"Tell her you're spending the night here," said Kyle, half whispering.
"And I'm spending the night here," said Clayton obediently.
"Let me talk to him," said Sarah, and Clayton, instantly recognizing her older-sister-I-will-protect-you voice, held out the phone to Kyle.
Kyle handed the box to Clayton, who handed the phone to Kyle and took the box in both hands, placing it on his lap. The tissue paper rustled, and the scent of leather rose. He ran his fingers gently across the beadwork and smiled. Then, at the anxious tone of Kyle's voice as he spoke to Sarah, he snapped his head up.
"No, no, it's nothing like that," said Kyle. "I honestly didn't know?—"
Kyle's eyes were wide as he listened, his whole body at attention.
"My name is Kyle Tobin," he said. "I'm a software developer and I live in Orchard, Colorado, and no, I don't have any nefarious designs, not about your brother, or about anything. You can call the county sheriff and ask him. He knows me. Call Sheriff Bob. He knows everybody in town, and they can all tell you?—"
Clayton put the box on the couch and got up and took the phone from Kyle's hand.
"Hang on, now, Sarah," he said, as firmly as he could, so she would know he meant business. "Kyle's a good guy, I can tell. He's not going to murder me in my sleep, so I'm not going to end up on the news. Besides, I can take him. He's half a head shorter than me and about twenty pounds lighter?—"
"Hey, now," said Kyle, sputtering a bit.
"So I am going to sleep on his couch?—"
"In the spare bedroom," said Kyle, dipping his head as he whispered this quickly.
"In his spare bedroom and then, when the roads are plowed, I'll head home for Christmas. Okay?"
There was a moment of silence on the other end of the line.
"Are you sure?" asked Sarah, her voice shaking a little. "Look, it's almost midnight, and I've been so worried about you, and the weather reports look so awful. I don't mean to be mean, but it means so much having you here for Christmas. I just want you safe."
"I am safe," said Clayton, looking around the warm room that was bright with firelight and Christmas decorations, and which, he now realized, smelled like cloves and cinnamon and honey. "I'm so safe you wouldn't even believe it. The drive was hell, but I've got a place for the night, and in the morning, well, in the morning we'll figure it out. I'll call you, okay? But you need to get to bed. Let me talk to Luke. Is he awake?"
"Yes," said Sarah, and she sighed. "Here he is."
"Hey, Clayton," said Luke in that hearty way of his.
"How is she?" asked Clayton.
"She's good," said Luke. "Worried but good. And listen, if it takes you a few days to dig yourself out of wherever you are, we'll hold Christmas for you."
"What about Shawn?" asked Clayton. His heart ached at the thought of doing that to a kid.
"We'll let him open a present each morning and afternoon until you get there. He'll have time to play with everything he's getting, and it'll be great. We'll save the Xbox for last when you get here, okay?"
"Okay," said Clayton. His throat felt thick and once again, his eyes felt hot, and all of his feelings rushed at him, each one of them aching with how important this was, that this Christmas be the start of something new for him and Sarah and her little family. Then he realized Kyle was watching him with wide blue eyes, and he swallowed, blinking fiercely. "You all get some rest, and I'll call you in the morning," he said to Luke.
"Sounds like a plan," said Luke. "But seriously, Christmas will wait. There's no point in you driving on roads that are less than optimal."
"Okay," said Clayton again. "Talk to you tomorrow."
"Okay, bye," said Luke.
Clayton clicked the phone off with his thumb and handed it to Kyle, who stood there with it in his hand for a minute, before nodding.
"Are you hungry?" asked Kyle.
"I don't know," said Clayton. "I bought a tuna sandwich, but I forgot to eat it. It's probably frozen in the car by now."
"What have you eaten today?"
