Stories by Firefly! : 12 Days of Christmas || Christmas Story Snippets 3/3

Monday, December 23, 2019

12 Days of Christmas || Christmas Story Snippets 3/3

Merry Christmas, everyone!

With only two days left until Christmas, there's only two remaining party days! Which means you only have today and tomorrow to rack up some entries (or more entries) in the 12DoC giveaway. ;)

Oh, but before you scamper off, enjoy the last few snippets of the party!

|| Christmas Story Snippets {pt. 3 of 3}

Before Jamison could decide whether or not to be obedient, a dark curly head appeared from the kitchen, belonging to a jitterbugging teenager in a red polka dot dress.

“There’s my favorite little munchkin!” sixteen-year-old Molly declared as she came swooping in and held out her arms to Jamie.

“Auntie Oll!” the toddler squealed. He bounced on the couch and clapped his hands until she scooped him up.

Chattering to her nephew, Molly started back toward the kitchen without a word to her brother.

“I see how it is.” Jamison leaned back on the couch and crossed his arms over his chest.

Molly stopped and turned back, grinning mischievously. “Well, hi there. Say, you look familiar, stranger. What’s your name again?”

“Love you too, sis.”

“Oh my!” Molly leaned her head against Jamie’s, a dreamy look glazing over her eyes. “And now this dashing stranger has the nerve to profess his love for me. At our first meeting!”

With dramatic grace, she twirled and fell to her knees next to her father’s rocker, somehow managing to hold Jamie upright on her hip. “Oh, Papa, whatever should I do?”

Henry’s teasing eyes met Jamison’s, and he winked before turning to answer his youngest. “I don’t know what you’re going to do, Oll, but I think the rest of us need to ship you off to the big stage.”

*

I pour up two cups of coffee in the kitchen, switch off the coffee pot and the last of the lights, and step out onto the porch just as Ryder starts back my way from the truck. Katydid trots along at his feet, looking much more awake than I am.

I hand him one of the coffees over the porch railing and pause to lock the door. When I join him at the bottom of the steps, I glance down at Katydid. “I thought you said you coaxed her into the truck?”

“Correction: I said I tried.” Free hand jammed deep in the pocket of his Carhartt work jacket, Ryder’s eyes meet mine through the hazy steam spiraling up from his mug of joe. “Your turn.”

I follow his gaze down to the offending dog, surprised that she’s not obeying his commands.

“Usually I’m the one she doesn’t mind.” Pretty sure the dog still holds a grudge against me for stealing her man.

Stamping across the frosted grass, I follow Katydid and my husband out to the waiting truck, exhaust spilling from underneath.

He opens the back passenger door and glances back down at the dog. “C’mon, girl. There’s plenty of space for you on top of all of Charity’s stuff.”

“Hey, I don’t have that much!”

*

After supper, Lydia shooed her out of the kitchen with instructions to enjoy the rest of the evening.

Giving in, she wandered into the front room and sank to the hearth. The flickering flames sent skitters of warmth up her back.

David moved from the couch to sit beside her, then silently pointed above them. Bethany turned her eyes in that direction. Uh, oh.

The sprig of mistletoe that Erin had hung there earlier spun gaily in the firelight. She looked back to her fiancé. “Don’t go getting any bright ideas, young Mr. Carnathan.”

“Young Mr. Carnathan?”

She grinned. “You’re young Mr. Carnathan and—” she nodded across the room to where David's father sat in the rocker, “—your father is old Mr…” The flames of a blush crept up her face as she realized what she’d said. “Oh my goodness. I—I’m terribly sorry, Mr. Carnathan. I didn’t mean that the way it sounded.”

Raymond chuckled, heartily. “Don’t apologize, dear. We all know you didn’t mean it that way.”

Everyone laughed and, this once, Bethany didn’t color red at being the subject of their merriment.

“Where does that leave me?” Michael spoke up.

“You’re not old enough to earn the title of ‘mister’,” David suggested, earning himself an eyeroll.

Bethany smiled and leaned her head onto David's shoulder. Raymond and Lydia were the best future in-laws she could’ve asked for. So understanding and encouraging, always loving no matter what. She hadn’t been in a real family setting for so long, and it was an absolutely wonderful feeling.