GHOST OF CHRISTMAS FUTURE

  by

  Pandora Pine

  Ghost of Christmas Future

  Copyright © Pandora Pine 2025

  All Rights Reserved

  This book or any portion thereof may not be reproduced or used in any manner whatsoever without the express written permission of the copyright owner except for the use of brief quotations in a book review. This is a work of fiction. Any resemblance to actual persons, places, events, business establishments or locales is entirely coincidental.

  First Digital Edition: November 2025

  PROLOGUE

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  EPILOGUE

  PROLOGUE

  Jude

  Boston, Christmas Day, 2017…

  Jude Byrne sat alone in his apartment overlooking the frozen Charles River. Christmas lights twinkled on his neighbors’ balconies and on trees in the neighborhood. The street was mostly deserted, after the mad dash of Bostonians over the last few days to get home in time for Jolly Old St. Nick to pay a visit.

  It had been somewhat exhilarating watching his neighbors pack up their cars for road trips or hop into taxis with suitcases on the way to Logan Airport. He’d even enjoyed the manic frenzy at the supermarket the day before with people practically coming to blows over the last box of stuffing. Thankfully, the crisis had been averted when an aproned member of the staff saved the day with a case filled with more. The Christmas spirit of the combatants had been restored, with both parties wishing each other the joy of the season before sprinting off to buy bottles of wine or an arrangement of multicolored Italian cookies.

  Jude had been so impressed with the cookie trays, that he’d gotten one for himself. He hadn’t encountered a lot of Italian-Americans when he’d been growing up on Navajo Nation, but had fallen in love with their loud voices, heavenly marinara sauce, and their baked goods. Before leaving his tiny office crammed in the back of Bradford Hicks’ law firm, he’d overheard a conversation between two coworkers who were talking about having lasagna for Christmas dinner along with prime rib, mashed potatoes and gravy. He’d been so inspired that he’d stopped by an Italian market on his way home that day and picked up a fresh lasagna for himself, along with meatballs and a loaf of bread.

  From his spot on the sofa, Jude could smell garlic and oregano. According to the timer set on the microwave, Christmas dinner would be served in ten minutes. His dining table was bare, aside from a stack of napkins and the salt shaker. All of his plates were stacked neatly in the cupboard and his empty beer bottles lined the kitchen sink like toy soldiers. Aside from Jude’s sorry ass, the house was empty.

  There would be no family members to hug and reminisce with. No funny stories from an uncle who was perpetually unlucky in love. No gifts. No tree to put them under. No carolers. No broadcast of It’s A Wonderful Life. Jude’s apartment looked like it did on any of the other three-hundred-sixty-four days of the year. Empty pizza boxes were stacked next to the trash can, which was filled with empty Chinese food boxes and grease-stained fast food bags. No family pictures adorned the walls. No child’s schoolwork or drawings were stuck on the fridge with alphabet magnets. Aside from a cozy throw blanket Jude had gotten in this year’s Yankee swap, the apartment looked as sterile as it had the day he’d moved in nearly two years ago. The house screamed bachelor, but for the fact that all of the gorgeous men who paraded through the apartment on a fairly regular basis were all home with their families. Enjoying good food, presents, and laughter.

  Jude’s family were all back in Arizona. He’d called his grandfather, Running Eagle, a few days before. Life back on the reservation was status quo. Eagle asked Jude to come home, as he always did. Jude told stories of cases he’d help solve and how busy he was with work at the law firm. What he didn’t tell his grandfather was that the Law Offices of Bradford Hicks & Associates, was locked up tight and would be until the calendar flipped to 2018.

  Getting up from the sofa, Jude stood at the picture window looking out over the river. There were no spandex-clad runners getting in their pre-marathon miles. No crowded streets. No honking, backed up traffic. In fact, it seemed to Jude like he was the only man left in the world. He had to admit it was a pretty lonely place to be.

  Usually Jude loved being alone. He brought home a steady string of lovers, who he was quick to fuck and then show the door. That way no one could ever disappoint or reject him. Jude didn’t have time in his busy life for that kind of drama. Although, standing in his silent apartment, he’d give anything to have someone here to share his lasagna or to watch A Christmas Story marathon. Someone to chat with. A friend.

  Jude didn’t believe in God overly much. He knew there was a power greater than his own. An entity who made the planets orbit the sun, who’d created the Grand Canyon, the sea, rivers, animals, and people. In this moment of absolute silence, Jude reached out to this greater power and asked for something. Not great wealth or popularity, or playing center for the Boston Celtics. No, his ask was far simpler. Jude asked for the one thing he was lacking at the moment. The one thing that would make his lonely life more bearable.

  Jude prayed for a friend who’d be closer than a brother.

  1

  Jude

  December, present day…

  Jude was more tired than he’d ever been in his entire life. He and the rest of the cold case unit had been hot on the trail of a killer who’d taken three lives back in 1975. A few weeks ago, they’d gotten a huge break in the case and it had been an all-out sprint to find the killer, who’d been living the high life in the Green Mountains of Vermont. It had taken nearly two weeks of constant surveillance, but they’d finally gotten their man. It took another three days to get Gary Jones to confess and to orchestrate extradition to Massachusetts, but it was finally done, with three weeks to go until Christmas.

  Not wanting to leave Jude out of any of the fun of the season, Cope hadn’t bought a single present and hadn’t taken the kids hunting for a Christmas tree. His husband had wanted Jude to be home for all the festivities, which had nearly brought Jude to tears. Tennyson and Jace had done the same thing for Ronan and Fitz. Yesterday, all three families had bundled up and found their perfect trees. The kids sang songs and drank hot chocolate, while the adults argued over whose tree was bigger, fuller, and prettier. The day had ended with dinner at Lobster Charlie’s, which had become a tradition over the years.

  After the kids were tucked into bed, he and Cope had sat at the kitchen table with the Christmas lists the kids had worked on while Jude was gone. Over the course of an hour they’d picked out all the toys for the kids and decided which gifts would come from them and which from Santa.

  After a huge breakfast of Mickey Mouse pancakes and bacon, Jude was wrangling the tree. It always looked so easy when the worker at the tree farm sheathed it in the netting that would hold the branches together. It was a different matter, trying to extricate the tree at home. Of course, the next step was even worse, setting the tree into the stand and making sure it was straight and screwed in tightly. There were several off-color jokes Jude could make about the situation, but the truth of the matter was he was too tired. All he wanted to do was get the tree up. After that Cope would feed the kids and Jude could catch a quick forty winks.

  “Daddy, do you need some help?” Wolf asked.

  Jude was about to tell his son no, but caught the earnest look on his face. “Sure thing, buddy! Grab the netting and hold it up away from the branches and I’ll cut it.”

  Wolf did what his father asked. “Teamwork makes the dream work, right, Daddy?”

  Jude chuckled. “That’s right. How was school while I was gone?”

  “It was pretty good. I got a hundred on my spelling test and Aurora got into a fight.” Wolf’s dark eyes glowed with excitement.

  “A fight?” Jude hadn’t heard anything about this until now. “Who did she fight?”

  “Boogers McGraw!” Wolf laughed, holding his stomach.

  Jude hooted along with his son. “You mean Marcus McGraw?” There weren’t any other kids with that last name in Wolf’s school. He’d never heard the nickname before either. A lot had obviously changed since he and the others had gone to Vermont.

  “Yup!” Wolf agreed, catching his breath.

  “Why do they call him Boogers?” Jude couldn’t wait to hear the answer.

  “He had a cold and sneezed into his hands right in the middle of our math test. Instead of getting up and running to the bathroom or to the box of tissues on Mrs. Levitt’s desk, he lapped his hands.” Wolf demonstrated, with thankfully booger-free hands. “Aurora was super grossed out and she gagged.”

  “I would have gagged too,” Jude agreed. “How did Aurora get into a fight with him?”

  “Mrs. Levitt motioned Marcus toward the front of her desk. Everyone started chanting, ‘Boogers! Boogers!’ When he walked past Aurora’s desk, he smeared his hands on her shoulder.”

  “Oh, no!” Poor Aurora. Jude had never wanted to arrest a second grader this much in his life. Aurora had sensory sensitivities and wasn’t overly fond of people touching her. With an unwanted touching combined with being smeared with snot, he was surprised h is niece hadn’t melted down completely. “What happened after that?”

  “Aurora called him a pig and when Marcus turned around, she punched him in the nose.” Wolf snorted. “Boogers’ nose started bleeding. Mrs. Levitt rushed him out of the classroom, while everyone cheered for Aurora. Then the teacher came back into the room and escorted Aurora to the principal’s office. We could hear her shouting all the way down the hall.”

  “What was she shouting?” Jude asked, tightening the last screw in the tree stand. He got up and stood the tree upright. It was perfectly balanced, unlike last year’s tree, which had listed precariously like the Leaning Tower of Pisa.

  “Fight like a girl!” Wolf shouted. “Then she asked for an attorney. I didn’t even know Aurora had an attorney.”

  “Who asked for an attorney?” Cope asked, carrying Lizbet into the living room.

  “Aurora,” Jude snickered.

  “That poor kid.” Cope shook his head. “Aurora was suspended from school for the rest of the week. Jace had to pick her up from the principal’s office. He was so proud of the way she stood up for herself that he took her out to lunch and then to the mall to go shopping for Christmas dresses and shoes.”

  “If I punched an asshole in the face do you think Jace would take me shopping?” Jude snorted. He was badly in need of new suits and dress shirts, a new pair of shoes wouldn’t be bad either.

  “Let’s not find out. We’ll go next week with the guys.” Cope gave Lizbet a tickle and pulled her into his lap.

  “Oh, sissus tee, oh sissus tee!” Lizbet sang with her entire heart.

  “That’s right. You’re so smart.” Cope kissed LizzyB’s head.

  Jude had never heard his daughter sing “Oh, Christmas Tree,” before. Yet another thing he’d missed while he was in Vermont. “What else happened while I was gone?” He had only been away for two weeks, but to Jude it seemed like months had passed.

  “You didn’t miss that much, babe. With the three of you gone, me, Ten, and Jace banded together. We had dinner at a different house every night and left the dirty dishes in the sink. It turns out Jace is one hell of a cook. We talked about books, drank wine, and let the kids fend for themselves. Any chance you and the guys will go away again any time soon?” Cope asked with a snicker. “We’re looking to start a book club. You know the kind of thing with charcuterie boards, fancy chocolates, neighborhood gossip, and wine?”

  Jude raised an eyebrow at his husband. He knew Cope was joking, but it seemed like the husbands had gotten along pretty well without the detectives. “Did you miss me even a little bit?”

  Cope pinched his thumb and index finger until the two nearly touched. “Two lightbulbs went out over the vanity in the bathroom. I had to get Jace and Ten to come over to spot me in case I fell off the bathroom counter. I managed to change the bulbs without killing myself and we toasted my success after the kids were in bed.”

  “Seems like you three did a lot of toasting.” Jude rolled his eyes.

  “Most of which was with soda. You know none of us are big drinkers.” Cope paused, looking as if he were looking for the right words to continue. “You being gone reminded me of when my father would go away on business trips. My mother and I would do all sorts of fun things. We’d work on spells, stay up late watching the moon rise, then sleep late. We’d marathon episodes of The Golden Girls, and eat dinner at expensive restaurants. You know, things my father never would have allowed if he’d been home. You know the kids missed you, right?”

  Jude nodded. He definitely knew the kids missed him, but the big question was, did Cope?

  “Yes, you big, silly man! Of course I missed you,” Cope said, seeming to read Jude’s mind. “It was different without the three of you being here, so we wanted to make it memorable for the kids.”

  “Seemed like all of you went feral for two weeks.”

  “It was pretty liberating,” Cope agreed. “We all work so hard to take care of you three by doing laundry, keeping the house clean, cooking meals, doing the dishes. It was nice to just let those things slide, guilt-free.”

  Jude was about to object to what Cope was saying. He’d never once demanded that Cope do any of those things. His husband had sort of slid into those roles over time, along with taking care of the kids. Jude knew damn well how good he had it and knew Cope deserved a break. It wasn’t like the kids went hungry or were running around in the streets causing trouble. “To be honest, I think you three should do stuff like that more often. You’re always pampering us during football season. You deserve a season of your own.”

  Cope’s smile stretched from ear to ear. “If you’re serious about that, I wouldn’t mind if Santa brought me a gift card to that new spa downtown. One of my reading clients was telling me about having an arctic cranberry facial. She said it was life-altering.”

  “I suppose coming home smelling like a Thanksgiving side dish would be life-altering.” Jude made a mental note to tell the guys about the spa, so they could all get their hard-working men gift cards.

  “Talking about spas and wine is boring.” Wolf pouted. “I came in here to help with the tree.”

  “Go grab the box of lights. I left it in the kitchen near the cellar door.” Jude pointed and Wolf ran off. “Someone’s feeling a little Grinchy today.” Jude maneuvered the tree near the corner of the living room, so that he’d only have to move it a few feet backward once the lights and tinsel were hung.

  “He missed you so much.” Cope smacked a kiss on Lizbet’s head. “How about we make some cookies while Daddy and Wolfie do the hard part?”

  “Cookies!” Lizbet bolted off Cope’s lap and ran into the kitchen.

  “Call us when it’s time to hang the ornaments.” Cope pressed a kiss to Jude’s cheek.

  “I will.” Jude hugged his husband until Wolf came back into the living room struggling to carry the large plastic tote with the word LIGHTS written on the side in black Sharpie.

  “Hey, great job, buddy!” Jude pulled the top off the tote and started pulling out tangled strings of lights. “Damn, guess we should have taken a bit more time putting these away last year, huh?”

  “It’s okay, Daddy! We’ll figure it out together. I want to hear more about the case you were working in Vermont.”

  “You do?” Jude asked.

  Wolf nodded his shaggy head. “I wanna be a detective just like you when I grow up!”

  Jude was overwhelmed by the adoring look in his son’s eyes. He’d never been much of a role model during his time living with Running Eagle and certainly not when he was fucking his way across the country. Wolf having this much faith in him was humbling. Clearing his throat, Jude offered Wolf a smile. “You’re not going to believe where we found the bad guy in Vermont…”

  Over the years, Jude had imagined Wolf growing up to be a lot of things; a doctor, lawyer, paleontologist, an electrician. Never once had Jude stopped to consider his son would want to grow up to be just like his father. What an incredible feeling, one he would be sure to hold onto for the rest of his life.

  2

  Cope

  As Cope measured out flour and sugar for the cookies with Lizbet, he couldn’t help but feel like a jerk for the way he’d described how much fun he’d had when Jude was out of town. His father, Buford, couldn’t have cared less what his wife and son thought of him, or if they’d had a good time without him. All that mattered to his father was money and what his wife spent it on. Jude was nothing like Cope’s father, but in the way he’d told the story, he made Jude feel like he was.

  From the other room, Cope could hear animated chatter between father and son, but the words weren’t loud enough for him to make out, which suited him perfectly. Wolf and Jude deserved some time alone without Cope and Lizbet. While he measured out vanilla and peanut butter, his daughter played with the tablespoons of flour he’d dumped on her highchair tray. She loved to slap her palms into the white powder, making it fly up in the air. Most of it had settled over her blonde curls. There was a dusting on her nose and cheeks and her small hands were coated. Cope stopped mixing ingredients to take a few snaps of his daughter.

  Cope was putting the first batch of cookies into the oven when Jude and Wolf came into the kitchen. “Have you got the lights and tinsel on the tree?”

 

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