by Leah Atwood
Her hand flew to her mouth. “Breakfast with my parents. I’m so sorry. I had a nightmare about Evan and completely forgot.”
“It’s okay.” He sat beside her and their shoulders touched. “Do you need to talk?”
“Evan is alive, Luke!”
Relief filled his face. “That’s great news. When did you find out?”
“I haven’t yet, not officially.” She clamped her lips when his face contorted with confusion.
“What do you mean?”
She told him about her dream, and why she came to the church. “Think I’m crazy if you want, but I know he’s alive and going to be okay.” When she looked at him, she expected to see a mocking gaze, but it was anything but.
“That's one of the reasons I love you, Kate. Despite everything you’ve experienced, your faith is unshakeable.” He brushed her forehead with his fingertips.
“You think I’m right?”
“I believe God can give us peace in unique ways, and I pray you’ll get your confirmation soon.”
Jubilant, she threw her arms around him, then pulled her head back, her arms still around his neck. “What did you just say?”
“I believe—”
“No, before that.”
His eyes shifted up. “Your faith is unshakeable.”
“Right before that.”
He gave her an uncertain smile. “That’s one of the reasons I love you.”
“Do you mean…”
“Too soon, isn’t it?”
She shook her head. “No, not at all.”
“Then I love you. I think I lost my heart when you ran out of the taxi and left me staring, wondering what I said.”
“Will I ever live that down?” A breathy laugh escaped her lips.
“Eventually,” he told her, accompanied with a wink.
“I love you too, Luke.” She breathed in, hoping the words came out right. “With you, I know I don’t have to hide who I am and you don’t make fun of my quirks that most people would think are dumb. You make me laugh and feel normal again if I ever even did. You’ve supported me in some of my worst moments, and above all, you’ve shown me there is no fear in love.”
He dusted her lips with a light kiss. “You’re an amazing woman.”
“You’re not so bad a man yourself, Luke Tatum.”
His head tilted. “Do you hear that?”
She cocked an ear, hearing a piano solo. “I do. Where’s it coming from?”
Looking around, his eyebrows furrowed. “I don’t know. It sounds like it’s coming from inside the sanctuary, but there’s no one else here. The parking lot was empty when I parked.”
Her eyes sparkled. “It’s a sign. Listen to what song it is.”
His smile grew, and he took her hand. “Let’s sing with it.”
“You’re volunteering to sing?”
He shrugged and cast a smile. “The situation demands it.”
“Here goes.”
Together, they began to sing.
Oh come all ye faithful, joyful and triumphant,
Oh come ye, oh come ye to Bethlehem.
Come and behold him, born the King of Angels.
They sang the entire first verse and the second. Then the music stopped.
They looked at each other.
“Bizarre.” Luke shook his head, cupped a hand to his ear. “I don’t hear it at all now.”
“Me either.” She stood and walked to a window. “There is no one in the parking lot.”
“We didn’t imagine it, did we?” Luke joined her and looked outside.
“Maybe if it was only one of us, but we both heard it.”
“I’d say we had some kind of Christmas miracle.” He grabbed her hand. “How about we call your parents, let them know you’re okay.”
“We can head over now. I’m ready for whatever comes.”
They decided Luke would drive his car there, and they’d pick hers up later in the day.
He parked behind her mom’s sedan, then opened her door. “Mmm, bacon.”
“Typical male.” Nudging him with her shoulder, she was ready to enjoy Christmas. Absorbed in her anxiousness regarding Evan, she’d lost sight of the holiday’s meaning, but no longer.
“I snuck a piece earlier.” He shot her a playful smile.
“And you didn’t get one for me?”
“Hey, the early bird gets the worm.” His eye blinked once.
“Speaking of early birds, can we drive around and look at Christmas lights after the service?” Observing her parents’ yard, she realized she’d hardly noticed any decorations in the last several days and the Christmas Eve drive was another tradition.
“Sounds great, but what does that have to do with early birds?”
“No idea.” Laughter bubbled from her. “I just happened to think of it when you said early birds.”
The front door opened, and her mom stepped out of the house. “Seeing you laugh fills my heart with joy.”
“I’m sorry about this morning.” Closing the distance between them, Kate reached out and hugged her mom. “There was something I had to do, but it’s taken care of now.”
“Your face shows it. Your eyes have lost their grief.”
“I let it go.” She stepped away the length of a foot. “Evan’s going to be okay, Mom. I can’t explain how I know, but I do.”
“I believe you are right, and until we hear anything, we’ll continue to pray for him and the others.” Still standing on the front steps, her mom smiled and shook her head. “Seems you’ve had quite a morning.”
“There’s more.”
“Oh?” Her mom’s thin brow rose.
Kate flicked a glance at Luke, who’d stayed back several feet to allow the private moment, before cutting her gaze back to her mom. “Luke loves me, and I love him.”
“That, my child, I already knew.”
“In that case, there’s nothing left to do except eat breakfast.” The aroma of all her favorite breakfast foods tantalized her nostrils. “All Luke wants is bacon.”
A mischievous grin played on her mom’s mouth. “The one he snatched earlier wasn’t enough?”
“Nothing gets by you, Maria.” Luke stood beside her now with sparkling eyes.
“Best you learn that now before you try to pull any funny business.” Her mom wagged a finger, but her smile negated any of the seriousness.
Once inside the house, Luke put his hand on the small of Kate’s back as they walked to the kitchen.
Her dad stood at the sink, rinsing a cup. “Merry Christmas Eve, buttercup.”
Kate felt the blush rise in her neck. Dad hadn’t called her that in ages, but the pet name made her smile. “To you, too.”
“Grab a plate and help yourself. If anything’s cold, let me know and I’ll reheat it.”
“I’m sure it’s fine, Dad, but thank you.”
She handed a plate to Luke that had tiny boughs of holly and berries painted on the rim. Her mom only brought them out for Christmas Eve breakfast and Christmas dinner. The island in the kitchen held enough food to last through New Year’s. Bacon, kolaches, pancakes, French toast, biscuits, hash browns, gravy, scrambled eggs and fruit salad.
Luke loaded his plate with a sample of everything except hash browns. Kate tucked that information away for future reference, with the intent to find out whether he liked them. On her plate, she put a kolache, one slice of French toast and hash browns.
Once all four of them had prepared a plate, they gathered at the dining table, and her dad led a prayer. The food was delicious, but she was distracted by Luke, and he seemed just as unfocused on breakfast as she was. By the time the meal ended, she estimated they’d exchanged fifty smiles. Her parents’ amused looks didn’t escape her notice, but she was in love and didn’t care who knew.
“I’ll help clean up,” Kate said when her mom started to clear the dishes.
“Sit down and relax. This is my job.” Her mom carried four stacked plates in one hand, and two cu
ps in the other.
Ignoring her, Kate grabbed the other two cups and set them in the sink. She pulled out storage containers from the cabinet and began saving the leftovers. “Should I keep the eggs or toss them?”
“Throw them out, but I told you not to worry about it.” Bubbles filled the dishwater shortly after her mom squirted detergent into a stream of water.
The doorbell rang and interrupted them.
“Expecting anyone?” Kate asked hopefully. The last time she’d been here, and the doorbell rang, bad news waited on the other side.
Her mom’s mouth drew tight, and she shook her head.
Without thinking about it, Kate reached for her mom’s hand. Stomach churning, she reminded herself of the assurance she’d felt earlier. They took slow steps out of the kitchen, down the short hall and into the foyer.
Her dad and Luke were already there.
“It’s them, the same ones from before.” Her dad sucked in a deep breath and opened the door.
Luke came to her and held her other hand. The three of them waited with bated breath as her dad greeted the men.
“Merry Christmas.” Captain Reynold stepped into the house, followed by Chaplain Diaz and Gunny Martz.
“Is it?” Her dad’s voice was husky, not meant to be rude, but worried for his son.
“I’m happy to tell you that Evan has been located and rescued.”
All the air left Kate with a sigh of relief. Her hands freed and went to her mouth, as she looked up, tears of joy spilling over. “Thank you, Lord.”
“Is he well?” Her mom inched forward, grabbing her husband’s arm.
“He’s worse for the wear, but I suspect he’ll make a full recovery. As of the time we received notice, he was in a field hospital in theater, but will be flown to Germany in the next day or so.”
“Will we be able to contact him?” Kate’s dad asked.
The chaplain moved forward. “We will work that out as soon as possible. You should receive a call from his command in the next hour.”
Her dad clasped the hand of each man. “Thank you for taking the time away from your families today to bring us this news.”
Captain Reynold choked up. “It was our honor. Do you still have my card and information?”
“Yes, sir.”
“You can still call me anytime. Have a Merry Christmas, folks.”
“It already is,” Kate whispered under her breath.
Chapter 10
On Christmas morning, Luke woke up to a cold house. He padded to the thermostat and saw a five and eight staring back at him. The number for the outside temp read twenty-eight degrees. No wonder I’m so cold. Pressing a rubber button on the thermostat, he turned up the heat until the furnace kicked on.
He went downstairs to the living room, tripping over Tag twice on the way. A few wrapped presents nested under the tree, but he’d mailed most of them last week, so his family would receive them on time. What remained were Kate’s, plus one each for her parents.
And a miniature stocking. Tag sniffed it out, pawing at the felt.
“Here you go, cat.” Luke pulled the toy mouse filled with catnip from the stocking and gave it to Tag. The cat took it in his mouth and ran off, leaving Luke chuckling.
His phone rang, and he raced upstairs to answer it, but was too late. He tapped on the screen and called his father back. “Merry Christmas, Dad.”
“Merry Christmas to you, too. Have any snow down there?”
Luke laughed—ever since his parents had visited at Christmas three years ago and the mercury topped out at seventy-one degrees, the lack of white precipitation had become a running joke. “Not a flake, but it is below freezing.”
“Your mother keeps reaching for the phone, but before I hand it over I wanted to tell you that you’re all set for ten a.m. central time. All the information is in your email.”
“Awesome.” Luke’s smile stretched wide. “I owe you big time.”
“Consider it another Christmas present.” His dad cleared his throat. “Here’s your mother.”
“Merry Christmas, Luke. Hold on a second.” He heard her tell Sean, his nephew, no candy yet. “Sorry about that. Your sister’s here with her brood. Anyway, did you get the box of presents I sent?”
“Yes. Thank you.”
“Did you like them?”
“Haven’t opened them yet. The box said ‘don’t open until Christmas’.”
“And you followed the instructions?” His mom’s laugh trickled through the phone line. “Your sister would have torn them open the first day.”
“Is she in the room with you?” As he talked, he walked downstairs to the kitchen. He needed coffee before he got ready to leave for Kate’s house.
“She went out to her car. Want me to have her call you?”
“I’ll call back later. I’m sure it’s chaotic there right now.”
“Always is with your sister’s crew, but I love having them here.” She sighed. “Maybe one day you’ll give me grandbabies.”
“Patience, Mom.”
“I know, I know.” She paused a second. “Be sure to check in this evening and tell us about your day.”
“Will do.”
“Merry Christmas, son. I love you.”
“Love you, too.”
The coffee brewed slowly, and he went upstairs again, taking the steps two at a time after he ended the call to his family. Opting to dress festive, he slid a hunter green oxford off its hanger and selected a pair of dark gray chinos.
By the time he’d showered and dressed, then went downstairs, a full pot of coffee waited for him. He filled a mug and poured the rest in a thermos for later. Had he been thinking clearly, he would have made a single cup, but he’d been preoccupied. Which reminds me… Carrying the mug, he went to the den and started his computer. Everything depended on precise timing, and he wanted it to be perfect, which meant familiarizing himself with the plan.
He read the email then printed it. Folded it and shoved it into his rear pocket. His house was too silent. No quieter than usual, but it had never bothered him. He missed Kate’s laugh and silvery voice. One would think he hadn’t seen her in weeks, not hours.
All he had left to do before going to see her was gather the presents and take them to his car. It wouldn’t take more than five minutes, and then another ten to her house, but he wasn’t due for another forty-five minutes.
Forget it, I’m going now. The sky was overcast, and gray clouds loomed across the horizon. They didn’t invoke dreariness but, mixed with the earthy scent of logs burning in a nearby fireplace, created a homey and welcoming setting.
When he arrived at Kate’s, her outdoor decorations were still lit for the night with a slightly visible glow in the day. The candy canes marking the walkway made him smile. Kate did love her Christmas decorations—his own house was a testament to her affection for them.
He stopped at the door, collected his thoughts before ringing the doorbell. One arm supported the box of presents, but not all the gifts were inside. Kate swung open the door, wearing a ruby red fitted sweater. She greeted him with a kiss.
“Merry Christmas.” Her blue eyes twinkled with vibrant life, and she shivered. “Brr, it got cold overnight.”
“Makes it feel like Christmas, doesn’t it.” He stepped inside and carried the box, unloading the presents under her tree sophisticatedly adorned with vivid red, green, and gold baubles. It suited her.
Now that his hands were free, he pulled her to him, indulging in a long embrace. She smelled of cinnamon and sugar. Home. Cuddling with him, her contented sigh vibrated against his shirt. This was where he wanted to be forever.
“Oh, no.” Kate jerked away and ran to the kitchen. Smoke seeped out from the electric range. Throwing down the oven door, Kate waved her hand to dissipate the smoke. She grabbed a potholder and rescued a tray from the cavity. “They’re ruined.”
She dropped the tray on the stovetop. Eight cinnamon rolls had blackened tops. He picked up o
ne and immediately dropped the scorching pastry. Hard as a rock, no way to salvage them.
“I’m sorry.” Kate's lips twitched. “Not really. The distraction was worth missing out on breakfast.”
Luke’s heart soared. From anyone else, it would have been an innocent comment. From Kate, it was acceptance of herself, an allowance for errors. “I wasn’t hungry anyway.”
“I’ll be right back.” A minute later, she returned with a portable fan. She set it on the counter and plugged it into an outlet. Powered it on and flipped the switch on the range hood. “It shouldn’t take long to clear out in here, then I’ll see what else I can make.”
Extending his arm, he clasped her hand and nodded toward the living room. “Want to open your presents?”
Her smile extended. “I have some for you, too.”
They sat in front of the tree. He insisted she open one of hers first and handed her a rectangular box wrapped in silver metallic paper with red snowflakes. Sliding a finger under the tape, she diligently opened the package without a single rip in the paper.
She lifted the lid of the black box and gasped. “It’s exquisite.”
Luke released his breath and his chest deflated with relief. “It called out to me when I saw it.”
“I love it.” She removed it and ran a finger over the necklace, tracing the delicate white gold chain down to the diamond pendant with a small opaque brown pearl on the bottom. “Will you put it on me?”
She pivoted her head, and he gathered her hair, savoring her silky tresses before laying it on her shoulder in the front. He reached for the necklace, letting their fingers brush. After he had secured the latch, she turned to face him again. The necklace sparkled against her slender neck.
“Your turn.” She handed a gift to him.
They continued until only one box remained. Luke purposely saved it as the final present. What it contained was small and thin, custom made. “Last one.”
Kate opened it with the same precision she’d exacted on the others. The unwrapped paper revealed a plain box with no markings. She looked up at him.