Here it is, another GWP – Christmas from Mark. Being a traditionalist, I’ve put all the book couples together for this. Following the timeline I’m most comfortable with, we’ve got Hallie as a freshman; Trixie, Honey, and Di as sophomores; Mart and Dan as juniors, and Brian and Jim as first year graduate students. Hallie is waiting for her family to join the Beldens in New York later the same day, Christmas Eve. Thanks to Mary, Eric, and my roommate Donald for help with the editing. Normal disclaimers apply – these aren’t my characters, etc., etc., etc. So, without further ado….

Trixie walked to the window for the millionth time. "Where could they be?"

Hallie peered over her shoulder. "I don’t know, but the suspense is driving me crazy!"

Across the living room, Di leaned over to Honey and in a stage whisper said, "You’d never guess they were cousins, would you?"

The four friends laughed. It was Christmas Eve, and the group was waiting for their respective boyfriends to pick them up for their group Christmas present.

"I must admit I’m pretty curious myself," Honey said. "All the boys told us was that we should meet them in the Beldens' living room and to have our outdoor clothes with us."

Di nodded. "My lump of curiosity might not be as large as all of yours, but I’m wondering what they have planned for us."

Just then, the Belden’s front door burst open and all four of the male Bob-Whites entered the living room. For a moment they just stood there grinning. Then they went over to their respective girlfriends and helped them stand. Dan pulled a harmonica from his coat pocket and blew a note. All four boys hummed it. Then, as they started helping the girls on with their coats, they sang in perfect barbershop harmony:

 

Just hear those sleigh bells jing-a-ling
Ring ting ting-a-ling too
C’mon it’s lovely weather
For a sleigh ride together with you

 

They continued singing as they helped their dates out the door, where they found Regan sitting in the front of a sleigh with Jupiter and Starlight hitched to the front. "All aboard!" he called out cheerfully.

"How in the world did you guys manage this?" Honey asked Brian as he helped her into the back row.

"Rented the sleigh in town," he answered.

"Took some convincing to let Regan use our horses for this, however," Jim added.

"But when we agreed to let him drive, he agreed we could use the horses," Dan concluded.

By this time, all eight of the young people were seated and Regan started the horses off at a slow trot into the preserve.

Di turned to Mart. "So this is the guys’ present to the gals?"

He nodded his head. "Absolutely. We members of the male persuasion decided that this multi-person activity would be a fun and romantic way to have our jubilation festivals as a group before familial activities commence."

Di turned to Honey, who was seated next to her. "Isn’t he smart?!!!" she swooned as she batted her eyelashes.

The entire group laughed. Di had outgrown her "Mart is so smart" phase years ago. She continued to make the comment in exaggerated ways, however, and it had become a favorite group joke.

They rode into the preserve in silence, enjoying both the beauty of the woods covered in snow and each other’s company. The silence was not to last long, however.

Trixie, from the her seat behind Regan, began it:

 

Sleigh bells ring

 

Jim picked up the next line:

 

Are you listening

 

By now, the entire group, Regan included, was singing at the top of their lungs, mostly in key:

 

In the lane, snow is glistening
A beautiful site, we’re happy tonight
Walking in a winter wonderland

 

When they had finished that song, Mart led them into a chorus of Jingle Bells.

 

Jingle bells, jingle bells, jingle all the way
Oh what fun it is to ride in a two horse opened sleigh, hey!

 

"Two horse?" Brian asked.

"Well, how many horses are in front of us?" Mart replied. "I figured a graduate student such as yourself could count to two."

That led to the laughing, joking, and teasing that always happened when the Bob-Whites had a chance to relax together.

When Regan turned the sleigh around, Trixie leaned forward and whispered something to him.

"What was that?" Jim asked in her ear.

"Nothing," she replied with a smile.

Their talk turned to how well finals had gone, or hadn’t gone as the case may be, then to family plans for the next day and their plans for the rest of break. None of the guys noticed where the sleigh was going until it stopped.

Dan was the first to look up. "What are we doing here?"

Regan shrugged. "Don’t ask me. I’m just following Trixie’s instructions. I’m going to drop you off here and then take care of the horses."

The girls insisted that this was the right place, so the boys helped them out of the sleigh and up the porch into the Manor House.

Once their coats were off, Honey turned to the boys. "Now it’s our turn to give our present to you. Go wait in the library."

The guys did as they were told, relaxing in the beautifully decorated room. Soon, the girls returned, carrying trays of goodies and drinks.

Mart’s eyes lit up. "Fudge! Pumpkin Pie! Is that banana nut bread? Egg nog, my favorite!"

"We spent the morning here baking things to share with you after our mysterious outing," Di explained. She turned to Mart. "I knew you’d like it, dear."

"All four of you made this stuff?" Dan asked as he reached for a cookie.

"Yep. Slaved away all morning," Hallie drawled.

"Just let me know what Trixie made so I can avoid it," Mart teased, reaching for his third piece of fudge.

"Then you’d better let me have that, brother dear," Trixie said. "I made the fudge all by myself."

"Ok," he grinned as he stuffed the piece into his mouth. "You’ve become a great cook. Now, can I have more?"

Jim laughed and held up his mug. "Everyone have something?" He waited for everyone to grab their mug or glass. "If I may be allowed to propose a toast with apple cider…. To all of you, the best group of friends a man could ask for. May we have many more happy times like this together. Cheers!"

As everyone drank, Trixie smiled. "I’m sure we will," she said softly.

The End

The songs quoted were "Sleigh Ride," Winter Wonderland," and "Jingle Bells." All used without permission and copyright their respective authors.

GWP #9