The Gift
Co-written by: LJ and Myst
Supporting writers: Mel, Teri and Jo
Special thanks to Myst for the plot bunny and to Mel for being our beta.
Characters: (in order of appearance) Chad, Kipper, Kyler, Patrick, Hugh, Cameron, Chandi, Eric, Kadyn, Vincent, Rene, Zack, Lucas, Stewart, Todd and Hayden
Note: Barker Family – Nate, Amy, Ted and Allie.
It was almost noon, when Chad’s beeper went off at the same time as Kipper’s. As volunteer firemen, they knew exactly what was expected of them and were soon driving at breakneck speed away from the mine, with Kyler in the back seat of the Ranger. Other vehicles followed in their wake.
The call automatically sent many available mine personnel to the scene of the blaze. They were shocked to see the home of one of their co-workers with flames shooting out the large front window. The Jade Heights Fire Department was soon out in force; Fire Chief, Paramedics, other volunteers and equipment all present and accounted for. Under the direction of Captain Mason Monroe, the blaze was quickly brought under control and eventually extinguished.
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*
A little over two hours later, Chad lightly knocked and then let himself in the back door of Kipper’s bungalow. He smiled at Carissa Jamieson, gratefully accepted the cup of hot coffee she handed him and took a seat at the kitchen table. Although tired and filthy, Chad still felt the need to come over and give an updated report to the Barker family.
“The fire is out and aside from a couple of men suffering from minor smoke inhalation which was treated at the scene, our only casualty was Kyler.” Seeing the look of fear in his hostess’ face, he quickly added. “It was nothing too serious, Carissa; he just cut his arm and the paramedic felt it should be seen to. Sorry about that; I didn’t mean to worry you about your son. Craig Pike has taken him to the hospital and Kipper has gone with them.” Chad paused to take a long drink from the mug in his hand.
“Nate and Amy, there is extensive damage to your home’s interior and some to the exterior but all can be repaired. It will just take time; hopefully no more than six weeks. It was an unfortunate accident made even worse for being less than a week before Christmas.” Chad ran a hand through his hair and gulped down another mouthful of coffee.
“You were correct, Nate, it was a faulty extension cord leading to the tree. The front rooms and kitchen have been completely gutted. There is also a lot of water and smoke damage in the rest of the house, making it uninhabitable.” Chad hated having to be the bearer of bad news. He found it particularly hard to look into the distraught face of his employee and to see the man’s wife break down in tears.
“Come with me, Amy dear,” Carissa softly requested, helping the woman up. “Let’s go check on the children.”
As the two women left the room, Chad reached over and patted Nate’s shoulder. “The community will rally around, Nate. Plans are already in the works. To begin with, Kipper is insisting you and your family stay here with him and his sister until the repairs are finished. I can assure you, you will have Christmas.” He returned the sad ghost of a smile the other man gave him.
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*
“Thank you, Craig, for taking care of Kyler and bringing us here,” Kipper said, shaking the paramedic’s hand. They were standing to one side of the examining room and watching as Dr. Dean prepared to stitch up his patient’s arm.
“It hurts, Patrick,” Kyler softly whimpered.
“I know, babe. The freezing will take in a minute or two.” Patrick reached up and gently turned Kyler’s face away. “Don’t look; tell me what happened instead, okay?”
“I was helping with the fire at the Barker home. Their little girl, Allie, was really upset about those stray animals she rescues and I promised I’d take them to safety for her. When I dragged the last bunny out from under her bed, I cut my arm on the metal spring that was sticking out of the box mattress. It bled a lot so it must have cleaned out some.”
Kyler felt a tug and glanced around to see what Patrick was doing. No longer in pain, he watched until the final stitch was put in place and the injury site once again wiped down with antiseptic. He smiled up at his partner as his arm was bandaged.
“I’m sorry, Ky, but you are going to need a Tetanus shot.” Patrick didn’t expect this to go over too well with his Brat, so he wasn’t at all surprised when Kyler started to shake his head. “Yes; roll over please and bare your hip for me.”
Kipper didn’t wait to be asked; he merely stepped forward and assisted his nephew in filling the doctor’s request. “Santa won’t come to your house if you’re not a good boy.” Kipper teased with as he ruffled the younger man’s hair.
“He’s right, sweetheart,” Hugh concurred, having arrived just in time to hear the older man’s admonishment. “Thank you for calling me, Kipper. I got here as soon as I could; even knowing Kyler was in safe hands.” He winked at Patrick. “I guess I’m just here to take our young partner home.”
“My car is still at the mine, Hugh. I gotta go get it ‘cause I have to work tonight.”
“You’ve had a busy day, Kyler, and need to rest before going in for your graveyard shift. I’ll drive you to the mine when the time comes,” the bigger man firmly insisted.
“Speaking of which,” Kipper muttered. “I have to fetch my own vehicle. If it’s not too much out of your way, Craig, I’ll hitch a ride with you back to my place.”
“See ya later, Uncle Kipper.” Kyler hugged him and whispered his thanks. “Reckon I’m off home to bed, huh?” he smirked up at his partners before stepping up and throwing his arms around Patrick.
“And you better sleep,” the doctor ordered, landing a warning swat on his Brat’s backside.
Dr. Dean and his staff soon had the emergency room to themselves.
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*
Chad arrived home shortly before Cameron was to leave for an extra shift at the pool hall.
“Hi, Mugs,” he greeted and grinned when his Brat turned up his nose at the sight of him. He knew he reeked of smoke and was badly in need of a shower. “Guess by now you’ve heard of the fire.”
“Fire, what fire?” Cameron replied. His voice went up an octave. “You were in a fire? Are you okay? No burns?” He anxiously looked at Chad, running his eyes up and down his lover.
“No burns, babe. No one was seriously hurt; only one person taken to the hospital for treatment. Thank God for the lack of wind that worked in our favour. I’m not sure if you know the family, but it was the Barker home ravished by the fire. They live on the plateau part way up the mine road, just a short distance from Kipper’s house. They’ll be staying with him and Clarissa until they can move back into their own place.”
Chad was stripping off his clothing and dropping the garments into the laundry hamper as he talked. “We need to start a collection as soon as possible, so I’d like you to print out a sign for our money jar at the lounge while I shower. I’d invite you to join me but I am too dirty and just want to be clean again.” Seeing the look of disappointment on his partner’s face, Chad smiled and relented some. “Tell you what; finish up the sign and then get undressed. I expect to find you naked in our bed when I get back.” With that, he turned and walked into their en suite.
Cameron smiled as he made up the sign. Sometimes he liked to think of sleeping with the boss as a work bonus.
When Chad got out of the shower, Cameron was waiting for him in their bed as naked as the day he was born. “Just remember, I’ve got to get to work soon,” he reminded his lover before soundly kissing him.
“I’ll make sure you get there with time to spare,” Chad promised with a grin.
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*
It was late Friday afternoon when Chad stood next to his two shift-supervisors on the raised platform in front of his office. He gazed out at the gathering of men who were patiently waiting for him to make an announcement. These good, hard-working men were the life’s blood of the mine, and he appreciated and respected each and every one of them.
“First, gentlemen, I’d like to thank all of you who assisted with the fire at the Barker home. Together we managed to prevent the damage from becoming a lot worse than it is.” He paused to allow the rumbling of voices to abate.
“Secondly, I want to wish you all the best for the upcoming Holiday Season. As you know, this is the last shift of the year and that aside from a skeleton crew helping me with machinery maintenance, the rest of you are laid-off until sometime in March. As in the past, you will be notified when the mine re-opens in the spring. You all deserve a long rest while you collect your unemployment insurance.” He smiled at the hoots of agreement.
“However, some of you may be interested in a proposition the company has put forth after numerous correspondence between head office and myself. With a desire to do what they can to help out an employee, the owners have decided to offer jobs to as many as twenty men with sound carpentry experience. The mining company will pay them their regular wages for working on repairing of the Barker home. Of course, these men will be required to meet certain standards and have their own tools. If any of you are interested, please inform either of our supervisors. Both Dave and Rob will be available for the rest of the afternoon and again on Monday morning. They, along with myself and Kipper, will be overseeing much of the work to be done on the house restoration.” He nodded his head in approval of the enthusiasm his announcement had generated.
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*
“I am so glad it’s the end of the week and we have the weekend to look forward to,” Chandi declared, snuggling against his partner. They were lying side by side on the carpet and surrounded by pillows from the sofa, watching the flames dance in the fireplace while enjoying a cuddle. “We’ve got all the security set up at the Barker home. It’s not that we’re expecting trouble, but we do have to keep an eye on things in case anyone starts poking around.”
“Yes, I can see that being necessary,” Eric quietly agreed. Like the rest of the community, they had been saddened by the misfortune that had befallen one of their own. “I heard the Lion’s Club has already started making plans for a fundraiser. There’s some talk about an auction being held sometime next week.”
“It’s true; many of the businesses are also getting involved in various moneymaking activities,” Chandi mused. “I don’t know what I can do except buy tickets for the numerous raffles being held around town.” He played absently with the hair on his lover’s chest. “You got any plans for helping out, Eric?”
“As a matter of fact I do,” Eric grinned down at the man in his arms and captured the hand tickling him. “You remember that household of furniture I purchased from the Montgomery estate a while back? Well, I’ve just about completed the refinishing of an old hardwood rocking chair; similar to the one you have of your mother’s. That lovely antique is going to be my donation for the auction. Of course, I also plan to attend the event and bid on an item or two.”
“Hey, that’s a great idea!” Chandi glanced up, his esteem for the older man shining in his beautiful soft brown eyes. “And I bet it will fetch a really high bid too!” he adamantly added, quite confident of the results.
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*
Kadyn and Bandit noisily entered the book shop, allowing a gust of cold air to disturb the papers piled on the counter. “Oops, sorry, Emily!” he sincerely apologized as Vincent’s clerk made a dive to prevent as many sheets from flying onto the floor as possible.
“Vincent out back?” he asked after helping her gather the ones that escaped.
“Yes, he is; and probably expecting you.” Emily smiled patiently and shook her head, wondering once again how her boss managed to stay sane with such an exuberant young partner.
“Hi ya, Vin!” Kadyn zealously greeted the love of his life. He lifted his puppy onto the desk, completely unperturbed by the wet paw prints covering the top of it as Bandit sniffed around. “Best thing about Saturdays is I don’t have to work; worse thing is you do!” He didn’t appear to be letting the ‘worse thing’ bother him very much today.
“That’s life; some things can’t be helped. Although keeping your pet off my desk is something you do have control over and if I am not mistaken, we’ve had this conversation before.” Vincent feigned exasperation as he glared at his Brat and placed the not-so-little dog back on the floor. “One more time, young man, and it will be you on the desk, bent over and face down.” Walking around the desk, he wrapped his arms around Kadyn and lovingly kissed him. “What’s got you all excited this morning, love?”
“Lots actually,” Kadyn exclaimed, bouncing from one foot to the other. “You know Dad is the President of the Lions’ Club, right? Well, the Lions are planning a big shindig this coming Wednesday in hopes of raising money to help the Barker family fix up their house and Dad said I could help. So I was wondering if you’d take care of Bandit for the afternoon while Rene and I go to Kelowna. We’re gonna hit up a bunch of businesses for more donations and stuff. We wanna add to that huge basket so it is crammed full of neat things to raffle off.”
Vincent held up his hand to stop the flow of words. “Let me get this straight; you are counting on me to not only care for your pet but also to allow you to go to Kelowna for the afternoon? And after the stunt you and Rene pulled last time?” The older man was absolutely flabbergasted.
“Vincent, we’re not going anywhere else; just to Kelowna. We’re not gonna get into trouble this time, honest. It’s for a good cause and we want to do our fair share. Besides, Ted Barker is one of my Wolf Cubs so that gives me even more reason to wanna help out.” Kadyn’s grin widened as he gazed mischievously at his partner. “Maybe, I’ll hit you up first, Vin. What would you like to donate to the cause, huh?”
Vincent shook his head and tried to hide his smile. It was almost impossible to resist this happy-go-lucky young man and anyway, he had to admit Kadyn was right, it was a worthy project.
“How about a book of your choice for the basket and a seventy-five dollar gift certificate for the auction?”
“Perfect!” Kadyn enthusiastically hugged his partner and kissed him soundly. Heading for the front door, he hollered out over his shoulder, “I’ll bring supper home, Vincent; no need for you to cook. See you around six o’clock.”
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*
“Hmmm, something smells good!” Zack declared when he walked into the kitchen and hung his lab coat over the back of a chair.
“Yeah,” Rene grinned. “I picked up Swiss Chalet dinners for us. Figured it would save us making supper. Kadyn did the same for him and Vincent.”
“Aside from this pleasant surprise, how did your excursion to Kelowna go?” Zack kissed his partner and then kissed him again. He frowned slightly and licked his lips.
“We had a great time. I’ll tell you all about it while we’re eating. Kadyn and I had a Candy Cane contest on the drive back. I won by eating seventeen to his sixteen.”
“Well, that certainly explains why I’m getting peppermint flavoured kisses,” Zack laughed and kissed his lover once again.
They soon had their plates full and were enjoying both their meal and bringing each other up-to-date in their activities.
“You won’t believe all we accomplished today, Zack. Kadyn can talk folks into doing almost anything. You should see some of the neat stuff we have for the auction. We’ve also collected enough items to put together two huge baskets valued at over five hundred dollars. Not only did Kadyn persuade a lady at one of the stores to wrap them all up for us, but he somehow managed to badger the manager at Wal-Mart into matching the ticket sales dollar for dollar. Honest to God, that guy could sell ice to Eskimos.” Rene’s eyes were alit with admiration for his friend.
Zack burst out laughing. “I’m glad I wasn’t the only one to be bilked into doing that. Yesterday, my staff decorated a large box and filled it with just about every health product available at the drugstore. They have been pushing tickets on every customer who comes into the pharmacy. And not only did I provide all the articles in the box, but I’ve agreed to match the proceeds. Of course, it took four of them to talk me into it. According to them, all the business will do the same. In the past, Chad and Kipper have usually doubled the amount collected in the money jar at the lounge and are expected to do it again this time.” He winked his amusement at the man across the table from him. “But what the heck, it’s for a great cause, right?”
“Right!” Rene was of the same opinion. “Oh, ah, hum, Kadyn kinda convinced me to donate a portrait for the auction and I agreed.” He shrugged his shoulders and blushed as he confessed to having capitulated to his friend’s persuasion techniques.
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*
“Come on in and take a seat,” Lucas invited as he welcomed his first clients of the day. “It is a pleasure to see you both. I just wish it could have been under better circumstances.” He expressed his sympathy and waited for the Barkers to sit down before doing so himself.
“Yes,” answered Nate, shuffling uncomfortably in his chair. “I guess you pretty much know why we’re here. We figured we better get a start on things by finding out our options before trying to make any concrete plans.”
“I understand,” Lucas assured him. “I have all the paperwork here; the Fire Marshall’s report, as well as your home insurance policy, mortgage contract and updated credit report.” He indicated the file folder on his desk. “The repairs needed are extensive, Nate and Amy. The wiring throughout the house has to be replaced, the heating system and plumbing all brought up to code. There is quite a bit of reconstruction required for the front of the house, not to mention replacing some of the furniture, carpeting and flooring. Your insurance will cover much of it, but not all.”
Lucas paused to let this information sink in. He did not want to further overwhelm this already devastated young couple.
“Although you have an excellent credit rating, I am sorry to inform you that it is presently maxed out and in light of the mine’s closure for the next three months, the bank is unable to increase your mortgage. However, not all is gloom and doom.” He smiled kindly in hopes of lifting their burden to some extent. “The community of Jade Heights has come together to help you through this disaster. You are not in this alone.”
Nate was already shaking his head. It completely went against his nature to accept charity and he was about to tell the bank manager as much when the look on his wife’s face prevented him from voicing his objections. He thought of how this woman he loved with all his heart had spent most the past weekend crying and fretting over what was to become of their family. He could not bring himself to add to her pain, so he valiantly choked down his pride.
“We will go along with whatever you suggest, Lucas,” Nate quietly responded and was rewarded when the first smile he had seen in days played across Amy’s beautiful face. “I’ll try to do as much of the work as possible, but my abilities in carpentry are very limited.”
Wanting very much to alleviate the young man’s stress and any feelings of inadequacy he may be harbouring, Lucas set out to restore his confidence. “Nate, Amy; you and your children are very much a part of this wonderful community of ours. We’re a family and you are members of this large family. I know that had this misfortune happened to someone else, you both would be some of the first to offer all you could to help. Right now, your main responsibility is to Ted and Allie. Concentrate on making things easier for them. You have a home with Kipper and Clarissa for as long as you need, so please try as much as possible to put your worries on the back burner until at least after the holidays. Do you think you can do that?”
Getting teary-eyed nods from the two people in front of him, Lucas smiled and stood up. He walked around to the front of his desk and offered his hand to Nate. Next he helped Amy to her feet and hugged her.
‘Come hell or high water, we are going to make this work for these good people,’ he vowed to himself as they left his office.
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*
Lucas was becoming concerned. Glancing at his watch, he saw it was eight-thirty. Stewart should have been home from the bakery an hour ago, but there was still no sign of him. The fact that Stewart usually set his cell phone aside when baking meant there was no point in calling.
Deciding the best course of action would be to look for Stewart at his place of business; Lucas hurried out the door and got into his car. There was no way he was going to walk to the bakery at that time of night, even if it was less than a mile. It was already cold and a brisk wind had started up. He pulled up to the shop and saw the lights still on.
As he walked through the back door of the bakery, Lucas gave a sigh of relief. Stewart was there working on the cookies he had promised the fundraising committee. Not wanting to startle his partner, Lucas quietly said, “Hey there, I was getting worried about you. Do you know it’s almost nine?”
Stewart turned to him, frustration clearly etched on his face. “Lucas, I don’t know what to do. I’ve been working on the food I promised for tomorrow’s event since three this afternoon. I have the three cakes for the auction done up and dozens of sugar cookies baked, but I can’t seem to get the Santa cookies for the kids to turn out! I’ve made two batches and each time something else goes wrong. It’s not as if they are that hard to make; they are simple cookies! I’ve made them dozens of times without a problem, but they just aren’t coming out right and I need to have them all made two days from now.” Stewart dumped the rejected cookies into the garbage and suggested, “Why don’t you go back home while I’ll try it again?”
Lucas knew there was no way he was going to leave Stewart alone. “Well, maybe my being here will help. I know you know what you’re doing, but sometimes another pair of eyes is what’s needed. Why don’t we do it together?” Pulling on an apron, he patiently added, “Why don’t you read me the recipe and I’ll set out everything while you get a cup of coffee. I bet you haven’t taken time for a break or had anything to eat for that matter, since you started.”
“Well I haven’t had time!” Stewart said with a scowl.
“I understand but that’s no reason to scowl at me. I’ll get everything set out. You drink the coffee and take short break and we’ll be back at it in five minutes.”
“Okay, sorry,” Stewart mumbled as his face turned red with embarrassment.
A few minutes later, Stewart came up behind Lucas and twined his arms around him, giving him a quick hug. “Thanks, Lucas. I needed that break and I’m so glad you’re here to help me out!”
“Not a problem, love,” Lucas replied. “I’ve got everything here so let’s start measuring. This recipe is for fifty cookies and I think you said you want a hundred; is that right?”
"Yes, that should be more than enough. With kids it’s better to have too many cookies than not enough,” Stewart said with a grin.
As Lucas read out the amounts needed to double the recipe, Stewart nodded and measured each ingredient until he heard the amount of salt needed. “What did you say; tablespoons or teaspoons?” Stewart asked with a frown.
“Tablespoons,” Lucas answered. “It says tablespoons; see?”
“That was the problem!” Stewart exclaimed. “It was me. I was reading teaspoons and the cookies did not taste right because there wasn’t enough salt. I’m so relieved. I had no idea what I was doing wrong.”
“That’s fine,” Lucas soothingly replied. “You’ve been working yourself too hard for the auction. I should have realized that there was no way one person on their own could do three cakes, dozens of frosted adult cookies and all these decorated kids cookies all on their own.”
“Well, guess what? I’m going to not frost the kids’ cookies,” Stewart explained with a grin. “I’m going to do the cookies and donate the frosting, a batch each of red and white, and the kids can have fun decorating them in the rec room while the auction is going on.”
“What a great idea,” Lucas agreed. “Now, let’s get these cookies taken care of so we can close up and go home to bed.”
“Sounds like a plan to me,” Stewart sighed with a big smile.
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*
Samuel Hart stood looking out over the fair-size gathering of Jade Heights’ citizens. The crowd numbered greater than he had expected which bode well for the success of the evening. Everyone was in high spirits and dressed in their Sunday best. ‘A very impressive group of folks are these good friends and neighbours,’ he thought with a smile.
He checked his watch and although it was already six o’clock, decided to give people a few more minutes to look over the many items that had been donated for the auction. This would hopefully prove to be the most lucrative event of the entire fundraiser that had started less than a week ago.
“What have you got there, Papa,” Zack softly inquired as he came up behind his father.
“It’s my shopping list of sorts,” Todd answered and wrote down a couple more words. “I know exactly what I want to bid on.” He grinned merrily up at his son. “Oh, and I found something I think Rene might be interested in; a complete tune-up donated by Billy Fleming-Monroe, who owns the garage. Practical item, isn’t it?”
“I’ll let Rene know that,” Zack assured him. “Have you seen this?” he asked, lifting up a small jewellery box. “It’s a McCallum original; a very nice donation from Jack. Did you put it on your list, Papa? You like jade.”
“I never buy myself jewellery. I like Hayden to; his taste in that area is actually better than mine.” Todd’s reasoning had Zack chuckling.
“I don’t see Jackson and Jason here yet. Maybe they’ve been held up. Come to think of it, Mason and Billy also seem to be running late,” Zack commented, glancing around the large room.
“It is easy to miss people in this crowd, Piglet.”
“Yeah, you’re right. Just now, I think we should be getting back to our seats as it looks as if things are about to get underway,” Zack quietly suggested, nodding towards the man stepping up on the small stage.
Tapping his finger on the microphone in front of him, Samuel Hart attempted to get everyone’s attention. When all else failed, he signal for Chandi to come over and assist him. One sharp whistle from their Chief of Police had most folks sitting up to see what was going to happen next. The noise level dropped dramatically and Chandi stepped back with a wide grin on his handsome face.
“Welcome,” Samuel called out, “and a very Merry Christmas to each and every one of you. I want to thank you all for coming out tonight. With it being Christmas Eve, there are many who were unable to be here due to other commitments but I am sure their thoughts are with us. We have a lot going on this evening. Over to the right of me you will find that the Ladies Auxiliary has a bake sale in progress and beside them are several tables filled with items for the ‘silent’ auction. On my left is where you can purchase tickets for the 50/50 draw. There is also a wishing-well set up for those of you who prefer to donate cash.”
Samuel paused when someone caught his eye and he nodded his understanding. “A couple of the ladies are afraid I will forget to tell you there are still tickets available for the raffle. You’ve probably already heard that the prize is valued at well over five hundred dollars thanks to the pestering ability of someone whose name I will not mention.” He waited for the laugher to die down; they were all aware of how the baskets grew to the size they were.
“We have some special activities for the children taking place in the recreation room downstairs, with lots of cookies and hot chocolate to keep them happy while the older folks are up here spending money.” He watched with amusement as a stampede of little ones left the hall. “You all come back up here for refreshments and dancing later, ya hear?” he hollered after them.
Holding up his hands to hush things a bit, Samuel made his final announcement. “We have over a hundred items to auction off, so without further adieu I will turn the floor over to Lucas Hudson who has volunteered to be our auctioneer.”
“Thank you, Samuel.” Lucas held up a sheet of paper for all to see. “If you didn’t get one of these lists at the door when you arrived, there are extra of copies available for the asking. You’ll notice each item has its’ value written next to it so you’ll have a better idea of what you are bidding on.”
He waited for things to settle again before announcing, “Okay, folks, let’s get this show on the road! The first article up for bid is the legal services to draw up a Will and Power of Attorney; this was donated by Hayden Pierce at a value of two hundred and fifty dollars. Now, who will make the first bid?”
It took a couple of hours to complete the auction and Lucas was almost hoarse by the end of it; but also extremely happy with the results.
“Well done, Lucas, well done!” Samuel had a hard time containing his excitement as he took hold of the microphone once again. “All right, everyone. The youngsters will be returning shortly and the ladies have a delicious luncheon ready to serve while the DJ plays Carols. They asked me to let you know that tea, coffee and fruit punch is available at the bar but due to the presence of minors, there will be no alcohol served. It is now eight-thirty and the dance will be starting in about half an hour. In the meantime, we will be calling out the winners for the various draws so try to keep one ear open for the announcements, okay?” he laughingly ribbed those who were already involved in private conversations.
Chandi leaned closer to Eric and whispered, “Did I tell you how sexy you look in those dark gray slacks and that red cable-knit sweater? You wouldn’t have them on much longer if we were at home.” He suggestively grinned at his handsome lover.
“Thank you, love; you’re looking rather hot yourself.” Eric returned the leering grin. “Maybe we’ll leave after the first dance, what do you say about that?”
“Hey, I’m all for it. In the meantime, how about we get something to eat? I’m famished.” Chandi lead the way towards the buffet table. “By the way, I told you the rocking chair would fetch a good price and it did! Are you pleased?”
“I am, and I am also happy with the weekend at the Trillium Inn I bid on and won. Maybe we can spend New Year’s Eve there. I’ll have to check with James when I thank him for donating the gift certificate. He and Quinn are sitting at the table next to ours. I just have to make my way over there,” Eric mused.
“Yeah, that will be great,” Chandi replied somewhat absently. He was trying to figure out how to get the autographed Vancouver Canuck’s hockey shirt home without Eric seeing it. Stewart had bid on it for him and Chandi wanted to surprise his partner with it on Christmas morning.
“Ladies and Gentlemen; attention please! The winner of the 50/50 draw is…..” Lucas announced, reaching into the large jar and pulling out one half of a ticket, “number 505732. Will this ticket holder please come up to claim his or her prize of three hundred and eighty-five dollars.”
Kadyn had to check his ticket twice to make sure before jumping to his feet. “I won! That’s my number! It’s me!” he excitedly called out as he made his way to the front of the big hall.
A few minutes later he dropped back into his seat and merrily grinned up at his partner.
“Congrats, sweetie,” Vincent said, hugging the young man. “Do you have any plans for your new found wealth?”
“I already spent it all,” Kadyn informed him but didn’t explain further. He just crammed another sandwich into his mouth and glanced around at the others sitting at their table.
“How did you manage to do that so quickly?” Vincent asked. His question met with a shrug and a smirk.
The microphone cracked as the next announcement was made. “Well, folks; seems the Christmas spirit is running rampant here tonight. Kadyn has generously donated his winnings back to the cause. Thank you, Kadyn.”
Vincent beamed proudly at his partner. “Good man, sweetheart. That was very kind of you,” he praised. “Makes me somewhat happier about paying that exorbitant price of sixty-five dollars for the German Chocolate cake you wanted.”
“Yeah, but that’s because Stewart makes the best chocolate cakes ever, Vincent. And just think; Lucas paid one hundred for the carrot cake his partner donated. But it’s all for a good cause!” He laughed when Vincent rolled his eyes at hearing what had recently become his Brat’s often repeated mantra.
“This is a neat item you bid on, Hugh,” Kyler commented, holding up the envelope in his hand. “Man, an original Rene Wilson portrait!”
Hugh nodded and winked at Patrick. “I thought an oil painting of the three of us would look real good hanging over the mantel in the living room. What are your thoughts about it?”
“I am in agreement, Hugh, and it seems Ky is too,” Patrick responded for himself and their Brat.
Kyler opened his mouth to say something and paused to listen. “Did either of you hear what was just said? It sounded like my name was called.”
“Will Kyler Jamieson please come and claim his prize!” Lucas repeated.
“What prize?” Kyler looked confused.
“You won the raffle, kid. Those two big baskets are yours.” Stewart leaned across the table as he shared the news.
“No shit!” Kyler declared. “Wow, guess I better get up there!” He pushed his way through the crowd to the sound of clapping hands.
“I’m gonna get another cup of coffee, Zack, and then go over to sit with Kadyn for a few minutes before the dance starts, okay?” Rene asked as he pushed his chair away from the table.
“That’s fine, sweetheart, but save the first dance for me,” Zack teased. As Rene disappeared into the crowd, Zack turned to Todd and asked, “Did you get everything on your shopping list, Papa?”
“I most certainly did!” Todd had a self-satisfied look on his face.
“You made a list?” Hayden inquired with a note of disbelief in his voice, although in retrospect he shouldn’t have been surprised.
“Of course! You wouldn’t want me to forget anything, would you?” Todd replied, wide-eyed and innocent. “Although, I have to admit I’ve probably spent most my allowance for the next month or two.” He winked at Zack.
“What all did you buy? I want an exact accounting, Todd,” Hayden mildly insisted, knowing his husband would pick up on what was expected.
“I made some really good deals, my love. I bid for and won that beautiful, antique rocking chair; that one-of-a-kind, heirloom quilt; that absolutely gorgeous, handmade lace tablecloth; and the hand-braided floor mat. It will be perfect for that bare spot at the end of our bed.”
As Hayden’s curiosity got the better of him, he found it impossible to refrain from asking how much Todd had paid for each item. He was rather shocked when he heard the amount. “Todd, do you realize you paid three times the value for the rocking chair alone?” He shook his head in disbelief. “I’d say you spent more than just a couple of months’ allowance, my boy. I calculate it to be closer to all your free spending money for 2009.”
Hayden smiled and wrapped his arm around his husband’s shoulders. He was well aware of not only his beloved’s generosity, but also his love of exquisite novelties for their home. “At least it was for a worthy cause, wasn’t it, my darling?” he whispered in Todd’s ear.
“Yes, my love, as was the weekend for two at the Delta Grand Okanagan Resort, including a wine basket, that you bid on and won for a measly five hundred dollars. It will make a marvellous wedding gift for Zack and Rene, don’t you think?” Todd teasingly asked, knowing that was exactly what his husband had in mind when he kept upping his bids in the first place.
“It just might be,” Hayden agreed, his eyes sparkling.
“Oh, the music has started, Hayden. Let’s dance!” Todd jumped up and grabbing his husband’s hand, hauled him onto the dance floor.
By eleven o’clock, most were ready to called it a night. Friends and neighbours joyfully wished one another Merry Christmas, gathered up parcels of newly acquired belongings and herded family members out to the parking lot.
Nate and Amy had both sincerely thanked everyone for their support and kindnesses, extending invitations to one and all to attend their housewarming party once they moved back home in the New Year.
The hall had been put to rights and the last to leave were the members of the organizing committee.
“Kipper and I have done a rough estimate, Samuel,” Lucas informed the President of the Lion’s Club. “We did it! We all did it! The whole dang town actually did it! We not only reached our goal, but we surpassed it. We still have the money in the wishing-well to count and we are waiting for the various businesses around town to turn in the proceeds from their smaller fundraising activities. What we have so far has been put in the safe until the first of the week, when we’ll work on getting the final figure.” He was grinning from ear to ear as he slapped the other man on the back. “But for now, I’ll wish you a good night, my friend, and Merry Christmas.”
Lucas had been to countless fancy, white-tie benefits and had worked on dozens of committees with his parents to raise millions of dollars, but none had given him the deep-rooted feelings of satisfaction and contentment that tonight’s had. He felt humbled by the generosity of these honest, hard-working country folk. His eyes filled as his heart swelled with love and pride for this small community that had welcomed him as one of their own just three short years ago.
Lucas watched Samuel walk away and then, wrapping an arm around Stewart, took a deep breathe and gazed up at the sky. “What a perfectly wonderful way to celebrate this very special season,” he emotionally declared. Soundly kissing his partner, Lucas softly suggested, “Let’s go home, my love.”
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*
Kipper and his houseguest stood by the big picture window, enjoying a rum-laced eggnog drink and watching the large soft flakes slowly fall to the snow-covered ground, periodically letting their gaze wonder to the small town nestled in the valley beneath them. The women and children had long gone to bed, leaving the men to wind down as they saw fit.
“That was quite some party, wasn’t it?” Kipper asked, breaking into Nate’s quiet meditation. “I’d have to say it was also one of our more successful benefits.” He glanced over at the two large gift baskets with ‘To the Barker Family’ boldly written on the attached cards. He once again felt a surge of pride at his nephew’s big-heartedness.
Kipper wondered if the man beside him was aware of the well-over twelve thousand dollars that had been collected so far. That was a rough estimate based on the sale of over one hundred items at the auction, the raffle and the 50/50 draw, but the accountant also knew not all the monies had been turned in yet.
“Hmmm” was the only response to Kipper’s question.
“Okay, spill it, Nate! What’s eating at you?” the older man demanded after hearing his friend heave a sigh for the umpteenth time on less than fifteen minutes.
Nate groaned. He really didn’t want to get into it but felt he owed this good man an explanation for putting a downer on his evening. “I’m not saying I don’t appreciate all that is being done for us, Kipper, but if it wasn’t for Amy and the kids, I would have politely as possible turned down all offers of help. I feel I should be providing for my family and I am ashamed at having to accept charity like this.”
“So you think you have given nothing in return for all the kindnesses shown you; is that right?” Kipper sadly shook his head, understanding where the man was coming from and also knowing just how mistaken Nate was. “I want you to listen very closely to what I am about to say, Nathaniel.”
Kipper placed a hand on Nate’s shoulder to make sure he had the man’s undivided attention. “It is a result of you having swallowed that massive pride of yours that the folks of Jade Heights were provided with the opportunity to give of themselves in the true Christmas spirit,” he softly expressed his heartfelt belief. “Nate, you have nothing to feel ashamed or embarrassed about, as your allowing each of us the joy of giving was probably the greatest gift given tonight.”
The tears forming in the other man’s eyes, accompanied by a slight nod gave proof Kipper’s words had been understood and accepted. Nate had found the solace he did not believe possible in the quiet declaration of his older, more knowledgeable neighbour.
“I guess the boss man was right all along, we really are having Christmas,” Nate murmured as he turned to stare down into the valley at the town of Jade Heights sparkling in the distance, and a sense of peace settled over him.
The End
Co-written by: LJ and Myst
Supporting writers: Mel, Teri and Jo
Special thanks to Myst for the plot bunny and to Mel for being our beta.
Characters: (in order of appearance) Chad, Kipper, Kyler, Patrick, Hugh, Cameron, Chandi, Eric, Kadyn, Vincent, Rene, Zack, Lucas, Stewart, Todd and Hayden
Note: Barker Family – Nate, Amy, Ted and Allie.
It was almost noon, when Chad’s beeper went off at the same time as Kipper’s. As volunteer firemen, they knew exactly what was expected of them and were soon driving at breakneck speed away from the mine, with Kyler in the back seat of the Ranger. Other vehicles followed in their wake.
The call automatically sent many available mine personnel to the scene of the blaze. They were shocked to see the home of one of their co-workers with flames shooting out the large front window. The Jade Heights Fire Department was soon out in force; Fire Chief, Paramedics, other volunteers and equipment all present and accounted for. Under the direction of Captain Mason Monroe, the blaze was quickly brought under control and eventually extinguished.
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*
A little over two hours later, Chad lightly knocked and then let himself in the back door of Kipper’s bungalow. He smiled at Carissa Jamieson, gratefully accepted the cup of hot coffee she handed him and took a seat at the kitchen table. Although tired and filthy, Chad still felt the need to come over and give an updated report to the Barker family.
“The fire is out and aside from a couple of men suffering from minor smoke inhalation which was treated at the scene, our only casualty was Kyler.” Seeing the look of fear in his hostess’ face, he quickly added. “It was nothing too serious, Carissa; he just cut his arm and the paramedic felt it should be seen to. Sorry about that; I didn’t mean to worry you about your son. Craig Pike has taken him to the hospital and Kipper has gone with them.” Chad paused to take a long drink from the mug in his hand.
“Nate and Amy, there is extensive damage to your home’s interior and some to the exterior but all can be repaired. It will just take time; hopefully no more than six weeks. It was an unfortunate accident made even worse for being less than a week before Christmas.” Chad ran a hand through his hair and gulped down another mouthful of coffee.
“You were correct, Nate, it was a faulty extension cord leading to the tree. The front rooms and kitchen have been completely gutted. There is also a lot of water and smoke damage in the rest of the house, making it uninhabitable.” Chad hated having to be the bearer of bad news. He found it particularly hard to look into the distraught face of his employee and to see the man’s wife break down in tears.
“Come with me, Amy dear,” Carissa softly requested, helping the woman up. “Let’s go check on the children.”
As the two women left the room, Chad reached over and patted Nate’s shoulder. “The community will rally around, Nate. Plans are already in the works. To begin with, Kipper is insisting you and your family stay here with him and his sister until the repairs are finished. I can assure you, you will have Christmas.” He returned the sad ghost of a smile the other man gave him.
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*
“Thank you, Craig, for taking care of Kyler and bringing us here,” Kipper said, shaking the paramedic’s hand. They were standing to one side of the examining room and watching as Dr. Dean prepared to stitch up his patient’s arm.
“It hurts, Patrick,” Kyler softly whimpered.
“I know, babe. The freezing will take in a minute or two.” Patrick reached up and gently turned Kyler’s face away. “Don’t look; tell me what happened instead, okay?”
“I was helping with the fire at the Barker home. Their little girl, Allie, was really upset about those stray animals she rescues and I promised I’d take them to safety for her. When I dragged the last bunny out from under her bed, I cut my arm on the metal spring that was sticking out of the box mattress. It bled a lot so it must have cleaned out some.”
Kyler felt a tug and glanced around to see what Patrick was doing. No longer in pain, he watched until the final stitch was put in place and the injury site once again wiped down with antiseptic. He smiled up at his partner as his arm was bandaged.
“I’m sorry, Ky, but you are going to need a Tetanus shot.” Patrick didn’t expect this to go over too well with his Brat, so he wasn’t at all surprised when Kyler started to shake his head. “Yes; roll over please and bare your hip for me.”
Kipper didn’t wait to be asked; he merely stepped forward and assisted his nephew in filling the doctor’s request. “Santa won’t come to your house if you’re not a good boy.” Kipper teased with as he ruffled the younger man’s hair.
“He’s right, sweetheart,” Hugh concurred, having arrived just in time to hear the older man’s admonishment. “Thank you for calling me, Kipper. I got here as soon as I could; even knowing Kyler was in safe hands.” He winked at Patrick. “I guess I’m just here to take our young partner home.”
“My car is still at the mine, Hugh. I gotta go get it ‘cause I have to work tonight.”
“You’ve had a busy day, Kyler, and need to rest before going in for your graveyard shift. I’ll drive you to the mine when the time comes,” the bigger man firmly insisted.
“Speaking of which,” Kipper muttered. “I have to fetch my own vehicle. If it’s not too much out of your way, Craig, I’ll hitch a ride with you back to my place.”
“See ya later, Uncle Kipper.” Kyler hugged him and whispered his thanks. “Reckon I’m off home to bed, huh?” he smirked up at his partners before stepping up and throwing his arms around Patrick.
“And you better sleep,” the doctor ordered, landing a warning swat on his Brat’s backside.
Dr. Dean and his staff soon had the emergency room to themselves.
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*
Chad arrived home shortly before Cameron was to leave for an extra shift at the pool hall.
“Hi, Mugs,” he greeted and grinned when his Brat turned up his nose at the sight of him. He knew he reeked of smoke and was badly in need of a shower. “Guess by now you’ve heard of the fire.”
“Fire, what fire?” Cameron replied. His voice went up an octave. “You were in a fire? Are you okay? No burns?” He anxiously looked at Chad, running his eyes up and down his lover.
“No burns, babe. No one was seriously hurt; only one person taken to the hospital for treatment. Thank God for the lack of wind that worked in our favour. I’m not sure if you know the family, but it was the Barker home ravished by the fire. They live on the plateau part way up the mine road, just a short distance from Kipper’s house. They’ll be staying with him and Clarissa until they can move back into their own place.”
Chad was stripping off his clothing and dropping the garments into the laundry hamper as he talked. “We need to start a collection as soon as possible, so I’d like you to print out a sign for our money jar at the lounge while I shower. I’d invite you to join me but I am too dirty and just want to be clean again.” Seeing the look of disappointment on his partner’s face, Chad smiled and relented some. “Tell you what; finish up the sign and then get undressed. I expect to find you naked in our bed when I get back.” With that, he turned and walked into their en suite.
Cameron smiled as he made up the sign. Sometimes he liked to think of sleeping with the boss as a work bonus.
When Chad got out of the shower, Cameron was waiting for him in their bed as naked as the day he was born. “Just remember, I’ve got to get to work soon,” he reminded his lover before soundly kissing him.
“I’ll make sure you get there with time to spare,” Chad promised with a grin.
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*
It was late Friday afternoon when Chad stood next to his two shift-supervisors on the raised platform in front of his office. He gazed out at the gathering of men who were patiently waiting for him to make an announcement. These good, hard-working men were the life’s blood of the mine, and he appreciated and respected each and every one of them.
“First, gentlemen, I’d like to thank all of you who assisted with the fire at the Barker home. Together we managed to prevent the damage from becoming a lot worse than it is.” He paused to allow the rumbling of voices to abate.
“Secondly, I want to wish you all the best for the upcoming Holiday Season. As you know, this is the last shift of the year and that aside from a skeleton crew helping me with machinery maintenance, the rest of you are laid-off until sometime in March. As in the past, you will be notified when the mine re-opens in the spring. You all deserve a long rest while you collect your unemployment insurance.” He smiled at the hoots of agreement.
“However, some of you may be interested in a proposition the company has put forth after numerous correspondence between head office and myself. With a desire to do what they can to help out an employee, the owners have decided to offer jobs to as many as twenty men with sound carpentry experience. The mining company will pay them their regular wages for working on repairing of the Barker home. Of course, these men will be required to meet certain standards and have their own tools. If any of you are interested, please inform either of our supervisors. Both Dave and Rob will be available for the rest of the afternoon and again on Monday morning. They, along with myself and Kipper, will be overseeing much of the work to be done on the house restoration.” He nodded his head in approval of the enthusiasm his announcement had generated.
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*
“I am so glad it’s the end of the week and we have the weekend to look forward to,” Chandi declared, snuggling against his partner. They were lying side by side on the carpet and surrounded by pillows from the sofa, watching the flames dance in the fireplace while enjoying a cuddle. “We’ve got all the security set up at the Barker home. It’s not that we’re expecting trouble, but we do have to keep an eye on things in case anyone starts poking around.”
“Yes, I can see that being necessary,” Eric quietly agreed. Like the rest of the community, they had been saddened by the misfortune that had befallen one of their own. “I heard the Lion’s Club has already started making plans for a fundraiser. There’s some talk about an auction being held sometime next week.”
“It’s true; many of the businesses are also getting involved in various moneymaking activities,” Chandi mused. “I don’t know what I can do except buy tickets for the numerous raffles being held around town.” He played absently with the hair on his lover’s chest. “You got any plans for helping out, Eric?”
“As a matter of fact I do,” Eric grinned down at the man in his arms and captured the hand tickling him. “You remember that household of furniture I purchased from the Montgomery estate a while back? Well, I’ve just about completed the refinishing of an old hardwood rocking chair; similar to the one you have of your mother’s. That lovely antique is going to be my donation for the auction. Of course, I also plan to attend the event and bid on an item or two.”
“Hey, that’s a great idea!” Chandi glanced up, his esteem for the older man shining in his beautiful soft brown eyes. “And I bet it will fetch a really high bid too!” he adamantly added, quite confident of the results.
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*
Kadyn and Bandit noisily entered the book shop, allowing a gust of cold air to disturb the papers piled on the counter. “Oops, sorry, Emily!” he sincerely apologized as Vincent’s clerk made a dive to prevent as many sheets from flying onto the floor as possible.
“Vincent out back?” he asked after helping her gather the ones that escaped.
“Yes, he is; and probably expecting you.” Emily smiled patiently and shook her head, wondering once again how her boss managed to stay sane with such an exuberant young partner.
“Hi ya, Vin!” Kadyn zealously greeted the love of his life. He lifted his puppy onto the desk, completely unperturbed by the wet paw prints covering the top of it as Bandit sniffed around. “Best thing about Saturdays is I don’t have to work; worse thing is you do!” He didn’t appear to be letting the ‘worse thing’ bother him very much today.
“That’s life; some things can’t be helped. Although keeping your pet off my desk is something you do have control over and if I am not mistaken, we’ve had this conversation before.” Vincent feigned exasperation as he glared at his Brat and placed the not-so-little dog back on the floor. “One more time, young man, and it will be you on the desk, bent over and face down.” Walking around the desk, he wrapped his arms around Kadyn and lovingly kissed him. “What’s got you all excited this morning, love?”
“Lots actually,” Kadyn exclaimed, bouncing from one foot to the other. “You know Dad is the President of the Lions’ Club, right? Well, the Lions are planning a big shindig this coming Wednesday in hopes of raising money to help the Barker family fix up their house and Dad said I could help. So I was wondering if you’d take care of Bandit for the afternoon while Rene and I go to Kelowna. We’re gonna hit up a bunch of businesses for more donations and stuff. We wanna add to that huge basket so it is crammed full of neat things to raffle off.”
Vincent held up his hand to stop the flow of words. “Let me get this straight; you are counting on me to not only care for your pet but also to allow you to go to Kelowna for the afternoon? And after the stunt you and Rene pulled last time?” The older man was absolutely flabbergasted.
“Vincent, we’re not going anywhere else; just to Kelowna. We’re not gonna get into trouble this time, honest. It’s for a good cause and we want to do our fair share. Besides, Ted Barker is one of my Wolf Cubs so that gives me even more reason to wanna help out.” Kadyn’s grin widened as he gazed mischievously at his partner. “Maybe, I’ll hit you up first, Vin. What would you like to donate to the cause, huh?”
Vincent shook his head and tried to hide his smile. It was almost impossible to resist this happy-go-lucky young man and anyway, he had to admit Kadyn was right, it was a worthy project.
“How about a book of your choice for the basket and a seventy-five dollar gift certificate for the auction?”
“Perfect!” Kadyn enthusiastically hugged his partner and kissed him soundly. Heading for the front door, he hollered out over his shoulder, “I’ll bring supper home, Vincent; no need for you to cook. See you around six o’clock.”
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*
“Hmmm, something smells good!” Zack declared when he walked into the kitchen and hung his lab coat over the back of a chair.
“Yeah,” Rene grinned. “I picked up Swiss Chalet dinners for us. Figured it would save us making supper. Kadyn did the same for him and Vincent.”
“Aside from this pleasant surprise, how did your excursion to Kelowna go?” Zack kissed his partner and then kissed him again. He frowned slightly and licked his lips.
“We had a great time. I’ll tell you all about it while we’re eating. Kadyn and I had a Candy Cane contest on the drive back. I won by eating seventeen to his sixteen.”
“Well, that certainly explains why I’m getting peppermint flavoured kisses,” Zack laughed and kissed his lover once again.
They soon had their plates full and were enjoying both their meal and bringing each other up-to-date in their activities.
“You won’t believe all we accomplished today, Zack. Kadyn can talk folks into doing almost anything. You should see some of the neat stuff we have for the auction. We’ve also collected enough items to put together two huge baskets valued at over five hundred dollars. Not only did Kadyn persuade a lady at one of the stores to wrap them all up for us, but he somehow managed to badger the manager at Wal-Mart into matching the ticket sales dollar for dollar. Honest to God, that guy could sell ice to Eskimos.” Rene’s eyes were alit with admiration for his friend.
Zack burst out laughing. “I’m glad I wasn’t the only one to be bilked into doing that. Yesterday, my staff decorated a large box and filled it with just about every health product available at the drugstore. They have been pushing tickets on every customer who comes into the pharmacy. And not only did I provide all the articles in the box, but I’ve agreed to match the proceeds. Of course, it took four of them to talk me into it. According to them, all the business will do the same. In the past, Chad and Kipper have usually doubled the amount collected in the money jar at the lounge and are expected to do it again this time.” He winked his amusement at the man across the table from him. “But what the heck, it’s for a great cause, right?”
“Right!” Rene was of the same opinion. “Oh, ah, hum, Kadyn kinda convinced me to donate a portrait for the auction and I agreed.” He shrugged his shoulders and blushed as he confessed to having capitulated to his friend’s persuasion techniques.
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*
“Come on in and take a seat,” Lucas invited as he welcomed his first clients of the day. “It is a pleasure to see you both. I just wish it could have been under better circumstances.” He expressed his sympathy and waited for the Barkers to sit down before doing so himself.
“Yes,” answered Nate, shuffling uncomfortably in his chair. “I guess you pretty much know why we’re here. We figured we better get a start on things by finding out our options before trying to make any concrete plans.”
“I understand,” Lucas assured him. “I have all the paperwork here; the Fire Marshall’s report, as well as your home insurance policy, mortgage contract and updated credit report.” He indicated the file folder on his desk. “The repairs needed are extensive, Nate and Amy. The wiring throughout the house has to be replaced, the heating system and plumbing all brought up to code. There is quite a bit of reconstruction required for the front of the house, not to mention replacing some of the furniture, carpeting and flooring. Your insurance will cover much of it, but not all.”
Lucas paused to let this information sink in. He did not want to further overwhelm this already devastated young couple.
“Although you have an excellent credit rating, I am sorry to inform you that it is presently maxed out and in light of the mine’s closure for the next three months, the bank is unable to increase your mortgage. However, not all is gloom and doom.” He smiled kindly in hopes of lifting their burden to some extent. “The community of Jade Heights has come together to help you through this disaster. You are not in this alone.”
Nate was already shaking his head. It completely went against his nature to accept charity and he was about to tell the bank manager as much when the look on his wife’s face prevented him from voicing his objections. He thought of how this woman he loved with all his heart had spent most the past weekend crying and fretting over what was to become of their family. He could not bring himself to add to her pain, so he valiantly choked down his pride.
“We will go along with whatever you suggest, Lucas,” Nate quietly responded and was rewarded when the first smile he had seen in days played across Amy’s beautiful face. “I’ll try to do as much of the work as possible, but my abilities in carpentry are very limited.”
Wanting very much to alleviate the young man’s stress and any feelings of inadequacy he may be harbouring, Lucas set out to restore his confidence. “Nate, Amy; you and your children are very much a part of this wonderful community of ours. We’re a family and you are members of this large family. I know that had this misfortune happened to someone else, you both would be some of the first to offer all you could to help. Right now, your main responsibility is to Ted and Allie. Concentrate on making things easier for them. You have a home with Kipper and Clarissa for as long as you need, so please try as much as possible to put your worries on the back burner until at least after the holidays. Do you think you can do that?”
Getting teary-eyed nods from the two people in front of him, Lucas smiled and stood up. He walked around to the front of his desk and offered his hand to Nate. Next he helped Amy to her feet and hugged her.
‘Come hell or high water, we are going to make this work for these good people,’ he vowed to himself as they left his office.
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*
Lucas was becoming concerned. Glancing at his watch, he saw it was eight-thirty. Stewart should have been home from the bakery an hour ago, but there was still no sign of him. The fact that Stewart usually set his cell phone aside when baking meant there was no point in calling.
Deciding the best course of action would be to look for Stewart at his place of business; Lucas hurried out the door and got into his car. There was no way he was going to walk to the bakery at that time of night, even if it was less than a mile. It was already cold and a brisk wind had started up. He pulled up to the shop and saw the lights still on.
As he walked through the back door of the bakery, Lucas gave a sigh of relief. Stewart was there working on the cookies he had promised the fundraising committee. Not wanting to startle his partner, Lucas quietly said, “Hey there, I was getting worried about you. Do you know it’s almost nine?”
Stewart turned to him, frustration clearly etched on his face. “Lucas, I don’t know what to do. I’ve been working on the food I promised for tomorrow’s event since three this afternoon. I have the three cakes for the auction done up and dozens of sugar cookies baked, but I can’t seem to get the Santa cookies for the kids to turn out! I’ve made two batches and each time something else goes wrong. It’s not as if they are that hard to make; they are simple cookies! I’ve made them dozens of times without a problem, but they just aren’t coming out right and I need to have them all made two days from now.” Stewart dumped the rejected cookies into the garbage and suggested, “Why don’t you go back home while I’ll try it again?”
Lucas knew there was no way he was going to leave Stewart alone. “Well, maybe my being here will help. I know you know what you’re doing, but sometimes another pair of eyes is what’s needed. Why don’t we do it together?” Pulling on an apron, he patiently added, “Why don’t you read me the recipe and I’ll set out everything while you get a cup of coffee. I bet you haven’t taken time for a break or had anything to eat for that matter, since you started.”
“Well I haven’t had time!” Stewart said with a scowl.
“I understand but that’s no reason to scowl at me. I’ll get everything set out. You drink the coffee and take short break and we’ll be back at it in five minutes.”
“Okay, sorry,” Stewart mumbled as his face turned red with embarrassment.
A few minutes later, Stewart came up behind Lucas and twined his arms around him, giving him a quick hug. “Thanks, Lucas. I needed that break and I’m so glad you’re here to help me out!”
“Not a problem, love,” Lucas replied. “I’ve got everything here so let’s start measuring. This recipe is for fifty cookies and I think you said you want a hundred; is that right?”
"Yes, that should be more than enough. With kids it’s better to have too many cookies than not enough,” Stewart said with a grin.
As Lucas read out the amounts needed to double the recipe, Stewart nodded and measured each ingredient until he heard the amount of salt needed. “What did you say; tablespoons or teaspoons?” Stewart asked with a frown.
“Tablespoons,” Lucas answered. “It says tablespoons; see?”
“That was the problem!” Stewart exclaimed. “It was me. I was reading teaspoons and the cookies did not taste right because there wasn’t enough salt. I’m so relieved. I had no idea what I was doing wrong.”
“That’s fine,” Lucas soothingly replied. “You’ve been working yourself too hard for the auction. I should have realized that there was no way one person on their own could do three cakes, dozens of frosted adult cookies and all these decorated kids cookies all on their own.”
“Well, guess what? I’m going to not frost the kids’ cookies,” Stewart explained with a grin. “I’m going to do the cookies and donate the frosting, a batch each of red and white, and the kids can have fun decorating them in the rec room while the auction is going on.”
“What a great idea,” Lucas agreed. “Now, let’s get these cookies taken care of so we can close up and go home to bed.”
“Sounds like a plan to me,” Stewart sighed with a big smile.
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*
Samuel Hart stood looking out over the fair-size gathering of Jade Heights’ citizens. The crowd numbered greater than he had expected which bode well for the success of the evening. Everyone was in high spirits and dressed in their Sunday best. ‘A very impressive group of folks are these good friends and neighbours,’ he thought with a smile.
He checked his watch and although it was already six o’clock, decided to give people a few more minutes to look over the many items that had been donated for the auction. This would hopefully prove to be the most lucrative event of the entire fundraiser that had started less than a week ago.
“What have you got there, Papa,” Zack softly inquired as he came up behind his father.
“It’s my shopping list of sorts,” Todd answered and wrote down a couple more words. “I know exactly what I want to bid on.” He grinned merrily up at his son. “Oh, and I found something I think Rene might be interested in; a complete tune-up donated by Billy Fleming-Monroe, who owns the garage. Practical item, isn’t it?”
“I’ll let Rene know that,” Zack assured him. “Have you seen this?” he asked, lifting up a small jewellery box. “It’s a McCallum original; a very nice donation from Jack. Did you put it on your list, Papa? You like jade.”
“I never buy myself jewellery. I like Hayden to; his taste in that area is actually better than mine.” Todd’s reasoning had Zack chuckling.
“I don’t see Jackson and Jason here yet. Maybe they’ve been held up. Come to think of it, Mason and Billy also seem to be running late,” Zack commented, glancing around the large room.
“It is easy to miss people in this crowd, Piglet.”
“Yeah, you’re right. Just now, I think we should be getting back to our seats as it looks as if things are about to get underway,” Zack quietly suggested, nodding towards the man stepping up on the small stage.
Tapping his finger on the microphone in front of him, Samuel Hart attempted to get everyone’s attention. When all else failed, he signal for Chandi to come over and assist him. One sharp whistle from their Chief of Police had most folks sitting up to see what was going to happen next. The noise level dropped dramatically and Chandi stepped back with a wide grin on his handsome face.
“Welcome,” Samuel called out, “and a very Merry Christmas to each and every one of you. I want to thank you all for coming out tonight. With it being Christmas Eve, there are many who were unable to be here due to other commitments but I am sure their thoughts are with us. We have a lot going on this evening. Over to the right of me you will find that the Ladies Auxiliary has a bake sale in progress and beside them are several tables filled with items for the ‘silent’ auction. On my left is where you can purchase tickets for the 50/50 draw. There is also a wishing-well set up for those of you who prefer to donate cash.”
Samuel paused when someone caught his eye and he nodded his understanding. “A couple of the ladies are afraid I will forget to tell you there are still tickets available for the raffle. You’ve probably already heard that the prize is valued at well over five hundred dollars thanks to the pestering ability of someone whose name I will not mention.” He waited for the laugher to die down; they were all aware of how the baskets grew to the size they were.
“We have some special activities for the children taking place in the recreation room downstairs, with lots of cookies and hot chocolate to keep them happy while the older folks are up here spending money.” He watched with amusement as a stampede of little ones left the hall. “You all come back up here for refreshments and dancing later, ya hear?” he hollered after them.
Holding up his hands to hush things a bit, Samuel made his final announcement. “We have over a hundred items to auction off, so without further adieu I will turn the floor over to Lucas Hudson who has volunteered to be our auctioneer.”
“Thank you, Samuel.” Lucas held up a sheet of paper for all to see. “If you didn’t get one of these lists at the door when you arrived, there are extra of copies available for the asking. You’ll notice each item has its’ value written next to it so you’ll have a better idea of what you are bidding on.”
He waited for things to settle again before announcing, “Okay, folks, let’s get this show on the road! The first article up for bid is the legal services to draw up a Will and Power of Attorney; this was donated by Hayden Pierce at a value of two hundred and fifty dollars. Now, who will make the first bid?”
It took a couple of hours to complete the auction and Lucas was almost hoarse by the end of it; but also extremely happy with the results.
“Well done, Lucas, well done!” Samuel had a hard time containing his excitement as he took hold of the microphone once again. “All right, everyone. The youngsters will be returning shortly and the ladies have a delicious luncheon ready to serve while the DJ plays Carols. They asked me to let you know that tea, coffee and fruit punch is available at the bar but due to the presence of minors, there will be no alcohol served. It is now eight-thirty and the dance will be starting in about half an hour. In the meantime, we will be calling out the winners for the various draws so try to keep one ear open for the announcements, okay?” he laughingly ribbed those who were already involved in private conversations.
Chandi leaned closer to Eric and whispered, “Did I tell you how sexy you look in those dark gray slacks and that red cable-knit sweater? You wouldn’t have them on much longer if we were at home.” He suggestively grinned at his handsome lover.
“Thank you, love; you’re looking rather hot yourself.” Eric returned the leering grin. “Maybe we’ll leave after the first dance, what do you say about that?”
“Hey, I’m all for it. In the meantime, how about we get something to eat? I’m famished.” Chandi lead the way towards the buffet table. “By the way, I told you the rocking chair would fetch a good price and it did! Are you pleased?”
“I am, and I am also happy with the weekend at the Trillium Inn I bid on and won. Maybe we can spend New Year’s Eve there. I’ll have to check with James when I thank him for donating the gift certificate. He and Quinn are sitting at the table next to ours. I just have to make my way over there,” Eric mused.
“Yeah, that will be great,” Chandi replied somewhat absently. He was trying to figure out how to get the autographed Vancouver Canuck’s hockey shirt home without Eric seeing it. Stewart had bid on it for him and Chandi wanted to surprise his partner with it on Christmas morning.
“Ladies and Gentlemen; attention please! The winner of the 50/50 draw is…..” Lucas announced, reaching into the large jar and pulling out one half of a ticket, “number 505732. Will this ticket holder please come up to claim his or her prize of three hundred and eighty-five dollars.”
Kadyn had to check his ticket twice to make sure before jumping to his feet. “I won! That’s my number! It’s me!” he excitedly called out as he made his way to the front of the big hall.
A few minutes later he dropped back into his seat and merrily grinned up at his partner.
“Congrats, sweetie,” Vincent said, hugging the young man. “Do you have any plans for your new found wealth?”
“I already spent it all,” Kadyn informed him but didn’t explain further. He just crammed another sandwich into his mouth and glanced around at the others sitting at their table.
“How did you manage to do that so quickly?” Vincent asked. His question met with a shrug and a smirk.
The microphone cracked as the next announcement was made. “Well, folks; seems the Christmas spirit is running rampant here tonight. Kadyn has generously donated his winnings back to the cause. Thank you, Kadyn.”
Vincent beamed proudly at his partner. “Good man, sweetheart. That was very kind of you,” he praised. “Makes me somewhat happier about paying that exorbitant price of sixty-five dollars for the German Chocolate cake you wanted.”
“Yeah, but that’s because Stewart makes the best chocolate cakes ever, Vincent. And just think; Lucas paid one hundred for the carrot cake his partner donated. But it’s all for a good cause!” He laughed when Vincent rolled his eyes at hearing what had recently become his Brat’s often repeated mantra.
“This is a neat item you bid on, Hugh,” Kyler commented, holding up the envelope in his hand. “Man, an original Rene Wilson portrait!”
Hugh nodded and winked at Patrick. “I thought an oil painting of the three of us would look real good hanging over the mantel in the living room. What are your thoughts about it?”
“I am in agreement, Hugh, and it seems Ky is too,” Patrick responded for himself and their Brat.
Kyler opened his mouth to say something and paused to listen. “Did either of you hear what was just said? It sounded like my name was called.”
“Will Kyler Jamieson please come and claim his prize!” Lucas repeated.
“What prize?” Kyler looked confused.
“You won the raffle, kid. Those two big baskets are yours.” Stewart leaned across the table as he shared the news.
“No shit!” Kyler declared. “Wow, guess I better get up there!” He pushed his way through the crowd to the sound of clapping hands.
“I’m gonna get another cup of coffee, Zack, and then go over to sit with Kadyn for a few minutes before the dance starts, okay?” Rene asked as he pushed his chair away from the table.
“That’s fine, sweetheart, but save the first dance for me,” Zack teased. As Rene disappeared into the crowd, Zack turned to Todd and asked, “Did you get everything on your shopping list, Papa?”
“I most certainly did!” Todd had a self-satisfied look on his face.
“You made a list?” Hayden inquired with a note of disbelief in his voice, although in retrospect he shouldn’t have been surprised.
“Of course! You wouldn’t want me to forget anything, would you?” Todd replied, wide-eyed and innocent. “Although, I have to admit I’ve probably spent most my allowance for the next month or two.” He winked at Zack.
“What all did you buy? I want an exact accounting, Todd,” Hayden mildly insisted, knowing his husband would pick up on what was expected.
“I made some really good deals, my love. I bid for and won that beautiful, antique rocking chair; that one-of-a-kind, heirloom quilt; that absolutely gorgeous, handmade lace tablecloth; and the hand-braided floor mat. It will be perfect for that bare spot at the end of our bed.”
As Hayden’s curiosity got the better of him, he found it impossible to refrain from asking how much Todd had paid for each item. He was rather shocked when he heard the amount. “Todd, do you realize you paid three times the value for the rocking chair alone?” He shook his head in disbelief. “I’d say you spent more than just a couple of months’ allowance, my boy. I calculate it to be closer to all your free spending money for 2009.”
Hayden smiled and wrapped his arm around his husband’s shoulders. He was well aware of not only his beloved’s generosity, but also his love of exquisite novelties for their home. “At least it was for a worthy cause, wasn’t it, my darling?” he whispered in Todd’s ear.
“Yes, my love, as was the weekend for two at the Delta Grand Okanagan Resort, including a wine basket, that you bid on and won for a measly five hundred dollars. It will make a marvellous wedding gift for Zack and Rene, don’t you think?” Todd teasingly asked, knowing that was exactly what his husband had in mind when he kept upping his bids in the first place.
“It just might be,” Hayden agreed, his eyes sparkling.
“Oh, the music has started, Hayden. Let’s dance!” Todd jumped up and grabbing his husband’s hand, hauled him onto the dance floor.
By eleven o’clock, most were ready to called it a night. Friends and neighbours joyfully wished one another Merry Christmas, gathered up parcels of newly acquired belongings and herded family members out to the parking lot.
Nate and Amy had both sincerely thanked everyone for their support and kindnesses, extending invitations to one and all to attend their housewarming party once they moved back home in the New Year.
The hall had been put to rights and the last to leave were the members of the organizing committee.
“Kipper and I have done a rough estimate, Samuel,” Lucas informed the President of the Lion’s Club. “We did it! We all did it! The whole dang town actually did it! We not only reached our goal, but we surpassed it. We still have the money in the wishing-well to count and we are waiting for the various businesses around town to turn in the proceeds from their smaller fundraising activities. What we have so far has been put in the safe until the first of the week, when we’ll work on getting the final figure.” He was grinning from ear to ear as he slapped the other man on the back. “But for now, I’ll wish you a good night, my friend, and Merry Christmas.”
Lucas had been to countless fancy, white-tie benefits and had worked on dozens of committees with his parents to raise millions of dollars, but none had given him the deep-rooted feelings of satisfaction and contentment that tonight’s had. He felt humbled by the generosity of these honest, hard-working country folk. His eyes filled as his heart swelled with love and pride for this small community that had welcomed him as one of their own just three short years ago.
Lucas watched Samuel walk away and then, wrapping an arm around Stewart, took a deep breathe and gazed up at the sky. “What a perfectly wonderful way to celebrate this very special season,” he emotionally declared. Soundly kissing his partner, Lucas softly suggested, “Let’s go home, my love.”
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*
Kipper and his houseguest stood by the big picture window, enjoying a rum-laced eggnog drink and watching the large soft flakes slowly fall to the snow-covered ground, periodically letting their gaze wonder to the small town nestled in the valley beneath them. The women and children had long gone to bed, leaving the men to wind down as they saw fit.
“That was quite some party, wasn’t it?” Kipper asked, breaking into Nate’s quiet meditation. “I’d have to say it was also one of our more successful benefits.” He glanced over at the two large gift baskets with ‘To the Barker Family’ boldly written on the attached cards. He once again felt a surge of pride at his nephew’s big-heartedness.
Kipper wondered if the man beside him was aware of the well-over twelve thousand dollars that had been collected so far. That was a rough estimate based on the sale of over one hundred items at the auction, the raffle and the 50/50 draw, but the accountant also knew not all the monies had been turned in yet.
“Hmmm” was the only response to Kipper’s question.
“Okay, spill it, Nate! What’s eating at you?” the older man demanded after hearing his friend heave a sigh for the umpteenth time on less than fifteen minutes.
Nate groaned. He really didn’t want to get into it but felt he owed this good man an explanation for putting a downer on his evening. “I’m not saying I don’t appreciate all that is being done for us, Kipper, but if it wasn’t for Amy and the kids, I would have politely as possible turned down all offers of help. I feel I should be providing for my family and I am ashamed at having to accept charity like this.”
“So you think you have given nothing in return for all the kindnesses shown you; is that right?” Kipper sadly shook his head, understanding where the man was coming from and also knowing just how mistaken Nate was. “I want you to listen very closely to what I am about to say, Nathaniel.”
Kipper placed a hand on Nate’s shoulder to make sure he had the man’s undivided attention. “It is a result of you having swallowed that massive pride of yours that the folks of Jade Heights were provided with the opportunity to give of themselves in the true Christmas spirit,” he softly expressed his heartfelt belief. “Nate, you have nothing to feel ashamed or embarrassed about, as your allowing each of us the joy of giving was probably the greatest gift given tonight.”
The tears forming in the other man’s eyes, accompanied by a slight nod gave proof Kipper’s words had been understood and accepted. Nate had found the solace he did not believe possible in the quiet declaration of his older, more knowledgeable neighbour.
“I guess the boss man was right all along, we really are having Christmas,” Nate murmured as he turned to stare down into the valley at the town of Jade Heights sparkling in the distance, and a sense of peace settled over him.
The End
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