A Christmas to Remember (20 page)

Each member of the family liked to hang certain ornaments. Her favorites were the angels and a set of ice skaters. Jamie was in charge of the nutcrackers, some animal ornaments, and Santa flying a helicopter.

Charlie had a set of round “Clam Box Diner” ornaments he liked to hang in a prominent spot, at about eye level. Every year he’d put them up and say, “Aren’t these great? They’re going to be collectors’ items one day.”

C.J. also had some ornaments that were his domain, but he just stood there with hands shoved into the pockets of his jeans, acting too cool to fool around with the Christmas tree. Then Jamie found the box of Red Sox ornaments—a bat and baseball and the official World Series Champions ornament—and they started to argue over who would hang them.

Lucy was quietly but quickly pulling the ornaments out of the boxes and hanging them one after the other, like a tree decorating machine. She had never decorated the tree this fast, but she didn’t have time to waste, figuring out just the right spot to put everything. She would get everything on the tree and fiddle around with it later.

“Lucy, for pity’s sake, don’t you see what you’re doing?” Charlie came out from behind the tree, where he had been adding an extension cord for the lights. “You’ve got everything bunched in one spot. The whole thing is going to tip over.”

“Oh…I didn’t realize.” Lucy stepped back and took a look at her handiwork. He was right.

She started to unhook a few ornaments and move them
around, but the hooks were stuck in the soft pine branches and that was even more time consuming. What a mess. She wished she hadn’t gotten stuck with this job today because now she felt guilty for feeling so stressed and joyless about Christmas.

Most of the boxes were empty, and Lucy was ready to put the empties back in the basement when Jamie found the crèche.

“Mom, the manger. Where should I put it?”

Lucy could tell he was eager to set up the manger scene. Sometimes they put it under the tree and sometimes on a little side table. Lucy wasn’t sure what she wanted to do with it this year. She hadn’t given it any thought and didn’t feel like she had time to deal with it now.

“Oh…just leave the box under the tree, honey. We’ll do it some other time.”

Jamie stared at her, looking confused, and Lucy felt embarrassed. Reverend Ben’s sermon last Sunday had hit home, and she had promised herself to take his advice to heart—to try to cultivate a better attitude toward the holiday and keep herself and her kids focused on its real meaning. For Lucy the crèche had always represented the heart of Christmas.

But she just didn’t have the time this morning to maintain that mindset. She had to clean up around here, start the wash, get some groceries, and then get over to the hospital. She didn’t have time to fiddle around with the crèche right now.

“I’m sorry, honey. Just put the box under the tree. We’ll do it later, I promise.” She watched Jamie close the box and place it under the low branches, looking confused and disappointed. “I need to get some fresh cotton for the snow anyway,” Lucy added, reaching for an excuse.

Jamie didn’t seem to hear her. He took a stack of empty boxes and carried them out of the room.

Lucy glanced at Charlie and C.J. “Does anyone want hot chocolate?”

C.J. shook his head. “No, thanks. I just had breakfast.”

“I don’t want any.” Charlie folded up the stepladder. “Guess I’ll get back to the diner. You’ll be in tonight to work, right?”

Lucy felt a cold fist in the middle of her stomach. “I told you I couldn’t come in tonight, Charlie. I have to be at the hospital from two to six, to make up my course hours.”

Charlie’s eyes took on a familiar, resentful expression. “I thought you were going to be back in time. I didn’t know you had to stay until six. That means you won’t get to the diner until seven. That’s too late.”

“I didn’t plan on going to the diner at all.”

Lucy was sure she had mentioned her change in plans several times during the week. Sometimes Charlie only heard what he wanted to hear.

“What am I supposed to do now without a waitress? Close down on a Saturday night? Lucy, how much money is this nursing business supposed to cost me? Can you tell me that?”

Money again. It always came down to that. Charlie always managed to make her feel guilty about this luxury of hers, going back to school to learn a real profession.

“I can’t miss my hours or I won’t get the course credit. That would be a waste of money, too, Charlie.”

Charlie pulled his cap on. “Do what you want. You always do anyway. I guess you’ll have to drop Jamie off on your way to Southport.”

“I guess,” Lucy agreed. C.J. was going to a basketball game with a friend this afternoon, and the other boy’s parents would pick him up. Jamie would probably want to see a friend today, too, but Lucy would have to arrange it. Of course, she had to figure out
the boys’ social plans and driving arrangements on top of everything else.

Still, reflexively, she found herself wanting to make peace. “I’ll ask Margaret if I can leave at five. That way I can come to the diner and help you, okay?”

Charlie nodded but didn’t meet her gaze.

Lucy raced through her housework, accomplishing as much as she could in the few hours before she had to leave. Tomorrow was another day, but she had other items on her to-do list: Christmas shopping, writing a term paper, and studying for a test. She had volunteered to help with the Christmas Fair but hadn’t made any of the meetings.

She hoped her life would be different once school was over and she got a real nursing position. She hoped she would be organized and wouldn’t feel so stressed all time, but somehow she couldn’t imagine it.

T
HE HOSPITAL WAS A WELCOME RELIEF FROM HOME ON
S
ATURDAY
afternoon. The floor was very quiet. By midafternoon, most of the patients were dozing and their daytime visitors had left. Even Margaret Sherman wasn’t around to make Lucy nervous. Another nurse, Nora Martin, was there to supervise her. Nora was a few years older than Lucy and very calm and friendly. Although she watched Lucy carefully, Nora didn’t make Lucy feel she was always on the brink of harming a patient or causing some disaster, and she didn’t try to trip her up with trick questions, the way Margaret did. She even agreed readily when Lucy asked if she could leave early, suggesting that Lucy make up the hour during the week. Best of all, she gave Lucy a good mark for the day.

Lucy found that she actually regretted leaving the peaceful, or
derly atmosphere of the hospital. She dreaded working at the diner that night. But she had promised Charlie.

Unfortunately, her old car had different ideas. The car hadn’t been working right ever since the snowstorm. Charlie thought there was water and ice in the gas line, but he hadn’t had time to check it for her and didn’t want her to spend money at a garage when he was sure he could fix it himself.

Meanwhile, Lucy had found herself stuck a few times this week. Just as she was at that moment, trying to make the engine turn over and hearing only a dull whirring sound.

She sat there in the cold, not knowing what to do. Charlie was going to be furious when she called him.

Lucy got out of the car and put up the hood. She peered inside at the engine. She didn’t know what she was looking at, but thought it was worth a try.

“Having trouble with your car?”

Lucy turned around to see Jack walking toward her. He wore a dark blue down vest with a tan sweater underneath, jeans, and heavy boots. He looked like he had just walked off a ski slope.

“Oh…hi. Yeah, it won’t start. I’m not sure what’s going on. It’s been sort of moody all week, ever since the storm.” She looked up at him. “Do you know anything about cars?”

He shook his head and grinned. “Sorry, I only work on human beings. I could give it a shot of adrenaline.”

Lucy laughed. “I’d better wait for a mechanic. But thanks.”

“Do you need a ride? I’m going in to do rounds. But it shouldn’t take too long. I could drive you home if you need a lift.”

Lucy was sure he had better things to do on a Saturday night than be a Good Samaritan and drive her around. “You must be busy. I don’t want to ruin your plans.”

“It’s okay. I don’t have any plans. Is there someone who can pick you up?”

“Well, not really. My husband is working tonight. He won’t be able to get here until much later.”

She knew Charlie wouldn’t be able to leave the diner to pick her up, and she didn’t know who else to call. Southport was a good forty miles from Cape Light.

“If it’s not too much trouble for you…I really would appreciate a lift.”

“It’s no trouble.” He glanced at his watch. “Why don’t I meet you in the hospital lobby in about an hour?”

“Great. I’ll look for you there.”

Jack started off toward the hospital, and Lucy lowered the hood, removed her handbag and other belongings, and locked the car. Then she headed inside to call Charlie. Charlie wasn’t going to be happy, but at least she had a ride home. That was one problem solved.

Lucy found a quiet spot in the hospital lobby and took out the books she had stashed in the backseat of her car. She started working on her paper, making notes from the textbook.

Nearly an hour later, Jack found her scribbling away, totally oblivious of his arrival. “You don’t like to sit around and waste time, do you, Lucy?”

She smiled at him and began to stick her books and pad back in her bag. “I don’t have any time to waste.”

“What are you studying?” He glanced at the textbook she was holding.

“Microbiology. It’s not so bad, or not nearly as bad as organic chemistry. I barely made it through that one.”

“Me, too,” he confessed. “Luckily patients don’t get to see their
doctor’s transcripts from medical school. Or maybe that’s not so lucky.”

Lucy smiled at him. She had a feeling he was a good doctor, who was caring with his patients.

They walked out into the parking lot, where Jack led her over to his SUV. She noticed the ski racks on top and realized her impression had been right—he was a skier.

Jack started the engine and pulled out of the parking lot. The SUV’s seats were roomy, soft leather and even heated. It was so different from Charlie’s truck. Lucy felt as if she were driving around in her living room.

She glanced over at Jack, feeling a little strange. She had rarely been alone with an attractive man since getting married. It felt oddly intimate, alone in the car at night like this. It felt a lot like a date, she realized. Would she feel this way if someone else had come by to give her a lift? Reverend Ben, perhaps? Or Charlie’s pal, Tucker?

Of course not. The truth was she found Jack attractive. She had a little crush on him.
These things happen
, she told herself. It wasn’t the end of the world, but she really ought to feel silly for feeling this way.

“Are you okay?” Jack glanced over at her, and she turned from the window to look at him.

“Oh, sure. I’m fine. I was just thinking…about something.” She cleared her throat, not knowing what to talk about. The funny thing was, it seemed they always had plenty to talk about at the hospital.

“Do you ski?” she finally managed to say. “I noticed the racks on top of your car.”

“When I get a chance. My hours are pretty crazy. But it’s actu
ally better to go out on weekdays when the slopes are less crowded. Do you ski, Lucy?”

“Uh, no. I used to do a lot of ice skating. When I was younger.” Wow, did that sound bad. He must think she was ancient. “Before I got married, I mean. Then I got too busy. Charlie doesn’t like to ski or ice skate. He likes to go ice fishing once in a while.”

“Ice fishing. That’s pretty intense.” She noticed his eyes and his strong profile as he concentrated on the road. Jack Zabriskie was handsome.

“Doesn’t make much sense to me,” Lucy admitted. “Give the poor fish a break, for goodness sake. Don’t they deserve a little time to hibernate or whatever?”

Jack laughed. “I totally agree.”

It was quiet again and the silence made Lucy feel self-conscious. “I bet you did have plans tonight, but you’re too nice to tell me. Am I right?”

He smiled but kept his eyes on the road. “I was going to catch a movie later. No big deal.”

Lucy wondered if he was going alone or with someone, then told herself it really wasn’t any of her business. Jack was young and unattached. He could do whatever he pleased.

They passed a mall that was packed with shoppers, the parking lot filled to the edge of the highway. “Everyone’s out Christmas shopping tonight. I haven’t bought a thing,” she confessed. “We put up our tree today. Maybe that will get me in the spirit.”

Lucy remembered Jack was recently separated from his wife. Had he put up a tree on his own? She somehow doubted it.

“Do you have plans for the holidays?” she asked.

He shook his head. “I grew up in Pennsylvania, near Pittsburgh. My family is all down there. I guess I’ll visit for Christmas
if my hours work out.” He glanced at her. “I might just skip it though, go skiing instead.”

Lucy was quiet for a moment. “The holidays can be hard. You feel as if you should be happy, but not everyone is.”