Time Off for Good Behavior (27 page)

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Authors: Lani Diane Rich

BOOK: Time Off for Good Behavior
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Why?


So you can tell me what I should do.


What makes you think I know w
hat you should do?


Well, I figure a priest won

t let me do the wrong thing.


This is why people need to join the church before going to confession. I

m here to listen to your sins, not to make all your choices for you.

Now, there was the Father Hard-As
s I knew and loved.

Look, I

m just trying to do the right thing. Tell me what to do, and I

ll do it.


All right. Join the church.

We both laughed.

No, Father. I mean about the something meaningful. Should I do it? Do the ends justify the means?


That
all depends on the ends and the means.

I threw my hands up in the air.

For crying out loud! Do I have to join the church to get a straight answer outta you?


Yes!

He laughed again, then paused. When he started talking, his voice was more serious.

What
you need to do is between you and God. And I

m not privy to that information, even if you join the church.

A beat.

But it can

t hurt to hedge your bets.

I grinned.

A couple of Hail Marys, then?


We

ll get to that. For now, I think you should go to th
e gift shop and buy a St. Erasmus medal.


A St. what medal?


Erasmus. Also known as St. Elmo.


Oh,

I said, brightening.

The guy from
St. Elmo

s Fire
?

Father Hard-Ass sighed. I imagined he got that a lot.

The lights in the sky that used to help sail
ors find their way were named after him, yes. He

s the patron saint of navigators. Maybe he can help you find your way.

I could feel my throat tighten with emotion.
Cripes.
What was the deal with me? Getting weepy over a saint? I should trade in all those
sticky notes for a prescription and get it over with. I stood up.


Thanks.

I looked up at the ornate cathedral ceiling again.

Hey, Father? I know this is supposed to be all confidential and everything, but can I know your name?

There was a pause. Then,

I

m Father Gregory.


Nice to meet you, Father Gregory. I

m Wanda.

I heard a chuckle.

It was nice meeting you, too, Wanda.

I nodded, even though I knew he couldn

t see it. I grabbed at the curtain but paused before leaving.

Father Gregory?


Yes?


Thank you. For listening to me. Even though I

m not part of your flock.

He leaned close to the grate and spoke in a low, friendly tone.

Don

t tell anyone, but I

ve enjoyed listening to you.

I smiled. Had me a priest on my team. That had to be a good sig
n.

Maybe I

ll see you again sometime.


I

m here all week. Be sure to tip your waitress.

I went straight from there to the gift shop. They were all out of St. Erasmus medals. Shocker.

 

***

 


Just shut up and sit down,

I said.

And put the damn hat on, w
ill you?

Bones grumbled something offensive but put the hat on.

What time is it?

he asked.

I

m already hotter

n hell in this getup.

I checked my watch.

Eight-forty-five. Fifteen minutes to open.

I checked the connection from the digital camera on t
he tripod to the computer, then went around the desk to check out the image in the software Kacey had set up for me. I hit the button to take the picture, and the flash lit up Bones

s craggy old face.


Damn, girl, you trying to blind me?

he yelled.

I don

t know who ever heard of a black damn Santa Claus, anyway.


You don

t shut up, Bones,

I said, bringing the printout over to show him,

you

re gonna be a dead damn Santa Claus.

He took the printout from me. It was good quality, on card stock, with a mis
tletoe border that read

Merry Christmas

in the lower right-hand corner. He harrumphed and handed it back to me.


It

s off-center.


You

re off-center,

I grumbled, heading back to the computer but freezing midway.


Bones? Is that music playing on the sys
tem?


What music?

Damn.
The crescendo built. I hummed along, closed my eyes, tried to place it.


What

s wrong with you, Wanda?

I held up a hand to shush Bones. The music faded.
Shit.
I continued over to the computer, only looking up after I realized Bones had been uncommonly silent.


What?

I said.


You going crazy on me, girl?

he asked.


Just a little,

I said.

No more than usual.

He nodded but continued to watch me, his dark eyes
glittering with poorly masked concern.


Stop eyeballing me, Bones,

I said.

I

m fine.

He looked away, tugging at the collar of the Santa suit.

Don

t think I

m gonna be doing this Santa thing for you every damn day. I have real work to do, you know.

I
grinned.

Just smile and look pretty, Bones. Only six more hours to go.

 

***

 


Have you spoken to Jack lately?

Elizabeth stopped dunking her tea bag. I took a sip of my coffee and tried to look casual.


No,

she said, and continued dunking.

Why?


No re
ason,

I said, shrugging.

Can I ask you something?


Sure.


Do you still love him?

She gave me a tight smile.

Are you ever going to call Walter or what?

Oooh. Counterattack. I raised my eyebrows and pulled an Elizabeth.

We were talking about Walter?


No,

she said, then threw her hands up in the air.

Don

t you have Santa pictures to take?

I shook my head.

Monday. Station

s closed. Deft change of subject, by the way. Now back to you and Jack.


Why are you suddenly so interested in me and Jack?

Sh
e white-knuckled her tea mug and took a sip. I half expected the thing to crack in her hands.


He came by to check on the house on Thanksgiving. We talked.


Wait. You were here on Thanksgiving? I thought you had plans.


They fell through. Anyway, we talked and...

I cleared my throat.

He still loves you, Elizabeth.

She put the mug down and put her face in her hands.

I can

t talk about this, Wanda.


Okay,

I said.

That

s okay Look, I don

t know anything about anything
, but he seemed sincere to me. I just thought you should know.

She slammed her hands down on the table. I jumped back.

I know,

she said, her voice taut with anger.

I know he loves me. I know he

s out there being all hurt and sorry and...

She took a de
ep breath. Her eyes welled up.

You wanna know if I love him? Yes, I love him. And maybe he still loves me. And maybe he

s changed, but I

m not going to destroy myself again on a maybe. I

d rather be alone forever than go through that again.

She stood up
and poured her tea down the drain. I kept my back to her, feeling like the stupidest person alive, hearing my father

s voice ring out in my head:
Sometimes you just have to know when to shut the hell up.


I

m sorry,

I said.

I shouldn

t have said anything.

She sighed. I turned around and looked at her. In four minutes she

d aged five years.


No, I

m sorry,

she said, rubbing her forehead.

It

s just... You

re right. You don

t know about me and Jack. Just like I don

t know what

s going
on with you and Walter, but I stay out of it because it

s not my business.

I nodded.

Well, actually, you have kind of butted in on it once or twice.

She raised one eyebrow at me.

You looking for a fight?

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