Once Upon A Christmas Wish: ...That's When The Wish Arrives

 

I was mentally and emotionally exhausted when Lisa knocked on the door jamb to the master bedroom. She looked slightly pale, her brow knitted.

“Do you know what’s wrong?” I asked.

“Yes.”

“And?”

“Phoebe is upset because she’s not getting her Christmas wish.”

“I finished writing the book. She has to get her wish now.”

“The odd twist to this is...Phoebe’s Christmas wish was for you and McKinley to fall in love. With each other.”

“When he left she knew there was no way she was going to get her wish.” I said. “I wish she had confided in me a couple of weeks ago I could have explained to her that Christmas wishes which involved other people doing things do not usually come true.”

“What good would that have done?”

“She could have asked for something else. Most little girls ask for ponies.”

“Phoebe is not most little girls.” Lisa pointed out.

“A snowmobile. She could have wished for a snowmobile.” I looked through the window at the darkness outside. “I feel terrible.”

“She’ll get over the disappointment with a little time.”

“I didn’t.”

“You had a different purpose with your wish and you were coming from a different place.”

Lisa reached out and gave me a hug. “You did everything you could to help. Every choice was made with love. I know that. Someday Phoebe will see that too.”

“I hope so.”

Lisa placed an envelope on the nightstand on her way out the door.

“What’s that?”

“It came in the mail. I forgot about it with all the excitement.”

“No one knows to send anything here do they?”

“I didn’t tell anyone. I assume it’s from one of your new friends here in town.”

“Or maybe one particular friend?” I asked.

“Maybe.”

I stared at the envelope for several minutes before picking it up and opening it. The front of the card was a beautiful winter scene with snow, trees native to the area and a bright dot of warm white showing in the distance much like the light I had seen earlier in the evening. There was no pre-printed sentiment inside only a hand written note.

When all hope is lost...that’s when the wish arrives.

I ran my fingers over the script that reminded so much of my mother’s. Light illuminated under my hand revealing the words.

Love Mom and Dad

******************

“Your Aunt Jess and I...we love you so much. We’re sorry about the wish.” Lisa said.

We both looked at Phoebe.

“I know.”

I thought about showing her the card. I remembered all of the times in my life that I seemed to be functioning on false hope I hated the thought of Phoebe working through the same feelings of embarrassment and remorse later on in her own life.

“It’s gonna be okay.” Phoebe said, taking turns looking at us. “You’ll get over it soon.” The eight year old said before changing the subject. “You two had better finish eating your breakfast or you’ll make us late for gift opening.”

Lisa and I looked at each other.

“What just happened?” I asked.

“Eight going on thirty-eight.”

Perhaps Phoebe was more resilient than I anticipated, perhaps children bounce back more easily than the rest of us. We decided not to question it and cleaned our plates. Homemade Pain Au Chocolate is too good to let it go to waste.

We made ourselves comfortable in the great room with a second cup of coffee while Phoebe played Santa.

“Who should get the first present?” She asked.

Phoebe was reaching under the tree, for a large present in the back when the front door opened. We heard the sound of heavy boots as they walked through the house. When they stopped McKinley stood on the far side of the room. He looked around, his eyes stopping at me.

“Jess.”

“McKinley.”

“A word?”

I cannot tell you what happened in McKinley’s life in the hours between Christmas morning and his exit the night before. I will not tell you what he said to me as we stood in the kitchen that morning, I promised I would keep it to myself.

If this were a fairy tale my next words might be ‘and they lived happily ever after.’ If this were a Bronte novel I might say, ‘reader, I married him.’ This story is not either one. Our journey to love did not resemble either. The journey we are on now is not always easy or smooth. What I can tell you is the journey is uniquely ours.

McKinley found his way to seeing things from my point of view and I from his. Eventually we found our way, away from the past and into the present with a firm foundation at its center. One that includes a precocious eight year old girl and her mother. An eight year girl going on thirty-eight.

Not Necessarily The End”

I finished reading. It my first public reading for this novel. There have not been many hard back sales today. “Once Upon A Christmas Wish” skyrocketed to alarming heights while in pre-sale. The publisher was having a tough time keeping up. The store was full of people seeking autographs and selfies. More than a few were not regular fans, they were new to my work. I suspected many were curious to discover what the fuss was all about.

The audience was fully engaged. A few people teared up a bit and one womanly was still winding down. She had been openly sobbing. I felt bad the story had upset her so much. I found myself wondering if this book should have been published at all. When one is standing in a bookstore crowded with people who came in because of said book, it is a bit too late to question whether publishing had been the best move.

“Questions?” I asked. I pointed to an energetic hand in front.

“McKinley. Is he still a part of your life?”

Of course the most difficult question came first. I took a deep breath before giving my pre-planned McKinley approved answer. The positive yet non-specific one crafted to protect McKinley’s privacy.

“Damn right he is.”

I looked in the direction of the all too familiar voice to the dark hair, hazel eyes and well trimmed beard. McKinley was standing behind the audience near the display window of the store next to a sign that read.

Book Signing

Jess Windstrom

Once Upon A Christmas Wish and A Mountain Man’s Christmas Miracle

Today Only!

“He’s still here.” I said, smiling.

We smiled at each other for a moment before I moved on to the next question.  

When all hope was lost Phoebe’s Christmas wish did come true. It is something we both are truly grateful for.

                                                                  Phoebe’s Christmas Movie List

1. The Muppet’s Christmas Carol

2. The Nightmare Before Christmas

3. Elf

4. Prancer

5. A Christmas Carol (1938)

6. White Christmas

7. Christmas Vacation

8. A Christmas Story

9. It’s A Wonderful Life

10. Miracle On 34^th Street (1934)

11. The Santa Clause

12. Home Alone

                                                                          Honorable Mention : Die Hard

 

Once Upon A Christmas Wish: When All Hope Is Lost...

 

“That clarifies things.”

We walked in silence for several minutes.

“Do you have any theories?” McKinley asked.

“Nothing that is developed completely, no.”

“Is there an E.T.A. on when you might have it figured out?”

I thought about it and I couldn’t quite make the words “He’s a ghost,” come out of my mouth. Luckily nature helped me out, my foot found a bit of ice. “I’m busy trying not to fall on my ass at the moment if you don’t mind.”

McKinley moved in closer, ready to reach out and offer support if needed. Shifting my weight, I regained my balance. The original search formation we established earlier resumed. We took turns calling for Phoebe. We found two sheds and one abandoned tree stand. Both showed no evidence anyone had been inside or on them in quite some time.

“Why do I get the feeling she’s not out here?” McKinley asked.

“Because a perfectly happy eight year old who absolutely loves everything Christmas and sticks to her holiday movie list better than most people follow traffic laws would not run away.”

“If she did it wouldn’t be on Christmas Eve.”

“Precisely. I wonder if she found a new tradition. Something she would need to be outside to observe. Are there any?”

“Christmas traditions unique to these mountains?” He asked.

“Yes.”

“No. Not that I know of.”

We made our way to the cabin McKinley and I had taken refuge in a couple of weeks ago. There were no signs anyone had been there recently. It was exactly as we had left it.

“This feels like a wild goose chase.” McKinley observed. “Who sends people on a wild goose chase on Christmas Eve?”

I wandered over to the window while McKinley checked the back of the cabin. I spotted a light in the distance, it was dim at first, reminding me a bit of a lighthouse, the way it seemed to be moving closer, further away, then closer once again. I felt something pulling me, urging me to walk towards it. I turned away, looking for McKinley. From the distant sounds I was hearing he was checking the back. He would probably be checking the shed where he kept his snowmobile next.

When I reached for the front doorknob and turned the light I was watching began to flicker more brightly. I stepped outside. On the light’s next pass it was brighter still. With each passing moment, each step closer, the light it grew brighter. I kept walking and when the light dimmed I found myself face to face with Edward Miller.

“It’s difficult isn’t it?” The young man said. “Not knowing if the person you’re facing is friend or foe. Not knowing what to say to them.”

I realized whether this was my father’s ghost or a disturbed person intent on doing me harm, either way, there was only a brief period of time to get answers. I counted to three, took a deep breath and… “Where’s Phoebe?”

“The little girl who’s been staying with you?” He asked. “She’s not with me. She’s in no danger. You’ll be notified soon.”

“What’s going on? Why did you say the things you did in the bookstore? Why did you follow me here? Why did you push me?”

“It’s my job as the keeper of your Christmas wish to watch from a distance and wait. To deliver your wish to you at the right time.”

“It’s not my wish any more, I gave it to Phoebe.”

“Yes. About the binding thing, binding your wish to hers was a kind gesture, full of love. What you didn’t know is binding one Christmas wish to another can have unforeseen consequences.” He said.

“Like what?” I asked.

“The requirement for fulfilling your wish has become the requirement for fulfilling Phoebe’s.”

“If I don’t finish writing my story by midnight…”

“...the child’s wish will not be granted.” Edward Miller said.

Shock, anger, and frustration began to well in my stomach. “Why would you do that? What good comes from hurting a child?”

He held up both hands, palms facing me. “I don’t make the rules. When your mother and I found out about your Christmas wish and the stipulations for fulfilling it, we decided we wanted to help you get your wish. We came to the conclusion that the best way to do this was if one of us volunteered to be the wish’s caretaker. To be a guiding hand.”

With four words, your mother and I, it was confirmed that I was speaking to my father’s ghost. A ghost that I was mad at, I began pacing. “A guiding hand? Your guiding hand has been aloof, distant and left me spending way too much of my time wondering if I was losing my freaking mind. Now here we are on Christmas Eve and it comes to this? It comes down to hurting a little girl?”

There was an odd sound. I stopped pacing and looked at the spirit. His eyes had a sadness to them. If was almost as if the ghost sensed my feelings and had deep remorse for how the situation was unfolding.

“I’m sorry. My being the keeper of the wish was your mother’s gift to me. It was a chance for me to do something for my daughter. Something I didn’t have the chance to do while I was alive.”

I focused on the logo on Edward Miller’s t-shirt knowing if I looked at the sadness in his eyes, the pain in his expression, I was going to cry. Crying wasn’t going to get Phoebe her Christmas wish. I thought of a song I was sure my father would think fondly of. I looked at his face and said, “You can’t always get what you want Dad.”

Edward Miller smiled.

I smiled back. “What do I have to do to make Phoebe’s wish come true? What has to happen?”

“Finish writing the book by midnight.”

“That’s it?”

“Yes.”

I nodded. “I guess I’ll be going.”

“You’re almost to the end.” He said.

“After these last few weeks I have to admit that I’m a little scared to see what the end of this mess looks like.”

A gentle smile crossed his lips. “I think you’ll be pleasantly surprised.”

“Tell Mom...I think of her everyday.”

He nodded before turning away.

“And Dad?”

Edward Miller turned back towards me. “Now that we’ve met. I’ll be thinking of you too.”

“Thanks. I will be thinking of you.”

“I do have one question before you go.” I said. “What’s with the t-shirt?”

“I was raised in foster care. In one house there was an older boy, he was the closest thing I had to family after my folks died. He loved the Stones. When he aged out of the system, on the day he left, he encouraged me to stay out of trouble. He told me that if I ever missed him or needed him to turn on a Stones album. No matter what we always had The Stones. He gave me my own copy of my favorite Rolling Stones album and my own shirt. I still remember his words on that day, ‘Don’t ever lose your way buddy, don’t ever lose your way.’ Because of Rod I never did.”

I nodded. “I’m glad you had him.”

“Me too.”

I turned back towards McKinley’s cabin.

“Jess?”

“Whatever happens. We’ll always have The Rolling Stones.” He said.

I had to admit the picture of my father in the logo t-shirt was responsible for my recent interest in the band’s music. “We will.”

McKinley pulled up on the snowmobile when I was halfway back to his cabin. “Where did you go?”

“I was...I thought I saw something.”

“I just got a text from Lisa. Phoebe went to visit a friend she made at the rink the other day. They were talking about the Christmas movie list. It seems there was debate as to why “Santa Claus Is Comin’ To Town” does not qualify for her movie list.”

“She forgot to tell anyone where she was going, time got away from her.”

“Phoebe is home safe now.”

“Good. What time is it?”

“About nine-thirty.”

“I need to get home, yesterday.”

“Any particular reason?” McKinley asked.

Sure, I met my dead father in the woods and it turns out Phoebe won’t get her Christmas wish if I don’t finish sharing my life story by the stroke of twelve. “It’s a long story, tonight I don’t have that kind of time.” I thought for a moment. “I’m working on something for Phoebe. It’s time sensitive.”

“A special gift? I can take you anywhere you need to go for a present.”

“It’s not that kind of present. It’s more like a Christmas miracle so if you would please get me back to my laptop.”

“Get on.” He ordered.

For once I did not argue.

Thanks to McKinley we made it back to my cabin in record time. Giving him a peck on the cheek, I stopped long enough to give both Lisa and Phoebe hugs, emphasizing to Phoebe that we would be having a talk about telling people where you are going and checking in when running late after the holiday. I left the eight year old in the den dozing in front of The Santa Clause.

I locked myself in my bedroom and didn’t come out until 12:30. I found everyone in the den. Phoebe was asleep. Lisa and McKinley must have re-started the movie, they appeared to be half way through. I handed Lisa a folder with a freshly printed copy of the manuscript. She took it from my hand. A look of shock on her face.

“Don’t tell me you’ve finished it.”

“The last period was put into place at 11:58.” I responded.

McKinley looked at us. His eyes were a little darker, his smile flattened into a straight line. “That isn’t more of what I saw the other night is it?”

“This is a really important project for Jess. When I tell you the whole story I’m sure you’ll…”

I placed a hand on the manuscript, a gesture to Lisa that an explanation was not necessary.

“It is.”

“Am I in it?” He asked.

“You are.”

“Take me out.”

“No.” I responded. “I won’t. This isn’t about you. This is something I needed to do, for Phoebe. I’m not editing it, erasing any parts of it or taking it back.”

“It looks like I’ll be going.” He said.

“Mac, if you’d just let me tell you everything.” Lisa said.

McKinley turned to Lisa, “If your boss can’t see how important this is to me there’s nothing you can say that’s going to change the way I feel. She has to change what she wrote.”

McKinley left the cabin. He would not be returning for Christmas.

Phoebe woke when the front door slammed. “What’s going on? She looked around. “Where’s Mac?”

“He’s gone home to get some sleep, like you should be doing.” Lisa said. “Let’s get you to bed.”

“Is he coming back?”

“He’s mad at me Phoebes.” I said. “You might not see him until Monday.” I crossed the room, taking a seat next to her on the couch. “I’ll make sure you get to town. Your mom call Mac and set something up.”

Phoebe’s face fell, tears began to well in the child’s eyes.

“Or I can go to town, Mac can come here. You all can sit in the great room with the Christmas tree and the fire and exchange gifts. Have a nice lunch, play some board games.”

“You don’t understand!” She yelled before running to her room.

“I’ve got it.” Lisa said.

Once Upon A Christmas Wish: A Moonlight Stroll With A Mountain Man...And A Can Of Bear Spray

 

The next morning was a mess of pre-occupation as my mind searched for something that would explain the depth of McKinley’s anger.

The book I was writing was getting closer and closer to the end. Soon I was going to be writing hard and clear about the events currently taking place. The way things were going it would be a shitstorm to write.

All I could do regarding the request for information on Edward Miller, on the other hand, was wait.

I wandered downstairs to refill my coffee hoping to find someone or something to distract me from my thoughts. Everywhere my thoughts were wandering was no place I wanted to be. Lisa entered the kitchen for her own refill before I gave up and headed back upstairs to sit in my bedroom and not write.

“I read the chapter you left for me. I told you Mac’s interested.” She bragged.

“He was interested.”

“Was? What happened?”

“I happened. I gave the notebook with the chapter in it to Phoebe and told her to put it where you’d be sure to see it. I failed to specify that Mac should definitely not see it.”

“He’s mad isn’t he.”

“He didn’t give me any specifics but yes he is.”

“I’ll call him.” She said.

“Don’t. When someone is that ready to storm off there are other issues at play. He’ll ask me for an explanation if he really wants one. If he wasn't as interested as you hoped, just you and Phoebe can spend time with him for the rest of our stay."

“I will not!”

I looked Lisa in the eye. “Phoebe is nuts about that man. If it wasn’t for me you’d like him just fine too.” I reached out and placed a hand on Lisa’s arm. “It’s okay.”

I continued on with my day, hoping Lisa would let McKinley choosing to put whatever was developing between us aside drop, at least for the time being.

It was Christmas Eve, the perfect excuse to stay downstairs and help with food preparation, laundry and general tidying up so when evening came and computers were turned off, comfy Christmas clothes could be donned and all but holiday festivities could be forgotten until December 26.^th If I knew Phoebe she would have a holiday itinerary all mapped out for us.

We were caught up in no time. By mid afternoon, I found myself sitting in bed with notebook and pen trying to write my way through the last three weeks.

It was not long before things fell apart, a matter of minutes actually.

“Have you seen Phoebe?”

I jumped at the question. Lost in my own scribbles I didn’t see Lisa enter the room. There had been no knock on the door frame. Lisa was subtle. This was her way of keeping her concern centered while trying not to overreact.

“I thought she went to town with you.”

“She told me she wanted to stay here and work on her holiday plans.”

I set my notes to the side, it was time to give the house a thorough going over. I took the side we were on which housed the master suite. Lisa took the side with the den and the other two bedrooms. We met downstairs one of us searching the great room and the foyer, the other searching the kitchen, pantry, and mudroom. We checked in with each other in the dining room and moved outside to search the yard, garage, and outbuildings. We talked about searching town and getting started on the wooded areas.

“I don’t understand it.” Lisa said after we returned inside. “Phoebe doesn’t run away.”

“She’s a great kid. A smart kid. This is out of character for her.”

“If she gets too upset with me she always calls you.” Lisa said.

“Not this time.” I thought about Phoebe and who she might turn to on a really bad day if Lisa or I were not a good option. “Have you checked with McKinley? To see if she’s been seen around town or at the ice rink. It is Christmas Eve. Maybe she went out to pick up some last minute Christmas surprise?”

“Can I get back the years I lost worrying about her if this is a simple misunderstanding plucked straight out of a holiday movie?” Lisa asked.

“Only if I can have mine back.”

As it turned out McKinley had not seen Phoebe. He said he would ask around a bit and get back to us. He asked at the rink and the winter market before everything was closed up. McKinley checked around town as well. No one had seen Phoebe all day.

“If no one saw her at the rink or in town she has to be here somewhere.”

“I stopped by her room just before two and asked her if she wanted to go to town with me.”

“I saw you both at lunch. When the house fell quiet this afternoon I assumed she was with you.” I looked out the window at the setting sun. “I should have done a walk through or texted you to verify Phoebe was with you.” Looking around the room, I spotted a message pad sitting on the kitchen counter. Taking up pad and pen, I began to map out all possible scenarios. Tucking that list away, I started a new one writing down every place we had already looked and areas that still needed to be checked. The wooded areas were what was left. The question I found myself grappling with was how far I could venture into the woods safely at night by myself. I looked at Lisa. “I think you should call McKinley and ask him to get a search started in town, then if you would please return to Phoebe’s room and search everything again. This time do a deeper search. You want to look for random notes, diaries, scribbling in her school binder, check her online history, her waste basket. If she did take off or something was bothering her that we didn’t know about you may find it there. While you are busy with that, I’m going to take a flashlight into the woods and see if I can find her.”

“You can’t do that alone.”

“We have checked everywhere else.”

“You aren’t a camper and you have a terrible sense of direction. What if you run into someone or something?”

Standing up I went into the mud room for my outerwear and a flashlight.

“What if you don’t come back?”

“This isn’t the wilds of Antarctica.” I said, I grinned as I pulled a boot on. “My will is in a safety deposit box at the bank. There are personal letters for you and Phoebe.”

“What if…”

“Nothing will happen but if something does happen to me you’ll both be okay.” I stood up and put my hat on. “It will be fine.” I said even though my insides were doing intermittent somersaults. “By tomorrow morning Phoebe and I will both be tucked safely in our beds and you’ll be wondering why you were so worried.”

“But…”

“I’m going.” I said as I turned the knob on the door leading to the back porch.

“Not without me you’re not.” McKinley said as he thundered in from the main house.

“Lisa, I need you to call Mr. Baker at the coffeehouse and tell him to organize a search in and around town. Tell him to make sure he includes the ice rink and winter market. Then you’ll need to go into Phoebe’s room and search it…”

“...thoroughly.” She said. “Look through everything including diaries, electronic devices, reading all notes as well as checking the waste basket for any clues telling us where she might have gone.”

“You’ve heard this before.” He said.

“I said the same thing ten minutes ago.” I said. “All that’s left to do is check the woods.”

“These are mountains.” Lisa said gesturing outside. “Where will you start?”

McKinley pulled a map out of his coat pocket and laid it across the top of a large bureau. “This is where we are.” He said as he marked the map. “Here is town. Here is the ice rink. We’ll start here and work our way towards town stopping at any cabins, sheds or abandoned vehicles. We’ll get to the rink first then town. By the time we get to town Baker may have something for us.” McKinley left the room returning with a two way radio. “Use this if you text or call and you can’t get an answer. It’s on four so the channel is already set. Turn it on, push the button and talk.”

“She knows how to use a walkie-talkie McKinley.”

“My mistake.”

“It’s okay. I’m nervous. I might have had trouble later without the reminder.”

Lisa looked around McKinley and mouthed the words: Be Nice.

I pointed to McKinley and mouthed back: Tell him to be nice.

He raised his head before Lisa had a chance to roll her eyes.

McKinley did not speak as we entered the wooded area behind the house. I didn’t have to be psychic to see that his aura, if he had one, was currently pulsing a deep vibrant red. If he didn’t have an aura the rifle he had slung over his shoulder was not reassuring me that he held nothing but loving feelings towards me.

Clearly he was not happy to be escorting me into the wilderness. I was not happy to have him along either. Not after the events of the night before. I felt a hand on my upper arm. I looked up.

“If you see a bear, don’t run. Back away slowly without turning your eyes from it. It the bear comes towards you make yourself look larger.”

I had not seen another bear since that first morning but this was a walk in the woods at night. What McKinley told me I already knew, I realized I didn’t know what to do if I couldn’t make myself look intimidating enough. “If that doesn’t work?”

He reached into his pocket, pulled out a canister and handed it to me. “Bear spray.”

“Thanks.”

“If you see a wolf or a mountain lion. Do the same things. Keep in mind the spray doesn’t work on the cat.”

“What is the next step with the big cat?”

“Throw rocks, if it gets physical fight back.”

“If fighting back doesn’t work?”

“That’s what the rifle is for.” He said.

“You wouldn’t hurt an animal would you?”

“Usually a few shots above the animal’s head will run them off but if it comes down to Phoebe or one of us or the animal, I will shoot it.”

We continued walking through snow. The crunch of the frozen water beneath our boots the only sound.

“I hope we don’t see anything in these woods.” I said.

“Me either. I’d like to return from a long cold walk and find Phoebe tucked in her bed. Sleeping.”

My phone vibrated in my pocket, I nearly dropped the canister of bear spray. Reaching into my pocket, I traded the canister for the phone while Brenda Lee belted out “Rockin’ Around The Christmas Tree” for all the woodland creatures.

“Hello?”

“Ms. Windstrom, this is Beth Simmons from Tamerly Investigations I was calling to let you know the check you requested has been completed. Since your email was marked urgent I wanted to give you a call and let you know what we found.”

McKinley held the flashlight near his face and mouthed: Lisa?

I shook my head. “Go ahead.”

“Edward Miller, born on April 21, 1956 in Newark, New Jersey was an orphan. His parents, Edward Miller Sr. and Jessica Miller were killed in a car accident on December 31, 1961. As all known relatives were no longer living, Edward was placed in the foster care system. He remained there until he reached the age of 18. He joined the military on April 22, 1974.”

“Are there any distant relatives?” I asked.

“We looked for siblings, half siblings, aunts, uncles, cousins, second cousins and as requested, checked to see if Mr. Miller had any girlfriends or encounters that led to any offspring.”

“And?”

“You are his only child. I am emailing you the entire report before we close for the holiday. I wanted to make sure you got your answer as soon as possible.”

“Thank you for getting back to me with this. Have a wonderful holiday.”

“You as well.”

“Everything alright?” McKinley asked.

We continued walking as I sorted out what I needed to do next. I didn’t know who the man was or why he looked like my father. I didn’t know if he was dangerous or if he would have taken Phoebe. I also didn’t know if he was a living being.

“The man you said knocked me down in the winter market. I’ve seen him before.”

“Why didn’t you say anything?”

“It’s complicated.”

“Almost everything does seem complicated with you.” McKinley responded.

“He showed up on one of the final days of my book tour. At a signing. When he approached, he just complimented me at first. Fans usually do that. Then things turned a bit creepy.”

“How?” McKinley asked.

“He said I never tell people everything. That it hurts my mother.”

“Does it?”

“My mother died 17 years ago. The man in the bookstore looked young. He would have been a little boy when he knew her. If he knew her.”

“The man I saw yesterday was young.”

“There’s more.” I said. “Stop walking for a minute.” I pulled the photo I had taken of the old picture I found and showed it to him.

“That looks like the man I saw.”

“And the man I encountered in the bookstore in November. This picture is of my father.”

“You must have a nephew. Congratulations.” He said as he started walking.

“That’s the thing. I don’t. That phone call was from an investigations firm I use from time to time. My father is long dead. He has no living relatives other than me.”

“Are you saying you’re being haunted by your father’s ghost?”

“I don’t know. What I do know is I don’t know exactly who this man is. I also don’t know if he’s dangerous.”

Once Upon A Christmas Wish: Falling Hard

 

“The man in the bookstore was your father?” Lisa asked.

I shook my head. “My father died before my first birthday.” I picked up the letter of notification and opened it and read aloud “suffered a fatal injury due to a weapons malfunction which resulted in his death. Edward Miller passed away on June 21, 1984.”

“Could they be lying?”

“Why would the military lie about what happened? If they had and he was alive he would have found his way back to my mother. The man in the bookstore was younger than me not older.”

“Maybe it was a relative who decided to look you up? A random look-alike, what are they called.. Doppelgangers. A cruel joke?”

“There could be several explanations.”

“You’re probably right.” Lisa agreed. “Phoebe’s decorating unsupervised, I’d better get back downstairs. Could you wander down in about thirty minutes?”

I nodded.

“Don’t forget to act surprised.”

“Do I ever?”

I made a quick phone call the next morning to an associate requesting a background check on one Edward Miller asking them to pay particular attention to any distant relatives that might still be alive as well as exploring the possibility that my father had children with someone other than my mother. After that I found it difficult to write. My mind was wandering a lot. I did some research and discovered that people did not necessarily have to be related in any way to look like each other.

The man in the bookstore could have been anyone. Why would he give us my father’s name and dress similarly as well? It would have been a terribly cruel joke if I had know anything about Edward Miller. I had not seen the picture until last night, weeks after the incident at The Naked Ankle. He died before I could form any memories of him. I’m sure my mother would have told me about him. I never asked. He was always a ghost. Someone who would never truly exist for me in real life, there was also a sadness when Mom talked about him so I never asked.

I did know that one of the things my parents had in common was they were both orphans, having grown up in foster care systems in their home states, knowing how the constant changes to their home environments changed them, they wanted something more for themselves as adults and for their own children.

By late morning, I knew I needed to give up pretending to be writing and do something else for a bit. I took up Lisa and Phoebe on their invitation to join them at the ice rink. Lodgepole Falls really did go all out at Christmas. The ice rink was decorated with holiday lights and greenery. A winter market had been set up around the rink. I saw vendors selling homemade gifts, baked goods, food and drinks. There were game booths and a stage where Santa Claus visited and posed for pictures. Mrs. Claus took Santa’s seat to read Christmas stories at random intervals. I noticed elves and fairies wandering through the crowd telling jokes and riddles to visitors. They rewarded correct answers with vouchers for treats, drinks, and game tickets. One or two small gifts of handmade Christmas ornaments were awarded as well.

The level of holiday cheer in this place rivaled that of Rockefeller Center. Lodgepole Falls had added a layer to theirs, one of comfort and coziness.

The air was brisk but the sun was out this afternoon. It showed bright and felt good on my face. The clerk at the store I bought my outer wear from said that when you were dressed properly the cold wasn’t as cold as the numbers made it seem. I was skeptical of her words at the time. The air did not feel nearly as cold today as it should have been. It felt like everything had lined up so everyone who ventured out into this winter wonderland could do nothing except enjoy their day.

While I watched Phoebe and Lisa skate I enjoyed a mint chocolate chip flavored cotton candy dressed in a bright cheerful Christmas green.

“Mac!” Phoebe called from the ice as she waved furiously.

I turned to find McKinley standing behind me, just out of my line of sight. He was holding his own cotton candy. A monstrosity of white and red that had been twisted around each other.

“You’re going to eat all that?” I asked.

“You sound like my mother.” McKinley responded before diving into his sugary treat. “I worked hard this morning. I’ve earned this, monstrosity.” He countered between bites.

“How does one earn a treat of such epic proportions?”

“I helped set this up. The booths, the games. I made sure the trash cans were lined and set around. I helped clear the walks. There was the inspection of characters. Making sure Mr. and Mrs. Claus have their wigs and glasses straight is important. I even helped some of the fairies with their glitter.”

I pondered McKinley’s list. “It’s possible you may have worked hard enough to earn that thing.” I said as I gestured to the twirled mass of spun sugar. “The fairies are a nice touch.” I said as a pair of them ran by giggling as they passed. “I didn’t think Christmas had fairies.”

“I didn’t either.” McKinley responded. “I found out that fairies enjoy opportunities to interact with humans. Quite often they use holidays like Halloween, Christmas and even St. Patrick’s Day to interact with us Earthlings.”

“Really, I didn’t know that.”

“It’s the mountains.” He said. “They make it easier for magical beings to hide in plain sight.”

“How did you come across this information?”

“They told me.” He said without looking in my direction.

I gave McKinley a suspicious side ways glance.

“I’m not kidding. They told me.” He said turning his head to look me in the eye. “Gotcha.”

Lisa and Phoebe had made their way to the outer edge of the rink.

“Where did you get that?” Phoebe called to McKinley as she sailed past.

“Do a decent spin and I’ll show you.” He called back.

I made a mental note to keep track of signs around the market regarding dates and hours. Maybe see if the cotton candy booth runs a shop in the area. Phoebe would be getting her monstrous cotton candy, whether she did a decent spin or not. I needn’t have worried about Phoebe getting her cotton candy, the girl executed a beautiful spin a few minutes later. By the time McKinley had finished munching, Phoebe and Lisa were off the ice and changing out of their skates. McKinley and Phoebe went on a cotton candy run while Lisa and I turned in the skates.

“How do you like Lodgepole Falls’ Winter Wonderland?” Lisa asked.

“I have never seen anything quite like it. I’m having a good time. I’m glad I came.”

“It looks like you and Mac are getting along.”

“McKinley not referring to me as one of those romance novelists is helping.”

Lisa smiled without comment.

“You have to admit looking down on me for what I do is a bit much. It’s not like I’m selling drugs or peddling stolen goods. I write stories. That’s it.”

Lisa raised a brow, a gentle suggestion that dropping the subject might be a better route.

“We do seem to be getting along better. Thank you for noticing.”

After turning in the skates we headed for the food booths, meeting McKinley and Phoebe on their way back. Phoebe was holding an order identical to the one McKinley had just devoured. Lisa received one of her own in an unseasonable bright pink.

“Perfect.” Lisa said as she relieved McKinley of his burden. “Thank you Mac.”

“That is the second red and white twist I’ve seen today. What flavor is it?” I asked.

“Are they.” McKinley corrected.

“The red is cherry. The white is vanilla crème.”

“That sounds good. The pink?”

“It’s the same as any other pink cotton candy. It’s also a vanilla flavor.” Lisa responded.

“Mom’s a traditionalist when it comes to candy.” Phoebe announced before diving into her snack.

We walked through the market at a leisurely pace, stopping to listen as Mrs. Claus read a story, continuing past more food booths on in the direction of the game and shopping areas. McKinley stopped.

“Okay, what’s everybody doing?” He asked as he pointed to Lisa.

“Shopping.”

“Games.” Phoebe called.

“Games then shopping.” I said.

“Games then shopping sounds good.” McKinley said, choosing to match my preferred route. He turned to Lisa, “Would you like to change your answer?” He asked.

“Games then shopping works for me too.”

We turned towards the games, Phoebe and Lisa leading the way with their festive sugar torches. McKinley stayed behind with me.

“I’m surprised you want to hit the games section first.” He said.

“Games aren’t usually my thing.” I agreed. “But I’ve done a lot of shopping in my time.”

“Not into either of them?”

“They’re okay. I enjoy looking around, seeing new things. Being with the people I love. It’s enough.” I said.

McKinley stopped walking for a minute and looked at me. “I’m going to beat the pants off you at Ice Fishing.”

A couple of kids passed between us on skateboards.

“No skateboarding at public functions!” He called after them.

Two more flew past.

Lisa-- As requested. – Jess.

The Ice Rink

Jess heard McKinley say “No” as something pushed against her back. She fell forward, her head hitting something hard with a resounding thud. She opened her eyes after she stopped moving she found herself nearly nose to nose with a mountain man. Taking mental stock of her person, she noticed lots of things were pushed against one another.

She lost her train of thought for a moment. She wondered who she was kidding with that observation, the truth was her train of thought never even rolled out of the station. The shock of being so close to McKinley, so unexpectedly stole all rational thought from her mind. The ability to create words was proving to be elusive as well, “ow” being the only discernible expression she could manage.

She wondered whether he was going to kiss her briefly, until his hands began shifting on her body. What they were doing Jess wasn’t completely sure of. When her focus returned, she was standing upright and McKinley was running after whatever pushed her down, yelling at it.

“Jess...are you okay?” Jess looked in the direction of the voice, it was her friend and personal assistant Lisa.

“Yes. I think so.”

“What happened?”

“Something pushed against me and I went down. Hard. I might have fallen on Mac.” She responded as McKinley returned.

“Are you okay?” He asked.
Jess watched as his eyes traveled over her face and down checking her hands, arms, and legs. “I think so. I hit something, hard.”

“That was my head.” He commented.

“What?”

“You fell on me, we met head first.”

“Are you okay?” Jess asked McKinley with concern in her eyes.

“As long as you are. Did they take anything? Do you have your bag? Your wallet?” He asked.

The group found a bench and sat down. Jess checked her bag and her pockets. “Everything is here.” She said.

“Good.”

“What happened?” She asked.

“Some kids came through on skateboards, I was yelling at them when two men passed. One between us and one behind you. The one that passed behind you pushed you down. I couldn’t move fast enough to stop your fall completely.”

Santa Claus approached. “Are you two okay?”

I nodded.

McKinley looked at Santa, “Would you get on the radio and let the sheriff know he should come over. We need to get a report filed.”

Santa nodded.

“Ask him to have a paramedic come out too. Someone should check Jess over.”

After Santa left Jess looked at McKinley, “It might not be much of a report. I didn’t even see who ran into me.”

“I did.” He said.
“If they’re just kids…”

“They weren’t kids, they were grown men. One was tall and skinny with dark hair. The other one was average height dirty blonde hair, with a military cut. He was wearing a t-shirt for a rock band. I couldn’t see the name. I know the logo. A big pair of lips and a tongue. I can’t think of who it is.” He said. McKinley looked at Jess, “You have a really hard head.”

“Was it The Rolling Stones?” Lisa asked pulling him back to the subject at hand.

“That’s it.” He said snapping his fingers. “The Rolling Stones.”

When he said The Rolling Stones something fell into place for Jess. In that moment she suspected falling into McKinley was more than a random accident. The men she had first encountered at The Naked Ankle had an agenda. They had followed her Lodgepole Falls to see it through. Jess needed to figure out what it was before something bad happened.

She would do just that as soon as the feel of McKinley’s hands on her body wore off.

I finished scribbling out the details of the afternoon’s events down as fiction as Lisa suggested the night before. She was right, it was clear there was an attraction, for one of us at least. I still felt McKinley was just trying to be friendly, possibly working through his animosity for the romance genre in general and its novelists in particular. If nothing came of our interactions I could always look on the bright side, I helped someone work through his negative feelings towards something he associated with a painful period in his life. That’s always good.

What if I’m wrong?

A knock on the door frame rescued me from my thoughts.

“Whatcha doing?” Phoebe asked. She was wearing a Christmas shirt and matching leggings. There was a blush to her cheeks from time spent outside, her eyes were bright with unused energy.

“Finishing up a bit of scribbling. Am I late fixing dinner? I thought you and your mom were cooking tonight.”

The eight year old shook her head. “No one is cooking tonight. Mac said he’s bringing pizza.”

“Pizza and a Christmas movie? You’re really winning big tonight aren’t you love? So what are we watching tonight?”

“Miracle on 34^th Street.”

“The 1947 or 1994 version?” I asked.

“1947 of course.”

“My favorite.”

“It’s Mom’s favorite too and Mac’s. I like Mac. He’s more fun than Brent ever was.”

I looked at her and smiled briefly. It looked like Phoebe would bounce back from Brent’s exit fairly quickly thanks to a local mountain man. “He is different isn’t he? What time is McKinley arriving?”

“Seven.”

I checked the time on my phone. “It’s after 6:30 now. I’d better get changed.” I scribbled out a quick note and attached it to the open page in my notebook marking the beginning of the chapter I had just written. “Would you please do me a favor and put this where your mother will see it?”

Phoebe nodded.

“I’ll be down soon.”

I found everyone waiting for me in the den. Miracle on 34^th Street was cued to the opening credits and set to pause. A small cooler of soda and water sat next to the coffee table, two pizza boxes resting on top. The smells coming from the boxes’ contents filled the room. They were fantastic.

I looked at McKinley and thanked him for bringing dinner. His response was short almost to the point being formal. Something was off.

It wasn’t long before I realized his response had something to do with me. As long as I didn’t look at him directly or address him all was well, If I did one of those things the room grew quiet. Things grew cold. Very cold. Although I was the only one who seemed to notice.

By the time the movie had ended we were all stuffed and dozing. Lisa opened her eyes when I turned off the movie and switched from HDMI mode back to television. She stretched her arms above her head then woke Phoebe. “C’mon snickerdoodle time for bed.”

I caught Lisa’s eye. “You two go on to bed. I’ve got this.”

“Are you sure?”

“I am.”

McKinley stood and stretched as they left. I retrieved the trash can from the kitchen, we started picking up plates, napkins and drink containers.

“Dinner was really good.” I said.

McKinley muttered something that might have been “Thanks.”

“Phoebe and...well we all had a nice day. Thank you for taking us around the market.”

No answer.

“I really appreciate the way you looked out for me when I was knocked over.”

I thought I spotted an eye roll. “Are you angry with me?” I asked.

McKinley crossed the room to a bookshelf and picked up my notebook. He pointed to his name where it had been scribbled several times throughout the page and asked “What do you think?” before leaving me standing in the den wondering what the hell just happened.