you.”
“Is that supposed to frighten me?”
Calvin laughed again, though this time it was more distant. “Nothing frightens you, my dear,” he said. “Have a happy Christmas. We’ll be together again … someday. You have a lot left to give to this world, though. I’ll be waiting.”
I knew he was gone before I opened my eyes. Why did he come? What was he trying to tell me? I closed my eyes again and searched my heart instead of my brain for a change. When I reopened my eyes, I knew what I had to do. Christmas wouldn’t be ruined after all. Now I just have to get all the pieces in place.
Ten
I found Terry at his house an hour before the start of the Christmas party as I had hoped. Convincing him to do what I was about to ask was going to be tricky.
“What are you doing here?” Terry asked, his eyebrows flying up his forehead when he caught sight of me on his front porch. “I … did something happen to one of the girls? Is Bay okay?”
The fact that he immediately worried about Bay made me realize Bay’s depression was taking a toll on everyone. “Bay is fine,” I said, rubbing the tender spot between my eyebrows as I regarded him. “Well, actually she’s not fine. She’ll be fine if you do what I want you to do, though.”
Terry stilled. “What do you have in mind?”
I smiled brightly and handed him the garment bag. He took it wordlessly, unzipped it to study what it contained, and immediately shook his head. “No way!”
“There’s a very sad little girl whose heart will be broken if you don’t do this,” I reminded him. “Do you want to be responsible for that?”
“That is an absolutely dirty way to play this game,” Terry warned. “You know darned well that’s not what I want.”
“It’s not what I want either,” I said. “You and I can fix Christmas for Bay … and Clove and Thistle, too. Although, to be fair, I think Clove and Thistle will be fine regardless. They have a much faster rebound rate than Bay.”
“I’ve noticed,” Terry said dryly. “I … I can’t do this. I don’t even know how to begin to do this.”
“Now you’re just being ridiculous,” I said. “Everyone who has ever watched a movie knows how to do what I’m asking you to do. Now, you can say no. You can crush the dreams of the children in this town. I’m betting you’re not willing to do that, though.”
“You are a horrible woman.”
“I’ll see you in the town square in an hour,” I said. “Oh, and I have a gift for you to give to Bay, Clove and Thistle when it’s their turn.” I pushed the box I’d set beside his door inside so he could take a gander at what I’d gotten them.
“Oh, you’re going to be in so much trouble when your nieces see this … .”
“Yeah, well, they’ll live,” I said. “Don’t be late, and don’t forget the gift.”
“Trust me. You don’t have to worry about me forgetting the gift.”
“That’s good,” I said, moving toward the door.
“What are you going to do while I’m doing this?”
I made a face. “Someone has to make it snow again. Sheesh.”
THE town practically glowed when I arrived at the party an hour later, the sound of squealing children and happy adults meeting my ears as I scanned the familiar faces for the ones I sought.
It didn’t take me long to find them. Clove and Thistle were having a good time, hot chocolate clutched in their hands as they hopped up and down and pointed at the Christmas tree that was about to be lighted. Bay stood behind them, her own cup of hot chocolate resting in her mitten-covered hand, staring glumly at the tree.
Marnie and Twila laughed as they stood close to their daughters, happy to let them enjoy the moment from a few feet away. Winnie was more detached, and while she tried to pretend to have a good time, I could tell Bay’s unhappiness weighed on her.
I headed in their direction, pulling up short when Poppy stepped in my path. Her second cold sore was even bigger than
“Is that supposed to frighten me?”
Calvin laughed again, though this time it was more distant. “Nothing frightens you, my dear,” he said. “Have a happy Christmas. We’ll be together again … someday. You have a lot left to give to this world, though. I’ll be waiting.”
I knew he was gone before I opened my eyes. Why did he come? What was he trying to tell me? I closed my eyes again and searched my heart instead of my brain for a change. When I reopened my eyes, I knew what I had to do. Christmas wouldn’t be ruined after all. Now I just have to get all the pieces in place.
Ten
I found Terry at his house an hour before the start of the Christmas party as I had hoped. Convincing him to do what I was about to ask was going to be tricky.
“What are you doing here?” Terry asked, his eyebrows flying up his forehead when he caught sight of me on his front porch. “I … did something happen to one of the girls? Is Bay okay?”
The fact that he immediately worried about Bay made me realize Bay’s depression was taking a toll on everyone. “Bay is fine,” I said, rubbing the tender spot between my eyebrows as I regarded him. “Well, actually she’s not fine. She’ll be fine if you do what I want you to do, though.”
Terry stilled. “What do you have in mind?”
I smiled brightly and handed him the garment bag. He took it wordlessly, unzipped it to study what it contained, and immediately shook his head. “No way!”
“There’s a very sad little girl whose heart will be broken if you don’t do this,” I reminded him. “Do you want to be responsible for that?”
“That is an absolutely dirty way to play this game,” Terry warned. “You know darned well that’s not what I want.”
“It’s not what I want either,” I said. “You and I can fix Christmas for Bay … and Clove and Thistle, too. Although, to be fair, I think Clove and Thistle will be fine regardless. They have a much faster rebound rate than Bay.”
“I’ve noticed,” Terry said dryly. “I … I can’t do this. I don’t even know how to begin to do this.”
“Now you’re just being ridiculous,” I said. “Everyone who has ever watched a movie knows how to do what I’m asking you to do. Now, you can say no. You can crush the dreams of the children in this town. I’m betting you’re not willing to do that, though.”
“You are a horrible woman.”
“I’ll see you in the town square in an hour,” I said. “Oh, and I have a gift for you to give to Bay, Clove and Thistle when it’s their turn.” I pushed the box I’d set beside his door inside so he could take a gander at what I’d gotten them.
“Oh, you’re going to be in so much trouble when your nieces see this … .”
“Yeah, well, they’ll live,” I said. “Don’t be late, and don’t forget the gift.”
“Trust me. You don’t have to worry about me forgetting the gift.”
“That’s good,” I said, moving toward the door.
“What are you going to do while I’m doing this?”
I made a face. “Someone has to make it snow again. Sheesh.”
THE town practically glowed when I arrived at the party an hour later, the sound of squealing children and happy adults meeting my ears as I scanned the familiar faces for the ones I sought.
It didn’t take me long to find them. Clove and Thistle were having a good time, hot chocolate clutched in their hands as they hopped up and down and pointed at the Christmas tree that was about to be lighted. Bay stood behind them, her own cup of hot chocolate resting in her mitten-covered hand, staring glumly at the tree.
Marnie and Twila laughed as they stood close to their daughters, happy to let them enjoy the moment from a few feet away. Winnie was more detached, and while she tried to pretend to have a good time, I could tell Bay’s unhappiness weighed on her.
I headed in their direction, pulling up short when Poppy stepped in my path. Her second cold sore was even bigger than
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