Page 24 of Mistletoe and Blue Jeans

Two mornings later Josh turned into Cedar Point Blues. He wound down his window to enjoy the cool morning breeze. As he neared the top of Kristy’s driveway he marvelled at the pink tinge on the fringes of the mist hanging over the valley. It wasn’t lost on him what a beautiful area Kristy lived in. She might not love the land she had, but her surrounds were beautiful.

“Look, Dad, look up. It’s Auntie Kristy on the roof.”

“What?”

He stopped the car and looked up. Kristy was sitting astride the top roof line trying to tie a fully blown-up Santa Clause against the old brick chimney. Santa was swaying about in a very stiff breeze.

He held his breath as Kristy grappled with one of Santa’s legs. It kept bouncing about and from time to time the leg would fling out and hit one side of the chimney and then hit Kristy in the chest. She was really struggling and looked in real danger of falling.

He turned to the boys. “Stay put. I don’t want you outside, okay?”

He gave a quick check on Kristy before he raced around to the back of the house. It was too early for Rex and Janelle. He spotted the ladder leaning against the guttering and it barely touched it.

Dammit.She’d crawled up to the chimney.

He climbed the ladder and at the top he gripped the guttering as the wind buffeted about.

“Kristy, let it go.”

She looked behind her and saw him. She shook her head.

He climbed to the last step and partially lay upon the roof. “Let go of everything, swing around and slide down to me on your stomach.”

Kristy shook her head. “I can’t,” she yelled.

His stomach dropped when he saw her crawl on her backside to the brick chimney. “Drop Santa.”

She nodded and did so.

“Come on, Kristy. Swing that right leg over and slide down on your stomach to me. I’ve got you.”

Kristy gave him the thumbs up. She pushed herself away from the chimney, laid herself flat on the ridge of the roofline and swung over her right leg..

She peeked over her shoulder at him. “You’d better move. If I let go I’ll go right into you.”

“I’m staying put. You just slide down. I’ve got you.”

He could see her gripping the ridge and then slowly let herself slide so she was in line with him

Very slowly she inched down and as soon as he could reach her, he grabbed her ankles. Kristy let go and he very gently pulled her towards him. He pushed himself out slightly to make room for her body as she slid in front of him. When her feet had purchase of the top rung of the ladder, he wrapped his right arm around her waist for control and together they slowly climbed down the ladder.

Josh could feel the adrenaline pulsing through his body. Once his feet hit the ground and he knew she was safe, he didn’t let her go. He held her close to him. It had been a while since he’d held a woman like this and he loved the feel of her in his arms. He dropped his head into her hair, which had broken free of its band at the back of her neck. The scent of peppermint and eucalypt was strong and somehow its familiarity calmed him.

His heart still pumped ten to the dozen at how close she’d come to nearly killing herself. “Don’t you ever do anything like that again. Santa’s not worth it, sweetheart. Promise me?” he murmured.

Kristy nodded. She wriggled out of his grip, her face ashen. “I’m sorry. I didn’t think. It was a job that had been hanging around for ages and I just wanted it done.”

“All you had to do was ask. I think Roger’s got a long ladder which would have been much better to use. Ask, will you?”

She nodded. “I didn’t think.”

He ran a thumb down the side of her face. “You survived. We survived. I’ve got the boys in the car. We were bringing over the paint and I thought I’d start tonight after you’ve closed shop.”

Neither of them moved, or even seemed inclined to move. Josh held her tight. He was slowly learning Kristy Holloway was not a woman to be meddled with; she’d been living and working it all out on her own for a very long time.

She made a move to go, but his feet were rooted to the spot. Her eyes rose to meet his, concern etched across her face.

“Josh, I’m sorry about this. I didn’t mean to trigger any bad memories.”

---