2

 

Chad stared at Tessa’s hand, his mind whirling. As soon as he reached for her gloved fingertips, she leaned forward. “Don’t worry. I’ve been resisting their attempts at matchmaking as strenuously as I’m sure you have,” she whispered.

He felt as if someone poured cold water over all the little brush fires that had exploded inside him.

“You have?”

She nodded. “Of course. Grandma and Nell are convinced I’m going to be a lonely, old woman with nothing to show for my life except my career. I keep telling them that’s not a bad thing. But they’re so determined to see me married, they throw me at every man I meet, including a man who’s just bounced back from a nightmare engagement. Your aunt shouldn’t throw you under the bus like that. And even if I was looking, which I’m not, I wouldn’t settle for being someone’s rebound. I respect myself more than that.”

“You do?” He sounded like a bad recording. But he couldn’t help himself. He was relieved to hear Tessa didn’t have any expectations, mainly because he liked her. If he knew she wasn’t looking for more than a good friendship, then they could continue to spend time together. Chad liked that thought. A lot.

“In fact,” Tessa continued, “I think we should put a stop to this nonsense, right now. Come on.” She marched past him and started across the wide boulevard.

Chad had to do a running hop to catch up to her.

She came to the bench where the two friends were seated. “All right. We’ve met. We had a nice conversation and yes, we do have a lot in common. Are you happy, now?”

“Why, yes, dear,” Aunt Nell said in the sweetest voice Chad had ever heard. “That’s all we ever wanted, for you two to see what good friends you could be.”

Tessa turned her head and looked at his aunt sideways, obviously not believing her syrupy assertion.

Even Chad had a hard time swallowing it.

“Fine,” Tessa said. “Now we’ve met. This is as far as it’s going to go so you two need to stop all the plotting and conniving.”

“We really did just want you to meet,” Tessa’s Grandma Sophie said, sounding more sincere than Aunt Nell.

“Good. I want your promise that you won’t even think about ways to get us together. Agreed?”

Sophie frowned for a moment. “There’s nothing else for us to do, Tessa. We just thought you might make good company for each other while you’re here.”

It sounded logical, and Chad believed Sophie believed it.

Tessa did too, because she turned to him. “Nice talking to you. Maybe next time we see each other you can tell me how you planned to get your bill through the state senate if it had passed.”

Chad smiled, admiring her don’t-back-down attitude.

“I’d like that.” He was surprised at how much he meant it. But he stopped short of saying her name again.

She gestured towards the children in the Santa line. “It’s almost the kids’ turn, Grandma. Did you want me to take some pictures of them on your camera?”

“Oh yes, thank you for remembering, dear.” Sophie dug in her purse and pulled out the small camera. Tessa took it, hugged her grandmother and Nell, and then, with a nod towards Chad, headed off to the noise and clamor of the Santa scene.

Chad wished she’d smiled at him one more time.

As Tessa walked away, it struck him that Nell had seemed to agree, but she’d never promised to stop her conniving. Somehow, that didn’t disturb him as much as it should have.

 

****

 

Tessa marched across the clearing and with each step her mind shouted, No! No! No!

This couldn’t be happening. It just couldn’t. She’d said she wasn’t interested, said she respected herself too much to be anyone’s rebound. And she meant it. Sincerely. But it was hard to be sincere about anything when looking into Chad Fletcher’s mind-bending, dark blue eyes.

Everything she’d ever heard about him was true. Women whispered about how he had the most soulful gaze they’d ever seen. If he looked at one, it felt as if he looked straight down into one’s soul. When he listened, he made one feel like the only person in the room. Though he never had a black hair out of place, he wore it slightly long and because it had a lot of wave to it, it almost seemed disheveled. Even now with the baseball cap firmly in place, it stuck out in the back with a slight curl that was carefree and utterly charming. And sometimes when he smiled, a slight twist to his lips made him look like a mischievous boy.

All of those features, combined with a brilliant political mind, a reputation for integrity, and morality, convinced Tessa that she was in deep, deep trouble. If that smile didn’t get her, his desire to serve the people would.

She was doomed. Totally doomed. And if she wanted to keep her heart and her pride intact, she needed to steer clear of Chad Fletcher. But how was she going to do that when his aunt was her grandmother’s best friend?

“Hey! Are you going to take some pictures, or just stand there?”

Her sister Jessica’s voice jolted Tessa out of her reverie. She turned on the camera and waited, barely snapping the picture before Emma slid off Santa’s lap.

Little Emma walked past her older brother in the line. “See, I told you he was gonna be happy to see me,” she said.

Tessa smiled and spent the next few minutes taking pictures of her various nieces and nephews as they climbed on to the ever-patient Santa’s lap.

The whole Conway clan was here for Christmas and that was saying something with five children, almost two dozen grandchildren, and eight great-grandchildren. And Tessa hadn’t even started a family.

Grandpa Jim’s mild heart attack had served as a wake-up call for all the Conways. So they had decided to gather for Christmas at the family ranch a few miles out of town. No excuses were accepted. The whole clan came and so far, it seemed everyone was having a good trip.

By the time her nieces and nephews had finished with Santa, Tessa was more in control of herself and her reactions to Chad Fletcher. And yes, they were intense. He was after all, pretty near perfect. What woman wouldn’t want him, or fall head-over-heels the first time he gave her that, “you’re the only woman in the room” look?

But she knew she could resist. Where there was a will, there was a way. She just had to put her intense focus on something besides Chad Fletcher. They called her Tessa the Terrier for a reason. For the first time, she was glad of her nickname.

“Are you coming with us?” Jessica asked, a frown creasing her brow. “The hot chocolate’s this way.”

Tessa glanced over at the table and saw her grandmother and Nell standing with Chad, sipping steaming cups. “No. I thought I’d go on over to the living Nativity. Wanna come?”

“I’ll be there in a minute. I promised the kids cookies, and if I don’t follow through, there’ll be a riot. We’ll meet you as soon as we’re done.”

Tessa handed her grandma’s camera to her sister, tucked her gloved hands into the pockets of her lavender ski jacket, and headed towards the living Nativity display.

It was just a short way down Main Street to the large brick church where the Nativity scene was staged. It was always one of Tessa’s favorite parts of the first day festivities. There were hay bales, live animals and people dressed in biblical clothes. The performers chosen to play the parts of Mary and Joseph and the Three Wise Men didn’t do much more than stand there. But Tessa still loved the scene, anyway.

The couple chosen to play Mary and Joseph always seemed fresh-faced and innocent. Tessa was sure they chose performers with those qualities to remind people how young and inexperienced Mary and Joseph had been when they accepted the call to be the parents of the Savior. The choice worked for Tessa. It always put her in awe of Mary and Joseph’s faith. Would she have had such obedience and courage?

She often asked herself that question, especially since she’d taken her job with Citizens for Political Reform.

Chad was right.

Their small group had set themselves up as the watchdogs for the state’s political front. It was their goal to encourage morality and accountability in all levels of the government, whether through oversight or bills that made a difference. It was a difficult, consuming job and it seemed everywhere Tessa turned, there was bending or twisting of the rules just to get the job done.

Sometimes there was more bending and twisting and re-shaping than Tessa could handle. Sometimes she felt like she was losing herself in all the grey areas, the places where they just needed to get the job done. A lot of the time, that left her feeling overwhelmed and cynical.

When that happened, she’d think of White’s living Nativity scene and the baby Jesus. It was usually a doll placed in the manager, not a real, precious baby. The weather was too cold this time of year for a baby to stay outside. But the doll was wrapped in a blanket and it appeared real. And Mary and Joseph were so sweet, tender, and a little awkward.

The Nativity scene never failed to remind her of fresh beginnings and the promise of great things to come. Just the fact that Mary and Joseph were so naïve and apt to make mistakes gave her hope. Even in their youth, the Lord had used them to do a mighty work.

Tessa took a deep breath and looked up at the dark sky and the twinkling stars. Please, Lord, don’t let me waver. Don’t let me get lost in the grey areas. Keep me centered on you so that all I do is for You and Your greater glory.

It seemed the stars winked at her and she smiled.

“They’re beautiful aren’t they?”

Tessa turned to see Chad Fletcher standing next to her. She just barely managed to catch the groan before it slipped out of her lips. How could she forget him if he showed up everywhere she turned? She must have been staring at him with a blank look because he gestured up.

“The stars,” he said, “they’re beautiful.

Tessa looked up and nodded. “Yeah.”

Great, Conway. That sounded intelligent and in control. I don’t need to sound intelligent. I’m not trying to impress him. No, but you don’t want him to know how flustered he makes you, either.

“You know I’ve traveled a lot in my tenure as a state assemblyman but I’ve never seen anything like an Arizona sky,” Chad said, interrupting the argument going on inside her head.

The tone of his voice sufficiently silenced the bad angel/good angel argument still ringing in her ears. The pride she heard in his tone surprised her.

“Nothing, huh?” she said, as a smile slipped over her lips.

“Nothing,” he repeated with a nod. “Just look at those stars. They’re so close, like sparkling diamonds in a velvet bed.”

Oh, Lord, help me. Poetic, too. No one, absolutely no one could be that perfect. He was just too good to be true.

“It’s the higher elevation,” she said. “Thinner air amplifies the stars.” She sounded sufficiently dull and in control.

“That’s true. But even our sunsets and sunrises are something spectacular. We don’t just do pink and a little orange. Our sunsets are burnt orange and flaming skies. Our storms aren’t a few dark clouds and rain. They’re black thunderclouds, monsoons, and zigzag streaks of lightning you can see for a hundred miles. Nope, I’ll have to say. There’s nothing quite like an Arizona sky.”

It would have been easier not to smile if it wasn’t so true. But he was one hundred percent right. Arizona skies were pretty spectacular.

“I like them a lot, too,” she said, trying to stay understated.

He nodded in agreement. “Well, I just came over to thank you for the intervention with our loving elders. I think their little games could have ruined an otherwise great Christmas if you hadn’t.”

“No problem. I think it’s best for us both.”

He nodded again and tucked his hands in his jean jacket pockets. Then he just stood there rather awkwardly. After a while, he gestured towards the Nativity scene. “I didn’t mean to interrupt. You seemed like you were enjoying yourself.”

“The living Nativity scene and the collections inside are something I look forward to when I’m able make it here for Christmas.”

“When you can make it? Sounds like you don’t get to White as often as you’d like.”

“I don’t. It’s rare I can get off for a full week. I’m the low man on the totem pole at the office. So usually, I get the vacation leftovers.” She edged towards the building, hoping to make her escape.

“You say there are more Nativity collections inside?” he asked.

“Yep,” Tessa said, trying hard not to sigh out loud. “Displays everywhere. My grandpa’s even got one in there he hand-carved years ago.”

“I’d like to see that. Mind if I join you?”

Tessa nodded and led the way. When he smiled that hundred-watt smile, an errant thought slipped through her guard. It might not be quite so bad, having him around...just for a little while, anyway.

As they entered the door, the fresh scent of pine wafted towards them. Close by stood a large, six feet tall Christmas tree with all the trimmings.

Another choir sang Christmas carols inside the brightly lit hall. Tables sat along the walls and down the center. On each table, Nativity sets of all types and kinds were on display. A large set, almost three feet high, painted with exquisite detail and trimmed in gold, sat near the door. Porcelain sets, wooden ones, even an antique set carved out of bone. Just when the choir started a rousing rendition of ‘God Rest Ye Merry Gentlemen’, they found Grandpa Jim’s display.

Each figure was about six inches high, carved out of maple. The tiny crèche cut from the same material, sat on a background of hunter green velvet. The soft patina of the wood seemed to glow beneath the harsh lights and Tessa stared at it, marveling each time she saw it.

“It’s amazing,” Chad said. “Each piece is made with incredible detail. Look at that beautiful baby in the manger.”

“It’s me,” Tessa said in a quiet voice.

“You?” He studied her face. “I don’t understand.”

“Grandpa carved this when I was a baby. He used my face as the model. Mary is my mother’s face and Joseph is my dad. Grandpa always said the set was his best work because of the love he had for his subjects.”

Chad leaned forward to study the baby in the wooden manger. “I don’t know. Maybe if I could see the eyelashes I could see a resemblance.”

“Oh, it’s me all right,” Tessa said, wondering how he’d noticed her eyelashes in such a short time. Many people commented on their darkness and length but she felt awkward hearing it from him. She covered her discomfort with a laugh. “You couldn’t miss that button nose. My brothers and sisters called me Pugs until I was five and grew into it.”

He turned to study her face, tilting his head one way and another, until he finally shook it. “You must have grown really well. I don’t see any sign of a button nose.”

Tessa felt heat in her cheeks and tried to turn the subject back to safer ground. “If you look at the three wise men you’ll see my uncles. And the old shepherd. That’s grandpa. He said there’s no better place for an old rancher like him than out under the stars.”

“He didn’t include your grandmother,” Chad said after a few minutes of studying the separate pieces.

“One of the first carvings he ever did was of my grandmother. She held my uncle, their first born, when he was an infant. It’s beautiful, like a Madonna. Grandpa said he could never top that so he never tried.”

Smiling, Chad said, “Your grandfather’s a true artist. Are there any more like him in the family?”

“Only one. My cousin Jason. He paints and he’s pretty good. The rest of us are like Grandma. She calls us all worker bees, the ones who keep the world going. Accountants, construction workers, teachers.”

“Watchdogs for the capital,” Chad added.

Tessa smiled. “Do-gooders, Grandpa says. Not one of us can just let things ride. We have to be out saving the world.”

“And lucky for the rest of us you are. We need worker bees like you.”

“Grandpa says he’d like Grandma to stay home and work on him.”

Chad nodded. “I can see that. I’d like it if she’d keep her best friend with her. It might make our lives a little less complicated.”

This time Tessa laughed. “But less interesting.”

Chad paused and studied her face for one moment longer than necessary. “You’re right about that. Far less interesting.”

Tessa ducked her head and moved to the next display, but she couldn’t stop the warmth from spreading through her.

“Seriously, I wouldn’t trade my Aunt Nell for anything. I think I’m closer to her than anyone else in my family.”

“Really? But she says she hardly sees you.” Tessa froze, realizing what she’d said. “Sorry, I didn’t mean that like it sounded. She just says you’re so busy.”

“No offense taken. I have been too busy. If it wasn’t for Aunt Nell, I’d never talk to any of my family. We’re all very important people.” Sarcasm lay heavy in his voice. “My parents are both lawyers and my sister’s a nurse and she married a doctor. Everybody’s busy trying to keep up with their own lives.”

“Sounds like a serious case of worker bees, just like us.”

His eyes lost their twinkle. “No, not like you. Nothing like your family. They’re all here, celebrating Christmas together. My family can’t find the time for each other no matter what the season.”

Tessa didn’t know what to say to that, so she kept quiet. But in spite of her efforts, it would be a long time before she forgot the sadness in his voice.