"So what did you get Maria?"
Ronnie hit the mute button on the remote and turned her head to look at her companion. "A present." The corner of her mouth curled up in a teasing smile.
"Come on, tell me, please?" Rose gave her best puppy eyes. "I won't tell, I promise."
"I told you...a present." She tossed a piece of popcorn into the air and caught it in her mouth. "Now I thought you wanted to watch this show?"
"I do, but I want to know what you got her too. One clue?"
Ronnie pretended to consider the request for a moment before smirking with a devilish glint in her eyes. "It's not something that Maria would go out and buy herself. How's that?"
"That's a rotten clue," Rose groused, reaching for her cup.
"Ah, empty. You want more?" The executive took the cup off the snack tray and stood up.
"No, I've had enough hot chocolate for tonight. Any more and I'll be up half the night." She held her hand out. "Come on, sit down and relax. You're missing the show."
"Do you want the snack tray up or down?"
"Up. We won't need it anymore," Rose answered. Ronnie complied instantly, knowing that the snack tray going up was a prelude to something far more enjoyable than watching a television show. She set the empty mug on the coffee table and returned to her cushion, this time with her feet up and resting between them. As expected, within minutes they were in Rose's lap, the younger woman's knowledgeable fingers rubbing out the aches of the day. The dark haired woman had no choice but to moan with pleasure.
"You do that soooo well...."
"It's easy with you. I know just where to push and rub." Rose demonstrated her skill by pressing her thumb firmly across the arch of Ronnie's left foot.
"Mmm, you can stop that in about...oh, seven or eight hours."
"Or maybe I'll stop if you don't tell me what present you got Maria." Her fingers stilled as if to carry out her threat.
"You drive a hard bargain," Ronnie admitted. "It's not much, just a plane ticket."
"A plane ticket? To where?"
"Arizona."
"That's where her son is," Rose remembered.
"She hasn't seen him in over a year. I thought she might like to take a trip out to see him." She raised an eyebrow. "So are you going to continue?" She stressed her point by wiggling her toes.
Rose laughed and continued the massage. It had become an unspoken ritual between them. Ronnie would groan about her feet and she would immediately offer to rub them. They would spend hours on the couch like that, Rose sitting in the reclined position with her legs straight out and Ronnie lying across the length of the couch with her feet being pampered. The younger woman only paid a passing glance at the television, her attention focused on the soft flesh beneath her fingers.
Rose took a special pleasure in rubbing Ronnie's feet. With the exception of cuddling at night it was the only other physical contact they generally shared. She couldn't explain why, but it made her smile to hear the hedonistic groans coming from her friend's lips in reaction to her fingers. With all the stress about the audit and Tommy not speaking to anyone but his mother, the massages were one of the few things that brought a smile to Ronnie's face. And that smile was something that Rose tried to see at every opportunity. She looked down and studied the elegant foot before her. Baby smooth skin gave way to the slightest callous at the widest part of the heel. She let her fingertips glide over the softness from toe to ankle before moving her thumbs back down below to knead out the tightness. Rose pressed with a little more force than usual and was rewarded with a moan that teetered on the edge of sensual. She repeated the motion but only received a lesser version of the desired sound. Undaunted, she released Ronnie's foot and pulled the other one in her grasp. "You know, when I get out of these casts I'll give you a backrub you won't forget."
"Mmmm..." A slow, sexy smile crossed Ronnie's lips. "You're too good to be wasted in an office job. I think I'll change your position to Chief Masseuse."
"Uh huh...do I get a raise with that new title?"
"You keep touching me like that and I'll pay you whatever you want." Ronnie's eyes closed as Rose's fingers pressed in all the right places.
"I'll remember that," the younger woman replied, her mind traveling to thoughts of having Ronnie's strong back beneath her fingers in the future. Hmm, some oil, a nice summer day....you roll onto your stomach and unlace your bikini...her fingers stopped moving and she shook her head to clear the odd thought. Yes, she enjoyed touching Ronnie but that? She gave a short laugh and concentrated on what she was doing.
"What's so funny?" Ronnie asked, opening one eye and looking down at her friend.
"Oh, nothing...just something on Home Improvement. He really is a menace around tools, isn't he?"
"Hm?" Oh, is that what we're watching? "Uh, yeah." She sensed that there was more to it than what Rose was letting on. She thought only briefly about saying something but the rubbing started again and Ronnie closed her eyes, turning herself over to the gentle touch. They stayed in that position for the next hour, both silently enjoying what used to be a massage and was now a light caresses. The blissful and peaceful scene was shattered a moment later when the phone rang.
"Damn." Ronnie reluctantly sat up and pulled her slippers on. "If it's one of those MCI people again I'm going to kill them." Her toes felt cold where only seconds before they had been held in Rose's soft hands. She padded out to the kitchen and picked up the phone. "Cartwright Residence." She began walking back into the living room, phone in hand, when she stopped. "When did that happen? Well, did they catch anyone?" She stepped into Rose's view. "Is that the one on Central? Yeah, I'll meet you there in a half an hour. Okay, bye Susan." She hung up the phone and shook her head.
"Ronnie?"
"Unbelievable." She sank onto the couch and let out a long breath. "Someone broke into the office tonight."
"Oh no. I hope no one was hurt."
"Susan didn't say anything about that. The police caught the guy, though." Ronnie had to smile inwardly. First thing out of your mouth is worry for others. My first concern was if anything was taken. It was yet another example of the little things about Rose that she found so endearing. "I have to meet Susan at the police station. They caught one of the robbers." She reluctantly stood up. "I'd better get going." She looked down at the eyes almost emerald in color thanks to the soft lights of the living room and had an irrepressible urge to hug her. Ah, the hell with it. Ronnie leaned in quickly and wrapped her long arms around Rose's shoulders. "I'll call you if I'm going to be late." She smiled when she felt a return squeeze.
"Be careful. It's been snowing," the young woman said once they separated.
"I will."
Ronnie made it to the police station first and spoke with the night sergeant who directed her to one of the detectives. She returned to the lobby several minutes later, seething with anger at the information the officer had given her.
Susan and Jack came down the hallway, both shaking snow off their coats. "I went down to the office. You wouldn't believe it. They've got that yellow tape up and your office looks like a bulldozer went through it," the redhead said as she hung her coat up on the nearby rack. "It looks like they were trying to get into the safe."
"He was," Ronnie replied coolly. "I guess its a good thing I changed the combination last week, huh?" To her sister's confused look, she nodded and continued. "That's right, Susan. Go ahead and guess who broke into the offices and tried to steal from us, from our FAMILY!" Her raised voice drew the attention of several nearby officers, forcing Ronnie to speak through clenched teeth in an attempt to keep her anger in check. "The prodigal son is down in the lockup now. Probably being fingerprinted and introduced to his new girlfriend for the next five or ten years." She made no attempt to hide the anger in her tone.
"You mean Tommy...?" Susan shook her head. "No, that's impossible."
"You're right, Susan. The strung-out junkie down in lockup just looks like Tommy and carries his wallet around with him," she replied sarcastically, clenching her fists in disbelief.
"But...maybe he just went back to get something. You changed all the locks, maybe he set the alarm off accidentally?" She looked to her husband for support, but saw only the truth reflected back.
"Sweetheart, I think your sister is right this time. You were there, you saw the office." He gave Ronnie an apologetic look. "I've heard that drugs can make people do all sorts of things, even steal from their own relatives."
"Well that's real enlightening, Jack. Are you just now realizing that Tommy has a drug problem?"
"Ronnie, just because you're upset doesn't mean you can take it out on Jack. After all, it's not his fault."
"No Susan, it's not Jack's fault Tommy's in jail, it's Tommy's. I think we should leave his ass there until he straightens up."
"What?" The redhead stood between her sister and husband. "You can't honestly be thinking about leaving him here...in jail?"
"Why the hell not? He broke into the office, tried to break into the safe. Susan, if we keep coddling him--"
"I'm not coddling him. I'm just saying you can't leave him in jail overnight."
"Oh, well thanks for explaining the difference," Ronnie scoffed, turning away and rubbing her face in exasperation. "Susan..." She kept her back to her younger sister. "Tommy has a drug problem. First it was stealing money from the real estate projects, then it was forging loans. Now he's committing robbery to try and get money for his habit. I think it's time for some tough love." She turned to see streaks in her sister's makeup from the tears that were starting to fall. "Look, maybe this is the best thing for him. A few days to get those drugs out of his system and he'll be good as new."
Susan shook her head adamantly. "No. It's two days before Christmas. I can't let my younger brother, my ONLY brother, spend Christmas in jail, I just can't." She looked up at her husband. "Can't you do something?"
"I'm a tax attorney, honey. If he was being arrested for cheating on his taxes, then yes I could help him. I'm not that versed on criminal law."
The redhead tapped her finger to her chin, unwilling to give up. "I've got it!" Her eyes grew wide. "We'll refuse to press charges. No crime, no jail."
"That'd be fine except for one little detail." Ronnie held her forefinger and thumb slightly apart. "It seems that Hercules in there decided that he didn't want to go willingly with the cops. He bit one of them." She wiggled her fingers together as if wiping away her sister's idea.
"What about bail? We can get him out on bail, can't we?"
"Susan, it's better to leave him in there, don't you understand? He needs help, help that he won't get if he's allowed to roam the streets."
"Ronnie, I know you two haven't always gotten along and I know he's jealous of you but how can you be so petty that you'd let your own brother spend Christmas in jail?"
At that moment a bald man came walking into the station, his briefcase in one hand and his cellular phone in the other. "I came as soon as I got the call." It was Richard Jenkins, the family lawyer who did little more than fix their parking tickets in exchange for his huge annual retainer. "I've been on the phone with the ADA for the last half hour."
"Who called you?" Ronnie asked.
"Why, your mother did, of course. Tommy couldn't remember my number."
"You mean Tommy called her?" The raven haired woman turned away from them and cursed silently. Of course he would call her, who else would continue to rescue him from scrape after scrape? There was one last hope. "What about biting the cop?"
"All taken care of." Jenkins smiled proudly. "He only tore through the guy's shirt and didn't touch his skin so we were able to bargain it down to restitution and community service to be served after the new year." He opened his briefcase and put the phone away. "If you ladies will excuse me, I'll be back in a few minutes with your brother." He nodded at Jack. "Good to see you again."
"Likewise, Richard."
Ronnie had enough. She fished her coat off the rack and roughly tossed it on. "Where are you going?" Susan asked.
"I don't feel like sticking around to celebrate." She looked down to see that in her haste she had mis-buttoned her coat. "I'm telling you, Susan. Letting him out like this is a big mistake." She gave up on the buttons and angrily tugged the belt around her waist. "What he needs is a rehab, not a get out of jail free card."
"Maybe what he needs is to know that his family loves him and supports him," Susan snapped back. "How do you think he felt to find out that his own sister had him locked out of the family business?"
"How did you feel when you heard the result of the audit? You enjoy watching your annual dividends go into Tommy's pocket?" Susan opened her mouth to protest, then closed it, realizing that her sister was right.
"Maybe it'll work out, Ronnie. Maybe this is what he needed to get himself back on track."
"Don't get your hopes up, Susan. I have a feeling this is only the beginning."
Too angry to return straight home, Ronnie drove around the streets of Albany for over an hour. She returned home to a dark house. Trying to be as quiet as possible, she slipped into the room and began to get undressed in the dark. "I'm awake," Rose said as she switched on the lamp.
"I was trying to be quiet."
"I was waiting up for you. How did it go?"
"Not well." She turned her back and removed her shirt. "It seems our burglar is none other than my baby brother."
"Tommy?"
"Nice way to treat his family, don't you think?" She pulled the tee-shirt over her head and slipped under the covers. "I didn't bother going down to see the damage first hand. I have enough of a headache." She brought her fingers to her temples.
"Let me," Rose whispered. She replaced Ronnie's fingers with her own and began to gently rub the tender area. "How's that?"
"Mmm...a little harder...hmm, right there..."
There wasn't an ounce of relaxation anywhere in Ronnie's upper body, the young woman soon discovered. Every muscle was bunched, tight, tensed as if ready for battle. She moved her hands down to the broad shoulders, pressing gently at first, then with more effort as the muscles finally surrendered to her manipulations. "That's right, just relax," she cooed. "Close your eyes."
"They are closed," came the relaxed murmur. Rose smiled to herself at the unspoken compliment.
"Think about the day after tomorrow. Think about all the lights on the tree...the presents..."
"Are you trying to hypnotize me, Rose?"
"Of course not, silly." She moved her thumbs to the base of Ronnie's skull and began kneading the area gently. "I just want you to relax and think about how much Christmas is going to be.
"Mmm."
"That's right..." Rose's touch became lighter as she felt Ronnie relax. "Does that feel better?"
"Much."
"Good." A self-satisfied smile came to the young woman's lips. "How about we get some sleep and leave all the bad stuff for morning, okay?" She nudged Ronnie back onto her own pillow. "Good night."
"Good night, Rose." It was silent for a moment before Ronnie added "Thank you." The burden off her shoulders for at least one night, she quickly fell into a peaceful sleep.
Ronnie took a sip of coffee and looked out at the picture perfect Christmas morning. A light dusting of snow had fallen overnight, covering her back yard and the trees that surrounded it with a light blanket of white. The sun was just coming up, the whole scene reminding her of a Currier and Ives print. Tightening the sash on her terrycloth robe, she opened the sliding glass door and stepped out onto the deck, the thin layer of snow crunching under her blue slippers. She set her mug on the table, the heat causing a small ring of snow to melt and reveal the green painted metal beneath. Ronnie took a deep breath and smiled. It was cold enough to keep the snow from melting but the lack of wind kept it from being bitterly so. She stood there and drank her coffee, enjoying a family of rabbits scampering across the field. Their grey coats were a sharp contrast to the crisp white snow. Perfect. I'm going to make this the best Christmas you've ever had, Rose. At least I'm going to try my damnedest. She thought of the presents under the tree. As much as she hated malls and shopping in general, Ronnie took great pleasure in personally choosing each and every gift for Rose. Finally the cold registered through her robe and she retreated inside.
The kitchen clock showed that it was just past seven. Damn, too early. Setting the empty cup in the sink, she headed into the living room. Hundreds of tiny lights twinkled and flashed over the tree, their multitude of colors reflecting off the shiny paper covering the gifts piled on the floor. Ronnie smiled. Everything was perfect, now it was just a matter of waiting for Rose to wake up. She looked at the grandfather clock, hoping that she wouldn't have to wait much longer. I haven't been this excited about Christmas in years. "Come on, Rose," she muttered to herself, noting that the time seemed to be passing by slower than usual. She rearranged the presents and had another cup of coffee. The clock now read seven-thirty. Tabitha rubbed against her legs. "What do you want?"
"Mrrow?"
"Breakfast for you isn't for another half-hour."
"Mrrow?" The orange and white cat walked over to the cabinet where the cat food was stored and cried again. When crying didn't work, the frisky cat rolled onto her back and turned her head at a ridiculous angle. Ronnie chuckled and shook her head.
"Well, since it's Christmas." She knelt down next to Tabitha and opened the cabinet. "Okay now, let's see what we got here." She pulled out a green labeled can and held it in front of the now purring feline. "You want turkey for Christmas?"
"Mrrow." Tabitha batted at the can with her paw.
"Fine, turkey it is then."
Feeding Tabitha didn't use up as much time as Ronnie would have liked. When the grandfather clock chimed the eight o'clock hour, the anticipation was killing her. "I think that's late enough, don't you, Tabitha?" She reached down and scooped the cat up in her arms. "Let's go wake Mommy so she can see all the pretty presents, hmm?"
Ronnie set Tabitha down at the foot of the bed and crawled in next to the sleeping woman. "Rose? Rose, time to wake up." A gentle nudge to the shoulder. "Rose? It's Christmas morning. Don't you want to get up and open presents?"
"Hrmmphf."
"Come on, it's time to get up. You don't want to waste the whole morning in bed, do you?" Eyelids lifted slightly, revealing sleepy green.
"What time is it?"
"Eight." The eyes snapped shut and the young woman let out a groan. She pulled the blanket up over her face only to have a stronger hand pull it back down.
"But it's Christmas. You can't sleep in on Christmas." Ronnie hopped off the bed and pushed the portable commode over. "Come on, up and at 'em."
Rose gave one more groan but slowly opened her eyes, deciding that Ronnie was entirely too chipper in the mornings...until she realized what morning it was. "Oh God, it's Christmas!"
"Merry Christmas," she chuckled, pulling the blanket out of the way and laying on her side, using her elbow to prop her head up. "It's a beautiful morning and it would be a crime to let you sleep through it."
"How long have you been up?"
"About an hour and a half."
"I'm surprised you waited this long." Ronnie was about to defend herself when she saw the twinkle in Rose's eyes. She pounced playfully on the smaller woman, the two engaging in a brief tickle fight. "You are ruthless," Rose said when they finally broke apart.
"Well, I guess you're awake now, aren't you? I'll just leave you to take care of business."
"Uh, okay. I'll just be a couple of minutes."
"Sure, just give a shout when you're ready. I'll bring your coffee into the living room. You can drink and open presents at the same time."
Rose listened carefully until she was certain Ronnie wasn't coming right back, then retrieved the small present hidden in the drawer of the night stand. An unexpected fear passed through her. Suddenly the pen and pencil set she had Karen pick up for her didn't seem such a great gift after all. If Ronnie wanted one, she would have had it by now. Maybe she didn't like mechanical pencils because she couldn't bite them. "Stupid, stupid, stupid," she grumbled to herself before setting the gift down on the stand and pushing herself over to the commode.
Fifteen minutes later she was dressed, wearing a light beige shirt that Ronnie insisted on giving her. Rose didn't believe for a minute that it was too small for her benefactor. It hung a good eight to ten inches past her own hips and the cuffs had to be folded over several times before she could see her fingertips. Still, it was something given to her by Ronnie and like the Dartmouth nightshirt, it was something that Maria was hard pressed to get away from the young woman long enough to wash.
A final run of the brush through her hair and Rose was ready. She set the present on her lap then covered it with the quilt before calling out. A few seconds later Ronnie appeared. "Ready?"
"I guess so." She forced a smile to her face as Ronnie helped her into the wheelchair and guided her out of the room.
The large pile of presents spilling out from under the tree captivated Rose's attention as Ronnie helped her into the sunken level of the living room. Even when she stayed with a family of five one Christmas, the young orphan had never seen so many presents stuffed under the tree. She recognized the large, flowing style of Ronnie's handwriting on all the gift tags. "Is your family coming over today?"
"No. I have to go see mother later and I'll probably run into Susan there but no one's supposed to be stopping by. Why?"
Why put all their presents under the tree if they aren't stopping over? Her expression became even more puzzled. "Well, aren't those their presents?" Ronnie gave a short laugh and squeezed her arm.
"Those aren't their presents. They're yours."
Rose's eyes grew wide as saucers and for a few seconds she forgot how to breathe. Mine? "Y-you mean...?" Giving up on speech, she merely pointed at the presents.
"Yup, they're all for you." Ronnie's brow crinkled. "Is something wrong?"
"N-no...I..." She looked up at the most important person in her life as a pair of tears slid down her face. Rose had to fight to keep her lip from quivering. "I never...all those...for me..." She reached out and was met halfway to be enfolded in strong, comforting arms. "Oh Ronnie."
"Shh, I've got you." Ronnie left one arm around Rose's back and used the other to stroke her hair. "I'm sorry. I wasn't thinking about how many there were. I just kept seeing things I thought you'd like and bought them."
"B-but I only got you one--"
"Shh." She put her fingers to Rose's lips. "It's the thought that counts, not anything else." Wiping away a tear streak with her thumb, Ronnie spoke again. "One gift from you is worth a thousand from anyone else, got that?"
The reddish-blonde head moved with a shaky nod. "Can I give you my gift first?"
"You know what..." Ronnie wiped away the other streak from Rose's cheek. "I'd rather wait until after you open your presents. Would that be okay?"
"Are you sure?"
"Yeah." She stood up and reached for the handles of the wheelchair.
"Where are we going?" Rose asked with some surprise when she felt herself moving.
"It's Christmas. You'd be much more comfortable on the couch and I'm tired of kneeling. Come on, we'll sit back and drink our coffees then open presents."
Rose was just settling on the couch when they heard a crash from behind the tree. "What the--?" Ronnie exclaimed. She got her answer a second later when Tabitha came tearing out from under the tree and raced into the kitchen. Before either could speak, the orange and white blur returned and dove back into the mountain of presents.
"What's wrong with her?" Rose asked, her voice full of concern. "I've never seen her move so fast before."
"I think..." Ronnie crossed the room, knelt down, and began moving presents out of the way. "Yup...Tabitha, you greedy little girl." She moved back to let the younger woman see. The cat was lying on her back, batting at an ornament ball dangling above her. "Your little baby there got into her Christmas present." The raven haired woman reached in to retrieve the package only to have her wrist caught between Tabitha's front legs. "Don't you even think about clawing me," she warned while slowly trying to pull her hand back. Soft paws revealed their weapons, the claws pressing against her skin until she stopped moving. Tabitha looked up at her for a second, then began purring and licking Ronnie's wrist. "Miss Grayson, I do believe your cat is stoned out of her mind." She pulled out the bag of catnip. It was still wrapped in festive green paper, except for the prominent piece missing where it had been chewed into.
"You put catnip under the tree?"
"Yeah but it was in a plastic bag and wrapped in paper."
"Ronnie, they can smell catnip a mile away. Tabitha. Tabitha? Come here, honey."
The cat moved three steps before falling into a lump on the carpet and cleaning herself.
"I don't think she's going anywhere, Rose." Enough of this. I want you to open presents. She reached over and picked up a shirt box wrapped in silver paper. "Since I'm over here anyway, let's start with your first present." She returned to the couch and handed it over, trying hard to control her enthusiasm and excitement.
Small fingers ran over the fancy paper and red bow. "It's almost too pretty to open."
"It's just wrapping paper. Open it," she urged. Come on, open it up and see what I got you. A smile akin to a child's grew on Ronnie's face.
Rose looked around. "There's no place to throw the paper away."
"Toss it on the floor. I'll pick it up later. Open it." Ronnie scooted over until she was on the cushion next to the younger woman.
"I can't toss it on the floor." Her fingertip traced the bold writing on the gift tag.
"But..." Ronnie looked around, frowning when she didn't find anything suitable in sight. "I'll be right back." She hopped off the couch and went into the kitchen. Rose listened to the sound of cupboards opening and shutting, followed by drawers. There was a muttered curse followed by "There it is." A few seconds later Ronnie returned, shaking the garbage bag open. She handed it to Rose and returned to the adjoining cushion, tucking her bare feet up underneath her thighs. "Okay, now open it."
The young woman looked from the present to Ronnie. "Thank you."
"You don't even know what it is yet." Hurry up and open it. Rose slipped her fingernail under the tag and carefully separated it from the package, setting it on the side table. Another pass and one corner flap opened. "Just tear it," Ronnie growled playfully. "Or we'll be here until next Christmas."
Rose looked at the beautiful package, her friend's overly excited face, then at the present again. Small fingers curled beneath the open flap and with a quick tug tore a large strip of paper away. A few more rips and the box was opened to reveal a rust colored shirt. She picked it up by the shoulders and held it out to look at it. "Oh that's very nice."
"Do you like it?"
"Oh yes, absolutely." Rose looked at the length of the sleeves, noting that they were a perfect match to her shorter arms. "I won't have to fold over the cuffs."
"Of course not. I made sure to get the right size." Ronnie smiled proudly. "Do you like the color?"
"Very much so."
"It matches your eyebrows. I bet you'll look great in it."
Rose turned the shirt this way and that, nodding with agreement. It was, quite simply, terrific and she couldn't wait to wear it. She folded it up and handed it to Ronnie, who set it on the empty cushion at the end of the couch. The trash was moved out of the way and another present retrieved from under the tree...
Rose forced the last piece of wrapping paper into the already overstuffed trash bag and wiped another happy tear from her cheek. "You really are amazing, you know that?"
"I'm glad you think so," Ronnie replied with a warm smile. It had been a day full of tears and smiles from Rose and the raven haired woman couldn't have been happier. "Those are the only things I wasn't sure about." She gestured with her hand at the pair of blue and white sneakers on Rose's lap. "I can take them back if they're too big."
"No, they're perfect."
"Great." Ronnie reached over and picked them up, then looked around for an empty place to put them. The cushion was piled high with clothes and the coffee table was littered with software programs and various other items. She went to set them on the carpet but Tabitha came running over. "Oh no you don't." In the end the sneakers were placed on top of the pile of sweaters.
Rose gave a short sniff and blinked several times before moving her hand beneath the afghan. "I guess it's time for your gift now. I'm sor-"
"No, wait." Ronnie jumped off the couch. "There's one more. Don't go away, I'll be right back."
The young woman fingered the thin bow on the gift in her lap, her gaze settling on the pile of clothes. A fresh tear rolled down her face, causing a frown to cross the blue-eyed woman's face upon her return. "You know, it wasn't my intention to make you cry." She resumed her position on the couch only inches away from Rose. "I probably should invest in Kleenex."
That earned the executive a chuckle. "I'm just a bit overwhelmed, I guess," Rose replied, haphazardly wiping the salty drops off her cheeks. "I've never gotten so many things at Christmas ever." She looked around, still amazed at the multitude of presents piled about. "I just can't..." Rose looked down at her lap and shook her head. "Listen to me, I make it sound like my life was straight out of Oliver Twist." She took the offered linen handkerchief.
"Of course you don't," Ronnie said softly. "Come on, let me give you your last present and then you can give me mine." She set the jewelry box in Rose's hands.
"Oh...oh my." The young woman's hand began shaking only to be steadied by a much larger one wrapping around hers.
"Open it," came the whisper near her ear. "It's okay, it won't bite." After a few seconds, long fingers pried the box open to reveal its contents.
Rose stared in amazement at the pendant attached to a thin rope chain. Only an inch and a half long, the white gold had been carefully molded into an exquisite representation of a rose. Tiny emerald and ruby chips made up the petals and leaves while a diamond solitaire rested at the base of the stem. Her lower lip quivered as she touched the pendant reverently with one fingertip. "It's beautiful."
"A rose for a rose," Ronnie said, repeating the slogan that had drawn her to the jewelry in the first place. She took the necklace out of the box and opened the catch. Rose stayed very still as the cool metal touched her skin and Ronnie fastened the chain. "Looks perfect on you."
"It-it's too much, Ronnie I ca-" She was stopped by a pair of fingers pressing against her lips.
"Rose..." She wiped another tear with her thumb. "I guess I really should invest in Kleenex, hmm? Listen to me. I wanted you to have this."
"But..." Rose looked around. "All these clothes, the programs, the shoes and sneakers and-" Long fingers silenced her again.
"You deserve nice clothes. You deserve things that fit and look good on you." She took the young woman's chin in her hand and forced her to meet her gaze. "And you deserve to wear something pretty. Now...give me a hug, tell me how much you like it, and give me my present." She said the last part with a playful smile, forcing Rose to smile along with her.
"It's more than pretty, it's wonderful. I love it." The young woman wrapped her arms around Ronnie's neck and pulled her in for a hug. "It's so beautiful," she whispered. "I love it so much, thank you."
"I'm glad."
"You really are my guardian angel, aren't you?" She pulled back and looked at Ronnie, green eyes sparkling with moisture. "You're the best friend anyone could ever have." She reached under the afghan and pulled out the present. "I just wish I had something more to show you just how much you mean to me. Merry Christmas, Ronnie." Rose nervously handed over the present, a million thoughts flying through her mind. Her anxiety grew as Ronnie slowly removed the gift tag and slipped it in her pocket. "Well, open it."
The older woman laughed and tugged on the thin red ribbon. "You're as bad as I am...oh." She opened the long velvet box. "Rose, they're beautiful."
"Do you like them?"
"Yes, very much." The executive pulled the pen out and held it up to the light, the smile never leaving her face. "That's a very pretty design. All those blues and greens swirling around. I like that gold band there too."
"You really like it? You're not just saying that to make me feel good, are you?"
"No hon, I'm not just saying that. I really do like it." She leaned over and gave Rose a hug. "It really is a thoughtful gift," she said, leaning back.
"You said you could never find a pen around here."
"I never can," Ronnie agreed. "I guarantee I won't lose this one."
"I didn't know if you liked mechanical pencils. Probably not since you can't bite them, huh?"
"Rose, mechanical pencils are fine. Really. I only use the wooden ones because that's what we have in the supply office at work. I never had any reason to go buy a pencil like this." She turned the metal at the tip, watching the lead grow from the end. "I'll promise you this, I won't chew the end of this one."
"You'd better not," Rose playfully teased, her fears eased by the smile on Ronnie's face. Her tone grew serious. "I'm really happy you like it. I've never bought anyone something like that before."
"You know I would have been happy no matter what you got, even if it was just a card." She looked down at the set and smiled. "These really are beautiful." She reached over for another hug, much to Rose's joy.
"This is the best Christmas I've ever had," the young woman whispered into Ronnie's ear. "Thank you so much."
The dark haired woman smiled and hugged even harder. "You're welcome. Thank you for making my Christmas so special." She reluctantly ended the embrace, her hand still gripping the pen case. She looked over at the clock. "Wow, I didn't realize it was so late. It took that long just to open presents?"
"There were a lot of presents to open," Rose replied with a smile. "I have no idea what to do with all those programs." She gestured at the pile on the table.
"You're going to learn from them." Ronnie set the pen case down and picked up one of the software boxes. "This one teaches you how to type. It's self-paced and shows you how to format business letters and memos." She set the box on Rose's lap and picked up another one. "This teaches the fundamentals of bookkeeping and accounting. There's programs to do all the actual calculations but if you're going to be in the business world you really should know these basics." She put the programs back on the table. "I'll install them for you tomorrow and show you how to bring them up so you can work on them. Once you're comfortable, I'll show you how to log into the corporate network and you can go onto the internet."
"That sounds like fun. I've been on the internet before. They had it at the library. I found a great site once that had all sorts of information about how to take care of cats."
"Anything you're interested in is out there on the internet. When I first got used to being on a computer all the time I spent hours surfing the net looking at different things. My bookmark file must have been a mile long."
"Bookmark file?" Rose shook her head. "I don't know if I can get all this computer stuff."
Ronnie laughed. "Oh, Rose. Trust me. A few weeks and you and the computer will be best friends. I'll have to drag you away from it."
"I don't know about that."
"I do. It's very addictive."
"Ronnie? I understand how the typing and the other programs are supposed to help me but what is the Rescuer of the Maiden supposed to teach me?" Rose pointed at the brightly colored box with knights battling on the cover.
"Uh...well..." The executive's face colored slightly and she gave a sheepish smile. "With that one teaches you how to be the great knight that rescues the fair maiden from the evil king's dungeon. I thought you might like a game to relax and take a break with."
"A knight rescuing a maiden, hmm?" Rose glanced at the cover again, noting that the maiden was fair haired, like she was. She looked over at her own personal knight in shining armor. "I'm sure I'll enjoy it." Ronnie smiled back and stood up.
"Right now I think we'd better hit the kitchen and get dinner started or we're not going to be eating until late tonight." Rose watched as the wheelchair was brought over.
"Oh, okay." She allowed herself to be lifted into the chair but before Ronnie could pull back she wrapped her arms around the older woman's neck and squeezed, burying her face into the dark tresses. "Thank you. You're the best friend I ever had and today is one of the happiest days I've ever known."
Ronnie returned the embrace, smiling into the golden hair. "You're welcome. And thank you for making it so special for me."
As they reached the threshold of the kitchen, Rose looked up. "Hey, look at that."
"What?"
"The mistletoe. You've left it up there all this time and I didn't notice."
"Hmm, guess I have." Ronnie's heart began beating faster. They were directly below the green leaves. "Um, would it be okay if..."
"Well, we're both under the mistletoe and it is Christmas." Rose swallowed, nervousness creeping in although she wasn't sure why. After all, it's just Ronnie. "Yes." She turned her face up to meet the dark head coming down. Their lips touched once...twice before Ronnie pulled back.
"I um...I guess we'd better get dinner started." She guided them into the kitchen, knowing full well why her heart was pounding like a rocker's drum. Rose's lips were soft, so very soft that she almost lost herself in them, stopping herself just before her tongue could work its way out of her mouth. Ronnie knew she couldn't afford another kiss like that. She made a mental note to let Rose wheel herself out of the kitchen.
"Yes," the young woman agreed, turned her head forward and hoping that the blush she felt rising to her cheeks wasn't noticeable to Ronnie. It was soft and sweet and Rose felt guilty about the way it made her feel. No one had kissed her in a long time and certainly not with as much gentleness and tenderness. She felt warm inside, as if swallowing a strong drink. She dimly realized that Ronnie was speaking to her. "I'm sorry, what?"
"I asked if you wanted to make some sugar cookies."
"Oh. Do you like sugar cookies?"
"Well, they're okay and they are the traditional holiday cookie." Ronnie opened the refrigerator and smiled. "Of course we do have a roll of chocolate chip cookies here too." Her tone made it clear which type she preferred.
"Sounds good to me." Rose wheeled her way over to the lower cabinet and retrieved a cookie sheet, careful not to let the wheelchair scratch up against Ronnie's woodwork. The counters were really too high for the young woman to easily help with the preparations but she wanted to do what she could. Ronnie turned on the radio in the corner and soon festive holiday music filled the air, making the perfect setting to prepare dinner. Neither knew the other was thinking about the mistletoe and what had happened. Rose felt confusion. She enjoyed the kiss more than she thought she should have. She tried to equate what she felt with kisses friends exchange but couldn't. It didn't feel like that. What it did feel like, she wasn't sure but she knew it was different.
Ronnie had her own internal dilemma with the kiss. She knew exactly what it felt like and she wanted more. Her mind and body screamed for her to taste the softness one more time, to show Rose just how much she meant to her, to take her beautiful golden haired companion into her arms and never let go. It was torture, plain and simple, and the cool air when she stepped out to go to her mother's house did nothing to lower the temperature of her fevered soul.
Rose had just folded up the last pair of panties and put them in the lower drawer of the dresser when Ronnie returned from visiting her mother. She entered the room and flopped down on the bed, her long arms folded up behind her head. "It didn't go well?" Rose queried, noting the somber expression.
"Oh, she loved the presents, so did Susan."
"What happened?" She wheeled herself over to the side of the bed and put her hand on Ronnie's forearm. "Did Tommy start something?"
"He left before I got there. No, everything was fine, it's just that..." Ronnie turned her gaze away from Rose and glanced at the ceiling. "Sometimes I wish I wasn't the oldest. It's too much responsibility."
"What happened?"
Ronnie gave a sigh and looked back at her companion. "Mother's not happy with the way I handled the whole thing about Tommy embezzling from the company."
"How does she know about that? I thought you weren't going to tell her."
"There are no secrets in this family, Rose," she said sadly. "The thing is she isn't questioning whether or not he did it but how I handled it. She said I should have kept a lid on it until I was completely sure and then should have talked to him before removing him from his office."
Rose's hand began moving up and down Ronnie's arm in a comforting motion. "Did Susan at least stick up for you?"
"She didn't say a word. Not a peep. You know, sometimes I wonder why I don't just say screw them all and quit. I could move to Chicago or Boston and start my own company."
"Then why don't you?"
There was a long silence before Ronnie answered. When she did, it was with quiet resignation. "Because they need me." She reached for the remote. "Come on, all those Christmas shows will be starting soon. HBO is rerunning that Rich Little version of A Christmas Carol."
"I've never seen it."
"Oh, it's pretty funny. He does all the characters as impersonations of famous celebrities. I saw it when I was a kid. Come on..." Ronnie found the right station and set the remote aside before rising and helping Rose get into bed. Midnight would find them as it always did, the longer one curled up against the side of the smaller one, both sleeping contentedly.
Rose stared at the screen, concentration causing her brow to furrow. She pressed the mouse button and moved the red seven under the black eight. She was taking a short break from the typing program, having worked on it steadily for almost three hours. She was pleased with her progress after only three weeks of practice. Her speed was improving rapidly while the number of mistakes declined. A flat board resting across the arms of the wheelchair served as a makeshift desktop, the full leg casts making it impossible for Rose to get under the desk far enough to use the keyboard tray.
Maria entered the room with a sandwich and cup of coffee. "You need to take a break." She waited for Rose to put the mouse and keyboard back on the desk then handed her the sandwich, setting the cup on the night stand within easy reach. "I swear you're as bad as she is sometimes. I've left some evenings with her on that thing and come back in the morning to find her still sitting in front of it." The middle aged woman shook her head. "When she was in high school she was the same way."
"What was she like? When she was younger?" Rose gripped the wheels and turned her chair, silently asking Maria to sit and join her. The housekeeper relaxed into the soft leather of Ronnie's chair and laced her fingers together.
"So you want to know what she was like?" A friendly smile worked its way across her face. "Ronnie's her own person, always has been. She's always known what she wanted to be and where she was going."
"No, that's not I meant." Rose shook her head, trying to think of how to phrase her request. "Tell me about her. Something she did, something that happened to her, something about her."
"I'm not sure I should. You know it's the cardinal rule of housekeepers to keep what they see and hear private."
"Well you don't have to tell me her deep dark secrets, Maria." Rose chided. "Ronnie told me herself that she was a hell raiser. I'm sure you must have a tale or two that you remember. I'm sure she wasn't the example of a perfect child."
"Perfect? Hah!" The older woman laughed, her eyes crinkling at the corners in a motherly way. "Veronica was many things growing up but perfect wasn't one of them. That child had me running around more than her brother and sister put together."
"Oh, really? Do tell." Rose's eyes widened with expectation as she took a bite of her sandwich.
"Wait, let me get something to drink." Maria left and returned a minute later with a tall glass of soda and a coaster. She settled back into the chair and took a sip before continuing. "I remember a time when she was thirteen and her parents were out of town. Some friends of hers wanted her to go to the mall with them. Now normally it would have been fine but she had skipped school a few days before and her father grounded her while they were gone."
"What did she do?"
"What any kid her age would do, she snuck out. She went into her room and snuck out the window. I knew where she went but there was no way I could go after her with Susan and Tommy in tow. He wasn't more than six or seven at the time and a handful all by himself."
"So what happened?" Rose was listening intently, imagining a thirteen year old Ronnie slipping out to spend time with friends at the mall.
"She and couple of friends of hers decided they wanted to try cigarettes. Well of course no store in the mall was going to sell three teenage girls a pack of cigarettes. Ronnie was tall for her age but still.... Anyway, they decided that if they couldn't buy them that they'd try to shoplift them."
"Oooh, did they get caught?"
"Not in the store. The fools were walking down Consaul Road smoking and wearing their school jackets. A policeman saw them and picked them up."
"I bet you were furious."
"At first I was, but then I found out that she took all the blame even though the cigarettes were found in one of the other girls' pockets."
"You mean she took the blame for someone else?"
Maria nodded and took another sip of her soda. "I didn't tell her father, figured that being dragged down to the police station was enough to put a scare into her."
Rose sat quietly for a moment, deep in thought. It made perfect sense that Ronnie would try to protect others around her. She looked down at her broken legs and nodded. Always the caretaker, she thought to herself. "Maria, has Ronnie ever done something like this before?" She motioned at herself. "I mean, has she ever taken anyone in who had nowhere else to go?"
"Never," the housekeeper replied. Rose sensed hesitation on Maria's part and waited patiently for her to continue. "I was surprised when she brought Tabitha here and even more so when she called to say that you would be staying. Ronnie is a very private woman." She looked like she wanted to say more but decided against it. "I have a house to clean and you have some lunch to finish up. She'll be calling again soon." Maria stood up and retrieved the glass from the desk. "By the way, remind her that Tabitha's appointment is tomorrow, they called today."
"Oh, that's right, I forgot." Rose looked around to make sure the feline wasn't around. "How long is she supposed to be there?"
"Just overnight," the housekeeper replied.
"Poor thing." The young woman's face took on a sympathetic look. "She won't even know what's going on. But I suppose it's better than letting her suffer through that heat again."
"Oh, don't remind me." Maria shook her head. "I was ready to throw her out in the snowbank with all that yowling."
"You weren't the only one. I thought for sure that Ronnie was going to do it the one night she wouldn't stop crying." Just then the subject of conversation sauntered in and jumped on the bed to claim her nap space.
"Enjoy it while you can, missy," the housekeeper said to Tabitha, who responded by licking her paws and rubbing her ear.
"She's so cute," Rose said, reaching over to give the cat a pet.
"Cute, sure," Maria scoffed. "You try making dinner with her underfoot and tell me how cute she is." She leaned over and scratched Tabitha's head. "If you're a good kitty and stay in here while I get the mopping done I'll give you an extra cat treat before I go, how's that sound?"
"Oh, she likes that idea," the young woman said when Tabitha began to purr. "I'll keep an eye on her."
Once Maria left, Rose set the cordless phone on her lap and waited for Ronnie's usual after lunch phone call.
"There goes our bonuses," Susan sighed before tossing the report back on Ronnie's desk. "I don't think I've ever seen a lower earnings quarter. Do you realize what a banner year it would have been without that?"
The executive opened the folder again, the numbers still incomprehensible. The losses in the Real Estate division were enough to make the entire year mediocre in terms of profit. Although the entire Board of Directors were family members and all knew exactly what was going on, the rest of the business world didn't and Cartwright Corporation had some serious explaining to do. "The whole year. Everything we've done has been wiped out by him." Ronnie ran her fingers through her hair and looked at her sister. "You realize that this is just the tip of the iceberg. What do you think those auditors are going to turn up when they go back to when he first took over?"
"You think he's been stealing this long?"
"No, the annual audits would have picked something like that up. When did he start missing deadlines and take lots of time off?"
"I don't know...March, April maybe?"
Ronnie nodded. "Sounds right. He took that loan out in April." She picked up her mechanical pencil and rested the tip against her lips. The action had a calming effect on her, reminding her of the fair haired beauty waiting for her at home. "I think whatever drug he's into he started doing back then. Probably crack or heroin."
"Crack? Ronnie, only junkies do crack."
"How do you think they became junkies, Sis? I don't think crack cares if the person is rich or poor so long as they have enough for the next bag, or hit, or whatever it is they do with it." The executive sighed and tapped the pencil rhythmically against her chin. "He needs help, Susan. Probably a rehab."
"That's pretty, when'd you get that?" the redhead asked, changing the subject.
"Rose gave it to me for Christmas." Ronnie stopped tapping it and held it out to look at the marbled swirls of blue and green accented by a thin gold band. "It has a matching pen." Unbidden, a smile came to her lips, one which was not missed by her younger sister.
"So how's she doing?"
Ronnie looked up at Susan in response to the softer tone of her voice. It was a subject that they hadn't spoken of since the party. "She's um...fine. Sees the doctor next week to have her casts changed. I think they're going to give her a short one for her right leg."
"Oh, that's good." A silence fell between them. Ronnie usually could tell when her sister was just being solicitous but this time there seemed to be no hidden meaning, no secret agenda in her younger sibling's words.
"Um...yeah. She says it doesn't hurt her much at all although the itching is driving her batty."
"Oh, I bet. Remember when you broke your arm? I don't know how many times Mother caught you trying to stick a hanger or a ruler down there to scratch." The redhead kicked her shoes off and sat down on the couch. "So what did you get her? And come over here for a while. I'm tired of talking across the room."
Dark eyebrows raised in surprise. "Since when have you wanted to talk about Rose?"
"I didn't say I wanted to talk about her, I just asked you what you got her for Christmas, that's all." Susan looked down at her fingernails, obviously avoiding her sister's gaze. Ronnie was hesitant to open up, uncertain about the sudden change of attitude.
"Some clothes and a couple of computer programs," she offered, making no effort to rise from her chair. "I didn't go overboard." Truth was that she had spent far more than originally planned but the smiles that Rose gave her were worth every penny.
"I didn't say you did, Ronnie." Seeing that her sister wasn't going to join her on the couch, Susan stretched her legs out and let her stockinged feet rest on the far cushion. "Did she like them?"
"Yes, she liked them." The executive looked down at her pencil and smiled, turning the writing implement over in her hands.
"So things are going well between you two?"
"Susan, she's just a friend. I've told you that." She stared at the pencil for a few seconds before speaking again, this time in a lower voice. "It really is beautiful, isn't it?"
"It's very nice, Ronnie," the redhead agreed. "I guess it didn't take her long to figure out your habit for eating every pencil in sight."
"I don't eat them," a slight blush colored the executive's features. "I bite them. There's a difference. I can't help it. I've done it since I was a kid and I'll probably continue to do it until I'm an old lady."
"Well Sis, I'm willing to bet that you won't be biting that one." She pointed at the mechanical pencil.
"No, it's too beautiful. Besides, I'd probably chip my teeth on it."
"You said it has a matching pen?"
"Yeah, right here." Ronnie reached behind her for the blazer resting across the back of her chair and fished the pen out of the inside breast pocket. "She even made sure it had blue ink instead of black."
"You know, I never saw anyone so particular about what color they write with." Susan rose and crossed over to the desk to get a better look. Ronnie reluctantly handed it over. "Oh, that is nice." There was silence for a moment before Susan handed the pen back. "I was thinking that maybe Jack and I would come over some night for a visit. Nothing fancy, maybe one of those winter barbecues like you used to have."
"We haven't done one of those in what...two or three years now?" Ronnie shook her head. "I can't believe it's been that long."
"Well then, we should do it." Susan handed back the pen. "It'll be fun and we'll get to meet Rose."
"You met her at the Christmas party," the dark haired woman pointed out. "As I recall, you weren't all that thrilled about it."
"Well..." A guilty look passed over the younger sibling's face. "Maybe I jumped to conclusions."
"Maybe you did," Ronnie agreed.
"So maybe I'd like a second chance," the redhead offered.
Silence fell between them for a minute before the executive reluctantly nodded. "We're right in the middle of the January thaw so this would be the perfect time for a winter barbecue."
"Exactly. I'll even leave the boys with the nanny so you won't have to worry."
"No, you can bring them. They haven't been over in a while."
"I'll bring their PlayStation over so they have something to do." Susan reached over and squeezed her sister's shoulder. "You know they love beating you up in that wrestling game of theirs."
"They still have that? I thought that was for that little black game system they had."
"Oh, they still have that one somewhere. They only use the PlayStation now. I just got them a new wrestling game. I don't know the name of it, of course."
"Doesn't matter. They'll have my guy on the mat in three seconds flat just like they always do, except Ricky. He likes to throw my guy out of the ring a dozen times and put him into a coma before counting me out." The sisters laughed, breaking the tension of the past few weeks.
"How about Saturday?"
"Sounds good, excuse me." Ronnie pressed the button on the buzzing phone.
"Your mother on line two, says it's urgent," Laura's voice said.
"Thank you." She looked at Susan. "Now what?"
Accidental Love Ó 1998 B L Miller. Do not distribute or copy without permission of the author except for personal use.