Stranded On Christmas (6 page)

Gideon

I
woke and looked to see where she was. She was still lying next to me
but she was turned away. Her bottom was pressed into my leg. Just
being close to her turned me on, but her naked backside pressing
against my naked thigh was doing me in.

I
rolled towards her and laid my arm around her. That was when I
noticed that she had her arm around her dog. He was sleeping in her
arms, except that he wasn't sleeping anymore.

I
gave him a look, and he jumped down. She may have needed him before,
but she sure didn't anymore.

She
had me now.

I
leaned in and kissed her. Her eyes fluttered open, and she smiled at
me. “Merry Christmas, Gideon.”

“
Merry
Christmas, Jessie.”

She
smiled at me even bigger. “I like it when you call me Jessie.”
She moved unto her back so I could lie down on top of her.

“
Then
I’ll always call you that.” I was the happiest man alive.

I
made love to her and whispered into her ear that I loved her.

Jessie
took hold of my face and told me that she loved me too. She looked me
deeply in the eyes as she said that.

She
honestly meant it, and she wanted me to know it.

I
couldn’t be happier.

I
told her that she should stay in bed a bit and rest while I went out
to the cows. I wrapped up the ring and laid it under the tree. I had
taken some pork from the freezer last night. It was thawed in the
sink in the meantime. I wrapped it up and put it in a bowl and placed
it in the icebox. The bone in it would be Pumpkin's Christmas gift. I
felt I had everything covered. I went out to the cows. My wife should
just have the freshest of milk.

I
was glad that she hadn't heard the milk truck yesterday. If she knew
that the roads were plowed, she would be back to worrying that she
was bothering me.

I
thought of her fingers in my hair as I lay on top of her. Marriage
was the best thing that could happen to a man.

She
could never bother me, not my little angel.

Jessica

I
waited for him to go out before I darted to the bathroom and worked
on prettying myself up a bit for him.

I
was almost giggling as I snuck downstairs and laid the Rolex under
the tree. The gifts that I had gotten for Jamie’s parents would
just become mine. I was thankful that I had gotten them something
that I also liked, fancy cake plates were something that I didn't
have but then again I never made cake. I bought myself cupcakes
sometimes, but I didn't actually bake, or cook that often either.

I
took a moment to look at the other box under the tree. It was tiny.
Was it for me? What would he give me when he had already done so much
for me?

He
came in with the dog, and their paw cleaning routine went into
practice again.

When
he walked into the living room and saw me standing in front of the
tree, he smiled eyes and everything.

I
couldn't hold his gaze. I glanced off to the side, thinking that soon
I would have to go home and this would all just be a memory. I was
going to miss him. “I'm sorry that I'm wearing the same dress as
yesterday. This one is just the most festive.”

“
You
look just beautiful. I'll just go up and get cleaned up too. I'll
hurry. Then we will eat together.” He looked worried like I would
take off right now. He must know that the end was near too.

I
would be pining after him for a long time. He was a real man.

I
couldn't picture Jamie getting up early to care for livestock. He was
way too self-centered for that.

I
needed a man like Gideon in my life, but Gideon himself, was too far
out of the way. I needed to look for a man with his qualities back
home. Of course, I wouldn't find one as good-looking as he was. I had
to turn down my expectations by a couple of notches.

Gideon
came back down and took hold of my hand, pulling me into the kitchen.
He got out a basket full of eggs. He went to the cellar and came back
with a slab of bacon, which he cut into thin slices by hand.

Gideon
was good at things like that, a real jack-of-all-trades.

I
wanted to go back upstairs and make love to him. My mind was
drifting, but he had given me the task of cutting bread for toast.

I
watched how he used the stove. The fire had already been going. He
must have lit it before he went out.

We
ate our old-fashioned made breakfast of eggs, bacon and toast with
jam.

Once
we were both full, we worked on cleaning everything up. I washed and
he dried and put things away. He had a smile on his face that just
wouldn't quit.

After
I cleaned up the table and praised him for having running water, he
took hold of my hand again. This time he led me to the tree. “Have
a seat, baby. I'll be right with you.” He went over to the
bookshelf and got the bible.

I
sat down in front of the two lone presents and arranged the skirt of
my dress, so it looked pretty.

He
came and sat down next to me but he stretched out long behind me.
With one arm wrapped around me he read the Christmas story. I leaned
into him and just listened.

I
had been just like Joseph and Mary. I had needed a place to stay too.

I
told him that when he was finished. He sat up, and we kissed for a
while. I hugged him and thanked him again.

I
reached behind me for his present. I held it out to him. “This is
my way of saying thank you. I may not have gotten it for you, but I
want you to have it.”

He
took the present and carefully opened it. He wasn't a paper ripper.
Once the paper was laid to the side, he saw the burgundy velvet box.

“
You
didn't have to get me anything.” He looked at me, unsure.

“
Yes,
I did. Besides, this is right up your alley. It's antique, old and
still in use. You like things like that. Open it up.”

The
box opened to reveal a watch on a burgundy velvet metal clip.
He
opened it and his jaw dropped. He had obviously heard of Rolex
before.

“
It's
a Rolex Oyster from the 1930s to 40s. From before the boxes were all
green. The glass is unbreakable. I guess if it has lasted this long,
then that would be true. The glass is waterproof too. That's good for
work on the farm, right?”

He
took the watch out and admired it. I had gotten him something that he
truly liked.

“
Just
hold onto the box too. It makes this set worth more.” The outside
of the box was pretty plain and a bit roughed up but the inside was
especially nice
with
a crown on the cream satin liner inside of the lid.

He
took off his watch and set it to the side. He put on the Rolex and
adjusted the leather band so it fit perfectly. It looked like it had
been made for him. “Thank you, Jessie. I’ll take especially good
care of it.”

“
You're
welcome. I’m glad that it is going to someone who will appreciate
it and actually use it.”

“
Why
wouldn't someone use it?” he asked.

“
It's
vintage, a collectors item. Most people would lock it up in a safe
and take it out and look at it every now and then, but a watch needs
to be worn to run right. That's what the jeweler told me anyway.”

Gideon
was now looking at the watch again. “How much did this cost you?”

“
I
can't tell you that. It's a gift.” I smiled at him, mischievously.

“
Jessica,
I need to know. If it is worth a lot, I can't wear it while doing
chores.”

“
But
you always have chores, and a watch wants to be worn.”

“
Jessica.”
He gave me a look like he was giving me one last warning.

I
wasn't about to tell him that it had cost over three thousand
dollars. Jamie had said that he wanted it. He had begged, and I had
thought that I was going to make him genuinely happy.

I
just didn't have it in me to make him happy. I wasn't what he wanted.

I
realized that I must have known that deep down, or I never would have
gotten him the extravagant gift. I had tried to get him to love me,
but I had been swimming against the current. Water had pushed me
away, and now I was here giving the gift to a perfect stranger just
so I never had to think about it again.

“
Jessie,
are you all right?”

I
must have been daydreaming. I wiped at my eyes, removing the tears
that had collected in the corners. I was deeply embarrassed. “I
really want you to have it. Please accept it.”

“
I
wasn't trying to upset you. Thank you very much. I’ll always
treasure it. But I won't wear it out to the barn. Is that sensible?”

I
faked a smile and nodded at him. I wanted that part of my life to be
over. I was ready to go home and continue on with my life. I was
strong enough for that now.

“
It’s
your turn. Open up your present.” He held the tiny box out to me.

“
Thank
you, Gideon, but you honestly don't have to give me anything. I owed
you, not the other way around.”

“
Just
open it.” He watched me, eagerly, as I carefully opened it and set
the paper to the side, like he had. I didn't think that he would ever
find anything this small that needed wrapping again, but that didn't
matter. I was in Rome, so I was doing as my Roman did.

It
was an old-fashioned jewelry box, a light rose colored one. It was
older too. I opened it and saw a pretty ring. “It's very pretty,
thank you.”

I
was about to put the ring on when he took it from me and moved in
closer to me. “Jessica, you appeared into my life out of nowhere,
and I’m so thankful for that. I’ve been thanking God constantly
for bringing you to me. I got the honor of meeting you, loving you,
and now I get the honor of being your husband.” He slipped the ring
onto my ring finger on my left hand.

I
was in shock. He was smiling and waiting for me to say something.
“This is a joke, right?”

“
No,
of course it isn't. We love each other. I would never joke about
that.” He looked worried and concerned.

“
But
we don't really know each other.”

“
Hey,
baby. You don't have to worry. I’m not like that guy. I’ll never
change my mind about you. I’ll always love you.” He reached out
and petted my face. I leaned into his gentle caress.

“
You
think that because we slept with each other that it can only feel
like that with me, but that isn't true. You will find someone better.
It will be even better with her. Trust me what you’re feeling isn't
real love. It's lust and getting married for lust is a very bad thing
to do. I'm guessing your life is very sheltered here. I'm not the
answer to your prayers. I'm just passing by. I'll leave right now if
you want.”

I
put the ring back in the box and set it on the floor. I stood up, and
so did he. “You can't leave, ever. We love each other. You said
so.”

“
This
is all my fault. I take the blame for everything. What we had was
rebound sex. Things like that never hold. I'm so sorry, but I have to
go home.”

“
You
are home!” he shouted at me.