His Holiday Family

by Margaret Daley

  “Why?”

  “It didn’t seem to fit our future. I loved being a mother and wanted more children. The cost was too much to do it all so I remained a nurse and gave up my dream of being a doctor. I didn’t work much though after Jared came along. Derek wanted me to stay home. He never liked the idea of me working.” And she had agreed because she had enjoyed being a full-time mommy, but once her sons started school she’d wanted to go back to work. She and Derek had fought a lot over that. In the end it was easier to volunteer her time than disrupt her family.

  “It’s not too late.”

  “Yes, it is. I have a debt to pay off. There’s no way I could afford med school.”

  “Where there is a dream, there is a way.”

  “Sometimes dreams have to change. Reality has a way of doing that.” She shielded her eyes to look out over the glistening water, so tranquil now.

  “True. I know that better than some. The day my parents were killed changed my dreams and my reality.”

  “What was your dream?”

  “At eight I wanted to be a firefighter or police officer.”

  “Then you’re living your dream.”

  “Not exactly. I wanted to grow up to be just like my dad. He was a great father. He wasn’t a firefighter, but he was a police officer. My dad would have been so disappointed in me as a teen. I rebelled every chance I got.”

  With the sails completely up and catching the wind, the boat glided over the smooth water. The shoreline faded the farther out they went. Kathleen relished the beautiful day—the peace, the sense that all was right with the world, that a hurricane hadn’t plowed through her hometown.

  But on the sloop emotions churned. The past lay exposed between Kathleen and Gideon. She decided to share more of hers. “The disappointment I faced was from my husband. I could never do anything right. I’d made a commitment to him and was determined to make our marriage work, but it was getting so hard. My self-confidence felt attacked from all sides. I questioned everything I did. Then he died and I learned the extent of his betrayal. He kept so many secrets, but right after his funeral they began to come out. By the time the will was read, I realized there was no money, and I most likely would lose the house that meant so much to Derek.”

  “I’m sorry, Kathleen. That couldn’t have been easy.”

  “The day the bank foreclosed was one of the lowest in my life. I felt a complete failure. My sons were so upset. Their father’s death totally changed their lives, and they were groping for stability. That’s why I finally decided to come home. That’s what Hope has always meant to me.” She gestured toward the distant strip of shoreline. “We’re here for seven weeks and a hurricane strikes, totally disrupting Hope. Even moving here hasn’t been the stability that Jared and Kip need.”

  “Maybe you’re looking for the wrong kind of stability.”

  Squinting, she stared at Gideon. “What do you mean?”

  “Objects and places don’t really offer true stability. They are temporary as we in Hope have found out lately. It’s something that happens inside you, a sense of yourself, a peace with yourself.” He laughed, little humor in the sound. “Of course, it took Pastor Michael to show me that true stability comes from faith.”

  Instead of turning away from her faith because of her struggles, should she have turned toward the Lord? Was Gideon right? She did know firsthand how possessions were fleeting. First in Denver and now in Hope, much of what she owned had been taken from her and her sons.

  “We’re almost to our destination.”

  Kathleen shifted forward and gazed across the calm sea to an island. She hadn’t been paying attention to where they were going, only where they had come from. Much like her life of late. “Which island is this?”

  “Dog Island. Zane is one of the owners, and he asked me to check out what the hurricane has done to the place. I told him I would be glad to. He has been turning this island into a refuge for certain species of animals like the different types of eagles. There’s a cabin in the heart of the island. He didn’t know if it made it or not. He hasn’t had time to come out here.”

  “It sounds like I’m not the only one working too much.”

  “There is so much to be done rebuilding Hope, and that is what his company does the best. I’m glad he took on Miss Alice’s house for cost of supplies. I’ve heard he’s been doing that a lot.” Gideon guided the sailboat toward the center of the island to what remained of a pier, a couple of pilings sticking up out of the water.

  “The dock is gone.”

  “Yeah, I was afraid it would be. We can bring this sloop in close. You might roll up your pants and take off your shoes. We’ll wade into shore. It shouldn’t be too deep.”

  “Speak for yourself. You’re over six feet. I’m only five-two.”

  “Don’t worry. I’ll take care of you.”

  A few minutes later, after Gideon had tied the boat up to the piling nearest shore and thrown an anchor overboard to keep the craft in place, he hopped into the water, holding their shoes and a towel in a bag. “Here, take this.” He gave her their belongings. “I’m carrying you to the beach.”

  She glanced at the water lapping against the bottom of his jean shorts and thought of that foot difference in their heights. “Won’t it be hard with your cast?”

  “I’ll manage.” His grin rivaled the sun.

  She eased into his arms, conscious of his cast on the left one. He nestled her against him, with the bag clutched to her chest, then waded toward shore but didn’t stop until he was up the rise of the beach where the sand was firmer. Then he set her down near a log from an uprooted tree, probably during the hurricane.

  “We should wear our shoes. No telling what is hidden in the sand or ground on the island.” He sat on the log, leaving her enough room to do the same.

  She did, then took her footwear from the bag and passed it to Gideon who used the towel to dry off his wet feet before putting on his deck shoes. After tying her tennis shoes, she glanced up at the area around her. It looked a lot like the beach area in Hope. “I’m not sure this place fared very well.”

  “At least the island looks like it’s intact. Remember the hurricane that split Ship Island into two parts?”

  She nodded. “But Fort Massachusetts remained.”

  “Ready? We’ll walk to the cabin before I show you the other side. The waves are a lot bigger on that side. The boys would enjoy swimming here in the summer.”

  “So you’ve come out here before. How many times?”

  “A few times a year. Sometimes by myself, sometimes there is a group of us to make improvements.” He rose, took her hand and tugged her to her feet. “We can’t stay too long. I’m just checking to see what will need to be done later.”

  “I didn’t know you and Zane were such good friends.”

  “We both want to preserve the Barrier Islands and the habitat on them. Most are a part of the park system. This is one that isn’t. He didn’t want to see it fall into the wrong hands so he got a group together to buy it.”

  “Zane certainly has changed. Back in high school my best friend’s cousin had a crush on him and he hurt her. They dated for a while then he just stopped all of a sudden. He left that summer after she graduated from high school. She didn’t know where he went or why. I can still remember listening to her cry in her bedroom.”

  “People change from when they were teenagers. I certainly have. If I had kept up doing the things I was doing, I would probably be dead by now. I took chances I should never have taken.”

  She’d changed, too, from having a direction to not having one. From having a dream to living one day at a time with no purpose but to keep her family together, even if it meant losing herself in the process.

  “Let’s go. Evening will be here soon enough. This will be a whirlwind tour, but I promise I’ll bring you and your sons back here to explore the island leisurely, maybe ride the waves.”

  “Please don’t say that to Jared. He’ll
want to do more than that.”

  “He’s been really good lately. No risks.”

  “Wait until his cast comes off. I think he has been biding his time.”

  Gideon waded through the debris and downed tree limbs scattered about the island. “I know that feeling.”

  “How many more weeks?”

  “I go back in four weeks. I’ve starting doing what Jared does—marking off the days on the calendar.”

  “But before that there’s Thanksgiving and my mother’s ambitious plans to celebrate it.”

  He paused in the path and cupped her face. “She has risen to the occasion as well as you. I’m continually amazed at her ability to organize it. It will be the best Thanksgiving ever.”

  “Leave it to my mother to find the way to show our thanks and involve hundreds of people.”

  His warm palm against her cheek rooted her in place. In spite of how the kiss ended the last time, she wanted him to kiss her again, but she would never make the first move. And she didn’t have to. Gideon dipped his head toward hers. She dissolved against him, her fingers entwined behind his neck as his mouth settled over hers. For a moment she felt that peace he’d talked about earlier.

  Chapter Ten

  Next to the lone bell tower at Hope Community Church, Kathleen’s mother stretched her arms out wide. “Thank the Lord for this gorgeous day. We have been blessed. This will be the best Thanksgiving ever.”

  How could her mother say that? There were so many people in need. Kathleen’s gaze shifted to the tall pile of boards and debris off to the side of the destroyed newer church. The town had finished the initial trash pickup from the storm and was just starting its second round. It would take more than a few rounds to clean up Hope.

  “Why did you want to serve the people here?” Kathleen asked her mother as Gideon pulled up with Jared, Kip and Miss Alice, who had wanted to ride with him.

  Sweeping her arm out, she rotated in a full circle. “Look what we have accomplished so far. Broussard Park is ready for our kickoff of the holiday season tonight. Even the church is coming along. It should be ready for Christmas Eve service in the original church. The Point was one of the hardest hit and after a month, it’s beginning to show signs of restoration. That’s due to the townspeople.”

  “You should run for mayor, Mom.”

  Kip, carrying two sacks of groceries, came to a stop between her and his grandmother. “Mayor? You’re running for mayor, Nana? Neat.”

  “No, please don’t say that to anyone. What would I do as mayor?”

  “Motivate the town. You’re a great organizer. Our current mayor has decided not to run again. In fact, I hear he’s thinking of moving away from Hope.” Kathleen caught Gideon’s gaze as it skimmed down her length, leaving a warm trail where it touched. “What do you think, Gideon. Should my mother run for mayor in the spring?”

  “I’d vote for you.” He set his paper bags down next to Kip’s.

  “Me, too.” Miss Alice joined them with Jared.

  “How did we get from feeding the people who lost their homes to me running for mayor?”

  Kathleen shrugged. “But it is still something you should seriously consider.”

  “Let’s get through today first. I think we should set up the tables in the park instead of the church’s meeting hall. It’s just too pretty to be inside and the park looks great after last week’s cleanup. The kids can enjoy the new play equipment.”

  “Yes, I think we should try it out. Come on, Jared.” Kip didn’t wait for his little brother. He raced across the park to the new playground.

  “Miss Alice, do you need me to bring the rest of your pies?” Jared asked while his gaze strayed to his older brother.

  “No, I can manage. You go check out the equipment. We wouldn’t want anyone to get hurt if there was a problem.”

  “Yeah, you’re right.” Jared gave Miss Alice the two pies he held, then sprinted toward the playground.

  Miss Alice laughed. “I didn’t have the heart to tell him no. Wait till you see the pie Jared helped me make.”

  “Should we serve it?” Kathleen remembered her son coming back from Miss Alice’s with flour all over him yesterday evening. That had been the first day she’d been back in her mostly repaired house. Zane and Gideon had made it a priority.

  “Most definitely. He baked an apple pie and did a great job.” Miss Alice winked. “With some assistance from me.”

  More cars arrived with helpers that her mother had solicited to set up the big Thanksgiving feast she’d planned. Zane stopped to talk with her sons while Pete, his wife and two children joined them with their contribution to the meal—deep fryers for the turkeys. Pete and Gideon went to work setting them up and preparing the birds for the oil. The last of the volunteers— Mildred, a couple of firefighters, her cousin Sally and some of her mother’s friends from the ladies group at church appeared with their food and willing hands.

  Kathleen’s mother asked Gideon to whistle. He put two fingers into his mouth and let out a shrill sound. Everyone turned toward him.

  Ruth ascended the steps of the church halfway then turned toward the crowd. “We have three hours to get everything set up. Let’s make it special for the folks who have lost most of their possessions.”

  Kathleen sensed someone approach her from behind and slanted a look at Gideon. The kiss they’d shared last week on Dog Island had haunted her since it occurred. She couldn’t seem to get it out of her mind. “Thank you for taking Jared and Kip to the fire station. I wanted to come, but one of the nurses had an emergency and I agreed to fill in for her.”

  “Did they tell you about the tour?”

  “Oh, yes, I heard about it all evening when I got home. Kip’s favorite part was the slide. But then I don’t know if he enjoyed doing it the most because he truly liked it or because Jared couldn’t go down the slide with his cast. Kip made a point of telling me over and over about pretending he was called out to a fire and having to slide down the pole.”

  “That’s okay. I let Jared sound the siren.”

  “I know. I got dueling stories after that. I went to bed with a headache and those stories running through my mind.” But not as much as the kiss she’d received a couple of days before that from Gideon.

  “I’m sorry.” He circled around in front of her and cut the distance between them. “I didn’t mean for you to lose sleep over it.”

  “I didn’t exactly lose sleep over it as much as I had a weird dream with Kip sliding down the pole over and over while Jared sounded the siren continuously. Kip said something about going back again. Are you sure?”

  “We have an open house every Christmas. A lot of the kids come and get to play firefighter for a little bit. One year we had to leave because of a fire, and instead of being a disappointment to the children, they were excited to see us in action.”

  “Kids have a way of turning something around and looking at it from a different view.”

  “Are you all coming tonight to the Lights On Celebration?”

  Kathleen nodded. “We may just stay here until it gets dark. With the church open, we have all the comforts of home. Zane has been busy.”

  “Yeah, he’s finished the structural restoration of the original church. Now all that is left is the interior make-over.”

  “Not a small task.”

  “After church in the meeting room on Sunday, some of us are staying to work on the chapel and classrooms. If you don’t have to be at the hospital, why don’t you stay and help?”

  “Unless an emergency occurs, I should be off.”

  “Great.”

  “Hey, you two. We could use some help over here. You can chat later.”

  Kathleen glanced toward her mother. “The general has spoken. Maybe we should say the mayoral candidate has spoken.”

  “Do you think she’ll run?” Gideon started toward the stacks of tables that Zane had delivered for the people to sit at.

  “I hope so. Mom needs a purpose. She was
getting too caught up in her soap operas and The Weather Channel. There isn’t anyone who knows Hope better than her.”

  “Everyone needs a purpose.”

  “Since coming to Hope, I’ve looked forward to getting up in the morning. The last few years of my marriage, I felt at such a loss, aimlessly going through life.”

  Gideon hefted one end of a folding table while Kathleen took the other end. “I’ve been to that place and don’t care to go back there.”

  Kathleen set her part down and flipped the legs out then looked toward Gideon. He stood perfectly still, staring toward the water, his eyebrows slashing downward.

  “Gideon?”

  When he didn’t respond, she said in a louder voice, “Gideon, what’s wrong?”

  He jerked around, said, “It’s Kip. He was by the water and now he isn’t. Something’s wrong. It doesn’t look right,” and then began running toward the edge of the Point overlooking the Gulf.

  Kathleen heard Gideon and the concern in his voice but for a few seconds the meaning didn’t register in her brain. When Gideon was a hundred yards across the park, she raced after him, all the while her heartbeat thundered against her skull.

  Gideon reached the edge of the ten-foot cliff, whirled toward her and called out, “Get help. The ground has given way and he’s buried under the dirt. There’s his ball cap.”

  Bracing himself with his good arm, he went down the incline. Kathleen hesitated for a breath, wanting to continue toward Kip but instead she hastened back toward the crowd, homing in on Zane and Pete.

  “Gideon needs your help. The ground over there—” she wildly waved her hand toward the cliff “—gave way and Kip is buried in the dirt.”

  Zane was already moving toward his truck before Kathleen had arrived. “I’ve got some shovels.”

  Pete and a couple of other firefighters headed across the park toward the water. Kathleen followed. When she reached the men, Pete and their captain clambered down the incline to help Gideon. She started after the pair.

  The firefighter left on top stopped her. “Let them take care of it, ma’am. It’s a closed-in space and the tide is starting to come in. They need to get him out before that. I’ve called 911. We’ll get him out before they arrive.”