Wrapped Up in Christmas Joy

by Janice Lynn

  “Meow.”

  Oh, no. Guilt hit Sophie, and she stopped walking and looked around for the yellow cat. Her belly wasn’t the only thing she hadn’t fed that evening. No doubt the poor thing wondered why she hadn’t given him dinner yet.

  But where was he?

  “Meow.”

  This time, she realized the sound came from overhead. Sophie searched the branches of the old oak trees that lined the street, illuminated by the streetlights.

  “Meow.”

  “There you are.”

  Way up in the branches, the half-grown cat paced back and forth, looking distressed.

  He was stuck in the tree. She’d heard of that happening, but had never expected to experience it in real life. Eek. No way could she leave him up there.

  Looking at the limbs, Sophie calculated whether she’d be able to climb up to get to the cat. He appeared to be about fifteen feet up, maybe a little higher. There weren’t any really low branches on that tree, but the tree next to it had several large, low ones—and then higher branches that reached over into the other tree’s space. If she climbed up the one, then crossed over, she thought she could then make it up to where the cat was.

  The cat meowed for help. “I’m coming, baby,” she promised, dropping her bag to the ground and preparing to climb.

  He’d stopped pacing and was now watching her as she reached for the first branch. It was a struggle, but she got a hold of it and pulled herself up, snagging her sweater in the process. Ugh. She really liked this sweater, too. Maybe she’d be able to repair it.

  “You know, after this, you have no choice but to like me.” Once securely on the branch, she carefully stood, then began climbing. Slowly, but surely, she made her way over to where she could transfer over to the other tree.

  “I’m almost there,” she assured the cat before glancing down. She immediately regretted doing so as a wave of vertigo hit her. The branches hadn’t looked nearly so high when she’d been standing on the street. Fixing her gaze forward, she tentatively made her way through the limbs to the one where the cat perched.

  “I’m here,” she told him, realizing he’d have to come to her. His branch wasn’t big enough for her to climb out on. “Here, kitty, kitty.”

  The cat blinked, looking a little bored by Sophie’s predicament.

  “Um, you’re going to have to work with me. I mean, this isn’t even expecting you to meet me in the middle. I came ninety-nine percent of the way to you. All you have to do is cross, like, three feet to get to me and I’ll carry you down.”

  Although, she wasn’t quite sure how she’d manage that, especially if the cat was scared. Maybe she’d put the cat against her stomach and pull her hem up, wrapping him in her sweater to keep him safe until they were out of the tree.

  She wouldn’t think about just how high up she was or who was going to keep her safe.

  “Here, kitty, kitty. Come to me so we can get out of this tree, preferably with a nice, slow descent.”

  He meowed but didn’t budge from where he rested on the branch, watching her. Sophie continued to coax the cat to come to her, but to no avail.

  “I can’t stay in this tree all night,” she told the cat, shivering. “For one thing, I’m not wearing a fancy fur coat like you.” Just a medium-weight sweater jacket meant to keep her warm during her short walk home. “Plus, we’re both hungry.”

  Obviously, she was no cat whisperer because the cat had the audacity to yawn.

  “Don’t you realize I’m here to rescue you?” After all, the cat had been meowing like crazy and pacing prior to Sophie climbing the tree. Now, he looked ready to take a nap. Go figure.

  Sophie shivered again. Keeping one hand securely wrapped around a nearby branch, she rubbed her free palm up and down her raised arm. Numbness was beginning to set in beneath the sleeve of her jacket, either from the cold or having her arm extended for so long. How long had she been up there? Maybe she should go back down and call someone to come help the cat. Maybe that’s what she should have done to begin with, she thought as she glanced down and tried to visually retrace the path she’d taken up the tree.

  Dizziness hit, hard and fast and fierce.

  She squeezed her eyes shut. How had she gotten so high? Had the cat been climbing higher as she’d made her way up? That was the only possible explanation, because the ground was clearly a lot further away than it should be.

  She swallowed and told herself to calm down. She’d made it up the tree and she would make it back to the ground. Then she’d call someone to come help the cat. No big deal.

  Only when she went to let go of the branch, she discovered that she had a death grip on it and couldn’t seem to let go. Her brain ordered her fingers to release, but they weren’t budging.

  Panic began to set in. She couldn’t stay in the tree all night. It wasn’t so cold that she’d freeze, but she’d likely end up sick from exposure. Already she was sniffling and needed a tissue.

  She needed help. From someone with a ladder.

  Which ruled out her mother and sister, both of whom were probably asleep anyway. Besides, what could they do? Her mother couldn’t climb the tree, and, even if Isabelle could, it wasn’t as if she could toss Sophie over her shoulders and carry her down.

  Who had a ladder, a very tall ladder, who she could call at close to midnight?

  The fire department had tall ladders.

  Um, no. She couldn’t call the fire department. What if Cole was there? Even if he wasn’t, he’d hear about her being stuck in a tree. She’d rather him not know the dilemma she’d gotten herself into.

  Sarah’s fiancé, Bodie, probably had a ladder for his handyman work…but a regular ladder wouldn’t be tall enough to get her down from the tree. No normal person would have a ladder high enough to reach her.

  The wind rustled through the dried-out leaves that had refused to fall from the tree, making an eerie sound that that sent shivers down Sophie’s spine. Or maybe that was from the cold air cutting through her clothes.

  “Look what you’ve gotten us into,” she told the cat. Glancing toward him, she sighed. “Okay, so maybe it wasn’t your fault I thought I could rescue you, but you aren’t exactly a bundle of help, either, are you?”

  He watched her through half-closed eyes as if he didn’t have a care in the world. Didn’t he realize that his rescuer needed rescuing? Glancing down one last time in hopes of finding a magical pathway to the ground that didn’t involve gravity and broken bones, Sophie fought back tears.

  She had to call the fire department. There was no other option. Cole might not want to be her friend or to see her, but desperate times called for desperate measures.

  With one hand clasping the lifeline branch, she dug into her back pocket, grateful her phone wasn’t in the bag she’d left on the ground. Unwilling to let go of the branch to push buttons, she voice-commanded her phone to dial the fire department and thanked God for modern technology.

  Relief filled her as someone picked up the direct line, but her nerves only increased when she recognized the voice.

  “Hi, um, Cole?” Lord, help her get through this and live to laugh about it someday. “This is Sophie and uh, well…you wouldn’t happen to have your sleigh and flying reindeer handy, would you?”

  Cole was shocked to hear Sophie’s voice. Was she calling close to midnight to tell him she’d finished altering his Santa suit?

  “Nah, the flying reindeer magic only works one night a year.”

  “Too bad. I sure could use it about now.”

  Why did she sound frightened? And had she just sniffled?

  Was she crying?

  His stomach knotted into a tight wad. “Is everything okay?”

  “No.” That was definitely a sob. “I—I’m stuck in a tree.”

  “What?” Cole dropped the puzzle book he’d been working on
. It had been a slow night, and most of the crew were asleep. Andrew and Ben were in the middle of a video game, locked in an epic battle to save the world from an alien life form, so Cole had picked up the cordless phone when it rang. It was rare that the direct line went off during the night, so he’d been expecting a wrong number or a family member of one of the crew who couldn’t get through on their private cell.

  “I, um, you know the cat we saw the other day? Well, I saw him on my walk home, stuck up in this tree. I live right off Main Street, and anyway, just after I rounded the corner, I heard him meowing up in one of those big oaks and I thought I’d rescue him.” She was talking fast, pausing only to sniffle before continuing. “But now, well, I’m stuck, too. Every time I try to climb back down, I get woozy and just—”

  An image of Sophie trying to climb down from high up in a tree and falling flashed through Cole’s head. As a firefighter, he’d worked all kinds of accidents, seen some horrible things that shouldn’t have happened. This couldn’t be one of those things. It…just couldn’t.

  “Sophie.” Her name rolled off his tongue harshly, brokering no argument. “Listen to me—don’t move, okay?”

  Cole tapped Andrew’s shoulder, motioning for him to come with him. The world would have to be saved from alien invaders on a different night.

  “No worries there.” She countered. “I can’t pry my fingers loose from the branch I’m clinging to. If I survive this, I may have permanent tree bark impressions from this day forward. What if I can never sew again?”

  If she survived this? Was she in peril of falling? And who cared if she could never sew again? If she was hanging from a tree limb, she had bigger concerns than whether she’d be sewing once she was safely on the ground again.

  Cole had dealt with emergency situations more times than he could count over the years, both during his military career and with the fire department. Not once could he recall having felt the stomach plunge he’d gotten from Sophie’s words.

  “You’re hanging from a tree branch? How high off the ground are you?” How had she called him?

  “I’m standing on a branch, hanging onto another branch for support,” she clarified, sending a wave of relief through him. The situation still wasn’t good, but at least she wasn’t dangling precariously from a limb. “Just please come help me, Cole. I know you don’t like me, but I’m cold and scared and…Cole, please don’t hang up.” This was said in a tone of pure despair.

  Cole did like her. That was the problem. He shouldn’t like her, didn’t want to like her. But he liked her anyway.

  “I’ll stay on the phone with you, Sophie.” He wouldn’t have hung up regardless, unless he thought being on the phone put her in further danger. “But I need to change to my cellphone so I can head your way.”

  “Hurry, okay?”

  “I’m on my way.” He disconnected the land line and then punched the number she’d given him into his cell phone. Relief filled him when she immediately answered. “Come on,” he told the guys, pointing to the ladder truck. “We’ve got a cat stuck in a tree.”

  “You’re all worked up over a cat in a tree?” Andrew gave him a surprised look. “That’s why Sophie called? For us to rescue a cat?”

  His friends must have been listening in on his side of the phone conversation.

  “More like we’ve got to rescue the person trying to rescue the cat. Sophie’s stuck in the tree, too.”

  “Did you have to tell them that?” she said as all three men got into the ladder truck.

  “The more the merrier,” Cole quipped, hoping to keep her distracted from her fear. He’d never forgive himself if something happened.

  “You’ll be surprised to hear this, I’m sure, but I’d rather no one know about this.”

  “Too late for that. Ben’s already called the Pine Hill Herald. They may beat us there, cameras in hand for a live feed. No doubt you and your furry climbing friend are going to be social media stars by morning.”

  “The man’s got jokes,” Andrew snorted as he drove the ladder truck out from the firehall. “Sirens?”

  Cole shook his head. Part of him wanted the sirens on so his friend could drive as fast as possible to the corner of Main Street, but they weren’t that far away, and for safety reasons, they wouldn’t go much faster through the town streets even if the sirens were blaring. Besides, there wasn’t really any traffic to have to worry about at this hour. The sirens would only wake everyone who lived on that side of town and draw a crowd.

  How high up was she in the tree? With the way she’d talked about feeding the cat, he was pretty sure she’d have climbed to the top of a redwood had it meant saving the furry critter. Good thing there were no redwoods in Pine Hill; just some decently tall oak trees right off Main Street.

  Sophie sniffled again and Cole’s ribcage crushed in on his lungs. What had she been thinking to climb a tree after a cat who wasn’t even hers? Her impulsiveness was going to get her into trouble one day.

  Today. Her impulsiveness had gotten her into trouble today.

  “You’re going to be okay, Sophie. Just stay put, and I’ll get you out of the tree.”

  God, please let her be okay.

  Not that God had heard any of his prayers in years.

  Not true, his conscience reminded. You’re here, aren’t you? Alive and healthy and making a decent, peaceful life for yourself? You’ve got a home, friends, a job you love.

  Sophie.

  No, he didn’t have Sophie.

  “I’m here and I’m not going anywhere,” Sophie assured, her voice sounding small and jittery. “You’re bringing a ladder, right? You’re going to need a really big ladder, Cole. The longest ladder the fire department has.”

  “How high up are you, Sophie?”

  “I don’t know.” Her teeth chattered. “It didn’t look like much from the ground, but now that I’m up here, I feel like I’m in the nosebleed section…I see the firetruck!”

  “Slow down,” he told Andrew, his gaze skimming the shadowy, lamplit trees. The Christmas lights that already had been put up all over town helped in finding her right away. She stood on one branch while clinging to another nearby smaller one. “There. Pull over.”

  Andrew pulled the truck to the edge of the street just in front of the tree where Sophie was. Not waiting for his friends, Cole was out in a flash.

  “I see you. Oh, Cole, I’m so glad I see you.” Her voice sounded choked, and he couldn’t quite tell if she was crying or laughing. “You really came.”

  “Did you not believe me when I said I was on my way?” He stared up the tree at where she appeared precariously perched.

  “I believed you. You’re too honorable to have left me stranded. It just felt like forever before you got here.”

  Honorable? She knew better, but he wasn’t going to argue with her.

  He knew what she meant about feeling as if the drive had taken forever. The past five minutes might have been the longest of his life, and that was saying something.

  “Where’s your phone?” he asked, realizing both her hands were wrapped around a branch. How had she even gotten up that high? There were no low branches on the tree. Assessing the situation, he noted a large limb snaked over from a neighboring tree. She must have gone up that way.

  “On speaker inside my sweater pocket so I could hang on with both hands.”

  “Smart thinking.”

  “Desperate thinking,” she corrected. “Hurry up and get me out of this tree, please.”

  “The things chicks will do to get your attention,” Ben mused coming to stand next to him as they studied the branch configuration to gauge how close they’d be able to get the bucket to Sophie.

  “Tell Ben I heard that, and that when I get down, I’ll pray really hard to forgive him for making fun of me when I’m half-terrified.”

  Ben chuckled, put
his hands on his hips and continued to stare up the tree. “Sorry, Sophie. We’ll get you down in a jiffy.”

  “Sophie, I’m hanging up now since you can holler down at me if you need to. Ben’s right, we’ll have you down in a couple of minutes.”

  Only, rescuing Sophie took longer than Cole would have liked.

  Andrew put the truck in the best position for getting the ladder to her, but a lot of small branches were in the way. While Ben shined a spotlight on the branches, Cole cut a few of the limbs away to move in as near as possible.

  Finally, he was close enough that he could reach her.

  But when he stretched to help put the security harness around her waist, she didn’t budge from where she grasped the tree branch.

  “Sophie? I need you to help me help you.”

  Chapter Seven

  Shivering, tired, so ready to be out of the tree, Sophie bit into her lower lip as her gaze dropped to the harness in Cole’s hand.

  He was right there, waiting to pull her onto the ladder with him. All she had to do was let go of the branch, put the harness on and let him assist her onto the ladder. Easy peasy.

  But she couldn’t let go.

  She felt as if she’d been clinging to the branch for hours. Maybe she had been. Her entire body ached with cold and stiffness. She wasn’t even sure if she felt her hands anymore, or if her brain just told her she still held onto the limb.

  “Sophie,” Cole’s voice was low but urgent. “You have to put the security strap on, then let me help you onto the ladder with me.”

  “I—I can’t,” she admitted, wishing it weren’t true. She wanted to be on that ladder with Cole. But no amount of wanting seemed to send the signal to her hands to let go.

  “I know you’re scared, Sophie, but you have to trust me.” His voice was calm, steady.

  “Rescue the cat first,” she suggested, stalling for time. How could she want down so badly and still be so afraid to take the help offered? Shouldn’t she be leaping into his waiting arms?

  “I’ve yet to see your cat.”