Christmas Romance (Best Christmas Romances of 2013) (11 page)

Brenda’s tears ran down her face. Corny looked fierce.

“We’ll take care of her. Let’s go, Rich,” Corny said.

“How far away is she?” he asked.

“About thirty minutes. Her phone went dead and she’s not picking up her phone. God, she has to be okay.”

She better be, or he’d ring Pemsky’s neck.

Chapter Seven

Of course, Halo chose the day before Christmas Eve, a night when the snowflakes were as big as quarters, to make the drive out to her friend’s house. She felt melancholy and wanted to see Sue’s cow, Henrietta. She’d birthed a calf and Halo wanted to stroke the little creature. Besides, they’d invited her for dinner and she didn’t want to eat anymore leftovers.

She’d thought a lot about Rich over the last couple months and wondered where he’d spend the holidays. Did he already have a girlfriend? Probably. Who wouldn’t snag an available, nice, good-looking guy who loved animals?

Stop being a baby. You’re the one who told him you were too busy with your job to spend time with him.

She looked in her rear-view mirror for the third time. While she sat there feeling sorry for herself, the car behind her inched closer. Jeez, could they get any closer to her bumper without making contact? She slowed down and pulled over to the right in case they wanted to pass. She waved them on, but the car wouldn’t pass her. What could be the problem? Were they drunk or on drugs?

When the car made the last left-hand turn, right behind her, still tailgating, her worry increased and perspiration formed under her arms. The large, dark sedan had been right behind her for the last twenty minutes. Halo gripped the steering wheel looking ahead at the deserted road, except for scattered farms.

In the blink of an eye, the sedan accelerated and pulled up beside her. What a stupid move, with this limited visibility. She held tight to the steering wheel, but the car didn’t pass. The window lowered and a finger extended her way. She lowered hers, confused. Then she recognized Pemsky’s nasty sneer. The snow felt like ice pellets as they blasted her face.

“Mr. Pemsky, what are you doing?” Halo screamed over the road noise.

“You stupid little girl. Did you think I wouldn’t want payback for what you did to me? You ruined my business, my wife left me, and I lost everything because of you. You’re going to pay for what you did to me,” he yelled back.

“I didn’t do anything. You should be ashamed of yourself for stealing those dogs.”

Pemsky threw back his head and laughed. He yanked the wheel and veered toward her. With quick reflexes, she swerved to her right. Her Civic hit the shoulder and spun up gravel.

Oh shit!

Halo raised her window while she fumbled for her cell and dialed Corny, who picked up after the first ring.

“Hi, Halo. Merry Christmas,” Corny said in a cheerful voice.

“Pemsky is trying to run me off the road. I didn’t know he got out of jail,” Halo sobbed. She wiped her nose on her sleeve and tried to keep her car on the road.

“Where are you?” Corny asked.

“I’m out on Route twenty-five, about ten minutes from Sue’s farmhouse.”

“I’m on my way. I’ll have Brenda call Sue and tell her what’s going on. You’ll have people coming to the rescue from both directions. Now, don’t hang up,” Corny insisted.

“Okay. Hurry…”

Pemsky rolled up his window and his car lurched over the middle line again. Halo held tight to the steering wheel but her cell slipped from her fingers and fell to the floor. He swerved back into his lane and she tapped her brakes. If she had to make a run for the field, she would.

Pemsky slowed his car too and slammed into the front corner of her car. The side of Halo’s head hit and bounced off the driver’s window. “Ow, ow!”

Screech… screech…

Panic and pain caused Halo to hit the brakes harder then she should have. She skidded sidewise but got her car to stop. Her vision blurred. The Civic now sat in the middle of the country road. Her door had caved in a couple inches from the impact. She’d need to crawl over to the passenger’s door to get out.

She shook herself. No! She needed to get to the farmhouse, if she wanted to survive. She pushed down on the gas pedal and the tires spun and then grabbed.

Pemsky caught up with her, honked his horn twice, and drove his car into the back quarter panel. This time, she lost control.

Around and around she spun.

All of a sudden, her life flashed before her eyes. Why did it take her life to be in danger for her to understand what’s truly important in life—love! She wanted to go out on a date with Rich, pet his dog Cleo, and cuddle her puppies. Halo wanted everything…

Then the lights went out.

Once on the road, Rich drove as fast as the conditions would allow him, which wasn’t fast enough for him. Corny sat silently beside him with hands clutched in her lap. Corny got ahold of Sue, and she and her husband Jack were headed in Halo’s direction. She said they’d call when they reached her.

Steve, Corny’s boyfriend called and they talked for a couple minutes. Rich took her short replies, ‘sorry’, ‘I know’, ‘sorry’,’ I know’, to mean Steve wasn’t happy she’d left without him.

When Corny’s cell rang again, she jumped.

“Oh God no… Did you call for the paramedics? Okay…okay. We’re almost there. No, don’t move her. Did you bring blankets? Good, keep her warm. We’ll be there soon. Thank you for being there for her.”

Corny hung up, blew her nose, and wiped her eyes.

“What? Tell me!” Rich demanded. He watched her take a deep breath.

“Halo’s car’s on its side in the ditch. She’s unconscious. The paramedics are on the way.”

“Do your friends know how bad she’s hurt?” Rich asked.

“Sue said her ankle looks like it’s pinned under the dash of her car, but she’s not sure how badly she’s hurt. Drive faster, Rich.”

Corny fumbled with her cell, and gave Steve an update, which seemed to calm her. He pulled around a bend in the road and slowed at the sight before them. Only half of a bright yellow Honda Civic could be seen; the rest was in a large ditch. A green pickup truck sat over on the side of the road. Jack and Sue, he hoped.

“Rich…,” Corny whispered.

“I know. I know. She’s going to be fine,” he said in a reassuring voice. “She has to be.”

He parked and they ran over to the ditch. Jake had the car window covered, to keep the warmth in and snow out, and they’d covered Halo in blankets. He could see dried blood on her temple and her leg wedged under the dashboard. He crawled down into the ditch and gently took her hand. Her skin felt cold to the touch. He bent down as far as he could and rubbed his cheek against hers. “Baby, you’re going to be okay. I promise.”

He could hear the sirens in the distance.

Hurry.

Chapter Eight

Halo rubbed her cheek against something warm and a little bit rough, and smelled wonderful. Realization dawned, along with pain—everywhere. “Ohh,” she whispered. Her voice sounded far away and her throat hurt.

“Come on, Halo. Open your eyes for me, baby,” Rich said.

Rich? How did he get here? Halo tried to open her eyes, but the overhead lights were bright and made her head pound. She managed to open one eye and looked around.

“Where am I?” she croaked.

“You’re in the emergency room at Joseph’s Hospital. Are you thirsty?”

Halo nodded. That seemed to be easier than talking. Rich slipped a straw between her lips.

“Ahh… Thank you. That feels good. What are you doing here?”

“I missed you and didn’t want to wait any longer to see you. I stopped by your office and happened to be there when you called Corny,” he replied and stroked her forehead.

“I’m glad you’re here.” She tried to move her legs but her left leg felt like lead. She panicked.

“Rich, how come I can’t move my leg?” She clasped Rich’s hand as hard as she could.

“Your foot is fine, Halo. Your ankle sustained a hairline fracture in the wreck and they put your leg in a plaster cast to protect it. I promise you’ll be good as new in no time.”

He kissed her forehead. Then her memory returned in a flood.”Where’s Pemsky? He ran me off the road. He said he’d get payback for what I did. What if he shows up here?”

“Calm down, honey. Pemsky won’t
ever
bother you again,” Rich reassured her.

“Was he arrested?” Halo needed to know before she could relax. Her heart rate increased and the monitors bleeped in tune.

Before Rich could answer, the hospital curtain parted and Brenda, Corny, and Steve, quietly walked in. Rich stepped away as they crowded around her bed.

“You scared the begeezees out of us, Halo,” Brenda said, and dabbed her eyes with her knuckle.

“Yeah, I’m the only one who’s allowed to get hurt around here,” Corny joked.

“I disagree.
No one
needs to get hurt,” Steve insisted.

Corny introduced Rich to Steve and they shook hands. Rich stepped forward and took her hand.

“I’m in agreement with Steve,” Rich said.

“Somebody please tell me where Pemsky is,” Halo insisted.

“I will,” Brenda said, and leaned forward. “There was a freak accident and Pemsky died.”

“That’s it? That’s all you’re going to tell me?” Halo croaked. Rich slipped a straw between her lips again and she sucked.

“Honey, are you sure you want to hear this now? Why don’t we wait until you’re feeling better,” Brenda suggested.

“No, I want to hear what happened now, before I go home.” Panic set in. “I can go home, right? I don’t want to spend the holidays here.”

Brenda looked at Corny and Steve and they gave her a small nod.

“Sweetie, the hospital said they’d release you today. That’s good news,” Brenda said.

“Stop trying to protect me and tell me what’s going on,” Halo said, as she looked around at everyone.

Rich kissed her hand and rubbed her knuckles with his thumb. She felt safe. The heart monitor slowed to a steady beat.

“Now, tell me about Pemsky. Please,” Halo said, and looked at Rich.

“I’ll tell you what the state trooper’s concluded from their preliminary investigation. Pemsky sped away after he ran you off the road. They approximated his speed to be around seventy-five miles per hour when he took a sharp curve and swerved to miss a couple cows in the road. His car broke through a wire fence and collided with a tractor. The cause of death was determined to be by John Deere.”

“Oh my…oh my…. How horrible. His poor family,” Halo said. Everyone else kept silent. “Are the cows okay?”

“Yes, he missed the cows,” Rich replied, and everyone laughed.

Halo looked at the clock across the hall as the dial hit midnight, which made it Christmas Eve. Tears slipped from her eyes.

“Halo, you’re going to be on crutches for six weeks and won’t be able to manage stairs very well, which I’m told you only have at your apartment. You’ll need to stay with someone who can care for you for a little while. Brenda’s volunteered, until you can get around on your own.”

“Okay, I can deal with that.” Halo looked at her aunt. “Are you going to be okay taking care of an invalid?”

“Yes, honey. We’ll have a grand time,” Brenda replied.

“We’ll go get Halo’s crutches and meds and leave you two alone for a minute,” Brenda said, and everyone but Rich left the cubicle.

“Honey, everything will be all right,” Rich said, and kissed her.

“I feel bad. It’s Christmas Eve and everyone is stuck here at the hospital with me.”

“Halo, that’s what people do when they love someone.”

“When I was spinning out of control, I realized how I cheated both of us; by thinking I couldn’t have a career and a relationship, too.”

“We have all the time in the world, Halo.”

Chapter Nine

Christmas Eve

By 8:00 a.m. all the essentials Halo would need for the next couple weeks were collected from her apartment and organized in Brenda’s spare bedroom. Even the Christmas presents she’d hand-made for everyone sat under the tree.

With the crisis now over, Steve and Corny headed to her parent’s house. Brenda and John had a quiet Christmas planned, which meant she hadn’t screwed up too much of their holiday. Everyone looked bushed, though.

Rich stayed around and helped get her situated at Brenda’s. When Rich got ready to leave, Brenda handed him a small animal carrier. The mariachi band in her head stopped her from asking any questions. After making a trip to his car, Rich came over to the couch and kissed her with such tenderness; it brought tears to her eyes.

“Would you like to spend Christmas with me? Brenda said it would be okay with her,” Rich asked.

“Can you cook?” He’d gotten the deer-in-the-headlights look—priceless. He recovered quickly with a smile.

“That depends on who you ask. Don’t you worry; I’ll make sure we have a turkey and all the trimmings.”

“I’d love to. What time do you want me to come over?”

“Halo, you can’t drive. I’ll pick you up at noon. You’ve had a rough couple of days. Sleep well and I’ll see you in the morning, Sunshine,” Rich said, and kissed her again before he left.

Halo didn’t know Rich well enough to buy him a present, but she thought it would be okay to buy Cleo, his dog, something. Brenda made a late-night trip to Walmart and bought a dozen dog toys and a loaf of garlic bread. If the Turkey burnt they could munch on bread.

She’d slept late Christmas morning due to the pain-killers. Crutches and a leg-cast made getting in and out of the shower and dressed a slow process. She had to hurry to be ready on time. She’d managed to wrap the doggy toys, but after that her body complained.

The door bell rang exactly at noon. Brenda answered the door in her bright red Santa sweater and hat.

“Merry Christmas, Rich. Come in. Would you like a glass of eggnog?” Brenda asked.

She’d already had two and her eyes looked glassy and bright, Halo noticed.

“Merry Christmas to you, too. No thank you, on the eggnog.” He looked at Halo and asked, “How are you feeling? Are you still up for coming over?”

“Yes. I can’t wait. I’m looking forward to seeing Cleo and her pups. Maybe you, too.” Brenda left them alone and Rich wrapped her in his arms and kissed the socks off her.

“You taste wonderful,” Rich said, with huskiness in his voice.

“You do too.” Halo felt her face growing warm.

“Let’s get you in the car. There are already a couple of inches of snow on the ground and the weather forecaster predicted another couple by tonight. We’re definitely having a white Christmas.”

Rich sounded excited. When he picked her up she squealed. “What are you doing?”

“Honey, the snow is slick. I’d hate for you to fall. I’m going to carry you to the car.”

“Sorry, the pain meds make me stupid.”

“You? Stupid? I don’t think so.” He emphasized his point with gentle kisses to her lips, then picked up her bag and looped the handles around his neck

Brenda walked in to say goodbye.

“You two have a wonderful Christmas. See you tonight, honey,” Brenda said, with eggnog cheer in her voice.

The drive to Rich’s house only took twenty minutes. Not a lot of people were out and about on Christmas day. He drove down a long dirt road and they stopped in front of an old farmhouse. The white house with yellow shutters and a beautiful wraparound porch shone with little white lights. They wove through a Christmas wreath on the front door, around the railing, and the length of the porch. He even had a porch swing with green and red-stripped cushions.

“Oh… What a great house,” Halo exclaimed.

Out of the corner of her eye, she spotted a dozen or so chickens pecking the ground, looking for food under the snow. As Rich got out of the car, a large yellow lab came to greet them. He jumped, wiggled, jumped, and wiggled some more until Rich gave him a big hug.

“Now you stay down, Sam.”

The dog obeyed. Rich wrapped Halo’s bag around his neck and carried her to the porch where he set her on the swing.