by Robin Shope
“Confusing? I would think Chicago would be much more confusing with so many more streets and all those yucky traffic jams,” Ulilla scowled.
“I agree with you Ulilla,” Lucy said. “It’s just country around here with trees, forests, small towns, few streets…easy.”
“What about our traffic jams? There’s always a tie up at the one stop and go light at the corner of Main Street and County O,” Mike chided as he made out the payroll.
“You’re missing the point,” Joe puffed and used to his hands to explain. “You see, Chicago was built on a grid pattern with north and south, east and west streets. The only streets that go perpendicular are the expressways. Out here nothing makes sense. Not to me.”
“Are you done writing this week’s editorial?” Lucy asked.
“Done and handed in.” Joe sat down at his desk and stared at his computer as though he was wondering how to fill in his time.
“Good. Come with me.” She held her hand out to him. He grabbed his coat and then took her hand. They walked outside into the parking lot. “Today we are going for a field trip, literally a field trip. We are taking my car.” She opened the passenger door for Joe and then ran around to the driver’s side.
“Exactly where is this field trip taking place?” he asked with a mischievous smile as they peeled out of the parking lot.
“Oh, around and about. Out into the country.”
“You mean where we are isn’t considered country?” Joe looked around at the few buildings surrounded by countryside.
“No, we are in town but I am taking you out into the country.” They drove along roads that cut in between nothing but fields. “Which way is north?” she quizzed Joe.
He pointed. “And that is south, and then that is east and west.”
“Correct.” Lucy nodded in approval.
“But you missed my point. This all looks the same.”
“Then you need to look closer. Up ahead is a small hill on the east side of the road. See?” Lucy pointed wearing mittens. It felt right to share her home and her feelings with him. “It looks like a giant’s head. Just below that is a wide gulley. I call it the giant’s mouth. This land is owned by the same couple who owns the feed mill.”
“That explains it.” Joe arched an eyebrow. He couldn’t hide his smile from Lucy. She knew he was enjoying this.
“You’re not paying close enough attention. During snow storms, its best to use this road if you need to get to town. It is always clear.”
“And the reason for this is?”
“It’s the first to be plowed. The county does them first as a courtesy. Farmers need to feed their cattle. So the owners of the feed mill need to get to town and open the store for them.”
“Okay, that makes sense, but from where I sit, I see miles of fence lines. All barbed wire looks the same to me and so do the gates of iron pipe.”
“Look again, my ‘city slicker’ friend…look at the creeks and how they wiggle out of the woods and open wide into fields. See all the spacious open land? No houses as far as the eye can see but each field is unique if you look close enough.” Lucy went on to point at horse and cow pastures. Beat up road signs. “It’s a never ending space but it’s divided up into parcels of land and each has its own history…”
“…and its own story to tell.” Joe nodded with approval.
“Now you understand. People have lived here before us and will live here after us. Maybe a hundred years from now someone will be driving down these roads and talk about the days that The Turtle Creek Newspaper nearly went under but a remarkable city fella with creative ideas came to town and saved the day. He never left. His heart and his spirit still roam the pasturelands.”
“And did he find love while he was here?” His fingers followed along her jawline.
“I sure hope so,” Lucy whispered. Love gushed through her—pure and true.
“You keep talking about the newspaper going under.”
“It’s my biggest fear. Well, one of my greatest fears. There are others. But I will save those for another day.”
“Isn’t it a sin to be fearful?”
“My present fear is founded on fact. The other newspaper coming in has the resources behind them to wipe us, and other little newspapers like us, off the face of the earth.”
“You wear a cross which I notice you touch a lot. Shouldn’t you be worry free by now because of that, or maybe the cross doesn’t have the power you need.”
Lucy jammed on the brakes and looked at Joe full on. “The power of the cross is our overcoming authority and, you know, I had forgotten for a short while. Thanks for the reminder.” Lucy started up again.
****
Lucy lay in bed, staring out the window and up at the moon. Today had been a perfect day with Joe. Christmas had returned as her favorite holiday—thanks to him. Together, they were busy creating their own stories. If they were an ornament, what would it be? Just then she heard something at her window. She listened but now there was only silence.
No, there it is again . Lucy got out of bed and looked out. Joe was standing down below forming snowballs and then tossing them up at the house. She opened her window just as one hit the panes. Lucy ducked just as another snowball hit the side of the window shutters and then obliterated. Some of the pieces sprayed her in the face. “What are you doing?” She laughed.
“Come on down?” He beckoned at her with a strong wave.
She hesitated for a heartbeat. “Why?”
“I have a surprise for you.” His words were enticing.
“A surprise? That’s a good enough reason for me.” She started to close her window.
“But dress warm. Very, very warm.”
“Why?”
“You’ll see.”
Lucy shut the window and then slid into her long johns and slacks. She pulled her warmest sweater on over her head. She layered on the socks and yanked on her boots, before choosing her ski coat from the closet. Without making a sound, she got through the house and then shot out the door, leaping into Joe’s arms. He grabbed a hold of Lucy and whirled her around. He carried her to his SUV and set her gently down. “I looked up at the sky this evening and thought its perfect weather for a midnight drive.”
Lucy looked around at the snow that glistened in the bright moonlight. “I have to agree with you.” Lucy hopped in the car and slammed the door. She watched as Joe got in. He drove to the end of the driveway and put the vehicle in park. They sat there for several minutes without speaking.
“Is something wrong?” Lucy finally asked.
“I just want to be sure your mother isn’t prowling around when I do this.” Joe put his arms around Lucy and gave her a scorching kiss. “I have waited to do that all day,” he declared. Then he shifted the gears to drive and down the road they went.
A few minutes later Lucy came up with her own assumption. “We seem to be heading in the direction of my Cotton Candy House.”
“You are correct. We are heading in that direction. But are we going there?”
“Are we?”
Joe’s answer was a wickedly delicious smile as he wheeled down County O. This time he nearly slowed to a stop in order to make the turn onto Sugar Plum Road on the other side of the Ma’s Diner sign. They drove the familiar road that cut narrowly between the tall pines. At the end of the road, they turned into the driveway. Here the wind was nonexistent because of the windbreak of the pines and century old oaks. Lucy liked to think about the people who had come and gone from this very spot over the decades. Families lived here. Children were born here and played here. Women fell in love here and were carried away by their love in order to start their own families other places.
As they drove out from under the bevy of trees, a supernatural shine suddenly enveloped them.
“Oh my!” Lucy’s hands flew to her face. There on the Cotton Candy House hung white Christmas lights. They went all the way around the roofline. More lights were wound around each of the ten-foot post
s. More strings outlined each window both on the upper and lower floors. More outlined the door. Lucy bolted out of the vehicle and up the snowy walk to the front porch. She turned around and around looking at the thousands of lights. Now she noticed they were not only on the house, but also nearly every forty foot tree had the same white lights. Thousands upon thousands of miniature lights were strung between every tree. It was magical like a fairyland.
“They’re not fireflies, but I think it looks pretty nice.”
“Joe, how did you do this without electricity?”
“There’s an old fashioned gadget called ‘a generator.’ I found several of them in the newspaper’s shed.” Joe ambled up the walk.
“You did all this...?”
Joe nodded as he came closer. “…for you.” Joe cupped her hands in his.
“For me,” she held her breath deep inside and slowly let it out. “This had to have taken hours and hours. And I had no clue.”
“Wait right here.”
Lucy watched as Joe ran to the side of the porch and pressed the button on a jam box. In a moment, music started playing. Dancin’ in The Moonlight . Joe bent low at the waist and held out his arm. “May I have this dance?”
“It’s my pleasure.” Lucy curtsied.
Joe’s smile spread across his face as he took her by the hand, leading her back down the porch steps.
She nestled her head in between his chin and shoulder, as Joe wrapped both arms around her and rocked her from side to side. Then he took her hand again, and spun her about and back into him again. She couldn’t help but squeal. Joe laughed, “Have I ever mentioned that you are a hard woman to resist, Lucy Collins?”
“I have heard that said about me. I assume you are one of my many beaus who told me that.” She smiled as he dipped her backward and then pulled her forward to kiss her again.
With a clear winter sky, and the light of the moon above them, Lucy knew this was the most perfect place in the entire world. Especially, when the man she was falling in love with held her firmly in his arms guiding her around and around as skaters on ice. It was as though only this place on earth existed and they were the only two people. Lucy couldn’t help but envision someday living here with Joe.
The Christmas Edition
The Christmas Edition
Chapter Fourteen
December 14
“Where’s Joe?” Monica asked. “It’s after ten and he is usually the first one in the office.”
“Lost again is what I am thinking.” Lucy twisted a pencil through her curls and left it.
“What do you mean by lost again?”
“He went to Lake Geneva. All the roads look the same to him so he tends to get lost.” Lucy shrugged.
The phone rang which Monica picked up from her desk. “Good morning, Turtle Creek News…Joseph McNamara? No, he isn’t here right now. I think he’s over in Lake Geneva and I’m not sure what time he will be back. Hold on for just a moment and I’ll let you speak to someone else who can help you.” Monica covered the mouthpiece. “Lucy, this woman asked for Joe. I think she wants to place an order with us for advertising space. Carol needed the day off to spend with her mother so she won’t be in until later today.”
“Transfer it to me in Dad’s office.” Lucy sat at the desk and picked up on the first ring. “Lucy Collins here. How may I help you?”
“Actually, you can’t. I am looking for Joe McNamara. I have tried his cell phone but there doesn’t seem to be a good connection.” The woman seemed distressed.
Lucy’s radar went up. This wasn’t a business call. This was more like a personal call. Who was this woman? And what connection did she have with Joe? Was she Joe’s girlfriend? “If you give me your name and number, I can have Joe call you when he gets in.” Lucy kept her voice at a professional clip.
“He has my personal number. I need to speak with him as soon as possible so please tell him Angela called,” she hammered the same tone right back at Lucy.
Lucy’s hand shook as she scrawled her name on a message slip. This was the same gal who had called him at Elizabeth’s Family Restaurant. “Okay, I will let him know Angela from Chicago called.” Lucy tacked that extra bit on trying to gain information.
“That’s right.” She sounded pleased. “Since you know where I am from, Joe must have mentioned me.”
“Yes. It’s nice that you’ve known each other for a long time.” Lucy wasn’t beyond pushing for more information.
“We’ve known one another for many years. We are…ah…very close. And who are you, Lucy?”
“I am a co-worker of his,” Lucy quickly responded.
“Nope, never mentioned you. Not once. Listen, I have to go. Please tell him I called, will you?” Angela nearly snapped.
“I already said I would.” Lucy fired right back, but Angela had all ready hung up the phone.
The conversation left a sick feeling in the pit of Lucy’s stomach. Things had been going so well and now there was this other problem. Love problems of the worst kind. Her heart began to ache.
Monica stood in the doorway. “You don’t look like you’re feeling well.”
Lucy looked up from the phone. “I think I may have just talked to Joe’s girlfriend.”
“Oh dear. And here you’re on the verge of celebrating your two-week anniversary. Whatever are you going to do?”
“I’m not sure. I can’t batter him with questions,” she huffed trying to figure it out.
“Why not ask him questions?” Monica walked into the office and took a seat in front of the desk.
“Because it’s not something mature, secure adults do. I have no claims on Joe. So far my relationship with Joe is undefined. A few kisses, lots of fun, but certainly no promises or declaration of love. At least…not on his part.”
“Uh-oh, what do you mean ‘at least not on his part’? Lucy, did you show your hand again, this time to Joe?” Monica leaned forward a bit in her chair. “You’re always the optimist and end up wearing your heart on your sleeve. Has Joe said anything to you about how he feels?”
“No, he hasn’t said anything, and now that I think about it, it seems to me he’s been quite ambiguous. Joe has just arrived here. He has a whole past filled with other people. I know nothing!” Lucy’s voice crescendoed.
“I could hear you both clear out there.” Ulilla hurried into the room and immediately insinuated herself into the conversation. “If we put our heads together, we might be able to figure this whole thing out. Maybe it was his mother who called.”
“No, his parents are dead.” Lucy remembered his mention of it.
“Sister, maybe?” Monica asked.
“He’s an only child.” Lucy shook her head.
“Well, at least he’s not married.”
“But do we know that for a fact?” Lucy suddenly became suspicious of Joe’s past. For the first time, she was glad John was doing a background check on Joe.
“Okay what do we do?” Ulilla asked looking from one to the other.
“ We do nothing. I, on the other hand, deliver the message from Angela,” Lucy said her name as though it made her sick. “I wrote it on this pink message slip. See? I am going to stick it in the middle of his computer screen and watch his expression when he reads it.” Lucy pulled five inches of tape off the dispenser hooked it to the top of the message slip and then walked to his computer with Ulilla and Monica following close behind. True to her plan, she taped it on the front of the monitor and then stood back to admire her work.
“Lucy, do you remember that summer we had the sleep-over in the apartment?” Monica asked.
“What has that got to do with anything?” Lucy complained. “Here my life is in the middle of a crisis and all you can think about are sleepovers.”
“Play along with me, will you?” Monica pressed.
“Okay.” Lucy shrugged. “You say we had a sleep-over in my parent’s apartment? The one above the garage? I don’t recall that at all, unless you mean the one we had
when we were still in high school?”
“Yes, that is the one I am referring to.” Monica sighed deeply. “I left my pink blanket there.”
Lucy thought for a minute. “No you didn’t.”
Monica flashed her eyes. “You are not cooperating again. Okay…do you remember when we ate dinner in the garage apartment and I brought over homemade brownies?”
“It’s been years but, yes, I do remember that.” Lucy nodded.