He nodded, and they made their way to the back door. She led the way outside, surprised to find her father, rake in hand, but no daughter in sight.
“Dad?”
He turned to face her, a smile erupting the moment he saw Chris standing beside her. He came at once to join them, a teddy-bear hug nearly squeezing the life out of both of them. “This is a happy day, a happy day.”
Another minute or two of explanation and congratulations passed before Adrianne voiced the question on her heart. “Dad, where’s Lorelei?” She looked around, growing a bit nervous.
“Ah.” He put a finger to his lips and pointed to a tall mound of leaves. She’s in there, he mouthed. Then he whispered, “I think she’s trying to hide from me, so I’ve been playing along.”
“Ah-ha.”
Adrianne and Chris eased their way across the yard to the heaping pile of autumn leaves. Just as they drew close, a lyrical sound ribboned through the leaves, catching everyone by surprise. The leaves fluttered a bit, and Lorelei’s childlike voice rang out, “Someday my prince will come.”
Adrianne clapped a hand over her mouth, hardly believing it. “Oh my.”
“What’s she singing?” Chris whispered. “I, uh. . .I’m not sure you’d believe me.”
His eyebrows elevated playfully as he whispered, “Try me.”
She stifled a giggle, then leaned to speak softly into his ear. “Well, it’s sort of a. . .well. . .a fairy tale kind of thing.”
“Fairy tale?” He shrugged. “Girl stuff?”
“Um. . .yeah.” Lorelei’s song poured out from beneath the colorful mound of leaves, and suddenly Adrianne’s breath caught in her throat as reality hit. She turned to glance at Chris, and the reminiscent look in his eyes told her right away that he understood the magnitude of what was happening right in front of them.
“Lorelei,” he whispered.
Adrianne nodded, remembering the story, the reason for their daughter’s name. Lorelei—the maiden along the Rhine River whose lyrical voice wooed sailors as their ships passed by.
For a moment, neither of them said anything. They leaned against each other, just listening as the song poured forth.
Adrianne stared at the red heap of leaves in blissful silence as another reality hit. “Though they are red like crimson. . .” The mound of brilliantly colored fall leaves now stood as a reminder of all God had done. Red. Crimson. Lorelei, their Lorelei, was encased on every side by the color red. Not a reminder of the sins of the past, but a clear and vivid picture of the forgiveness God had poured out on them all.
Just then, the youngster sprang up, her purple shirt and bright orange pants creating a fluorescent haze amid the leaves and shouted, “Gotcha!”
Lorelei’s face was aglow with excitement—for a moment, anyway. The moment she laid eyes on Adrianne and Chris standing together, a look of confusion registered in her eyes, but for a moment. In a split second, she bounded from the leaves, shouting the word more precious than gold. . .
“Daddy!”
EPILOGUE
“Can’t you drive any faster?” Chris looked over at Stephen, who drove the streets of downtown Philly like a man possessed.
“I’m doing the best I can. There must be some kind of traffic jam ahead or something.”
“I don’t want to be late to my own wedding.”
David, who had only arrived in Philadelphia an hour ago, chuckled from the back seat, then reached up and patted him on the shoulder. “You’re plenty early. Calm down.”
“I’m calm.”
“Sure you are.” David laughed loud and long.
“Remember what I told you the night before my wedding?” Stephen asked. When Chris shook his head, Stephen reminded him. “I said your wedding would be next. And I was right.”
“Oh, that’s right. You did.” He remembered now. They’d been racing down a street on their way to Stephen and Julie’s rehearsal dinner.
“If memory serves me right, you were worried about keeping Adrianne waiting that night,” Stephen said with a grin.
“Kind of like today.” Chris glanced down at his watch, his nerves a jumbled mess.
Stephen’s expression changed all of a sudden. He gave Chris a pensive look. “Hey, I just thought of something.”
“What?”
“That ‘always a groomsman’ thing. We won’t be able to say that anymore.”
“Yeah.” Chris smiled. “I’m glad about that.”
“It’s going to be a great day,” David said. “The best day of your life.”
“I hope I can remember my vows. And you’ve got the ring, right?”
“Of course,” Stephen said. “And the limousine company, did you call them?”
“Called ’em.” Stephen chuckled. “Deep breaths, my friend.” Suddenly, the church came into view. A feeling of comfort washed over Chris the moment he saw the building. “There it is. Right there.” Over the past six months, Freedom Fellowship had become more than a home. It was a place he now loved— and served. “Not the prettiest church in town, but certainly a place where the Lord moves.”
“Hey, it sure beats any of our buildings in Nicaragua,” David said from the back seat. “Looks like a mansion to me.”
“Just my kind of place,” Stephen agreed.
Chris smiled at his buddies. It felt good, right, to have them here, with him on this special day. As they sprang from the car, he noticed a small box on the floor. “What’s this?”
“I don’t know, man. This is your car, remember?” Stephen laughed. “I was just the assigned driver for today. Something about the groom being too nervous—”
“Yeah. I know.” Chris reached down to nab the box, and recognized it right away as Adrianne’s. “Oh no. I’ve got to get this to her right away. I’ll guarantee you the wedding won’t go on unless I do.”
“Must be pretty important,” David said. “Yep,” Chris agreed. “More important than you might imagine.”
❧
Adrianne looked up at her daughter and her bridesmaids with a smile. “What do you think of my hair?” she asked.
“It’s amazing,” Dani answered.
“Be-you-tee-ful!” Lorelei exclaimed.
Katelyn offered a reassuring smile. “I think you’re going to be the prettiest bride I’ve ever seen. And I’ve seen a few.”
“Thank you.” Adrianne looked in the mirror once again, touching up her lipstick. “But I’m not going to look very pretty waltzing down the aisle in this old bathrobe. I think it’s about time to put on my dress.” She looked over at the beautiful gown, a duplicate of an eighteenth-century ball gown from the museum. A dress she had dreamed of wearing for years.
“Chris is going to flip when he sees you in this,” Dani said.
“He flips every time he sees her,” Lorelei said with a giggle. “Even when she’s in jeans and a T-shirt, he still says she’s the prettiest girl in the world.”
Adrianne felt her cheeks flush. “You’re embarrassing me. Besides, we need to stay focused. We don’t need to be talking about all of that.” She looked around the room, searching for a small, familiar box. “You’re all dressed, and I’ve hardly started. H–have any of you seen my shoes?”
Dani looked up from the mirror, where she had been touching up her mascara. “Your what?”
“My shoes.” A familiar frantic feeling gripped Adrianne as she scoped the room.
“Oh no!” Lorelei slapped herself in the head. “Not again, Mom.”
“I know they’re here,” Adrianne said. “I remember distinctly. They were in the—” She racked her brain, trying to remember. “Oh, good grief. I think they were in the car. Chris’s car. I meant to get them out last night after the rehearsal dinner.”
“What?” Katelyn looked at her. “Are you sure? Want me to see if he’s here yet?”
“Yeah, do you mind?” At that moment, a knock on the door distracted them all.
Adrianne gripped her robe a bit tighter and motioned for the other lad
ies to get it.
“Who is it?” Dani asked through the door.
“Chris.”
Adrianne shook her head and gave the women an imploring look. “We can’t see each other today. Not before the wedding.”
Chris’s voice on the other side of the door distracted her for a moment. “I think I have something my beautiful bride might need.”
“Oh, thank God.” She almost went to the door without thinking, but Katelyn stopped her.
“I’ll get them.”
The door cracked open and Chris’s hand appeared with a pair of delicate silver sandals dangling from his index finger. “Here you go, my lady. Your slippers.”
“Mom!” Lorelei’s eyes widened as she whispered, “He’s got your shoes.”
Adrianne put a hand to her heart and breathed a sigh of relief. “Thank goodness.”
“No, Mom. Don’t you get it? He’s got your shoes.” Her daughter stood with hands on her hips, clearly trying to make a point. “I told you he was Prince Charming.”
She erupted into laughter and before they knew it, they were all giggling.
“Everything okay in there?” Chris asked, his hand still in view.
“F–fine.” Adrianne signaled to shush her daughter.
Katelyn snatched the pumps from Chris’s finger and sent him on his way with a quick “Thanks so much.” She handed them to Adrianne, who slipped them on her feet right away.
“Time to get dressed.” Katelyn now took on the role of wedding coordinator, snapping everyone to attention.
Adrianne’s hands trembled as she reached for her dress.
“I’ve dreamed of this moment for years. I can hardly believe it’s here.”
“Believe it, Mom,” Lorelei whispered.
“You deserve it, honey,” Katelyn added.
Less than five minutes later, Adrianne stood fully dressed in the elaborate ball gown in front of the full-length mirror. She swished to the right and then the left, captivated by the way she felt wearing it.
“That beadwork is amazing,” Katelyn said. “I’ve never seen anything like it.”
“There hasn’t been anything like it for over two hundred years,” Dani said with a smile. “Trust me. It’s patterned after a one-of-a-kind gown from the Revolutionary War era.”
“Something old and something new, all in one gown.” Katelyn said. “Gorgeous and practical.”
“Yes,” Adrianne said with a smile. “And I’ve borrowed this necklace from my mother.” She fingered the beautiful piece that draped her neck. “It was my grandmother’s.”
“It’s so pretty,” Lorelei said. “What about the ‘something blue’ part?” Katelyn asked.
“Right here!” Dani held up the baby blue garter, trimmed in lace.
“Ooh, I almost forgot that.” Adrianne quickly slipped it on.
“Almost done. Just one more thing.” Dani reached up to fasten the delicate veil into Adrianne’s hair, then placed a beautiful tiara on top. When she was finished, they all stood in silence a moment, just staring.
“Oh, Mom!” Lorelei stared at both of their reflections in the mirror. “You look like Cinderella.”
“Do I?”
Katelyn and Dani nodded.
“You look like a queen,” Lorelei whispered, her eyes wide.
Adrianne gazed down into her daughter’s beautiful eyes. “If I’m a queen,” she said, “then that would make you a princess.”
“Ooh. That’s true.” Lorelei turned to look at herself in the mirror once again. “I’m a princess.”
An abrupt knock on the door interrupted their ponderings. “It’s almost time, honey,” Adrianne’s mother’s voice rang out. “Is it okay if Daddy and I come in?”
“Yes. Of course.”
Her parents entered the room and she turned to greet them. Her father’s eyes filled at once. “You look beautiful,” he whispered. “Absolutely beautiful.” He reached up to kiss her on the cheek.
Her mother reached into her purse for a tissue. “I told myself I wouldn’t cry today.”
“It’s okay, Mom.” She grabbed her mother’s hand and gave it a squeeze. “I’m sure by the time this day is over we’ll all be drying our eyes.”
Katelyn, still playing the role of organizer, handed each woman a bouquet to carry. From outside the door, the familiar strains of “Trumpet Voluntaire” rang out.
“I think that’s our cue.” Adrianne’s father extended his arm. “Are you ready?”
She took it with a smile. “I’m ready.”
With her bridesmaids and daughter leading the way, they made their way down the hallway toward the back of the sanctuary. The doors swept open, and for the first time, she saw her groom-to-be. He looked every bit like a prince in his black tuxedo and tails. His face glowed with excitement, and all the more when he finally caught a glimpse of her.
She watched as, one by one, her bridesmaids took their places at the front, and then, with great joy, as Lorelei made her way up the aisle, dropping rose petals all the way. My little girl. My princess. Something from the front distracted her. She looked up just in time to see Chris wipe his eyes as Lorelei went by. He mouthed a silent I love you to their daughter and she responded with a nod of her head.
As the wedding march began, Adrianne happened to glance down at her flowers. Most would have chosen pastels for a springtime wedding. But not Adrienne. No, nothing but red roses would do for a day like today.
“Though they are red like crimson. . .”
A wave of joy washed over her as she looked forward—into her bridegroom’s eyes. She pushed back the lump in her throat as the Lord reminded her, once and for all, that the past truly was in the past.
With a prayer on her lips and a song in her heart, Adrianne took her first step down the aisle—toward her future.
A NOTE FROM THE AUTHOR
Thank you for reading Red Like Crimson. I hope you enjoyed Adrienne and Chris’s story. Now, please enjoy book two in the series, White as Snow.
White as Snow
By
Janice Thompson
White as Snow
Copyright © 2015 by Janice Thompson. All rights reserved. Except for use in any review, the reproduction or utilization of this work in whole or in part in any form by any electronic, mechanical, or other means, now known or hereafter invented, is forbidden without the permission of the author.
All scripture quotations, unless otherwise indicated, are taken from the Holy Bible, new International Version ©, NIV©, Copyright © 1973, 1978, 1984 by International Bible Society. Used by permission of Zondervan. All rights reserved.
All of the characters and events in this book are fictitious. Any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, or to actual events is purely coincidental.
Table of Contents
Prologue
Chapter One
Chapter Two
Chapter Three
Chapter Four
Chapter Five
Chapter Six
Chapter Seven
Chapter Eight
Chapter Nine
Chapter Ten
Chapter Eleven
Chapter Twelve
Chapter Thirteen
Chapter Fourteen
Chapter Fifteen
Chapter Sixteen
Chapter Seventeen
Chapter Eighteen
Chapter Nineteen
Chapter Twenty
Chapter Twenty-One
Chapter Twenty-Two
Chapter Twenty-Three
Epilogue
OTHER BOOKS IN THE SERIES:
Red Like Crimson
Out of the Blue
Dedication
To Cecilia, the real Gran-Gran
And to my son-in-law, Brandon. . . Who needs football, anyway?
PROLOGUE
Los Angeles, California
Brianna Nichols shoved the earplugs from her phone into her ears and settled back against the airplane seat. She willed herself not t
o think about the life she was leaving behind. What would be the point anyway?
She opted to squeeze her eyes shut instead of sneaking a peek out of the tiny window. With a resolute heart Brianna focused on the music, turning up the volume to a near- deafening level. “Onward and upward.” She whispered the words. At least she thought she’d whispered them. With the music blaring in her ears, she must’ve spoken a little louder than she thought.
“Excuse me?” The businessman next to her turned to give her a quizzical look.
“Oh, uh, never mind.” She fought the temptation to explain. No point in doing so. What would she say? That she’d chosen a college halfway across the country to get away from her father? That he was so busy coaching his latest star players that he couldn’t even make sure she made it to the airport okay? That a lousy move on his part had caused her to lose the only boy she’d ever loved? That she was now headed to Pittsburgh, where she would be living with a grandmother she hadn’t seen since she was fourteen?
No, she would skip the story. And, if she could, she’d skip the rest of her life, too.
ONE
Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania Eight Years Later
Brianna unlocked the front door of the duplex she shared with her grandmother, pushed it open and stepped inside. She wriggled out of her lightweight jacket and hung it on the hall tree, then paused for a minute to brush a loose hair out of her face.
“Gran-Gran, where are you?” she called out. When she didn’t get an immediate response, fear kicked in. Her grandmother’s age and physical condition were top priority these days. Only one thing brought hope. . .the pervasive scent of hot frying grease. Gran-Gran must have been cooking again.
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