“I don’t know yet. I’ve been thinking about it.”
They batted ideas back and forth until Jim heard Donna yawn on the other end of the line. He glanced at the bedside clock and saw that it was nearing three.
“Donna, you have to get to sleep. It’s getting late,” he said.
She laughed. “Is that an order?”
“Yes, it is,” he said.
They said their goodnights and hung up.
With his hands clasped behind his head, Jim stared at the ceiling for a long time, thinking. Thinking about Donna, the job offer, the homeless . . . but most of all about Donna.
Chapter 11
“Okay, Christine, so where are we with the ice sculptures?” Donna asked at the weekly meeting for the Snowball Festival.
“It’s a go,” Christine said. “I’ve spoken to the guy who’s donating them, and they’re ready for pickup. I’ve made arrangements for their transportation, and they’ll be here Friday evening by five for the outdoor festivities.”
“That’s great,” Donna said.
The Snowball Festival would start Friday night at six and wrap up with the dance, the Snow Ball, on Sunday night. It was a weekend-long extravaganza.
Donna scribbled some notes on a legal pad. She looked up at Sarge, who sat across from her at the dining-room table. “Sarge, what about the schools?” Donna asked.
“I’ve spoken to the elementary school, and the principal assures me that the younger grades are working diligently on their coloring and will have their posters ready by Thursday,” Sarge said.
“And when are you judging the coloring contest?”
“I’ve already arranged with the school that I’ll go through all the posters on Thursday and pick a winner. We can announce the winner on Saturday because most families will be there in the afternoon for the craft fair. That way the winners could be on display,” Sarge replied.
Donna nodded. “That sounds good.” She penned down more notes and asked, “And what about the older grades?”
“I’m on it,” Sarge said, referring to her own notes. “The middle school is all ready for the craft fair, with the proceeds going toward their trip next year.”
“Perfect,” Donna said. Everyone at the table murmured approval.
“But I told them the crafts have to get my approval,” Sarge said firmly. “We don’t want any junk.”
Donna tried not to grimace. From across the table, Jim gave her a stare as if he was trying not to laugh.
“Let’s remember, they’re middle-school children, so the crafts are going to be very . . . homemade-looking,” Donna said gently, hoping Sarge would take the hint.
“Yeah, like I said, we don’t want any junk.”
Donna tried again. “Let’s give them a lot of leeway.” Ignoring Sarge’s frown, she added, “In the spirit of the holidays and all of that. They must be so excited about their trip.” She paused and added, “And what about the high school?”
“I spoke to the art department and they plan on doing some type of winter wonderland sets for indoors,” Sarge said. “I told her to make sure the paint is dry before they assemble it. We don’t want paint all over the floor like last year. It cost us a bomb to get the floor professionally cleaned after that debacle.” More scowling from Sarge. “And I told her no glitter. We’re always finding Christmas glitter at the Independence Day Festival.”
“A little glitter is fine,” Donna said.
“It makes everything look so sparkly! I think it adds a festive air,” Christine piped in.
Sarge didn’t say anything. She just sighed heavily, letting everyone at the table know of her displeasure.
Donna reported on the status of the knitting group’s effort for the yarn bombing of Main Street.
When she was finished, she looked over to Jim and enquired about the status of the interior lighting for the community center.
“We’re still waiting for the delivery. Apparently, they’re coming from China.”
“So, a slow boat from China?” she asked with a laugh. He laughed too.
“It would seem so.”
“Keep me posted,” Donna said. More notes to write.
Jim nodded. “Mr. Brenneman assured me that they’d get here in time.”
“Okay, good.”
Donna had had to stop herself from looking at Jim too often throughout the evening. She didn’t want to come across as favoring anyone in particular. She was really enjoying the time they were spending together. Sometimes, she felt pulled by those bright blue eyes of his. They were like a magnet. It had occurred to her more than once that she might like to be more than friends with him.
The group spent the next half hour discussing what needed to be done for the Snow Ball. Everything seemed to be falling into place. Somehow, Ralph had managed to source a giant, lighted snowball that would hang suspended from the ceiling over the dance floor. When the meeting finally broke up, Jim lingered behind, helping Donna clean up.
Jim wore a heavy cable-knit sweater and a pair of jeans that hugged his muscular form. When he leaned in to load plates in the dishwasher, Donna got a hint of his cologne and as unobtrusively as possible, she closed her eyes and breathed in.
Once everything was cleared up, Jim said, “I should head home and let you get to bed.” But he seemed in no hurry to put his coat on. They stood there for a moment, looking at each other, and finally Donna laughed.
“What’s wrong?” she asked.
“I’m trying to get up the nerve to ask you a question.”
“Come on, Jim, you were never afraid of anything,” she pointed out with raised eyebrows.
“Donna, all men are afraid of rejection.”
“You’re not going to ask me to marry you, are you?” she joked.
Even he had to laugh. “No, but if I ever do, I won’t do it in a letter.”
They both laughed and Donna thought they must be making progress if they could joke about that lost letter.
“I wanted to know if you would go to the dance with me.” he asked.
“As a date?” she asked. He looked so nervous asking her that she was touched.
His Adam’s apple bobbed as he swallowed hard. “Maybe as a date. What do you think?”
Donna smiled to reassure him and said quietly, “I’d really like that.”
“I don’t want to rush you into anything.”
“I appreciate that. You know, as we’re getting to know each other again, I would be okay with a date once in a while.”
“You would?” he asked, surprised.
She nodded. “As long as we take things slow.”
Jim smiled. It was a smile that reached his eyes, and suddenly his composure relaxed. “I can live with this.” It wasn’t lost on Donna that she had put that smile on his face and that the air around them had become charged.
He said goodnight, and Donna locked her door behind him. Once he reached his own side door, she headed upstairs. As she got ready for bed, she hummed a Christmas tune. She had to admit to a feeling of excitement about going to the dance as Jim’s date. She’d been a widow for more than fifteen years, and she felt ready to move on with her personal life.
There was a television in her bedroom, and she thought she’d watch a Christmas movie from her burgeoning collection. But as she slid into bed, her phone beeped. She saw that it was Jim, and she smiled as she opened his text.
Told Leah we used to date.
Then: Didn’t mention lost letter.
Donna exhaled a loud breath and set the phone down on her lap. She had said nothing to Brent. She turned her attention back to the movie but couldn’t focus. Finally, she typed a reply: They seem to be seeing a lot of each other.
Jim’s reply was swift. Yes.
Donna typed furiously. R u ok with it?
Jim’s response: Yes. R u?
Donna replied, Yes. Brent seems happy.
Jim sent, Leah, too.
Donna settled into bed, thinking about Brent and Leah. At
least for today, her son had found someone and was happy.
Her thoughts drifted toward Jim and she couldn’t help but smile. This new arrangement between them suited her perfectly. There was only one problem. She was falling in love with Jim. Again. And he might be leaving Orchard Falls. Again.
Chapter 12
Jim was greeted at Steve’s front door with a slap on his back and a smile from his old friend. Something smelled good and Jim was hungry. The house was all decorated for Christmas, making it feel cozy. There was a candle burning on a small table, giving off a pleasant pine scent. Steve’s wife, Lynn, came out from the kitchen. She hugged Jim.
“Dinner will be ready in fifteen minutes.”
Jim handed her a bottle of wine and a box of chocolates.
“How nice, thanks, Jim,” she said.
Steve took Jim’s coat and they headed into the living room where they sat down. Steve offered him a drink, but Jim refused.
Steve’s oldest son, Kyle, entered the room. He favored his father in his looks. Jim introduced himself and shook Kyle’s hand. The boy’s hand was damp and he kept wiping his hands on his pant legs.
“Nice to meet you, sir,” Kyle said.
“Just call me Jim,” he said, trying to put him at ease.
“Okay, Mr. O’Hara.”
Steve laughed. “At ease, Kyle.”
Kyle looked at his father and reddened, but he smiled. The three of them sat there for a while making small talk. Jim asked him how school was and what his hobbies were and if he had a girlfriend. Kyle blushed at the final question and said no.
“So, you’re thinking of going into the service,” Jim started.
Kyle nodded. “Since I was a little boy.”
“Good for you,” Jim said. He remembered the guidance counselor giving him encouragement back in high school. “Is it your plan to make a career out of it?”
Kyle nodded. “I’d like to.”
“Good. That’s great. And do you plan to go to college or are you going right into the service?”
“I want to join as soon as I graduate,” Kyle said.
Jim remembered how he felt at that age. All that restless energy, like he couldn’t wait for something to happen, for his life to begin.
“If you plan on making a career out of the military, I would suggest getting a college degree first, and then you’d go into the military as an officer.”
“That’s how Jim did it,” Steve piped in. “When he retired, he was a high-ranking career officer.” Steve looked at Jim and said, “You were a full colonel when you retired, weren’t you?”
Jim nodded. “I was.”
Steve turned toward his son. “Higher rank means higher pay.”
Kyle’s eyes lit up.
“You have to ask yourself one question: do you want to be taking the orders or giving them?” Jim said.
“The way you boss your younger brothers around should give you a general idea,” Steve said to his son.
Even Kyle relaxed and laughed. “But I could join the military and go to college afterward, and college would be paid for.”
“That’s right. The GI bill,” Jim said.
They talked for a few more minutes, and Jim gave Kyle his cell number and told him to call him any time.
After dinner, Jim retreated to the basement with Steve. It was finished off with paneled walls and carpeting. There was a pool table, a ping-pong table, and a bar. There was a dartboard on the wall. In the corner, on a table, was a small Christmas tree laden with ornaments and garland and lights.
Jim glanced at it. “Nice tree for your man cave.”
Steve laughed. “I can’t get away from it. Lynn loves Christmas. She put that up, said the place needed some festive cheer.”
Steve set up the billiard balls on the pool table and handed Jim a pool cue.
After a few rounds, Jim said, “Leah is going out with Donna’s son, Brent.”
Steve looked up. “The vet?”
“Yes. They went out every night last week, and this week looks to be a repeat of last week.”
“Does Leah know about your past with Donna?” Steve said, rubbing blue chalk on the tip of his pool cue.
“Yeah, she does,” Jim said.
“How do you feel about it?” Steve asked.
“It’s awkward because it’s Donna’s son. But he’s a decent guy, so I can’t complain,” Jim said. A flashback to Leah’s college boyfriend came to mind. He’d appeared to have it all going on with his career path and nice clothes, but he turned out to be a jerk. Jim was just glad she didn’t end up marrying the guy.
Steve looked at him. “There’s a rumor going around that you and Donna are back together.”
“We’re spending some time together,” Jim explained.
Steve grinned. “Hanging out.”
Jim changed the subject, feeling protective of his fledgling relationship with Donna.
“An army buddy of mine got in touch with me last week. He retired about ten years ago. He owns this security company out in California and he’s offered me the job of Managing Director.”
Steve straightened up from the pool table. “In California?”
Jim nodded, leaning on his cue.
“Are you seriously thinking about it?”
“I’m not discounting it,” Jim said quietly.
“What does this job have to offer that is so enticing you’d leave retirement?” Steve asked.
Jim didn’t have to think about it. “I thought it might get me focused. I was really looking forward to retirement, but I still don’t feel like I’ve found my way. And Orchard Falls isn’t how I remembered it.”
Steve laughed. “Come on, man, you’ve been gone over thirty years. Even a place like Orchard Falls is bound to change in that length of time.”
“Maybe it’s true that you can’t go home again.” Jim sighed.
“Don’t say that,” Steve said. “You know, when my Dad died, I was thinking of moving away from Orchard Falls.”
“You were? Really?”
“Yeah, Mom was gone, and everywhere I looked in Orchard Falls reminded me of Dad. It was painful. I was chomping at the bit to get out and actually looked into selling my store and heading south or west.”
“What changed your mind?” Jim asked.
Steve laughed. “Actually, Mr. Brenneman did.”
“Really?”
Steve nodded. “Really. It was about three months after my Dad died, and I went into the hardware store for something and started talking to Mr. Brenneman and told him about my plans. He gave me a piece of advice that has always stayed with me. He told me not to make any major life decisions for twelve months, because grief can do funny things to our minds.” Steve smiled at the memory of it. “And you know, a year after my father’s death, I no longer wanted to leave Orchard Falls. Because everywhere I went, it still reminded me of my Dad, but with the passage of time, the memories weren’t painful but comforting. Looking back, I’m glad I didn’t go.”
Jim thought about what his friend had said. “But I’m not grieving.”
“No, but you are transitioning from one phase of your life to another,” Steve said. “Give yourself a year here. Give yourself and Orchard Falls a chance before you make any major life decisions. No matter where you move to, you bring your issues and problems with you.”
“You just don’t want me to leave because then you’ll have no friends left,” Jim teased, trying to lighten a heavy moment.
Steve replied. “Well, there it is. Come on, cue up.”
Jim couldn’t identify anything on his plate. Despite this, it tasted good.
Leah sat across from him. She’d cooked them a vegan dinner. Some specialty dish. She’d already told him the name twice, but he couldn’t remember and he didn’t dare ask a third time.
“Aren’t you doing something with Brent tonight?” Jim asked.
“I’m going over to his house later. We’re going to bake vegan cinnamon rolls.” She drank some water. �
��But I thought we’d have dinner together tonight. I don’t want you to feel abandoned.”
“Don’t worry about me, honey. You just enjoy yourself.” Jim was used to eating dinner alone and it didn’t bother him.
“I know, but still,” she said with uncertainty.
“Do you like this guy?” he asked.
Immediately she perked up. Sat up straighter in her chair and smiled. “I do, I really do. He’s so different than any other guy I’ve met.”
Jim listened, hoping his daughter wouldn’t end up with a broken heart.
“Remember what Gram used to say—about people being the genuine article? That’s Brent.”
“What’s going to happen after you go home?” Jim asked. He helped himself to more of the casserole from the pot in the middle of the table.
“We’ve talked about that,” Leah said. “We’re going to try a long-distance relationship when I return to California. Brent said he’s had no vacation since he opened his clinic. Said he’d like to come out to California in February or March.”
Jim sighed.
“Dad, I know you’re against long-distance relationships.”
“It’s not that I’m against them, it’s just that I’m speaking from personal experience,” he said. He pushed his plate away, the second helping untouched.
“With who?” Leah asked, frowning. “Mom?”
Jim shook his head. “No, with Donna. Brent’s mother.”
“Mrs. St. James?” Leah asked, incredulous. “I thought you two were just high-school sweethearts. How long did you go out?”
Jim glanced up at the ceiling, thinking. “I don’t know. Maybe five years.”
“Five years! You made it sound like you just went out a couple of times. What happened?” She rested her elbow on the table and cupped her chin with her hand.
“When I went off to college, we wrote a lot of letters to each other as long-distance phone calls were too expensive. Then I went off to war and it just didn’t work out.” He was not going to tell his daughter that he had asked Donna to marry him. Some things needed to remain private. “Even the best relationships have difficulty surviving the distance.”
One Kiss for Christmas (The Happy Holidays Series Book 4) Page 10