Gina Wilkins - Make-Believe Mistletoe

The afghan added the perfect touch to the charming little cradle. The women all admired it while the men continued to study the intricately detailed truck rig. And then Miss Annie reached into her bag again, pulling out a thick, warm gray knit cap. “Do you think Tyler would like this? I make them for my great-grandsons, and I always have a couple of extras around.”

“He would love it, if you're sure it's an extra.” Joan's voice was thick now, as if she were speaking around a lump in her throat.

Lucy had her own gifts to contribute to the cause. She had brought a shopping bag in from her car a little earlier and had set it in a corner behind the couch. She reached into it now, pulling out a handful of paperback children's books.

“I buy these on sale all year and take them to my cousins' children. I'm known as Aunt Lucy the book lady-I just love books. Please pick a couple you think Tyler and Tricia would like.”

“I've got a little something for them, too,” Bobby Ray said, looking thoughtful. “I'll give it to them in the morning.”

Joan's eyes were wet now, her voice even thicker. “You're all being so kind.”

After sharing a smile with Miss Annie, Lucy replied, “You're giving us a chance to enjoy Christmas through the eyes of children. That always makes the holiday more special.”

Joan wiped her eyes with her fingertips. “Thank you. All of you. This could have been a miserable Christmas Eve, stranded away from our families, but it has been lovely.”

“Well, I, for one, am ready to call it a day,” Miss Annie said, putting her knitting bag aside.

Bobby Ray moved immediately to assist her out of her chair and escort her to the master bedroom, with Pop tagging behind. A chorus of good-nights followed them.

“I think I'll turn in, too,” Joan said. “It's been a long day, and I'm sure the kids will be up early in the morning.”

Thanking them again, she headed for the guest room where her children were sleeping.

Lucy turned toward Banner, looking at him through her eyelashes, that kiss still haunting her memories. “So…” she began.

He turned away. “I need to let the dog out. C'mon, Hulk.”

The agreeable mutt pushed himself upright and strolled out of the room at Banner's heels.

Banner, Lucy decided, was obviously regretting the impulsive kiss. As for herself, she had thought it was pretty spectacular, considering its brevity.

She could only imagine how amazing it would be if he really put some time and effort into it.

“Lucy?” Bobby Ray's voice sounded panicky when he appeared in the living room doorway. “You'd better come quick. Something's wrong with Miss Annie.”

Lucy rushed toward Bobby Ray. “What do you mean? What's wrong with Miss Annie?”

“I was telling her good night and she just sort of collapsed. I caught her and helped her onto the bed, but it scared the stuffing out of me.”

Lucy followed him to the master bedroom, where Miss Annie lay against the pillows of the bed while her husband hovered close by. “Miss Annie? Are you okay? Pop, should we call an ambulance? Surely some sort of emergency vehicle can get to us here, even with all the ice on the roads.”

Miss Annie shook her head against the pillows. Her voice was weak, but determined. “That's not necessary, dear. I just had one of my spells.”

Not particularly reassured by the comment, Lucy looked at Pop. “She's done this before?”

He looked concerned, but there was no panic in his grave expression. “Every so often. She takes medication, but sometimes she gets dizzy, anyway. There's really no need to call an ambulance tonight.”

Stepping to the side of the bed, Lucy looked down at the older woman. “Is there anything I can get for you, Miss Annie?”

The older woman looked slightly embarrassed at having caused a fuss. “No, thank you. I'll be fine after a good night's sleep.”

Looking to Pop for confirmation, Lucy hesitated in indecision about what to do. He nodded to let her know everything would be all right. “We'll both be fine,” he said. “Just need some rest. It's been quite a day, hasn't it, Mother?”

“Good night, then,” Lucy said a bit uncertainly, still worried about leaving them alone.

Pop escorted her and Bobby Ray to the hallway. “Good night. See you both in the morning.”

He closed the door firmly in their faces.

“Well,” Bobby Ray said as he and Lucy walked back into the living room, “I guess Pop would be more worried if there was anything seriously wrong.”

“I'm sure you're right.” Lucy wished she felt more confident about that. Miss Annie had looked so frail and tired lying there against Banner's pillows.

Sensing Lucy's anxiety, Bobby Ray threw a meaty arm around her shoulders and gave her a bracing squeeze that nearly emptied her lungs of air. “Don't you worry, Lucy, we'll take good care of Miss Annie while she's here.”

She smiled up at him. “I know. She's become very dear to me in the past few hours.”

“She's a dear lady,” he agreed. “Funny how we've all gotten to know each other so well in such a short time, isn't it?”

“I would like to think we've become friends,” she replied. “And speaking of which…”

Banner's dog nosed between them, as if to participate in a group hug. His shaggy tail thumped roughly against Lucy's hip. She laughed as his cold nose burrowed into the hem of her waist-length sweatshirt, touching the sensitive skin beneath.

Stepping away from Bobby Ray, she pushed against the mutt. “Your nose is freezing, you silly dog, and I'm not letting you warm it against me.”

Looking over the dog's head, she spotted Banner standing in the doorway, scowling rather fiercely as he gazed at her and Bobby Ray. “Y'all ready to get some sleep?” he asked, his voice more curt than usual.

“I sure am.” Bobby Ray scratched his beard. “I don't usually turn in this early, but we've stayed busy today.”

“You'll want to sleep on the couch again, Lucy,” Banner said in the same impersonal tone he had used before. “It's too cold in the office.”

Not to mention that it was dark and lonely in the office, Lucy added silently. “The couch will be fine, thank you.”

Lucy and Banner found themselves alone again one more time that evening. Bobby Ray was in the bathroom, taking a quick shower by candlelight. Lucy had already dressed for bed in a pair of navy knit yoga pants with baby-blue piping down the side and a snug-fitting, long-sleeved baby-blue T-shirt. She wore white socks on her feet to keep them warm. While still modest, this outfit would be much more comfortable than the jeans and sweater she had slept in the night before.

Banner had changed into gray sweatpants and a matching sweatshirt. Like Lucy, he wore white sport socks. His dark hair was tousled, and his jaw was stubbled with dark whiskers that did nothing to detract from his brooding good looks. Quite the opposite, actually.

Lucy studied him in silent appreciation as he knelt in front of the fire, feeding logs into the flames, his endearingly ugly dog at his side. The firelight played across Banner's face, highlighting the planes and shadows of his features. It wasn't difficult for her always-active imagination to picture him sitting there without his shirt, that same firelight playing over tanned skin and rippling muscle. The image was clear enough to almost make her salivate.

“You're looking at me,” he said.

Since he hadn't glanced away from the fire, she wasn't sure how he had known, but she said agreeably, “Yes, I am. Does it make you uncomfortable?”

“A little.”

“Sorry, but since the television isn't working…”

He didn't smile at her quip. “I've done all the tricks I know. Unless you want to hear 'The Charge of the Light Brigade.”'

“No, that isn't necessary, thank you.” His wry comments always amused her, whether he intended them to or not.

“I suppose you could always pull a coin out of my ear.”

“I don't do coin tricks. Only card tricks. And, to be honest, I only know the one.”

“I see.” Poking one last time at the fire, he pulled the screen back into place and brushed off his hands.

“Tricia and Tyler are going to be so excited to see all those gifts under the tree. Are you sure you won't put on a Santa suit?”

“Only if you put on a bikini.”

That made her raise her eyebrows. “What?”

“Hey, you have your kinky fantasies, I can have mine.”

She was still laughing when Bobby Ray ambled into the room. He looked from Lucy to Banner in surprise. “You in here telling jokes, Banner?”

“Just talking nonsense. Ready for me to put out the lights?”

Lucy lay down on the couch and pulled the blankets to her chin.

“Good night, Banner. Good night, Bobby Ray.”

Bobby Ray settled into the recliner with the now-familiar creak of springs. “G'night, Miss Lucy. Don't you be running off with Santa Claus during the night now, y'hear?”

Lucy looked automatically at Banner, who was looking back at her with that not-quite-smile of his. “Good night,” he said, then turned off the lantern and blew out the candles.

It occurred to Lucy as she nestled into the blankets that Banner had spread out his sleeping bag close to the foot of the tree, not far from the presents piled there. A good-looking, but probably unattainable, bachelor under the Christmas tree.

She sighed wistfully, thinking that Santa definitely had a warped sense of humor where she was concerned.

Lucy must have been more tired than she had realized. Not even Bobby Ray's snoring disturbed her sleep that night. She didn't awaken until a high-pitched shriek penetrated her slightly salacious dream about Banner in the firelight beneath the Christmas tree-without the sweat suit.

Jerking upright, she blinked and pushed a tangle of red curls out of her eyes. Her heart was racing, but she wasn't sure if that was due to her abrupt awakening or the aftereffects of her dream.

Illuminated by the firelight and the early sunlight streaming through the living room windows, Tricia stood in the doorway, staring at the presents piled beneath the Christmas tree. “He was here,” the little girl said in stunned disbelief. “Santa Claus found us.”

Bobby Ray made a production of knuckling his eyes and staring at the tree. “Well, I'll be. Where did all them gifts come from?”

“Santa Claus brought them,” Tricia said, hopping up and down. “He found us! Tyler, come look! Santa found us!”

Her brother and mother, both still groggy from sleep, appeared in the doorway behind her, Joan looking apologetically at Lucy, Bobby Ray and Banner for waking them so early.

Banner had climbed out of his sleeping bag and was moving it out of the way to clear a path for Tricia and Tyler to reach their gifts. Lucy couldn't even look at him without blushing as she remembered that dream.

“Sweet,” Tyler breathed, moving slowly toward the piles of packages. “Presents. Are they really for us?”

“Looks like it,” Bobby Ray said, lowering the footrest on the recliner and tossing his blanket aside. “Don't just stand there, kiddos. Dive in.”

“Wait a second. Don't touch a thing.” Joan disappeared back into the bedroom, then returned carrying a small camera. “Okay, now we're ready.”

Tricia dropped to her knees in front of the pile of wrapped presents. “These have my name on them. See, it says 'To Tricia, from Santa Claus,”' she read, pointing out the words with pride.

“These are mine.” Tyler gazed at his gifts almost as if he was afraid they would disappear if he looked away.

Joan sat cross-legged on the floor with her camera. Roused by the noise, Miss Annie and Pop entered the room, looking eager to watch the children open their presents. Bobby Ray jumped up immediately to assist the older couple, who greeted everyone with a warm “Merry Christmas.”

Lucy was relieved that Miss Annie seemed much stronger this morning. Pop and Bobby Ray escorted her to the rocker, tucked a blanket around her, set her walker within easy reach, then settled down to observe the festivities.

Banner had left the room after stowing his sleeping bag. The scent of perking coffee drifted from the kitchen, explaining his absence. Lucy thought of going in to help him, but she was reluctant to leave the room yet. She simply loved watching children on Christmas morning.

She couldn't wait until she had children of her own with whom to share such special occasions.

Finally given the signal by their mother, Tyler and Tricia tore into their presents. They oohed and aahed over video games and dolls, die-cast cars and board games, a football for Tyler and a soccer ball for Tricia. Every time they opened a gift, they turned to display it for their smiling audience, who all made appreciative noises over each item.