Short Stories

Free short stories from Lori Soard. You’ll find stories in many different genres.

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Christmas Cheer – A New Short Story by Lori Soard

christmas cheer by lori soard

Noelle Miller dragged her feet through the three inches of snow that had fallen during her shift at Samville Café. One week until Christmas, and she still didn’t have enough money to pay the rent, much less the other bills piling up on her kitchen counter. Not that it mattered. She’d missed court last week for her eviction hearing and knew she had very little time to vacate the only home she had. Her choice had been to lose her job by taking off for court or miss the hearing. She’d chosen the job because at least it put food on the table. She wasn’t sure how much time she had or what she would do next. A fat snowflake hit next to her right eye. She didn’t even bother to brush it away.

“Merry Christmas!” An old classmate hollered at her as she rushed by on her way to last-minute Christmas shopping.

Noelle waved but didn’t respond. If she had, it would have been in the tradition of Ebenezer Scrooge with a “bah humbug.” The truth was that this was yet another miserable Christmas in a long line of them. From the time she’d been five years old and entered the foster system for the first time, Christmas hadn’t held much magic. Her mother, constantly battling an abusive relationship or a drug problem, was arrested three days before Christmas that year. Although the foster family that took Noelle and her little brother in did their best, they didn’t have time to know Noelle had asked Santa for a life-like stuffed puppy, much less to buy one for her. That was the year she realized Santa didn’t exist and that she’d lost Christmas magic.

Noelle grasped the metal handle of her 2010 Chevy only to find it was frozen solid and wouldn’t open. She pulled back as hard as she could, her feet skittering on the icy surface as she fell on her bum. She looked around, hoping no one noticed, stood up, brushed herself off, and got in the car. The arctic chill the weather forecaster promised settled around her shoulders and into her bones. Unfortunately, the car’s heater didn’t work very well. She turned the key and started the engine, grimacing when it groaned. Thankfully, the engine turned over, and she was able to pull out slowly. She squinted to see the way. The snow was falling faster than predicted.

Samville, Indiana, with a population of 10,559 people, had a handful of stoplights, several eateries, a grocery store, and at least two dozen churches. She passed by the Samville Community Church, noticing the lights on inside and a full parking lot. She’d tried to go to church once when she was eighteen. She’d just aged out of the foster system, had no family, and no one to love her. She’d thought God was supposed to love you, so maybe His people would, too. Instead, they’d whispered as she’d entered and shot her worried glances. No one had greeted her. She’d felt extremely uncomfortable and realized church wasn’t for her. She wasn’t even sure she believed in God. Surely a good God wouldn’t let the things that happened to her when she was a child occur. Why would he create her only for people to hurt her physically and emotionally? If he was real, she wasn’t sure he liked her very much. She shivered and pulled her worn coat tighter around her shoulders.

Noelle just wanted to get home to her tiny, empty apartment, heat some of the leftovers from last night and fall asleep. A table with fifteen people ran her ragged and kept her from taking other tables. She’d made sure they had everything they needed, refilled drinks, checked on them, and they’d tipped her five dollars on a three-hundred-dollar bill. She’d barely kept from crying when she’d seen the amount. It wasn’t even enough to cover her gas to and from work.

When she arrived at the old Victorian-style home turned fourplex, she found a parking space in the back lot and noted that the walkway was untouched. The snow melted from it during the day and refroze as evening approached, making it slippery to walk to the entry. She’d dealt with it every winter. She’d walk in the grass to the side of the concrete. Her feet would get wet from snow getting in her shoes, but she was home and could change her socks once inside.

She entered the front door and made her way up the narrow staircase to the second floor, where her apartment was—2B. A piece of white paper was taped to her door. She glanced around, wondering if her neighbor saw it. Not that they had any reason to care. In the two years she’d lived her, she’d seen them a handful of times, and they barely spoke. She sighed and pulled the Writ of Possession off the door. She had exactly forty-eight hours to get her belongings and go. She drew in a shaky breath, her hand that held the paper trembling.

She’d believed things would get better for her. At eighteen, she’d thought she’d get a job, get her own place and finally live in a peaceful home without people who either hurt her, yelled at her or didn’t care if she lived or died. She’d imagined she’d make friends, get married, have a family, and never allow her children to feel unwanted or frightened. Why had she even been born? If she could choose, she would decide not to exist. The cold darkness of death called to her once again in this devastating moment. How easy it would be to drive her car off the Becker Bridge. The water there was deep, and people wouldn’t find her car until the spring rains stopped and the creek grew more shallow. Who would miss her? Perhaps her boss when she didn’t show up for her shift and he had to fill the gap. But he wouldn’t even really care. He’d never once asked her how she was. No one would miss her. No one ever would.

She wadded up the notice and threw it to the floor. The decision she’d been mulling over for months became crystal clear. God didn’t care about her. She didn’t care about living. Her baby brother was the only reason she might have stayed around. But he was lost to the pain of a broken system, as so many others had been. He’d chosen to leave her, no longer able to cope with the demons in his mind. Now, she would join him.

She moved slowly, intentionally. A tiny part of her wished someone would stop her and ask her how she was. That they would give her a reason to hope life might be different. She passed her downstairs neighbor, bringing her tiny dog in from a walk. The woman didn’t even say hello, but hunkered down against the chill and rushed past. Message received, God. Loud and clear. You couldn’t care less about me if you’re even there.

Noelle returned to her car. The engine turned over without a hitch, solidifying her plan. Would she go to sleep when the car slipped under the icy water? Would it hurt? It couldn’t hurt as bad as this life she was living. She watched others with their Christmas cheer and family traditions this time of year. They made fudge with their grandmas and went to Christmas plays with their families. She’d longed for the same thing and never gotten it. Now, she never would. This life was hard, and she was bone weary at twenty-one. She felt as though she’d lived a hundred years in that time.

As she approached Becker Bridge, she gripped the steering wheel more tightly and pushed the pedal to increase her speed. “No backing out now, Noelle. Just do it. Don’t be a coward.”

Even as she said the words, she spotted a flash of red against the white snow. “What in the world?” She leaned forward slightly, easing her foot off the gas. What had she seen? Was there a person up there? She didn’t want to hurt anyone else by losing control and hitting them. She slowed to a crawl. Maybe it had been a deer. They weren’t usually out so late after dusk, but you never know. She glanced to the side and then back at the road in front of her.

“Ahhh!” A sleek golden retriever stared at her with gentle eyes. She could almost swear the dog smiled at her. She tapped the brakes, knowing better than to strike them on the icy roads. The car slid to a stop within mere inches of the dog. She was so grateful she hadn’t hit the animal. The dog disappeared into the night, never looking back.

It took Noelle a few minutes to compose herself. She realized the car had stalled, so she turned it over. It sputtered and died again. The “E” on her instrument panel explained the problem. She hadn’t made enough money to fill her tank tonight, and then she’d forgotten how close to running out of gas she was.

What would she do? Just when she believed things couldn’t get any worse, they always did. Maybe the dog was God’s way of saving you. She pushed the thought away. God could have saved her a long time ago had He wanted to. What now? She’d always read to stay with your car if you broke down in the snow, but it was cold, and she was out in the middle of nowhere. Few cars were on the road, as snow kept falling faster and fatter with each passing minute.

She pulled her worn coat around her and opened the driver’s door, stepping out onto the road. Her shoes sank, and she instantly felt the squish of cold. How far was it to town? She’d start walking, she supposed.  Should she go toward town or back toward the bridge and jump off? The snow shimmered, muffling all sound enough that the quiet almost echoed.

A moment later, a soft whuff broke the blanket of silence surrounding her. The dog reappeared at the edge of the road, his tail wagging. Brown eyes stared at her, bright and patient. This time, the creature stayed put in her path, blocking the way to the bridge. He lifted his nose and nudged her gloved hand to the top of his head. She let her fingers stroke his soft fur. For the first time in forever, someone noticed her existence—and it was a dog. She laughed once, short and startled. She hadn’t laughed in ages, so the sound was unfamiliar.

“Go on home, boy. It’s cold out here.” The dog didn’t leave. He moved closer and pressed his body against her legs. She soaked in the feeling of another living thing caring that she was there. After long minutes, he turned and walked a few steps toward town. Then, he stopped and turned to look at her as though waiting for her to follow. Noelle felt her resolve begin to fade. Where did he belong? The least she could do before she left this earth was a good deed and help this sweet creature find his family.

A few hundred feet down the road, the dog led the way to a dim porch light set back from the snowy road. The driveway was untouched, creating a winter wonderland that was breathtakingly beautiful in its pureness and simplicity. The crystals sparkled in the moonlight. A small farmhouse rose before her, the siding weathered. It looked as though it needed a good scraping and a couple of coats of paint. The dog rushed toward the door, a board creaking under his light weight. Noelle hesitated. The cold and dampness sent a shiver through her, and she trembled violently. Before she could talk herself into turning back the way she’d come, the dog let out a high-pitched bark.

“Shh!” She should leave.

Before she could finish the thought, the front door swung inward. An older woman squinted out into the brightness of the falling snow and moonlight.

“Bob Smith, is that you? I’ve been looking everywhere for you.” xxx

She wore thick sweat pants and a sweatshirt with blinking Christmas lights attached to the front. Her eyes connected with Noelle’s, taking in her soaked shoes and shivering. Rather than push her away or demand why she was there, the woman’s face softened.

“You don’t look like you were out walking on purpose.”

Noelle forced a smile she didn’t feel. “I ran out of gas. This guy brought me here. Did you say his name is Bob Smith?”

“Ridiculous, isn’t it? My late husband thought it was hilarious to talk about Bob Smith and having to get Bob’s dinner. People thought he had a friend named that for years, even though it was our dog. We started naming every dog Bob Smith. This is Bob Smith the Fifth. Honey, you are freezing. You’re welcome to come warm up.”

Inside a cozy kitchen, a space heater hummed, adding to the warmth the furnace seemed to provide only barely. Some vegetable soup simmered on the stove, steam rising from the surface. Noelle could see a small Christmas tree in the next room. It leaned slightly to the right, sporting just a few decorations.

“Have a seat, honey. What is your name?”

“Noelle.”

“Such a beautiful name. Your mother must have loved Christmas.”

Noelle winced. She didn’t like to think about her mother. The woman destroyed her childhood, spent years in and out of prison, and died in a drug overdose when Noelle was only twelve. Thinking of the woman who gave birth to her brought sadness, anger and a whole lot of “if only.”

The woman didn’t question her expression or silence. “I’m Esther, like the queen who saved the Israeli people.”

Noelle had no idea what she was talking about, but thought it was probably a Bible name. She sank into a wooden chair, relief washing over her at the gentle companionship. Bob Smith dropped to the floor and lay on her feet under the table.

“Bob likes you. You must be a good egg. He’s an excellent judge of character.”

Esther moved to the stove, spooned some of the soup into a large bowl, and set it in front of Noelle. She moved back to the counter, tore off a chunk of homemade bread and returned with a spoon and a butter dish. She said one word. “Eat.”

They sat in companionable silence, the only sound the dog’s gentle snores. How could she feel so at home, as though she’d known this woman her whole life?

“Holidays can make the quiet louder,” Esther said.

Noelle bit back a sob, but she couldn’t stop the tears sliding down her cheeks and into her bowl of soup. She hadn’t cried in years—too numb from heartache. Finally, she whispered, “I don’t think anyone would notice if I disappeared.”

Esther didn’t try to correct her. She just nodded slowly. “I used to think the same thing.”

The woman reached out a hand and laid it across Noelle’s. It was a simple gesture of humanity, but it was the first time anyone had cared about her or her feelings in a long time. Noelle wished time would stop and she could stay in this moment forever.

Within an hour, the footsteps Noelle left up the drive were covered with fresh snow.

“No one is coming out this way tonight,” Esther said. “I have a nice guest room with your name on it, and I’ll be happy to have the company. It doesn’t look like I’ll be able to make it to church tomorrow.”

“Church?” Noelle swallowed.

“I got to the Community Church up the road. Do you know it?”

Did she know it? Noelle grimaced. She’d gone there hoping for a connection and to learn about God, and she’d walked away as lost as ever, feeling even more disconnected.

“I tried going once,” Noelle admitted. “I didn’t feel any type of connection.”

“I stopped going for a long time. Felt like God had forgotten me,” Esther said. “After Walter passed, I didn’t feel like the people did enough. I was mad at the pastor and angry at my brothers and sisters in Christ. I was just furious and stopped going. They didn’t reach out, and it made me even madder. But churches are made up of imperfect people with their own pain. They didn’t mean to be unkind. They just had their own problems. When I started asking for help, they came through for me in more ways than one. They would for anyone.”

Noelle nodded.

“I learned something. God didn’t leave when I did. He still showed up every day. I’d go to the grocery store, and I’d bump into one of my old friends from church. They’d ask how I was. The pastor called me. God even spoke to me through emails and advertisements. Always the same message—you aren’t alone.”

“You really think God sends messages?”

“I know He does.” Esther leaned forward. “He sent Bob Smith to help you tonight. Do you mind if we pray?”

Noelle hesitated for a moment and then shrugged. What would it hurt to let the woman pray for her?

“Lord, thank You for bringing Noelle here tonight. Please help her stay.”

The word landed with a thud into her heart.

Stay.

As though all the angels in heaven got to work on helping God answer Esther’s prayer, the wind howled, curling around the boards of the old house and whistling a tune. Noelle couldn’t leave if she wanted to in this weather.

When she finally retired to the guest room, the dog followed her, lying beside the bed as though keeping an eye on her while she slept.  The heavy quilt was faded from years of use but smelled freshly laundered with a hint of lavender. She settled into the soft comfort of the mattress and felt Bob Smith heave his canine body onto the bed, settling beside. His presence was heavy and warm and more reassuring than anything in her life. For the first time in a long time, Noelle slept without worry or fear about what tomorrow would bring.

Most nights, she woke screaming into the silence, still haunted by nightmares from the real monsters she’d encountered in various homes. The sleep was restorative to her body, mind and spirit. In the morning, light spilled across the snow, creating a brilliant glow in the room. She could smell coffee brewing.

Life was still hard, but there was a calmness about her she hadn’t felt maybe ever. Noelle glanced at the dog, still snoozing by her side. Noelle realized something ancient. She hadn’t needed saving from the water. She needed someone to see her before she drove into it. A sweet dog had done that, but looking at his innocent face, she wondered if perhaps he’d been on a mission from God. She’d cried out to her maker minutes before Bob Smith had stopped her.

Esther smiled as she entered the kitchen. “I hope you slept well.”

“Honestly? It was the best night of sleep I’ve had since I was a very little child. Life hasn’t been easy. Foster homes and monsters trying to hurt me.”

“I suspected as much, but God led you here. He told me so when I was praying last night.”

“How does that work?” Noelle sat at the table. “People say that. Does he just speak words and you hear them?”

“Now, that would make me sound crazy.” Esther winked. “It’s more of a thought you have, and you just know it is His voice when you know him through prayer, studying your bible and in the stillness of your spirit.”

“I don’t know.” It did sound a little wild to Noelle, who had never felt she mattered much to anyone. The idea of God was joyful and hurtful at the same time. She wanted a heavenly father who loved her. At the same time, she didn’t understand why He would let her life be so miserable from such a young age. Why hadn’t He protected her?

She and Esther continued to talk as the snowplows worked their way down the main road and someone from the church plowed Esther’s driveway. The older woman laid her hand on Noelle’s arm.

“I feel strongly that God told me you need somewhere to stay, and I should open my home to you. You are welcome here—always and for as long as needed.”

Noelle swallowed the sobs that threatened to escape from her chest. “How could you know that?”

“Not me. God.” Esther pointed to the ceiling.

Noelle swallowed. “You’d do that for me?”

“Of course.”

“But, I’m a stranger.” She’d been alone since she was a child, always looking out for herself. She wasn’t used to other people helping her.

“We are all children of God,” Esther said firmly, her voice sure and steady.

Later that day, one of the men from the church filled Noelle’s car with gas and brought it to her at Esther’s house, insisting there was no need for her to pay him back and wishing her a Merry Christmas. Within ten minutes of sharing about the eviction with Esther, the woman had people lined up to help her pack her belongings and bring them to the house.

Noelle walked to her car, which the man had parked in the driveway. The eviction notice still sat heavy in her pocket, but now she had a place to go and people who cared. She looked back toward the house, where Bob Smith sat on the front porch, his tail thumping twice against the wood. And, he smiled at her with a doggie grin and wise brown eyes.

God hadn’t entirely erased her pain, but he’d answered it with the presence of a dog named Bob Smith and his sweet owner, who was as fierce as a queen who saved a nation of people.

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Christmas Short Story: The Christmas Project

A christmas short story showing that the greatest gift is the gift of kindness.

A Christmas Short Story by Lori Soard

Dozens of small miracles brought them to this day, this moment, this feeling and the way the town now embraced Christmas. Nicholas Kringla’s ancestors set foot in this small Indiana town in 1852, when it was still named Morristown and when it was still a tiny village. How many stories had he heard about the Christmas spirit of those first settlers and how they stepped up to help one another survive the rugged landscape of the Midwest as it became settled – long before it became the small rural farm town of Henryville today. 

Nicholas came from a long line of Dutch explorers who adored everything Christmas. His great-great-great-great grandfather, Kristofer Kringla worked a 200-acre farm that butted up against what today was the state forestry, starting a workshop that was so top secret no one was quite sure what he did there. All he knew what that Kristofer had loved Christmas and passed that love down to Kringlas in their very veins. 

In the last twenty years, the town became more scattered. Fewer people knew one another as new families moved in and old families moved out. The ties that used to bind a community faltered in some ways, but stayed strong in others.

He’d missed being a kid in school and knowing everyone. Today, though, people held hands across the high school parking lot, from front yard to front yard, down US 31 and on into the forestry in a giant line of support remembering the husband of a local widow who lost everything and gained a whole town.

He didn’t know the names of the teenagers on his right and it didn’t matter. They shared a common cause, uplifting the family of a fallen soldier and through doing so changing the world for the better. To think, it all started with a small child.

Three Weeks Before Christmas Day

Eight-year-old Poppy Fields struggled to find a theme for her school project. Her third grade teacher wanted them to find something kind to do for another person and write a report on it. They couldn’t tell anyone else who they’d helped. It had to be a secret that only they and the teacher knew about.

She didn’t know anyone, having only moved here a month before, and she had no idea what she could do that was kind. The other kids all said they knew their projects already and Poppy still struggled to find something for hers. Who could she help without the person knowing she’d helped them?

It was on Wednesday she finally got an idea. She walked past Mr. Kringla’s house every day after the bus dropped her off. Poppy loved horses but they couldn’t afford one right now. Her father got laid off before they moved here and even though they’d moved for his new job, they told her it wasn’t possible to get a horse right now and probably not for a long time. Mr. Kringla had not one but three horses in his field. Three beautiful horses, who she loved. Poppy stopped every day and shared a carrot or apple or other treat she’d saved from her lunch with the horses.

Today, she had three baby carrots left. She walked up to the fence, and called the horses. “Come here, pretty horses.”

Trained from her treats from the last month, they all three came running toward her. That’s when she saw Mr. Kringla burst out of his front door and stomp his feet toward her. Poppy jumped back from the horses.

“What do you think you’re doing?” His voice was gruff and reminded her of Maui from the Disney movie Moana.

“F-feeding your horses a carrot.”

“Don’t feed my horses anything without asking first. Understand?” Poppy’s own father was a soft-spoken, kind man who rarely raised his voice. She burst into tears.

“Now, don’t go cryin’ like that. They get sick if you feed them the wrong thing. Just stay on your own property.”

She nodded and made her way home, hanging her head down and staring at the ground directly in front of her feet. The only friends she had here were those three horses and now she probably wasn’t going to be able to talk to them anymore.

Why did Mr. Kringla have to be such a grumpy old man? Her mother waited at the front door, and she collapsed into her arms, sobbing so hard that her words were barely understandable.

“Do you know what I think?” Her mother grabbed a tissue from the box on the living room table and wiped Poppy’s tears away. “I think Mr. Kringla is sad and lonely. I heard he lost his wife last year and they didn’t have any children. He probably just needs someone to be kind to him.”

That’s when the idea struck Poppy – she would make Mr. Kringla her project. If anyone needed some kindness, it was a grumpy old man who wouldn’t even let a little girl pet his horses. Now, she just had to figure out what to do for him.

Two Weeks Before Christmas

Poppy watched him quietly when she’d see him outside. No one came by his house and he didn’t seem to go many places. He worked outside, fed his horses and other animals and went back inside. When she’d first moved here, her mom made her cookies after school every day. The cookies didn’t make her stop missing her friends but they did help a little. Maybe she could make some cookies for Mr. Kringla and take them to him.

“Mom? Can we make some sugar cookies for gifts?”

They spent most of the afternoon baking one cold Saturday two weeks before Christmas. Poppy took her time and decorated each cookie for Mr. Kringla with care, adding sprinkles and little icing hats on the Santa Claus shaped cookies.

She put his cookies on a plate and wrapped them with plastic wrap and a pretty red bow she found with the Christmas paper. She grabbed a piece of paper and drew a picture of his three horses and wrote, “I hope these cookies bring you some Christmas cheer.” She didn’t sign the note as that was against the spirit of The Christmas Project. Her act of kindness was supposed to be a secret.

Just as the sun began to set over the barren golden fields between their houses, she crept over to his front door and set the cookies on his porch, walking quickly back home and making sure she didn’t bother his horses, even though they neighed at her asking for a treat.

“I’m sorry, guys. I’m not allowed to bother you. Merry Christmas.”

Poppy’s mother saw where her daughter was headed and she almost called out and stopped her. She was a bit furious over the way Mr. Kringla shouted at her daughter for doing nothing more than loving animals. However, she resisted the urge. If Poppy wanted to spend all afternoon baking cookies and delivering them to Mr. Grinch, she at least hoped he wouldn’t be mean to the child for trying to be kind.

Maybe she could be a bit kinder herself. A young mother at church was down on her luck and had no one to spend the holiday with. She’d invite her to join them for Christmas dinner.

Mr. Kringla spotted Poppy from his kitchen sink window. “That dreaded child is coming over to mess with my horses again,” he grumbled.

But Poppy didn’t stop by the horses or even look their way. She walked on toward the front of his house and that’s when he saw she held a present in her hands. He waited for the doorbell to ring but it never did. Then, the little girl walked back to her house, not messing with his horse this time either. He made his way to the front porch to see what she’d left.

The plate of cookies was obviously homemade and tied up with a drawing and a pretty bow. She hadn’t signed the note but simply wished him Merry Christmas and asked him to pass it on.

His wife used to make goodies and give them to everyone at Christmas. Edna delighted in gifting anyone and everyone and often said, “We all need a little sweetness in our lives.”

Nicholas Kringla felt the moisture on his cheeks before he realized he was crying. What a sweet, wonderful child, and after he’d been so mean to her. Edna would be ashamed of him and his lack of kindness. First thing tomorrow, he’d call on her mother and ask if she wanted some horseback riding lessons and let her know that her little girl was welcome to come pet his horses anytime she wanted.

He felt the sudden need to do something nice for someone else and pass on her Merry Christmas.

One Week Before Christmas

Tina Murphy headed out to pay bills and then go up to the Scottsburg Walmart, praying she’d find $120 along the way. She’d put some toys for her little girl and a warm coat and video game for her teen son into layaway back in September, but her hours at work got cut and she was struggling to make the rent and pay her bills. $120 might as well be $10 million.

Her older son would understand. At fourteen, he was old enough to know the struggle, even though she tried to hide that worry from him. She worried about her five-year-old daughter, though. Just last night the little girl said she couldn’t wait for Santa to bring her a new doll because her other doll’s head popped off and she couldn’t get it to stay on anymore. Tina couldn’t bear to see the look of disappointment on her baby’s face when there wasn’t a new doll under the tree on Christmas day.

Life shouldn’t be this hard. It wasn’t supposed to be this hard, but her husband was killed last year while serving overseas and nothing would ever be the same again. Even though every military wife thought she was prepared to do parenting and life on her own if the worst happened, nothing could prepare you for the grief and loneliness that sat like a heavy anchor in the pit of your stomach.

If only she had family to fall back on, but her parents were gone, Jack’s parents were gone and the rest of the family was scattered about. She was on her own.

Her first stop was the water company. She couldn’t afford to pay any of her bills late and accrue late fees. Money was too tight for her to pay late fees, too.

“Hi, Tina.” The clerk greeted her by name as everyone in this small town did. She was glad she’d moved home after Jack got killed. At least life was familiar here and people cared about her.

“I need to pay my bill, Ellie.”

The clerk smiled. “It’s been taken care of already.”

Tina just stared at her. Had she heard the woman right? “There’s no balance?”

“Zero. Someone paid it and put extra on the account so you won’t have a bill for at least a few months.”

If someone had told her a few years ago that she’d want to jump up and click her heels together in joy over a water bill getting paid, she would have laughed, but that was exactly what she wanted to do. It felt like a miracle straight from heaven. The $35 she was going to spend on this bill could buy her little girl that doll she so desperately wanted.

“Seriously?” she said.

“Seriously.” Ellie laughed. “Have a Merry Christmas. The person who paid it said to pass it on when you’re able.”

Tina nodded and made her way to her next errand in a daze. Who could have payed the water bill for her? She had no idea but he or she was an angel. How could she pay it forward? She didn’t have much money, but she had a little time she could go and visit with an elderly neighbor or do some volunteer work.

Stop after stop. she found the same story. Someone had paid all her bills for the next few months and she owed zero. She now had enough money to get everything out of layaway.

She bowed her head for a moment. “Thank you, Lord.” All her prayers for her children had been answered for Christmas.

When Tina arrived at the layaway counter at Walmart, the amazing gift of freedom from worry some unknown benefactor gave her became a warm ember glowing inside her.

“Hi, my name is Tina Murphy. I’d like to pay this layaway off.” She handed the girl her receipt. The girl punched in a few things and smiled.

“It says Santa came in and paid it for you.”

“Santa?”

“That’s what it says. And, there’s a note that they left a gift card for $100 so you can buy a nice Christmas dinner or whatever you need.”

Tina couldn’t help it. She burst into tears. She’d been given everything she needed. She pulled out the $120 left because her bills were paid.

“Then, I want to pay this and help someone else who is struggling, because I’ve been truly blessed.”

The young girl smiled. “I actually know a family. The mom came in yesterday and paid $20 and said she had no idea how she was coming up with the other $120, but she’d keep paying what she could until there wasn’t a chance to get her items anymore. How amazing she needed $120 and you have $120 to pay.”

“Miraculous, you might say.” Tina commented. “Almost like God knew exactly what she needed.”

The young girl nodded in agreement.

Tina paid the $120 off for the mom and the young girl promised she’d call the other woman and let her know to pick up the layaway.

Christmas Eve

And thus began a wave of people seeing others do kind acts, paying it forward and helping others that grew exponentially from hour to hour until it brought them all here to this moment.

Pride swelled in Nicholas Kringla’s chest that he’d been part of this gathering. No one knew, of course, but he knew what he’d done for Tina Murphy and he also knew who inspired him to help his youngest nephew’s widow. No one would ever suspect him – the grumpy old man who looked like Santa Claus but hadn’t acted like him.

They didn’t know about his family’s history of secretly making toys and delivering them to children in the area whose families had so little. The tradition of toy making ended with his great-grandfather, but the spirit of giving continued.

He’d paid all of Tina’s bills in Jack’s memory and then some. Instead of pocketing the extra money she’d had left, Tina had paid off a bill for someone else, paying it forward.

  • That mom then paid for the meal of the person behind her in line at Wendy’s drive-through.
  • The person behind her was touched and donated $300 to the food pantry at First Baptist Church.
  • First Baptist Church was able to buy 30 Christmas meals for struggling families in the area.
  • Family and friends of those families were inspired to a variety of kindnesses, such as picking a child’s name off the Angel Tree or paying someone’s rent.

Each act of kindness touched dozens of others until the spirit of Christmas grew and swelled in the way only unselfish love grows.

When the local news station heard what Tina’s act of paying it forward sparked, they did a story and the entire town decided to gather in remembrance of his nephew and hold hands at midnight in a show of support for Jack’s widow and children.

Over 1500 people showed up and clasped hands from the edge of the parking lot, up past neighborhoods and into the forestry. At the stroke of midnight, they began to sing “Silent Night.”

Tears streamed down Nicholas’ face. He’d forgotten what Christmas was about for too many years – had grown bitter and hurt over the loss of his world. He’d blamed God for taking away his parents, his wife and his nephew.

It had only taken the innocent beautiful heart of one small little girl to change his perspective and touch so many lives. He wanted to continue with anonymous kind acts and he knew exactly what his next one was – there was a little girl who loved horses and really deserved to have one of her own.

“There has to be at least one day of the year to remind us that we’re here for something else besides ourselves.” – Eric Sevareid

*Note: Henryville, Indiana is a real town and is my hometown, but the characters in this story are 100% fictional as is the information about Kringlas being the first settlers. However, the spirit of the story and the way residents help each other in this rural Indiana town speaks of the underlying spirit of Monroe Township. I’ve lived here 14 years now and I wouldn’t want to live anywhere else.

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Reel Changes: A Short Story by Author Lori Soard

movie theater

Short story by award-winning author Lori Soard. This little tale has a paranormal twist. It’s an odd story, but Lori hopes her readers will enjoy it.

Occasionally, I get inspired to write a short story or two. These stories are almost always a bit odd and don’t fit any particular genre. I’ve always just written them for my own enjoyment. Sometimes they touch on difficult issues, like this one does, but the end of this one becomes light and happy. I hope you enjoy this unusual little tale that is nothing like my books.

The dark shadows of the theater hid her split lip and blackened eyes. Tess Harris slouched down in her seat. Her body ached from bruises hidden under her clothing. Elvis’ timeless image flickered across the screen as he crooned a song to Ann-Margret. Tess sighed. There were only three hours remaining in the all day Elvis Presley Movie Festival. Three hours left before she’d be forced to find a new hiding place.

“I can’t go home,” she whispered to the near empty cinema. A lone couple sat in the front of the room, exchanging kisses from time to time. What did it feel like to be loved? To experience affection instead of abuse? She sure wouldn’t know.

Yesterday evening she’d thought she could end their marriage. She’d packed Vince’s bags and braced herself for his arrival. She’d thought she could make him leave, until he’d walked in the front door of the small ranch house her parents left her when they died.

“I ain’t going nowhere.” His voice took on the low rumble of an angry bear and his eyes flickered with the veil of anger she’d come to expect from him.

“Just go, Vince.” Her voice caught and she made the mistake of showing weakness. She stammered. “I-I d-don’t love you anymore.”

“You think you can get rid of me that easy?” He took a step closer. “You are stuck with me until the day you die. How long you live is up to you.”

She took a deep breath and straightened her shoulders. There was now more at stake than the bruises she’d suffered for over a year. A child grew within her and she refused to let Vince continue to beat her and probably the child. No. It was over.

“I’ll kill you and that little brat you’re carrying if you try to leave.” Vince’s hand rose. His lips twisted into a crooked snarl when she flinched. The backhanded blow forced her head to the side. She ran her tongue over her lip, feeling the metallic tang of blood. It was a familiar friend.

Fear coiled through her as he swung his arm back, his gaze fixed on her midriff. Oh, God, he’s going to kill my baby. Please help me. She dropped to her knees and the blow landed between her eyes.

“I didn’t mean it, Vince. I’m sorry. I’m sorry. Please don’t hurt our baby. Please.” She bowed her head, knowing that to look at him would invite more blows. How she hated to stoop before his cruelty. But she wanted this child. Needed this child. Longed for someone to love and nurture.

He brought his fist down on the top of her bent head. Tears sprang to her eyes. She bit her tender lip to keep from crying out and smelled the scent of her own blood mixed with fear.

“Unpack my bags,” Vince said.

She nodded and unpacked his bags, knowing the second he passed out she’d leave her childhood home and never return.

Elvis’ velvety voice brought Tess back to the now deserted theater. If only she could find a man like the fictional Lucky Jackson on the screen.

“If only,” she whispered to the faded drapes of the century old building.

The sound faded out for a moment and then came back louder than before. She rubbed her ears. The clickity clack of the movie projector seemed amplified as the sound faded out again. She turned and stared at the flickering light in the box high above her head. Perhaps it was overheated from the many hours of use.

“Hello?” she called as the image on the screen flickered.

“Hello.” The voice came from the front of the theatre.

She whipped around, her heart pounding in her chest. She couldn’t see anyone.

“Who’s there?”

No one answered. She stood and edged her way to the aisle, keeping her back against the half wall at the side of the upper section, she crept toward the exit. Was it Vince? Perhaps he’d found her. Should she scream? She cleared her throat. She couldn’t let him harm their baby.

“Is someone there?” Elvis’ image wavered on the screen and then moved closer as though he peered through a telescope.

Tess shook her head. She’d finally lost it. The blow that Vince had dealt to the top of her head must have knocked her brain loose because Elvis could NOT be looking through a movie screen at her. Could he? Of course he couldn’t!

Deep, hypnotic eyes peered down at her. A slow, cocky smile tilted the corners of his mouth and he reached a hand forward and out into the theatre. She took a few steps closer to the screen, watching out of the corner of her eye, expecting Vince to pounce at any moment. Her hand protected her stomach.

“Well, Tess, you’ve finally lost it. You won’t have to worry about where to go because you’ll have a permanent bed at the funny farm.”

“This is insane,” the character Lucky said.

Or was it Elvis? Did she care? Could she escape into the movie screen? If only…

Did she want to? She glanced behind her. The light flickered eerily from the projection room. It wasn’t as if she had anything to lose. They lived in a small town and Vince would find her eventually if she didn’t leave. He’d managed to tie up all her money. She couldn’t even scrape enough together to purchase a bus ticket. She’d looked for women’s shelters in the phone book but hadn’t found any listed. If they’d lived in a big city, she probably could have found help. Henryville sat on the edge of sleepy burb where men didn’t beat there wives and if they did the residents didn’t want to know anything about it.

“I must be dreaming.”

“Me too.” Lucky stretched his hand out.

If she was dreaming, she might as well make it a good dream. She placed her hand in his. His palm felt warm and slightly damp. She started to pull away, shocked at how real he felt. She could smell the tang of citrus cologne and his eyes drowned her.

“Tess!” Vince’s voice shouted as though at the end of a long tunnel.

She glanced over her shoulder and saw him running toward her, rage and confusion etched on his handsome face. Elvis/Lucky stared at him and then pulled her into the screen. Oh, yes. This was some dream. She only hoped she dreamed Vince too because what he’d do to her and the baby froze her blood.

“Who was that man?”

“My boyfriend.”

Lucky took a step back and Tess immediately felt a chill in the air where warmth had been.

“How did I get here?” Any moment she’d wake up. She glanced around and found she was in the same theatre. She hoped her baby didn’t inherit her insane gene. The faded drapes were now a brilliant, deep red.

“You were in the movie.” Lucky pointed to the screen. “And you looked at me and held your hand out. It was the strangest…”

“Dream?” But it didn’t feel like a dream. It felt all too real. She clasped her arms around her midriff. Too real. Where would she go? She faced the same problem except maybe she wouldn’t have to deal with Vince. She’d be safe. The baby’d be safe. How could two people have the same dream? Of course she was dreaming Lucky so maybe he hadn’t dreamt at all. Confusion fogged her brain.

“You aren’t Elvis?”

“Who?”

Oh now, c’mon. She knew it was a dream now. EVERYONE knew who Elvis was.

Unless..unless she’d been transported into a strange new world where Elvis didn’t exist? Didn’t sound like much of a world to her.

“Is this a movie festival?” she asked.

“Sure. I was watching a Jesse Presley film. Viva Indy 500.”

Tess laughed. She couldn’t help it. She’d finally gone insane, so she was allowed to laugh like a hysterical maniac. In her pretend world, things were apparently turned upside down. Elvis’ twin had his fame and the movies were different than in her world. Yes, she’d finally gone off the deep end. But perhaps she’d be better off. Crazy people didn’t worry about where they would live, they went to the asylum.

“Hey, are you okay?” Lucky gave her shoulder a gentle shake. Amazing how real a hallucination could feel.

She took a step back and stubbed her toe against the edge of a seat. Ouch! She didn’t remember ever feeling such intense pain in a dream before. Because it wasn’t a dream. But that didn’t mean it wasn’t a hallucination. Did people feel pain when they had delusions? She didn’t think so. But she could be wrong. What if this were real? What if she had truly stepped into another world? Her pulse skipped giddily at the thought.

“Tess!” The sound in the theatre surrounded them.

Vince’s snarling features stared at her from the movie screen. He stared upwards, his forehead knitted into a frown. But he wasn’t looking directly at them. He apparently couldn’t see them.

“Your boyfriend?”

She nodded.

“He looks mean.”

“He is mean.” She shivered. “I can’t go back.” Whether it was back to sanity or back to another world, she didn’t care. She couldn’t go back and face Vince and his anger. He was a dangerous man.

“Then you won’t.” Lucky held out his hand. “Lucky Jackson. You may have heard of me? I’m a race car driver.”

“Yes, I know. I mean, I have heard of you.” As a fictional character. A fictional character who felt blazingly real.

“Tess.” Vince’s voice grew weaker.

She smiled as the image flickered and faded into a movie starring a Jesse Presley who looked identical to Elvis. The clear perfection of his voice rang out across the theater as he sang “Viva Indy 500.”

“I have a feeling I just escaped my boyfriend.”

“I have a feeling we’d better not tell people exactly how we met or we’ll both wind up in the mad house.” He leaned forward and his breath brushed across her temple.

She closed her eyes. How she wanted to believe there could be a happily ever after for her and the baby. The baby!

“I’m pregnant,” she blurted.

His dark eyes widened and then he smiled. “I can’t have children but want a family.”

“Aren’t we the perfect couple? It’s almost as though we’re in a fairy tale.” Or a movie.

They left the theatre arm in arm. The sunset disappeared upwards into the sky and the crickets croaked instead of singing but Tess didn’t care. She and Lucky already had their lives scripted out and their ending would always be happy.

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A Christmas Wish

Christmas ImageHTML clipboard

Christmas waves a magic wand over this world, and behold, everything is softer and more beautiful.
–Norman Vincent Peale

Dear readers, family and friends,

Of all the Christmas presents I could give you, probably the most personal is a piece of my heart and soul. I pour myself into everything I write and I hope that you enjoy this new story that I’ve written just for you. A Christmas Wish gets to what I believe Christmas means. I’ll be sending you new installments from time to time based around the fictional town of Destiny Hamlet, which I’ve created just for you. Destiny Hamlet is a place where miracles happen, hearts’ desires are found, and true love lasts forever. I hope you come to love the small town atmosphere and the characters as much as I do. They jumped off the page for me. The romantic character Mitch is based on my husband and his romantic present to me this year. He still tugs at my own heart strings. You can see a map of Destiny Hamlet here.

May all of you have a joyous holiday season and treasure the many opportunities in the coming New Year.

Warmly,

Lori Soard

A Christmas Wish

First in the Destiny Hamlet Holiday Series

by Lori Soard

© Copyright 2002-2010 Lori Soard

All Rights Reserved

The day started with an ear-splitting crash, followed by the sound of Mia’s six-year-old footsteps as she raced up the front porch steps and into the house.

“Mia Sarah Pierson, what was that sound?” Katie could feel the nagging beginnings of a raging migraine as the pressure built behind her forehead.

“Nothing, Mommy.” Mia smiled, showing off the gaping hole where her two front teeth had resided just a few days before.

In the year since Jerry had walked out on them both, her daughter found more ways to get into trouble than a bear with a hive of bees. She knew it was Mia’s way of trying to get Jerry’s attention but she couldn’t let the child get away with bad behavior, no matter how sorry she felt for her. Katie opened her mouth, ready to demand an explanation from Mia when the front door shook on its hinges from the abusive pounding on the other side.

Glaring at her daughter, and wondering how much she’d have to pay for this incident, Katie swung the weathered door open.

“Sheriff Wyte, how nice to see you.” Just terrific. She so didn’t need trouble this morning. In exactly fifteen minutes, she was scheduled at the First Bank of Destiny Hamlet for an interview. If she wanted any chance of Mia getting just a few presents for Christmas, she had to land that job. In fact, if she wanted any chance of even eating this Christmas, she had to land the job.

“I’m afraid we have another problem, Katie.” Mitch Wyte drawled his words out as though he had all the time in the world to stand on her porch and chit chat about Mia’s latest calamity. She didn’t have that time.

“Look, Sheriff, I have an important appointment. Whatever it was, I’ll pay for it.” She had no idea how she’d pay for it, but she would. She started to close the door when his hand shot out with uncustomary quickness and held it open.

“It’s not going to be that easy this time, Katie.” His brown eyes glittered with suppressed anger and Katie swallowed. She knew that look. When she’d dated Mitch Wyte in high school, he’d been easy going and slow to anger but when he finally did get angry–watch out. Ten years later, she still recognized the signs of that slow-burning anger.

“Mitch, I’m sorry. I simply have to go. I can’t be late to my interview. I need the job. But I will stop by your office and talk to you when I’m finished.” She didn’t give him a chance to respond but grabbed Mia’s coat and jammed her daughter’s arms into the sleeves.

“I don’t wanna go to school.” Mia stuck her bottom lip out and huge tears welled in her brilliant blue eyes. Eyes the same color as her traitorous father’s.

“Mia, you aren’t ill. You have to go to school.” She glanced at the plain, round white clock. Five minutes ’till. She was never going to make it to her interview on time. She only hoped they’d be understanding but what a horrible impression to make.

“Don’t wanna.” It took Katie five minutes to put the coat on her daughter’s slim frame. It took Mia five seconds to shrug that same coat back off again.

“Mia, please!” She heard the shrill tone in her voice but was helpless to prevent it. “You have to cooperate. Mommy needs this job. We need this job. Now, put on your coat and let’s go.”

“I can take her to school,” Mitch offered quietly.

She jumped and spun toward the door, her hand covering her heart. She’d completely forgotten she’d left him standing in the doorway although the scent of his lime aftershave lingering in the air should have tipped her off. She chewed her lip for a moment. She rarely trusted anyone with her daughter but she’d known Mitch since she was about Katie’s age herself. She might just make the interview, if she ran.

“Are you going to lecture me?” Mia stared up at him and sniffed.

“Of course.”

Katie hid a grin as Mia waltzed out the door and flipped her blonde ponytail in a typical little girl snub.

“Thank you, Mitch,” she called after him.

Glancing at the clock again, she slung on her own coat. With no time to spare for gloves, hat or scarf, she raced for the bank, which was across the park, across Main Street and on the opposite corner. A few snowflakes hit her tongue as she panted for air. They tasted pure, like flakey ice flakes.

She was five minutes late and Shelley Depp didn’t like it. Katie could tell from the bank manager’s tightened lips, sneering glance at her wristwatch, and stiff posture. So much for making a good impression. Of course she and Shelley went a long way back and the woman had hated her since the day she’d married the most eligible bachelor in town. Strange that she would still envy Katie considering the way Jerry had left his family. Katie didn’t care as long as she gave her a job.

“I see here that you don’t have any formal schooling.” Shelley didn’t glance up from Katie’s resume, which rested in front of her on the desk.

“I have two years at the local university and then I got married and had Katie.” Shelley knew this. The bank knew this. Yet, they’d scheduled the interview. Surely they wouldn’t have done that if they didn’t at least think she was qualified for something. She’d do anything. She’d scrub toilets. She just needed enough money to keep them afloat.

“Katie, the truth is that I don’t think we have anything suitable for you.” She finally looked up from the resume and her stare glittered with hostility.

Katie swallowed. She needed this job. She couldn’t drive and even if she could cars were too expensive. Jerry had persuaded her that she didn’t need to learn since they lived in a small town. Opportunities were limited in Destiny Hamlet. Although she hated what she was about to do, it was a matter of survival. If it was just her, she’d be willing to starve before humiliating herself. But it wasn’t just her. She had Mia to think of.

“Shelley, please. I’m a hard worker. I’ll do anything. I–” she swallowed down the bile that threatened to rise and tamped down the hysteria that came with it. Wouldn’t it be wonderful to throw up on Shelley’s desk? Now that would make an impression. “I really need this job.”

“I’m sorry, no.” The bank manager sat back and crossed her arms over her chest.

Katie felt the heavy weight of defeat slam down onto her shoulders and the bitter taste of trodden ashes settled in her mouth. Her last chance for a job in this town had just evaporated like water left boiling too long. Even worse was the glee shining out of the other woman’s eyes. She’d just condemned Katie and Mia to a very sparse Christmas and seemed to be enjoying the fact.

She wouldn’t stoop to Shelley’s level. Somehow, some way, they would survive. She didn’t know how, but she’d figure it out. She rose to her feet and held her hand out to Shelley.

“Thank you for your time. If an opening comes up, please call me.” If my phone hasn’t been disconnected.

Shelley stared at the outstretched hand for a full minute before shaking it and murmuring her goodbyes. The click clack of her heels faded quickly, leaving only the faint scent of her vanilla musk perfume. Katie blinked several times to hold the tears at bay. She wouldn’t cry until she got home. She straightened her shoulders. She had a lawman to see.

***

“…completely destroyed the gate on my fence.” Mitch crossed his arms and glared at Katie.

She swallowed several times, feeling panic edge in like smoky tendrils of fog. It wasn’t the first time Mia had destroyed something next door and she was certain it wouldn’t be the last. When Mrs. Robson lived in the small ranch next door, she’d overlooked Mia’s escapades as long as Katie repaired anything that was broken. She would replace Mitch’s fence too of course, she just wasn’t sure how.

“I’ll see that it gets repaired or replaced.” She had no idea where the money would come from. An image of her wedding ring tucked inside a pair of scarlet red socks in the top drawer of her dresser flashed into her mind. No. She planned to save the ring for Mia. The child deserved something from her louse of a father and that rock was going to pay for Mia’s first year of college.

“Katie, are you okay?” Mitch reached his hand out and tucked a strand of hair behind her ear.

She jerked away. Oh, no. She’d had her fill of men who walked away without looking back. Mitch had kicked the dust of Destiny Hamlet off his feet the second his scholarship to the University of Illinois came through and he hadn’t looked back. Not a word to his friends for four years and not a word to her, the girl he left behind. Okay, maybe he’d said good-bye. And maybe he’d even told her he’d be back in four years. And maybe she’d been married to Jeremiah Pierson by then. She’d had no reason to believe he’d come back. People didn’t leave and then come back. Her own mother had abandoned her as a baby. Her first foster family gave her up after she’d gotten into a fight at school. Her life was all about people leaving and never coming back.

“I’m fine. Just fine.” The tears would wait until the dark hours of the night when the house was still and a cloak of silence had descended upon the tiny community of Destiny Hamlet. That was when the loneliness closed in, clawed at her soul and refused to let go. It was a familiar old friend. One who’d visited often throughout her life.

It was in the wee hours that she’d break and wonder what she’d done wrong. What was it about her that Jerry couldn’t love? What was it about her that her own parents hadn’t loved? What was it about her that no one seemed to love?

But it wasn’t nighttime right now and she wasn’t alone. She’d never let Mitch or anyone else find out about the damp pillow she slept on each night. And she certainly wouldn’t give Jerry’s parents the satisfaction of knowing she hadn’t quite moved on with her life since their precious son had run off with his secretary.

“How did the interview go?” Mitch asked.

“Not well.” What was she going to do? There was no money left. Not even enough to buy a ham for Christmas dinner. Not enough for a small doll for her daughter. Not enough for a gallon of milk.

“Shelley never forgave you for marrying the love of her life.” His lips twisted slightly and she wondered if he’d ever forgiven her for marrying Jerry.

When Mitch had returned from college, he’d shown up on her doorstep one bright June morning. His hair had been disheveled and his eyes the darkest brown she’d ever seen them. He’d spoken one word. “Married?” Then he’d turned and walked away. Katie always wondered if she’d hurt him or he was just in shock. After all, she hadn’t heard from him during the four years he’d been away at school. That was then. This was now. They were both grown ups. She doubted Mitch even remembered that day.

“I did her a favor. She just doesn’t realize it.” She shrugged. Shelley didn’t have a clue what Jerry was really like or she’d drop to the polished tiles of the bank lobby and kiss Katie’s feet for saving her from marriage to a man who couldn’t be faithful, couldn’t be bothered with fatherhood and couldn’t keep his fists off his wife.

“How about a cup of coffee?” Mitch grabbed his heavy tan coat off the rack by his desk.

“C-c-coffee?” Oh, God. Did he mean like a date? She glanced around the room, looking for an escape route.

“Relax. You need a job and I have a line on one. That’s all.” He held the door open for her.

She felt like sinking into the floor. Of course he wouldn’t be interested in a single mother. Or her. The only reason Jerry married her was because he knocked her up. Even that wouldn’t have caused him to propose but his parents had insisted that they wouldn’t have a bastard grandchild. A lot of good that did them as Jerry proceeded to have several affairs and get two women pregnant during their marriage. They now had multiple illegitimate grandchildren. And those were just the ones she knew of.

“Where is this job?” she asked as they headed across Main Street toward Kismet Café. It had to be within walking distance. Even if she’d been able to get her driver’s license, she couldn’t afford a car.

“C’mon, we’ll talk inside. It’s cold out here.” Mitch grabbed her by the elbow to steer her around an icy patch on the sidewalk. Her arm tingled where he’d touched her. She pulled her arm away and rubbed her hand over the spot, telling herself it was just because she was cold in her threadbare coat and his hand was warm.

The only restaurant in Destiny Hamlet bustled with activity. Strands of brightly colored lights twinkled in the windows, the smell of freshly baked hot rolls filled the air, and the clatter of silverware was barely discernable under the low rumble of conversation.

She took a deep breath, remembering what a treat it had been as a young child to come to Kismet for ice cream. She could still taste the sweet, tangy butterscotch topping that Margo, Kismet’s owner, made from scratch mixed with the cold, familiar flavor of vanilla ice cream. How long had it been since she’d had the money to bring Mia here? Tears burned on the rims of her eyes but she blinked rapidly and refused to let them fall. She’d save them both somehow. There had to be a way.

They zigzagged their way to a corner booth at the back of the restaurant. Mitch took her jacket and hung it onto one of the hooks set high on either outside of the booth. She noticed how his tan sheriff’s shirt stretched across his broad shoulders and narrowed at his hips.

“Enjoying the view?” His brown eyes glittered brighter than the lights in the windows.

She felt the heat flood her cheeks. “Just because you’re on a diet, doesn’t mean you can’t look at the menu.”

His smile faded and he leaned forward and took her hands in his. “Katie, you aren’t still waiting for Jerry to come back are you?”

She jerked her hands away. Waiting for Jerry to come back? Other than the fact that he’d left them in financial straights, Jerry’s leaving was the best thing that had ever happened.

“Are you serious?” Hadn’t he heard the low whispers in town? The wonderings about how many times Jerry had hit her? How many affairs he’d had? Once he’d given her yet another reason, she couldn’t divorce him fast enough.

“I just thought—”

“You didn’t think,” she interrupted him. “Why would I want a man back who cheated on me, hit me and insulted me with every word out of his mouth?”

“I didn’t know.” A frown settled on his forehead and he stared pensively at the opposite wall for long minutes.

As the silence dragged on, she imagined she could hear the tick of the gaudy clock surrounded by red neon that rested on the opposite wall. She’d said too much. People didn’t like to talk about the dark side of life. They didn’t want to hear that Jerry sometimes beat her. That he slept around. And that every day she’d prayed for a way out of her marriage and every night she’d gone to sleep knowing she couldn’t feed her daughter if she left him. Her prayer had been answered, just not in the way she’d expected. Unable to stand the ticking seconds of quiet any longer, she waved her hand in front of Mitch’s face.

“Just forget I said anything. It wasn’t appropriate.”

“No, it’s fine. I was just trying to figure out how I can beat the hell of Pierson and not spoil my image as town sheriff.”

“Beat Jerry up?” She laughed.

The waitress arrived to take their order. Katie chewed her lip. She had exactly two dollars in her purse. Money she should use on Mia. She closed the menu, her stomach rumbling in protest and smiled at the waitress.

“I had a big breakfast. I think I’ll just have some hot water with a twist of lemon.”

Mitch lifted one brow and she wondered if he could hear her stomach protesting loudly.

“Two lunch specials, two sodas, slice of cherry pie and blackberry cobbler ala mode.” He yanked the menu out of Katie’s hands and handed both to the waitress.

“Mitch—” What had he just done?

“I haven’t taken you to lunch since high school. I won’t take no for an answer.”

She should say no but the fact was she couldn’t. He’d already ordered the food and she didn’t have enough money to pay for it. To argue would only land her in trouble. She swallowed.

“Thank you.” She folded her napkin into a small square and then unfolded it again. “About the job?”

“I need someone for office work at the Sheriff’s office.”

Work for him? That was a really bad idea. Already she could sense his knees just inches from hers under the table. Each time his warm eyes met hers, her heart picked up its pace just a little. Really, really bad idea. If only she had a choice…

“Isn’t that a city job?” She’d tried to get a job as a secretary with the city just a month ago. After all, she had two years as an English major, she could type eighty words a minute, and take dictation. But Jerry’s parents ran this town and the day their son had walked out she and Mia ceased to exist. That included any jobs in the town. Yet, they wouldn’t help financially either. It was almost as though they wanted to see her lying in the gutter. That she could live with, but it amazed her that they cared so little for Mia.

“Rules say I get to hire an assistant of my choosing.”

“Mitch, are you just doing this because you feel sorry for me?” Not that it mattered, she was going to take the job if he was offering it. She needed it too badly.

“No. I really need an assistant and I’m tired of ditzy high school girls who don’t know how to file alphabetically.”

Well, if he was going to give her the job, she was going to let him know she actually was qualified for it. No one was going to feel sorry for her! She’d been through too much in her life to give into pity.

“I can type eighty words a minute, have two years toward an English degree, and take dictation.” She ticked the points off on her fingers. “And I know my alphabet.”

“You’re hired.” He held out his hand.

“I’ll take it.” She placed her fingers in his. Her fingertips quivered from the contact and she yanked her hand away. It was still there. That instant physical connection she’d always felt with him. And it scared her senseless.

“When can you start?”

“Tomorrow?” Please let them pay weekly. She couldn’t hold out much longer and there were only ten more days until Christmas. Just enough time to get a present for Mia.

“Tomorrow it is. We pay on Fridays and you will get paid this week.”

The waitress set a hamburger and French fries in front of her. Katie stared at them as tears threatened to fall. She sniffed.

“Mitch, you don’t know—” the words got caught in her throat.

“Don’t, Katie. You’re doing me a big favor.” He lifted the hamburger and took a huge bite.

What would her life had been like if she’d waited for Mitch to come home from college instead of marrying Jerry? But the thought no sooner presented itself than she kicked it away. She wouldn’t have Mia if she hadn’t married Jerry and she wouldn’t trade her daughter for anything. Mia made up for every rotten thing that had ever happened to her. Her child was a bundle of energy, joy and promise. No, she wouldn’t change things, even if she could.

***

“It’s too cooooooooooold for this.” Mia wiped her nose on her coat sleeve.

“We’ll have hot chocolate when we’re finished.” Katie twisted the screwdriver, tightening the new hinges she’d bought for Mitch’s gate with her last two dollars. Just because they were destitute didn’t mean Mia couldn’t learn about taking responsibility for her mistakes.

“I want it now.” Mia pouted.

“Good afternoon, ladies.” The front door of Mitch’s brown brick ranch stood open and the man stood in the doorway looking sexy as sin.

Katie tried to swallow but her mouth had gone dry.

“Mommy said we hafta fix your stupid gate.”

Katie opened her mouth to reprimand Mia but Mitch walked to the little girl and squatted down so they were eye-to-eye.

“Mia, do you know why you have to fix the gate?”

She looked away with a stubborn set to her chin. “’Cause I broke it.”

“After I asked you to stop swinging on it and tightened the hinges several times. But you broke it anyway and the consequences are that you have to fix it.”

Bravo! She couldn’t have put it better herself. Mia’s personality had undergone a change since Jerry left. Before his desertion, Mia played quietly. Katie suspected to stay out of Jerry’s way and to avoid his temper. Although he’d never lifted a hand to Mia—she wouldn’t have stood for that—he’d often grown irritated with her for normal childhood behavior. But once he left it was as though all the anger and rage inside Mia that had built up over the years poured out. Would it ever stop? Katie sighed.

Mitch stood and turned to Katie. “Do you need help getting your Christmas tree up?”
“Christmas tree?” Okay, like she could afford a tree.

“Mommy says there isn’t enough money for one this year but we’re going to hang our decorations around the house.”

Katie wanted to sink into a snow bank and hide there until spring. She tightened another screw, allowing her hair to fall in a curtain and hide her face from Mitch.

“I didn’t know. I’m sorry.” He turned and walked back into his house.

“Guess we made him uncomfortable.” She smiled at Mia but it hurt that Mitch had walked away. Abandoning the difficult topic, she supposed.

Two minutes later, he returned. His forefinger rested inside the ring of his keychain and he swung it around in mini circles. “Let’s go.”

“Go where?” Finished with the fence, she wasn’t sure where to look.

“To get a tree.”

“But I can’t afford—”

“Let me do this for you, Katie. Everyone should have a tree at Christmas.”
“No.” She wouldn’t accept charity. Not from him.

“Please, Mommy.” Mia tugged at her coat and looked up at her mother with wide, hopeful eyes.

Crap. Being proud and being a mother didn’t always go together.

“Okay, but I’m paying you back.” Somehow.

“Whenever you can.” He grinned and she glimpsed the boy she used to know. The one who loved to spend lazy summer days sailing a small boat in the park pond. The one who’d brought her a single perfect yellow rose every Monday because she was the only thing that made Monday’s worth getting up for. The one who’d left her behind and who she’d given up on a long time ago. Her heart jerked in her chest leaving behind a sharp pain.

Lost Acres Tree Park rested southwest of town on forty rolling acres. To the north stretched farms, Dome Inn, Destiny Hamlet High School and the new housing edition. To the Northeast lie Main Street, and her home.

The ground lay tucked beneath a blanket of snow and the trees reached for the sky, regal and green and much too beautiful to cut down.

“I can’t do it.” She stared at a six foot white pine. “It’s too beautiful to cut down.”

“If you don’t do it, someone will.” Mitch lifted his ax.

“Wait!” She stared at the full branches of the tree. It seemed such a shame to kill a living thing in this way and simply for amusement’s sake.

Mitch waved to Herb Johnson, owner of Lost Acres. “Herb! You still got that backhoe?”

“Sure do, Mitch,” Herb called back.

“Can we pull this tree up and tie the roots in burlap?”

“Strange request but we could do that.”

“There you go, little lady. We’ll get you a live Christmas tree and then we’ll plant it in your yard.”

She couldn’t help herself. Her arms threw themselves around his neck and she planted a quick kiss on his lips before she realized what she was doing. She pulled away quickly. Oops. What had she done?

Mitch didn’t say anything and she hoped he’d just forget that she’d thrown herself at him. What was wrong with her? But she knew…Mitch had put more thought into a Christmas tree than Jerry had shown her in five years of marriage.

Herb offered to put the tree into the back of Mitch’s four wheel drive Ford truck. As they followed their snow indented footsteps back to the parking lot, Mitch swung Mia onto his shoulders. The girl squealed with fear and delight and clung to his hands.

This had to stop. Here and now. What was she doing? She couldn’t allow Mitch to spend time with Mia. It would only hurt her daughter when it didn’t go anywhere. All she needed was Mia to start looking at another man like a father figure and have him disappear on her. No matter how sweet he acted or how attracted to him she was, this stopped here and now. From now on, it was business only.

***

“Hurry, Mommy!” Mia tugged on her hand. “We’ll miss Santa.”

She only hoped she’d have enough money to buy whatever it was Mia wanted for Christmas. Each year, the week before Christmas, the town council erected a small playhouse known as Santa’s Stopover. The children of Destiny Hamlet scurried through the park on the northeast side of town. She and Katie simply had to walk out their back door, across the snow packed ground, past the frozen pond and stand in line for five minutes.

“Ho! Ho! Ho! It’s Mia Pierson.” The deep voice curled across the crisp early evening air and skittered down Katie’s spine.

Mitch? She looked around the white beard and under the red fuzzy hat and saw chocolate brown eyes staring back at her. He winked.

Since deciding to avoid any hint of a relationship with Mitch, she’d bumped into him at the grocery store, and twice as they were both leaving for work. The sheriff’s office sat behind their houses, so they’d walked together. Now he was Santa? She looked toward Heaven. What are you doing to me here? I’m trying to keep my sanity. A little help if you will.

Mia jumped onto Mitch’s lap and held up three fingers. “I don’t need a lot, Santa. I want a doll baby—you know the one. I want my mommy to stop crying at night when she thinks I can’t hear her. And I want Sheriff Mitch to be my daddy because he likes me and my real daddy doesn’t.”

Mia’s words slammed into Katie and sucked her breath away. She hadn’t just said what she thought she’d heard her daughter say. No way. She wanted to cry for Mia’s pain. She wanted to die of embarrassment at the same time. She wanted to disappear. There were no rocks handy to crawl under, but she could jump into the pond and turn into an ice cube until spring.

“Santa will see what he can do but even I only have so much magic.” He set Mia on her feet and handed her a wrapped present.

Mia clasped it to her chest. “Thanks, Santa. Mommy, look what I got!”

Mia waved the present in the air as she ran back to Katie. She swallowed her embarrassment and enjoyed the pure elation shining out of her daughter’s eyes.

“Do you think we should open it now or wait until Christmas?”

“Now! Now!”

Katie laughed, and glanced at Mitch. He smiled and she looked away. Did he have to look so cute in his Santa costume?

“Mommy, it’s a book! It’s a book! Can we go home and read it right now?”

“Sure, sweat pea.”

Katie gave a small wave to Mitch as they turned to leave. Seeing it, Mia handed the book to her mother and ran back to Santa. She jumped onto his lap and threw her arms around his neck as she planted a loud kiss on his cheek.

“Thank you, Santa. I love you.”

She’d have to talk to Mia later and explain that what she’d asked for couldn’t happen. At least as far as Mitch was concerned. However, she was going to make every effort to give her daughter her other wish and not cry herself to sleep anymore. A twinge of guilt tugged at her. She hadn’t realized Mia was aware that she cried every night. No child should have to worry about that. It was over. She’d shed a few too many tears in her life. There was nothing left to cry about. She had a beautiful daughter, and a job that would support them. So what if she felt a little lonely? It would pass.

***

“Mitch?” She handed her paycheck to him. “You made a mistake on my check. It’s too much.”

“Signing bonus.” He held the check out to her.

She looked at it. “It’s too much.”

“Take the check, Katie. It’s not too much. I planned to give whoever I hired a bonus. It’s almost Christmas.”

“Thank you, then.” A six hundred dollar bonus? She felt the tear slide down her cheek. She turned quickly so he wouldn’t see.

Six hundred dollars! She could buy a doll for Mia. And a stroller for the doll and a baby bed. She could pay the bills that had begun to pile up on her desk at home. She could take Mia to Kismet Café for ice cream. She could buy a ham and they could have a real Christmas dinner. And it was all because of Mitch and this wonderful chance he’d given her by offering her this job.

She hesitated. She should invite him to share dinner with them. His mother had died last year and he was an only child. Did he have anyone to share the holiday with? Would he be all alone? Even when she’d faced having no money for presents or food, she’d known she’d be with her daughter. She shouldn’t allow him to get close to them. She should just walk away and not worry about where he spent his days or his nights. Especially after Mia’s request to “Santa.” It wasn’t fair to her daughter to build false expectations. But Mia had said she understood that Mitch was only a friend. And no one should be alone at Christmas.

“Do you want to join us for Christmas dinner?” she asked. Oh why had she opened her big mouth? “I mean we do it on Christmas Eve and then we wait for Santa until we can’t stay awake anymore and then I sneak outside and make reindeer footprints in the snow and then Mia wakes up the minute the sun rises and then we have hot cocoa and pancakes for breakfast.”

She was rambling on and on but she had to cover the pounding of her heart. Could he hear it?

“I’d love to. Pancakes and cocoa will be nice.” He smiled and two dimples appeared on either side of his mouth.

“Oh.” She hadn’t meant he should stay for all of that. Just for the dinner on Christmas Eve. But she could hardly take the invitation back. “We’ll see you at six o’clock tomorrow then.”

What had she just done? She rushed to Pierson Drugs, hating that she would be giving that family a cent of her money but they were the only choice for presents in town. The newborn baby doll was one Mia eyed longingly each time they came into the store. She chose a stroller and baby bed to go along with it and several small trinkets for Mia’s stocking.

If she hurried, she’d have just enough time to stop by Pierson Grocery for that ham dinner. And she’d do it all without worrying about Mitch Wyte she told herself as she chose a small electronic personal organizer for him.

***
He arrived on her doorstep with a huge bouquet of delicate yellow roses, a bottle of red wine and a smile that threatened to melt her knees.

“Thanks,” she said as she took the roses. Their sweet fragrance wafted around her head and she carried them to the kitchen. When was the last time someone had bought her flowers? Easy answer. It was Mitch just before he’d left for college. Pale yellow roses. He always bought her yellow roses. The only other time she’d had flowers in the last eleven years was on her wedding day. And she’d bought those for herself.

“Smells good in here.” Mitch stopped just behind her, close enough that she could feel the heat from his body but not quite touching her.

Katie took a shaky breath. “I’d better put these in water.”

“Anything I can do to help?”

A man actually offering to help in the kitchen? Once again she realized how very different this man was from her ex-husband.

“You can drain the water off those potatoes if you’d like.” She pointed to the pot and the colander resting next to it.

Mia rushed into the kitchen, the wind whipping past her she moved so fast.

“Mitch!” She threw herself at his legs.

“Hi, cutie.” He squatted, lowering himself to her level.

“I get to put the marshmallows on the sweet potatoes.” She leaned close and lowered her voice. “It’s my job every year since I could walk.”

“I’m sure your sweet potatoes are wonderful.”

Mia giggled. “Mommy cooks them, silly. I just put on the decoration.”

“Ah, but what would Christmas be without a little decoration?” He winked at Mia and then moved back to the potatoes.

Mia carefully placed each marshmallow in just the right spot and then skipped off to watch cartoons. The silence she left in the room wasn’t exactly comfortable. Katie shifted from foot to foot. Did Mitch really plan to stay through breakfast? She wasn’t even sure she should let him. Always, it had been she and Mia staying up watching for Santa Claus. Of course Mia always fell asleep but they had such fun.
Jerry had declared it all absolute nonsense and hadn’t participated in any of their fun, refusing to even fill Mia’s stockings. She sighed. Why had she made such a poor choice of a father for her daughter? Something was lacking in her to choose someone like that. But she’d changed. She could admit her mistakes and never again would she subject Mia to someone who wouldn’t love her heart and soul. Never again would she subject her own self to someone who couldn’t love her heart and soul. Would Mitch help fill Mia’s stocking?

Stop that, Katie. You are not going to allow yourself to fall in love with this man again. He’d probably walk out just like Jerry did. After all, he left for college and didn’t look back. But she wasn’t sure she’d ever fallen out of love with Mitch. He’d always had a small piece of her heart. And he came back after college just like he said he would.

After dinner, Mia dragged them into the living room.

“Let’s give Mitch his present, Mommy. Pleeeeaaaaaaaaaaaseeeeee.”

Mitch laughed at Mia’s dramatics and Katie noticed how warm his eyes were when he looked Mia. The one time Mia had begged to open her presents before Christmas, Jerry had gotten irritated and told her she wouldn’t get anything for Christmas if she asked one more time.

“You give it to him, Mia.”

Her daughter beamed a wide smile at them and rushed to the tree, snatching up Mitch’s gift. She raced back to his side and handed him the present, planting herself on his knee.

“Open it now. Open it right this instant!” She bounced up and down in excitement. Something else that had bothered Jerry but didn’t seem to bother Mitch in the least.

Mitch ripped into the wrapping paper and held up the organizer. “This is great. I needed one of these. Thank you, Mia.”
“Mommy picked it out but it’s from me too.” She tilted her head sideways and stared at Mitch but didn’t say anything.

“Did you want to say something?” he asked.

Mia leaned forward and whispered, “I’m not s’posed to ask where my present is. Mommy says it’s rude.”

Katie couldn’t help it, a chuckle escaped. Leave it to Mia to ask by not asking.

“I think I might just have something for you. Right there in that teddy bear wrapping paper.”

Mia squealed and jumped off his lap, making a mad dash for the tree. She slid the last few feet in her stockinged feet and Katie thought she was going to crash into the tree but she stopped at the last minute.

Mitch laughed, tiny lines appearing at the corners of his eyes as he watched Mia’s antics.

The child shred the paper in two seconds, tore open the box and held up the picture inside with a puzzled and slightly disappointed look on her face.

She shuffled back over to Mitch and gave him a hug. “Thank you for the nice picture, Mitch. I’ll hang it in my bedroom.”

“Well, that might work but I think you’ll have more fun riding it. It’s in my garage and I’ll put it together for you later.”

“You bought me a real bike! Wooohooo!” Mia jumped in the air and clicked her heels together.

“Mitch, you shouldn’t have—”

He held his fingers up to Katie’s lips, stopping her in midsentence. “I wanted to. I care about Mia. A lot. I care about you too.”

She swallowed. She cared about him too but she couldn’t say it. What if….stop it, Katie! Take a chance. You’ve loved this man forever. You never stopped loving him. Tell him you care too. But she couldn’t and she didn’t know what to say.

“Can Mommy open hers?”

“Sure, but the timing might be off,” he said.

Mia picked up a small package and brought it to Katie. She swallowed, feeling the weight of a small box in her hand. She suspected it might be a ring and terror filled her heart at the thought of opening it and having to give Mitch an answer right this minute. What if she couldn’t? She was so frightened. She knew he was nothing like Jerry. She knew she still loved him. She could tell her loved Mia. But what if she was wrong? Then again, she knew she wasn’t wrong. Her thoughts swirled with all the confusion of a banana split.

Her hands shook as she tore of the paper. She small, black velvet box rested soft and warm on her upturned palm for long minutes as she stared at it.

“Open it, Mommy!” Mia bounced up and down.

Mitch didn’t say anything, just watched her with those warm, brown eyes.

She snapped the lid open and saw a gold key. Not a ring? Unexpected disappointment flooded her. He wasn’t proposing. And now that he wasn’t, she realized how much she wanted him to. They hadn’t been on a real date since high school, unless you counted lunch several times a week at Kismet Café and shopping for Christmas trees as dates. Why would she think he’d propose out of the blue. Because she’d secretly hoped he’d never gotten over her just like she’d never gotten over him.

She smiled but could tell it was shaky. “What is the key for?”

“A house.”

“You bought me a house?” She frowned. How could he afford that on his salary.

“I bought us a house.” He flushed. “At least I hope I did. I bought a house we all could live in. It’s across the street from the park and next to the elementary. It’s also close the housing edition they’ve started on the Northwest end of town, so Mia would have friends to play with.”

Mitch bent down on one knee and pulled a sparkling diamond ring from his shirt pocket. Katie felt the warm tears well up in her eyes and spill onto her cheeks.

“Katie, will you marry me? I should have asked you years ago but the timing was off for us. I’ve never gotten you out of my heart or my head and I don’t want to waste another second. I promise to be good to you, faithful and to be a good father to Mia.”

Mia gasped. “Oh my gosh! It’s my Christmas wish, Mommy. Santa gave me my wish! You have to say yes.”

“Do you think I could answer, Mia? After all, it is a big question.” She could barely keep her smile in check.

“Okay, but don’t mess it up.” Mia crossed her arms.

“Well, with that pressure hanging over me, I have to say…”

She saw Mitch swallow, although his eyes didn’t leave hers.

“I have to say that I’ve realized something these last couple of weeks. Back in high school I gave you a piece of my heart and I’ve never gotten you out of it. I still love you too and yes, I’ll marry you.”

Mitch placed the ring on her finger and then pulled her into his arms. Mia threw herself at them and they all three tumbled to the floor in a mix of arms and legs and laughter.

“Thank you, Santa Claus,” Mia shouted at the top of her lungs. Then without taking a breath, she asked, “Can I have a dog now? And a cat? And a hamster? And maybe a fish?”

“Why don’t we take it one at a time?” Mitch ruffled her hair.

“Can I have a little sister? And a brother?” Mia’s eyes were wide with anticipation.

Mitch looked at Katie helplessly.

“Why don’t we take it one at a time?” she suggested.

He smiled and planted a firm kiss on her lips. “Can’t wait to get started.”

She snuggled close to him and they all waited for Santa together. Mia drifted off around midnight with a smile on her cupid’s bow mouth. Mitch filled Mia’s stocking while she made the reindeer footprints, tucking in some extra goodies he’d picked up at the store. She snuggled into his arms and just as she was drifting off to sleep she heard the faint jingle of sleigh bells.

“Thank you, Santa Claus,” she whispered. All their wishes had come true, even the ones she hadn’t realized she wanted.