It was the twenty-first of December, first day of winter, and Riley, Jo and Noel had met for lunch at the Olympic View Café, which offered a view of Case Inlet and the mountains beyond. “My treat,” Noel had said.
“Are you sure you can afford to?” Riley had asked her. Noel had been on a tight budget for the last year. It was strange to think of her actually having extra money to spend.
“Now that things are squared away with the house, yes. Anyway, I want to celebrate.”
So did Riley, and Jo was up for a break. “Mike’s been gone so much the last few days, he owes me,” she said, slipping into her seat at their window table.
“What’s with that?” Riley asked.
“I don’t know. Navy business of some sort.”
“You’re being a good sport about him reenlisting,” Noel said.
“It’s only for a few more years. We can handle it. And the signing bonus will be nice.”
“There is that,” Riley said.
“So,” Jo said after the waitress had taken their orders. “I’m getting a bonus, Noel’s getting a house and it looks like my little sister’s getting a new man for Christmas.”
It did look that way. Riley and Jack had been spending a lot of time together since her party, and each evening they seemed to discover something new they had in common, the latest being that they were both fond of games. That alone, she knew, would endear him to her family. They’d already played Gin Rummy and were now playing Word Scramble back and forth on their phones, and she was beating him soundly. He’d helped her decorate her tree, a chore she’d been putting off, sure it would depress her. There’d been nothing depressing about doing that with Jack. There was nothing depressing about doing anything with Jack.
“I keep thinking about when we went to see that Santa at the mall,” Noel said.
“Pretty woo-woo,” Riley said.
“Just lucky guesses,” Jo said, choosing a tea from the selection of tea bags on the table.
“For you, maybe,” Noel said. “But how did he know about my house? And...” Her cheeks turned pink. “Ben.”
Jo looked at her speculatively. “So, that’s heating up, is it? That would explain the earrings and the new top,” she said, and the pink on Noel’s cheeks deepened to red.
“How are things coming with his mother?” Riley asked.
“Well, she came to my reading at the library and frowned the whole time. But I have discovered some common ground. Ben told me she wants to write a children’s book. I’m going to offer to help her.”
“Brilliant,” Jo said.
Noel shrugged. “Hopefully, I won’t live to regret it.”
“Maybe now she’ll appreciate you,” Riley said.
“I don’t know about that, but I’m hoping she won’t be quite so, well, so...”
“Bitchy?” Jo supplied.
Noel nodded. “After the party at the library, Ben had a talk with her and told her she’d better start being nice to me. I think he really cares about me.”
Both sisters burst out laughing. “Ya think?” Jo said. “He practically gave you that house on a platter.”
“I’m paying for it,” Noel said, insulted.
“At the rate you guys are going it’ll be community property within the next two years,” Jo predicted. “Seriously, Noel, he seems like a great guy.”
Noel’s expression turned dreamy. “He is.”
The waitress appeared with their orders—clam chowder all around and salads. After she’d left, Noel brought them back to the subject of Santa. “He couldn’t have guessed everything. That Santa, I mean.”
“Sure he could. We all know there’s no such thing,” said Jo.
“I suppose that’s the curse of growing up,” Riley added.
“Or of having a clumsy dad who trips hanging your Christmas stocking and falls on your Barbie Dreamhouse and breaks it,” Jo said, digging into her chowder.
“He tripped over the clothes you left on the floor,” Riley reminded her. “It is weird, though,” she said. “Santa did know an awful lot about us.”
“He sees you when you’re sleeping,” put in Noel.
Jo made a face. “Eeew. That is a serious ick factor.”
“I’m just glad things have worked out for all of us,” Riley said.
“You especially,” Noel told her. “You’re inspiring.”
Not really, but... “Aww, thanks.”
Jo batted her eyes at Riley. “You...complete me.”
“Ha, ha.”
Noel frowned at Jo. “I loved that movie.”
“I loved Tom Cruise.” Jo sobered. “Seriously, sis. We’re all proud of you. And it looks like you might have found someone who deserves you. Make sure, though,” she said. “Don’t be rushing into anything.”
“No rushing,” Riley assured her. Just because she and Jack had hung out every night since the party, that didn’t count as rushing. Right?
And it wasn’t rushing to bring him to Mom and Dad’s for Christmas Eve dinner three days later. Or to plan to spend Christmas Day with his grandma and parents, who had flown up for the holidays. She’d already met his sister via Skype and received her stamp of approval.
He seemed to be fitting in well with her family. The poor guy endured a grilling from Dad and Harold over seven-layer dip and chips and survived it. He took a turn holding little Mikey, although Jo didn’t let him keep the baby for long (germs were everywhere), and listened respectfully while Dad read the Christmas story from the family Bible before dinner. Once everyone sat down to eat he complimented Mom on the prime rib and her garlic mashed potatoes. Of course she insisted he have seconds of both.
After dinner he was a good sport when the family played their favorite game of stealing presents back and forth, and Harold stole the slingshot he’d lifted from Mike. He wound up with an egg separator shaped like a face that oozed egg white from the oversize nose and claimed it was the coolest present he ever got.
“You are full of it,” Grammy told him and he grinned.
After the gag gifts, it was time for the real thing.He’d come prepared, bringing Sweet Dreams Chocolates for all the women and six-packs of IPA beer for the men. Caitlyn got bubble bath. As for Riley, “You’ll get yours later,” he promised.
Jo received a sapphire necklace from Mike. “Groupon,” he joked as everyone oohed and aahed over it. “Open the card, babe.”
She did and read it, and her hand flew to her mouth. She stared at him, shocked. “What’s this?”
“I’m not re-upping.”
Silence fell over the living room and now they were all staring at Mike.
“Why?” Jo asked. “We talked about this.”
“I know, and then I thought about it some more. I think you’re right. I’ve served. I’m ready to let someone else step in.”
“But you love the navy.”
“I do. I love you more.”
“Oh,” sighed Mom and Grammy in unison.
“Whipped,” Harold teased.
Jo shook her head. “I can’t let you do this.”
“It’s a done deal, babe.”
“That’s what you’ve been so busy with.”
He nodded.
“Oh, Mike. Are you sure?”
He looked down at their son, whom he was holding, and smiled. “Oh, yeah. Anyway, the navy isn’t totally rid of me. They need volunteers to work with the Sea Cadets.”
“What’s that?” asked Grammy.
“It’s a program for kids, teaches them about seamanship and exposes them to public service,” Mike explained. “It’s a good program.”
“It’s a good compromise,” Mom said.
“But you said yourself that you’d never be able to find a job here,” Jo pointed out.
“Got that solved. Dad wants to retire early. I’m taking over the hardware store.”
Harold grinned. “All right. Do we finally get a family discount?”
Mike ignored him. He was too busy with his wife, who was hugging him ecstatically.
“Who needs to go to a Christmas movie?” Jack whispered to Riley. “This is the real deal.”
Yes, it was. Her whole family was the real deal.
So was Jack Logan, she thought as they sat side by side during the Christmas Eve candlelight service at church and he took her hand and held it.
Later, when it was just the two of them back at Riley’s apartment with the little fireplace cheerily pretending to give them a fire, he said, “I sure like your family.”
Hearing him say that warmed her even more than the hot chocolate she’d been drinking.
“And I sure like you,” he added. He picked up his sports jacket, which he’d discarded on the back of the couch, pulled out a small box tied with a red ribbon and handed it to her.
“And all I gave you was cookies,” she said, looking at the plate on the coffee table.
“I happen to like cookies,” he said, taking a second one. “Open your present.”
She did and found a red crystal heart pendant with a sterling silver chain. “Jack, it’s lovely.”
“So are you,” he said and kissed her. He tasted of chocolate and mint, and the way he was running his fingers through her hair felt like heaven. Jack Logan was the perfect Christmas present.
Much later, after he’d finally left, she sat on the couch enjoying her cozy living room and the sight of her cute little tree all lit up and hung with ornaments her mother and grandmother had given her over the years. She certainly hadn’t envisioned herself having such a happy moment only a few weeks ago. When Sean dumped her, it had felt like the end of the world. Instead he’d set her free to find a whole new world of joy and promise.
She and Jack had been so engrossed in each other he’d gone off without his cookies. She took one and vowed to replenish the supply in the morning. Then she snuggled under a blanket and relived the last few days and all the fun she’d been having with Jack. It was still early, of course, and anything could happen. Or not. Maybe what they had was a fast fire that would burn itself out.
No matter what, she now knew that even when bad things happened they could turn out to be a door to something better. “All things work together for good,” as Mom liked to say. Warmth and happiness lulled her into a doze before she could get up and go to bed, but she woke with a start when she heard the sound of sleigh bells. She sat up, blinking, in time to see the Santa from the mall bending over the cookie plate and helping himself to one.
“You!” she stammered, pointing a finger at him.
He jumped and dropped the cookie, then shook his head. “You’re supposed to be asleep, young lady.”
“You’re not supposed to be real,” she retorted.
“Who says?”
“Everyone over the age of twelve.”
“Cynics and doubters,” he said in disgust. “What do those people bring to the world? What do they contribute to others’ happiness? One of the joys of Christmas is the wonder that drives children to the tree every year to see what I’ve brought. There’s a reason parents tell their children about me.”
“Nobody’s going to believe me if I tell them about you.”
“Do you believe, Riley? Did you find your perfect man?”
“I think so.”
He nodded. “Good. I love seeing girls get what they truly desire—both little ones and big ones. You know, I hear people complain about how commercial this holiday has become, but presents aren’t a bad thing. They remind us of God’s greatest gift. Remember that when you have children of your own, and do your part to keep the happiness alive.”
Riley was only half listening. She was up now, looking for her phone so she could take a picture of her late-night visitor.
“You never did get your photo at the mall, did you?” he said as she grabbed her purse and dug into it. “But there’s always next year.”
“Wait, let me take one now.”
He laughed and when she whirled around, phone camera aimed, he wasn’t there anymore. She put the phone back with a sigh and returned to the couch. Nope, no one was going to believe her. Noel maybe but not Jo, that was for sure. She pulled the blanket back over her and stared at the fire.
At four in the morning she woke again. The fake flames still danced in the fireplace, the tree was still lit and the leftover cookies were still on the plate. Of course, there was no sign of Santa. Had she dreamed him?
She shrugged and turned off the fire. Shut down the tree for the night. One thing she knew for sure, she hadn’t dreamed Jack. So maybe it didn’t matter whether she’d actually seen Santa or only dreamed him. Either way, she was a believer.
“Thanks, Santa,” she murmured as she headed off to bed.
She might have imagined it, but she thought she heard the distant echo of a “Ho, ho, ho.”