A Snowed-in Christmas

A SNOWED-IN CHRISTMAS

DB#21

Edited by kenjisato.

Was she brave enough to see if the flames of their love still flickered beneath the ashes?

***

CHAPTER 1

"Good morning, Bert."

"Good morning, Kid."

Bert Thomas had been the sheriff of Middletown forever. He knew everyone and everyone knew him. He was loved and respected. He was a big man, six feet four inches and nearly two hundred pounds. He wore a belt around his middle that sported a sidearm, ammunition, handcuffs, a walkie-talkie, and keys.

The small town's police force consisted of him and Nick Wallace, his young deputy. Bert had nicknamed him 'Kid' since he was assigned to Middletown years ago. Nick fell in love with the small-town life and never left.

"I brought you a double espresso, Bert."

"What's the catch, Kid?" Bert asked, watching the coffee cup as if it was a rattlesnake.

"I like pampering my chief," the deputy answered wearing a seventy-five-watt smile. "So, what are your big plans for the holidays?"

"Well, as you know, my plans involve a fine dinner at The Jammed, and then a couch, a balloon of cognac, and a man named George Bailey."

"

It's A Wonderful Life

. A classic."

"An old Christmas movie for an old guy," Bert sighed. "It fits."

Christmas was never an easy time for the sheriff.

"You're not old at all, Bert."

"Well, sometimes I feel older than I am," Bert said tapping his forehead. He took a sip of his coffee and went on, "Now, Kid, stop stalling and say whatever you have to say. I'm not stupid."

"Well... You see..." Nick looked at the floor. "Mayor Thompson came by the station earlier, while you were doing your round, and asked if you'd be willing to dress up as Santa Claus on the night of the Christmas Tree Lighting."

Christmas in Middletown was always a big production. The Winter Festival, the Christmas Snow Dance, and the Tree Lighting on the town square— all the tourists' favorite.

Bert stared at his deputy, his words not sinking in right away. "Did you say Santa, Kid?"

"You know, Santa. The big guy in a red suit, white beard, big belly, brings presents every year." Nick grabbed his stomach and exclaimed, "Ho, ho, ho..."

"I know who Santa is. Stop trying to be funny. What's wrong with Ernie? He's been playing Santa for the last years."

"His wife has been drinking heavily. The mayor fears she might ruin the Christmas Tree Lighting if Ernie plays Santa."

Bert nodded. Ernie was a good man— a good husband and a good provider. He deserved better than an alcoholic wife.

"Ernie's hands are full, I get it." Bert drank another gulp of coffee, and said, "Now, why the hell are they asking me to play Santa? Is it because I'm jolly or because I'm plump?"

A frown crossed Nick's face. Bert knew the deputy was trying to figure out which answer would get the him inside the red suit.

"Everyone knows you and you know everyone. You know if they were good or naughty," Nick said, with no small amount of devilish satisfaction.

"I should carry a big bag of coal then," Bert joked back.

"Also, because everyone loves you, Bert. Especially kids. You knew their parents when they were kids, and you tell them stories about them."

Bert sat there pondering his deputy's offer, not sure what to say.

"You used to own a Santa costume," Nick pushed. "I bet you'll look great in it."

"I still have it." Bert sighed heavily. "Fine, stop the flattery, Kid. I'll do it. On one condition...," with a wicked smile he added, "...you'll be my elf."

"Sure, I'll be your..." suddenly, the smile disappeared from Nick's face. "Wait... Did you elf?"

"You heard me. Make sure to get your costume."

Nick twisted his mouth, but said, "Okay, I guess I deserve that. I'll do it for the kids. Lizzie is going to have a ball watching me playing an elf."

"How's that lovely wife of yours?"

"She's fine. She's on maternity leave right now as you know. Taking care of the baby. She won't be back to work until next year."

"I knew she'd gone out, but I thought maternity leave was only eight weeks."

"She's taking unpaid leave so she can be home with the baby until his first birthday. With me working full-time and she driving back and forth from Seattle... Well, we don't believe a child should be raised by a nanny or a babysitter."

"Good call on that." Bert's face lit up with a smile. "Your baby is a cute one. He's going to be a heartbreaker like his father."

Nick grabbed his hat and headed to the door. "You're not bad, either Bert. You know, some single ladies in town would be glad to help you get dressed."

"For crying out loud, tell them I can dress myself!" the sheriff called after him. "I still can tie my own shoes!"

"Not what I meant," Nick replied, with a wink before leaving the room.

CHAPTER 2

Later that day, Bert, Nick, Lizzie, and the baby went to the sheriff's home to check his outfit. Bert wanted to try it on in case it needed any fixing. Nick's wife had offered to come with them. She was good with a needle.

"Besides, I have nothing else to do," Lizzie said.

Bert invited them in and opened the closet door to get the costume off the top shelf. In reaching for the box, everything off the top shelf fell on him and scattered across the floor.

Bert looked down at the things spread on the rug. One old photograph caught the sheriff's attention. He grabbed it and just stared at the picture for a while.

"What's that?" Lizzie asked, with curiosity.

"Oh, that's nothing, just an old photo."

"Mind if I take a look?" she asked.

Bert handed the photo to the deputy's wife. "Pretty handsome guy, huh?"

Nick, who was helping to gather the stuff from the floor, peeked over his wife's shoulder.

"Is this you when you were in high school, Bert?" the deputy asked.

"Yeah, I was young once, Kid."

"Who's the pretty lady at your side?" Lizzie asked.

"Well, actually, she's—" Bert's cheeks blushed.

"It's okay, Bert. I didn't mean to pry. You don't have to explain," Lizzie said, placing a hand on the sheriff's arm.

"That was the love of my life... Karen Morris," Bert finally breathed out. Her name rolled around Bert's head like a barbed ball, slicing open feelings that had long since become scar tissue.

"And the plot thickens," Nick commented, earning a slap on the arm from his wife.

Nick started to backpedal, and added, "We all have old flames, Bert. It's nothing to be embarrassed about."

Lizzie stared at her husband with a look that meant 'We'll talk about your old flames when we get home'.

"Well, I suppose you're right about that," Bert said, still staring at the picture.

"When was this photo taken?" Nick asked.

"Christmas Snow Dance, many years ago."

"High school sweetheart?" Lizzie asked, still looking at the picture.

"Well, yes... but she was much more than that. We have known each other since we were kids. She was the only woman I ever truly loved." The sheriff's mind was miles away. "When she returned from college, I was planning on marrying her, you know? I even bought her a nice ring."

"I didn't know you were engaged," Lizzie said.

Bert shook his head, and said, "I never was."

"Aww, Bert! I'm sorry if we're bringing back sad memories. We can stop here," Lizzie offered.

The sheriff shook his head. "No, it's okay. I want to."

"Do you remember your first date?" Nick asked.

"I do. I took her to a school dance. There was a live band, stroboscopic lights, and everything. We danced together all night."

Nick and Lizzie nodded.

"After the dance, we went for a walk down the little path by the lake. Then, she started humming, reached out her arms and we started dancing. Right there by the lake, under a starry sky. No band, no crowd, no flashing lights, just the two of us and the stars. I never wanted that dance to end."

"Aww, Bert! That was so romantic!" Lizzie exclaimed. "So, what happened next?"

The sheriff's cheeks became red. "What do you mean? I took her home, of course. We didn't have sex until much later in our relationship."

"I meant why did you two break up?"

Bert paused to collect his thoughts. "Things were different back in those days. Back then, if you wanted to marry someone, it was customary to ask the lady's father for his approval."

"I'm not sure if your father would have given me his permission to marry you," Nick said to his wife.

"Probably not. Lucky for you I'm a woman in my own right and I could make my own decisions even if that pissed off my dad," Lizzie replied.

"Well, Karen's father wasn't very fond of me, either. He said I didn't make enough money; I had no future. I had become a sworn police officer, and I was working my way up the law enforcement ladder. It didn't matter how much I argued with him. In his eyes, I was never going to be worthy of his baby girl. Mr. Morris was a good friend of Maximilian Carter. You didn't get to know him, but he was a mean powerful person who ruled this town with an iron fist until his death."

Nick nodded. "Maximilian had already passed when I came to Middletown, but I heard a lot of stories about him. Most of them describe him as a tyrant. The kind of person who thinks he's better than you just because he has money."

Bert nodded. "Molly Carter, his own daughter, ran out of town because of him." The sheriff let out a painful sigh. "Anyway, back to the story, I kind of expected not to get Karen's father's approval, but what killed me was that she didn't fight for us."

"Aww, why not?" Lizzie asked, totally absorbed with the story.

"Well, Karen had her own reasons to break up with me that had nothing to do with her father's opinion."

"Which were her reasons?" asked Lizzie.

"Basically, she didn't want to settle in a small town. She wanted to travel and see the world," Bert explained, with a shrug. "Her dreams didn't involve a house, family, and kids, but a lot of exotic places and famous museums and monuments." Bert took a deep breath, and went on, "You think someone is committed to you, and then you get a kick in the pants. I was totally into her, I was young, dumb, naive, and madly in love. Then, suddenly, I discovered she didn't feel the same way about me. In just a moment... Poof! All my dreams were gone— dead. My fairytale in ashes."

"She should have told you about her plans before you two got too serious," Lizzie offered.

Bert shrugged, "Well, she didn't tell me about her plans until the last moment. She even had the tickets to fly to New York," Bert twisted his mouth.

"I'm sorry, Bert. I had no idea," Nick said sincerely.

"That was so unfair! You are a great guy. Any woman would be lucky to have you," added Lizzie.

Bert ran his fingers through his hair. "As I said, it happened a million years ago. It's not something I like to talk about. Please keep the story to yourselves."

"Of course," Nick and Lizzie said at the same time.

"You ever thought about looking her up?" Nick asked.

Bert's shoulders tensed as his expression clouded with a frown.

"I checked on her for a while until I knew she got married. Then, I stopped. What for? She got her own family... a husband her father approved. She was living our dream only with someone else. So, I focused on my work. People in Middletown became my family."

Lizzie Bert a sympathetic smile while placing a hand on his forearm.

"Do you think she got over you so easily?" Lizzie asked softly.

"I don't know. Apparently, she did. She never wrote to me or showed up to any of the class reunions."

"I could look for her. Check if she's still married or not," Nick offered.

"I appreciate the offer, Kid, really," Bert said, shaking his head. "I could have done it myself. I was tempted many times, but I think some things are probably better left in the past. Trust me, it was for the best. I mean, there are a lot of happy single people in the world, right?"

"If you say so, Bert... I'm sorry, we brought all those painful memories back," Lizzie said.

Bert took a deep breath and exhaled slowly. "No need to apologize. The fact that you even care, that alone, is probably the best present that I've received in years. Now, let's take a look at my old Santa suit."

CHAPTER 3

"How do you feel being back in your hometown, Mom."

The sleepy little town had been an idyllic place to grow up. Driving along the streets of Middletown Karen Morris could see that not much had changed in the years she'd been away. It felt like she had walked back in time. Certain smells, houses, sounds, and landmarks made her feel like she was a young woman again.

"It feels good. Really good. Like coming back home," Karen said to Bethany.

"Home is not a house but a place where you feel you belong," her daughter quoted. "You have talked so many times about Christmas in Middletown when I was young that I want to live it with you."

The weather was colder than Karen remembered. She hoped she had packed the appropriate clothes.

"What are you looking at, Mom?" Bethany looked at her mother quizzically.

"Nothing in particular, and everything, dear. Just reminiscing." Karen smiled at her daughter. "We are going to have the best Christmas ever!"

Karen realized she was staring at the faces of people, searchingly. She knew who she was looking for— Bert Thomas, her ex-boyfriend. Even if it was just to look at him from across the street.

Karen had felt bad about the way things had ended between them. Her father refused to give the couple his blessing. She knew she should have stood up for them. But the truth was, she knew her future was not in Middletown. She loved Bert dearly, but she felt she was too young to settle down. She wanted to travel, to see the world. Her family moved out of town shortly after the breakup and Karen didn't have any contact with Bert after. Part of her died that day.

Karen needed to know if Bert was okay. He wasn't present in any social media. All she knew about him was through the webpage of the local newspaper,

The Middletown Gazette

. The page painted the sheriff as a beloved local figure. Karen hoped Bert had moved on and found a true-loving wife who treated him better than she did.

Bethany maneuvered the car into a parking space in front of the

White Fairypoppy Inn

. Karen was aware word would spread once she and her daughter stepped foot into the only bed-and-breakfast in town.

"Welcome to Middletown. My name is Laura and she's my daughter, Lily. She is a bit shy around strangers. How can I help you?" a young woman with a young girl at her side greeted Karen and Bethany at the reception.

"Good morning, Laura. Where is Molly?" Karen asked, looking around.

"My aunt got married and retired. I am her niece, Laura. I run the place now. Do you know my aunt?"

"I did. A long time ago when we were both younger than you are," Karen said, with a smile.

"I'll let her know you're in town, Mrs. Higgins."

"My maiden name is Morris, Karen Morris."

"I'm sure my aunt will love to rekindle your friendship," the manager of the bed-and-breakfast said.

"We need to check in," Bethany told Laura, not wanting to prolong the conversation. "I made reservations months ago."

"That was very wise of you. We book up really fast during the holidays. We're completely full through to the end of the month. Middletown takes its Christmas celebrations seriously."

"I remember," Karen said, handing the receptionist her driver's license. "I wanted to show my daughter the place where I grew up."

Laura smiled at them and gave them a key with her room number.

"Many people return to Middletown for Christmas. The Tree Lighting Ceremony takes place at five p.m. There's no better way to get into the festive spirit than singing carols and drinking hot cocoa. I recommend you arrive at least an hour early to stake out a good spot."

Laura guided Karen and Bethany to their room.

"This is one of my favorite rooms. You've got your exposed-beam, vaulted ceilings, living room over here, and the sofa, and the beds right there," Laura explained.

The room was warmed by a crackling fire. There were two beds and a window that was currently shuttered against the cold.

"Wow, this is beautiful," Bethany exclaimed. "It takes me back in time."

Karen nodded absent-mindedly.

"My husband restored the whole inn," Laura said, with pride. "I'll let you get settled. There are towels in the closet. Let me know if you need anything," she said and left them alone.

Karen sat on the bed looking at the fireplace.

"What are you thinking, Mom?" Bethany asked while she unpacked her clothes.

"Nothing really important, dear."

"Oh, come on! You don't fool me, Mom," Bethany said with a laugh. "I brought you here to make you relax and enjoy yourself for the first time in God knows how long."

"I am relaxed," Karen protested at once.

Her daughter snorted. "Mom, you're as wound up as a clock."

Karen stared at her daughter blankly and then felt the tension in her shoulders ease. With a small, real smile claiming her lips, she said, "What would I do without you?"

"Lock yourself in your apartment, and leave it only to go to work," Bethany said, promptly. "You have no social life since Daddy died."

Karen laughed, but it was a hollow sound because the sad fact was that her daughter was right. If it weren't for Bethany, she'd be locked down already, either in her apartment or at her office, her head buried in business as she struggled to forget the last three years without her husband.

"After your father passed... The place was suddenly empty. My life was empty. It was just me, night after night. It was so depressing. All of it was overwhelming."

Her daughter went silent.

"I should have been around to help you out."

Karen shook her head. "No, no, you have your own life, and your own family, sweetie."

"Yet, I should have been around. This Christmas trip together is too little too late. I'm sorry, Mom."

"I promised your dad that when he was gone, I wouldn't spend the rest of my life moping around all by myself. I'm afraid I haven't kept my promise."

"So..." Bethany arched an eyebrow. "Let me nurse you back to happiness. I promise we are going to have the best Christmas ever. You will laugh and have fun. It will be the time of our lives."

"Right," Karen said dryly, some of her tension returning.

"You haven't done a lot of things in ages, Mom. You're going to do them all here. So don't even try to fight it. Trust me, I know what's best for you."

Karen shook her head; a brief smile came to her lips.

At fifty-four, she felt old. Christ, she'd never felt so old in her life, Karen acknowledged unhappily.

"Mom, it's been three years since Daddy died. Are you planning to spend the rest of your life alone?" The way her daughter asked made it clear she thought this would be one of the worst things imaginable.

"Well, I dated a great man here, years ago. We were in love, truly in love."

"Mooom, you never told me about him!"

"Well, our relationship didn't end well. And I was the one at fault. Your grandfather didn't approve of him. He said I had no future with him. He said I deserved better. I broke up with him on Christmas Eve. I know for a fact, I hurt him terribly."

"Aww, Mom!" her daughter exclaimed. "Why didn't you fight for him? You didn't love him?"

Karen let out a long painful sigh. "He was a good, honest man with a huge heart. I loved him deeply. The truth was I wasn't too keen about staying in Middletown. I wanted to see exotic lands and have adventures; you know how much I enjoyed my trips. I met your father on a safari. We clicked, we got married and raised together a lovely, nosy daughter," Karen said, smiling at Bethany.

"You and Daddy were the best parents a daughter could wish for," Bethany said, smiling back at her mother.