Love Finds You on Christmas Morning

by Debby Mayne

  They both stopped walking when a skittering noise came from the very back of the house.

  Jolene frowned. “Now, I don’t like the sound of that one bit.”

  Drew slipped off his shoes and moved quietly onward. He had taken only a few steps when Jolene yelled out behind him. “Watch out!”

  A squirrel darted across his path, ran back again, and dashed out of the house through a broken pane in the room’s glass door.

  Even though he had been startled, he laughed. “It was just a squirrel.”

  “Just a squirrel? Do you keep squirrels in your home?” He approached the broken pane. “We’ll have to get this patched up right away.”

  Shaken as she was, Jolene calmed quickly. “We? You’re already talking like you’re the future homeowner.”

  “Maybe I am.” He turned around and surveyed the room. What a terrific spot this would be for a home office, especially if he could open it up a bit more. “I’d love to get hold of the blueprints for the place, Jolene. I wonder if they’re available.”

  “After eighty-five years?” She looked at him as if he had asked the impossible. “Not likely.” She shrugged. “I don’t know. There are a number of places we could look. The city keeps some of those records in their archives, but I don’t know about that far back. And if it was built by the original owner, I think you’re totally out of luck.”

  Drew didn’t think luck had anything to do with this house or his having found it. The more he thought about the circumstances of his coming down this particular street last weekend, the more he felt a thrilling, possibly divine connection. He didn’t quite understand what the connection was, but he knew he was going to lose sleep tonight thinking about this place, as if he were a kid and it was Christmas Eve.

  Chapter Seven

  The following Saturday afternoon, Nikki and the housekeeper worked together in Harvey’s kitchen. Jackie tidied up the luncheon dishes while Nikki packed several containers of leftovers into the refrigerator.

  “I think Harvey’s guests really liked my chocolate soufflé. I expected to have some of that left, but it looks like they finished it off.”

  Jackie closed the dishwasher and dried off her hands. “They had some help with that. Little Paul and his parents got here just as the lunch meeting was ending. Harvey sent Paul off to the front porch with a bowlful of the stuff so Nathan and Sharon could chat with everyone.”

  “You think Nathan will run Harvey’s…empire someday?”

  Jackie shrugged. “Not my place to ponder, I suppose. But I think Nathan is more interested in Harvey’s business—and Harvey—than his father is. Morgan Fennicle is a dear man, but he seems more interested in traveling and writing than running the—”

  The swinging kitchen doors burst open.

  “Hi, Nikki! Hi, Jackie!” Harvey’s ten-year-old great-grandson ran in, breathing heavily and laughing with nearly maniacal delight, closely followed by Riley, who quickly overtook him despite his short legs. Riley had purpose in his eyes and a ropelike dog toy in his mouth. In seconds, they reached the other end of the kitchen and disappeared as rapidly as they had appeared. “Bye, Nikki! Bye, Jackie!”

  “Uh, bye, Paul.” Nikki looked at the doorway, where they had been a moment ago, and turned to Jackie with a grin. “I think the caffeine kicked in. What do you think?”

  “Hard to tell who’s chasing whom with those two.” Jackie replaced the dish towel with a dry one and gathered the used one with the linens from Harvey’s luncheon. “Are you off for the day now, or are you doing dinner tonight?”

  “I’m done. Laura tells me Harvey’s scheduled to spend the evening with Nathan and his family.” She checked the clock on the wall. “My sister Hannah will be here soon. We’re doing a little shopping. Or, rather, she’s shopping. I’m just tagging along. I’m in strict savings-mode right now.”

  “Good for you. You have something you’re saving toward?”

  Nikki leaned against the counter and sighed with longing. “A house.”

  Jackie had been walking toward the door but stopped in her tracks. She raised her eyebrows.

  “A house? How exciting! And aren’t you ambitious? You have a place in mind?”

  “Yeah. It’s one of the reasons I took this job with Harvey. The house is right down the road from here—”

  “So Harvey knows? And he’s all right with your moving out?”

  “Yeah. I mean, I wouldn’t be moving anytime soon. Even though I’ve almost reached the point where I can make my offer on the place, it needs a lot of work. It’s been neglected over the last few years. But Harvey knows about my plans. We talked about it before I accepted the job. He said as long as I can still be here for him when he needs me, he’s fine with my moving out. He’s not really one for surprise requests at midnight and that kind of thing.”

  Jackie nodded. “True.”

  “So my room and board here has just been a perk for me, rather than a necessity for him.”

  Jackie headed for the door again. “Well, I think that’s fantastic. I imagine Harvey’s that much prouder of you for your determination. I know I am.” She pushed the door open and smiled.

  “Enjoy your shopping, dear. Or, enjoy your tagging along.”

  Fifteen minutes later Nikki sat on the front steps of Harvey’s mansion, waiting for Hannah to pick her up. The front door opened behind her.

  “Whatcha doing, Nikki?” Paul walked out and sat on the step beside her. He carried his handheld video game but wasn’t yet playing it.

  “Hey, Paul. I’m waiting for my sister. She’s picking me up so we can go clothes shopping. There are a bunch of weekend sales going on.”

  “Borrr–ing.”

  The both laughed.

  “Yeah, I guess most boys would rather do just about anything other than shopping, right? What are you and your parents doing this afternoon?”

  “We were just going to bring Grandpapa home with us, but he says it’s too pretty out to stay inside all day. We’re going to pick up a couple of my friends and go hiking.”

  “Grandpapa is going to hike?” Harvey was sprightly for his eighty-eight years, but she had a hard time picturing him taking on a full-blown hike.

  Paul shook his head. “Not very far. The last time we went hiking, he just went a little ways and then he and Riley sat on a park bench and waited for us while we did the rest of the hike.”

  Nikki nodded. “I’m glad he’s getting out with you.”

  “It’s more fun when he’s there. He’s awesome.”

  “Yes, he is. My great-grandfather was awesome too. I really miss him. And my great-grandmother.”

  “They died?”

  “Yeah, quite awhile ago. They lived not too far from here—right down the street, actually. Grampa William and his brothers built the house before he even proposed to Granny Lillian. I hung out at their home whenever I could, just like you do with your grandpapa. We spent all the big holidays there too. Christmas was my favorite. My sister and my parents and I would all show up and add our presents to those Grampa and Granny already had around the tree, and our grandparents and aunts and uncles and cousins would do the same. Lots of family and noise and fun. The tree had ornaments I’d practically memorized over the years.” She sighed. “I don’t know what happened to all those ornaments. I can’t wait to get back in that home.”

  “Get back in it? What do you mean?”

  She grinned at him. “Well, neither my grandparents nor my parents were interested in the house after my great-grandparents died, so it hasn’t been in our family for years. But whoever owns it right now has had it for sale for some time, and I’m going to try to buy it.”

  “What do you mean, try to buy it? Why don’t you just buy it, if it’s for sale now?”

  Nikki chuckled. Spoken like a true, innocent rich kid. She was surprised she could understand him while he talked around that silver spoon in his mouth.

  Hannah drove up, and Nikki stood. “It’s not that easy. Houses are expensive
. But I’ve been saving my money and I’m just about ready to make my move.” She waggled her eyebrows as she spoke the last three words, pretending to be cool.

  Paul laughed at her. “That kind of shopping sounds way cooler than buying clothes.”

  “I agree.” She high-fived Paul before she left. “See you later, buddy. Enjoy your time with Grandpapa.”

  * * * * *

  Nikki’s talk with Paul got her excited about the house again, so she put in a call to Estelle, even though it was Saturday. She had to leave a message.

  “Just checking to see if I can make my offer on the house this week, Estelle. Didn’t want you to forget about me. Call me as soon as you can on Monday.”

  Hannah turned the CD player back on once Nikki ended her call. “So you’re really going to go through with it, huh?”

  “Yep.” Nikki bounced in time to the music, her mood getting perkier by the minute.

  “I just don’t get it. Does Estelle really think this is something you should do with your money?”

  “What? Estelle? This is my decision, not hers. Anyway, she’s known all along what my investment goals are, and she hasn’t discouraged me from buying the place. Investing in real estate is a smart long-term move. You bought a place.”

  “I bought a brand-new town house, Nikki.” They pulled into the shopping mall. “Look, I loved Grampa William and Granny Lillian too, but that old home could turn out to be a total money pit for you. Has Estelle seen it?”

  “No, she’s not my Realtor. That’s not her job. She’s putting me in touch with a Realtor she recommends. I’ll have him take a look at the house before I make an offer, but this just feels right. I’ve been praying about it for years. Even before the current owners moved out. Everything just keeps falling into place, with the owners putting it on the market, no one making an offer all this time—”

  “Yeah, there might be a very good reason for that.”

  “And then Harvey giving me this amazing job here and paying me well so I could afford to even consider the place. All open doors. You can’t deny that.”

  * * * * *

  As low an opinion as young Paul had of shopping, Nikki loved it as much as Hannah did, and she always had to fight the urge to buy when she went. She wasn’t easily satisfied with mere window-shopping. But since establishing her goal, she’d been ever-vigilant. Even today she saw a pair of burgundy pumps she would have loved to buy, but she forced herself to walk away from them.

  She gave Hannah a wistful gaze and whimpered like a puppy.

  Her expression totally deadpan, Hannah said, “You’re made of stern stuff, Nicole Tronnier. Stern stuff.”

  “Tell me about it. Those would look so perfect with that little gray sweater dress of mine. But I need to Just. Say. No.” They escaped into the juniors’ section of the store.

  She was in the middle of giving Hannah her honest opinion about a skirt her sister was modeling when her cell phone rang.

  “I wouldn’t, Hannah. It’s more ‘granny’ than ‘hippy chick.’ ” She turned away and opened her phone. “Hello?”

  “Nikki, it’s Estelle.”

  Her heartbeat picked up. “Hey! Thanks so much for calling me back so soon.”

  “Sure, hon.”

  Nikki frowned. Something was wrong. Estelle’s usual upbeat tone was missing.

  “You okay, Estelle?”

  A sigh.

  Uh-oh.

  “I’m fine, sweetie. But I have some pretty bad news.”

  Nikki turned around and saw Hannah watching her.

  Hannah put her palms up, question in her eyes. “What’s wrong?” she mouthed.

  Nikki shook her head and turned again, trying to concentrate and not panic. She hadn’t heard anything about the stock market getting hammered this week or anything like that.

  “What is it? Is it my account?”

  “No, no, your account is right on track. That’s the good news. But I heard your phone message and called Brian—the Realtor I told you about?”

  “Yeah?”

  “Well, I had mentioned to him, after you and I talked last, that you were interested in your old family home. I asked him to look into it.”

  “Right.” Maybe Estelle thought there was too much work to be done, as Hannah had suggested. Nikki didn’t care. She wanted that house.

  “Brian talked with the seller and mentioned that he might have a buyer for them if the price was right.”

  “Well, that’s good, right?”

  “Yeah, honey, that’s fine. And they were asking three hundred thousand, and Brian thought we could probably get as low as two fifty, considering—”

  “How long it had been sitting empty. I know. What, they want more? Can I afford more?”

  “That’s not it, Nikki. Some yahoo came along this past week and apparently fell for the house.”

  Nikki gasped. She couldn’t speak. She clenched her fist against her stomach.

  “The seller told him someone else was interested in the house, so he immediately offered them their full asking price.”

  Nikki tried to keep her voice calm, but sweat broke out all along her forehead. “But I didn’t even get a chance to—Can’t I offer them the asking price?”

  “No, you weren’t quite there yet, financially. And they’ve already given him a contract.”

  Hannah came to Nikki’s side, her eyes full of concern. She put her arm lightly around Nikki’s shoulders, and the gesture brought tears to Nikki’s eyes.

  “Estelle, this can’t be happening. How could I lose the place in a single move like that?”

  “It happens, hon. I’m sorry. But there’s always the chance something will fall through on the contract. They won’t be able to close for several weeks to a month, at the soonest. Maybe the guy’s credit is bad or something. We won’t give up completely. Not just yet.”

  Nikki had to wait a moment after closing her phone before she could tell Hannah what was happening. She knew Hannah would be supportive, even though she wasn’t totally on board with Nikki’s desire to buy that particular house.

  “What’s happened?” Hannah kept her arm around Nikki and gave her shoulder a squeeze.

  Nikki released a ragged sigh. “I might as well go back and get those stupid burgundy pumps. My bank account is all dressed up with no place to go.”

  Chapter Eight

  Now this is more like it. Drew walked into the Sunday service at Cary Community Church the next day, right before the music started up. No one was standing to sing yet, so he was able to see Phillip and Gigi sitting nearer the front than they had before. And as he walked up to join them, he made a falsely casual survey of the crowd.

  There she was, near the end of the aisle, fifteen rows or so behind Phillip and Gigi. She wasn’t so far away that he was unable to detect a demure smile brightening her expression when her eyes met his. He gave her a quick nod and smiled back. That was all he needed. She definitely recognized him. And if she had been put off by how he’d handled their initial meeting, that no longer seemed to be the case. If she didn’t hurry away at the end of the service, he’d approach her and strike up a conversation.

  “Well, there you are.” Gigi grinned at him when he moved to take the seat they had saved for him. “Right on time.”

  “Thanks for keeping a place for me.” He handed Gigi her Bible and gave Phillip a quick handshake.

  The musicians began to play and people automatically stood to sing without being asked. Drew stood too, and the most ridiculous thought popped into his mind. He knew he stood a bit taller than the average congregant. The idea that the pretty woman from the park might notice the little bald spot on the back of his head diverted his attention for a moment.

  What was that all about? He didn’t tend toward vanity. Why now?

  Especially when he should be focusing on the words and intent of the worship song rather than his hair follicles—or lack thereof. He shook off the distraction and listened to the song. It was such a small spot, an
yway. He fought the urge to reach back and check it.

  Two songs later he was completely unaware that his thoughts had strayed again to the young woman until he realized the velvet offering bag had just been extended to him by the person on his left.

  “Oh!” He spoke out loud without thinking, and he sensed movement in the row in front of him. Great, now he had distracted others as well. They turned to see who the nuisance was. He took the bag and tried to prop the handle of the bag between his arm and his side. He patted his back pants pocket for his wallet—he had taken the time to write a check this morning before leaving for church. He fumbled his wallet out of his pants and opened it. No check.

  “It’s all right, Drew,” Gigi whispered. “They don’t care if you miss a collection.”

  He sensed she was trying to help not only him but the waiting usher as well. She put out her hand so he could pass off the collection bag.

  He pointlessly patted his chest, as if he had stored the check there. He didn’t even have pockets there. And at once he was sweating. “No, but I wrote a check and everything.” He thought he was speaking quietly, but a woman in front of them turned and shushed him.

  “Oh, now, be nice,” Gigi said to her. “The poor man’s just trying to give to the Lord.” She didn’t work quite as hard as Drew had to keep her voice down, and the snickers of a couple young girls erupted behind them.

  Drew gave up, passed the bag to Gigi, and battled a rapid succession of thoughts so quick that they were mere words. Disruption. Idiot. Girl from park. Bald spot.

  And Sweat.

  He pressed the back of his hand against his forehead, blotted the moisture, and tried to refocus.

  Help me, Lord. I honestly meant to honor You this morning. I’m acting like a little kid here. I’m so sorry. I love You. Please help me to focus on You and calm down. And cool off.