Sarah and the Widow's Mate (Christmas Holiday Extravaganza)

by Gay N. Lewis

  “You want drink?” Maria interrupted Sarah’s thoughts with a question to Chadwick.

  “No thanks, Maria. We’ll be leaving for the board meeting as soon as Beth comes down.”

  When Beth entered wearing a gold silk jacket dress, Chadwick rose to greet her. “You come into a room as stunning as always. That color brings out the sparkle in your beautiful brown eyes.”

  “Thank you, Charles. You look rather dapper yourself.”

  Sarah followed them to the automobile, watched Charles open the passenger door for Beth, and then positioned herself in the backseat.

  “What do you think the meeting will be about?” Beth spoke as she pulled that gadget across her shoulder. Sarah nodded approval. Those inventions were a huge help to the guardians as they kept their charges safe.

  “The bank wants to expand. The board members hope you will go along with their proposal to build a branch in Saxonberg, a small town northwest of here.”

  Aha, now Sarah understood. The board meeting would discuss lumber and construction materials.

  “What are your thoughts regarding the matter?” Beth asked as she glanced at Charles.

  “It could be a money-making venture, but it’s a gamble. That little town has a couple of financial institutions as it is. I’m not sure they need another one. Grant’s family founded Marsh Bank years ago, and they wanted to keep it small and family-owned. We are still privately held, but we’ve grown large. Moving into a small town where relationships are built is a pleasing idea. Grant would have enjoyed that, but he isn’t here. With your husband gone, you are now the primary owner, so it’s up to you, and I’ve been impressed with your business abilities.”

  “Don’t forget—Grant left a percentage of ownership to our son and daughter.”

  “Yes, and I know that your son Gary wants to increase the bank’s reputation and Kimberly takes no interest. Believe me, the group will do what they can to talk you into disbursing some personal monies.”

  “My son is ambitious, but his voting share isn’t large enough to make a difference. I’ll listen but will make no commitment tonight. Gary is busy with Marsh Enterprises. I leave most of the decisions to him concerning our smaller companies, but I handle the majority of the investment assessments.”

  “Smart decision. I’ll try to keep the meeting short. I’ve got a remarkable new place in mind for a late-night supper.”

  “I’m going to decline the invitation, but thank you.”

  Charles glanced at Beth and wiggled his brows. “I bet I can change your mind.”

  Sarah grimaced. Gambling lingo again. Wonder what Charles could do to change Beth’s mind?

  CHAPTER SIX

  In the conference room, unable to sit still, Sarah flitted about. At each place setting, she read the title on the agenda located in front of each chair. The Board Meeting of the Marsh Bank.

  What a strange identification for a group of people. Must be a misspelling. A board was a plank or a piece of timber, and no one in this group spoke of lumber and no mention of any beams or rafters appeared on the typed schedule. Maybe the typist entered the caption wrong.

  No excitement for an angel in this room. No thrills, no stimulation, and absolutely nothing to eat. If food were present, she might have at least enjoyed something, but no, just hover around and listen to tedious talk coming from The Bored Meeting of the Marsh Bank.

  What a relief to have no worries about finances in The Heavenlies. The Father took care of all construction on mansions—and He did it all without any committee consultations. How could these folks go on about laborious things for hours?

  Whew! The group finally decided to break up. Gary hugged his mother and told her he hoped she could see expansion as a good thing. Good, no apparent animosity in their relationship. Nice-looking chap, assertive in a respectable fashion.

  Merciful heavens! It seemed to take forever for everyone to say their goodbyes. Charles planned to talk Beth into a late-night snack. What a relief it would be to get out of here and move on to something of significance.

  As he helped Beth into her coat, Charles stood behind her and rubbed his hands up and down her arms. “You aren’t going to allow me to starve, are you?”

  “Beg your pardon?” Beth turned to face him.

  “I haven’t eaten since early this morning. As the president of your financial establishment, I wanted to make sure you were well represented and knew all the facts, and I skipped lunch to prepare for this meeting. Now I’m ravenous.” He grinned down at her. “Are you feeling sorry for me yet?”

  Beth laughed up at him. “Yes, maybe a little. You did a fine job conducting this meeting. You kept Webster controlled. He grew so angry once I thought he might have a stroke.”

  “He really wants you to finance his ideas, and he intended to get an answer tonight.”

  “Thank you for supporting me. That means a great deal to me.”

  “My pleasure, ma’am. Your idea to go to Saxonberg and personally research the situation is a good one. It’s something you should do. I value your consideration of other business owners. You are a fine Christian woman, Beth.”

  “I’m a Christian, but I wouldn’t go so far as to say I’m a fine one.”

  “To me you are. And your kindness concerning the citizens of a small town is commendable.”

  Beth nodded. “A bit more time will not hurt anything. Some decisions can be made quickly while others can’t be hurried.”

  “Webster thought he could steamroll you.” Charles chuckled. “He didn’t realize until tonight that Grant wasn’t the only business-minded person in the family.”

  “Grant and I discussed many business details about our various holdings. I learned an enormous amount from him.”

  “He was a fine man, and we all miss him. Do you want to go to Saxonberg this Saturday? I’d love to take you. There’s a charming restaurant in town—one of the town ladies makes homemade pies and sells them at the place. She makes a dynamite coconut cream.”

  “My favorite and that sounds more than wonderful.”

  “Good. Now let’s find that late supper. I’ve a surprise for you.”

  A surprise? Sarah almost clapped her hands but caught herself in time. No good in scaring them with a sound they didn’t need to hear. After already being called a ghost and a goblin in the last day or so, it wouldn’t do for someone else to think an evil spirit floated about.

  Once more she took her place in the back passenger area. Merciful heavens! Charles pulled into the same bistro she visited with the short woman and Bryan Wingate the previous night. A strange coincidence? Hmmm, what’s going on here?

  Charles came around to Beth’s side and assisted her from the car. Well, at least the chap knew how to act mannerly. A plus for sure. Could he be the proper one to make Beth feel complete again?

  “Good evening Mr. Chadwick. Your table is ready.” The head honcho led them to a table in a secluded area with dimmed lights, candles, white linens, and fresh roses. He pulled out a chair for Beth. “This is our special table reserved for couples who wish to be alone.” He winked at Charles. “Enjoy.”

  “This is lovely. I’ve never been here before.”

  “I thought you’d enjoy a trip to Lugio’s. The Marsh Bank initiated a loan for the owner, and he’s done very well. At the rate his bottom line is expanding, he will have the loan paid back before the due date. The gentleman who seated us is the proprietor, but he doesn’t know who you are.”

  “Good, let’s keep it that way.”

  “I told him I was bringing a special lady, and I wanted to impress her. I’ve taken the liberty of ordering for us.”

  Sarah raised her eyebrows. Would Beth like that? After miniaturizing herself, Sarah sat among the roses. It seemed the best place to view the situation.

  Lugio brought out a basket of fresh garlic bread. Sarah’s stomach rumbled.

  “Did you say something?” Beth passed the basket to Charles.

  “No, I didn’t, but I mig
ht have heard a noise.” He glanced about the room. “No one close by. Guess we’re imagining things.”

  A violinist appeared. He nodded to Charles and launched into the softest of melodies.

  While the couple gazed at the musician, Sarah broke off a little nibble of bread and chewed. It tasted out-of-this-world good, and while savoring it, she maintained her analysis of the couple.

  This Chadwick fellow continued to work powerful magic on Beth. His subtle compliments and polite manners would impress any woman. My word! He could make an angel’s heart go pitter-pat.

  Lugio brought one sumptuous dish after another. Elegant food matched the romantic surroundings. Sarah felt a sense of harmony wash over her. What would it be like to be human and experience this kind of evening from a mortal point of view? Did this activity make Beth feel feminine in a sensual way?

  “You bring out the best in everyone, Beth. Even old Webster backed down to your calm and intellectual approach to the expansion idea.” His eyes never strayed from Beth’s. “Grant was a blessed man.”

  “It was privileged to marry Grant at a young age.” Beth glanced away as if the admiration Charles gave her made her uncomfortable. “What about your marriage to Patricia?”

  “Ours was a happy one, and it about killed me when she died.” Charles took his eyes away for a few seconds, and then looked back at Beth. The smile vanished and his eyes grew dark, but the brief glimpse of sorrow on his features quickly disappeared.

  “I wish I had known Patricia.”

  “Those who knew my wife considered her beautiful, and she was well-liked. My daughter, Susan, is still having a hard time with her mother’s death, and Patricia has been gone three years.”

  “Same length of time as my Grant.”

  “Yes, we have a lot in common.” He reached across the table and briefly caressed her arm before quickly returning his hand to his place. Sarah narrowed her eyes. Probably the dude didn’t want to overplay his advances.

  “Gary and Kimberly miss their father, but they know they will see him again in heaven, and this comforts them. Gary keeps busy with the family businesses, and Kimberly is occupied with her four children.”

  “If Susan were married and had a family, it might ease her grief.” He sighed. “She’s too preoccupied with material things to want a relationship that really matters.” He grinned sheepishly. “I’d like grandchildren.”

  Beth’s smile looked warm enough to liquefy a snowball. “They are precious little souls.”

  “Would you share yours with me?”

  “The next time I babysit, I’ll invite you to join us.”

  Beth’s eyes sparkled in the candlelight, and Sarah could see the positive response to Chadwick’s charm. The smiles her charge threw at Charles spoke volumes.

  Merciful heavens, Sarah felt her heart plummet as she watched Beth lean toward the man and touch his hand. What if this widow fell in love with Chadwick and he was the wrong guy? This persuasive bloke may be the one attracted only to money. As Beth’s salaried employee, he could harbor clandestine motives—maybe he wanted to take over the bank or gain control of all her holdings. If only the Superiors wrote the answers in their directives, but oh, no. That freedom-of-choice thingy existed for mortals and angels. Sigh.

  Should she stop this dreamy encounter or let it continue? What kind of diversion could she create? Once before, she’d caused water sprinklers to shower diners. Spying the candle on the table, an idea popped into her head.

  With a powerful, invisible force, she pushed the taper over. Wax and flame leaped onto the table. Beth and Charles immediately jumped up, and Charles slapped the fire with his napkin. Smoke billowed up to the ceiling.

  Lugio ran to the tableside with a fire extinguisher and sprayed the flare into submission, but he also covered Beth and Charles with foam.

  “We almost had a major inferno. The linen cloth was quick to go up.” Charles sounded incredulous.

  Great, just great. She’d almost caught the restaurant on fire. And what if she’d caused injury to her charges? My word! Beth’s frock could have ignited. What would the Superiors say? Why didn’t she think things through before she acted on impulse? A small diversion had been the goal; instead, she’d caused a dangerous accident.

  Well, it seemed a good idea at the time.

  “I’m so sorry. How did this happen?” Lugio addressed his comments to Beth and Charles, who were now wiping spray from their clothing.

  “I have no idea. It’s strange. We were sitting there enjoying our after-dinner coffee, and boom. The candle tipped over.” Charles placed his hand on Beth’s arm. “Are you okay?”

  “Oh, sure. It was just some kind of freak accident.” She smiled at Lugio. “No problem.”

  “I’m throwing away all these candleholders and replacing them.” He picked up a receptacle. “Maybe I need one with a heavier base, or better yet, a jar container.” He glanced at their apparel as if seeing it for the first time. “Oh, no, your lovely dress. Please buy a new one at my expense.”

  “No need.” She extended her hand and the proprietor took it. “Accidents happen, and I don’t hold you responsible. I had a lovely dinner, Lugio, and we’ll come back. Goodnight.” Beth gathered her things as she spoke.

  Sarah followed the couple to the Marsh mansion and parked herself on the roof. At least she’d kept Beth from a romantic involvement with Chadwick for the time being, but did the Superiors want that? No way to tell. The Superiors may intend for these two to be together, and if so, she was responsible for interrupting their evening and possibly delaying their union.

  Merciful heavens!

  Time to pray for direction.

  CHAPTER SEVEN

  Sarah yawned then stretched her petite form to a longer silhouette. The previous evening, sleeping on Beth’s roof seemed a good choice for eavesdropping on the people inside the dwelling, but it proved an uncomfortable selection compared to her comfy cloud. However, any noises the women heard from way up here should be minimal.

  The sun scattered its rays over the horizon and promised a diamond of a day for the Houston residents. She reached up for the report from the Charge of the Celestial Climate then read the information. Hmmm—no need for a jacket this day, even though Thanksgiving approached. The meteorologist from the upper abode went on to say that the northern part of the United States faced a blizzard in the near future, while extreme heat and drought conditions challenged inhabitants in Australia.

  So much diversification on this planet. The Lord God created a magnificent world with everything humans needed to keep their lives intact. But a blizzard? Heat and drought? Kind of early in the year for those things, though angels never knew why God formed the weather patterns the way He did. Sarah shook her head. Some things were best left unknown.

  Nothing up here to eat. Sarah sighed. Leaving the location might be a waste of time—what if she got lost again? And entering the kitchen to find a snack could develop into another disaster.

  “Sarah, may I come down?” A voice arrived before the vision appeared.

  Looking up, Sarah saw white slippers, a soft billowing robe, and voluminous wings descending her way. Celeste!

  “Yes, Celeste, please join me. I’d love a visit.”

  Celeste floated into position next to Sarah. In her hand, she held a food basket.

  “I knew you were probably hungry.” While speaking, she unfolded a red and white checkered cloth and spread it on the roof behind the chimney. Next she removed napkins, plates, and utensils, followed by orange juice, coffee, omelets, bagels with cream cheese, and cinnamon rolls.

  “Oh, Celeste, you are a Godsend.”

  Celeste exploded with rich alto laughter. “Yes, I am, aren’t I? Our commander thought you needed a treat from home and sent me with one.”

  After thanking the Father for the food, Sarah savored a cinnamon roll. “Chef Andrew is a marvelous baker. These are my favorites.”

  “For me as well.” Celeste sipped coffee flavored with
cream and huge amounts of sugar.

  “You were little Hope’s guardian and one of the first angels I met when I faced my initial assignment, but I haven’t seen you since that time, here on earth or in eternity.” Sarah cut into an omelet oozing with cheese, mushrooms, spinach, and peppers.

  A grin the size of a shooting star spread across Celeste’s features. “I enjoyed guarding that little girl, and I was pleased you were able to find her an earthly daddy.” She chuckled. “The Superiors didn’t allow you to see me, and you thought you were on double duty. That mistake caused a few hilarious episodes.” Her laughter died and she grew thoughtful. “I’ve been in a galaxy light years away, but my assignment is finished there, and I’m waiting for a new one.”

  “Do the creatures in other parts of the cosmos know God?”

  “Some do. God reveals Himself in a variety of ways. Just as you appreciated the dawn of this glorious day, others see God in His designs also. Many know He exists, but they don’t know His name.”

  “Will Jesus need to go to their location and die all over again?”

  “I believe the cross was a one-time experience. It must have been horrendous for the Father to ask His Son to come to this planet and die, and it was a supreme sacrifice for Jesus to submit to the request. Although I don’t know for sure, I don’t believe God will ask His one and only Son to do that again. I suspect the Father wants Earthlings to evangelize all creations, and that includes the extra-terrestrials.”

  “But humans can’t get there from here—not yet, anyway.”

  Celeste nodded. “God’s ways are mysterious. The Great Architect may have other ideas in His mentality besides space travel.”

  “Like what?”

  “Communication.” Celeste hands gyrated in a vertical circle. “Think about all those satellites the humans shoot into interstellar areas. Signals are picked up all over the universe. I’ve heard them, and so have many of the extraterrestrials. Perhaps one day God’s earthly people will be able to beam images and conversation across the vastness of galaxies.”