Jingle Bell Blessings

by Bonnie K. Winn

  Chloe knew how much that could be, what a relief it must be for the elderly widows. It was an incredibly generous gesture on Evan’s part.

  “Matilda and Gertrude worried constantly about their houses. And, neither one could physically or financially cope with keeping them up. Evan handled turning both places into rentals. He arranged for Gertrude and Matilda to have their favorite pieces of furniture moved to their rooms in Orchard House. Once they got settled there, Matilda and Gertrude had the best of both worlds. Enough that was familiar so they wouldn’t feel they had left their entire lives behind. But now they don’t have to maintain yards, and aging houses with a million problems.”

  Chloe admitted it was a brilliant plan. “And I suppose the rent helps pay for their fees at the retirement home.”

  “You’d think so, but Evan insisted they keep the rent money for themselves. He said he knew that ladies enjoyed buying a bauble or two every now and then.”

  Having trouble processing Evan’s generosity, Chloe frowned. “What about their children? Don’t they help?”

  Perry shook his head. “Gertrude’s daughter moved to California to pursue her music. She struggles just to support herself. Both of Matilda’s sons are in the military. They do what they can, but being stationed thousands of miles away, it isn’t enough.”

  “My brother’s in the military so I understand.” The pay was low, the responsibilities enormous.

  “Matilda and Gertrude are happier than either one’s been in years. The home organizes outings to all sorts of places. Twice a year they go to San Antonio, visit the Riverwalk or the missions. There’s always something to do there. They went to a Spurs game last time.”

  Chloe grinned, imagining the widows in the midst of their enthusiasm at an NBA basketball game. They probably waved foam fingers and wore team ball caps and T-shirts.

  “There are plenty of Mitchell employees here, though.” Perry glanced toward the end of the table. “The two older men sitting next to Evan are brothers who worked for the company until they retired. Then they fell for a scam targeting the elderly. Lost all their pension money. Evan helped them connect with the state’s attorney. But they only recovered a fraction of what they lost. So, Evan insisted we keep making full pension payments to them. It’s the right thing to do, he said. I admire Evan’s honor and ethics, but as the financial officer, I have to admit his generosity is responsible for me going gray before my time.”

  Chloe glanced down, trying to absorb all that he had told her about Evan. Trying to compare it with the shell he had built around himself. To all appearances, he was all business, all shut away.

  Then she wondered about Mr. Perkin himself. “And you? Is your family here?”

  “I’m divorced.” Although his voice remained calm, his eyes revealed a flash of pain. “My wife moved out of state, took our two children. I see them when I can, but this is her year to have them for the holidays.”

  “I’m sorry.”

  He sighed. “Me, too.”

  Impulsively, she touched his hand. “We don’t always have to be in the same room, even the same state, to know our family loves us.” Thinking of her mother, Chloe’s throat clogged.

  His voice was rugged, too. “I know.”

  Within a few minutes, Gordon and Evan both sat down and the group quieted.

  Gordon bent his head to offer the blessing. “Dear Lord, thank you for each of these your children, our dear friends and family, gathered here today. Thank you for bringing us together, allowing us to be part of each other’s lives. We are grateful for all the bounty you provide, the love you give us, the hope you keep constant. We ask that you let us remember and appreciate the true thanksgiving of each and every day, the blessings that surround us. Please bless and keep each of these dear friends safe and whole. We say these things in the name of your Son. Amen.”

  Amens chorused down the length of the big dining room table and carried over to the second.

  Voices blended as platters were lifted, bowls were passed. Chloe couldn’t stop thinking about Perry’s words. And Evan’s. About how the company was having financial worries. She took a scoop of mashed potatoes for herself and one for Jimmy. “Mr. Perkin—”

  “Perry.” He speared a piece of ham, then held the heavy dish for her.

  “What would you think of Monday?” She picked up the meat fork. “For me to start helping out at the office?”

  “I’d think that was the best offer I’ve had in some time.”

  Next, Chloe accepted a bowl of stuffing, offering it first to Jimmy, then taking some for herself. Unable to stop herself, she glanced down the length of the table at Evan. Her thoughts were in confusion as she wondered about him, the real Evan.

  “Perry, is there something about Evan’s past? Something that…” She paused, seeing a sudden defensiveness in the man’s eyes.

  “What you want to know about Evan will have to come from him,” Perry replied, circling the wagons around Evan like Gordon had done.

  Chloe swallowed, wondering if Evan would ever tell her. Wondering if she dared ask.

  Despite Thelma’s protests, everyone insisted on helping with the cleanup. Dishes were scraped and stacked next to the huge porcelain double sinks. They had filled the dishwasher, but it would take at least a dozen loads to accommodate all the dinnerware and serving bowls. It was more efficient to hand wash most of them. Besides, Thelma insisted the good china wasn’t to even get near the dishwasher.

  They all carried platters and bowls of food into the kitchen, lining the counters and filling the table. Since Thelma knew where everything should go, she was in charge of wrapping the leftovers. And there were plenty despite sending everyone home with an overflowing plate of goodies.

  But then Thelma had been cooking for days. She had roasted two golden twenty-five pound turkeys and a huge ham, prepared three kinds of potatoes, gravy, two kinds of dressing, yams, green beans, creamed pearl onions, homemade cranberry chutney, fruit salad, then baked plump yeast rolls and enough pies to outfit a bakery. Not to mention the slew of appetizers.

  They set up an assembly line to do the dishes. Evan insisted on washing, Chloe was assigned to rinse, then Ned dried and handed the stacks of plates to Gordon who shuttled them into the dining room. Thelma had instructed Gordon to place the dishes on the table and not to try putting things away where she couldn’t find them. Meanwhile, Jimmy ran underfoot, fetching and carrying.

  One side of the sink was filled with hot, sudsy bubbles, the other with rinse water. Evan wasted little time digging into the mountain of dinnerware. Chloe kept up, swiping plates and saucers swiftly through her side of the sink. A few soap bubbles collected in the rinse water and she reached for the plug to drain the sink and fill it with fresh water.

  As she did, Evan plopped a plate in her side of the sink. Realizing at the same moment, that it would fall to the bottom of the sink he grabbed for it. Having seen it coming, Chloe reached out at the same time. Evan’s fingers closed around hers as they touched the plate. Chloe froze.

  So did Evan.

  Time stopped as their fingers grazed, the water swishing around, encasing their hands in a liquid pool of sensation.

  “Be careful with my crystal serving dishes,” Thelma warned from behind them as she wrapped potatoes in plastic cling film at the counter.

  They didn’t jump apart. Instead, Chloe felt as though she moved in slow motion as she tightened her grip on the plate, then looked at the sink, the last of the draining water, the plug, anything but Evan.

  He turned, immediately busying himself with another handful of saucers.

  Ned and Jimmy talked in the background.

  Gordon thumped down in one of the straight-back, oak chairs. “Thelma, you use more dishes every year.”

  “And you invite more people every year,” she retorted mildly.

  The buzz continued, but all Chloe could absorb was Evan’s touch and the way it softened her bones, weakening them clear to her toes.

 
; The porch out back was lit by soft gas lights and warmed by the round, full-bellied woodstove. Evan quietly walked across the aged oak planks, his thoughts confused, his emotions splintered.

  Night was near silent, everyone and everything sated and tucked away. The sound of footsteps on the yellowing grass led to the broad steps of the porch. Instinctively, Evan stepped back into the shadows.

  Chloe climbed the first stair. Sighing, she lifted her face. Platinum beams of moonlight cascaded over her face, enhancing her beauty. But also revealing her tears.

  Evan emerged from the darkness. “What’s wrong?”

  Surprised to find him there, she looked embarrassed, then hid her eyes. “I’m missing my mother. I know it sounds foolish.”

  “If it’s foolish to miss family, then the world’s mad.” Evan took her elbow and led Chloe to the porch swing where generations of Mitchells had retreated for comfort. He sat beside her, easing the swing into a gentle motion.

  Chloe sniffled, another tear slipping down her face.

  Unable to stop himself, Evan eased his thumb over her cheeks, wiping away the tears. Her skin was incredibly soft, just as soft as it looked. Unable to stop, his fingers cupped her chin, then tipped it upward.

  Despite the dim light, he saw the confusion in her gem-like green eyes. Emeralds, he thought vaguely. So dark they resembled the finest of emeralds. When he didn’t draw away, she quaked slightly beneath his touch.

  Which made him wish to continue. Caution fled and he dipped his mouth to hers. Tender, welcoming, she kissed him back and he breathed in her clean vanilla scent. Tangling his fingers in her long, silky hair, he lengthened the kiss.

  His conscience slammed into gear and he abruptly pulled away. What was he doing? He had vowed to remain faithful to Robin forever.

  Chloe stared back at him, her lips trembling, her chest rising in short gasps.

  Digging his heels in, he sprang from the swing. Not looking back, he disappeared out into the darkness. The comfort he had thought to offer had become his own. And now, it rose up in challenge.

  Tempted by a harvest moon, he had betrayed the woman he had vowed to love forever. And he could never let it happen again.

  The annual holiday bazaar was held on the Saturday after Thanksgiving. Established to raise money for those in need during the Christmas season, the craft fair filled Rosewood’s park. People used the occasion to buy Christmas gifts, knowing the money was going to a worthy cause.

  Chloe and Jimmy strolled through the mazes of booths, display tables and games. Not surprisingly, Jimmy wanted to play the games first. A scaled-down basketball toss appealed to him the most. Concentrating fiercely, Jimmy sunk three out of eight hoops. As a result, he had his choice of the second level of prizes. Again, his small face scrunched in thought. Finally, he picked a mug with the picture of a fish on its side. It seemed like an unusual choice for a small boy, but Chloe didn’t want to say so. Maybe it reminded him of their fishing trip.

  Their next stop was at the hat booth. From ball caps to an eccentric jester’s hat with its jingling bell-tipped, floppy purple and gold arms, the shelves were crammed with novelty gear. Chloe tried on a sparkly green top hat that would be perfect for St. Patrick’s day. Modeling it for Jimmy, she tipped to one side and bowed. He giggled and asked the vendor if he could try on a giant cowboy hat. The man obliged with a wink to Chloe.

  Jimmy stuck it on his head, but the hat dwarfed his head, completely covering his face. “Nah, don’t fit,” he mumbled through the felt sides.

  Laughing, Chloe spotted a smaller version. “How ’bout this one, pardner?”

  The second one fit perfectly.

  “Do you like it, Jimmy?”

  “It’s cool!”

  Chloe dug in her wallet, handing the vendor some money.

  “Don’t we have to win it?” Jimmy asked.

  “Not at this booth,” she explained, accepting her change.

  They walked on, pausing to toss pennies into glass milk bottles. Next, when they watched a balloon being twisted to resemble a dog, she cringed at the grating squeak, but smiled at Jimmy’s grin when the clown handed the dog to him.

  Reaching the area with handcrafted gifts, Chloe gazed around in delight. Piles of afghans, crocheted booties, children’s clothing, knitted blankets, embroidered tablecloths and hand towels filled several tables. Booths displayed handmade jewelry, carved wooden boxes, metal sculptures, paintings, custom-molded candles, cakes, pies, cookies, ribbon-tied bags of homemade chocolates and other candies.

  And the aromas! Every spare inch of the perimeter was crammed with food vendors of all kinds. Good old American hotdogs, cotton candy, popcorn, pizza, corn dogs, frozen bananas dipped in chocolate, hamburgers, funnel cakes, candied apples, and even deep fried dill pickles.

  There was a long line at the bratwurst booth. Homemade sausage and sauerkraut in a bun was tempting, but then Chloe spotted kolaches advertised across the aisle. Milwaukee had also been settled in large part by German and Czech immigrants. Some of the German, Romanian and Hungarian areas still retained their ethnic identities. The Czechs had introduced their flavorful sweet and savory filled pockets of dough, kolaches, that remained popular. The savory sausage or ham kolaches made a meal. Various fruits as well as a cheesecake-like cream cheese filled the sweet ones. Apparently, they were equally popular in the hill country.

  Her stomach rumbled, alerted by her inner cravings radar and they wandered closer.

  “Jimmy, we have to try one.” She read the selection. “I don’t know how I’m going to decide.” Eventually, they settled on cherry for Jimmy and cream cheese for her.

  Finding one of many benches dotting the park, they settled down to eat their treats.

  “Good?” Chloe asked.

  He nodded vigorously.

  They savored the kolaches while Chloe indulged in people watching. Lifting her gaze from a pair of adorable preschool-aged twin girls, she spotted Grace Brady approaching.

  “Look! It’s the nice teacher lady!” Jimmy exclaimed.

  And she was. Grace had been kind, helpful and nonjudgmental about Chloe’s mission to place Jimmy with an unwilling Evan. Grace saw them and waved. Jimmy hopped up, Chloe only seconds behind.

  “Hi, you two! Enjoying the bazaar?”

  “Completely! We just devoured kolaches. Honestly, I can just read the menu and I’m starving. It was terrible trying to pick just one.”

  Grace groaned, holding one hand to her stomach. “Same problem. I just left the popcorn booth. There are about a jillion flavors. I started out with cheddar cheese, then wound up stuffing myself with the white chocolate kind.”

  Chloe laughed. “Looks like we’re going to have to visit there, Jimmy.”

  “Oh, and don’t miss the booth with the oil essences. They mix whichever one you like into a natural sea salt scrub. My hands are so soft.” She held them up, revealing a long, jagged scar. “Even around the scar tissue,” she added unselfconsciously.

  Gordon had told her about Grace’s past after they met her at school that first day, moving Chloe to tears. Grace had been involved in a horrific car accident, resulting in devastating injuries. She had sacrificed herself by driving into a concrete barrier when another driver drifted into her lane, coming at her head on. If she hadn’t, he and his family would have been killed. But Grace had paid a terrible price. In addition to internal injuries, one side of her face had been destroyed and her hands shattered. That was how she had met her husband, plastic surgeon Noah Brady. Fortunately, the multiple surgeries she had endured were successful. Grace’s face showed no sign of what she had been through. All that visibly remained was the scar on her hand. Gordon said she had chosen to leave it to remind herself of what it had taken to bring her back to the Lord. Chloe thought it took an incredible person to come to that conclusion instead of self-pity.

  Grace bent down to Jimmy’s level. “How are you liking school?”

  “It’s okay,” he replied with a shy smile.

&n
bsp; “You know, I’m kind of new there, too. I just started teaching again when my little girl, Susie, was old enough for kindergarten, and that was the beginning of this school year.” She straightened up, speaking to Chloe. “The school administration’s been so great about it, adjusting my schedule to fit with Susie’s. And it’s nice to be able to peek in her classroom every little bit. Although she’s just like her father, ready to tackle anything.”

  Chloe appreciated her new friend’s kindness. Grace had peeked into Jimmy’s room as well to make sure he was adjusting all right. At church, she had assured Chloe that he was getting on as well as he claimed. It put a portion of her anxiety to rest.

  “Did you see Evan’s booth yet?” Grace asked Jimmy.

  “He has a booth?” Chloe was amazed. And uneasy. They had avoided each other since Thanksgiving night. But she couldn’t rid her thoughts of their kiss. Replaying the moment over and over, she shivered each time at just the thought.

  “It’s for Mitchell Stone, but Evan always mans it. Except, of course, when…” She stopped abruptly, snapping her lips closed. Her look was apologetic.

  Another circled wagon. Chloe longed to ask what Grace had left unsaid, but she couldn’t in front of Jimmy.

  He tugged at her sleeve. “Can we see Evan’s booth?”

  “I suppose so.” She forced her voice to brighten, deciding she would act as though the kiss had never happened. “I’m sure we’ll find it easily enough.”

  “Great to see you.” Grace bent to Jimmy’s level again.

  “Have a good time today.”

  Chloe and Jimmy strolled down the paths between displays, booths and vendors. It didn’t take long to find Evan. A chronological history of Mitchell Stone in pictures papered the wall behind him. Generations of Mitchells, from a man standing next to the quarry with a pick ax to the present-day corporation. A wide shelf held a collection of exotic-looking gems. And all sorts of rocks filled the tables. Raw, beautiful chunks of amethyst sat next to elegantly carved onyx bookends.