Christmas Wishes

  K.O. sat on the sofa and held her mug in one hand and a slice of fruitcake in the other. “I’m so pleased to hear Tom will be home soon.” Her conscience had been bothering her, and for the sake of their friendship, K.O. felt the need to confess what she’d done.

  “The best part is I haven’t seen that maniac all week,” LaVonne was saying.

  K.O. gave her neighbor a tentative smile and lowered her gaze. She hadn’t seen Max, either. Or Wynn, except for that brief visit to his office, although they’d e-mailed each other a couple of times. He’d kept her updated on his father and the so-called memory loss, from which Max had apparently made a sudden recovery. In fact, he now remembered a little too much, according to Wynn. But the wounds on his arm appeared to be healing nicely and Max seemed to enjoy the extra attention Wynn paid him. Wynn, meanwhile, was looking forward to the reprieve offered by their visit to Zelda’s.

  “I owe you an apology,” K.O. said to LaVonne.

  “Nonsense. You had no way of knowing how Tom would react to Mr. Jeffries.”

  “True, but…” She swallowed hard. “You should know…” She started again. “I didn’t really have a psychic experience.”

  LaVonne set down her mug and stared at K.O. “You didn’t actually see a man for me in the soup? You mean to say there wasn’t any message in the cracker crumbs?”

  “No,” K.O. admitted.

  “Oh.”

  “It might seem like I was making fun of you and your psychic abilities, but I wasn’t, LaVonne, I truly wasn’t. I thought that if you believed a man was coming into your life, you’d be looking for one, and if you were expecting to meet a man, then you just might, and I hoped that man would be Wynn’s father, but clearly it wasn’t…isn’t.” This was said without pausing for breath.

  A short silence ensued, followed by a disappointed, “Oh.”

  “Forgive me if I offended you.”

  LaVonne took a moment to think this through. “You didn’t,” she said after a while. “I’ve more or less reached the same conclusion about my psychic abilities. But—” she smiled brightly “—guess what? I’ve signed up for another class in January.” She reached for a second slice of fruitcake and smiled as Martin brought K.O. the catnip mouse Wynn had given Tom that ill-fated evening.

  “Another one at the community college?” K.O. asked.

  LaVonne shook her head. “No, I walked across the street into A Good Yarn and decided I’d learn how to knit.”

  “That sounds good.”

  “Want to come, too?” LaVonne asked.

  Every time her friend enrolled in a new course, she urged K.O. to take it with her. Because of finances and her job search, K.O. had always declined. This time, however, she felt she might be able to swing it. Not to mention the fact that she owed LaVonne…“I’ll see.”

  “Really?” Even this little bit of enthusiasm seemed to delight LaVonne. “That’s wonderful.”

  “I had a job interview on Wednesday,” K.O. told her, squelching the desire to pin all her hopes on this one interview. Apple Blossom Books, the publisher Wynn had recommended, had called her in almost immediately. She’d met with the president and the marketing manager, and they’d promised to get back to her before Christmas. For the first time in a long while, K.O. felt optimistic. A publishing company, even a small one, would be ideal.

  “And?” LaVonne prompted.

  “And…” K.O. said, smiling. “I’m keeping my fingers crossed.”

  “That’s just great! I know you’ve been looking for ages.”

  “The Christmas letters are going well, too,” she added. “I wrote another one this week for a woman in Zach’s office. She kept thinking she had time and then realized she didn’t, so it was a rush job.”

  “You might really be on to something, you know. A little sideline business every Christmas.”

  “You aren’t upset with me about what I did, are you?” K.O. asked, returning to her apology. “You’ve been such a good friend, and I wouldn’t do anything in the world to hurt you.”

  “Nah,” LaVonne assured her, petting Phillip, who’d jumped into her lap. “If anyone’s to blame it’s that horrible man. As far as I’m concerned, he’s a fruitcake.” That said, she took another bite of the slice she’d been enjoying.

  Wynn had devised a rather complicated plan of escape. On Friday afternoon he would leave his office at three-thirty and pick K.O. up on the corner of Blossom Street and Port Avenue. Because he didn’t want to risk going inside and being seen by his father, she’d agreed to wait on the curb with her overnight bag.

  K.O. was packed and ready long before the time they’d arranged. At three, her phone rang. Without checking caller ID, she knew it had to be her sister.

  “I can’t believe Dr. Wynn Jeffries is actually coming to the house,” she said and gave a shrill cry of excitement. “You can’t imagine how jealous my friends are.”

  “No one’s supposed to know about this,” K.O. reminded her.

  “No one knows exactly when he’ll be here, but I did mention it to a few close friends.”

  “Zelda! You promised.”

  “I know, I know. I’m sorry, but I couldn’t keep this to myself. You just don’t understand what an honor it is to have Dr. Jeffries in my home.”

  “But…”

  “Don’t worry, no one knows it’s this weekend,” Zelda told her.

  “You’re sure?”

  “I swear, all right?”

  It would be a nightmare if a few dozen of Zelda’s closest friends just happened to drop by the house unannounced. Unfortunately, K.O. didn’t have any choice but to believe her.

  “How are the girls?” K.O. asked, hoping the twins were up to their usual antics. She didn’t want Zoe and Zara to be on their best behavior. That would ruin all her plans.

  “They’re fine. Well, mostly fine. Healthwise, they’re both getting over ear infections.”

  Oh, dear. “You might’ve told me this before!” K.O. cried. Her mind shifted into overdrive. If the girls were sick, it would throw everything off. Wynn would insist their behavior was affected by how they were feeling.

  “They’ve been on antibiotics for the last two weeks,” Zelda said, breaking into her thoughts. “The doctor explained how important it is to finish the medicine, and they only have a couple of doses left. I wrote it all down for you and Dr. Jeffries, so there’s no need to worry.”

  “Fine,” K.O. said, relieved. “Anything else you’re not telling me?”

  Her sister went silent for a moment. “I can’t think of anything. I’ve got a list of instructions for you and the phone numbers where we can be reached. I do appreciate this, you know.”

  K.O. in turn appreciated the opportunity to spend this time with the twins—and to share the experience with Wynn. At least they’d be able to stop tiptoeing around the subject of the Free Child movement.

  “We have a Christmas tree,” Zelda murmured as if she were admitting to a weakness of character. “Zach felt we needed one, and when I spoke to Dr. Jeffries last Monday he didn’t discourage it. So I gave in, although I’m still not sure it’s such a good idea.”

  “You made the right choice,” K.O. told her.

  “I hope so.”

  K.O. noticed the clock on her microwave and was shocked to see that it was time to meet Wynn. “Oh, my goodness, I’ve got to go. I’ll see you in about thirty minutes.”

  K.O. hung up the phone and hurried to put on her long wool coat, hat and scarf. Grabbing her purse and overnight bag, she rushed outside. Traffic was heavy, and it was already getting dark. She’d planned to be waiting at the curb so when Wynn pulled up, she could quickly hop inside his car. Then they’d be on their way, with no one the wiser.

  No sooner had she stepped out of the building than she saw Max Jeffries walking toward her. His cheeks were ruddy, as if he’d been out for a long stroll.

  “Well, hello there, Katherine,” he said cheerfully. “How are you this fine cold day?”

  “
Ah…” She glanced furtively around. “I’m going to my sister’s tonight,” she said when he looked pointedly at her small suitcase.

  “Wynn’s away himself.”

  “Pure coincidence,” she told him and realized how guilty she sounded.

  Max chuckled. “Business trip, he said.”

  She nodded, moving slowly toward the nearby corner of Blossom and Port. She kept her gaze focused on the street, fearing she was about to give everything away.

  “I’m healing well,” Max told her conversationally. “I had a couple of rough days, but the pain is much better now.”

  “I’m glad to hear it.”

  “Yes, me, too. I never want to see that crazy cat woman again as long as I live.”

  It demanded restraint not to immediately defend her friend, but K.O. managed. “I see your memory’s back,” she said instead, all the while keeping a lookout for Wynn.

  “Oh, yes, it returned within a day or two. In some ways,” he sighed, “I wished it hadn’t. Because now all I can think about is how that vicious feline latched on to my arm.”

  Not wanting to give Max an excuse to continue the conversation, K.O. threw him a vague smile.

  “Have you ever seen so much blood in your life?” he said with remarkable enthusiasm.

  “Uh, no,” she murmured. Since it was her towels that had cleaned it up, she had to confess there’d been lots.

  “My son seems to be quite taken with you,” Max said next.

  As badly as she wanted to urge Max to go about his business, K.O. couldn’t ignore that particular comment. Not when Max dropped this little morsel at her feet—much as Martin had presented her with the catnip mouse. “He does? Really?”

  Max nodded.

  “He talks about me?”

  “Hmm. It’s more a question of what he doesn’t say than what he does. He was always an intense child. As a youngster…Well, I’m sure you don’t have time to go into that right now.”

  K.O. thought she could see Wynn’s car. “I don’t…I’m sorry.”

  “Take my word for it, Wynn’s interested in you.” K.O. felt like dancing in the street. “I’m interested in him, too,” she admitted.

  “Good, good,” Max said expansively. “Well, I’d better get back inside. Have a nice weekend.”

  “I will. Thank you.” It did look like Wynn’s car. His timing was perfect—or almost. She hoped that when he reached the curb, his father would be inside the building.

  Just then the front doors opened and out stepped LaVonne. She froze in midstep when she saw Wynn’s father. He froze, too.

  K.O. watched as LaVonne’s eyes narrowed. She couldn’t see Max’s face, but from LaVonne’s reaction, she assumed he shared her resentment. They seemed unwilling to walk past each other, and both stood there, looking wildly in all directions except ahead. If it hadn’t been so sad, it would’ve been laughable.

  K.O. could see that it was definitely Wynn’s car. He smiled when he saw her and started to ease toward the curb. At the same moment, he noticed his father and LaVonne and instantly pulled back, merging into traffic again. He drove straight past K.O.

  Now LaVonne and Max were staring at each other. They still hadn’t moved, and people had to walk around them as they stood in the middle of the sidewalk.

  K.O. had to find a way to escape without being detected. As best as she could figure, Wynn had to drive around the block. With one-way streets and heavy traffic, it might take him ten minutes to get back to Blossom. If she hurried, she might catch him on Port Avenue or another side street and avoid letting Max see them together.

  “I think my ride’s here,” she said, backing away and dragging her suitcase with her.

  They ignored her.

  “Bye,” she said, waving her hand.

  This, too, went without comment. “I’ll see you both later,” she said, rushing past them and down the sidewalk.

  Again there was no response.

  K.O. didn’t dare look back. Blossom Street had never seemed so long. She rounded the corner and walked some distance down Port, waiting until she saw Wynn’s car again. Raising her arm as if hailing a taxi, she managed to catch his attention.

  Wynn pulled up to the curb, reached over and opened the passenger door. “That was a close call,” he murmured as she climbed inside.

  “You have no idea,” she said, shaking her head.

  “Is everything all right?” he asked.

  “I don’t know and, frankly, I don’t want to stick around and find out.”

  Wynn chuckled. “I don’t, either,” he said, rejoining the stream of traffic.

  They were off on what she hoped would be a grand adventure in the land of Z.

  Chapter

  15

  “This is Zoe,” K.O. said as her niece wrapped one arm around her leg. After a half-hour of instructions, Zelda was finally out the door, on her way to meet Zach at the hotel. The twins stood like miniature statues, dressed in jean coveralls and red polka-dot shirts, with their hair in pigtails. They each stared up at Wynn.

  “No, I’m Zara.”

  K.O. narrowed her eyes, unsure whether to believe the child. The twins were identical and seemed to derive great satisfaction from fooling people, especially their parents.

  “Zoe,” K.O. challenged. “Tell the truth.”

  “I’m hungry.”

  “It’ll be dinnertime soon,” K.O. promised.

  Zoe—and she felt sure it was Zoe—glared up at her. “I’m hungry now. I want to eat now.” She punctuated her demand by stamping her foot. Her twin joined in, shouting that she, too, was hungry.

  “I want dinner now,” Zara insisted.

  Wynn smiled knowingly. “Children shouldn’t be forced to eat on a schedule. If they’re hungry, we should feed them no matter what the clock says.”

  Until then, the girls had barely acknowledged Wynn. All of a sudden, he was their best friend. Both beamed brilliant smiles in his direction, then marched over and stood next to him, as though aligning themselves with his theories.

  “What would you like for dinner?” he asked, squatting down so he was at eye level with them.

  “Hot dogs,” Zoe said, and Zara agreed. The two Yorkies, Zero and Zorro, seemed to approve, because they barked loudly and then scampered into the kitchen.

  “I’ll check the refrigerator,” K.O. told him. Not long ago, Zelda hadn’t allowed her daughters anywhere near hot dogs. She considered them unhealthy, low-quality fare that was full of nitrates and other preservatives. But nothing was off limits since Zelda had read The Free Child and become a convert.

  “I’ll help you look,” Zara volunteered and tearing into the kitchen, threw open the refrigerator door and peered inside.

  Not wanting to be left out, Zoe dragged over a kitchen chair and climbed on top. She yanked open the freezer and started tossing frozen food onto the floor. Zero and Zorro scrambled to get out of the way of flying frozen peas and fish.

  “There aren’t any hot dogs,” K.O. said after a few minutes. “Let’s choose something else.” After all, it was only four o’clock and she was afraid that if the girls ate too early, they’d be hungry again later in the evening.

  “I want a hot dog,” Zara shouted.

  “Me, too,” Zoe chimed in, as though eating wieners was a matter of eternal significance.

  Wynn stood in the kitchen doorway. “I can run to the store.”

  K.O. couldn’t believe her ears. She hated to see him cater to the whims of Zoe and Zara, but far be it from her to object. If he was willing to go to those lengths to get the twins the meal they wanted, she’d let him do it.

  “Isn’t that nice of Dr. Jeffries?” K.O. asked her nieces.

  Both girls ignored her and Wynn.

  K.O. followed him in to the other room, where Wynn retrieved his jacket from the hall closet. “I’ll be back soon,” he said.

  “I’ll put together a salad and—”

  “Let the girls decide if they want a salad,” Wynn interrupte
d. “Given the option, children will choose a well-balanced diet on their own. We as adults shouldn’t be making these decisions for them.”

  K.O. had broken down and bought a copy of The Free Child at a small bookstore that had recently opened on Blossom Street. She’d skimmed it last night, so she knew this advice was in the book, stated in exactly those words. She might not approve, but for tonight she was determined to follow his lead. So she kept her mouth shut. Not that it was easy.

  While the girls were occupied, he planted a gentle kiss on her lips, smiled and then was out the door.

  It was now three days since they’d been able to spend time together. With that one short kiss, a lovely warmth spread through her. She closed the door after him and was leaning against it when she noticed that the twins had turned to stare at her. “While we’re waiting for Wynn to get back, would you like me to read you a story?” she asked. The salad discussion could wait.

  The girls readily agreed, and the three of them settled on the sofa. She was only a few pages into the book when both Zoe and Zara slumped over, asleep. Before Zelda left, she’d said the twins had been awake since five that morning, excited about Katherine’s visit. Apparently they no longer took naps. This was something else Wynn had advised. Children would sleep when they needed to, according to him. Regimented nap-times stifled children’s ability to understand their internal clocks. Well, Zoe and Zara’s clocks had obviously wound down—and K.O. was grateful.

  The quiet was so blissful that she leaned her head back and rested her own eyes. The tranquility didn’t last long, however. In less than fifteen minutes, Wynn was back from the store, carrying a plastic bag with wieners and fresh buns. The dogs barked frantically as he entered the house, waking both children.

  “Here they are,” he announced as if he brandished an Olympic gold medal.

  Zara yawned. “I’m not hungry anymore.”

  “Me, neither,” Zoe added.

  It probably wasn’t the most tactful thing to do, but K.O. smiled triumphantly.

  “That’s okay. We can wait until later,” Wynn said, completely unfazed.