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The store was called Heartfelt Treasures, owned and operated by a local couple for the last fifty years. It was large and carried all kinds of merchandise, including some apparel. Mostly, they styled themselves as an upscale gift shop. Their slogan was “Rare Finds for Discerning Minds.” Just inside was a park bench with a life-sized Santa figure seated on it. Claudia dropped down beside it.
Harris said, “JoJo, I bet we can find something for Uncle Noah in here! Can I look?”
Josie touched the top of his blond head. The swirl of hair at his scalp still made her breath catch, even after all these years. His father had had the exact same whorl. “Sure,” she said. “But what’s the rule?”
“I have to stay in your line of sight.”
She nudged him away from her and he ran off, around the bench, past the Christmas items and toward the men’s section, careful to look back and make sure he could still make eye contact with Josie.
Claudia turned her body and watched him go. When she turned back, her expression was wistful, almost pained. “He’s very sweet. Very smart.”
“Yes,” Josie agreed. “He really is. Mrs. White, please let me do something for you.”
Claudia took off her other heel and handed it to Josie. “Can you make this one match the broken one?”
Josie stared at it for a moment, uncomprehending.
“Please,” Claudia said. “I’ve got to be able to walk back to my car. I can’t do it with one shoe four inches higher than the other.”
Josie would have rolled an ankle in four-inch heels. “This looks expensive.”
Claudia sighed but her easy smile was still in place. “It is, but the other one is already ruined. I’d do it myself but…” She looked around, as if searching for something she could use to break the heel off. Her gaze landed on Josie’s feet. “You’ve got boots on. Maybe…?”
Josie took the shoe from Claudia. Leaning down, she slid the heel under one of her boots.
Harris ran over, a tie in hand. “Look!” he exclaimed. “For Uncle Noah! He wears ties to work sometimes.”
Josie eyed his selection. “I think he would like that.”
With her other foot, she kicked twice, hard, and split the shoe from its heel. Harris’s eyes went cartoon-wide. In a low, shocked voice, he said, “JoJo, you broke Claudia’s shoe.”
Claudia took it from Josie and slid it onto her foot. Then she put on the other one.
“It’s okay, buddy. She gave me permission.” Josie took the tie from Harris. “This can be from you.”
Harris looked to Claudia, who stood up and took a few steps back and forth. Satisfied that she was fine with Josie breaking her shoe, he turned back to Josie. “I’ll go look for something from you!”
“Oh well, I don’t—” Josie started, but he was already off, weaving through the Christmas displays back to the men’s section.
Claudia said, “Shopping for your husband?”
“Yeah. He’s really tough to shop for.” She ran a finger across the tie.
“Many men are,” said Claudia. “What does he like?”
The answer came to her quickly and without thought. “Me.”
Claudia laughed. “That’s very good.”
Josie said, “I didn’t mean that to sound—well, he just—actually, he’s really obsessed with astronomy. I was thinking of getting him a telescope. Taking him up to Cherry Springs state park in the spring. You can see the Milky Way from there, from what I hear.”
“The telescope is great, but the experience is always a better way to go. Time with you under the stars?” She winked at Josie. “What gift could be better?”
Harris returned, a triumphant grin on his face. He held up a box of bandages in the shape of bacon strips. “This is the perfect gift!” he announced. “Uncle Noah loves bacon.”
ONE
JANUARY
