On the 11th Day of Christmas…Bah Humbug!
by
Chelle Sandell
“Seriously?! You pick today, of all days, to break down?” Evangeline Scroggins, Angel to her friends and family, pounded the steering wheel of her late nineties model sedan. “Just make it to the office and I promise I won’t dump you at the scrap metal yard.”
She knew it was probably time to either trade in or put some major money into an engine overhaul, but that would mean 
dipping into her savings or opening up her pocketbook. Maybe she could find a mechanic willing to put another bandage on the car so she could squeeze a few thousand miles more out of it.
The sedan sputtered and coughed before the engine went silent. Without power steering, Angel manhandled the car off to the side of the dark country highway. She popped the latch to open the hood and cautiously opened the door against the blowing snow.
“Lovely. You could’ve at least waited until this snow storm passed.” She grumbled and held on to the door frame to keep from busting her butt on the icy pavement.
The sub-zero air and snow blowing up her long skirt made her think twice. Why was she looking under the hood? She knew the basics but anything beyond that was foreign to her. Angel left the hood up and inched her way back into the sedan.
She hoped her flashing hazard lights would encourage someone to stop and help, otherwise she was doomed to miss her meeting. A meeting she insisted on having before the holidays using a breach of contract threat. Christmas holiday hype was being pushed to the max because of the commercial value. Department stores were laughing all the way to the bank. Although her loan company usually saw an increase in business, Angel didn’t believe in allowing her customers to become overextended so she wouldn’t have to spend more in labor costs to collect overdue accounts.
Headlights cut through the blanket of heavy snow and reflected in her rearview mirror. She rolled her window down wide enough to fit her gloved hand out to wave down the slow moving vehicle. Brake lights flashed as the newer model truck slowed and pulled in front of her disabled car. A heavily bundled bulk emerged from the truck. Maybe this wasn’t such a good idea. With her luck her supposed rescuer would be a highway robber or serial killer.
“If anyone up there is listening…I promise to be a really good girl if this person doesn’t murder me.”
Before she could get the window rolled back up, a large hand emerged through the snow and tapped on the window. A face framed in a dark stocking cap and scarf followed and she jumped, realizing it was too late to escape her fate.
“Hello? Car trouble?” The muffled voice was deep and masculine.
Now what? It was do or die time. “Um, yes. I think it could be my fuel pump. I had it in the shop a couple of weeks ago but thought I could put off the repairs another month or two.”
“Let me take a look. Stay warm and it’ll just take a second.” The voice was familiar. No, it couldn’t be. Grandmother Marston mentioned recently he was stationed in Afghanistan until next summer. And he was the last man on earth she wanted coming to her rescue.
The car shook for a moment and she wondered what the heck he was doing. Angel squeaked when his face unexpectedly popped up against the window. Beau Marston’s gorgeous green eyes stared back at her. Oh, boy. Her heart pounded.
“Hey, Angel.” His crooked grin caused her stomach to do some serious flip-flops. “I didn’t recognize the car under all that snow and ice. I can’t fix it out here, but you can ride into town with me and I’ll send someone from my shop back to get it.”
Why did she have to run into the only honest mechanic within a fifty mile radius? Good news for her tight budget, but it was bad news for her pride.
The jerk was grinning at her and acted like nothing had ever happened between them. She fought the urge to refuse his offer. Unfortunately she had to make her meeting.
At least she wasn’t going to end up dead on the side of the road.
“I’ll be right there.”
He disappeared behind the curtain of snow. Angel dropped her forehead on the steering wheel. The last time she’d spoken with Beau was four years ago when he told her the wedding was off. A couple of months later she’d heard he’d been shipped off to boot camp.
He was the closest thing to family she had since her father died and her step-mother had kicked her out. Maggie had not been happy when the loan company had been handed to her alone. Angel was devastated when Beau walked away. She hated to give him the satisfaction of knowing she needed his help for anything. Even if it meant handing over money from her savings to a stranger to get her car repaired.
Angel grabbed her purse and briefcase and took a deep breath. Maybe he’d have the music blaring and they wouldn’t have to talk. She made the short trek through the sharp wind and stinging snow pellets. The door flew open as she reached out and she was flooded with warm air as she dumped herself and belongings in the truck.
Beau leaned over moving her briefcase so she could have more room for her feet, his face inches from her chest. Angel restrained herself from running her hand through his long hair to push it out of his eyes. She was flooded with the memory of his silky hair brushing against her bare skin as he explored every inch of her.
“Could you turn the heat down a bit, it’s pretty warm in here.”
He looked up. The gold flecks in his green eyes mesmerized her, but when he smiled she choked, coughing like a complete ninny on what could only be drool.
“You ok?” He frowned and pounded her on the back.
“I’m hot.” Why couldn’t she form a legitimate sentence around this man?
He chuckled. “I’ll turn the heat down. I turned it up because I thought you’d be freezing from sitting in that cold car. How long have you been stuck?”
“Not long. But I have a meeting I can’t miss.” She turned to stare out the window so she wouldn’t have to look at him. She could actually think and talk without being a complete idiot as long as she wasn’t distracted by those eyes. That is until she took a deep breath and the familiar woodsy scent she’d loved about Beau overwhelmed her. “Can you drive any faster?”
“As fast as the slushy roads will let me.”
She knew he was smiling by the tone of his deep voice. Angel couldn’t help herself and looked over her shoulder only to torture herself with a glimpse of his grin. “I’m sorry to be so pushy but I’m paying extra to have software installed before Christmas. If I’m not there the guy may leave.”
“Same old Angel. You’re still working as hard as ever, I see.” The smile disappeared and was replaced with a grimace.
The awkward silence in the truck reminded her of their conversation when Beau had finally called off the wedding. His words ringing in her ears. He’d accused her of abandoning everyone and anything that wasn’t related to the loan company. She’d allowed her hurt and anger to push her into working harder and doubling the profits two years before her goal date.
She couldn’t contain the urge to explain. “This isn’t just about me. But the new accounting system will free up several employees from working overtime.”
“You mean you’ll be able to cut back on labor costs by letting someone go,” he replied, shaking his head. She could almost feel the disappointment dripping from his voice.
“What are you doing here?” Why was she being haunted by him and what could’ve been if she hadn’t put everything she had into turning her father’s company around.
“My service was up with the Marine Corp and Gram needed me. The man she had running the shop after Pops died was ready to retire. I bought the land off of the highway and started building a couple of houses for Gram and I. You know how independent she is. She refused to stay with me so at least this way I can keep a close eye on her.”
“You bought the land we looked at where we were planning to put our house?” She couldn’t breathe. He was going through with their plans without her.
He glanced at her but looked back to watch where he was going. “Yeah. I didn’t think you’d still be interested or fork over that kind of money. The guy wouldn’t budge on his price.”
Angel loved that piece of land. She drove by occasionally just to see if it was still for sale. She’d loved their dreams for the future. But it all fell apart when Beau called it off and left for Afghanistan. They’d both made their choices. Angel’s just happened to mean she’d probably end up a spinster with a house full of cats. Was that what she really wanted?
After what seemed like forever, they pulled into the parking lot next to her building. The sidewalks would be icy since she’d cancelled the lawn service that usually kept it cleared year round. At the time it seemed like a waste of money. But they’d already had one employee hurt from falling. She should call first thing Monday morning and arrange another service contract. It was definitely cheaper than a worker’s compensation lawsuit.
“Thank you for the ride. Just call and let me know how much I owe you. I’ll have someone bring me over to the shop before you close.”
“I’m not opening up the shop today, Angel. It’s Christmas Eve. I want my employees to spend it with their families. I’ll take the tow truck and get your car to see what I can do.”
“I hate for you to go to any trouble.” She pulled her stuff off of the floor without looking at him. There was no reason to explain why she felt she wasn’t worthy.
“I’d do it for anyone.”
And he would. He’d take the shirt off his back if she told him she was cold. That was just Beau. And so not what she’d become. He’d made a point of that in his goodbye speech years ago.
“Yeah, well, thank you.” She shut the door without waiting for a reply. She couldn’t face that hurt again. Maybe she could get a couple of guys from the office to go pick up her car when it was ready.
Angel opened the oversized oak door and heard the familiar squeak. That was another call she needed to make. It wouldn’t hurt to have a few things upgraded around the ancient building. She walked into Christmas music blaring in the office and her employees standing around drinking coffee. She walked over to the portable CD player and twisted the knob until the volume was off. She turned to find everyone standing completely still. Her half-brother inched his way through the crowd.
“Merry Christmas, Angel. I was beginning to get worried, you’re never late. You really need to get a cell phone. I let the IT guy in your office so he could start the install. He thinks he can have everything set up in a few hours. I told the employees they could bring pot luck food to share at lunch.” His rambling distracted her long enough that when she looked over his shoulder to tell everyone they had work to do, heads were down and fingers were tapping on keyboards.
“That’s fine. Um, I have a few things to take care of but we need to meet before lunch.”
“Sure. Just buzz my phone when you’re ready.” His normal cheery disposition was gloomy. His smile had always reminded her of their father when he used to patronize her. They were lucky as children to have such an accommodating, doting father. But when it came to business he was a rabid control freak. He’d started grooming her from an early age to take over eventually because he’d always thought Ted didn’t have a backbone.
“Look, Ted. I know it’s Christmas Eve but we have financials that have to be processed before closing year end. If you don’t think you can get your team to focus then maybe we need to rethink your supervisor position.”
“You don’t get it, do you? These people aren’t just employees, they’re our neighbors, Angel. Even though the pay is low, they show up everyday and give you everything they’ve got because this business is the most stable thing they’ve got and it keeps a roof over their heads. It feeds their children.” His eyes were bloodshot and he looked exhausted. “I got a call from Katie this morning. Doc Jacobs got the blood work back on Jamie. My baby has Leukemia. And since our company doesn’t offer insurance, there isn’t a treatment available we can afford because they insist we pay for it up front. But I’ll make sure everyone gets back to work as soon as lunch is up and they’ll stay until it’s time to clock out.”
His explosion caught her off guard. He’d never so much as batted an eye when she gave him instructions or direction. She was floored by his news. Jamie was only four years old. The toddler she remembered was so full of life with blonde curls and rosy cheeks. How could he be facing such a horrendous disease? How could Ted stand there and blurt out that kind of diagnosis and calmly go back to work?
With a numbness threatening to overwhelm her logical thought process, Angel walked back to her office to touch base with the IT technician and decided to make some calls. She refused to allow hysteria to take control. If Ted could go on as normal, so could she. It couldn’t be that bad, could it?
She reached up to touch her cheek. Jamie had patted her lightly the last time he’d visited their office and wandered back to where she was working. His sweet baby voice questioning why she hadn’t been over to play with his new train set.
A while later, she was startled when Ted opened the door to the back office she’d escaped to so she could make some calls. His expression guarded. “Hey, I hate to disturb you. But did you know Beau is back in town? He’s here and says he has your car. Why didn’t you tell me you broke down on the way to work?”
With all of his problems, Ted was still worried about her. He was constantly inviting her to spend time with his family and she’d always made excuses. He’d even asked her repeatedly to spend Christmas day with them. It’s not that she didn’t want to. Being around his boisterous, loving family reminded her of what she gave up.
“Tell him I’ll be right with him. I need to grab my checkbook.” She glanced at the clock amazed that it was already noon. She opened her desk drawer to pull out her purse.
“No need,” Beau replied, filling her doorway. “I had the part lying around and it didn’t take long to repair. Merry Christmas.”
“Oh, well, um. Ok. Are you sure?”
“Ted says they have eggnog and fudge in the conference room. I’ll let you buy me a drink and we can call it even.” His grin lit up the office. He had a way of making her heart dance when he entered a room. The anger she’d held onto for so long seemed so insignificant now.
She pulled her wallet from her purse and started toward the door. “You’ve got to let me pay you something. You can’t afford to fix everyone’s car for free.”
“I get plenty of business to pay the bills. I make it a point to pay it forward when I can for all the people that helped Gram and our family when my parents died. And they were there for her when Pops died and I couldn’t get home for the funeral.” He reached out to tuck a strand of hair behind her hair. “Gram told me how much you did to help her.”
“I didn’t do much. Just took her some food because I knew she wouldn’t make time for herself to eat. All I could really do was direct all the people bringing her food and flowers. It looked like she was a little overwhelmed.” Angel backed away to give herself some breathing room. She was sure he could see her heart pounding furiously.
“She was. She still is a little lost without having to take care of Pops. She keeps harping on me to give her some great-grandbabies.”
The thought of Beau having the babies they’d dreamed of made her heart just about jump out of her chest. Something must’ve come loose because Angel could swear it dropped into her stomach instead. “Three.”
The look in his eyes and raised eyebrow told her that he remembered.
“So they won’t be lonely and always have someone to play with if the other was mad at them,” he said quietly, raising his arm above her, and she realized he was holding a piece of mistletoe. “I’ll even settle for a kiss.”
His soft spoken promise calmed her racing pulse. She leaned against him and lifted her head to look into his eyes. “I don’t want to be the cat lady everyone pities.”
“You don’t have to be,” he said as he lowered his head to gently brush a kiss against her lips. He pulled her against him. “It’s said to be the season of miracles.”
“I pray you’re right. I’ve had some time to think today about a lot of things. How it used to be between us and how empty my life is now. Life is too short and fragile to waste it chasing a dollar. I want the kids and the house on the hill we dreamed about before I became obsessed with the financial side of our dreams. I thought if I built up the business it would provide for our future. But I don’t want that future if it doesn’t include you.” She closed her eyes. Angel was afraid she’d misunderstood his intentions and didn’t want to face the pity in his eyes.
Beau’s soft touch lifted her chin up, prompting her to look at him. His beautiful green eyes shone with the love she’d craved for years after he left home. “I’m willing to see where things lead if you think you’re ready to make that happen. Can you put the same dedication into building a home and family now?”
“I have something I have to do first.” She reluctantly stepped out of his arms.
He nodded as if he understood and followed her into the conference room where the employees had gathered. Voices trailed off as everyone turned quietly, expecting her to scold them for not working.
“If you’ll please stop by Anne’s office in payroll before you leave, I have a little bonus for you guys. And we’ll also be adding insurance to your benefit package. I appreciate all of your hard work and dedication to Ted and I. You guys are free to go after you eat and when we come back from Christmas holiday, Ted will be taking on more of a management role in the company.” Angel turned to look up at Beau as he stepped up behind her and put his arm around her shoulder. “I may be taking some time off before long.”
Well wishes and holiday cheer erupted around the room. Beau squeezed her shoulders and stepped back as Ted pulled her into a bear hug.
“You won’t regret this. I’m glad to see you happy again,” Ted whispered in her ear. “The invitation is still open for Christmas.”
“I wouldn’t miss spending time with you and your beautiful family. We’ll work together to use all of our resources to get Jamie the treatment he needs to fight back.” She hugged her brother and felt a lightness in her soul she hadn’t had in years. “I hope it’s ok if I bring a guest?”
Her brother glanced back at Beau. “He’s not a guest, he’s family.”
When several friends began selling to e-pubs years ago…I was skeptical. 
