Happiness for H: Once Upon A Christmas
(No Reservations at the Inn )
"Horatio, what could possibly go wrong? I've driven that route ... 8, 9 times alone now." Emily shrugged her slim shoulders. She was stretched out beside him in their bed, her long tresses brushing against his bare chest.
"You won't be alone this time, Em," he reminded her, his blue eyes sober. "Tara will be with you." He hadn't been fooled by the forced lightness in her voice as she leaned over to whisper in his ear.
"And Ghost and Ray Jr. also, Horatio." Her index finger traced a path through the silky hair on his chest. "You worry too much, you know." Horatio felt her warm lips nibbling his earlobe. "It's not good for your blood pressure."
"There's nothing wrong with my blood pressure Sweetheart," Horatio's arms were suddenly around her and Emily found herself beneath him. "But your heart seems to be beating pretty fast," she heard him murmur as his warm lips began roaming across her breasts, pushing aside her hair. "Any ideas on how to slow it down, Sweetheart?"
"Please don't say 'I told you so,' Horatio. Emily said with a sigh and Horatio could imagine her pushing her bangs off her forehead. "I want to feel your arms around me so much right now," Emily murmured turning her face away from the phone so he wouldn't hear how much she needed him right now.
"I agree, Sweetheart," Horatio's murmured answer caused her to jump in surprise.
"You weren't ..." she began.
"... supposed to hear that," he finished for her, the merest hint of a smile in his voice before he became serious once again. "Right now though, I need to know that you and Tara and Ray Jr. are safe. And who is Santa?" Horatio glanced over to the tableau around the sleigh.
"We are all in one piece Horatio. Just some bumps and bruises. An old friend from college who owns an auto repair garage nearby was able to tow the van. John helped get the contents out and into his SUV and here we are." From the corner of her eye, Emily saw Tara begin to squirm her way out of her booster seat. "Er, Horatio, I've got to go. I ... um, I'll call you back when I know where we're staying tonight. Love you."
Horatio looked at his phone in disbelief. He was used to his wife's odd way of beginning and ending conversations, but that didn't mean it left him feeling any better about the situation.
"Everything all right Horatio?" Horatio hadn't heard the detective walk up beside him. Slipping the phone in his pocket, he looked at his friend.
"Emily had some car problems," he said quietly. "She and Ray Jr. and Tara are in Duluth having something to eat with Santa." Tripp's eyes opened wider.
"Santa?" Horatio nodded, pushing his hand through his hair. "What are you going to do?" The detective fell into step beside his friend as they headed back to the sleigh.
"Find out who is gift-wrapping these thugs that attacked me at Ray's grave, Frank. Then I'm on the first plane out of here to Minnesota tomorrow morning," he added grimly, beginning to walk faster.
"Thank you for watching Tara while I called my husband," Emily took a deep drink of the steaming hot coffee. "Oh, that tastes good." She looked over to where her daughter and Ray Jr. were deep into coloring a dancing pancake and a grandmotherly-looking muffin. "I don't suppose you have a spare bed in the elf dorm? Ghost would be happy to stay in the barn with Rudolph and the gang." The elderly gentleman seated across the table from her smiled. Stirring his own coffee, he answered thoughtfully,
"Not exactly. I see you are an alumni of one of our colleges here in Duluth." He gestured to the sweatshirt she wore. Emily looked down in embarrassment at the tattered and stretched out garment.
"Er, yes, the Daisy Hill school. It was a while ago."
"I taught Literature there for some years before I retired. You don't strike me as the med-student type. What was your major?" The elderly gent tugged on his beard thoughtfully.
"Literature, but I'm afraid I don't remember you as one of the professors." Emily took another sip of coffee thoughtfully. "I'm pretty sure I'd have remembered you. Anyway, I haven't done much with it, though." Emily gave her companion a self-conscious grin. "I was fairly certain I'd be a terrible teacher and I was kind of at a loss as what else to do with it. I figured I had enough business studies to run my grandmother's North Shore lodging business for the rest of my life. I was there in the early 90's, by the way."
"Ah, I was living in Ireland then. The College has a Study Center there and I was teaching there." John took a sip of his coffee, wondering if indeed the Christmas spirit was at work. "You are living in Miami now. I saw the license plate on your van," he added at her quizzical look.
"Yes, well THAT's a long and boring story," Emily shrugged her shoulders. "You seem familiar somehow," she blurted out, the man's twinkling blue eyes making her miss Horatio even more.
"I don't remember having you as a student," John smiled. "And I'm sure I'd have remembered you, Miss Emily. But, now, back to a place to stay for you and your young ones. The College has empty dorm rooms. I can put in a call to Sister Mary Margaret for you. I'm sure we could set you all up there, at least for tonight."
TBC