Three Little Words

“Can do. Make a list.” I drained my glass and set it in the sink. “I’d better go roust Trip and then jump in the shower. Sounds like we have several hours of errands.”

“At least,” Christy said. She wasn’t the worst conspirator in the world, but she wasn’t going to stage a coup any time soon. Still, she bounced up and offered a kiss. “I’ll make it worth your while,” she said. “I promise.”

Wren didn’t say a word, but her I-told-you-so grin was more than enough.

Trip and I left about an hour later.

“So,” I asked mildly, “any idea what the girls are up to?”

“Yeah. Can’t tell you though. It’s a surprise.”

“No shit, Sherlock.”

“It’s a Christmas present. From Christy.”

“You okay?” I asked with a sideways glance.

“Bit of a hangover,” he said. “Last night was my night to drink too much.

Wren had to drive us home.” They’d gone to a honky-tonk bar to hear a band and had been out until the wee hours. “It’s okay, though,” he added. “I needed to get out today anyway.”

“Oh? What for?”

“Stop by the bank. Christmas present. For Wren and me.”

“Sounds like something big.”

“Yeah. I didn’t tell you ’cause I didn’t want it to get back to Wren.

Sorry.”

I was mildly annoyed that he didn’t trust me enough to keep a secret, but it wasn’t worth an argument.

“So, what is it?” I said instead. “That is, if you don’t mind sharing now.”

He glanced at me guiltily. “Yeah, I had that coming. I tell you everything else. Dunno why I kept this to myself.”

“Neither do I.”

“Well, this is more than just a gift, so I guess I had to get used to the idea first. You know how I am.”

“Yeah.”

“Anyway, I’m buying a new car for Wren and me.”

“Wow! Okay… that is a big deal.”

“Told you.”

“Hold on,” I said as I connected a couple of dots in my head, “is that why you’ve been so uptight about money lately?”

“A little, yeah. Been looking at finances. Problem is, Wren still acts like daddy’s little princess with a credit card. She’s getting better, but it still bothers me.”

“Remember to compromise,” I told him. “Also, don’t expect her to change overnight. I’m dealing with the same thing with Christy. I want everything to happen now, but I can’t force it.”

“You got that right.”

“Just be patient with her. You remember how patient she was about swinging.”

“Yeah, you’re right,” he said. “It’s different when you want someone else to change. Have to remember that.”

“Mmm hmm.”

“Yeah, so, anyway… We’re getting a new car. Mine gets lousy mileage and started burning oil recently. Hers gets great mileage but needs a new transmission, new tires, and a bunch of other things.”

“So… what’re you going to buy?”

“Don’t laugh,” he said. “A Volkswagen Rabbit.”

I did my best not to snicker, although I wasn’t very successful.

“Yeah, I know,” he said. “That’s what I thought at first. But lemme tell you, this new GTI is fast, man. It’s even made in America. The salesman was telling me…”

He was still singing its praises as we pulled into the bank to get a cashier’s check.

“I’m going to surprise Wren tomorrow,” he said as we returned to my car, check in hand. “Then we can drive home for the holidays in the new Rabbit.”

“Sounds like fun. Sounds like your hangover’s gone too.”

“Amazing how a check for eight grand will get your adrenaline flowing, huh?”

“Ain’t it, though?”

We bought Christmas decorations at Kmart and then picked out a tree from their lot. Trip was finally ready for food, so we ate lunch at a barbecue place nearby.

“How long are we supposed to stay out?” I asked when we finished.

He glanced at his watch and did some math. “Let’s have another Coke.

We should be fine as long as we don’t get home before… two o’clock.”

“Fine by me.”

He signaled the waitress and we settled in to wait.

I figured out pretty quickly that my surprise was upstairs in my studio.

Christy shadowed me anxiously when I went up to my bedroom, and Wren had blocked the third-floor stairs with a basket of laundry. Subtle they weren’t, but I played along and acted like I didn’t have a clue.

Back on the main level, Trip put on a Christmas album—John Denver and the Muppets, I swear—and then joined the rest of us to hang lights and ornaments. Wren had made mulled wine earlier, so the house smelled like Christmas, especially with pine from the tree. We completed the festive little scene with a dozen wrapped presents.

Wren was trying to clean out the fridge before we left for ten days, so we had a feast of leftovers for dinner. For dessert we lingered over bourbon-laced eggnog and talked about the different things our families did for Christmas.

Eventually we switched back to wine and moved to the living room to open presents. Christy was like the proverbial kid on Christmas morning (almost literally) as she pulled gifts from under the tree and placed them in front of each of us. Then she sat Japanese-style on the floor beside me and surveyed hers.