Chapter 24: A dream come true

Onstage at Radio City Music Hall, a Rockette dressed as a red-sequined Santa's Helper leaned over and whispered to a boy sleeping in the front row.

"Jeff. Jeff."

"Daddy?"

Jeff Henderson's eyes fluttered open. His mother, silver-haired, stood at his bedside.

"Mom?" he said. Next to her, a boy and girl stared anxiously down at him.

Jeff's confusion turned to joy.

"Will! Katie!"

"Daddy," they cried, throwing themselves at him.

At the foot of the bed stood an older man with a familiar lined face, the stranger who came to town one Thanksgiving and ended up marrying his mother.

"Hey, Turner," Jeff said.

"Hey there, buddy," Turner said, coming over and clasping his hand. "Long time no see."

"You'd be surprised," Jeff said.

For the first time he noticed the younger woman in the doorway.

"Rachel?"

It all came back to him: the kids running away, getting snowed in on the farm, falling on the cellar stairs, and the longest, and best, night's sleep he'd had in years.

"You scared us, Daddy," Katie said, crossing her arms against her chest.

"We came in to say goodnight," Will said, "and you wouldn't wake up."

"It's probably a mild concussion from that fall," his mother said. "Doc Quillen's coming by to check on you."

Jeff touched the lump on his head and winced. "That old coot?" Jeff said. "He can't still be around."

"Goodness no," Allie laughed. "His granddaughter."

"I called Mom," Will said.

"I borrowed my dad's four-wheel drive," Rachel explained, coming in and wrapping her arms around the children. "I got here as fast as I could."

Overcome, Jeff could only whisper, "Thank you."

Outside the bedroom window, the sky shone a brilliant, cloudless blue. All was quiet except for the scraping sound of a snow plow.

"Route 9 should be cleared soon," his mother said. "Turner and Will shoveled the drive. You'll be able to get out now."

Jeff swung his legs over the bed. "I'm starved. Any of those biscuits left, Mom?"

Will and Katie looked at each other guiltily. "We kind of ate them all, Dad," Will said.

Turner and Allie laughed. "I can make more," Allie said. "You get dressed, Jeff. And you two," she told her grandchildren, "come down and help Grandpa and me in the kitchen. We've got pies to make for tomorrow's dinner."

The four of them trooped downstairs, leaving Jeff and Rachel alone.

"Are you really OK?" she said, breaking the awkward silence.

"I'm not sure." Jeff touched the back of his head. "I think so. I had a very weird dream."

"It's a good thing the doctor's coming to see you," Rachel said.

"But what about you? I know you had plans, but ... " Downstairs the phone rang. "I'll get it," Will shouted.

"Rachel, is there any way," Jeff said, fumbling, "you could stay and spend the holiday with us?"

"I'm not sure that's a good idea, Jeff," Rachel said.

Will appeared in the doorway. "It's your office, Dad," he said sullenly. "And Grandma says your biscuits are ready."

"Finally!" Cheryl, Jeff's secretary, said. "How are you?"

"Couldn't be better," he said.

"Well, you're in luck. The storm shut down the whole city. They're rescheduling the meeting for the day after Thanksgiving. If you can get back online, I'll e-mail you the info. Send me what you've got, and I can put the presentation together."

"Hold it, Cheryl," Jeff said. "I don't have anything to send."

"What? I thought you were OK."

"Oh, I'm more than OK." Will and Rachel stared at him. "It's just that things here in the country don't move as fast. I don't know when the roads will be clear enough for me to get out of here." He winked at Will.

"You know what?" he said into the phone. "Ask Sue if she'll take over the presentation. She deserves a chance to prove herself. Might as well put that MBA of hers to work. We're going to stay here for the holiday." He laughed and said reassuringly. "It's OK, Cheryl, I'm fine, believe me. Have a happy holiday. See you next week."

"For real, Dad?"

Jeff knew a dream couldn't change everything, but that bump on his head had taught him one thing: Nothing mattered more than his family.

He looked at Rachel. "For real."

Next chapter: The Holly Wreath Man