worried about a fire.

  He assured me that he would pay attention to what he was doing. I hung up the colorful glass bulbs and then he lit the candles. The bulbs reflected the candlelight, making the tree look amazing.

  “There really was a whole tree's worth of things in there.” He was pleased with his own purchasing wit. “People are constantly throwing things away that could still be of use.” Gideon shook his head and sat on the sofa down by the fire. He held his arms out wide, and I went to him. He moved me, so I was sitting on his thigh.

  “No, I'm too heavy for you,” I protested.

  “You're fine. I want to look at the tree with you on my lap.” He moved my head, so it was on his shoulder. We both looked at the tree for a while.

  I started to lose interest in the tree and gain interest in kissing his neck.

  He turned and kissed me back.

  “See, you aren't paying attention to the candles.”

  He chuckled and stopped kissing me, but he still held me tight.

  “Let me guess you don't have any Christmas CD's.”

  “No, but I have something better.” He set me to the side and got up. In one corner he had a guitar. He got that and started playing a Christmas song. He sang along, and his voice wasn't anything special, so I figured he wouldn't laugh at me. I liked to sing and back at my office we sometimes sang along with the radio. I felt my voice was pretty good.

  Gideon beamed when I sang. He was pretty easy to please. He probably liked that my voice wasn't costing any electricity.

  We sang until his fingers needed a break. I smiled at him. He was really a dream guy.

  It was a little odd that he hadn't done 'it' yet at his age, I pegged him a few years older than me, but he lived in the middle of nowhere.

  “Where are we anyway?” I asked him. When my mind wasn't plagued with thankfulness because he saved me, or thoughts of ravishing his body, I wondered about that. All I knew was that we were somewhere in the middle of nowhere in Canada.

  “What do you mean?”

  “I mean I got lost because I couldn't read the road signs anymore. I haven't a clue.”

  “So you’re lost, and no one knows that you left to visit your aunt and uncle. That you’re still alive is an act of God.”

  “That, and my skills in sending out SOS signals.”

/>   He laughed and shook his head at me. Then he turned serious. “Are you ready to go to bed again?”

  I had slept most of the day, but I was tired again. Besides, if going to bed meant what I hoped it did, then that would be perfect. “Sure but first we need to blow out all the candles.”

  “Of course, baby. I don't want you to worry.” He put away his guitar, and we blew out the candles together.

  Gideon went out with Pumpkin one last time while I took the chance to brush my teeth. I put on my pajamas and waited for him. He came in with Pumpkin's basket again. He laid it on the floor, and Pumpkin jumped in.

  “I'm surprised that he didn't try to get into bed with us last night.”

  “Oh, he did try. I said, no. You don't need him anymore. You have me. I'll keep your feet warm.” He hugged me tight. “Get into the warm bed, baby. I just need to wash up a bit.”

  Gideon

  I couldn't believe how happy I was. The last twenty-four hours had changed my life completely. I had Jessica now and her silly tiny dog. I wasn't alone, and I had made love twice. In a moment, I would make love again with my beautiful Jessica. Tomorrow we would go to church and get married.

  I had a ring that I had bought a long time ago. I would wrap it up and lay it under the tree. She would unpack it and be engaged for Christmas just like she had thought, but with a better man, me. I would never hurt her like that Jamie had.

  I had to last a bit longer for her during sex. She hadn't complained yet, but that Jamie was obviously a lousy lover too. The men in the community sometimes whispered about sex. They said that child bearing was extremely difficult work and as compensation a man had to be good in bed. Jokes were often made about men coming too soon. I needed to do that better, but being inside of her felt so good that I came right away.

  I had to grin at myself. She might be pregnant already. I really needed to get her married before anyone said anything bad about my sweet Jessie. She didn't deserve that. I knew exactly what kind of woman she was. She was sweet, kind and worried about the house being set on fire.