The Cat of Christmas Past (11 page)

“My mom said Destiny is going to have her baby this week,” Serenity Paulson informed me as we prepared for the Sunday morning service.

“Yes, I know. Are you excited?”

“Very. I’m going to be an aunt. Mom said I can hold Baby James when he’s born. I hope he has dark hair like me.”

It had been a tense night on Friday, but after all the tests were completed it was determined the baby was fine, although they’d ordered complete bedrest for Destiny until the baby was born. My sister Cassidy was out of school on Christmas break, so she’d volunteered to stay with Destiny while Tara was at work. The doctors planned to induce labor at the end of the week if she didn’t deliver naturally by that time.

“I bet he’ll be a beautiful baby whatever the color of his hair.”

“Maybe. Destiny wants him to have dark hair too. She said his daddy’s hair was blond and she doesn’t want the baby to look anything like that jerk.”

“She told you that?”

“No. She was talking to Jake and I overheard them. I think Destiny feels bad that James’s dad doesn’t want him.”

“Yes,” I agreed, “I’m sure it’s a very emotional situation for her. Why don’t you go see if Trinity needs help with her robe?”

I wasn’t certain discussing Destiny’s love life was appropriate for the choir room.

“Did you learn all the lines for your solo?” I asked Holly.

“Yes. My mom said it sounds real nice.”

“I’m sure it does. You have a beautiful voice.”

“Ms. Cait,” Robby interrupted, “my robe won’t zip. I think it’s broken.”

I joined the six-year-old. “Let me have a look.”

The St. Patrick’s children’s choir was due to go on in less than five minutes. I really didn’t have time for broken zippers. Luckily, Robby had just caught some of the fabric in the zipper when he’d put the robe on and I only needed to work it loose.

“I talked to Santa last night at the church dinner,” Ricky said as I worked on Robby’s robe. “I told him about the shoes and socks and he said he’d see what he could do.”

“That’s great,” I responded. I’d already spoken to Sister Mary, who’d assured me that Santa would come through. That was one of the best things about being part of a small community; everyone looked out for everyone else.

“I asked for blue socks to go with the blue shoes I want, but if Santa doesn’t have blue socks white will be fine. My mom says Santa has a lot of deliveries to make and we can’t be picky.”

“Your mom is right, but I’m sure Santa will try his very best to get the socks you want,” I said.

I stood in the middle of the room and looked around after Ricky and Robby had walked away. On the surface there appeared to be total chaos, but I could see that everyone was working toward doing what it was they needed to do.

“Can you ask Stephanie to sing a little more quietly?” Annabelle asked as I began to pass out the hymn books. “She’s singing off key and it’s messing me up.”

Annabelle had by far the best voice of anyone in the choir, but she also had the prickliest personality. Most of the other kids didn’t really like her, which made me feel bad for her, but I had to admit she tended to bring it on herself.

“How about if I ask Cody to move you closer to the middle so you aren’t right next to Stephanie?” I suggested.

“I guess that could work, though it would be better if she just moved her lips and let those of us who can actually sing do it.”

“Stephanie has a nice voice. Besides, God loves to hear the voices of all His children praising Him with song.”

“Maybe God is tone deaf,” Annabelle grumbled as she walked away.

I looked around the festively decorated room. There was an energy and excitement in the air as the kids lined up in preparation for their journey down the hall and into the main part of the church, where Mass was being held. We planned to perform Christmas carols in place of the usual hymns. I loved everything about this season, but the thing I loved most was the joy it brought to the people around me.

“Are we ready?” Cody asked.

“Ready,” all the kids responded.

“Remember, we’re going to segue directly into the second song from the first without a break. Can everyone remember that?”

“Yes, Mr. Cody,” everyone said.

“Okay. Everyone smile,” Cody instructed as he led the group out the door.

I took up the rear to make certain everyone, including Robby, would behave themselves. I was proud of the kids. They’d worked hard and took their role in the choir very seriously. I couldn’t help but predict that each and every one of them was going to grow up to be an awesome adult.

After church Cody and I went to my mom’s for our weekly family dinner. Ever since I was a little girl, dinner on Sunday afternoons was mandatory for the entire Hart clan. As a teenager I wasn’t fond of the time away from my friends, but as an adult I wouldn’t trade the weekly event for anything.

“What time can you be here on Christmas?” my mom asked the minute I entered the kitchen.

“What time would you like me to be here?”

“Early. Maybe eight. I thought we could all have brunch before we opened presents. I’m planning on serving dinner at around three, so I figured it would be best to have brunch early in the morning.”

“That sounds fine to me.”

“And Cody?”

“I’m sure it will be fine with him as well. Have you checked with Danny? If anyone’s going to be late it will be him.”

“He’s going to spend the night here. Siobhan told me eight is fine with her and Finn. I’ll check with Maggie when she arrives, but she’s usually an early riser.”

“Can I bring Max?”

Mom hesitated.

“It’s Christmas, and I’ll be out for a good part of the day.”

“Oh, all right, you can bring the dog.”

My mom wasn’t really an animal person. I’d never had a pet of my own until after I’d moved out of the house and into the cabin. Now I couldn’t imagine my life without one.

“Caitlin, can you set the table?” Mom asked after delegating other chores to other members of the family.

“How many are we having?” I asked.

“Fourteen. I invited Father Kilian and Sister Mary to join the family.”

“Okay, I’m on it.”

I assumed the other twelve consisted of Cody and me, Aiden and his girlfriend, Danny and Tara, Siobhan and Finn, Cassie and Mom, and Maggie and Marley. Up until a few days ago Cassie’s boyfriend would have attended as well, but I’d heard the pair had broken up, which I assumed explained Cassie’s sour mood.

“I’m surprised Tara is here,” Siobhan said as she pitched in to help me set the table. “I figured she’d be watching over Destiny.”

“Destiny’s mom had the day off, so she’s staying with her,” I explained. “Tara will be there tonight and all day tomorrow because the store is closed, and Cassie is going to sit with her on Tuesday and Wednesday while Tara’s at work. If all goes as planned, she should deliver on Thursday morning.”

“Thursday is Christmas Eve. Destiny will have a Christmas baby.”

“It looks like it.”

“I hope everything goes okay. She’s just a kid.”

“Yeah. I’ve been worried about her since the fall. She seems to be all right, but I think she fell pretty hard. Still, I guess if the doctors aren’t worried I shouldn’t be either.”

Siobhan began setting the water glasses on the table as I worked on the silverware. It was nice to share a chore with my sister that we’d both hated when we were growing up.

“By the way,” Siobhan added as we worked, “I wanted to tell you that I overheard a group of women from Tuesday night bible study talking about the situation with the Bayview Apartments. They were all praising you for saving the day.”

“I really wish my persuading Balthazar Pottage to change his mind hadn’t gotten out. Now I feel all this pressure to come through and I honestly don’t know if I can.”

Siobhan opened a drawer in the china hutch and took out a stack of cloth napkins. “Don’t let the expectations of others influence your plan. Do what you feel inclined to do and let the chips fall where they may. I don’t see how anyone can fault you for trying, no matter what the outcome.”

“I guess, but people are looking at me as some kind of a hero and I feel like I’ll be letting everyone down if I can’t find Charles Pottage. For all I know he’s been dead for twenty years and is therefore unfindable. You must be dealing with pressure like this every day as mayor. How do you do it?”

Siobhan stopped what she was doing and looked at me. “I do the very best I can in a given situation and then I move on. I don’t beat myself up over the outcome if it isn’t the one I’d hoped for. You win some and you lose some. Whatever the outcome of your crusade, just remember that you’re the one who’s actually
doing
something to save the apartments, while everyone else was just standing on the sidelines complaining. Win or lose, you’re a hero in my eyes.”

“Thanks.” I straightened the flowers in the center of the table. “I needed to hear that. Have I told you lately how glad I am you moved home?”

“About a million times.” Siobhan laughed.

“This is nice,” I said to Cody later that evening as we shared a bottle of wine. The fire was dancing in the fireplace, the tree lights twinkled from the tree in front of the window, and the sound of Christmas piano played softly.

“I do enjoy spending Sundays with your family, but by the end of the day I’m ready for a little
us
time. My family never really did the bonding thing. I’m not used to all the drama.”

“Like Cassie’s breakup?”

“Exactly. I feel bad for her, but after a while I got tired of listening to her complain about the guy. To be honest I’m kind of surprised she’s this upset. It never seemed like she was all that in to him while they were dating.”

“I don’t think she was; I just don’t think she liked getting dumped.”

“I guess none of us do.”

I looked at Cody. “Like you’ve ever been dumped.”

“I’ve been dumped.”

“When?” As I recalled all the girls had loved him and he was the one doing the dumping.

“When I was in the Navy. I was in a relationship for almost two years when the woman I thought I loved decided she no longer loved me.”

I frowned. I’d had no idea Cody had been in that serious of a relationship. I figured he must have dated while he was away but two years?

“I’m sorry.”

Cody shrugged. “It was a long time ago, and in retrospect I realize I was never really in love with her. At least not the way I’m in love with you.”

I smiled.

“I thought maybe we should go on a sleigh ride this week.”

“It’s been snowing, but there’s only about two inches on the ground. I don’t think it’s enough for a sleigh,” I pointed out.

“There’s a man in town who provides rides with a sleigh that’s been outfitted with wheels. It might not be quite the same as going for a ride when there’s a lot of snow, but the sleigh follows a path through the forest on a track made from hard-packed powder. It seems like it would be romantic all the same.”

“That sounds nice. I’ve never taken a sleigh ride. Although we have a pretty busy week. I’m planning to go visit Balthazar Pottage tomorrow, and then we have play rehearsal on Tuesday and the performance on Wednesday. Thursday is Christmas Eve and then Friday is Christmas.”

Cody put his arm around me. I lay my head on his shoulder. I really loved these random moments where I felt that the two of us really were part of a whole.

Cody kissed the top of my head before he replied. “I guess Christmas did sort of sneak up on me. By the way, I’m afraid we have two more guests to add to our Christmas Eve dinner party. Mr. Parsons asked if a couple of the guys who hang out at the senior center could come and I told him it would be fine. I guess that brings us to fourteen.”

“Make that sixteen. I invited Doris Rutherford because she was hanging out at the Bait and Stitch when I stopped in and Maggie asked me about bringing something. She was thrilled with the invite and wanted to know if she could bring her neighbor.”

“I guess our little low-key dinner party has taken on a life of its own,” Cody commented. “Initially I figured we’d have an early dinner with Mr. Parsons and then head back to your place for a little alone time. Somehow that’s morphed into sixteen guests and a late dinner to accommodate Father Kilian.”

“It’s fine,” I assured him. “It’s a nice thing to do. I do wish we could have had a bit more us time, but we’re alone right now.”

Cody pulled me into his arms just as my phone rang. I was going to ignore it when I noticed the call was from Tara. I’d just seen her at my mom’s so I had to assume this was important. I groaned at the bad timing as I pulled away and answered. “Hello?”

“It’s Destiny. She’s in labor. We’re on our way to the hospital.”

“We’ll meet you there.”