The Best Christmas Ever
Page 19
Justin’s disappointment was acute. He shook his head. “The police have been out an hour. I’ve looked all over and haven’t been able to spot her. They asked me to stay here in case she calls.”
He heard the police officer behind him go back to the phone. They’d left one man behind. He didn’t know why. Maybe to keep him there when he finally went crazy and wanted to go back out on the streets and search for his daughter.
“What happened?”
He turned to Bill. “I don’t know. I was outside, then I showered. When I went to check on Mickie, she was just gone.”
“Any clues?” Bill asked.
Justin finally looked at the last person in the group. He replied to Sarah instead of Bill. “She was miserable this past week. She didn’t understand why you’d left.”
Sarah appeared tired, as tired as he felt. Deep purple smudges circled her eyes. Guilt etched her face.
“I’m so sorry,” she whispered.
He could hear the truth in her voice.
“We should have talked. I should have said goodbye. I should have told you I didn’t love André and asked for visitation rights. I don’t know what I should have done—”
“Stop it,” Justin suddenly whispered, his heart aching. “Come here,” he said, and opened his arms.
She ran to him and threw herself at him. He wrapped his arms around her small body and felt her shake with sobs.
“She’s so alone, right now,” she cried. “Why would she do it?”
“I don’t know,” he murmured, rocking her. “I just don’t know.”
He continued to rock her, thinking how right she felt against him. He loved her more than life itself. Why had he ever let her go? Why hadn’t he explained that he didn’t blame her, that he thought she loved…
“You don’t love André?” he questioned, pushing her back. “I don’t understand. I thought that’s why you left.”
Sarah reluctantly released Justin. She looked up and met his gaze. “I left because you told me you thought it was best. Drydan had called you and told…I was going to tell you, Justin. I had the doctor’s reports, and even notes to answer questions. They’re probably still upstairs on the desk.”
“You think I care that you’re infertile?” he asked astounded.
She dropped her gaze. “You want more children.”
Suddenly angry, he growled, “I want you. I love you. We can adopt children. My lands, Sarah, didn’t you know how much I love you?” Sarah looked up at him and he could see the hope and despair mixed in her eyes.
“No,” she whispered. “I didn’t.”
He jerked her back against him and held on tight, his whole body shaking at the revelation. “Sarah, I asked you if you could love me. What did you think I meant? I want you in my life forever.
“Infertility doesn’t matter. If you were blind or crippled it wouldn’t matter. Don’t you understand, it’s you I love.
“Only you.
“Your brightness, your tender spirit, your kindness, thoughtfulness. Just you. All I wanted was your love. Anything else can be overcome. But when I thought you were only considering me because I had given you a job—”
“What?” she asked, shocked. “You thought…how could you?” she asked.
He saw the spark of anger in her eyes and his anger melted.
“I love you for who you are. But you wanted kids. You’d mentioned it and I didn’t know if you could accept me after Amy—”
“Whoa, right there,” he warned. “The past is the past. Amy was put to rest. I won’t ever compare you with her. As I said I want only you.”
“You’re all I want, too,” she said, and went back into his arms. “But, Mickie…”
“Yeah,” he said, when she trailed off. “I should have called you and asked you to come over. But I was too proud. I didn’t want you to see me like that. I was hurting too much…” He sighed, a defeated sound in a room that should have had only merriment.
Then Sarah’s hand cautiously stroked his back, tentatively, as she tried to relieve the hurt and pain he was experiencing.
“Don’t blame yourself. We were both wrong. Now all we can do is pray that Mickie is found quickly.”
Bill heard that and came forward. Taking their hands, he and Marcy began to pray, asking God to protect her and guide the police to her.
When the door opened, Sarah was the first to see the bundle in the police officer’s arms. She cried out, covering her mouth in joy.
Justin looked up, saw the brown head sticking up out of a blanket and dropped Sarah’s and Bill’s hands. “Mickie?” he asked, scared to find out if she was hurt. Then it didn’t matter. He shot across the room and was reaching out for his daughter. “Mickie, honey?”
Her head popped out of the blanket. Tears covered her face. “I’m sorry, Daddy, but I had to get her.”
“Who, honey?” he asked, rubbing her legs and arms, chafing warmth into her. “Where’d you find her?”
“About two miles from here, Mr. Warner,” the officer said.
“I had to find Aunt Sarah.”
Justin stared at his daughter. His knees were knocking in relief. “You were going to walk to Bill’s?”
Mickie shrugged.
“I told you never, ever to try that, honey. You scared us all to death.”
The tears started again and Justin immediately felt awful for chastising her. He gathered her close and turned toward Sarah, his only purpose to get her to the woman she had been seeking. Mickie’s next words stopped him.
“You don’t understand. You said you loved her. And you told me if it was a real emergency I didn’t have to wait for a grown-up. I could walk someplace myself.”
He started to explain he’d meant to find a teacher or policeman to help her, but she wasn’t done.
“I asked Santa for a mommy. I prayed and told Jesus to send just the right one. Well, Aunt Sarah was just right. You did say you loved her, Daddy. But you see, it’s Christmas Eve, and I couldn’t find my letter to put on the tree and I was afraid Santa would forget to bring her. I just had to find her.”
Justin couldn’t help it; he started crying. He wasn’t sure if it was relief or joy.
“Don’t cry, Daddy,” she whispered. “There’s a police officer here and he’ll see you.”
That caused him to chuckle as tears streamed down his face. Justin continued across the room to where Sarah was crying, too. Halfway there, Mickie saw Sarah.
“You’re here!” she cried out, and wiggled from her daddy’s grasp. “He found my letter!” She ran over to Sarah and threw her arms around her. “Did Santa find you?” she asked.
“Not exactly,” Sarah said, bending down and pulling the small child into her embrace. Mickie locked her arms around her neck, then she pushed back. “But how’d you know to come?” she asked, puzzled.
Sarah looked up at Justin. “Your daddy called me.”
Mickie looked up at her daddy. “Does this mean you married her now? I know you said she had to move out until you could get married, but I want her back for good.”
Justin turned to Sarah. His heart ached with the love he felt for these two. The officer standing near the door, Bill and Marcy near the stairs—their stares didn’t matter. All that mattered was the two people he loved most on the face of this Earth, who stood before him. He smiled at his daughter.
“Well, pumpkin,” he drawled, “I don’t know. You see, Aunt Sarah has to agree to that. Now, if she will, I know a judge or two who might be romantically inclined and might marry us tonight so Sarah will never have to leave this house again. What do you think about that?”
Mickie jumped up and down and turned hopeful eyes on her aunt Sarah. “Oh, please, Aunt Sarah. Will you marry us? I promise to be real good and not ask for chocolate coconut cake again.”
“She can’t bake that, sweetheart,” Justin said, enjoying the look on Sarah’s face.
“I won’t even ask for too many peanut butter-and-jelly sandwiches,” Micki
e said, though reluctantly. Then, turning wide eyes on Sarah, she said, “We love you, Aunt Sarah, and want you here.” She fidgeted, as if she were afraid of Sarah’s answer.
Fresh tears streaked down Sarah’s face and she leaned down and hugged Mickie. “And I love you, too. I’ll be glad to marry you—and your daddy. Do you think I should tell him?”
Justin’s heart tripped over. “I think he heard you,” he said, and walked forward. “How about giving me a kiss to seal that?”
Sarah looked up from Mickie, her cheeks suddenly flushing. Her eyes sparkled with love. Slowly, Sarah stood and walked forward. Shyly, she held out her hand. Justin took it, then pulled her into his arms, but he hesitated as he stared at her beautiful face.
“Come on!” Bill called out. Marcy laughed and urged him on, as well.
“An audience,” he murmured. Then, not letting that stop him, he shifted her and bent her back over his arm. “Your acceptance kiss,” he said softly before taking her lips.
The kiss left Sarah weak and breathless, supported only by his arms. When she opened her eyes, Mickie was clapping.
“Do it again, Daddy. Do it again.”
Justin was short of breath, but looking very smug, Sarah noticed. He smiled and shook his head. “I think I’ll save the next one for after we say ‘I do.’”
Sarah blushed, then she said tenderly, stroking his face. “I love you, Justin. You’re the best Christmas present I’ve ever received.”
Justin pushed her hair behind her ear and nodded. “Let’s go find the judge.”
Mickie ran up and grabbed her daddy around the legs. He picked her up and started toward the door.
“You know what, Daddy?” she asked.
“What’s that, pumpkin?” he said.
“This is gonna be the best Christmas ever.”
Looking over at Sarah, he said, “I couldn’t agree more.”
Dear Reader,
I love kids. And I’m very blessed to have two wonderful, loving children as well as a loving husband. However, not everyone is that lucky. Some people have children but have lost their spouse. Others are married but are unable to have children. This story is about two such people: a woman who comes face-to-face with the possibility of never having children, and a man who has found himself alone, doing his best to raise his daughter.
But with God, all things are possible. In my story, God brings two hurting people together to allow their healing and love to blossom. I’m an eternal optimist and believe there is no situation that God can’t turn around for good. With His love leading us, He can give us joy and the true desires of our hearts if we only stop and listen to His voice. I hope you have enjoyed Sarah and Justin’s story, as together they discovered God’s plan for their lives—along with a little help from Justin’s rambunctious daughter, Mickie. I’d love to hear from you, too. Write to me at P.O. Box 207, Slaughter, LA 70777.
eISBN: 978-14592-6467-0
THE BEST CHRISTMAS EVER
Copyright © 1998 by Cheryl Wolverton
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, including xerography, photocopying and recording, or in any information storage or retrieval system, is forbidden without the written permission of the editorial office, Steeple Hill Books, 300 East 42nd Street, New York, NY 10017 U.S.A.
All characters in this book have no existence outside the imagination of the author and have no relation whatsoever to anyone bearing the same name or names. They are not even distantly inspired by any individual known or unknown to the author, and all incidents are pure invention.
This edition published by arrangement with Steeple Hill Books.
® and TM are trademarks of Steeple Hill Books, used under license. Trademarks indicated with ® are registered in the United States Patent and Trademark Office, the Canadian Trade Marks Office and in other countries.
Printed In U.S.A.
Table of Contents
Cover Page
Excerpt
Books by Cheryl Wolverton
About the Author
Title Page
Epigraph
Dedication
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
Dear Reader
Copyright