Free Mist on the Meadow by Karla Brandenburg

starting to snow again, eh?”
    “Yes sir.”
    Her father introduced the guests as they
filed past. “My son, Max. I understand you’ve already met Uncle
Balt. This is Derek from the naval base. We invite a sailor in for
Christmas dinner. It’s our way of saying thank you to the men and
women serving our country who are unable to return home for the
holidays, a tradition we started when the kids were little.”
    Wolf shook Derek’s hand. “Wolf Harper. Nice
to meet you, and thank you for your service.”
    Derek nodded, as if he wasn’t sure how to
respond. Marissa guessed he hadn’t seen active duty yet.
    “And I understand you already met Angela,
too,” her father finished.
    Wolf nodded. “Nice to see you again.”
    Marissa’s father retreated to hang up Wolf’s
coat and Uncle Balt, his oxygen tank strapped over his shoulder,
directed everyone to their seats.
    Marissa followed her mother out of the
kitchen with the last of the dishes. Uncle Balt sat with Wolf and
Derek on one side of the table. Angela sat opposite Derek, with Max
across from Uncle Balt. That left Marissa directly across from
Wolf, a not too subtle attempt to encourage dinner conversation.
Her parents sat at either end of the table.
    She reached past Uncle Balt to set down the
au gratin potatoes and whispered in his ear. “You didn’t need to
bother.”
    Uncle Balt patted her hand. “Never hurts to
help things along.”
    No sooner had Marissa taken her seat than
Hex’s paws tested her leg. He jumped to her lap beneath the table,
where he settled and purred loudly.
    Max scanned the floor. “Where is that coming
from?”
    Marissa dropped a hand under the table to
stroke Hex’s soft fur.
    “How’s the little bugger doing?” Wolf asked.
“I’m not what you’d call a cat lover, but it is awfully quiet
without him wandering around the house.”
    Marissa smiled. “He’s a lot of fun. You
haven’t changed your mind?”
    “I don’t think he’d go,” Angela said. “That
cat is like Velcro with you, Marissa.”
    “He should be with someone who appreciates
him,” Wolf said. “Sounds like a perfect fit, you and little
Hexeri.”
    “Yes, indeed,” Uncle Balt added. “A perfect
fit. What a wonderful coincidence to bump into you at the
café.”
    “Not the word I would have chosen,” Marissa
mumbled.
    “What was that?” Max nudged her elbow.
    “Coincidence,” Marissa repeated. She stabbed
a piece of ham and passed the dish. “Were you able to get your
headlight fixed?” she asked Wolf.
    “What happened to your headlight?” Derek
asked.
    “He rear-ended Marissa’s car,” Angela
replied.
    Derek laughed. “And you still scored an
invitation to dinner? Which is great, by the way. Thanks again,
Mrs. Maitland. Mr. Maitland.”
    Wolf chuckled. “I’m still wondering about
that myself, and I second the sentiment. Excellent food. Thank you
for inviting me.” He smiled at Marissa. “Yes, I’ve had the
headlight replaced.”
    Angela took over the conversation. She coaxed
Derek’s family history from him and found out all about Max’s
classes at the university and how he spent his free time. Simple
social graces came easily to Angela, the same graces that Marissa
struggled with. Marissa was secretly pleased that even though
Angela invoked her female wiles and batted her eyelashes, she
wasn’t able to get Wolf to open up.
    Hex worked his paws against Marissa’s
legs.
    Derek asked about the café. Finally, a topic
of conversation Marissa was confident with. Angela deferred to her
with remarks on Marissa’s business sense and skills in the
kitchen.
    Marissa was mid-stream with her ideas to put
tables on the sidewalk in front of the café during the warmer
seasons when Max got up from his seat to help their mother clear
dishes.
    “Am I rambling?” Marissa asked.
    “No,” her mother reassured her. “I’m sure
Derek is interested in hearing your ideas, but since I already know
your plans, I thought I might clear the table so