Finally, he stood back, looking down at her, his arms looped around her waist. “You were right about something else, too, Emily. The real adventure is being married to you, and whatever comes along with that, even if it’s a baby. What I realized this week is that caring for Jane has deepened my love for you and made our marriage even stronger. Why would I ever want to give all that up?”
Emily hugged him close again and squeezed him so tight he practically cried out for mercy. “I have an idea,” she said. “Let’s go tell Jane.”
He smiled and kissed her again. “I already did.”
“SARA! WHEN DID YOU GET BACK?”
Emily had just walked out of the church on Friday morning and could hardly believe it when she saw Sara walking in. She quickly hugged her daughter and leaned back to look at her.
“I just got here five minutes ago. Lindsay called and said they needed me back at the newspaper right away. There’s so much going on because of the fire.”
“It was terrible. But it’s amazing the way the town has pulled together to help these people. That’s the real story.” Emily paused, feeling full of news and not knowing where to begin. She was also dying to know what happened with Sara’s job interview but was trying not to pounce on her about it. “How is everyone in Maryland?” she asked. “Did you have a good time?”
“It was great to see them. They want to come up here soon again for a visit. Maybe in February.”
“Oh . . . will you still be here?” Emily was happily surprised. “What about Philadelphia?”
“That didn’t turn out to be much. I would be back at square one, taking phone calls and bringing real reporters coffee. I don’t need to work on a big paper that much.”
Emily tried not to look as thrilled as she felt. “You’ll know when the right opportunity comes along.”
“This certainly wasn’t it, believe me.”
Emily took her hand. “I have some great news. Dan and I have applied to adopt Jane.”
Sara’s face lit up with happiness. “That’s wonderful! When did you decide? I thought Dan was against the idea.”
“He was,” Emily said slowly, smiling. “But we talked it out—argued, really—and we both took some time to think things through. And then he decided he couldn’t live without Jane, either. It’s still not certain, of course, but at least we’re trying.”
“Oh, I know you’ll be the ones,” Sara said, hugging her. “I have a feeling this will all work out for you, Emily.”
“Thanks, honey, I hope so.” Emily had a feeling, too, but she was too scared to say. So far her feelings in this matter hadn’t been all that foolproof.
Prayer had helped, though, she was certain of it. And now her prayers were mostly full of gratitude.
“Listen, we’re having a get-together on New Year’s Eve. Will you come?”
“Sure. I don’t have any plans,” Sara said honestly. She hesitated a moment and then asked, “Is Luke around? I heard he’s been helping.” Sara’s voice was tentative, shaky. Emily felt for her.
“He’s been a tremendous help, as always. He’s not at the church right now, though. A few families are staying at the center. He’s been out there with them mostly.”
“That makes sense.” Sara nodded. “I guess Christina has been helping, too. Just to show what a good sport she is,” she added. “Did she bang out some big feature about the fire for the Globe?”
Emily had to smile. “I haven’t seen Christina around, Sara. As for that Globe article, maybe you’re the one who ought to get working on that.” In addition to getting back together with Luke, Emily wanted to add. She didn’t say that, though, just gazed at her daughter a minute. Then she hugged her quickly once more. “See you tomorrow night. Come around eight.”
“I’ll be there.” Sara waved, ran up the steps to the big wooden doors of the church, and slipped inside.
Emily was so glad Sara was back, and even happier that she would be staying. She had a lot to celebrate this New Year’s. What in the world did I do to deserve all this happiness? she wondered.
EMILY AND DAN WORKED ALL DAY, CLEANING THE HOUSE AND REARRANGING the furniture to get everything set for their New Year’s Eve party. Everyone was bringing a dish, so Emily didn’t worry too much about the menu. It would all blend together somehow, she decided.
Dressed for the party in a gold satin top and black velvet pants, she hustled about, putting a few finishing touches on her decorating. She filled the living room and dining room with votive lights and sprinkled golden confetti and festive streamers on the white linen tablecloths. She set out piles of silly Happy New Year’s hats and noisemakers, hoping everyone would be inspired to make a racket at the stroke of midnight. And for the crowning touch, she let loose a huge bunch of helium balloons that had Happy New Year stamped all over them and let them float up to the ceiling.
When Dan came downstairs, dressed and ready to receive their guests, he gazed around in wonder. “What in the . . . balloons, too? What is this, Times Square?”
“Not quite, but not bad for Cape Light,” Emily remarked, admiring her handiwork.
Dan walked over to her and took hold of her shoulders. “You’re so happy, you’re on cloud nine. That’s a good start to the New Year.”
Emily smiled up at him. “I haven’t been this happy since . . . the day I married you.”
“Me either,” he agreed, pulling her close. “Hard to believe it’s just been a year.”
“It went by so quickly. So much has happened—”
“And keeps happening,” he finished, drawing her to him for a kiss.
The doorbell rang and they slowly drew apart. “Meet me right here at midnight,” Dan said softly.
“I will,” Emily promised him.
Molly Willoughby and Matt Harding were the first to arrive. Molly was so impressed by the decorations, she jokingly offered to hire Emily to join her catering business. Jessica and Sam came in next, then Betty Bowman with her latest boyfriend, a lawyer named Scott Craft who lived in Hamilton. Scott seemed funny and smart and kind, and Betty looked radiant. Maybe, Emily thought hopefully, Betty had finally met the “one.” Ever since her painful divorce, Betty had been very wary of commitment.
Emily sometimes wondered if that was Sara’s problem, too—a fear of settling down. But Sara was so young, she certainly had time. Still, Emily hoped her daughter and Luke could resolve their differences and at least get on speaking terms again. She knew it wasn’t right to interfere and had purposely not invited Luke so that Sara would be comfortable coming to the party. But Luke had a way of showing up at these events, invited or not. Emily was holding out hope for one of his infamous “party crashings,” as her mother called them.
Dr. Elliot had driven Lillian over, and they entered bickering, as usual. “Watch out, you two. You’re standing right under the mistletoe,” Dan teased them, hoping to break up the argument, Emily was sure. At Dan’s words, her mother leaped so quickly out of the threshold, Emily half feared she’d fall and break her hip again.
Emily was trying not to laugh at her mother’s sudden display of athleticism when Sam came up and drew Emily aside. “Listen, I ran into Luke today. He wasn’t doing anything tonight, so I mentioned the party, told him to take a ride over later. I hope that’s all right. I didn’t think you and Dan would mind.”
“Of course I don’t mind. I like Luke.” Emily’s gaze strayed across the room to Sara, who stood chatting with Betty and Scott. “Does Sara know?” she asked quietly.
Sam shrugged. “No, should I tell her?”
Emily sighed, unsure of what to do. “Well . . . he might not even come. Why get her all concerned? Let’s just wait and see what happens. I’ll handle it.” She patted her brother-in-law on the arm, acting far more confident than she really felt.
The hours passed quickly with lively music, good food, and good company. Even her mother seemed to be relaxed and having a good time, telling stories about the days when she was a young girl growing up in Bo
ston society—the coming-out parties and winter white balls and peau de soie silk gowns imported from Paris. Emily gazed at her wistfully. No wonder her mother sometimes seemed so out of step with everyone around her. Lillian had come from another world altogether, and now nearly all traces of that world had vanished.
Sara seemed subdued, Emily noticed, and the reason was no mystery. All alone on New Year’s Eve. Emily had been there more than once; it wasn’t a good feeling. Her heart went out to her daughter, but she promised herself she wouldn’t meddle.
At eleven o’clock, Jane woke up for her late-night bottle, and Emily brought her out to the party. The guests flocked around the baby, happy to see her and happy for Dan and Emily’s decision to go ahead with the adoption.
Jessica sat the nearest to Emily on the sofa and leaned over for an impulsive hug. “I’m so happy for you, Emily. This is really a miracle.”
Emily nodded. “It is, isn’t it?”
“She is an attractive child,” Lillian said quietly, “and appears to have a reasonable disposition.”
Emily and Jessica turned to their mother, both looking shocked. Lillian shrugged. “Of course, you never know. They do go through so many stages,” she added, quick to withdraw some of the good feeling generated by her prior comment. “You can never be sure what you’re going to get.”
Emily glanced at her sister, trying hard not to laugh. “I’ll just have to roll with it, I guess, Mother,” she said.
“Believe me, you will,” Lillian promised her with a curt nod.
The doorbell rang and Dan quickly walked over to answer it. Emily was not surprised to see Luke standing there, though everyone else seemed to be. Her gaze flew to Sara, who was talking with Sam and didn’t notice Luke at the door.
Sam did, though. He leaned over and said a few private words to Sara. She turned and stared at Luke and seemed to swallow hard. Then, with Sam at her side, she walked over to greet him.
Despite Dan’s encouragement, Luke didn’t come in. He looked a bit sheepish, Emily thought, standing around in the cold, his hands dug into the pockets of his blue jeans.
Lillian spied him and gave a loud sniff. “That gate-crasher again. Of course. I could set my watch by his arrival.”
Jessica laughed. “Sam told Luke about the party, Mother. It’s okay.”
“That’s what I call hearsay, not an invitation. I thought I taught you better manners.” Lillian sat back in her chair, looking disgusted.
Meanwhile, Sara had slipped outside with Luke, and Sam had closed the door. Emily glanced heavenward.
Dear God, I know it’s not my place to meddle in Sara’s relationships . . . but surely You can? Please help her sort things out with Luke. He’s such a good guy and I know they really love each other. Please let them at least hear each other out?
Okay, I’ll stop now, Emily said silently, ending her prayer.
SARA WORE A WOOL SWEATER AND A SUEDE BLAZER BUT STILL FELT cold outside. She crossed her arms over her chest, hugging herself for warmth. She felt shocked when she saw Luke in the doorway and then afraid to talk to him. Sam had more or less pushed her out the door.
“So . . . how was your holiday?” she started off, not knowing what to say.
Luke shrugged. “All in all, pretty lousy. Though it was good to hang out with the kids at the center. Some of them didn’t have anyplace to go, so we cheered each other up a little.”
Sara nodded, staring down at her boots. “What about Christina? Didn’t she cheer you up?”
“Not exactly. Christina left town. She wasn’t around for Christmas.”
“Oh?” Sara looked up at him, surprised. “I thought she rented a cottage, planned to write her book here.”
He shrugged. “I guess Cape Light turned out to be too quiet for her.”
Sara considered his words carefully. Christina had been disappointed, she gathered. But maybe not just by the town being too quiet.
“I thought she had her sights set on you,” Sara said frankly. “She seemed pretty determined.”
“I think she had some big fantasy about how great it would be if we got back together. I think the real me disappointed her,” he said with a little laugh.
“Really? Now I know she’s a complete idiot,” Sara said.
Luke laughed. “That’s the first nice thing you’ve said to me in weeks. Does that mean there’s some hope?”
“Some,” she admitted. She met his gaze and looked away again. He stood apart from her but stared at her so intently, his steady focus seemed to draw her closer.
“So what about your holidays? How are your folks?”
“They’re fine.” Asked a lot about you, she almost added, but couldn’t quite get the words out.
“And that job interview in Philadelphia? How did that go?”
“It was a complete dud,” she admitted. “Sounds like I’d be a glorified secretary for years before they would even let me proof copy, much less write a story.”
“Oh . . . that’s too bad.” He crossed his arms over his chest, finally smiling.
“Or not, depending on how you look at it.” She met his gaze again, then smiled back at him. “I’m sorry I acted out about Christina, Luke. That night we went out to dinner . . . I acted like a child, the way I ran out and left you two there. That wasn’t right. I shouldn’t have been mad at you, either.” She sighed. “I was just pretty jealous, I guess.”
“So I gathered,” he said quietly. “I didn’t mind that part that much. Two gorgeous women, fighting over me. That wasn’t what I’d call a bad evening out.”
She glared at him and he laughed. “Just kidding,” he added. His expression grew serious. “Okay, so Christina’s out of the picture. She never really was in it to begin with. That was all in your imagination, Sara.”
She nodded, finally knowing what he said was true.
“So where does that leave us? Are you still scared of making a commitment? Do you still want to work at a bigger newspaper, no matter where that turns out to be?”
Sara swallowed. “I need to be honest with you, Luke. I am scared of making a commitment. You talk about getting married and having a family so easily. It’s not that easy for me to see myself doing those things right now. Especially having a baby.”
He nodded. “We don’t have to start a family right away. I understand if you’re not ready yet. Hey, look at Emily and Dan. If they’re just starting off, we have loads of time left.”
The comparison made Sara laugh in spite of herself. She felt relieved to see he really did understand. She took a step closer and took his hand. “I’m scared of this engagement and marriage thing,” she said quietly, “but I realized something down in Maryland. I don’t want to be away from you, Luke. I don’t want to make new plans, or take a new job, or do anything anymore without you. I want us to start a life together. I think I’m finally ready for that. Will you still have me?”
“Hmm . . . can I think about it a little?” he asked. His voice was serious but his expression was teasing. When he saw the crushed look on Sara’s face, he laughed and drew her close in a tight embrace. “Of course I’ll have you, you silly goose. Don’t you get it yet? I don’t want anyone but you. That’s just the way it is for me.”
Sara buried her face in his shoulder, crying with relief and love. She felt him suddenly pull away and didn’t understand what was happening, until she saw him drop down on one knee.
He took her hand and looked up at her. “Sara, you are the most wonderful woman I’ve ever met in my life. The most remarkable person, really. I love you with all my heart and soul, and I’ll do all I can to make you happy. Will you marry me? I’d be the happiest man on Earth.”
Sara felt breathless, overcome with his words and his tender loving look. She took his face in both of her hands. “Yes, I’ll marry you, Luke. I love you more than anything.”
He jumped up, put his arms around her, and kissed her deeply. Then he pulled back and dug his hand into his pocket. He pulled out a small blue velv
et box and handed it to her. Sara was speechless.
“Go on, open it,” he whispered.
Sara opened it slowly, knowing what she would find: the ring from the jewelry store, the round solitaire in the gold and platinum setting. But even knowing, she wasn’t prepared for its beauty, its fire beneath the light of the winter moon. “Oh, Luke, you didn’t have to get this ring. It was so expensive.”
“That was the one you liked, wasn’t it? We can change it if it’s not right,” he added quickly.
“Oh no . . . it’s perfect. I love it.” She took the ring out and he put it on her finger. He held her hand a moment, admiring it, then smiled into her eyes. “It is a nice ring.”
“I adore it,” she said, hugging him again. “Wait a minute. You came here with this ring, knowing you would propose to me?”
Luke shrugged. “I didn’t know what was going to happen. I figured if not tonight, I would just hang on to it and try again some other time.”
Sara didn’t know what to say. She couldn’t believe that anyone could love her that much, could want her that much. She felt like the luckiest woman in the world to have a man like Luke so in love with her.
They held each other close for a long time, until Emily appeared at the door. “I’m sorry,” she said, sounding embarrassed. “But I thought you’d want to know, it’s almost midnight.”
Luke and Sara quickly went inside and joined the rest of the party, who were now gathered around the TV in the small sitting room. They watched coverage from Times Square in New York, counting down the seconds along with the television as the end of the year drew nearer.
“Ten . . . nine . . . eight . . . seven . . . six . . . five . . . four . . . three . . . two . . . ONE!”
They blew their noisemakers, whooped and laughed, cried and hugged and kissed each other, stumbling around the small sitting room in a frenzy of good wishes.
Emily hugged Sara close. “Happy New Year, sweetheart,” she said. Sara said the same, then pulled back, and silently showed Emily the engagement ring.
Emily screamed, causing everyone to turn in alarm. “Sara! Oh my goodness!” She turned to her guests. “Sara and Luke . . . they’re engaged!” she announced, half laughing and half crying.
The Christmas Angel Page 25