She wished she could know for sure. Maybe then she wouldn’t worry quite so much. For now, though, she had a stocking to unpack.
“C’mere,” she called to the Chihuahua, patting her lap and waiting for the eager dog to climb up into it. “We’ll open them together.”
She started with her own, a handsome green velvet stocking with her name written across the top in red glitter. She’d had the same one since grade school. Truly, some things never did change, while others…
“Okay,” she told the dog, then sucked in a deep breath to steady herself and reach her hand inside. The first thing she found was a stick of peppermint lip balm. After that, a white chocolate bar—her favorite.
She continued to extract item after item from the stocking. Most were pretty run-of–the-mill Christmas things: ornaments, costume jewelry, treats. But at the very bottom she found something quite different. A little book was wedged into the giant stocking’s toe.
Even before she’d pulled it out, she knew what it was. The gold-gilded pages and tiny engraved letters on the cover confirmed it.
Her father had returned her very first Bible to her.
“Why did you give this to me?” Abigail demanded of her father when he came to join her in the living room, handing her a plate overflowing with all her favorite breakfast foods.
“It’s tradition.”
“Not the stocking. This.” She held the little Bible up for him to see—as if he could forget.
Mary skittered off her lap and returned to her puppies.
“What? The Bible? It’s not a dirty word, you know. You can say it.”
“Fine. Why did you give me the Bible? You know how I feel about this stuff now.”
“This stuff, huh?” He shook his head and took a seat beside her on the floor. “I know you’re in a sad place right now, which is why I thought you might want to be reminded of happier times so that you could see that maybe life isn’t all bad.”
“Happier times like when my mother abandoned me?” she asked, tucking the little book back into her stocking—out of sight, out of mind—before taking a deep, shuddering breath. Most days she tried not to spare a single thought for her selfish runaway mom, especially on the holidays. She hadn’t earned the right to be a part of their world. Not anymore.
“We had a good life together, you and me,” her father said with a sigh of his own. “We still do.”
Abigail brought her knees up to her chest and hugged them tight. She didn’t have the strength for this—not now, not ever. “I’m sorry, Dad. I don’t mean to take this out on you. It’s kind of why I wanted to be alone today.”
“And it’s exactly why I wouldn’t leave you to your own devices.” He lowered himself to the floor beside her, sitting close but not reaching out to touch her. “Wallowing solves nothing, baby girl. Owen wouldn’t want you to live this way.”
“It’s only been a few months,” Abigail sputtered, unable to look at him. “At least give me time to deal with my grief.”
“Take all the time you need. I just want to make sure you know you’re not alone. You’ve got me, and you’ve got God.”
When Abigail continued to stare stonily at her feet, he added, “The dogs, too. They’re here for you, and I’m willing to bet you need them just as much as they need you.”
Chapter 7
Abigail
They spent the rest of Christmas day watching their favorite holiday movies and keeping a close eye on Mama Mary and her puppies. By the end of it, Abigail was glad her father hadn’t left her alone, but she also felt exhausted from the lack of sleep the night before coupled with all the time spent being social today—even if it was just with her dad.
“I’m going to hit the hay,” she announced, hugging him goodnight. “Thank you for today.”
As she padded to her room, she heard the scratch of little toenails following close behind. Sure enough, she turned to see the mother Chihuahua standing right at her heels.
“Good night, Mama Mary,” she cooed. “See you in the morning.”
But when she began walking again, the dog continued on after her.
“Hey, what are you doing? Go back to your puppies,” Abigail urged her.
But Mama Mary just plopped her butt down and beat her twitching tail against the wood floor.
“Well, will you look at that! Looks like she needs you just as much as those puppies need her,” her father said, rising from his chair with a chuckle. “Let’s get them settled in your room.”
“Why do you like me so much?” Abigail asked the Chihuahua, who merely tilted her head and widened her dark eyes in response.
Her father continued to laugh as he squeezed past with the makeshift bed of puppies. “Well, why wouldn’t she? I mean, what’s not to love?”
Oh, everything, Abigail wanted to respond, but bit her tongue. She’d once liked the person she was, but lately she didn’t even recognize what she’d become. Could a few months really change a person so completely? And, even more worryingly, would she ever find her way back?
At least taking care of Mary and her litter of wee ones would provide a bit of a distraction to the unending monotony that filled her days lately. But she worried about allowing herself to become too attached. What if the dogs were also ripped away like a bloody bandage? What if she lost them the way she had lost Owen?
It hurt to open herself back up, even if it was just to a scraggly little dog. And yet, how could she say no when the brave mother Chihuahua clearly craved her friendship?
“You can stay with me tonight,” she told the dog at last. “But tomorrow we’re going to find your owners. They must be worried sick.”
Her father sent her a knowing glance. “Since you’re planning to go out, would you also get dog food, a new bed, a crate, collars, leashes… basically the works?”
Abigail sighed and paused in the doorway to her bedroom. “What? No, I’m not going out. I thought I could start an Internet search. I’d be happy to order whatever supplies you need from Amazon, but don’t you think you’re jumping the gun just a bit here?”
“What I think,” he said, studying his daughter with a tender expression now, “is that you haven’t left the house for weeks. This will be good for you. Besides, it’s high time.”
“But you said to take as long as I need to,” she reminded him. Of course, she wanted to get better, but that was much easier said than done. Being around other people—people who recognized her as the good pastor’s daughter, no less—would only make things harder.
“Getting on with life doesn’t mean you’re letting go of Owen,” he said, eyeing her cautiously.
He knows he’s pushing me. He’s doing it on purpose! she realized, though she was completely unsurprised by this revelation. After all, it was her father’s way. If there was some poor soul in need of fixing, he was always first in line to volunteer for the job.
Her father shrugged as if that were enough to downplay his meddling. “All you need to do is go to the pet store, get what we need, then come right back. I’m way behind on prepping my sermon for Sunday. You’d be doing me a big favor. Mama Mary, too.”
Abigail knew she would eventually have to stop hiding, but it still felt too soon to face the pitiful glances and repetitive platitudes of the various people about town. Grief wasn’t a team sport, and she had no extra energy to help others deal with Owen’s death. She hardly had enough to keep herself going.
Even if it was just a quick little trip to the pet store, she knew it would take a lot out of her. She also knew if she didn’t go, her father would continue to pick at her until she finally caved. When it came right down to it, she might as well get it out of the way now.
“Okay,” she conceded at last, bringing forth a big grin from her father. Even Mama Mary seemed to smile as she returned to nursing her puppies and watched the conversation unfold from her new spot in Abigail’s room.
“But,” she added, “if I do this, you can’t force me to leave the house again for
at least another week.” She wasn’t going to give in unless she could get a little out of this agreement, too.
“If that’s what it takes,” her father said, continuing down the hall without another word. Something told her he was already plotting how to break the deal they’d only just made.
He sure was lucky she loved him so much!
Chapter 8
Abigail
The next morning, Abigail slid into her favorite pair of sweatpants, threw her hair in a messy bun, and headed to the pet store as soon as it opened. She normally didn’t like big chain establishments, but the idea of being one of many anonymous shoppers in pet supply super stores around the country appealed to her that day.
Her waistband cut into her stomach as she sunk down into the driver’s seat of her poor neglected vehicle. Soon she’d be able to feel the baby kick, and shortly after that, others would notice the growing bump at her midsection. She zipped up her loose hoodie, hoping it would be enough to hide her tummy from gossiping onlookers, then put the car in drive.
Having been born and bred in Charleston, she hadn’t had much opportunity to drive through snow. Luckily, last night’s blizzard had mostly melted into slush. Add to that the fact few cars were out on the road so early on the day after Christmas and she could handle it just fine. With any luck, she could get in and out of the store without running into anyone she knew, then within half an hour she’d be able to put this whole miserable errand behind her.
Abigail thanked her lucky stars when she noticed only one other vehicle in the enormous parking lot. She could do this. She could buy dog food without incident or embarrassment. Because if she couldn’t, there would truly be no hope left for her.
First the dog food, then the world.
It felt silly putting so much importance on a simple errand, but it was the first normal thing she’d done since receiving news of Owen’s death all those weeks ago. She grabbed a buggy from the carousel out front and pushed it into the overly bright store with the wind blowing at her back, urging her forward.
Right, dog food.
She’d never had a dog before so wasn’t sure what the best brand was and didn’t feel like pulling out her phone and researching in the middle of the aisle. With no other options left, she grabbed a bag that sported a dog who looked like Mama Mary on the front. She also grabbed a few cans of wet food that apparently tasted like filet mignon—well, la-dee-dah—before continuing to the next aisle.
Less than ten minutes later, her buggy was bursting with an assortment of toys, treats, and comfort items, all for Mama Mary and her puppies.
Which reminded her she’d forgotten to print out the flyer she’d designed to help locate the mother dog’s owner. She’d wanted to give it to the cashier and request that she share it with anyone who stopped by, but it was too late for that now—and she definitely wasn’t leaving the house again if she could avoid it.
So back to Plan A, then.
She’d start a social media campaign with the goal of reuniting Mary with her real owners. Back before she became a hometown hermit, she’d boasted a thriving freelance graphic design business. Perhaps those skills could help attract the right eyes in this scenario, too, and could help find Mary’s owner quicker. After all, a picture said a thousand words—and a pretty picture got the point across that much better.
She smiled to herself. It was decided then, and she was almost home free. With a sharp turn of her shopping buggy, she headed toward the checkout lane, hoping she had everything her father had requested and that she had a large enough wad of bills in her pocket to cover the expense.
“Excuse me, Miss?” a husky voice called from behind her.
Abigail froze. She knew that voice, or at least a younger version of it. But she wasn’t supposed to see anyone she knew here. She was supposed to be an anonymous shopper. She—
“Um, you dropped this.” He wheeled his buggy next to hers and handed her a stuffed dinosaur toy.
Why, of all the rotten luck… It took all Abigail’s Southern gentility to avoid cursing a string of not-so-nice words at the top of her lungs right there in the middle of the mega mart.
“Wait, Abigail Elliott? Is that you?” His chocolate eyes widened and his voice grew light, happy. “Well, fancy running into you here.”
She hesitated before offering an uncomfortable smile and saying, “Hi, Gavin.”
Yes, that same Gavin who’d escorted her to the freshman dance, the same Gavin who had once made her heart beat with wild abandon…
He was the same Gavin, but she wasn’t the same Abigail.
Chapter 9
Abigail
Abigail’s heart pounded like an unwelcome visitor inside her chest. She’d worried about running into one of the little old ladies from her father’s church, but never would she have guessed she’d be standing in the middle of an empty store the day after Christmas making small talk with her eighth grade crush turned ninth grade boyfriend.
Just the mere mention of Gavin Holbrook had once sent a swoony sigh rumbling right through her. Now, it set off a sigh of a different kind all together.
Oblivious to her torment, Gavin’s smile widened to show off a row of perfectly straight teeth. Apparently all those years of braces had done him right. “I haven’t seen you in forever,” he whispered as if she were a thing to be worshipped rather than avoided.
Before Abigail could hesitate, he’d wrapped both arms around her in a tight hug. Of course, this sent her heart galloping even quicker. She glanced past his shoulder and into his buggy where an enormous tub of cat litter sat beside a bag of cat kibble and a baggie of cat nip.
“It’s okay. I’m fine,” she said, trying to remember if Gavin had owned a pet feline growing up or if he’d only recently become a cat person.
“Well, of course you’re fine,” he answered, pulling back to study her at hardly an arm’s length. How she wished he would move on, or at least move back. “The years have been more than fine to you. You look great!”
She shook her head and slipped out of his hug with as much grace as she could muster given the situation. It was strange that he hadn’t apologized for her loss yet. Most people did that the moment they laid eyes on her. Still, any minute now, he’d remember the news about Abigail’s husband and pull into full-on pity mode.
“You must be back for the holidays, right? How much longer are you here? Can I take you out to dinner?” He paused to flash another mega-watt smile her way before concluding with, “You know, for old time’s sake?”
She watched in slow motion as Gavin’s gaze fell toward her hand and the small but sparkling diamond she still wore every day to honor her vow to Owen.
“Oh,” he said. “I didn’t realize… I mean, let’s go out as just friends. Because we are, right? Friends?”
She frowned, feeling mortified for Gavin. How could he not know? “Didn’t you hear about…?” Abigail let her voice trail off.
“That you got married? I guess I hadn’t. A belated congratulations.” He smiled again, a lesser smile this time.
“No.” She twisted her hands together. While she’d dreaded everyone knowing, it was somehow worse that Gavin hadn’t heard—that she’d need to be the one to tell him.
“I mean I was married, but…” She paused and risked a glance up at him, who watched her with wide eyes. He really didn’t know. “Um, he died.”
Gavin cursed under his breath. “I had no idea. I’m so sorry, Abigail.”
“And I’m pregnant,” she added without hesitation, hoping that this reveal would curtail any lingering attraction he may harbor for her.
“With your…? I don’t know how to say this right.” Gavin turned red as he struggled to find the appropriate words. “With your husband’s baby?”
She nodded. This was the end now. He’d make an excuse and run off. They always did. Nobody knew how to handle Abigail these days. Only her father even still tried.
Gavin’s expression grew tender as if he could reach right in
and feel the pain in her heart. “So it’s a really recent loss then?”
Abigail nodded and choked back a sob. She wasn’t sure how she’d expected him to respond, but it certainly wasn’t with the tender hug that followed. That made two hugs in the space of five minutes, she noted.
Gavin held her as she cried right there in the middle of the pet emporium. Luckily, no one else was there to see save a few stray workers who gave them a wide berth.
“Well, now I’m definitely not taking no for an answer,” he said with a smile as the two of them pulled apart. “When are we having dinner?”
“Dinner? No, I can’t. I’m not ready to date. I’m not sure I’ll ever be.”
He shook his head. “No, not a date. As friends, like I said before. It seems like you could use a friend now more than ever.”
“But…” She couldn’t think of an argument to offer, but she also had no reason to say yes. It was so much easier to hide out alone in her father’s house, especially now that she had the company of the Chihuahuas and a personal mission to find Mama Mary’s owner.
“I promise no funny business,” Gavin said, which is the same thing he’d told her father when arriving to pick her up for freshman year homecoming.
The déjà vu made Abigail titter softly, just like she would have back in high school when chatting with a cute boy, a boy like Gavin.
Gavin grabbed hold of this opportunity and refused to let go. “So you do remember what fun we used to have? Remember how we used to stay up and talk on the phone past midnight?”
She nodded and twisted her hands on the bar of her buggy, eager to make her escape.
“We could do that again,” he pressed. “I’ll catch you up on my life, and you catch me up on yours. Or don’t. Look, I don’t know the protocol for this. I don’t want to pressure you, but it really does seem like you could use someone in your corner.”
Mini Miracles Page 3