The Christmas Joy Ride Read online

  The little oven timer dinged and soon they were dining on lasagna and salad and watching It’s a Wonderful Life. To her amazement, Miranda was actually enjoying herself—more so than she had in a long time. But the movie was only midway through when she noticed that Joy was dozing off.

  “Maybe you should go to bed.” Miranda gently nudged her friend. “You’ve had a long day.”

  “Oh yes—yes.” Joy sleepily pushed herself to her feet. “You’re probably right. And we need to get an early start in the morning.”

  “I’ll save the place on the video to watch with you—”

  “No, no, I’ve seen that movie dozens of times. You go ahead and finish it up. It’s such a good one.”

  “It is good,” Miranda agreed. “And even though I saw it once back when I was a kid, I don’t really remember how it ends.”

  Joy said good night and then headed off to the bedroom, back behind the sliding door, where she would hopefully get a good night’s rest. Miranda was trying not to fret over Joy’s health and age, but it wasn’t easy. At some times she seemed zestful and lively, but at other times she seemed very old and frail—and Miranda’s biggest fear was that this trip would be too much for her. Miranda tried not to think how she would defend herself against Joy’s sons if this cross-country expedition proved too much for the old woman. Hopefully Rob and Rick wouldn’t take her to court. That seemed a bit extreme.

  Before Miranda would allow herself to finish up the movie, she washed up their dinner dishes and set them on a towel to air dry. Then she sat down and posted the day’s photos on the website. After that she made the fold-out couch into what would be her bed, and she slipped into her flannel pajamas and a pair of warm, fuzzy socks. Finally, feeling happy and content with this small, cozy space, she made herself a cup of cinnamon spice tea and turned the movie back on. And as she leaned back into the little rocker recliner, she decided this wasn’t such a bad way to live.

  She could almost imagine herself becoming a full-time gypsy. What did she need her big old house for anyway? She always just felt somewhat lost in it. And too many things reminded her of Jerrod—which would leave her feeling angry . . . and then sad. Really, why should she care if she lost it to foreclosure? Sure, that was Jerrod’s fault too. But maybe it was time to let it go . . . to just leave it all behind her. Maybe she’d just relocate to Phoenix like Joy. She’d start a whole new life there. Or maybe she was just being slightly delusional.

  5

  After a good night’s sleep, Joy felt ready for the day ahead of them. Fortunately their next stop in St. Louis was only about a hundred miles away. Even with a leisurely stop for breakfast, they could easily be there before noon. But because the third stop on her agenda was more than four hundred miles beyond St. Louis, she knew they would need to get some additional driving done before dark. That is, if she wanted to maintain the schedule she’d created.

  “So what’s in St. Louis?” Miranda asked eagerly as they pulled out of the RV park.

  “Delores Maxwell,” Joy told her. The woman’s name and story were fresh in Joy’s mind after reviewing her notebook that morning.

  “And who is Delores Maxwell?”

  “She’s a woman in her fifties who owns a diner on the outskirts of St. Louis,” Joy explained. “Come to think of it, you might relate to her story.”

  “How so?”

  “After they’d been married for more than thirty years, Delores’s husband left her.” Joy slowed down for a stoplight. “For a younger woman.”

  Miranda made a growling noise.

  “To make matters worse, he left her with a pile of bills and a run-down diner to operate. And the diner is her livelihood.”

  “That totally stinks.”

  “Not only that, but Delores has a daughter in her twenties that lives with her. Her name is Hillary, and she has special needs. Down’s syndrome, but it sounds like she’s high functioning. She likes helping in the diner. However, losing her father’s been really hard on her.”

  “Poor Delores and Hillary.”

  “Yes, that’s what I thought. Delores wrote to me saying that she wished Christmas would just go away this year. She’s broke and depressed and has absolutely no Christmas spirit.”

  “And she’s expecting you?” Miranda asked.

  “No.” Joy shook her head. “She does not know we’re coming.”

  “This should be interesting.”

  It was just a little before eleven when the motor home pulled into Darby’s Diner. The cement-block building was drab and dull-looking, with only a couple of vehicles parked in front. As they got out of the RV Miranda peered into the front window. “No sign of Christmas here.”

  “Not surprising.” Joy paused by the RV, and set a red envelope on top of the cookie plate. Her plan was to present Delores with it.

  “This place could use some paint.” As Miranda opened the door, a few paint chips fluttered like snowflakes to the ground.

  “I think it could use a lot of things.” As Joy went into the diner, she was met with the aroma of onions browning, and although she’d had a big breakfast she suddenly felt hungry. “Delores?” she called out cheerfully, looking around the mostly empty diner.

  A middle-aged woman with faded brown hair stepped out of the kitchen. “Are you looking for me?”

  “You’re Delores?” Joy smiled brightly.

  “I am.” Her brow creased with what seemed suspicion. “What can I do for you?”

  “I’m Joy Jorgenson.” She held out the cookie plate. “From Christmas Joy.”

  Delores blinked, wiping her hands on her apron. “Wh-what?”

  “This is for you.” Joy handed her the cookie plate and red envelope. “And if you don’t mind, my friend Miranda and I would like to spread some Christmas joy in your diner.”

  “Is this about the contest?” Delores looked hopeful. “Did I win?”

  Joy grinned. “Yes, you did.” She tapped the red envelope. “And I suggest you put that in a safe place.”

  “I can’t believe I actually won something.” Delores’s voice cracked with emotion. “I’ve never won nothing before. Not in my entire life.”

  “Then it’s about time you did.” Joy placed her hand on Delores’s shoulder. “We’re here to share Christmas cheer. And if you don’t mind, we’ll get right to work. We’ve got a lot of decorating to do and not too much time to do it.”

  “I—uh—I don’t know what to say.” Delores just shook her head. “This is so amazing. Do you mind if I call my daughter? She was coming in to help at noon, but I know she’d love to decorate.” Delores reached for the phone. “Hillary’s been begging me to put some Christmas things up. But I just couldn’t bring myself to do it.”

  “And now you don’t need to.”

  “That’s right,” Miranda agreed, then pointed at Joy. “Now, why don’t you stay in here and start putting your design plans together while I go out and get the decorations.”

  “Good idea. They’re marked for Darby’s Diner. Thank you!”

  While Miranda fetched the goods, Delores opened her envelope as if it were just a regular Christmas card. But when she saw the check and read the amount, she let out a whoop so loud that the old man sitting at the counter spilt his coffee. “Oh, my goodness! Oh, my goodness!” She turned to Joy with tears in her eyes. “I can’t believe it! This is just like a dream! A really good dream!”

  “I hope that will help you and Hillary to get back on your—” But before Joy could finish Delores was hugging her tightly and crying loudly.

  “Thank you so much!” Delores gushed happily. “You don’t know how much this means to me.”

  “Well, I know you’ve been through a lot.” Joy patted Delores on the back as Miranda came in with a box. “And now we need to get to decorating.” She pointed to the big window in front. “I’d like to see colored lights all around there. Taped so that they can be seen both inside and out. And I have this adorable Rudolph with a red nose that lights up that can g
o on that wall over there.”

  Delores called Hillary, and then they all got to work. Before long all the boxes and bins were lined up along the wall, and just as Joy began directing Miranda and Delores, Hillary arrived. Her blue eyes sparkled like a small child’s as she examined the contents of the bins, oohing and aahing over everything. Joy assigned the cheerful young woman some fun tasks, and soon they were all working together. And just like real Christmas magic, the dowdy diner was amazingly transformed into a cheerful wonderland of lights and glitter and garlands.

  “This is fun!” Hillary declared as she carefully climbed down from the stepladder after hanging a shimmering garland around the door. She clapped her hands. “So pretty.”

  Delores insisted on giving Joy and Miranda lunch before they left. The daily special was roast beef on rye and spicy pumpkin soup. Joy and Miranda were both surprised at how delicious it all tasted. “Well, you certainly know how to cook,” Joy told Delores. “If you put some of your Christmas money into sprucing the place up, you should have lots of customers.”

  “And consider doing some advertising,” Miranda advised as she snapped some photos on her phone. “Maybe have a two-for-one coupon in the local paper. People love coupons for eating out.”

  They talked awhile longer, but Joy was tired and she knew they needed to get moving if they were to reach the next RV park before dark. “God bless you, my dear,” she told Delores as they hugged. “And merry Christmas.”

  Hillary came dashing from the kitchen to say goodbye, thanking and hugging both Joy and Miranda. “You’re like Santa. You brought Christmas to us,” she said happily.

  Delores was misting up again as Miranda and Joy pulled on their coats. “You ladies have restored my faith in Christmas. Thank you.”

  Joy let out a happy but tired sigh as she slid into the driver’s seat. “Wasn’t that wonderful?” she said as she started the engine.

  “Yeah, it was.” But Miranda’s voice sounded a little stiff.

  Joy glanced at her. “Didn’t you love seeing how happy they were?”

  “Yes, of course.” Miranda frowned. “But I’m worried about you, Joy. You seem tired to me. Maybe you shouldn’t be driving.”

  Joy considered this. She didn’t want to lie. “Well, I suppose I am a little weary. But it’s a good sort of weary.”

  “Why not let me drive?”

  Joy felt uncertain. “Really? You’d want to drive?”

  Miranda shrugged in a shy sort of way.

  “So you’ve lost some of your concerns about driving this big old motor home,” Joy said in a teasing tone. “You really think you can handle it?”

  “I think if you can handle it, I should be able to.”

  Joy turned off the ignition and studied Miranda. “Are you sure you’re comfortable with this?”

  “Comfortable?” Miranda wrinkled her nose.

  “You’re sure you want to give it a try?”

  Now Miranda nodded firmly. “Yes. I want to learn to drive this big old thing. And, hey, there’s no time like now. Right?”

  Joy nodded, then got out of the seat. “Okay, if you’re certain.”

  As they switched seats, Joy reminded Miranda about the emergency brake, the backup camera, and a few other things. “But really, it’s not much different than driving a regular car. Just bigger.”

  Miranda made a stiff smile. “Yes, I get that it’s bigger.”

  “And you don’t need to back up,” Joy said. “I parked like this so we could just pull around and use that other exit from the parking lot.” She gently coached Miranda as the RV slowly began to move forward. “The main thing is not to get rattled. Just take your time. If other drivers get impatient, you just have to ignore them.”

  Joy continued to calmly explain things, and she didn’t even react when Miranda drove over a curb. “You’re doing very well, dear. Really, you are.”

  “Am I too far out in the middle of the street?” Miranda asked nervously.

  “No, you’re just fine.” Joy took in a deep breath. “Just fine.”

  Miranda’s knuckles looked pale as she tightly gripped the wheel when it was time to enter the highway, but Joy just kept her voice even as she encouraged her to pick up some speed. “You’re doing great,” she told her. “Driving like an old pro. I’ve no doubt you’ll soon be more of an expert than I am.”

  “I doubt that,” Miranda mumbled as she clicked the turn signal off.

  “And don’t even try to keep up with the traffic. Just go at whatever speed is comfortable.”

  “How about thirty?”

  Joy laughed. “Well, that might be a tad dangerous. Try to get closer to fifty, dear.”

  Before long, Miranda had the RV up to fifty-five and actually seemed to be relaxing some. Joy continued to encourage her, assuring her that she was doing well.

  “I guess it’s not as hard as I thought,” Miranda said after about ten minutes of quiet driving. “I guess I just needed to actually do it to know.”

  “A bit like life, don’t you think?”

  “I guess so.”

  Joy put in a Christmas cassette, a nice soothing instrumental with flutes and strings, then leaned back into her seat. She was reluctant to confess that she was very relieved that Miranda had offered to drive today. She hoped that Miranda would enjoy the experience enough to share the driving for the duration of the trip. Because as much as Joy hated to admit it, she truly did feel weary. And although she’d enjoyed the past two days and meeting her new friends, she wasn’t certain she had the strength for the next four visits. Her energy level seemed to ebb and flow like the tide. She knew it had to do with aging—and, well, other things—but it was hard to give into it. Hadn’t she always said that “age was just a number”? Yes. But perhaps her number was going up.

  Joy didn’t even remember dozing off, but when she woke up, Miranda seemed to be doing just fine and, despite rather heavy traffic, had the motor home at a steady speed of fifty-five.

  “Where are we?” Joy asked sleepily.

  “About ten minutes from Rolla.” Miranda kept her eyes fixed on the road. “Isn’t that where you said we’re stopping for the night?”

  “That’s right.” Joy sat up straighter. “It’s so wonderful that you’re comfortable behind the wheel, Miranda. I’m so proud of you.”

  “I think I like this,” Miranda said with confidence. “It gives me a feeling of real power to get this big thing safely down the highway. I can see why truck drivers enjoy their work so much.”

  Joy chuckled. “That’s just how I feel when I’m driving.” Well, the truth was that was how she used to feel. Now she wasn’t too sure. “Do you think you can get to the RV park all right or would you like me to take over?”

  “I think I can do it. But I’ll need directions. Can you manage the GPS for me? Just turn it on, then click onto Rolla and the RV park, okay?”

  “Okay.” Joy reached for the little machine and played with the buttons until the tiny screen lit up. “If you can manage driving the motor home, I should be able to manage your directional device.” After a few tries and failures, she finally got it going and the bossy woman’s voice began to give directions. “I think we should name her,” Joy told Miranda.

  “Name who?” Miranda put her turn signal on to exit the highway.

  “The GPS lady.”

  Miranda laughed. “Sure, why not.”

  “She reminds me of my second grade teacher—Miss Moore. She was a tiny woman but quite overbearing.”

  “Miss Moore it is,” Miranda agreed.

  Joy sat quietly, just listening to “Miss Moore” as she directed Miranda to the right places to turn. And before she knew it, they were entering the Blue Moon RV Park.

  “You did it,” Joy told Miranda as she guided the RV up to the registration office.

  “I did, didn’t I?” Miranda looked slightly stunned but truly happy. “I can hardly believe it myself.”

  “From now on, we can take turns behind the wheel
,” Joy told her.

  “Or maybe we’ll fight for the chance to drive,” Miranda said in a teasing tone. “I guess we could flip a coin.”

  “Oh, I wouldn’t fight you for it,” Joy assured her. “If you really wanted to drive, I would gladly step aside, dear.”

  Miranda slowly nodded. “Good. I might just hold you to it.”

  Joy felt a wave of relief wash over her. She was more than happy to have Miranda take over the driving for the duration of the trip. In fact, she was delighted.

  6

  Miranda hoped she hadn’t bitten off more than she could chew as they set out for Tulsa the next day. Joy had warned it would be a long day. More than six hours of driving—and that was if they were going the speed limit, which they weren’t. After three hours of driving in the pouring rain, they took a lunch break only to discover they weren’t even halfway to their destination. And with nothing but more dark clouds ahead, Miranda wasn’t sure she was ready for another four or more hours of driving in this nasty mess. By midafternoon, in the midst of a deluge that made Miranda wish that the RV was actually a boat, Joy spotted a conveniently located state park, and they decided to pull over and call it a day.

  Miranda felt a little uneasy about being the only campers in the soggy and completely deserted state park. “Don’t we look a bit like a sitting duck?” she asked Joy as they peered out the windshield at the pouring rain.

  “A very cheerful sitting duck,” Joy said. “We’ll leave the Christmas lights on for a while, but not too long. Don’t want to run down the batteries.”

  “Do you want me to go out and do the hookups?” Miranda offered.

  “Oh, there aren’t any hookups here,” Joy explained. “We’ll be dry camping.”

  “Dry camping?” Miranda frowned at the watery world outside. “Doesn’t feel very dry to me.”

  Joy laughed. “Meaning we won’t have running water or electric. We’ll depend on the RV’s batteries and stored water supply for the night. That means no microwave or TV.”

  “Will the fridge work?”

  “Yes, it works on both propane and electric. Very efficient.”