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“Hey, buddy. You’re up early.”
“Are we going to see that man again, the one that was here yesterday?” I’ve never introduced Josh to Luke because there wasn’t a reason to. Now, I guess we’re going all the way.
“Why don’t you go put on your Christmas sweater? The red one with the reindeer on the front. Oh, and your black pants. Okay?”
He nods and jumps in place. The kid has the energy of a Christmas elf most days. “Sure, Mom! Where are we going?”
“Oh… we’re going to a Christmas party my boss invited us to.” There’s no way in hell I’m telling him what I’m doing this weekend. Hopefully there are some kids at this party he can run off and play with in order to avoid this whole mess. Then again, I’m probably hoping for too much.
I swallow hard, and head toward my closet with very little hope that today is going to go as planned. First things first, I have nothing to wear. Sure, I have a few office dresses, but he’s seen me in those, and they’re not really holiday attire. Second, the dresses I have that might work, I haven’t put on in ages. They’re some of those‘keep it in case you ever decide you want to be uncomfortable for the night’kind of dresses. I guess that day never came… until now.
I slide the red fabric up and over my hips, praying with every tug that it slides into place. Somehow, it does. Though, I’m not sure how flattering it is. The fabric bunches and gathers in all the wrong places and I’m not sure the zipper is even going to close.
“Mom, you look great!” Josh steps into the room, still holding his truck. He’s a sweet boy who would tell me a paper bag looked great, but I take the compliment anyway.
“Thanks, bud! So do you! You mind zipping me up?”
I sit on the edge of the bed and Josh pulls the zipper up on my dress, making grunting noises as he struggles to pull it past a particularly difficult lump. The honesty of children is so…sweet.
When the zipper is in place, he swings around me like a monkey, landing in my lap. “I can’t wait until Christmas! Do you know what I’m going to do Christmas morning?”
My heart stills. “What’s that?”
“I’m going to make you a big breakfast! Sausage and pancakes and eggs and I’ll put sprinkles on everything because you love sprinkles, right?”
“Right.” I nod and kiss his forehead.How did I give birth to the sweetest, kindest, most handsome boy alive?
“Where’s the party?” He giggles and throws himself on the floor, bouncing as he makes monkey sounds.
I draw in a heavy breath thinking over my answer carefully. “I don’t know. The man that was here last night is going to show us.”
“The guy with the beard and the mean face?”
I should take this as the sign I need to cut this entire charade out, but he’s already been thinking about Christmas morning. I can’t disappoint him. An entire day, just he and I unwrapping gifts, playing with toys, and eating junk. That’s all I want for Christmas.
A heavy knock hits the front door and Josh jumps from the bed, wrinkling his sweater. “I’ll get it!”
I’m not expecting anyone this early and my first thought goes to Randy who I’m not convinced is completely gone. As scary as Luke is, Randy can be a relentless bastard, and relentless bastards aren’t usually smart enough to know when to stop.
“Wait, Joshy. Let me get that. You run and brush your teeth. We need to leave in a few minutes.”
Thankfully, he doesn’t put up a fight, though it’s probably the elf we keep sitting on the shelf. I swear when that thing is around, I could get him to do just about anything. Last night he cleaned his room unprompted, then asked if he thought the elf would be proud of him.
There should be year-round elves. Last night before bed, he was giving me a hard time until he remembered the elf up on the shelf. Then suddenly, he couldn’t get into bed fast enough. Who needs a man when you have Jingles watching over you?
My heart hammers against my chest as I make it toward the front door, peeking out the side window before deciding if I’ll open it. Again, I think about how well Luke handled things yesterday. He didn’t hesitate at all. He just took care of Josh and I. Part of me wishes he were here right now,
I peel back the curtain and see Luke standing on the front porch. Looks like I’m getting my wish, though I don’t understand the outfit he’s wearing. I glance down at my phone. It’s only eight thirty, and he’s wearing the same clothes he was wearing last night. The man is usually crisp and dressed to the nines. It’s not like him to be looking this way, especially when he’s going to a family function where his daughter will be.
I open the door, the icy rush of air hitting me before I open my mouth. “Everything okay? I thought I was meeting you at the bakery?”
“Change of plans. You mind if I use your shower?”
My brows narrow.“My shower?”
He lifts a duffle bag. “My hot water heater broke last night, and I figured you wouldn’t mind if I freshen up here.”
The thought of letting Luke anywhere near my bathroom is embarrassing. He comes from the rich side of the mountain where the ranches smell forever evergreen, and the water has actual pressure. Here, the shower is more of a trickle and there’s a slight scent of mold that never seems to dissipate no matter how much I scrub.
