Tin Angel

by Raine English

  He glanced over at the bed where the little red foil box glistened in the lamplight. That sales clerk at Miller’s had been an angel suggesting he get Ally a gold charm for Christmas. If that didn’t get her to open up to him, he didn’t know what would. An image of it dangling delicately from a chain around her lovely, statuesque neck sent a heat rising up through him. He’d better control it or else he’d wind up back in the shower…only this time he’d be taking a cold one.

  There was something so irresistible about her, if he wasn’t careful, he could get hurt. No matter how wonderful she appeared, she could very well be the grifter Pastor Riley had warned him about. He tried to envision her taking advantage of the elderly but couldn’t do it. She was so like Alice that she had to be the sweet, charming girl she appeared.

  No matter what this night might bring, a touch of romance or not, he was going to find out whether she was what she seemed and whether he could believe her when she said Alice was spending the holiday in upstate New York.

  The ringing of the telephone turned his thoughts away from Ally, and he reached for the phone on his bedside table. But his hand froze in midair. Bethany Snow appeared on his caller ID. “Not now,” he groaned. There was no doubt she was calling because she wanted to spend New Year’s with him. He was going to have to squash that plan and get her to leave him alone, but the last thing he wanted to do right now was argue with Bethany. He was already running late for his date with Ally.

  Letting the answering machine pick up Bethany’s call, Jack grabbed the teal-blue sweater he’d laid out across his bed and slipped it over his head. With a quick rake of his fingers through his hair, he was ready to go.

  Chapter Five

  Alice paced the foyer floor. She glanced in the parlor to check the time on the grandfather clock. 7:05 p.m. Jack had said seven o’clock. He was never late. Panic chilled her as her thoughts jumped on. What if he’d changed his mind? What if he wasn’t coming? Maybe he’d tried to call earlier to cancel, when she’d been out with Ross. She didn’t have an answering machine, so there was no way for him to leave a message. Maybe he was trying to get up the nerve to call her now and cancel. Maybe she should call him and do it for him.

  “Oh, stop it!” she yelled, clamping her hands over her ears in an attempt to block the doubts clouding her mind.

  Her raised voice startled Jasper from his lookout perch on the windowsill. He jumped down and came to rub against her ankles as if to tell her to calm down. She stroked his back with trembling hands.

  If this is what Jack does to you, you’re really in trouble. She looked at the clock again. Only two minutes had gone by since the last time she’d checked. If he didn’t get here soon, she wouldn’t have to worry about the date. She’d have died from a heart attack before then.

  The loud rap on the door took her by surprise. She glanced nervously at her reflection in the wall mirror. The low-rise black denim pants were a perfect fit, and her yellow sweater was snug but not so tight as to be vulgar. She’d lightened up on the makeup, using only a hint of peach-toned blush, a whisk of mascara and a clear gloss over her lips. She hoped Jack liked her new image.

  She wasn’t chic as she’d been the night he’d taken her out to dinner, when she’d worn that lovely black lace outfit she’d gotten at Lorelle. But there was no sense trying to be something she wasn’t. Inside this young body, she was still the old Alice.

  If Jack preferred the glamorous type, then he’d have to look elsewhere to find it. She’d decided to be herself—the natural girl-next-door type.

  She tucked a stray hair behind her ear, drew a deep breath, and opened the door. How come every time she saw Jack he looked better than the last? In faded jeans that hugged his muscular thighs, a worn leather jacket, and a wool scarf wrapped around his neck, he looked rugged and handsome.

  “Sorry I’m late. Hope you haven’t been waiting long.” He smiled at her, exposing his even white teeth.

  “No, not at all. I’m only just ready to go myself.” She wasn’t about to tell him she’d been watching the clock. She slipped on her coat and joined him out on the porch.

  He studied her a moment, and she held her breath. His gaze lingered on her face. “You’ve done something different. Is it your hair?”

  “Nope. Hair’s the same.”

  He narrowed his eyes. “I know what it is. You’re not all done up, that’s it. You look like you. Like you did this morning when you first woke up.”

  She bit her bottom lip and frowned. “I’m not sure I should take that as a compliment.”

  He cupped her chin in his hand and turned her face toward the porch light. “Hmmm, nice bone structure, gorgeous eyes, and those lips…”

  “Oh, stop it, Jack,” she said, slapping his hand away.

  He laughed. It was the same laugh she heard when he was winning at gin rummy. It came from deep inside. There was nothing artificial about it. It was the laugh he reserved for friends, and her heart swelled with joy that he was beginning to relax around her.

  “All joking aside, Ally, I like you better this way. You’re a gorgeous woman. You should let your beauty shine through, not cover it up.”

  Her eyes widened with surprise. “Do you really think so?” She’d been trying so hard to copy the makeup artist’s techniques, thinking Jack would like her better that way.

  He caressed her cheek with his fingertip. “I do.”

  Her skin warmed under his touch, her veiled desire for him dangerously close to the surface. “We should probably get going.”

  He ran his finger over her bottom lip, then down her chin. “We can take my car or walk, whichever you prefer.”

  She looked up at the starlit sky and decided in an instant. “I choose the scenic route.” To stroll through town on Jack’s arm would be heaven on earth.

  He smiled at her. “My choice too.”

  As they stepped off the porch, she noticed his limp. “Oh, Jack, I’m so sorry. I didn’t mean to be selfish. I’d forgotten about your ankle.” Her feet crunched through the snow as she headed toward the carriage house, where Jack housed his car. “Let’s drive.”

  “No, no,” he said, bringing her to a halt. “I want to walk too.”

  “But you might slip…and you don’t have your cane,” she cried, just now realizing he stood without support.

  “I left it home purposely. I was hoping you’d let me lean on you,” he said, tucking her arm in his.

  Didn’t he know he didn’t need a reason to hold her? But she appreciated his attempt at being coy just the same.

  As they walked, she found herself glancing through the windows of the elegant old homes they passed. Families were gathered around Christmas trees, sipping eggnog, doing all the things families do together on Christmas Eve, and for the first time, Alice wasn’t envious. There was no place she’d rather be than right here…right now…with Jack. She wasn’t alone falling asleep in her big overstuffed chair, wishing her life had turned out differently. Her wish had come true, thanks to the tin angel.

  She glanced up toward heaven. “Thank you.” The words she hadn’t meant to speak aloud came out in a soft puff of white. She glanced at Jack from the corner of her eye to see if he’d heard her.

  “For what?” he asked, answering her question.

  “For spending this evening with me,” she said quickly, before nerves kept her from uttering what she felt inside.

  “It’s my pleasure.” His pace slowed to a stop, and he leaned over to bring his mouth down on hers. It was a quick, soft kiss, yet it made her toes tingle.

  “I’ve been waiting all day to do that,” he said, draping his arm over her shoulders.

  She blinked nervously in stunned silence.

  Jack chuckled. “We can walk now,” he said, taking a step forward.

  Alice fell in stride beside him. Moonlight cast a silvery glow upon his raven hair. She felt the urge to reach up and run her fingers through it. She wanted to run her hands down the back of his neck, over his powerful
shoulders, and down his thickly muscled arms. Unnerved at the direction of her thoughts, she shifted her gaze forward.

  Up ahead, the lights from the green twinkled, making it look like they were about to enter a winter wonderland. Rows of miniature pear trees were strung with thousands of tiny white lights. As they approached, a choir of carolers sang “Silent Night.”

  In the center of the spectacle sat a magnificent horse-drawn carriage. The driver, looking like a character straight out of a fairy tale with his top hat and tails, steadied the stomping horses while a couple settled in for a ride. A few minutes later, the carriage rolled past them, then disappeared down the street.

  “Reminds you of Cinderella, doesn’t it?” Jack asked.

  She nodded, breathless from the beauty of it all.

  “Care to take a ride?”

  She gazed up into his fabulous blue eyes. “I’d love to, but are you sure you don’t mind the wait? It’s pretty cold out.”

  “We’ll keep each other warm.” He turned up the collar on her coat and held it closed, then with the other hand brought her closer to him.

  She inhaled the rich, earthy scent of his cologne, a tantalizing collection of spices that left her senses reeling. His hard, muscular thigh pressed against her, and a long-repressed need to have a man hold her surfaced. She wrapped her arms around him and let her desire free as she held him in a heart-pounding embrace.

  Snow fell around them like cotton, forming a patchwork pattern on his hair. She brushed a shimmering flake from his brow with the back of her gloved fingers. His arm tightened around her waist; then his mouth brushed hers, hardening into a long, lingering kiss. She opened her lips to his probing tongue.

  Consumed with a feverish passion, she lost track of time. It wasn’t until the carriage driver tapped Jack on the shoulder that she was brought back to reality.

  “I hate to interrupt, but you two are in line, right?”

  Jack nodded and, with his arm still around her, led her toward the carriage. He helped her up, then climbed in beside her. The driver handed him a sueded Berber throw, which Jack draped over them, tucking it around her legs.

  “Warm enough?” he asked.

  She smiled and snuggled closer to him. “I am now.”

  He rested his arm around her shoulders and kissed her. A large crowd had gathered by the carriage. All were waiting to ride. She didn’t care if she and Jack looked like a couple of teenagers out on a first date, because that was exactly how she felt.

  The driver chirruped to the horses and turned them onto the road. Jack had been right about her feeling like Cinderella, and he certainly fit the image of Prince Charming, right down to the ends of his shiny black hair. If Alice had been given a magic wand, she couldn’t have created a more perfect evening. Only one problem marred her happiness, and it wasn’t being turned into a scullery maid at the end of the night. For her when the clock struck midnight on New Year’s Eve, signaling the start of a new year, she would become an old woman whose life had come to an end.

  She tried to fight back the tears and helplessness that threatened to consume her. Not tonight. You mustn’t think about that tonight, she warned herself. Just enjoy the moment. That’s all you have.

  “What’s wrong?” Jack asked, concern etched on his face. “What’s made you so sad?”

  “I was wishing this night could go on forever.”

  “Don’t worry. I’m sure you’ll have many more just as memorable, especially if I have anything to do with it.” The sincerity in his voice touched her as much as his words.

  After driving through town, the driver pulled the carriage up in front of Gilly’s Tavern and rang a set of brass sleigh bells. “There’s none better than Sally Gilly’s homemade apple cider.”

  “What do you think, should we go inside and warm up a bit?” Jack’s nose was red from the cold, as were his cheeks.

  Alice knew Sally from way back, but she doubted the old woman would recognize her now, some sixty-five years younger than she should be. She gave Jack her approval, and he pulled some money from his wallet to tip the driver.

  He jumped down from the carriage, then held his hand out to help her. When she stepped onto the snow-covered road, Jack let her slide into his arms. He held her a moment, then kissed the top of her head. They entered the tavern hand in hand.

  A few old-timers sat at the bar drinking whiskey, smoking cigars, and telling tales of how their wives would be furious when they got home smelling of booze and stale smoke.

  “It’s Christmas Eve,” bellowed one old man looking an awful lot like Santa Claus with his puff of white hair and long beard. His potbelly hung over his belt, jiggling when he laughed. “A few pops with my boys here ain’t too much to ask before going home, now is it?”

  Jack leaned over and whispered in her ear, “I think he’s had more than a few pops, wouldn’t you say?”

  Alice smiled and remembered how her father used to stop here after the theater. It had always been a favorite haunt of the locals.

  The hostess, dressed in an elf costume, came over to seat them. They followed her to the back of the tavern, where the flames from a large stone fireplace lent a cozy glow to the room. She led them to a small wooden table in front of the fire. Jack held Alice’s chair while she sat.

  Alice pulled off her leather gloves and tucked them into her jacket pocket. “What a lovely time I’m having. I can’t thank you enough for this.” Her lower lip quivered as she spoke, and she tried not to let emotion overcome her.

  He moved the holly centerpiece and reached across the table to hold her hands. “You’re a special person, and I’m only now learning just how special.”

  Guilt washed over her as she thought of how she’d deceived him. If he knew, would he still feel that way about her? For a moment she considered telling him everything—how a tin angel had granted her wish, how she was really Alice—but the craziness of it kept her from speaking. She couldn’t risk spoiling this night. No, it was better to remain silent.

  He let go of her hands and reached into his pocket, pulling out a red foil box. It was the same wrapping paper the sales clerk at Miller’s had used to wrap the gift she’d purchased for him. He slid it across the table in front of her.

  “I know it’s not Christmas yet, but I just couldn’t wait any longer to give it to you. I hope you don’t mind.” His face was illuminated in the flickering firelight, a handsome sculpting of darkness and light. The gleam in his eyes told her this gift was special.

  She wanted to trace her fingers along the dark stubble shading his jaw. “Not at all,” she said, ripping open the paper. “It was a tradition in my family to open one gift on Christmas Eve.”

  He lifted a brow slightly. “You don’t follow that tradition any longer?”

  She paused before opening the black-velvet box in her hands. “I’m sorry. I don’t know what you mean.”

  “You spoke in the past tense. You said it was a tradition. I wondered what happened. Your family doesn’t do that any longer?”

  Now she realized her mistake. She’d spoken as Alice. It had been a very long time since she celebrated the holidays with her family, her parents having been dead for years. But Ally’s father was supposed to be alive and well.

  She was becoming too comfortable with Jack. Memories that popped into her head were slipping out of her mouth, and if she wasn’t careful, she might say something she wouldn’t be able to explain away.

  “I was thinking of this year. That must be why I said that. We’re not following tradition. I’m here, my family’s not.” Her fingers tightened on the box. She wished he would stop analyzing her words.

  “Sorry. Go on, open your gift.”

  She flipped open the lid. Inside a beautiful gold piano sparkled. “Oh, Jack,” she said, covering her mouth with her hands. Emotion bubbled up inside her, and her eyes grew misty. “A piano.”

  Despite her joy, worry swept through her. This was something she’d have thought he’d give to Alice, not Ally.


  As if reading her mind, he smiled and slipped the charm from her hands. He let it dangle from his fingers. “I know what you’re thinking. Why did I choose a piano for you?”

  She nodded, and her chest tightened.

  “You have an appreciation of music. It was evident the night I played for you. The way you touched the keys… You know, you don’t have to play to have music be a part of your soul.”

  “Thank you. I love it. It’s amazing how well you’ve gotten to know me already.”

  “I felt our connection the first time I laid eyes on you. You felt it too, didn’t you?”

  This was too good to be true. Jack did have feelings for her, and it was becoming clear that they were as strong as the ones she had for him. “Yes,” she said softly, not wanting to break this magical spell.

  He dropped the charm back in its box, then lifted her hand and brought it to his mouth. His lips lingered on her skin, and she thought her heart would burst right out of her chest. The waitress came by with their menus just in time to keep her from fainting. Happiness and love weren’t emotions she was familiar with.

  “Mr. Billings, how are you?” The young woman was tall, though not as tall as Alice. She had on brown stretch pants and a matching turtleneck. Her long auburn hair was swept back with an antler headband. When she moved, the tiny gold bells dangling from it tinkled. She made a very attractive reindeer.

  Jack grinned. “Lena? Is that you?”

  She laughed. “Hard to recognize me in this getup, huh?”

  “You look great. Love the antlers.”

  Alice pulled her hand away from Jack’s embrace and stuck it under the table. She could still feel the sizzle of his kiss on her skin. How did he know the waitress? Was she someone he’d dated? He did sometimes go out on a Saturday night.

  From beneath her lashes, Alice studied the pretty young woman. Her coppery hair framed her face, and her vivid green eyes were locked on Jack in open admiration. Alice shifted her gaze to the paneled wall where a row of pictures hung, depicting the town as it had looked long ago. She belonged in that time period, not in this one. She knew nothing of this new world or of women who openly flirted with a man while he was on a date with someone else.