Invitations

  (Carpenter/Harding Christmas)

  Barbara Winkes

  Copyright © 2021 Barbara Winkes

  All rights reserved.

  This book is a work of fiction. Any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, events or locales are purely coincidental. This book or any portion thereof may not be reproduced or used in any manner whatsoever without the express written permission of the author except for the use of brief quotations in a book review.

  For D.

  Then

  “Come on in! I’m so happy you’re here!”

  Madeline hugged her friend tightly before she and her family followed her inside the house and into the living room. It was dominated by the huge Christmas tree, decorated with every ribbon, ball and other exquisite ornament anyone could think of. Gifts of all shapes and sizes sat underneath.

  Madeline blinked. She saw her own daughter’s jaw drop slightly and imagined her own expression reflected the same awe. The effect was the same every year.

  “We went a little overboard there, didn’t we?” Clearly, Meredith Harding had no regrets. Between the living area and kitchen, guests were already mingling, some with cocktails in hand, children playing.

  “You don’t know anything else,” Madeline said. “It’s so beautiful.”

  “Thank you. Would you like something to drink? There are cookies and hot chocolate for the kids in the kitchen.”

  “Sure. I’d love to.” Madeline turned around, seeing that her daughter and husband had already found friends to talk to. She and Meredith made their way through a crowd of more people than should realistically fit into their house, and into the kitchen.

  “Madeline, hi!” Patrick Harding was holding his daughter in his arms. “Look who’s here,” he said to her. “You want to go play with Susie?”

  “Yes, Daddy! Santa came to your house too?” Ellie, inquisitive as always, asked Madeline.

  “Yes, he did. Susie’s going to tell you all about it.”

  Patrick set her down, and she immediately dashed to the living room to find her friend. Meredith looked after her with unabashed pride.

  “She started reading.”

  “Wow. That’s impressive,” Madeline said, hoping it didn’t sound a tad jealous.

  “It is,” Patrick agreed. “She’s going to do great things one day.”

  * * * *

  Gloria Brennan was starting to question the wisdom of her actions when the girl slumped into the passenger seat, her expression sullen and at the same time a bit too adult for her age. She wouldn’t make apologies for wanting one of her brightest students to have a nice holiday, though she could have done better on the specifics.

  Taking her to a family party, she knew she had to ask the parents. Kathryn and Jim didn’t seem to mind or care, which was what Gloria had feared.

  She didn’t mean to embarrass Jordan, but obviously there was no way around it.

  “Carrie is really happy you’re coming,” she said.

  Gloria had her suspicions about the Larsons even before her own daughter, who had become friends with Jordan, pointed out a few things.

  She had given them the benefit of the doubt, not wanting to blame them for being poor. Then again, plenty of her students came from poor families, and the parents showed interest in them, affection.

  Being confronted with the different reality of Jordan’s family life, she couldn’t help the unkind thoughts that were conflicting with the holiday spirit she wanted to create.

  “I’m glad, too. Thank you, Mrs. Brennan.”

  “There’s no need to thank me. You’re always keeping her out of trouble.”

  Jordan didn’t comment, but she smiled to herself, acknowledging the truth of Gloria’s statement.

  Small victories, Gloria reminded herself.

  She wanted to do a lot more than provide a warm meal and a Christmas present. She’d have to look into her options.

  Now

  “There is no way it will fit in the living room.” Shivering in the cold, Jordan took in the enormous tree taking up space on their porch. The fact that she couldn’t say no to Ellie came with consequences, no doubt about it. For most of their adult lives, both of them had worked during the holidays, or spent a quiet evening by themselves. Now that they had their own family, Ellie felt nostalgic for the glorious Christmas parties her parents had thrown.

  There was no way of saying no.

  “We’ll just trim it and cut the base a bit more,” Ellie decided, giving the tree a critical once over. “It will fit. It’s going to be awesome.”

  “Whatever you say, Clark.”

  Ellie tried, but she couldn’t hold back the laughter.

  “Just trust me, okay?”

  Jordan thought that Ellie seriously overestimated the ceiling height of their living room, but she loved her, and she wanted to get out of the cold. Fortunately Jack and Pauline had offered to watch Meri today, so they could get all the decorations up.

  They made Ellie happy, and Meri would stare at them in wonder…Jordan had no talking room.

  “I always do. I’ll go and get you the saw.”

  She came back with the promised object a couple of minutes later, and Ellie went to work. The image of Ellie expertly handling the tool and cutting the tree down to a manageable height was reward in itself—the fact that they managed to fit the tree into their living room, a Christmas miracle.

  Various boxes holding lights and ornaments already stood in the corner. This year, Ellie had taken out all the decorations she had kept from her childhood and bought a few more.

  Jordan wasn’t going to complain, especially when Ellie took off her sweater, revealing a red t-shirt with a plunging neckline, and the word “naughty” written across it in silver letters.

  “Wow, it’s hot in here.”

  “Oh yes it is,” Jordan confirmed.

  “Don’t get any ideas,” Ellie warned her. “Every minute of the day until Jack and Pauline bring Meri home, is planned.”

  “So what if we’re not done with the decorations when they come back?”

  “You’re not serious.”

  Jordan could tell she was trying to convey irritation, and failing.

  “Well? You’re the one who’s naughty…right in my face,” she said, and Ellie laughed.

  “As soon as we have the decorations on this tree, I’m going to take a shower. Your move.”

  It was going to be the best Christmas ever.

  * * * *

  After her parents had left, and Meri was sound asleep, they retreated to the living room with an adult hot chocolate, enjoying the peaceful moment. The year coming to an end always was a time for reflection, on more than the past twelve months.

  Jordan couldn’t be happier to be where she was, and she was aware of the people who had helped her make it happen over the years. She and Ellie would welcome many of them at their upcoming holiday party.

  Creating unforgettable memories, the way Ellie’s parents had when she was little.

  The sound of the doorbell startled them both out of their cozy state. Ellie’s expression told her without words that she wasn’t expecting anyone either.

  She got up to check the door, and Ellie followed her.

  When Jordan opened, the door, she was speechless for a few seconds. This wasn’t possible…

  “I’m so sorry to disturb you at this time,” the woman said. “I read about you in an article recently and looked up your address…I didn’t know where else to go. Do you remember me?”

  “Of course, Mrs. Brennan. Come on in.”

  She took the woman’s coat and hung it on the rack, then directed her to the living room.

  Mrs. Brennan rubbed her hands together. It looked like she hadn’t even worn gloves. Jordan had a lot of mixed emotions about this spontaneous visit, but none of them mattered at the moment.

  “Please, have a seat,” she said softly. “This is Ellie, my wife. Can we offer you anything?”

  “Your home is beautiful,” Mrs. Brennan said, tears glistening in her eyes. “I’m so happy for you.”

  “We have boozy hot chocolate and cookies,” Ellie offered after shaking her hand. “It’s nice to meet you.”

  She was of course flawless when it came to unexpected social situations. Jordan caught her gaze, hoping to convey in hers that she’d tell her the story later. She didn’t mind anymore, since this one had a happy ending—beginning.

  “I could use something warm,” Mrs. Brennan admitted. “Thank you so much.”

  “I’ll be right back.”

  After Ellie had left the room, Jordan asked, “How can we help you?”

  “I hope you don’t think I just came here for a favor. When I found out where you lived, I wanted to see you, and tell you I never meant to lose touch.”

  “It was a difficult time,” Jordan acknowledged.

  “It sure was. I’ll get to that, but right now…I hope you can help me prevent my partner from doing something ill-advised.”

  “Tell me everything.” Jordan kept her tone reassuring, but firm. The moment of small talk had come and gone. “Did she hurt you?”

  “Oh no, she would never. It’s about a former student of mine. He beat up another student when he was in my class, and I called the police on him. Long story short, he ended up in juvie, and has been in and out of jail for the past decade. They let him out again a few weeks ago, and it turns out he still blames me. He’s been harassing me. Tara just wants to protect me—our family.”

  “Have you filed a report?” First things first.

  Ellie returned with a tray and put a mug with hot chocolate and a plate of cookies in front of Mrs. Brennan. She quietly sat next to Jordan.

  “Yes, and I’ve tried to talk to his parole officer, but he refuses to do anything. I was hoping you could look into it, before Tara does something she’ll regret.”

  Jordan could easily imagine crossing lines in order to save a loved one, but she understood Mrs. Brennan’s dilemma. If she could prevent a family from being torn apart before Christmas, she wouldn’t hesitate.

  “I will. Just leave me all the information you have, and I promise, I’ll get back to you.”

  “Thank you so much. And thank you for this,” she indicated the treats in front of her. “It’s been a tough time.”

  “I’m sorry to hear that. How’s Carrie doing?”

  With some amusement, she noticed Ellie perking up. She would have no choice but to tell the story later. Carrie had been her best friend through difficult circumstances until circumstances separated them—a crush had been far from Jordan’s mind at the time.

  “Carrie is a nurse now. She’s doing great. She has to work over Christmas, but she’ll visit us after the holidays. It’s another reason why we’re hoping this could be over soon.”

  “We’ll figure this out. I swear.”

  Brennan gave her a grateful smile.

  “I know I didn’t have a huge part in it, but I’m just as proud of you as I am of Carrie. Look at you.”

  She had always treated every one of her students with kindness. Her statement still caught Jordan off guard. The lights of the Christmas tree blurred slightly in her line of vision.

  “Thank you, Mrs. Brennan. It means a lot coming from you.” She wasn’t wrong. Jordan had come a long way.

  “I knew you were having a hard time, and I was going to do more…but then my mother had an accident, and I stayed with her. When I came back, you were no longer a student at the school.”

  Beside her, Ellie was a steady supportive presence as always.

  “Believe me, I understand. I realize you probably guessed, but I didn’t want you or Carrie to know how bad things were at home. I wish I’d had the courage to reach out after the Carpenters adopted me.”

  “From what I know, and what I’ve read about you, I can tell you have plenty of courage. I wish it was under different circumstances, but I’m glad I came here.”

  “Me too.”

  “And I’m sure we can do something about those,” Ellie added.

  * * * *

  Learning to read people had been a survival skill, something Jordan had developed early. She could tell that Mrs. Brennan had been worried about how her efforts were received.

  Jordan always had too much on her mind to reassure her, but she hoped Mrs. Brennan knew that the Christmas spent with Carrie and her family was one of the happiest before she went to live with Jack and Pauline Carpenter.

  In their house, everyone was kind. Enjoying food and gifts, that was another story, a tricky one, even if she knew Kathryn and Jim didn’t care what she did.

  Mrs. Brennan drove her home that night, leaving her with plenty of leftovers, chocolates, and the first three books of a young adult mystery series.

  Jordan had often admired the shiny volumes on Carrie’s shelf but didn’t dare say anything. Apparently, she had been more obvious than she’d thought.

  Then

  Jordan breathed a sigh of relief when she realized no one was home. That gave her enough time to put away the leftovers. She retreated to her bed with some chocolates and the books about Berit Ryder, the girl who lived amazing adventures in Sweden after she moved there with her family.

  Jordan fell asleep, slipping into dreams about foreign lands and solving crimes…far away from her current life.

  She was woken by her mother’s angry voice.

  “What the hell is all this? They think they’re better than us, don’t they?”

  “It’s just leftovers.” Jordan blinked, trying to deescalate the situation as usual. “We’ll have enough for a few days.”

  “I don’t give a damn,” Kathryn said dismissively. “I don’t want you to hang out with that girl anymore.”

  Jim stood next to her, but he didn’t have much of an opinion on the matter.

  To Jordan’s chagrin, they had brought more of their friends, a couple of women, and a man who had been coming around a lot lately. He seemed to make Kathryn angry.

  “She likes to read,” he said, pinching her cheek, laughing when she recoiled. “You just might make it out of here some day.”

  He took a chocolate out of the box, and they all left again.

  They didn’t know it yet, but he was right. She would go to places far from here. And Christmas would be very different in that new life.

  Now

  “Berit Ryder! I loved those as a kid.” Ellie knew how to tread carefully around those memories. The books that had signified a new start for Jordan were the safest part.

  Jordan gave her a grateful smile.

  “Why did I suspect that would be your takeaway?”

  “Berit found a better life. So did you.”

  “Yeah. I always thought she was in love with Anne, even though they never said it directly.”

  “Oh, she so was. I’m glad Gloria came by.” They had been on a first name basis by the end of the evening.

  “I am too,” Jordan said. “Finally, I can do something for her. I never thought it was her fault, or Carrie’s, that we lost touch. I could have called…but I had a lot going on between leaving that place and being adopted by Jack and Pauline.”

  “She understands that. Let’s make sure we get that story sorted out, and we can all have a perfect Christmas.”

  “That’s the plan.”

  They shared a sweet, reaffirming kiss that soon turned into something more passionate. Ellie had an idea, and she pulled back before getting too swept up in the moment.

  “My sentiments exactly,” she admitted. “Just one more thing. After we get everything settled, we should invite her, don’t you think?”

  “Absolutely.”

  Funny how this Christmas would be a trip down memory lane for both of them, and at the same time confirmation of the life they had built together.

  * * * *

  “He’s been showing up at her house, even sent her photos.” Jordan frowned at the evidence in front of them, the former student’s actions, and the lack of action from his parole officer.

  “That should be easy,” A.D.A. Valerie Esposito who had stopped by her desk, assured her. “I’ll look into it and get back to you right away.”

  “Thanks. We appreciate it.”

  “I can drive by her house,” Officer Sam Potts offered. “He might back off if he knows we’re keeping an eye on things.”

  “Great idea,” Ellie acknowledged. “You all know it’s important we get this done soon—we have a party to plan.”

  Her words were greeted with laughter. “We won’t forget,” Valerie promised. “We are all excited.”

  All those years ago, Jordan had cut ties with a friend out of shame—but she had a chance to make things right, with the help of friends who wouldn’t let her down no matter what.

  “You are all amazing,” she said, meaning every word of it.

  * * * *

  The same afternoon, she parked outside the diner and went inside after conferring with Ellie and the uniformed officers that had joined them in the parking lot.

  Jordan recognized him right away from his mug shot. In the short time she had familiarized herself with the situation she had learned more and more disturbing details. Homophobic slurs, threats to Carrie.

  Truth be told she’d take some pleasure in putting an end to this petty man’s shenanigans.

  “Hey.” She sat in his booth, across from him.

  He looked up from his coffee and pie, frowning. “Do I know you?”

  “I don’t think so.”

  “Then what are you doing here?”

  “You and I need to have a chat, Mr. Kirk. I believe we had the same teacher. Mrs. Brennan, History?”

  A knowing grin appeared on his face.

  “If you want to commiserate, have at it, lady. She got me arrested.”

 

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