if she’d be sleeping long enough to conjure up any
of those.
PATRICK ARRIVED AT HIS mother’s cabin to find her sitting safely on the edge of her bed with Lilibeth.
“Oh, Patrick, there you are, dear. How was your evening?”
“It was fine, Mother. How about the two of you?”
“Caroline, Lilibeth, and I went to the salon and played a rousing game of Reindeer Bingo,” she said, beaming. “Look what I won.”
A large red basket wrapped in clear cellophane and tied with
curled ribbons filled most of the table angled into the corner on the other side of the bed. He walked over to inspect it more carefully.
“There are Christmas ornaments and beautiful little hand tow-
els,” she told him. “Oh, and some lovely chocolates I’m thinking of sampling.”
“Kathleen was the belle of the ball,” Lilibeth said with a smile.
“She had a line of gentlemen vying for the honor of pushing her
wheelchair.”
“I missed you though, dear,” she added. “Tell us. Did you enjoy
your time with Miss Snow?”
“Very much.”
“I’m so glad. She’s a lovely young woman.”
“Yes, she is.”
After an hour or so of hearing about all of the ins and outs of
Reindeer Bingo, Patrick left his mother in Lilibeth’s capable hands to help her get ready for bed. With the memory of that just-missed slice of cheesecake to spur him, he decided to pass his cabin door and head downstairs to see if anything similar could be had.
The enormous geared clock in the atrium read 10:14, and he’d
just begun to wonder if it might be too late for such things. However, a familiar steward directed him to one of the smaller salons where snacks and sweets could be found at just about any time of the day or night.
Merry Humbug Christmas.indd 97
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98
Merry
Humbug Christmas
A stunning, middle-aged African-American woman in a red
sequin dress with white fur trim stood at a microphone in front of the piano in the corner of the room, crooning a pretty fair imitation of Etta James. After lingering in the doorway for a moment, Patrick navigated the occupied tables and headed for the buffet. He poured a cup of decaf and gave himself a self-congratulatory smile when he spotted the cheesecake, and he placed a slice on a small plate, along with several gargantuan strawberries.
As he scanned the room for an ideal spot to enjoy the music, he
spotted Rodney and Marla Jenkins sitting alone at a small table. He made his way to the empty one beside them and sat down.
“Evening,” he said with a nod when Marla noticed him.
“Patrick. Join us?”
Her husband stiffened before courtesy got the better of him.
“Please do.”
“Don’t mind if I do.”
He scraped a chair toward them and sat down next to Rodney. “I
had a near-miss earlier tonight with dessert,” Patrick told him softly.
“I couldn’t sleep until we reconnected.”
Jenkins snickered and nodded. “We’re trying out one of the
cruise line’s sitters to see how the children do.”
“I don’t imagine you two get much alone time away from the
brood,” he said. “I don’t mind moving to another table if you’d like to make the most of your escape.”
“As long as you don’t tug on my coat or whine at me to get you
something, I think we’re ahead of the game here.”
Patrick took a swig of coffee and returned the cup to the table-
top before speaking. “Actually, I would like to tug on your coat sleeve for just a quick second.”
Jenkins kept his eyes on the singer as he responded. “I had a
feeling.”
“Joss is pretty torn up about your encounter earlier.”
He waited for a reply, but none came.
“She’s a pistol, that one,” he continued. “Talks a pretty tough
game.”
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99
“Does she?” It came as more of a statement than a question.
“You and I,” Patrick said, “we have the ties to make Christmas a
family affair. Joss doesn’t have that. So
of those.
PATRICK ARRIVED AT HIS mother’s cabin to find her sitting safely on the edge of her bed with Lilibeth.
“Oh, Patrick, there you are, dear. How was your evening?”
“It was fine, Mother. How about the two of you?”
“Caroline, Lilibeth, and I went to the salon and played a rousing game of Reindeer Bingo,” she said, beaming. “Look what I won.”
A large red basket wrapped in clear cellophane and tied with
curled ribbons filled most of the table angled into the corner on the other side of the bed. He walked over to inspect it more carefully.
“There are Christmas ornaments and beautiful little hand tow-
els,” she told him. “Oh, and some lovely chocolates I’m thinking of sampling.”
“Kathleen was the belle of the ball,” Lilibeth said with a smile.
“She had a line of gentlemen vying for the honor of pushing her
wheelchair.”
“I missed you though, dear,” she added. “Tell us. Did you enjoy
your time with Miss Snow?”
“Very much.”
“I’m so glad. She’s a lovely young woman.”
“Yes, she is.”
After an hour or so of hearing about all of the ins and outs of
Reindeer Bingo, Patrick left his mother in Lilibeth’s capable hands to help her get ready for bed. With the memory of that just-missed slice of cheesecake to spur him, he decided to pass his cabin door and head downstairs to see if anything similar could be had.
The enormous geared clock in the atrium read 10:14, and he’d
just begun to wonder if it might be too late for such things. However, a familiar steward directed him to one of the smaller salons where snacks and sweets could be found at just about any time of the day or night.
Merry Humbug Christmas.indd 97
7/23/13 1:07 PM
98
Merry
Humbug Christmas
A stunning, middle-aged African-American woman in a red
sequin dress with white fur trim stood at a microphone in front of the piano in the corner of the room, crooning a pretty fair imitation of Etta James. After lingering in the doorway for a moment, Patrick navigated the occupied tables and headed for the buffet. He poured a cup of decaf and gave himself a self-congratulatory smile when he spotted the cheesecake, and he placed a slice on a small plate, along with several gargantuan strawberries.
As he scanned the room for an ideal spot to enjoy the music, he
spotted Rodney and Marla Jenkins sitting alone at a small table. He made his way to the empty one beside them and sat down.
“Evening,” he said with a nod when Marla noticed him.
“Patrick. Join us?”
Her husband stiffened before courtesy got the better of him.
“Please do.”
“Don’t mind if I do.”
He scraped a chair toward them and sat down next to Rodney. “I
had a near-miss earlier tonight with dessert,” Patrick told him softly.
“I couldn’t sleep until we reconnected.”
Jenkins snickered and nodded. “We’re trying out one of the
cruise line’s sitters to see how the children do.”
“I don’t imagine you two get much alone time away from the
brood,” he said. “I don’t mind moving to another table if you’d like to make the most of your escape.”
“As long as you don’t tug on my coat or whine at me to get you
something, I think we’re ahead of the game here.”
Patrick took a swig of coffee and returned the cup to the table-
top before speaking. “Actually, I would like to tug on your coat sleeve for just a quick second.”
Jenkins kept his eyes on the singer as he responded. “I had a
feeling.”
“Joss is pretty torn up about your encounter earlier.”
He waited for a reply, but none came.
“She’s a pistol, that one,” he continued. “Talks a pretty tough
game.”
Merry Humbug Christmas.indd 98
7/23/13 1:07 PM
Once Upon a Jingle Bell
99
“Does she?” It came as more of a statement than a question.
“You and I,” Patrick said, “we have the ties to make Christmas a
family affair. Joss doesn’t have that. So
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