Page 39 of The Blessings of Christmas
Reaching for the buttons, he brushed her hand. She didn’t back away. Using all the restraint he could muster, Ryan gently set her soft hand back in her lap. He wanted to cup it under his own, but she’d be horrified. “Getting reception can be tricky up here. I have the buttons set.” He punched them until Christmas music filled the truck.
“I’ll never get tired of ‘Silent Night,’ ” she said wistfully.
“Probably because you don’t have one, not with these two clowns.” He glanced in the mirror. “And that means you two.”
“Hey, we’re being good.” Nathan seemed to give his younger brother a signal.
“Yep, we are,” Justin said. “I’m not even kicking the back of your seat with my boots.”
Ryan laughed. “Well, good.” No wonder Sarah looked so tired sometimes. Keeping up with these two was work.
When the music switched to “We Wish You A Merry Christmas,” Sarah leaned closer. “I met Mom’s librarian yesterday.”
“What did you think?”
“I liked him. He’s tall and attractive in a studious kind of way. And he seems to have a thing for my mom, that’s for sure.”
“Glad to hear it.” He really liked Lila Wilkins.
“Hey, what are you two talking about up there?” Nathan leaned forward until the seatbelt caught him.
“Why don't you and Justin count the signs along the road?” Ryan used to play that game with Jamie on road trips. “Justin, you count yellow signs and Nathan will count the white ones.”
“Do we get a prize?” Justin asked. Ryan should have seen that coming.
“Sure.” He caught Sarah's eyes and they smiled at each other.
“What's the prize going to be?” Always one for details, Nathan drilled down.
“Don't pester your uncle like that. Just play the game, okay?” Sarah looked flustered, as if she thought the boys were bothering him. They weren’t. He liked having the little guys around. It was like having a piece of his brother back. He pressed one boot to the accelerator. Yeah, it felt fine. He’d tested it after he picked up his boot.
The truck became peaceful except for the boys counting. When they reached the theater, he quickly found a parking spot on the street.
“I always like this old theater,” Sarah said as they helped the boys from the truck. “Reminds me of when I was a kid. My folks would bring me up here.”
“Me too. The yellow bricks and the old red sign are from another time or place. I’m glad they didn’t tear it down, the way some towns have.”
They hurried across the street. Although Sarah protested, Ryan paid for the tickets. The warm smell of fresh popcorn filled the air and bright red signage lured them to the refreshment counter. “You two boys don't like popcorn, do you?”
Well, that caused a row. Sarah insisted that they share two bags and wanted to pay, but Ryan wasn’t having that. He worked hard and saved well––a secret his brother had taught him. “Save so you can spend on what you really want.” And this? He liked the feeling of walking down the aisle with Sarah and the boys. The theater was about half full, mostly with families.
“Let’s put the boys between us,” Sarah said when they came to an empty row.
“No,” Nathan said with that stubborn tilt to his chin. “You and Uncle Ryan sit in the middle. Right, Justin?” He looked to his brother for agreement.
“Right. I’ll sit next to Mom.”
The theater lights dimmed. “Enough.” Ryan nudged Nathan’s shoulder. They hustled into their seats.
During the previews, Ryan caught Nathan looking around them to catch Justin’s eye. Yeah, something was brewing. Were they playing matchmaker? It just felt good to be sitting here, passing the popcorn back and forth while they sipped sodas and laughed.
What would this Christmas be like if he didn't have Sarah and the kids? Once his mother had suggested that he consider moving to Chicago. “Get out of that podunk town,” was how she put it.
But what would he do in Chicago? Besides, he liked this podunk town. His mother had no time to be a grandmother. That had always been clear to Jamie. Usually she sent the boys a check for their birthdays. Ryan loved spending time with them.
As the Grinch schemed up on the screen, Ryan felt he was sitting just where he should be. Next to him, Sarah chuckled andate popcorn. The seats felt small and he was tempted to stretch an arm around her shoulders. But she might freak out.
So he sat in silence, watching the screen, but not seeing it. Instead, his mind replayed rolling out the cookie dough with Sarah’s arms around him. He smiled, remembering squirting her with frosting.
