White Christmas (4 page)

Nell sat back and nodded, a bright twinkle in her eyes. “Yes, yes she is. Just like her grandma when she was her age.”

“Sweet Grandma Sophie? I don’t believe it.”

“That’s because you’re young and foolish. What you still need to learn would fill a lake.”

“And that,” he said, “is why you won’t be passing on. The Lord knows you’ve got too much work to do in me.”

“What nonsense!” she said, pushing his hands away. But her eyes were bright and laughter lay in her tone. Chad was glad he’d been able to turn her mood around.

“Well,” she said, “now the pity session is over, I’d better get over to Sophie and Jim’s so I can cheer them up.”

“Just how are you going to do that?”

She waved her hand. “All I have to do is keep them busy for another hour or so.”

“Why only an hour?” He hesitated. “Wait a minute, there’s another Twelve Days of Christmas celebration, isn’t there? What’s going on today?”

“The historic home tours, and the apron display. We dress in pioneer clothing and host tours of the museum houses downtown. In addition, many of the homeowners dress in the period and even decorate for Christmas. They open up their historic homes for tours and that’s always a pleasure to see. Paper chains and silver stars made from tin. Candles on the trees and under them, toys just like when I was a girl. Wooden yo-yos and spinning tops. It makes me feel young again.” She laughed and Chad couldn’t help joining in.

“What exactly is the apron display?” he asked.

“Antique aprons, all of them hand-made and some of them family heirlooms. We pull them out and put them on display in the old school house. Sophie has an apron that belonged to her great-great grandmother brought out west by her daughter, Sophie’s great-grandmother. Can you imagine? In our family, we’ve been lucky to hang on to a picture or two. At any rate, Sophie and Jim are in charge of the volunteers, so they’ll be hoppin’ and jumpin’ in about an hour. I’ll just have to keep them busy until then.”

She moved to the coat rack near the door. Chad thought of Sophie’s aprons and Tessa’s smiling face jumped into his mind. He followed Nell to the door.

“Maybe I should come along,” he said as Nell wrapped her scarf around her neck. “Sounds like you could use some help.”

“We’ll manage just fine. You stay home and relax. That is what you came here for, remember?”

She opened the door and a blast of cool air tumbled in. “Oh my,” she said, hefting the cardboard box with supplies into her arms.

“At least let me carry that to the car.”

“Don’t be silly. It’s lighter than my handbag and besides, you’re in your stocking feet. How would I feel if you caught pneumonia while you were in my house?”

She stepped onto the porch and looked at the cloudy horizon. “If this keeps up, we just might have a white Christmas. Oh, before I forget, we only have an hour between the set-up and when the tours start. It’ll be the only chance I’ll have to eat, so I’ll treat you to dinner at Jesse’s Diner downtown.”

“That sounds good,” Chad said, half-heartedly.

“I’ll give you a call when we break.”

Chad nodded and watched her through the lead glass panel of the doors as she slid the box into the trunk of her car and hopped in. After she’d pulled away from the curb, Chad turned back to the empty house.

Beside him, the grandfather clock ticked a minute away. He just stood there, looking around Nell’s home. It was a small Craftsman bungalow built in the late thirties. She’d lived there for fifty years. Over time, she’d upgraded the appliances and added improvements like the large pot-bellied stove in one corner. A fire burned inside it, sending heat across the room. The crackle of the wood added to the tick of the clock.

Everything was as neat as a pin, cozy and welcoming, but right now, it seemed incredibly empty without Nell’s vibrant presence. Or was it the image of Tessa’s lovely, smiling face that kept popping into his mind that made the day ahead of him seem long and lonely?

Tessa had been bright, vivacious and challenging. She’d made last evening pass with amazing speed and he found himself looking forward to their next encounter. Of course, he could only afford to look forward to it because Tessa was safe. Neither of them had any expectations for a future. That made spending time with her easy.

The clock next to him chimed the half hour, shaking him from his thoughts. With coffee mug in hand he sat on the small couch. Beside the television sat a stack of Nell’s Christmas DVDs.
The Bishop’s Wife
with Cary Grant, Loretta Young and David Niven was on top. It was one of Nell’s favorites, and Chad hadn’t seen the movie in years so he opened the case, popped the DVD in and settled down.

The black and white movie with its old-fashioned sets reminded him of Nell’s comments about the historic downtown homes. It made him anxious to see the houses and all the work the owners had done.

As the credits rolled down the screen, he stretched and wondered how long he had to wait before he could get going. Then he laughed out loud.

Not very good at resting and relaxing. He resigned himself to that fact, pulled out the phone book and looked up the number for the town manager’s office. He was pleased to find out an appointment time was available later in the afternoon. Whistling, he headed for the shower.

****

Tessa carefully screwed the top half of the antique mannequin into place before she smoothed and fluffed the apron resting on it. The full-length apron covered the dress from neck to hem. It was made out of sturdy cotton material, but had been edged with lace. The lace and its pristine condition showed that the apron had been used only for special occasions. She carefully tacked the hand-written card with the apron’s history to the cloth cover of the mannequin, and then glanced across the room to her grandmother.

She was pleased to see her laughing at something Nell had said. A sigh of relief slipped from Tessa.

Last night had been difficult for her grandparents. The meeting had not gone as any of them had planned. No one, not one of her brothers and sisters, or cousins, could take over the ranch. It had nearly broken her grandfather’s heart.

He’d thanked them all for considering it, and for the suggestions they’d offered, then he and her grandmother had excused themselves and gone upstairs to bed. It was their quiet acceptance that had torn Tessa apart. And later that night, long after everyone else had fallen asleep, Tessa heard her grandmother crying in the room next door.

Breakfast had been a somber, sad affair. Then Nell showed up. With her brisk, wry humor, she soon had her grandmother laughing. Grandpa Jim perked up when they finally reached the school house and started to work. Tessa had never been more thankful for the little town of White as she watched her grandparents’ friends rally around them.

She lifted the mannequin into its place and looked around. The storage containers had already been moved out and Jessica swept the floor, tidying up.

“Well, everyone, I think we’re ready,” Grandma Sophie said. “If I say so myself, we’ve outdone ourselves this year.” People stopped and looked around.

Tessa’s eleven-year-old niece clapped her hands. “It’s even prettier than last year.”

“Yes, Rachel, I believe it is,” Grandma said. People laughed and Grandpa Jim put his arm around Grandma’s shoulder and gave her a hug.

She leaned into him and he dropped a kiss on her forehead.

Tessa smiled.

Helping others made Grandma feel better. She was a true worker bee…happiest when she worked for others. And when Grandma was happy, Grandpa was happy, too.

Tessa looked away as tears dampened her eyes. She wondered if she’d ever find that kind of love, the kind that lasted a lifetime and carried one through thick and thin.

Chad Fletcher’s handsome, smiling face popped into her mind. She deliberately pushed the image out. The last thing she needed was to start daydreaming in that direction! Even if he had stolen a little piece of her heart with his sad comment about his family.

Just because he’d revealed to her that he had a less-than perfect childhood didn’t mean she meant anything more to him. It was Christmas, after all. Goodwill and peace on earth. Everyone was just a little friendlier and open this time of year…especially when they were here in White, where good people reigned.

“OK, everyone, let’s head over to Jesse’s Diner. He’s got that back room of his set up and waiting for us,” Grandma called over the heads of the volunteers.

Rachel and Jessica waited for her by the door as she slid into her lavender ski jacket and wrapped a scarf around her neck. The temperature had dropped as dusk approached and even though the diner was just down the street, Tessa slipped on her gloves.

The smell of hot apple pie and fresh bread filled the diner as the three of them entered. They were the last of the group to arrive. They headed past the full tables and chatting customers to the back room. They took the open seats at the end of a long table covered with a red gingham cloth.

Chili was on the menu and Tessa knew from experience that Jesse’s chili with chunks of beef shouldn’t be missed. She gave the waitress her order and settled in to listen to the talk around the table.

The volunteers chatted about the upcoming tours and their own costumes, many of which were handmade. Nell described the old pattern for a mourning dress she’d found and how she and Grandma Nell had searched and searched for a material that matched the example in the pattern. Just as she finished, Nell looked up and waved.

Without turning around, Tessa knew Chad Fletcher stood in the door.

“I’m sorry, Chad,” Nell said. “I forgot to leave a place for you beside me. But that’s OK, it’s a tight fit back here in the corner. You wouldn’t be very comfortable and there’s an empty seat right there by Tessa. I’ll just tell the waitress your dinner is on my tab.”

She didn’t even look at Tessa as she said it and because of that, Tessa knew she’d “forgotten” a seat on purpose. Tessa took a slow breath, but kept her mouth shut.

“I think I can afford to pay for my own dinner, Aunt Nell,” Chad said as he pulled out a seat and sat down.

Tessa could tell from the sound of his voice, he knew what Nell had done. Shaking her head slightly, she glanced up at him.

“Sorry,” he murmured under his breath. And those dark blue eyes hit her right in the heart again.

It was all she could do to gather her wits and speak. “It’s all right. Your aunt Nell is…well…she’s Aunt Nell. I don’t think she’s going to change to suit us.”

Chad laughed. “No, I guess she won’t. Actually, I’m glad we’re sitting together. I just had a very lively meeting with the town manager. I think you might find what he had to say as interesting as I did.”

The waitress took his order and then Chad told Tessa how the manager was concerned with unrestricted growth. He wanted citizens and the town to benefit, not just outside developers.

Tessa nodded, warming to the topic. “And outside developers are benefitting. They’re gobbling up land tracts across the state at alarming rates.”

“You sound like that’s a bad thing. Investing in economic downturns is how companies are built. We could be seeing our next millionaires forming their fortunes right in front of us.”

“I just don’t want them forming their fortunes on the misfortunes of others. Some of those companies are getting the land because people are desperate and will take anything.”

Chad nodded slowly. “You’re not thinking like one of Watchinski’s Watchdogs. This is personal,” he said, his voice low. “Nell told me about your grandparents’ ranch, Tessa. I’m really sorry.”

She ducked her head. “I guess you can understand where I’m coming from. They’ve worked too hard and it means too much−to all of us.”

“That’s perfectly understandable.”

The tone of his voice, the seriousness in his dark blue eyes made her feel as if he really did understand.

“I can’t imagine how your grandfather must feel right now. How is he doing?”

Tessa glanced to the corner where her grandparents were seated. Grandpa Jim had his arm around Grandma and they were both leaning forward, listening to something Nell said. Grandma Sophie answered and Grandpa smiled, a soft gentle smile, just for his wife.

Tessa had almost said ‘see for yourself’, but she caught herself. The look was too tender, too loving. Somehow, she didn’t want to call Chad’s attention to it.

Too late. He saw the look and turned back to Tessa, his gaze almost as tender and gentle as Grandpa Jim’s.

“For a man who’s lost his life’s work, he seems OK.”

“He is, as long as he’s got Grandma by his side.”

“I envy him.” His words, the tone of his voice reminded Tessa that his engagement had just ended. She didn’t want to bring up difficult memories and she knew she intruded where she didn’t belong, but she just couldn’t let his words slide.

“Don’t envy him. There’ll be someone else for you, somewhere down the road.”

“I’m not so sure,” he said. “Not with my lifestyle. If there’s anything I learned from my recent debacle, it’s how hard it is to have a healthy relationship when you live in the public eye.”

“But many politicians are married with families.”

A wry smile slipped over his features. “I said a healthy relationship, Tessa, healthy.”

“Certainly, it’s difficult, but not impossible.”

He nodded. “You’re right. Not impossible. Let’s just say my family track record doesn’t give me the edge to be one of the successful ones.”

The waitress came at that moment, preventing her from saying more, but Tessa knew this couldn’t be the end of it. She just couldn’t let Chad go on feeling so hopeless about his romantic future. She just couldn’t.

4

“I toured the organic farms north of here last time I visited and I think that’s a great opportunity for this region. I was really impressed with their operations,” Chad said, taking a last sip of his hot coffee while the waitress removed his chili bowl.

Tessa nodded. “So far they seem to be above board, but I don’t know how they’re going to survive if those water rights issues don’t get resolved.”