The Christmas Clock and A Song For My Mother - Kat Martin Page 0,21

at the nape of her neck.

Inside the shop, she spotted Floyd where he stood behind the jigsaw, an average man, bald and a little overweight. Doris smiled and held up the steaming mug in answer to the unspoken question in his eyes.

“It's so cold and blustery,” she said. “I thought this might warm you a bit.”

Floyd looked surprised and a little uncertain. She rarely invaded his domain and she couldn't remember the last time she had done so simply to bring him a cup of tea.

“You didn't wreck the car, did you?”

Her bright smile wobbled. She shouldn't have come. “Don't be silly. I just thought you might like something warm to drink.”

Floyd took the mug, bent his head over the cup, and inhaled the brisk aroma. “Smells good.” He took a small sip and looked up. “You sure nothing's wrong?”

She managed to keep her smile in place. “Not a thing. Like I said, I just... I thought you might like some tea.”

He grunted a reply and took a drink and a sort of calm seemed to wash over him. “Thanks.”

Turning away from her, he took another sip, set the mug down next to the saw, and went back to work. For several long moments, Doris stood there watching him, a soft yearning in her chest.

Then she turned and walked back to the house, wondering what had possessed her to come out to the shop in the first place.

7

Syl sat at Doris's kitchen table sipping jasmine tea. They both liked it sweet and hot, especially on a cold, rainy day like this one, though Syl took hers with a little milk or cream.

Doris blew across her mug, cooling it a bit. On Saturdays, she only worked till noon and it was well past that now. “Teddy came over for a visit yesterday. He likes to watch Floyd work. I told Floyd he had to be careful with the saw whenever the boy was around.”

“Teddy seems to be interested in anything he can build or repair,” said Syl. “He's smart and he's incredibly sweet. I worry what will happen to him.”

“So do I." Doris took a sip from her mug but over the rim, her eyes remained on Syl's face. “Teddy mentioned his fishing trip last weekend. He said he had a picnic with you and Joe out at the lake.”

Syl's shoulders tightened. “It wasn't a date or anything. I drove out to take some pictures. The fall colors were just so pretty, I couldn't resist. When I got there, Joe was there with Teddy.”

“So how'd it go?”

“How did what go?”

“I might be getting old but I'm not that old. I saw the way you looked at him that day at the supermarket. I saw the way he looked at you. You could feel the sizzle in the air from at least ten feet away.” Syl had finally told Doris the truth, that she had broken her engagement to Joe because she had been fighting cancer.

“I think we both feel some of the old attraction. I'm sure it's just physical. We were in love once. Maybe both of us fantasize a little about what it might have been like if we had stayed together.”

“If you're attracted to each other, why don't you do something about it? Joe's not married. Neither are you. What's to keep you from exploring where that attraction might lead?”

Syl shook her head. “Too many hard feelings. I don't think Joe will ever be able to forgive me for the years he spent in prison. It was my fault and…”

“Hold it right there, missy. What happened to Joe Dixon was caused by Joe Dixon. Sure, your leaving left him an angry man but it wasn't you who threw the punch that wound up killing a man.”

“No, but still...”

“Joe isn't a fool. He might like to blame you for what happened. It's a lot easier that way but deep down, he knows the truth. In time, he'll come to grips with the way things were then and the way they are now. You just need to nudge him along in the right direction.”

A sad smile rose on Syl’s lips. “I can't do that, Doris. Even if you were right and we started dating, it might not work out. If it didn't, I couldn't survive losing Joe again. I'm just not willing to take the risk.”

Doris was about to start arguing when flashing red lights lit up the kitchen walls. Since not much happened in the sleepy little town of Dreyerville,