She pulled a tissue from her pocket and wiped her eyes. “Drew, I get what you’re saying. I really do. It’s hard for me to trust in this heavenly father figure when…”
“When what?”
“My own father didn’t even want me. Where was God when that was happening?”
“Again, I don’t have those answers, Carly.”
Silence hung between them as she wrestled with her emotions. Drew’s gentle presence, not pushing in, not insisting she buy his explanation, instead quietly accepting her, almost brought a fresh round of tears. She pinched the bridge of her nose as she tried to rein in her feelings.
“Do you mind if I pray for you?”
She looked around. “You mean here? Now?”
“Yes.”
He reached for her hand and squeezed it. She lowered her head.
“Father God, what a beautiful universe you’ve created for us to enjoy. Please lighten Carly’s heart and her burdens that she may see you in the circumstances around her. Despite what our human eyes focus on, you know the big picture. You see the stars in the daylight and at night. I come before your throne tonight and ask you to give Carly a glimpse into your plan for her life—in a way that lets her know your hand is there.”
A shiver rippled through her. She’d never heard anyone pray with such fervor before. Like God would answer. And not about some incredible spiritual thing—but about her. Drew raised her hand in his and held it against his cheek. “No matter what, we’re friends. You can count on me.”
Her heart felt like it would break in two. She wanted more than friendship. She leaned against his chest, and he slipped his arms around her. A warmth enveloped her like she’d never experienced before. One she never wanted to leave her. “Thank you,” she whispered.
God, if you’re there, please show me.
Her prayer wasn’t as magnificent as Drew’s, but if God was who everyone claimed he was, it wouldn’t matter. She clung to that sliver of hope like a lifeline.
Chapter Seven
“Sit anywhere you’d like, dear.” Lottie handed Carly a small china plate holding a piece of pumpkin pie slathered with whipped cream. Although it was Thanksgiving, Lottie’s home looked like the holiday had collided with Christmas. Cornucopia and acorn-shaped salt-and-pepper shakers adorned her green-and-orange checked tablecloth. A porcelain Pilgrim couple perched on her buffet, and Christmas angels on her foyer table had tea lights surrounding them.
“Thank you.” Carly sat on the diminutive mauve sofa in Lottie’s living room that harkened back to yesteryear. A twinge caught in her throat as images of Grandma rose in her mind. “And not only for the pie but including me for Thanksgiving.”
“I wish you’d come for dinner.” Lottie settled in beside her after laying a tray filled with coffee, cream, and sugar on the table in front of them. A box marked ‘Christmas decorations’ sat in the corner, and a nativity scene had already been unpacked and displayed on her fireplace mantle.
“It’s okay. I went up to Baker’s Mountain and hiked the loop Tuesday, then had a busy day at the shop yesterday getting ready for Black Friday, so it was nice to sleep in. I’m anticipating a long day at the shop tomorrow, so the quiet today will be relaxing.”
“I guess my three boys and their kids wouldn’t have been very quiet.”
Carly laughed. “Probably not. Where are they, anyway?”
“Off to the in-laws.” Lottie settled back against the sofa. “By this time of day, I’m worn out, so it’s nice they come here first. They’ll come by tomorrow with my Christmas tree. Of course, I couldn’t resist unpacking the nativity and a few knickknacks. And they’ll fuss, but I’ll have the garland unpacked and some trimmings up before they get here. They think I should be saving my strength. For what? This is my favorite time of year. I’m not gonna waste a single minute of it.” Her smile spread to her sparkling eyes.
Carly couldn’t help but smile with her. Was there anything that didn’t bring this woman joy? She took another bite of the pie and savored the rich cinnamon-and-nutmeg flavor. “Did you do much of the cooking today?”
“No, they bring everything except desserts.”
Carly thought back to her own childhood and the Thanksgivings spent at her grandmother’s. Memories of a large turkey with cornbread dressing, stories about the olden days, playing with the few cousins she’d had back then flooded her mind. She frowned. Whatever happened to those kids, anyway? As her mother’s health declined, the family traditions had faded down to their little world. She couldn’t imagine Lottie’s family turning out like that. Not with her at the helm. “You’re building memories for the little ones.”
“Indeed, I am.” Lottie beamed. “So tell me where we are with the Christmas play.”
“With less than two weeks until the first performance, we’re in good shape. Everything’s been repainted, washed, or rebuilt.” Carly’s heart stirred when she thought of Drew working side by side with her on the project. She forked a piece of pie into her mouth. “Mmm, this is so delicious.”
“Old family recipe.” Lottie scooped a large bite onto her fork.
Carly raised her eyebrows. “Really? You’re a great cook.”
“Oh, not my family. But undoubtedly someone at the bakery.” Lottie grinned and reached for the coffee pot to fill the cups.
Snickering, Carly put her napkin over her mouth. “You’re a sly one, Lottie.”
“No, you just haven’t heard all my jokes yet.”
“Is that why you keep me around?”
Lottie joined in the laughter. “Now you’re really on to me. Seriously, I’ve remade some of the costumes for the children. The boys are so rough on the shepherds’ cloaks. At least the angel costumes are in better shape.”
“I can only imagine. I remember how the boys were when I was that age.”
“Did you go to the Methodist church, dear?”
“I did. Sometimes I rode the church bus, but otherwise my mom managed to get me there.”
“She was spiritual, your mother?”
“Uh…well…not really.” Carly swallowed hard to get the last piece of pie down without choking. Why had she brought up the subject of her mother?
Lottie patted her hand. “No worries. You’re here now. That’s all that matters.”
“Thank you.”
“For what?”
“For not judging me. For including me. For giving meaning to my life again but mostly for teaching me that life isn’t all about me.”
Lottie leaned back against the sofa, her eyes wide. “That’s a whole lot of stuff. I’ll try not to get a big head about it.”
“You do that.” Carly covered the older lady’s gnarled hand with her own. “Seriously,” she said, emphasizing the word as Lottie had moments before. “All joking aside, you’ve done more than I can say.”
Lottie’s eyes glistened as she covered Carly’s hand with her other one. “You’re welcome. I don’t know how I could’ve gotten this Christmas program put together without you.”
Carly knew. Lottie would’ve elicited someone else’s help and gotten the work accomplished. Carly suspected it had more to do with reaching out to someone in need. Her. If anything qualified as a “God thing,” a phrase she’d heard thrown around too casually for her liking, Lottie’s coming into her life would be that.
“Don’t let your coffee get cold, dear.” Lottie sipped from a delicate china cup, stopping in between to finish her pie.
Stirring a spoonful of sugar into her coffee and adding cream, Carly considered what still had to be done. “If you’d like, we can get together on Wednesday to go through the costumes one more time before dress rehearsal. That way if any props are missing, we can get those, too.”
A smile spread across Lottie’s face. “Perfect idea. The children will all be there for their Wednesday evening programs.” She set her empty plate down, straightened her floral skirt, and crossed her ankles. “In the meantime, why don’t you tell me all about Drew?”
&
nbsp; Carly wanted to crawl under the sofa. But the beaming face staring into hers wouldn’t allow it. “He’s down at his mother’s for Thanksgiving. He should be back next week.”
“Are you dating?”
Carly gasped. “My, you’re the inquisitive one.”
“At my age, you can’t afford to waste time.”
“I still have a few years yet until I reach that milestone age, so I like to take things kind of slow.”
“Pshaw.” Lottie waved aside her words. “Mr. Adkins asked me to marry him after two dates.”
“He didn’t! You didn’t. Did you?”
“No.” She smirked. “I made him wait another month.”
Carly laughed so hard tears squeezed from the corners of her eyes. “Oh, Lottie,” she said when she finally caught her breath, “things were simpler back then. Relationships are way more complicated now.”
“Are they?” Lottie stood and gathered the empty plates and cups onto the tray. “Love. Pledging to stand beside each other through thick and thin. Similar interests. What am I leaving out?”
“I don’t know,” Carly almost wailed. “Can we please focus on the Christmas program?”
“Sure.” Lottie hummed a carol as she walked into the kitchen with the tray. “I can hardly wait until Christmas. What about you?”
Exhausted, Carly dropped her head into her hands. For a petite, elderly lady, Lottie sure did run circles around her. Christmas couldn’t come and go fast enough.
***
“Drew, will you corral the boys so we can try on costumes? I don’t want any last minute snafus.” Carly’s nerves were about as shot as they could get from the loud voices, the pranks played on the girls, and the squealing that ensued in the church’s fellowship hall. The midweek activities had done little to dissipate their energy.
“Okay.” Drew clapped his hands to get their attention. “All the shepherds, wise men, and Joseph, I need you over here.” He motioned to the far side of the hall. “Come on,” he called as he herded them, catching a stray boy by the shirt as he tried to slip past.
For a split second, Carly imagined what Drew would look like on a cattle drive, atop a horse, trying to stop stampeding cows. Giggles bubbled inside her, and she coughed to get them under control.
“Glad you’re amused,” he called over his shoulder.
Carly spent the next twenty minutes going through the costumes, one by one, having the boys pull the cloaks over their clothes and tie turbans on their heads. Drew stayed on the edge of the fray occasionally but gently, admonishing when necessary.
“You’re pretty good at this.” Carly grinned and settled a wise man’s hat atop his head.
“Thanks. Keenan’s given me lots of experience.”
“Yeah, I’m thinking your mom had it the worst.”
He clutched his chest. “Oh, now you’ve wounded me.”
“I’m sure.” She turned back to face the children. “Okay, juice and cookies are on the tables. Ms. Lottie has worked hard to get this set up. Let’s give her a big thank you.”
“Thank you, Ms. Lottie,” they all chorused, each trying to be louder than the next.
“Not sure that was a good idea,” Drew said under his breath.
Carly covered her ears. “I think that reached the outer decibel levels.”
Lottie grinned broadly and motioned them toward the seats. She hurried over after everyone was seated and eating. “That went well.”
“You’ve got nerves of steel.” Carly dropped into a chair.
Lottie sat beside her. “When you raise three boys, you get used to a little noise.”
Carly smiled wryly. “A little?”
“You’ll find out one day, dear, when you have your own family.” Lottie patted her hand then shot a glance at Drew, who kept a close eye on the tables. She gestured her head toward him to drive home her point.
“Don’t do that,” Carly whispered.
Drew turned to face them. “What’s that? Did I miss something?”
Her face warmed. “No, you didn’t.”
With her quirky smile, Lottie put her arm around Carly’s shoulder. “I’m so glad you’re here. Next Friday’s dress rehearsal. Can I count on both of you to help out?”
“Sure.” Drew lounged against a window ledge where he could quickly move to the tables if need be. A few parents lingered nearby, as well, chatting and drinking coffee.
Though Lottie’s insinuation had embarrassed her, Carly couldn’t easily discount her words. What kind of father would Drew be? The other dads milled around, some occasionally nodding to Drew or making a comment. When Larry Davis came through the door, Drew joined him and a couple of other men to chat. Easy chatter floated through the air, warming Carly, making her feel she belonged, even though she was on the fringe of activity. Out of the corner of her eye, she caught Lottie staring into space.
“Penny for your thoughts, Lottie,” Carly leaned over and murmured to her.
“Ah, thinking about how it doesn’t seem like that long ago I was in the mix of young women, trying to figure out how to be the perfect mother, always assuming I was doing something wrong when everyone else seemed to have it all figured out.” She chuckled. “And yet somehow, I managed to get it right most of the time. At least by the looks of my boys now.”
“I’m sure you did.” An ache radiated through Carly’s chest. If only she had appreciated the camaraderie when she had it. The church had not really changed. It had been here all along, like Lottie said, going through its seasons, children being born, older members passing on—the circle of life. She had been the one who stepped away, into a quagmire of quicksand filled with poor choices in trying to go it alone. What would it have been like with the support of people like Lottie and the others here?
She swiped at the tears that stung the corners of her eyes threatening to spill. Could she return? For more than a superficial reason of helping with a seasonal project? Lottie’s hand rested on her arm, and Carly looked up into her smiling face. Somehow she always seemed to know when she needed an encouraging touch. Carly covered Lottie’s hand with her own and smiled.
“Let’s round these kids up and put everything away.” Lottie rose from her chair and walked to the center of the room.
Drew broke away from his group and lingered near her. “Everyone, may we have your attention?”
Conversations stopped, and heads snapped around at his booming voice.
“Thank you, my dear.” Lottie raised a sheet of paper in her hand. “I have the schedule for practices, then dress rehearsal a week from Friday, and we’ll start performing Saturday night after. If anybody has a problem with the schedule, don’t see me.”
Laughter broke out.
“Lucy Nance, the children’s choir director, is the person to contact. Her number is at the bottom of the schedule. Raise your hand, Lucy.”
A middle-aged woman with graying black hair put her hand in the air as instructed. “Thanks for all your help, Lottie.”
Everyone cheered and Lottie beamed. “Okay, there’s a few more cookies over here. Let’s get finished so the men folk can straighten up the fellowship hall for Sunday services.”
Lottie handed out the schedules as parents filed past her, thanking her again and herding their children toward the exit.
Carly felt Drew at her side before she saw him.
He leaned toward her. “Hope I have half that much energy at her age.”
“You and me both.” Carly glanced over at him. She’d worked every day that week, so she’d not had a chance to really have a conversation with him since the holiday weekend. “How was Thanksgiving?”
“Nice.” He leaned in closer, his warm breath brushing the nape of her neck. “Would’ve been better if you’d gone with us.”
Confusion flowed through her. He’d kept his physical distance, not even trying to kiss her, even when given the chance, but he wanted her to meet his mother?
“I’m glad you weren’t alone. That’s what’s important
.”
So that was his reason. Again, she misinterpreted his desire to be nice with, well, desire. She rubbed her temples. Why couldn’t she keep her emotions in check?
“Are you excited about the program?”
“I am. The set turned out beautifully. Lottie did an amazing job refurbishing the costumes.”
“I’ve convinced Keenan to come to the Christmas program.”
Her mouth dropped open. “Well, that’s news.”
Drew laughed. “For sure. Maybe our weekly wood drive has made him reconsider his place in life. He was certainly more pleasant over Thanksgiving than he’s been in a while. ‘Course he’s nicer around Mom anyway.”
“I do appreciate you inviting me to your home, Drew, but I didn’t want to send the wrong signals to your mom…or Keenan.”
Drew rubbed the back of his neck. “Yeah, that might have been sticky. Likely, we’d both been up for a lot of ribbing.”
She smiled. “Anyway, I’ll look forward to meeting him.”
“Meanwhile…” He shifted beside her.
She slowly swung her gaze around to study his face. “Meanwhile?”
“One of my clients is hosting a Christmas party at the Hickory Country Club. There’ll be dancing and hors d’oeuvres… and dinner if you’d like. I’d love for you to join me.”
“When?”
“Friday night.”
Her mouth gaped. “Day after tomorrow? I don’t know if I have anything to wear.”
“Sorry. It was kind of a last minute invite. I debated whether to even go, but then I thought it would be fun if you went along.”
The country club? That was the last place on earth she expected to spend a Friday night during Christmas. She nibbled her bottom lip and looked into his pleading eyes. How could she say no?
“I don’t want to pressure you, but I’d really like you to join me.”
A nervous titter escaped from her lips. “If it means that much…” She squared her shoulders and drew a deep breath. “Yeah, I’ll go.”
“Good.” He reached for her hand and gave it a squeeze. “You’ll see. It’ll be fun.”
Silent Stars of Bethlehem (O Little Town of Christmas) Page 6