Christmas All Around Us ; The Perfect Time for Love ; Playing for Keeps

by Carla Kincaid

  Joy reached up and squeezed her shoulder. She stuck her fingers under the neckline of her t-shirt and rubbed the raised skin that ran parallel to her bra strap. A now permanent reminder of her surgery.

  "Here you go," Sally announced upon return. She sat a glass with a lemon slice impaled on its rim in front of Joy. "What else can I get you?"

  Joy glanced over at the beer soldiers again and let out a long sigh. She was just about to surrender to the call of the triple X logo but before she could voice her request a small group of men entered the diner.

  "Hey, Sally! You got any of that chocolate cake I love?" one of the men -- who was clearly unfamiliar with the phrase inside voice -- yelled in Sally's direction.

  "I'll be right with you, Sam," Sally said over her shoulder -- in a tone more polite than the man deserved.

  The noisy trio settled down at a table to wait.

  "I think I'll just have a burger and fries," Joy said aware of the fact that she'd packed on a few pounds since her surgery. If she did get to go back to Tokyo in the Fall she was going to have to start working out again soon or she wouldn't be up to her normal playing shape.

  "Coming right up," Sally said pleasantly and then walked over to the table to take care of the cake loving customer and his friends.

  To distract herself from the raucous conversation going on at the nearby table, Joy pulled out her cellphone and tapped speed dial. The phone barely rang before being answered.

  "Hi, Sweetheart!" her mother greeted enthusiastically. "I've been watching the clock. I figured you'd be calling about now."

  She'd been watching the clock. Keeping tabs on Joy just like everyone in her family had been doing lately.

  "How was the drive?"

  Her mother's question seemed innocent enough but Joy easily read between the lines.

  Well. Let's see. I managed not to buy any alcohol while I was on the road but right now I'm a few feet from some beer on tap that's calling my name.

  "It was fine," Joy answered.

  "Oh, I'm glad to hear that."

  There was a long uncomfortable pause.

  "The weather is nice here," Joy continued. "I drove with the top down the whole way."

  "Wow. That's great. It's pretty hot here today too."

  Another pause.

  That's what their conversations had turned into. Idle chatter about the weather or food they'd eaten or maybe a movie. Anything to avoid talking about what had happened.

  The truth was, Joy really hadn't realized how drunk she'd been that night. Throwing back one or two drinks had become a normal nightly activity. On top of helping Joy to stop worrying about her career possibly ending, drinking also numbed the pain in her shoulder. Three weeks after her surgery her doctor had cut off her prescription of Oxi so she wouldn't get addicted to the powerful painkiller. As a workaround, Joy increased the number of drinks she regularly consumed.

  "So, have you called the therapist yet?" her mother spoke into the silence.

  Joy let out a sigh which didn't relieve her irritation. "No. I've got an appointment tomorrow. I don't think it's necessary for me to call her now." The comment came out more harshly than she'd intended and was met with more silence.

  "I guess you're right," Helen Sizemore finally said. "What time is your appointment?"

  Joy knew that her brother had pulled some major strings to get her these sessions with Dr. Brenda Turner. As an attorney he'd seen more than a few of his high profile, ie. rich, clients use the doctor's services when they needed to deal with their inebriated indiscretions and then do some rehab penance. Dr. Turner had an office in D.C. but usually spent her summers in the mountains with her family only seeing one or two patients during those months. She'd agreed to see Joy during her summer break as a special favor to Gary.

  Dr. Turner was supposed to be great at working with addicts and that's what Joy's family thought she was -- an addict. Why else would a normal person drink as much as she did in the middle of the day?

  "I'm meeting with Dr. Turner tomorrow afternoon," Joy said to her mother.

  "Okay."

  More awkward silence.

  "Well, I just called to let you know I made it here safely. I'm about to grab something to eat, so I'll talk to you later."

  "Alright, Sweetheart. I'll tell your father that you called when he gets home."

  "Okay," Joy said solemnly. "Bye, Mom."

  Joy hung up the phone and then guzzled down half a glass of the lemony water trying to ease her nerves. It wasn't the same as a beer but it was all she had to try to calm her nerves.

  The mention of her father made Joy's stomach tighten. Of all the people her behavior had disappointed her father had taken it the worst. Before the accident he was still her biggest champion, regularly telling her that she was going to be back on the softball field in no time. Now not only was he not able to brag about his professional sports playing daughter but he had to pull some serious favors with his friends at the police department to get Joy's drunk driving charges expunged from her record.

  "Here's your burger," Sally said as she set the plate of hot food in front of Joy. "You must be thirsty. Would you like a refill?"

  Joy waved off the offer of more water and launched into her meal. For a moment the chargrilled burger and greasy fries helped numb the agitation she was feeling. The food was almost as effective as alcohol at stilling Joy's whirling brain. She'd just about reached a state that one might call relaxed when the loud, cake-loving stranger sauntered over to her table.

  "So, what brings you to our nice little town?" the intruder asked as he leaned on the back of the booth seat across from Joy.

  Joy raised her glance to meet his but didn't immediately speak. Something in the man's tone let Joy know that his inquiry was about more than Southern hospitality.

  "I just came up for some hiking and stuff," she said as she jammed three french fries into her mouth. Maybe if she kept her mouth full he'd leave her alone.

  "Those trails can be kind of dangerous to hike by yourself. I hope you have someone around to look out for you." In spite of his tall, tan, pretty boy looks, the smile that crossed the man's face gave Joy the creeps.

  It was always a toss-up about how to handle jerks like this. Sometimes Joy played the absent fake boyfriend card and sometimes she went straight to the overly-dramatic tough dike persona. Either usually worked but with this guy Joy wasn't sure which would get him to move along and focus his attention elsewhere.

  "Thanks. I'll keep that in mind," she mumbled before biting into another fry.

  She was about to try the absent boyfriend story when one of the other men at the pretty-boy's table called out to him.

  "Hey Sam, Billy just pulled up out front. The man lifted his phone in the air indicating he'd just received a text message. "He wants us to come outside and take a look at the piece he bought yesterday."

  Joy added gun fanatic to the list of things that creeped her out about the man smiling down at her. Fortunately, looking at a new piece seemed to pique Sam's interest more than the one-sided conversation he was having with her.

  "Well, happy trails," he said with a wink and a tilt of his head. "Maybe I'll see you around sometime."

  Hopefully not, Joy thought as she watched the small group head outside and then huddle around a pick-up truck in the parking lot cooing over a steel appendage that probably substituted for their own short-comings.

  "Looks like you enjoyed the food," Sally teased, as she picked up Joy's empty plate a short while later.

  "Yeah," Joy said with a laugh. "Now all I want to do is go to sleep."

  Joy's eyes closed in a long, slow, carb-induced blink. From behind her eyelids, a vision of Kate Warner's smiling face flashed through her mind. Joy was so taken by the image that she didn't clearly hear Sally's next question.

  "I'm sorry, what did you say?" Joy asked blinking the sleep and the sexy roadside damsel from her mind.

  "I said where are you staying while you're here?"

>   Joy looked up at the waitress with surprise. She hadn't said she was staying in Hersh Falls.

  Sally just laughed. "Honey, Hersh Falls isn't on the crossroads to anywhere but Hersh Falls, so I figure if you're in here eating in Sally's Diner at sunset you're planning to stay close by, at least for the night."

  Joy laughed. It would take her a minute to get used to this small town atmosphere where everybody knew each other and strangers stood out like a sore thumb. She was grateful to do the therapy thing someplace removed from her home turf but this might have been a bit more remote than she'd bargained for.

  "I'm renting an Airbnb near the lake." Joy paused, not wanting to give away the real reason she was in the area. "I just wanted someplace quiet to get away for a few weeks. A little R and R."

  "Well, I hope you enjoy your stay. And remember when you get hungry for a good burger you just make your way right back to Sally's."

  Joy nodded and smiled but she wasn't sure if being in such close proximity to the soldiers behind the bar would be safe. She might need to give it some time and see how the therapy stuff worked before she visited Sally's again.

  Chapter 3

  Kate let her thoughts wander as she watched Steve connect the heavy chains to the underside of the pickup truck and hoist the vehicle into the air. She must be an athlete, Kate mused to herself as images of the attractive stranger floated through her mind: the long, confident stride; the toned and tan arms peeking out from under her sleeveless t-shirt; the sexy smile.

  It had been a long time since Kate had noticed a woman. Partially, because the responsibilities of being a single mom left her with little time for such things, and partially because living in a small town like Hersh Falls didn't give her much access to potential love interests. Kate had grown up with just about everyone who lived in the area so even if she was out, it wasn't like she ran into new dating prospects regularly.

  Kate couldn't help but wonder what Joy was doing driving up this particular stretch of the mountain pass. She figured she was probably headed to the all-inclusive resort about twenty miles further up the road. Anyone who could afford to drive a car like the one Joy was in must have been pretty comfortable financially. That thought brought the subject Kate had been trying to avoid to the forefront of her mind. Money.

  Kate sighed as she looked out the back window of Steve's truck at Betsy's front end dangling from the tow bar. While her thoughts of Joy had been pleasant she knew they were probably happening because she was desperate for something to focus on other than her current financial situation. Besides, in spite of a certain undefined kind of energy she felt while talking to Joy, she didn't even know for sure that the woman was gay. Oh well, Kate thought as she mentally shrugged her shoulders. It was a nice distraction for the moment. Now back to her reality -- a dead transmission and an empty bed.

  After stopping at the Glenmore Assisted Living Center where she worked to unload the food she'd bought at the farmer's market, Steve drove Kate to Hersh Falls High School to meet her daughter after softball practice.

  "Thanks for the lift, Steve," Kate said as she jumped down out of the cab of the tow truck. "I'll give you a call in a day or two and let you know what I've decided to do about the transmission."

  "Sure thing, Kate. Just remember a transmission isn't gonna solve all of this baby's problems. It might be time for your dad to think about something new."

  Kate gave Steve an understanding nod as she looked back at Betsy. She knew he was right, but it was still hard for her to think about letting go of the truck. She looked up at Steve. He was an honest mechanic and she knew if he said it was time for a new truck it was but she couldn't bear to explain the reasons for her hesitation to him.

  "Give me a few days, Steve. In the meantime, I guess you can price a used replacement."

  Steve smiled like he'd won a well-fought battle. "Will do, Kate. You won't regret it. Sometimes you just have to let the old things go in order to let new things come into your life."

  Kate chuckled to herself. Since when had Steve become such a philosopher? But maybe he had a point. Maybe it was time to let somethings go and open herself to the possibility of something new. The thought alone made Kate excited and nervous all at the same time.

  The crack of a ball colliding with a bat drew her attention away from Betsy and out to the softball field. Even from this distance, it was easy for Kate to spot her daughter Dana among her peers. At fourteen she was already 5' 8" and if her body continued to imitate her father's side of the family she'd stretch several more inches before her growth spurt stopped.

  Kate watched her daughter's lanky frame as she wound up for another pitch. She had the grace of a natural athlete. Dana held the bright yellow softball in front of her chest and then windmilled her right arm around counter-clockwise before stopping the motion abruptly at three o'clock and sending the ball hurling toward the player on home plate. The batter leaned into the pitch but the ball whizzed by her.

  "Strike!" the umpire yelled.

  From the dugout, Coach Thompson blew a whistle signaling the players to come in from the outfield. Kate watched as the group of teens -- most of them a few years older than Dana -- knelt in a semi-circle around the coach's feet.

  It made Kate smile to see her daughter happily take a knee with the other players. At first, she'd been worried about Dana participating in the summer softball league with so many older girls. Most of them were already in high school and Dana was just a rising freshman. But Coach Thompson had insisted that Dana was ready for the challenge and Kate trusted the coach's opinion. After all, Coach Thompson played softball in college and almost made the Olympic softball team back when the sport was still a part of the Summer Games. If anyone knew talent, Coach Thompson certainly did.

  "Hi, Mom!" Dana yelled several minutes later as her long legs carried her from the locker room toward Kate.

  "Hey Lovebug," Kate said brushing the long bangs out of her daughter's eyes. In spite of her height, she still had the innocent features of Kate's baby girl.

  "What's wrong with the truck?" Dana asked looking down the road in the direction Steve had gone with Betsy in tow.

  Kate had been hoping that Dana hadn't noticed the tow truck but no such luck. "Oh, Betsy broke down on the way home. Looks like it might be time to get something new."

  "Ooo! Can we get a Lexis SUV?"

  Kate laughed at Dana's enthusiasm and was grateful that her child's memories -- unlike her own -- didn't cause any pain at the thought of replacing the vehicle.

  "No, I don't think we can afford anything Lexus," Kate said with a laugh. "Plus, there's no way your grandfather is gonna haul his landscaping tools around in anything but a pickup truck."

  "Yeah," Dana said somberly acknowledging the need for a more practical vehicle for the family business. "Well, can we at least get something without so many dents in it?"

  Kate smiled and tussled her daughter's already messy hair. "Okay, Sweetheart. You've got a deal. No dents."

  ***

  Even though Kate loved to cook, after the day's roadside adventure she wasn't really up to fixing a big family meal. Fortunately, Dana was satisfied with a peanutbutter and jelly sandwich and Kate's dad -- who was still in his workshop -- said he was okay with eating what was left of the tuna salad Kate made him for lunch.