Now the tingle raced up her arm as well as her spine. “It’s been good for me, too. I’m glad you’re more than my pastor now. You’re also my friend.”
He smiled and squeezed her hand. “Then how about having dinner with me tonight?”
“Where? There isn’t a restaurant in Bethlehem that’s opened up yet.”
He glanced around the fellowship hall. “I’ve come to really like the cooking here. How about sharing my favorite table with me tonight at the hottest spot in Bethlehem right now? The Community Church Bistro.”
She laughed and leaned closer. “That sounds like a wonderful place to eat. I believe if you’re not in line at six o’clock, you’re out of luck for the night. So I’ll see you then.”
“I’ll look forward to it.”
Emma watched as he walked from the room. Her heart fluttered, and she pressed her hand against her chest. Dinner with Mike Benson. She’d dreamed about it for months. Of course, she’d envisioned them sitting in some elegant restaurant, not the church fellowship hall. But the place really didn’t matter. It was the company that made the evening, and she didn’t know anyone else she’d rather spend it with.
The hands on the fellowship hall clock clicked over to six o’clock just as Emma walked in the door. Mike paused from placing chairs at the additional tables they’d added that afternoon and stared at her. Even though she had to be tired from the hours she’d spent at the shelter today, there was no hint of it in her appearance. In fact, he thought she’d never looked more beautiful.
Her gaze swept the room, and she gave a small wave when she spotted him. The ladies helping in the serving line stopped what they were doing and watched as she walked toward him, her long hair brushing her shoulders and her eyes sparkling. One of the women whispered something to another, and they both smiled before they directed their attention back to the people waiting in line.
Mike’s pulse raced, and he wondered what the woman had said to her friend. Was that a look of disapproval they’d sent his way? He shook the thought from his mind. In the last two weeks he’d come to know Emma better, and he liked her. A lot. It didn’t matter what anyone else thought. All that mattered at the moment was that he enjoyed Emma’s company, and he thought of her constantly whether she was around or not. He took a deep breath to calm his emotions.
Emma stopped beside him and glanced at the serving line. “There are more people tonight than usual.”
“A few more families checked in this afternoon. Apparently the electricity isn’t on everywhere yet.”
Emma’s gaze drifted over the crowd and stopped on a young couple at the back of the line. A smile lit her face. “There’s Don and Sue Baker. When did they get here?”
Mike pulled his attention away from Emma and studied the young couple. They looked to be in their late twenties. The man towered over the woman, who had a carrier strapped to the front of her body. A baby inside the carrier snuggled against its mother’s chest.
“I don’t know them. Where do they live?”
“Outside of town. She taught with me at the middle school until she had the baby. She’s on leave now. I haven’t seen the baby since he was born. Come on, and I’ll introduce you.” He followed her across the room, where she stopped next to the young couple. “Sue, Don, how are you?”
They turned, and a big smile flashed on Sue’s face. “Emma! I was hoping I would see you here. We’re as well as can be expected after living through Eleanor. How about you?”
“I’m fine. I’ve been helping out here since the hurricane.” She glanced at Don. “It’s good to see you. Was there much damage out at your farm?”
He nodded. “Yeah. We lost our barn and several animals. The house wasn’t damaged too badly, but they haven’t gotten the electricity restored yet. We stood it as long as we could, but one of our neighbors came by and told us the temperature was supposed to drop tonight. We decided we couldn’t keep the baby there, so we packed a few things and thought we’d stay here for a couple of days. Maybe the electricity will be restored then, and we can go home.”
“I see.” Emma glanced from Don to Mike. “Don, Sue, I’d like you to meet our pastor, Mike Benson. Mike, this is Don and Sue Baker.”
Mike stuck out his hand and shook Don’s. “We’re glad to have you here. Stay as long as you want. This center was set up to help those in need during this time.” He leaned forward and peeked at the baby. “That’s a cute baby you have. How old is he?”
“He’s six weeks old now,” Sue said.
Emma smiled. “I do believe he looks like his daddy.”
Sue laughed, and her eyes softened as she looked at her husband. “I only hope he grows up to be as good a man as his daddy is.”
“Do you attend church anywhere?” Mike asked.
“Yes. We’ve been going to a small church near our farm, but it was destroyed when the storm moved inland. I guess we’ll have to find another place to worship for now.”
“Then feel free to join us any time. We’d love to have you.”
“Thank you, Pastor Mike,” Sue said.
Mike pointed to the serving line. “I think they’re ready to fix your plates. Get your supper. I hope you enjoy it.”
They turned toward the line, but Emma reached out and touched Sue’s arm. “One more thing, though. I don’t want you staying here with the baby. There’s very little privacy. I want you to come stay at my house.”
Don frowned and shook his head. “We couldn’t do that.”
Emma arched her eyebrows. “Why not? I have a large house, and the electricity has been restored. Thanks to the repairmen who came today, I now have heat. I won’t be there much, because I’m busy working on the nativity, but you can use the kitchen, too. In fact you can make yourself at home for as long as you need. If you won’t do it for yourselves, please consider what’s best for the baby.”
Sue and Don stared at each other for a moment before Don smiled. “When you put it that way, how can I refuse? But we should pay you for staying there.”
“No way,” Emma said. “I don’t want your money.”
Don crossed his arms and inhaled a long breath. “Then you’re going to have to come up with some other way.”
Emma smiled. “Maybe there is a way you can help me. You know I said I’m working on the live nativity. I found out just today that the Morrisons, who were to play Joseph, Mary, and baby Jesus, have left town. I need three new actors. Do you think the Baker family can fill in for us?”
Don laughed. “Us, actors? Sue can do that all right, but me? I’ve never been in a play in my life. I don’t know if I could learn the lines or not.”
“Oh, you don’t have to say anything. You just have to stand there while someone else speaks and while the musicians tell the story in song.”
He nodded. “I think I can handle that.”
“Good!” Emma said. “Then go eat your supper, and I’ll take you to my house later.”
Mike watched the young couple get their plates and walk to a table before he turned to Emma. “That was very kind of you to offer your home to them.”
Emma waved in dismissal. “I like Sue. We always got along well at school. I can’t stand to think of that baby being in the middle of so many people here. He’ll be better off in the quiet of my house.”
Mike stared at her for a moment and wondered why he had ever thought that he might not like her if he got to know her better. Now all he could think of was how much time he’d wasted when he could have been enjoying her company for months.
He reached out and wrapped his fingers around hers. “You showed Christ’s love to that young couple, and God solved one of your problems for the nativity. I can’t wait to see how He’s going to take care of the rest of them.”
She glanced down at their hands and squeezed his fingers. “Neither can I.”
Chapter 5
Thirty minutes later Emma swallowed the last bite of chocolate cake and moaned. “Nobody can bake cakes like Sarah Davis. Eating
one of her masterpieces can sure put you in a good mood.”
Mike set his coffee cup down and smiled at her. “The one she baked today seems to have put everyone in a happy frame of mind. I haven’t heard this much talking in the dining room all week.”
Emma’s gaze drifted over the crowded tables. “Everybody seems happier tonight. Maybe we’re all beginning to come out of the shock from the storm.”
“I hope so.”
“What are you hoping for?” A voice echoed through the room.
Emma tried to mask her surprise as she stared into the face of Murray Samuels. As far as she knew, he hadn’t been in the emergency shelter since it had been set up.
“Mr. Samuels? How good to see you here tonight. Would you like something to eat?”
“No, thank you, Emma. I just dropped by to give Pastor Mike a message.”
Mike rose to his feet, grabbed a chair from the next table, and pulled it toward them. “Have a seat and let us know what’s on your mind.”
Mr. Samuels shook his head. “I don’t have time. The city council is holding an emergency meeting in a few minutes. I stopped by to give you some news.”
“What is it?”
Mr. Samuels took a deep breath. “I got a call today from a TV station over in Augusta. They’re sending a reporter here tomorrow to do a story on how our town is coming back to life after Eleanor. Kate wants to bring her by here to see how the church has set up an emergency shelter for those whose homes were damaged.”
Mike’s forehead wrinkled. “Do you know when they plan to be here?”
“She said it will be in the early afternoon. Why? Is there a problem?”
“No, it’s just that Emma and I have a meeting set up in the morning with all the committees that are working on the nativity. But we should be through before lunchtime.”
“That’s good, because we want to show this reporter we’re on our way to building our town back.”
Emma smiled up at Mr. Samuels. “The whole town owes the city council a big debt of gratitude for all your hard work in the last few weeks. I’ve been meaning to ask, though. Do you have any idea when Bethlehem Green will be cleaned up?”
“That’s not one of our priorities at this point. Why do you ask?”
“Because that’s where the nativity is going to be, and we need to begin building the sets.”
Mr. Samuels shook his head and sighed. “I’d hoped you’d given up that harebrained idea. I’m sorry, but at this point we don’t have the manpower to put anybody to work on the park.”
“But, Mr. Samuels, this is important—”
He cocked an eyebrow, held up his hand to interrupt her, and shook his head. “Emma, I thought you understood how the council feels about this. It’s nothing personal. I like you. I always have. I respected your parents and felt a great loss when they died. But my responsibility right now lies with restoring this town to normal.”
She rose to her feet and faced him. “I understand that, Mr. Samuels, but the town is more than buildings and electricity and businesses. It’s also the people who make up the community. They need to know that no matter what happens, God is going to be there for them. We need to nourish their souls with hope and love so that they can look forward to the future.”
“I understand what you’re saying, Emma, but I still disagree. Now if you’ll excuse me, I have to go.”
He turned to leave, but she reached out and touched his arm. “There is one more thing I’d like to ask you.”
“What?”
“Would you talk to the other two selectmen and ask them if they’d join you in being the three wise men for the nativity?”
His eyes grew wide, and his mouth gaped open. “Are you serious?”
“I am.”
He cast a look of disbelief at Mike before he faced Emma again. “I’ve just told you what I think about staging the nativity. Why do you think I’d take an active role in it if I’m opposed to having it in the first place?”
Emma realized this was the opportunity she’d been waiting for, and it might not come again. Even though her heart felt as if it were in her throat, she flashed the most winning smile she could muster. “Because you’re a good man. Everybody in Bethlehem knows that, and we know you love your hometown. You’ve been working night and day to get life back to normal around here. But the citizens of Bethlehem need something more than just the physical things in life. They also need comfort for their hurting souls.”
“And how do you think the selectmen can do that?”
“By showing your faith in God and reminding us how He can get us through the worst of times. And by giving us hope that He will always be here for us, no matter what comes against us. And you can give our town those gifts by the retelling of what happened in another Bethlehem two thousand years ago. Won’t you help us?”
Mr. Samuels stared at her. A puzzled look flashed in his eyes. Then he shook his head and chuckled. “Emma, you always were quite a talker.” He took a deep breath and turned toward Mike. “The film crew should be here about two o’clock tomorrow afternoon.”
He darted one more look at Emma, turned, and strode from the room. When he disappeared through the door, Mike looked at her. “I must say, that was a surprise. When did you come up with that speech?”
Her words had been as much a surprise to her as they were to Mike. She shook her head. “I have no idea. I just opened my mouth, and the words came out.”
“Do you think it helped?”
“I don’t know.”
“At least he didn’t say no. Now if you’ll excuse me for a moment, I think I’ll go ask Sarah Davis to make sure there’s cake and coffee tomorrow afternoon for the film crew’s visit.”
Emma watched him walk away before she sank down in her chair. She raised a shaking hand to her forehead and wiped at the perspiration that had suddenly appeared. What made her say those things to Mr. Samuels? It had seemed right at the time, but now she wasn’t so sure. Had she ruined the project for all those involved?
Tears welled up in her eyes, but then she straightened her shoulders and smiled as Mike’s words flashed in her mind.
“At least he didn’t say no.”
No, he didn’t. Maybe God had wanted her to say those things. If so, maybe something good would come from it. She would just have to wait and see.
The next morning Mike glanced at his watch as he hurried down the hall to the room where Emma was meeting with the church members who had volunteered to head the committees for the nativity. He’d told Emma he’d be there at ten, and here it was almost ten thirty. But he hadn’t expected his landlord to show up at his office this morning to tell him that the house and furniture he’d rented to Mike was now considered a total loss. Added to his growing list of things to do now was find a place to live.
He paused when he arrived at the closed door of the meeting room. From inside he could hear raised voices, and they didn’t sound happy. Quietly he opened the door and slipped into the room. Emma stood at the front. A relieved look flashed across her face when she saw him.
“Pastor Mike,” she said, “I’m so glad you’re here. There are some concerns being shared.”
Mike walked to the front of the room and faced his church members. “Is there anything I can help with?”
Chester Dyer stood and pointed to his brother Dwight, who sat beside him. “Everybody in town knows that the Dyer brothers do the best carpentry work around. That’s why Emma wanted us to build the set and the props for the nativity.”
Mike nodded. “And is there a problem?”
“There sure is. How do you expect us to get anything done down at Bethlehem Green? Every path is blocked with downed trees. We’ve gotta have the nativity somewhere else.”
Mike shook his head. “Where would you suggest? There are trees down everywhere. I know there have been a lot of volunteers to help the emergency workers, but it’s going to take time to get everything back in order.”
“I know that,” Chester
said. “We’ve talked to the crews doing the cleanup, but they say Bethlehem Green is one of the last places on the list to be cleared. They don’t know if they’ll get to it by the first of December or not, and that’s when we need to start building the sets.”
“I’ll talk to Kate Walters and tell her we need the park cleaned up in the next three weeks. Maybe she can get them to redirect their efforts.”
Chester smiled. “That sounds good. That’ll give us plenty of time.”
Mike darted a glance at Emma and flashed her a weak smile. “Then that will be our goal.”
Chester sat down, and John Roland stood. “I’m in charge of the music and the sound. The generator we’ve used in the past didn’t survive the storm. I thought I might be able to borrow one, but so far everybody I’ve talked to is using theirs. We need to buy a new one, and that’ll be a big expense.”
“That’s something I hadn’t thought about. We’ll add it to the list.”
“And about the musicians,” John continued. “Will we have the school choir sing, or have all their families left town?”
“Emma’s working on that, John,” Mike said. “She should have an answer for you in a few days.”
Janet Burgess jumped to her feet. “Well, it don’t make no difference whether we have a set or music or anything else if we don’t have the costumes for the actors. Emma, when is that material gonna be here?”
“I called the company again yesterday, and they said they shipped it last week. They’re trying to track the order and see where it might have ended up. If they can’t find it, they will replace the material.”
Janet propped her hand on her hip and stared at Emma. “Do you know how long it took us to make those wise men’s robes? We spent weeks on each one with all the jewels and sequins we used, and we hand sewed every one of them.” Her glasses perched on the end of her nose bounced a little as she shook her head. “And we don’t aim for these costumes to be cheap looking. After all, our seamstresses have their reputations to uphold.”
Christmas Comes to Bethlehem - Maine Page 9