Mr. Miracle (14 page)

“Watching
Jeopardy!
wasn’t nearly as much fun without you.”

“That’s because your fancy degree guarantees you’ll win.”

“Nope,” he countered. “Truth is, you’re the only person my age who likes it as much as I do.”

Setting the mugs down on the side table, Addie made herself comfortable in the recliner next to Erich. A classic Christmas movie,
The Bishop’s Wife
, was playing.

“I remember seeing this as a kid and loving it,” Addie admitted, as she reached for her drink and took a sip, keeping her gaze focused on the television screen. She immediately recognized the ice-skating scene. What she didn’t tell Erich was that she used to close her eyes and try to imagine it was Erich who held her in his arms, guiding her across the
ice. What fanciful dreams for a thirteen-year-old with her head in the clouds.

“It’s one of my favorite movies, too,” Erich said. “In fact, I’ve seen it two or three times. I certainly wouldn’t mind seeing it again.”

“You like
The Bishop’s Wife
?”

He looked a bit embarrassed. “Don’t tell anyone, but I’m sort of an old-movie buff. I’m especially fond of the movies from the late 1930s and 1940s. Weird, huh?”

“No, not at all. I am, too.”

That opened the conversation to other classic movies they enjoyed, and Addie was surprised by how in tune their likes and dislikes were. It surprised and pleased her. She never would have guessed that their tastes in movies or anything else would be the same.

When the last scene played, Erich turned off the television. Addie couldn’t think of a reason to linger; they’d both finished the hot cocoa and it was getting late. She started to get up.

“How’s the reading for your class coming?” he asked, stopping her.

“Really good. I find it particularly interesting to hear the perspective of others in the class.”

“What’s your take on the novel?” he asked, and seemed genuinely interested.

“It’s about change.” Addie had gleaned that from the
text from the first, but now she was more sure than ever. “It could be my thoughts are leaning that way because of where I am in my own life. I’m making a big change, and that’s the message I want and need to hear. Still, I think that’s what Dickens was writing about.”

“How so?”

“Look at Scrooge,” she said, becoming more animated as she spoke. “Isn’t he a great character? We haven’t gotten to the part near the end of the book where he purchases a Christmas goose and delivers the gifts to Bob Cratchit and his family, but everyone already knows that’s how the book ends. Scrooge went from that greedy, self-absorbed individual to a man who was giving and kind; it was an overnight transformation.” She realized that kind of dramatic change didn’t generally happen as quickly, but this was fiction and that was the way the story needed to be told.

Erich appeared to be weighing her comments carefully. “Do you believe this turnaround in Scrooge’s personality lasted more than a few days or weeks?”

Addie had the feeling Erich was really asking about her and the steps she’d taken to change her own life. “I’d like to think it did. Scrooge recognized that he was wasting his life. He had nothing but his gold. It took three ghosts to show him that all the stuff in the world was incapable of bringing him happiness.”

“Giving his money away did?”

“Scrooge didn’t give away his gold,” she corrected kindly, speaking off the cuff. “He gave of himself … and in doing so, he found what he’d wanted and needed all along.”

“And what was that?”

“His heart. Until then, Scrooge had completely ignored his need for others, for relationships, and because he did, he became bitter and mean.”

Erich’s look became thoughtful. “It sounds to me like you have a good grasp of the story and the symbolism.”

She relaxed back in the chair, more pleased than she wanted to admit by his compliment. “The thing is, I wonder if Dickens was thinking about symbolism when he wrote the story.”

She went on, “This is pure conjecture on my part, but it seems to me that Dickens’s purpose more than anything was to engage the reader in the tale. The symbolism was all part of the story, a natural by-product of a good storyteller.” In sharing her insights, Addie voiced her thoughts aloud for the first time.

“I can’t say what Dickens was thinking,” Erich said.

“I can’t, either,” she was quick to tell him. “Like I said, my thoughts are speculation.”

“Still,” Erich continued, “you make a good point.”

“Thanks.” She hadn’t meant to prattle on as if she were an expert on the subject, because heaven knew she wasn’t. If anything, reading was her weak spot. But it would be
interesting to hear what others in her class had to say about Scrooge.

They sat in companionable silence for a few moments, at ease with each other.

Erich glanced out the window. “Did you hear the weather reporter is forecasting snow over the next couple days?”

“Snow?” Addie hadn’t paid much attention to the television since she’d gotten back from class. The prospect of snow thrilled her. “No, I didn’t hear. I love it when it snows!”

“Don’t look so happy. You know what it’s like around Tacoma; everyone goes a little crazy.”

While snow in the Pacific Northwest wasn’t unusual, it wasn’t the norm, either.

“But it’s perfect for Christmas.”

“Bah, humbug,” Erich said, scowling again. “I may have just watched a classic holiday movie, but that doesn’t mean I’m going to get all celebratory.”

Oh yes, she’d forgotten, Erich wasn’t a fan of the holidays. “I can’t forget about Christmas, and I don’t know how you can, either.” Earlier Erich had said something negative, but she honestly couldn’t believe it was possible to hate Christmas. “I hope you didn’t actually mean you don’t like celebrating Christmas. That was all a joke, right?”

“I meant every word. People go way overboard, spending money on things they can’t afford, buying gifts for relatives they don’t like who will either regift or return them.”

Addie was aghast. “It seems to me you need a visit from three spirits yourself, Erich Simmons. Where’s your goodwill-toward-men attitude? Your Christmas spirit?”

He snorted. “I must have left it behind in the car after the crash.”

“That’s what I was thinking.” She got up from the chair. “It’s clear to me you’re going to need a bit of help getting into the true spirit of Christmas.”

He rolled his eyes. “Spare me, please.”

“I most certainly will not. You and I are stuck together for Christmas, and I refuse to let you put a damper on it.”

“Stuck together?” he asked, adding inflection to his voice. “Is that supposed to be a compliment?”

“I didn’t mean it like that.”

“Then tell me, how did you mean it?”

“What I intended to say was …” She hesitated, unsure how best to explain herself. “Seeing that we’re going to be spending the holiday together, I’d like to make it a happy occasion.”

“Are you planning on cooking me a Christmas goose?” he asked, sarcastically.

“If that’s what you want.”

“Can you cook?”

She arched her brows and slowly shook her head. “It seems to me, you aren’t aware that I spent the last several years working in a diner. A couple times I had to step in
when the cook got sick and prepare the orders myself. So, yes, in a word, I’ll be able to manage Christmas dinner, only …”

“Only what?” he asked, revealing how skeptical he was.

“Only I’m not sure I can cook for two. Every recipe I know is for twenty servings or more,” she teased.

He grinned, and it was all Addie could do to tear her eyes away from him. It amazed her how good-looking he’d become … Well, he’d always been cute, but he was no longer a boy now, and it was different.

“I’ve never cooked a goose, but I’m willing to give it a try,” she said, in an effort to distract herself, tearing her gaze away from Erich.

“I don’t want anything special. As far as I’m concerned, Christmas is the same as any other day of the week. It’s certainly nothing special to me.”

Addie ignored him. “I think a small turkey, stuffing, cranberries, and a couple of side dishes will be perfect.”

His look hardened, and when he spoke he raised his voice slightly. “Apparently, you didn’t hear me.”

“I did,” she returned nonchalantly, “but I prefer to ignore what you had to say.” She stood, and, placing her hands on her hips, she surveyed the room, doing a slow turn. “What we need is something tangible to put you in the spirit of the holidays.”

Erich stood, too. “You aren’t listening.”

“A Christmas tree will put you in the holiday mood.”

“I don’t want a Christmas tree.”

Addie ignored him again. “No worries. I don’t need your help setting it up. I’m happy to do it myself.”

“Not at my house you won’t.”

“I’m thinking a five-foot tree would be the perfect size.” She studied the room, filling her mind with the vision of a fully decorated tree. That was a sure way to help the Grinch’s heart grow three sizes. He might object now, but a decorated tree was just the ticket. He wouldn’t be able to resist the holiday when every time he walked into the room he was confronted with the bright, twinkling lights of a Christmas tree.

“Addie, I’m serious. If you want to go through all the trouble of putting up a silly Christmas tree, do it at your own house and not here.”

“I’m serious, too,” she countered.

He grumbled under his breath. “Don’t you have someplace else you need to be? Homework that needs to be read?”

“Are you saying you’re sick of me?”

“As a matter of fact … I’m not, which sort of shocks me. Heaven knows I should be, with all this talk about Christmas.”

Staring at him, she was struck anew at the deep shade of
blue his eyes were. How was it she’d never noticed that before?

“I find it unsettling how much I like hanging out with you,” she said. “You’re not half as bad as I remember.”

“I was thinking the same thing,” he said, joking back. “With the exception of you insisting on decorating a tree.” He smiled then, and the mood lightened.

They stood there goofily, smiling at each other. Suddenly it seemed like the most natural thing in the world for him to kiss her. Addie wasn’t sure who leaned toward whom first. It might well have been her.

Erich placed his wrists on top of her shoulders, the weight of his twin casts catching her by surprise. She tilted her head back to look up at him and closed her eyes as his mouth settled, warm and gentle, over hers. His lips were soft and his kiss stole her breath.

He released her quickly. As if they were two children who’d been caught doing something wrong, they stepped away from each other.

Erich spoke first. “Wow,” he whispered. “That was wild!”

Addie smiled. “I know, right?”

He stepped closer and rested his forehead against her own. “Do you remember when we were eight?”

“Vaguely.”

“You offered to pay me your allowance if I’d kiss you.”

“I did?” Addie didn’t remember any such thing. “Tell me you’re making that up.”

“Nope. I swear it’s true.”

“You didn’t take me up on my offer, though, did you?”

Erich did a poor job of hiding his amusement. “Actually, as I remember it, I kicked you in the shins.”

Addie’s smile grew bigger. “That sounds like something you’d do.”

“I was just thinking …”

“Yes?”

“I was just thinking,” he repeated, “that I wouldn’t be so willing to turn you down if you were to make that same offer again.”

The next morning Addie hardly knew what to think. Erich had kissed her. Actually, she might have kissed him! She couldn’t remember who had done what. What did stick in her mind as she tossed and turned the night away was the absolute shock of it.

Erich?

Her?

Even as she sat on the edge of her bed, fighting off the last dregs of sleep, she didn’t know how it’d happened. Nor could she figure out when things had changed or even what had changed. Clearly something drastic had.

Was it her?

Was it Erich?

She decided she’d blame Christmas. Perhaps this was his way of telling her his relationship with Ashley was completely over. That sort of made sense. It could be that they’d gotten caught up in the moment. Addie had always considered the holidays an extra-special time of year. Magic hung in the air, and people were gentler, kinder to one another. Differences were set aside, friendships deepened, and people in general were more charitable and happier.

That explained it, she decided. She would chalk the kiss up to Christmas.

Once she’d showered and dressed, Addie glanced out the dining room window toward Erich’s house. Despite the early hour, she saw that his lights were on. Apparently he’d had trouble sleeping, too. She couldn’t help speculating if he’d spent the night wondering about their kiss the way she had.

Maybe. Maybe not.

He’d probably brushed the incident aside and had completely forgotten it’d happened.

Seeing that he was awake and she was awake, Addie cooked him a breakfast of scrambled eggs plus toast and carried the meal from her house to his.