Page 23 of A Box of Wishes
Ryan released Ben’s hand and perched on the edge of the wooden chair, staring sightlessly at his computer screen. The trip to Ireland had been an escape. From himself, from his gift, from people who thought him a freak or worse, a meddling busybody. Finding the box had been… an unexpected boon. And in his need to be helpful, he’d almost made a hash of it. Again. Until he’d opened the coffeehouse and had established rules around its use.
“It gets busy,” he said. “Busier than you might think. Though these days, the box is only out between the autumn equinox and Christmas day.”
“And you know when someone needs the kind of help that—”
“I can see it. I… the colour is all wrong.”
“‘Colour’?”
“I see people… differently. Every person has a colour. You’re a blue. When you’re happy, your blue is bright, deep, and clear. When you came in wearing Morris’s blood, you looked grey and washed out.”
“So… the colour tells you when someone needs help?”
“The colour tells me how someone feels, when they need the kind of help the box gives. Then I reach under the bar and pick a paper square from the stack.”
“You’re the custodian of the box, then. You control access to it.”
“I suppose I do. What are you thinking?”
“That someone whom you didn’t give a chance to make a wish could feel resentful.”
Ryan saw the objection from a long way away. “Wouldn’t they have taken the box rather than toss my office?”
“Hm. That would seem more likely.”
“Yes. And another thing. When someone needs the kind of help the box gives, I can’t ignore it.”
“Why not? Does it hurt?”
“Yes. No. Not… precisely. It’s… uncomfortable and debilitating. My entire focus is on the person who needs help. I can’t do a thing until they’ve made their wish. I can’t deny anyone access to the box. Not even if I wanted to.”
Ben nodded. “Understood. But it never hurts to consider all angles.”
“Then spend Christmas with me,” Ryan said for the third time.
“Are you really that desperate for me to meet your favourite cousin?”
“Lame, Detective. I’m sure you can come up with a better deflection than that!”
“What if I was serious?”
“Ben, I want to see more of you. Which means, unfortunately, you’ll have to see more of my family. Christmas Day, while we’re on familiar ground, is a good day to meet them. My ma and da, my uncles, my crazy cousins, my globe-trotting sister, and—yes—my equally globe-trotting cousin Alastair. And—”
He raised both hands to ward off objections that Ben wasn’t making. In fact, Ben looked stunned.
“I didn’t realise…” A faint smile stole onto Ben’s face, and Ryan took it as encouragement.
“Come on, Ben. It’s going to be fun.” He wasn’t above a little pleading. “You’ve only seen the box work once before. Well, twice, but you know what I mean. You didn’t know what you were seeing. Christmas Day is the last day the box is out. And my regulars often bring people to the party who really need help. I can’t guarantee that will happen this year, but—”
“Okay, okay! I give in.” Ben’s barely-there smile grew into a soft chuckle. “You’re persistent, I give you that.” He crossed the room and ran his fingers around Morris’s velvety ears. “Do you think you can cope with a Christmas party, big boy?”
“He’ll be spoilt rotten,” Ryan promised, and Morris rubbed his button nose into Ben’s palm and purred his agreement.
Family
Christmas Day at the Top o’ the Morning started before sunrise. Ben pushed through the door at twenty-five past seven and came face to face with Paula and Connie, busy setting out mini-LED Christmas trees on the long table, while Ryan scurried between the kitchen and his usual place behind the bar, hands filled with trays and plates. Music played. Lights glowed, bright and festive. And it smelled good enough to make Ben’s mouth water.
“Oh, excellent!” Paula waved the moment she saw him. “We could do with a hand to move the last of the tables. Happy Christmas!” She breezed past him, then pivoted like a ballerina to stick her fingers through the grill of the carrier and tickle Morris’s nose. “Hi Morris. You’re going to be our VIP today. Or VIC, rather. You’ll better get napping before it gets busy.”
