“Hi, Riley,” Marge said from where she stood at the counter, helping herself to a cup of coffee. “How was your Thanksgiving?”
Rotten, thanks to that woman who pretended to be my friend and then stole my fiancé. Riley shot a quick glance in Emily’s direction. Look at her over there, all remorseful and pleading, that sad expression in her eyes, like she really feels bad about what she did.
“It was great,” Riley lied, and then, before Marge could ask for any details on her wonderful weekend with Sean, she changed the subject. “I’m so glad you brought in some of your pumpkin bread.”
“I had some left from the weekend with the kids and I had to get it out of the house.” Marge patted one hefty hip. “There’s been too much on the lips and now it’s forever on the hips.”
“You look fine,” Riley told her. “There’s nothing wrong with looking like a woman.” Instead of a skinny, man-thieving stick.
“Well, that’s kind of you to say,” Marge said. “I really should go on a diet, but I’m not even going to attempt that until after the holidays. Speaking of, how are the wedding plans coming along?”
Riley’s face suddenly burned. “Um, you’ll be getting an email about that soon.”
Marge’s brows knit. “Trouble?”
“No trouble.” Just no wedding. “You know, I’ve got some things I need to do in my room.” With that, she gathered up her turkey sandwich and skedaddled. She was out the door and halfway down the hall when she heard Emily calling her.
“Riley, wait. Please wait.”
She kept walking and now Emily was running. No running in the halls. Riley frowned and kept going.
A couple of little girls passed her. “Ms. Dieb’s running in the hall,” one of them reported.
I’ll send her to the principal’s office. Maybe she’d like to hit on him, add him to her man collection.
“Riley, wait,” Emily said, catching up with her.
Did she really think Riley was going to stand there right in the middle of the hall and chat with her about their reality TV lives? Riley didn’t wait.
Emily fell in step. “Are you ever going to be able to forgive me?”
“At some point, yes. But I’ll never be able to stand being around you. Good luck and happy New Year,” she finished and marched into her classroom and shut the door. Then she sat down at her desk and indulged in yet another good cry. Not that she had more than a few minutes to cry. Recess would soon be over and then she’d have to be on top of her game. The kids would be back in the room, and it would be time to go over math skills.
She looked around at her little kingdom of learning. It held eight tables, each with four chairs grouped around them so students could work together on projects. One side of the room was lined with a shelf of cubbyholes for students to store their coats and backpacks. Then there was the reading corner, with tubs of books and carpet squares for comfy kid seating. The table by the window housed science displays—a small aquarium, a terrarium and now Noel’s rats. Computers sat at the back of the room, and the walls held everything from a whiteboard to a TV, along with posters promoting reading and math skills, plus her holiday decorations. Here in this room, thirty-two children adored her. Here her life was under control. Here was where Emily used to stop by after class and suggest they get a latte at Java Josie’s.
Oh, no. No more thinking about Emily.
Here was where Sean had sent flowers for her birthday.
Especially no more thinking about Sean!
Thankfully, the bell rang, and within minutes rosy-cheeked children were pouring into the room, laughing and talking and still hyped up from chasing each other around the playground. The room smelled of sweaty little bodies and fresh air. She quickly took care of crowd control and got them settled down. It didn’t take much because Monday after recess they always played Wise Old Owl, the trivia game she’d created from past assignments. Her students competed for such treasures as lip balm, glow bracelets, tentacle balls and stickers. She loved this game as much as the kids did, and soon they were deep into it, and thoughts of Sean the disloyal and Emily the Man-Stealer fell away. Thank God for work.
But then work ended and the orange school buses chugged off with her thirty-two distractions and Riley was left alone with her sad self. What would she ask Santa for when she and Jo and Noel went to the mall? How about a stocking full of happiness? She could use some.
You need to refocus, she told herself. You still have lots of good things in your life.
It was true. She did. She loved her job. She had a great family. She was about to become an aunt, for heaven’s sake. And she had close friends. Faithful friends. Well, most of them were. The thought of Emily’s betrayal left her needing a cookie. Maybe she’d bake some brownies. Yes, chocolate cured all ills. She’d barely gotten home when her mother called. “How are you doing?” Mom asked.
“Fine,” Riley lied. Tears began to spill and she sniffed.
“It’ll get better once you have a little distance from this. Would you like me to call the golf club?”
She was tempted to hand off the ugly chore of canceling her venue to her mom, but she resisted. “No. I reserved it. I’ll cancel it.”
“All right, if you’re sure. I think we’ve gotten hold of all the family now.”
Goody. All her relatives knew about the great Thanksgiving dumping. “Thanks, Mom,” she managed.
“And your sister’s got most of your friends covered. But you’ll probably have to let your fellow teachers know.”
Ugh. Telling the people she worked with every day was going to be the hardest.
“I’m really sorry this happened,” Mom said.
That made two of them.
“But remember, all things work together for good.”
Riley was sure this dilemma was the exception to the rule, but she said, “I know.”
“Meanwhile, pamper yourself.”
“I am. I’m going to make some brownies.”
“Good idea,” Mom said. “That can be your reward after you call The Pines.”
Subtle. She’d call and cancel the venue, but first things first.
She ended the call with her mother and got out her ingredients and got busy. Soon her apartment was filled with the aroma of chocolate. She baked up half a batch of brownies (a girl had to have some self-control, after all) and then ate half the pan. So, if Riley baked half a batch of brownies and only ate half, how many brownies did Riley eat? Too many!
After she’d fortified herself, she sent out a group email to the Whispering Pines Elementary School faculty. Due to circumstances beyond my control... Scratch that. I hope you haven’t bought a wedding gift yet. LOL. Ugh. Someone among us is a traitor, therefore... She hit delete again. She finally settled on:
Just a quick note to let you know Sean and I have called off our wedding. It would appear we’re not a match, after all. Thank you for your understanding.
By the time she hit Send she was emotionally drained. She’d cancel the venue tomorrow. Or the day after. She’d get to it soon.
Riley didn’t get around to canceling the venue, but over the next few days she did create more story problems with new batches of cookies. If Riley eats half the package of gumdrops before putting them in her gumdrop cookies how many pounds did she add to her thighs? And... If Riley makes a dozen sugar cookies and takes them to school tomorrow, how many would she have to force-feed Emily to put even an ounce on her thighs?
When December 1 rolled around, she was sick of story problems, sick of cookies and sick of having to see Emily. And more than ready to pick up Jo and Noel, go to the mall and see Santa.
They’d all agreed to dress Christmassy for their holiday photo op, and Jo was looking chic in a cream-colored sweater accented with a red scarf and her maternity jeans. Her hair fell in a shim
mering cascade to her shoulders, and she wore gold ballet slippers and a gold bracelet and earrings. Noel had donned a green sweater, a pair of Jo’s pre-pregnancy black leggings and her new black boots.
Riley was in a red sweater, jeans and her favorite ankle boots. No shimmering highlights. Maybe if she’d highlighted her hair, gone more blond like Jo...
Okay, now you’re just being stupid, she told herself. You look fine. Well, except for the extra cookie pounds she’d put on.
“We look good,” Jo said, confirming it, and Riley smiled.
It was pushing six as they made their way to Santa’s Play Land, and most people were home having dinner. The few left in the mall were down at the food court stuffing themselves with cheap Chinese food, hot wings, blended drinks and cookies, so there was no line of parents and offspring waiting to see Santa, who was sitting all by himself on his holiday throne in front of his red shack.
This year’s version was sure authentic-looking, down to the nose like a cherry. Or berry. Or tomato. Whatever. His beard was full, but well-trimmed, and both that and the hair under his hat were white as new-fallen snow. The photographer wasn’t your typical photo-snapping twenty-something. This year Mrs. Santa had come along for the ride. She appeared to be somewhere in her seventies and was as round as her famous spouse. Her hair was equally white and done up in tight little curls, like grandmas in the fifties used to sport. Wire-rimmed glasses perched on her nose and she wore a ruffled white blouse and a red skirt over which she’d tied a ruffled and beribboned candy-striped apron. The pair looked like they’d stepped right out of the poem that had made the modern Santa so popular.
Santa watched the three women approach with a cocked head and a grin. “I’ve been expecting you ladies,” he greeted them.
“I think the only one expecting here is me,” Jo cracked and patted her gigantic baby bulge.
“Ah, yes. You are about to experience a lot of Christmas joy, young lady,” he told her.
They gathered around him. What kind of aftershave was the man wearing? It was great. He smelled like peppermint and balsam.
“So, Santa, can you guess what we want?” Jo asked.
“I have a pretty good idea. I keep a list of who’s naughty and who’s nice.”
Jo snickered.
“You’re the easiest of all,” he told her. “I suspect you’d like that baby to come soon.”
“You got that right.”
“And you two ladies,” he said, turning his benevolent gaze on Riley and Noel. “How about you? Old Santa knows what you want but you go ahead and tell him.”
I’d like a man, Riley thought. A perfect man. “I’ll just settle for having my picture taken.”
Santa lifted a bushy, white eyebrow. “You’re not going to come right out and ask for that perfect man?”
“What?” Riley stammered. Had she spoken out loud and not realized it?
“Ladies, it’s time Santa brought you all what you deserve.” He held out a hand, beckoning them to come closer. Then he settled Noel on his leg. “Tell me what you’d like, my dear.”
“A house,” she said. “I want to buy the house I’m living in.”
“I think that can be arranged,” he said. “And I bet you’ll want to start a family in that house. How about a good man to go with it? There’s nothing like going through life with someone who loves you,” he added, smiling at Mrs. Claus, who was holding her camera and beaming back at him.
“That would be nice,” Noel admitted. “But I’ll settle for a house.”
“You don’t believe in love?” Santa asked. “Or maybe you don’t believe in Santa.”
Noel’s face turned as red as the old guy’s suit.
“That’s fine,” he said. “We’ll make a believer out of you. I have the perfect man in mind.”
“There’s no such thing,” Riley muttered.
“The one I have in mind for you will be,” Santa said, drawing her onto his other leg. “You be on the lookout. You’re going to find yours in quite a memorable way.” He smiled at Noel. “You’ve already met yours.”
Noel gaped and he chuckled.
“Oh, you’re really good,” said Jo.
“I try to be. Now, as for you, young lady.”
She cut him off. “I already have a man.”
“Yes, you do, and he’s the perfect man for you. But you have another one who’s going to arrive any minute.”
Okay, this guy was creepy.
“Oooh,” Jo wailed and Riley turned to see her looking down at her wet pants in disgust. “My water broke,” she announced.
“What!” Riley jumped up.
“Get me out of here!” Jo demanded.
“Don’t panic,” Riley said. Where had she parked her car?
“We can be at the hospital in ten minutes.” Noel took Jo’s arm as if she was an invalid. Riley took her other arm and they rushed her off the platform.
“Ho, ho, ho,” chuckled Santa. “Hope he waits that long.”
“I’m having a girl,” Jo snarled as they led her away.
“Not this time,” Santa shot back. “You’re going to have a merry Christmas, all of you. I’m going to make all your wishes come true.”
“What kind of Santa is that?” Joe grumbled as they made their way across the mall. She looked down at her damp legs and groaned. “Oh, this is gross.”
“But just think, the baby’s finally coming!” Noel said, putting a positive spin on the situation.
“What if I have the baby here in the mall? Oh, please God, don’t do that to me,” Jo cried and started waddling faster.
“You’re going to be fine,” Riley told her. “We’re all going to be fine.” And she, too, picked up her pace. What if they had to deliver the baby right then and there? She didn’t know anything about delivering babies beyond boiling water and telling the mother to pant during contractions. Wasn’t that what the childbirth instructor had said when she’d gone to that class with Jo? She couldn’t remember. She couldn’t remember anything!
Jo stopped, her face contorted. “Ooooh.”
Labor pains. Oh, no!
“Breathe,” said Noel, who knew about as much about giving birth as Riley did.
“I am breathing,” Jo snapped and started moving once more. “I’m never getting pregnant again. Never!”
As soon as they were out of the mall, Riley realized she’d taken the wrong exit.
“Wait, this isn’t right,” Noel said.
“You guys,” cried Jo. “Come on.”
“Okay, we came in over by Kohl’s,” Riley said. Duh. What was wrong with her brain? Oh, yeah, they were having a baby.
Jo let out a groan and fell onto a little bench outside the door.
Yes! Sit down, rest. Stay CALM! “You wait here. I’ll get the car,” Riley said and took off at a run—in the wrong direction. A moment later she corrected herself and turned the other way. “I’ll be right back,” she called as her sister watched in panic.
“Hurry!” Noel urged.
Hurry, hurry, hurry. Yes, hurry. It had started snowing while they were in the mall and she found herself skidding as she raced across the parking lot. She hated driving in the snow.
You have snow tires. You’ll be fine. Don’t anybody panic!
Yes, yes, no panicking. Where the heck was her stupid car?
She pressed her key and it beeped at her. Over here, stupid.
Oh, yes. Over there. She skated toward it. Walking in a Winter Wonderland. More like running around like a crazy woman in a snowstorm. Hurry!
Get into the car, screech out of the parking slot, nearly hit two little old ladies, mutter, “Sorry,” when one of them flips you off. Hurry, hurry, HURRY!
She pulled up in front of where Noel and Jo were waiting, and N
oel yanked open the passenger door and literally shoved Jo inside, almost shutting her foot in the door.
“Hey, watch it,” Jo protested as Riley sped forward, leaving Noel at the curb.
“Wait!”
Okay, back up, let Noel in. Breathe deep. Don’t anybody panic.
Noel got in and Riley shot across the parking lot.
“Wait! My seat belt’s not on,” Noel protested.
Riley didn’t slow down.
“We’re all gonna die,” Jo predicted. “Ooooh. I don’t feel good.”
“Don’t worry. We’ll get you there,” Riley promised.
“Alive. I want to get there alive. That’s all I want for Christmas. Just let me live to see this baby born,” Jo pleaded.
“You know I’m a great driver,” Riley said as she ran a red light. Well, okay. She wasn’t the world’s best driver, but this was no time to remind her sister of that.
“I don’t think everyone in town agrees with you,” Noel said.
Sure enough. There were the flashing red and blue lights, a holiday greeting from the Whispering Pines police force.
Chapter Six
“I don’t believe this,” Jo wailed. Of all the times for the cops to actually appear. The Whispering Pines police force wasn’t that large. (Not much needed in a town where the biggest crimes were mailbox-bashing and the occasional rash of teen shoplifting.) People joked that if you wanted a cop you had to go to Donut Delights. And now one of them had to show up and stop them. “I’m gonna have this kid right here!” In her sister’s car. Without drugs! Noooo.
“Pleeease don’t do that,” Riley said.
Like she had any control over these contractions? “What am I supposed to do, cross my legs?”
The cop was at the car window now. Riley lowered it and before he could say anything, both she and Jo were talking at once. “This is an emergency,” Riley said as Jo cried, “We have to get to the hospital!”
The guy’s eyes bugged as if he’d just witnessed a zombie from The Walking Dead climbing out of the glove compartment.
Three Christmas Wishes Page 7