Page 100 of Christmas at Black Cherry Retreat
‘Roll on Christmas is all I’m gonna say.’
Fee stirred from sleep as Tom kissed her shoulder, his breath warm on her bare skin.
‘Merry Christmas, sweetheart.’
‘What time isit? It’s still dark outside.’
‘Six o’clock. I thought you were never goin’ to wake up.’ She watched him reach down to the bottom of the bed and drag up an overstuffed red and green knitted stocking with her name embroidered on the top.
‘Are you sure you’re forty years old and not four? I’m pretty sure Lulu isn’t any more excited than you today.’
‘Sure she is,’ Tom scoffed.‘My bet is she woke Mary-Jo at least a couple of hours ago. When I was little Pop would threaten not to cook his Christmas morning chocolate chip pancakes if we woke them up before five but he never followed through. Go on and see what he’s brought you.’
How could she not respond to his boyish enthusiasm? Fee pulled the gifts out one at a time and his, or rather Santa’s, thoughtfulnesstouched her. Small packets of healthy nuts and dried fruit. Red, fluffy socks because her feet were always cold. Her favourite perfume. A pack of leather-bound notebooks. A beautiful antique silver travel alarm clock. In the toe of the stocking she discovered a sheer, red lace bra and a matching thong.
‘I had no idea Santa was such a naughty man.’ She dangled the lingerie from her fingersand watched Tom’s cheeks darken. ‘We need to leave by nine, right?’
‘Yeah.’ His raspy voice made her smile. ‘Which gives us plenty of—’
‘But you haven’t opened your stocking yet.’
‘I can wait.’
Fee dropped the incriminating items on the bed and fumbled around the floor for the dark green velvet stocking she’d hidden there last night. ‘Here you go. I can’t have youthinking Father Christmas forgot you.’ It hadn’t been easy to shop when she’d rarely had a moment on her own. He didn’t seem to mind the rather generic chocolate, whisky miniatures and socks she’d tucked in there but his smile broadened when he reached the toe.
‘I assume these aren’t for me?’
‘Yes and no. There’s a scene in Poldark when Ross buys Demelza a pair of white stockingstied with satin ribbon and he… puts them on her.’
‘Interestin’.’
‘I thought so.’
‘I sure hope Mama’s whipped up extra cinnamon rolls this morning.’
‘Why’s that?’
Tom eased her back down on the bed. ‘Because some folks are gonna work up a mighty big appetite by then.’
‘I hope your folks won’t think we’re a bunch of crazy loons.’ Tom tried not tofret. He’d run through the usual Chambers’ family Christmas Day routine with Fee and knew she’d had a quiet word with Maddy and Will to warn them what to expect. Everyone opened stockings at their own houses before arriving at Hank and Sarah’s by mid-morning. The rest of the presents were opened there and Tom warned her it’d be a free-for-all. There was no system and it was every man, woman and childfor themselves. A huge lunch was served around one and once the men finished cleaning up they all gathered round to watch the classic Christmas filmIt’s a Wonderful Life.
‘They’ll love every minute.’ Fee gave a wry smile. ‘Will’s pretty normal really. Mum on the other hand…’
‘Not so much.’
‘I often think she wrote the book on crazy. One year we ate vegan nut loaf in afreezing cold caravan on a cliff in Dorset because Maddy was working with a group trying to save a beached whale. Another time she was going through a pagan phase and we celebrated the Winter Solstice instead.’
‘Different.’ Tom parked the truck and unloaded their presents from the back. ‘We’re lucky Mikey and Sandy are both off work today. That almost never happens. Of course Pop is oncall but hopefully nothing happens to drag him away.’
‘It’ll be a house full.’ He caught the hitch of concern in her voice.
‘You’ll do okay.’ Tom winked. ‘Think about tomorrow. That’s what I’m doin’.’
The front door flung open and his father yelled for them to hurry on in before all the cinnamon rolls were eaten. He didn’t need telling twice.
Across the room Mary-Jogave a brief nod and Tom disappeared towards his mother’s sewing room. The previous evening he’d set up the dolls’ house and worked with his cousin to get the tiny furniture in place. This morning he’d sneaked in the miniature wreath he’d made to hang on the front door which had ended up being a joint effort because Tom needed Fee’s slender fingers to fashion the tiny red bow. Mary-Jo was goingto explain to Lulu that one of her presents was in a different room because it was too big to go under the Christmas tree. He stationed himself by the wall ready to plug in the dolls’ house lights when Lulu opened the door. Tom crouched down out of sight.
‘Merry Christmas, Lulu.’ Mary-Jo’s laughter alerted him and Tom pushed in the plug, quickly standing back up to catch her reaction.
