by Leah Atwood
An image of Brenna materialized in his mind. While they shopped on his lunch break yesterday, several flurries escaped their cloud’s hold. Brenna, dressed in a down jacket and a powder blue knit cap with one of those ridiculous pompoms on top, had stopped what she was doing to catch a snowflake. Once she had, she continued on with her routine without skipping a beat.
How had he forgotten her zest for life?
He shut down his work computer and straightened his desk. The only good part about this morning’s work was that he wouldn’t have to come in tomorrow night to do the month-end reports. He rubbed his eyes then pinched the bridge of his nose, said a prayer for Noel.
His church had prayed for months on end for Noel’s restoration, and he assumed the other churches, along with individuals, had as well, but God seemed silent on the matter. Derek struggled to understand why a town like Noel had to go through this.
Life happened, sure, but it didn’t seem right that a once-thriving, Main Street America town could be reduced to a small fraction of its identity. As mayor, he carried a responsibility to Noel, but he doubted his capabilities. Many of his ideas were only bandages that would prevent further desolation, not heal the wounds.
At least the children would have presents under the tree. They shouldn’t have to lose their innocence of the world’s harshness at a young age.
He left the office, and with it his worries. For the rest of the day, he’d only allow his brain to entertain positive thoughts. It shouldn’t be hard with Brenna—she had a way of bringing joy to every situation.
When he pulled into her Mom’s driveway forty-five minutes later, he smiled. The familiar plastic nativity scene was displayed in the front yard, and garland wrapped around the porch rails and eves. It hadn’t been there when he’d last driven by a week ago. Mrs. Forsythe might have put them out, but if he were a gambling man, he’d put his money on Brenna insisting they decorate.
Leaving the car running for warmth—Noel had its fair share of problems, but crime wasn’t one of them, and his car would be safe for a few minutes—Derek shoved his hands in his pocket and walked to the front door.
Before he could knock, Brenna opened the door and greeted him. “Let me grab my coat, and I’ll be ready.”
She spun around and disappeared beyond the foyer.
Mrs. Forsythe came from the dining room. “How was your Thanksgiving, Mayor Thomas?”
He raised his brows and sent her a smile. “I told you to keep calling me Derek. I don’t need a fancy title.”
“I know, but I’m so proud of you.” She brought him into a motherly embrace then let go. “A young man like you is what this town needs.”
“I’m trying.”
“You’ll succeed.” She leaned in to whisper though no one was around. “That’s why I voted for you.”
“Thanks. I appreciate it.” He glanced over her shoulder to Brenna returning. If she ever decided to move back to Noel, she’d make a better mayor. He kept the thought silent, lest he scare her away.
Brenna fastened her buttons as she walked. “Sure you don’t want to come with us, Mom?”
Mrs. Forsythe shook her head. “I already told Beth I’d help her pack. You two go and have fun.”
“Okay. I love you.” Brenna kissed her mom’s cheek then looked at him. “Do you have our list?”
“In the car.”
“Let’s go shopping.” She threw her purse over her shoulder, waved goodbye to her mom and pushed past him outside.
Amused, he watched her rush to the car, and then he sprinted to catch up and open the door for her. “Excited?”
She pinched her fingers together. “A little. Christmas shopping makes me happy. It’s like a scavenger hunt for all the right gifts.”
“I never thought of it that way.” He closed her door after she’d sat in the passenger seat, circled the car and took his place. “Where to first?”
“The game store. I called this morning to reserve the consoles we needed.”
“They do that?”
She clucked her tongue. “Nope, but they had four in stock with another shipment coming in this afternoon.”
“We need two, right?” Scenarios of the store selling out right before they got there played through his mind. “Did the sales associate seem hopeful we’d able to get them?”
“Couldn’t tell one way or another.” She nudged him with her elbow. “Don’t worry. We’ll get what we need. If they’re out, we’ll look elsewhere.”
“You’re right.” He shifted into reverse and backed out of the driveway. “Now that we’ve decided to do this, I want Christmas morning to be perfect for the kids. Go big or go home.”
“That’s the spirit.” She reached for the list. “Did you call any of the parents yet?”
“No, I thought I’d wait until we had everything, just to be certain.” He put the car into drive and moved forward. “I’d considered surprising them on Christmas morning, but then I put myself in a parent’s mind, and I don’t want them worrying until the last minute if their child will have any presents.”
“That’s a good point.” Twisting in her seat, she turned to face him. “Even though I know in my heart that’s not what Christmas is about, I can’t imagine facing the disappointment of a child on Christmas morning.”
“I’m glad the parents won’t have to experience that this year. Only God knows what next year will bring, but I pray the town gets a boost and families won’t struggle as much.” He blew out a long, exasperated breath.
“Cheer up.” Brenna turned on the radio and found a Christmas station. “See, it’s the most wonderful time of the year. Think positive.”
“This is my life. At the end of the season, I can’t pack my bags and go back to my job hundreds of miles away. This, Noel, it is my job.”
“I don’t…” She didn’t finish her sentence. The hurt written on her frown and eyes said enough.
Leave it to him to suck the joy right out the car.
“I’m sorry.” He reached over and squeezed her hand as an apology. “I didn’t mean it as a personal attack on you.”
“It’s true though.” She stared at the sun visor, running her tongue over her lips. “My life is in New York, not Noel.”
Her body language struck him as odd. “You don’t sound so confident about that.”
She shrugged. “I’m not thinking clearly. Nostalgia is getting the better of me.”
“How so?”
“I keep thinking that it would be nice to be near my mom again. Even Beth, though we don’t always get along. Maybe if we spent more time together, we’d be close again.”
“She’s moving in with your mom, right?”
“Until she gets back on her feet. The school hired her to replace Mrs. Duvall after the new year.” Her smile revealed genuine happiness for her sister. “It will be good for her. I’ve seen her teach, and she comes alive.”
“I’m glad she has that to look forward to.” He covered his mouth and coughed. “Is there any reason you couldn’t move back to Noel?”
“My job,” she answered without skipping a beat.
“Can’t you telecommute? You already mentioned your boss is allowing you to work from here for the time being, why not ask about making it permanent?”
Her body tightened, and seeming uncertain about her future and what she wanted, she tripped on her answer. “I don’t know if she’d go for that permanently. I have meetings with clients and other members of the firm.”
“Video conferencing has come a long way. Technology has made it possible to keep in constant contact.”
“It’s an idea to consider.”
Sensing her discomfort on the topic, he switched to a neutral topic of favorite Christmas movies. Their conversation flowed with ease, and they reached the mall in Portland in record time. First they hit the game store, and he prayed the whole way in that the game consoles would be in stock. He breathed a sigh of relief when they walked out with both sets they needed, plus a ha
ndful of games.
He carried the bags as they strolled to the next store. “Was it wrong for me to pray they’d have the game consoles in stock?”
“I don’t think so.” She pinched her lips, staring up in concentration. “It’s not as though you asked for selfish motives.”
After several stops in the mall, they stopped by the food court for lunch. He waited in line for a slice of pizza, and Brenna went for an order of orange chicken and spring rolls.
The man behind him accidentally bumped into him and apologized. “Looks like you got your hands full. How many kids do you have?”
“None.” Always up for small talk to pass the wait in line, he jutted his chin toward the bags when he saw the man eye them curiously. “I’m from Noel, and the community came together to help our kids in need. My friend and I are out finding the items today.”
“My wife and I loved making a trip out to Noel every summer and winter for the festivals.” The man made a tsking sound. “Bum deal the town got with the factory moving out.”
“It changed the town as we knew it, but we have spunk and will come back.”
“With that attitude, I’m sure.” The man smiled his approval. “Tell me more about these kids. Is the town able to provide for each child who needed gifts?”
“It’s tight, but we’ve scoured ads for the best deals to save money.” Actually, the items they’d purchased so far had exceeded their estimate, which dipped deeper into their overall funds, but the stranger didn’t need to hear that.
“The Lord will provide. Do what you can and leave the rest to Him.”
“Amen.” Derek moved forward and placed his order. Once he got his food, he sprinkled red pepper flakes on top of the slice. He went to lift the tray, but the man who’d been behind him stopped him.
He slipped a one-hundred dollar bill into Derek’s hand. “Put this toward the children, please.”
Stunned, Derek took several beats to respond. “I can’t accept this.”
“Why not?” The man arched a brow and grinned.
Derek thought about it, couldn’t find a logical reason other than he didn’t know the man. “I don’t know.”
The generous stranger chuckled. “Merry Christmas.”
“You too. Thank you.” He shoved the bill in his wallet with his faith in humanity bolstered.
Wait until I tell Brenna. Craning his neck, he searched for her above the crowds. He spotted her still in line. Instead of waiting with her, he hunted down a table. Despite being a weekday, the mall was packed, filled with shoppers seeking the best bargains for their Christmas lists. Weaving through the tables, he searched for an empty table or signs of a person about to leave.
It took a minute or two, but he found a cramped table on the far side of the court. He set his tray on the table and placed their bags underneath. Waving his arms, he caught Brenna’s attention.
She shouldered her way through the crowds and plopped in the metal chair with a humph. “Three people cut in front of me. One was a mom with three young kids, so I didn’t let that bother me. I figure she needed the lesser wait more than me. The other two were plain rude.”
“I’m sorry.” He cast a wink her way. “I guess I shouldn’t tell you about my experience?”
“Go ahead.” She unwrapped her straw and stuck it her cup of tea.
He relayed the story of the stranger gifting him a hundred dollars for the kid’s gifts. “I’ve heard of stories like that but never experienced it.”
“Me either. That’s crazy but in a good way.” Dipping her spring roll into the sweet and sour sauce, she smiled. “That totally makes up for the rudeness I experienced while in line.”
“It’s enough to cover the excess of what we’d budgeted.” An awestruck shiver passed over him. “God is good, isn’t He?”
“Yes, He is.”
Chapter Five
Brenna looked at Derek from her spot in the passenger seat. Though his brown hair was cropped short, it still got mussed from taking his wool knit hat on and off all day as they came in and out of stores.
After lunch, they’d stopped at several strip malls and freestanding stores before making the drive home. He’d been unusually quiet the last half hour, not responding to her simple attempts at conversation.
By the time he came to a stop in her driveway, she couldn’t take it anymore. They’d had a great day, and she didn’t understand his change in mood. “What’s going on? You’ve haven’t said more than twenty words the entire way home.”
“I’ve been thinking.” He unbuckled and shifted his hips. “Are we doing enough?”
She squinted her eyes. “We bought every item on each kid’s list.”
He moved his head side to side. “I’m not talking about the presents.”
“Are you talking long term?”
“Kind of.” He glanced at the back seat full of presents to be wrapped. “I know we’re doing the right thing by giving these gifts, but we keep saying we’re giving them a Christmas.”
“Aren’t we?” She furrowed her brows and stared at him, tried to decipher what he meant.
Confusion covered his face, and she could tell he’d put a lot of thought into whatever he wanted to say. “What is Christmas?”
“A time to celebrate the birth of Jesus.”
“Right. And yes, these gifts will bring hope to the families and show God’s love, but Christmas happens with or without gifts.” Pausing, he stroked his jaw. “If we want to bring Christmas back to Noel, that’s what we need to focus on.”
Before responding, she considered his words and realized he was right. “Do you have any suggestions?”
He nodded. “No one has put out the nativity in town square this year.”
“Where is it stored?”
“I always assumed City Hall, but I haven’t found it anywhere.” His expression crossed a cringe with an embarrassed smile. “I could have made some calls to find it, but I’ve been preoccupied.”
“Once we find it, which we will, what did you have in mind?” She was curious to hear his plan and made several silent guesses as to what it might be.
“Bringing Noel back to its roots.” His smile stretched wide. “It doesn’t cost anything to gather together and sings carols. I envision people circling around the nativity set, having a visual reminder of the newborn King they’re singing about.”
“That’s a great idea. It puts the focus where it should be, and who doesn’t feel more at peace after singing a few Christmas carols?”
“So you don’t think it sounds too cliché?”
“Not at all. It’s perfect.” Already, her brain created a song list for the event.
“When I get home, I’ll make calls and find the nativity set. Even if it doesn’t surface, we can move forward.”
“Do you have a date in mind?”
“The sooner, the better.”
She rubbed her eyes and breathed in. “It won’t take much preparation, especially since the purpose is to keep it simple.”
“Could we pull off holding it this Saturday evening?” His eyes filled with hope.
Seeing how much it meant to him, she knew it had to happen. “I don’t see why not.”
“Are you good with social media?”
“I’m not on any of the major ones.” Somehow, she’d avoided falling into it. She had a few accounts, but it had been so long since she’d gone on them that her login information and passwords were anyone’s guess.
“I’ll take care of spreading the word online then.” Appearing deep in thought, he pursed his lips. “Would you be able to create a graphic I can share?”
She grinned. “That’s my specialty. I’ll work on it this evening and email it to you.”
“Perfect.” He reached for his phone. “I’ll text you my email now.”
“Do you want signs printed to hang around town?”
He grimaced. “How much will that cost?”
“I’ll cover it.” She warded off his with an explanati
on. “I did some freelance work a while back for a print shop in Augusta and cut them a deal. They said if I ever need anything to call them, so I’ll cash in on that favor.”
“That would be great.”
“I can probably get us a few yard signs, too.”
“Even better.” He reached across the console and squeezed her arm lightly. “Thank you. For everything.”
The innocent touch sent warm shivers through her, but she wasn’t about to examine what that meant. “My pleasure. A week ago, I packed my bags not sure if I’d make the trip home, but I couldn’t ignore the prodding. Each day since I’ve been here, I see more of God’s hand in bringing me home.”
“I hope you find all the answers you need.” He looked at her again with an underlying tone of undecipherable emotion.
For her own sanity, she had to escape before she let her mind go down rabbit trails she had no business exploring. “I should go.”
“Give me a call later, and we can nail down plans for Saturday.”
“Will do.” She slipped out the passenger side door without giving him a chance to get out and open it for her.
She’d had enough of his gentlemanly behavior for the day. Her fragile emotions couldn’t handle it. Her first love had grown into an honorable, attractive man with a deep heart and sense of personal responsibility.
Once inside the house, she peeked through the crack in curtain panels and watched Derek drive away. They weren’t eighteen anymore, and now they had a decade of life experience and wisdom behind them. Would that make a difference this time?
Stepping away from the window, she chided herself. “What are you thinking? There is no this time.”
Holiday charm and spending hours with Derek over the last several days had muddled her brain. She needed an activity to occupy her brain—one that wouldn’t make her think about Derek.
She pulled her phone from her purse and called her mom. “Hi, Mom. I was wondering what time you’ll be home.”