Christmas on Cape Cod Read online

  Asa turned onto the sandy driveway that led up to an old bow-roof Cape overlooking the ocean. He glanced up at the massive center chimney and felt his heart pound. He thought back to the last time he was there, and realized that it had also been for Christmas.... Seems like a lifetime ago! He parked the truck and looked up to see his dad standing in the doorway. Noah climbed out and raced to him, jumping into his arms. “Merry Christmas, Grampa!”

  Samuel Coleman wrapped his little grandson in a big bear hug. “Merry Christmas to you!” he returned. “How’s my little guy?”

  “Great!” Noah exclaimed. “Come and see the Christmas tree we picked out—it’s from Maddie’s family’s farm.” Noah pulled him toward the truck, but Samuel released him so he could greet Maddie and Asa with hugs, too.

  “Merry Christmas!” he said heartily. “It’s so good to see you! You look great!” Over the years, Samuel had met Maddie on several occasions and he knew what a good friend she’d been to Asa. He had decided she was pretty special ... and he often wondered when his son would wake up and take notice.

  “You look great, too,” Asa said with a warm smile. “Gettin’ a little white,” he teased, motioning to his father’s snowy mane.

  “Yes, I know ... don’t remind me!” Samuel replied, running his hand through his hair. “It’s all thanks to you!”

  “Grampa, come see the tree!” Noah called from the tailgate.

  Samuel turned, “I’m coming!” He walked over and surveyed the tree, which filled the back of the truck. “Wow! That’s a beauty!” He eyed Noah. “You sure know how to pick ’em!”

  Noah grinned, nodded, and began to bubble over with the details of the search. “Maddie helped and ... you know what else?” Samuel looked up. “There’s a bird’s nest in it! And Maddie said her dad always says that if you find a nest in a Christmas tree, the year ahead will be full of blessings—so we had to pick this tree!” Samuel nodded, completely caught up in his grandson’s excitement. He was still smiling when Sarah came over, too, wiping her hands on her apron. “Grandma!” Noah shouted, jumping down and just about knocking her over with a hug. “Did you see the tree?” He began to recount the story again, this time adding the part about the magnificent tree that belonged in Rockefeller Plaza.

  Asa looked at his dad and smiled. “He’s a little excited. . .”

  Samuel put his arm around his son. “He’s supposed to be!”

  An hour later, the handsome little tree was in a stand full of water in the corner of the living room with its best side out, and Maddie and Noah were sitting at the kitchen table, threading popcorn and cranberries for decoration, munching down almost as much popcorn as they threaded. Asa and Samuel took advantage of Noah being busy and made room in the closet under the stairs for the boxes of Christmas gifts. They also carried in the duffels, Maddie’s suitcase, the pie carrier, and Maddie’s bag of secret ingredients. Samuel peered into the brown paper bag and raised his eyebrows. Sarah, for her part, suddenly noticed how much popcorn was being consumed, and asked if they’d had lunch yet. When Asa admitted that they hadn’t, she eyed him in dismay.

  “Why didn’t you say something?”

  Before Asa could protest, she was making roast beef sandwiches and coleslaw on rye bread and pouring tall glasses of sweet, cold cider. While they were still eating these, she also set out a plate of warm mincemeat cookies and brewed a fresh pot of coffee.

  Asa reached for a cookie with his free hand and smiled at his mom. “You’ve been busy!” He took a bite and closed his eyes. “Mmmm ... Maddie, have you ever had a mincemeat cookie fresh out of the oven?” Maddie smiled, amused by Asa’s apparent rapture, and revealed that she hadn’t. Noah picked one out for her and Maddie graciously accepted. Seemingly unaware that everyone was watching, she took a generous bite and tasted the sweet warm brandied fruit. “Mmmm!” she murmured, “Mrs. Coleman, these are wonderful.”

  Sarah smiled. “Thank you, Maddie. You can take some home with you.” Asa looked up, feigning alarm, but Sarah laughed and assured him. “Don’t worry, Asa, I’ll fix a plate for you and Noah, too.” Asa elbowed Noah with a grin and a thumbs-up and Noah returned the gesture and took a big bite out of his cookie.

  Samuel reached over Noah’s head and took a cookie, too. He looked at Asa. “By the way, which service would you guys like to go to? I know we usually go to the eleven o’clock, but there’s also a service at eight for families. Your mother and I thought Noah might enjoy it. And then, of course,” he eyed Noah and whispered with his hand cupped beside his mouth, “you-know-who can get to bed early ... so you-know-who can come ...”

  Noah’s eyes grew wide. “Who, Grampa? Do you mean Santa?”

  “Santa?” Samuel said, feigning ignorance. “Who’s Santa?” He looked at Sarah. “Are you expecting someone named Santa for dinner, dear?”

  “Grampa, Santa doesn’t come for dinner!” Noah sounded exasperated. Didn’t his grampa know who Santa Claus was? “He comes for Christmas cookies ... like these ...” he explained, holding up a mincemeat cookie.

  “He likes mincemeat?” Samuel asked.

  “Mmm ... hmm ... ,” Noah nodded.

  “But they’re my favorite. Couldn’t we give him Fig Newtons or Oreos?”

  Noah shook his head with authority. “No ... they have to be homemade Christmas cookies ... and eggnog.”

  “Eggnog, too?” Samuel began to sound perplexed.

  “Yup, and carrots for the reindeer ...”

  “Carrots, too?! I don’t know ... I don’t think we have any carrots ... do we, dear?” He looked to his wife for support.

  “Yes, we do,” Noah said, hopping down and running to the fridge. Samuel tried to nonchalantly block the door, but Noah gently nudged him and said, “Grampa, let me show you.” Sarah was enjoying their playful exchange and watched as Noah pulled open the fridge door and produced a big bag of carrots. “See? We have ’em!”

  “I guess we do!” Samuel said, scooping Noah up and giving him a hug. “There’re no flies on you, that’s for sure.”

  Noah looked puzzled by his grandfather’s funny observation, but gave him a big squeeze. “I love you, Grampa.”

  “I love you, too!” Samuel replied.

  Asa watched his father set Noah down and noticed that there were tears in his eyes. “Hey, Dad,” he said quietly, “the eight o’clock service sounds perfect.”

  Samuel nodded and wiped his eyes. “We better get going on the tree then!”

  Chapter 4

  Asa lugged a heavy cardboard box down from the attic, set it on the floor, and pulled on the flaps, which had been tucked under one another. Inside the tattered old box was a smaller box, simply marked, NOAH. He lifted it out just as Noah came in trailing a long string of popcorn and cranberries. “Dad, can you help me with this?”

  “Yup ... but I think you’ll need a chair.”

  Noah laid the string carefully across the afghan blanket that was on the back of the couch and ran back into the kitchen. He returned with the chair and with Maddie, who was carrying another long string of popcorn.

  “Dad, can we take the tree back with us and put it outside for the birds to hide in? That’s what we used to do—they love the popcorn and berries.”

  “Sure,” Asa replied with a smile ... but suddenly feeling oddly sad. That’s what we used to do ... the innocent words had an odd sting ... he hadn’t thought of Noah’s previous Christmas memories that didn’t include him.

  Maddie looked over at Asa and seemed to read his mind. “You and Noah will have lots of time to make memories of your own,” she said as she passed the string back and forth with Noah around the tree.

  Noah looked up from trying to untangle his end and said, “And you, too, Maddie!” Maddie paused thoughtfully. . . I hope so, Noah! I hope so!

  They continued to work from top to bottom, gently draping the popcorn string over the limbs. Meanwhile, Asa tried to determine if all the lights worked and, when he was certain they did, they hung those on the tree,
too.

  “Moment of truth!” he declared as he plugged them in.

  “Uh-oh, Dad!” Noah said in dismay. “The bottom ones aren’t on.”

  Asa tried unplugging and plugging the string back in, with no better results.

  “They were just working!” he exclaimed in frustration.

  Maddie walked around the tree to see which light might be the culprit. She pulled out the first unlit bulb and the whole string came on.

  “What did you do?” Asa asked in surprise.

  “I just unplugged the first dead one,” she said with a shrug. “Do you have any replacement bulbs?”

  “I don’t know,” Asa answered.

  “I’ll go ask!” Noah said, running to the kitchen.

  Maddie grinned at Asa and teased, “Guess you have to have the magic touch!”

  “Hmmm,” he surmised, “and I guess you do!”

  Noah returned with Samuel in tow. “I think there are replacement bulbs somewhere in here,” he said, squatting down next to the box. He started to look and then spied Noah’s box. “Noah, here’s your box. Why don’t you open it?”

  Noah knelt down next to his grandfather and pulled up the top of his box. “Hey!” he cried. “Here’s my stocking!” Asa watched Noah unfurl the soft red felt. “Dad,” he said, hopping up, “can you help me hang it?” Asa nodded and lifted Noah so he could hang the stocking on a painted hook that was tapped into the mantel. He looked at Noah’s name embroidered across the snowy white trim and thought back to the first time he’d seen that stocking ... before a name was embroidered on it. He leaned on the mantel and closed his eyes. “What’s wrong, Dad?” Noah asked.

  “Nothin,’ pal ... just thinking ...”

  “Okay,” Noah said, shrugging, and turned his attention back to his ornaments.

  Maddie watched Asa and knew that he was struggling with long-ago memories ... memories that she wasn’t a part of. She began to wonder if it had been a mistake to come ...

  Samuel, sensing a somber mood descending on the room, turned to Maddie, handed her a new bulb, and said, “So, Maddie, tell me what you’re cooking up with those potent ingredients.”

  Maddie laughed. “Oh, it’s just an old Swedish recipe that my family always makes on Christmas Eve. I thought you guys might like to try it.” Maddie slipped the new bulb in place and added, “It’s called Glug.”

  Noah laughed. “Glug? That’s a funny name! Can I try it?”

  Maddie smiled. “That will be up to your dad!”

  Asa looked up. “I don’t know ... I think you might just have to savor the fragrance.”

  “When are you making it, Maddie?” Noah asked.

  “Probably when we get home from church.”

  Just then, Sarah came in and, spying the tree, proclaimed, “Oh, my! That tree looks beautiful!” She walked around it and admired it from every angle. Then she turned to Samuel, who’d recently found a seat in the rocking chair and appeared to be contemplating a nap. “Are you coming back to the kitchen, dear? I need you to make cocktail sauce.”

  He opened one eye. “Do you mean my world-famous cocktail sauce?”

  Noah looked up with a grin. “Are we having shrimp?!” Sarah nodded and he let out a little whoop of excitement.

  “Can I help, Grampa?”

  “You sure can!” Samuel replied.

  Asa eyed Noah. “Watch out, Dad, he doesn’t like to measure ingredients ...”

  “Coleman men don’t measure!” Samuel said indignantly, resting his hands on Noah’s shoulders. “We’re going to make it so it puts hair on your chest! Right, Noah?”

  “Right!” Noah agreed.

  Maddie hung up the last two ornaments, folded tissue paper that was strewn about, laid it in the boxes, and stacked the boxes in a corner behind the piano. “Too bad we have to take all this down in a couple of days,” she said gloomily. “That’s the saddest part of Christmas ... putting the ornaments away.”

  Asa nodded. He was quiet as he knelt down on the hearth and stacked kindling and small logs on the andirons.

  Maddie sat on the couch and watched him. “I think it’s harder for you to be here than it is for Noah.” Asa didn’t reply. He just finished tearing up an old egg carton, crumpling newspaper, and stuffing it all under the andirons. Then he brushed off his hands, stood up slowly, and sat next to her.

  He gave her a half smile. “It is hard to be here. This old house is so full of memories ... and not just memories of my relationship with Noelle ... but memories of when I was Noah’s age ... when my parents’ best friends, Nate and his first wife Annie were both still alive.” He paused and looked around. “Maddie, this was their house and they used to hang Christmas stockings on those hooks for Isaac and me. We would sit right there,” he motioned to the braided rug in front of the hearth, “and open their gifts for us ...”

  “Got some eggnog!” Noah announced cheerily, coming through the kitchen door. He stepped carefully around the couch and presented his offering to them on a tray. “Grandma put nutmeg on yours.”

  Maddie smiled and took a glass. “What service! Thank you!”

  “Thanks, buddy!” Asa said, tousling Noah’s hair.

  “You’re welcome!” Noah replied with a little bow, which almost upset the remaining glass on the tray. He put the tray on the coffee table, took a sip from the glass that didn’t have nutmeg, and wiggled onto the couch between them.

  Asa took a sip, too, and looked over at Maddie. “Hmmm ... tastes like there’s more in here than nutmeg.” Maddie took a sip and nodded in agreement.

  “When’re you starting the fire, Dad?” Noah asked, noticing the wood.

  “Oh, probably later ... after church.”

  Noah suddenly looked worried. “Maybe you should wait ’til tomorrow.”

  “Why?” asked Asa in surprise.

  “Well ... because Santa’s coming ...”

  Asa caught on to Noah’s concern. “Oh, you don’t have to worry about that. A fire in the fireplace won’t stop Santa Claus.”

  “Are you sure?” Noah asked doubtfully.

  Asa nodded. “Positive. When I was your age we always had a fire on Christmas Eve and it never stopped him from coming.” Noah looked relieved, leaned back between them, jiggled his feet, and took another sip of his eggnog.

  From the kitchen Samuel called, “Any volunteer taste testers in there?”

  Noah’s face lit up. “I will!” he hollered, sitting up so quickly that he spilled eggnog on his pants.

  “Easy, Noah!” Asa scolded. He reached quickly for Noah’s glass.

  “I’m sorry, Dad ...”

  Asa looked up from the spill and realized that Noah was on the verge of tears. “It’s okay ... I only said to take it easy.”

  “I know ...”

  With a gentle smile, he handed Noah his glass. “Now, go make sure that cocktail sauce will put hair on our chests ... I’m sure Maddie will appreciate that!” Noah nodded, put his glass on the tray, and carefully carried it back to the kitchen. Asa called after him, “And don’t forget to bring some shrimp back with you!”

  “Okay!” Noah hollered as the kitchen door swung closed.

  Maddie looked at the tree and wondered if Asa would say anything more. She didn’t want to press him. She never did. If he wanted to talk about it, she was always willing to listen. He smiled. “I’m sorry to be in a bit of a mood. I’m not very merry, am I?”

  “That’s all right,” she consoled. “I know this house holds a lot of memories for you. It would be hard for anyone the first time they returned to ...” she hesitated, not sure what to say.

  Asa looked at the dark fireplace. “... to the scene of the crime ...” he finished softly.

  Maddie smiled gently. “Well, that’s not what I was going to say ...”

  “It’s true though. The relationship I had with Noelle when I was eighteen betrayed Nate, ended tragically, and changed all of our lives. It happened in this house ... in this room ... and the only good that came from i
t was Noah.”

  Just then, Noah came bumping back through the door with his replenished tray.

  “Got shrimp!” he announced, stepping carefully around the couch and standing in front of them. Maddie reached for a napkin that was on the tray and wiped cocktail sauce from Noah’s chin. “You’ve already had some,” she surmised with a smile.

  Asa studied him with a serious face. “Well, any hair on your chest?”

  Noah put the tray down and pulled up his shirt, exposing his smooth baby skin. “Nope! Not yet.” He pulled down his shirt. “Guess I’ll just have to have another!” he said with a grin. He dipped a big fat shrimp into the cocktail sauce and began to lift it to his mouth. Maddie, realizing that another spill was imminent, hurried to slip her napkin under his hand. Almost immediately, a big red glob splattered onto it.

  “Good catch!” Asa said, eyeing Noah. “Maddie just saved you!” Noah nodded, squeezing the tail like a pro and popping the whole shrimp into his mouth.

  “Whew—that’s hot!” he exclaimed, waving his hand in front of his mouth, and running back to the kitchen.

  Asa held the tray out to Maddie. “You first!” Maddie took a shrimp, gave it a conservative dip, and took a dainty bite. Almost immediately, her eyes began to water. “What do you think?” Asa teased, eyeing the top of her blouse. “Any hair sprouting?”

  Maddie blushed and shook her head. She took a sip of her eggnog and looked away, embarrassed by the question. Was he just teasing ... or flirting? She looked up and he was smiling. She was completely caught off guard by Asa’s unexpected question. She laughed, trying to regain her composure. “I guess you’ll never know!”

  Asa popped a shrimp dripping with the spicy sauce into his mouth, and appeared to be completely unfazed. With a grin, he said, “I already have hair ...”