Christmas at Barncastle Inn: Four-in-One Collection
Page 26
God loved those parents and those babies, she reminded herself, and prayed she would never endure a similar trial. How her worries about Cinnamon getting too cold during the ride yesterday paled when compared to a bloodthirsty king.
Next up, the wise men approached the house where Mary and Joseph had set up housekeeping. “My turn?” little Justin Taylor asked, and the spectators giggled. Justin was a precocious toddler with a good vocabulary but no one could predict how the two-year-old would react.
As soon as the Magi presented the gifts—even without the wrapping paper any American child associated with gift-giving—Justin squealed “Mine?” Mary opened the bottle of frankincense for him to smell, and he screwed up his nose. “Ugh.” Waverly bit her lip to keep from laughing. Jesus might have reacted the same way when he was a little boy. But he took a gold coin and bit into it, and again, laughter rippled across the crowd.
Mary packed the spices away in a basket with a thoughtful look on her face. “Such strange gifts for a child. Frankincense—used in offerings. Myrrh—a spice used to wrap a dead body.” A shudder crossed her face and aspotlight created the shadow of a cross behind the spot where Justin sat pounding on a nail. Then the angel spoke to Joseph in a dream and he hurried with his family to Egypt. Waverly brushed away tears from her eyes.
Alec took the horses to the barn and came back in with the brownies Waverly had baked. She joined Mrs. P. in setting up a folding table for the wrap party—their pretext for the shower—while the actors changed clothing. “Do you have the cake?”
Mrs. P. winked. “I have it hidden away. We’ll bring it out later.”
Jayne joined them at the table, rubbing her lower back. “I am so ready for this guy to make his entrance. There’s been a time or two when we thought we might get our little tax deduction early.” She looked down at her protruding belly. “I’m glad you decided to wait. We didn’t need a birth in the midst of the Christmas Any Time plays.”
“What all did you put in those sacks, Alec?” Omar rumbled as he exited the changing room. “They felt like you loaded them with rocks.”
“I can’t imagine. Just a few odds and ends.” Waverly wondered if everyone else heard the false note in Alec’s answer. “Let’s check it out.” He went into the props room and emerged with the two bags. “Phew, these are heavy. Let’s check them out.”
He pulled out a rectangular box wrapped in baby blue paper. “Look what I found.” He grinned.
“Mine!” Justin grabbed for it.
“I don’t know. Look here. There’s a gift tag that says
‘Jayne.’”
Jayne straightened. “What’s going on?”
“Surprise!” The gathering shouted.
“Have a seat.” Luke pulled out a chair at the end of the table.
“You guys.”
Alec dug his hand into the bag again. “Look what else I found!” Grinning, he removed a pink-wrapped box. “This one says it’s for … Waverly and Cinnamon.”
Waverly’s mouth dropped open. “What’s going on? This is Jayne’s shower.”
“No, poppet.” Mrs. P. patted her shoulder. “We decided to make it for both of you.” Misty ran around her feet, barking. “Come on in, folks.”
Waverly stared openmouthedly as the back doors opened and a number of townsfolk came in. Alec’s parents, the owner of Joe’s Java, the pastor and his wife … they formed two concentric circles around the table.
“Mine?” Justin reached for the pink-wrapped box.
“This one is for you.” Alec found a box wrapped in bright red-and-green paper. “We decided our favorite child actor should get some gifts as well. And here is one for Andy.”
“What do you say?” Jayne prompted as Andy tore into the present.
“Thanks. Look, Mom, it’s a super secret spy kit.” He hoisted the box over his head for everyone to see.
“Why don’t our guests of honor sit together.” Waverly took the seat next to Jayne.
“And here is the cake.” Mrs. P. opened a bakery box and pulled out a sheet cake decorated with pink and blue bottlesand diapers and everything baby. It read, Congratulations, Jayne and Waverly.
Mrs. P. busied herself cutting cake and pouring punch while Waverly and Jayne opened gifts. “This next one is from Doreen.” Waverly rattled the box but it didn’t make a sound. She pushed against the wrapped gift and it sunk beneath her fingers. Probably another cute baby outfit.
Instead she found a plush sweater in pale lavender, with a matching infant bodysuit tucked in below. “New mothers need pampering too,” Doreen said. Waverly hugged her.
Alec sat at the opposite end of the table, but Waverly felt his eyes on her as she opened every gift. With so many gifts from so many people, she could hardly keep track. But none of them bore Alec’s name, not even when every gift had been distributed. Did he mean the present from his parents to be from him as well? The thought sent a chill to her soul. Stop it. He’s been kinder to you than you deserve. She bit into the rich cake but the sugar did little to cheer her up.
After she finished the cake, Waverly stood to help clean the table. She hoped all the gifts would fit in the backseat of Alec’s truck. At the moment she wished she didn’t have to ride back with Alec. Why had he given a gift to Jayne, but not to her?
“A penny for your thoughts?” The man appeared in front of her as though conjured by her thoughts, his eyes locked on hers as if nothing else existed in the world for him.
“Wondering how I’m going to get all this”—she waved a hand at the array of boxes piled on the floor—“home.”
“We’ll make two trips if we have to. Come with me for a sec.” He didn’t wait for her to agree, but instead took herhand in his and tugged her in the direction of the now-emptied burlap sacks. Hoisting the sack over his back, he led her into the dressing room and closed the door behind them.
“There are two gifts left, but I wanted a moment of privacy.”
His smile was so tender, her heart melted with the beauty of it. So he hadn’t forgotten her, after all. But why all the secrecy? She giggled. “You didn’t have to do that.” Yes you did.
“Oh but I wanted to.” He opened the top of the sack and revealed a hefty box wrapped in a cute paper with ribbons and bows. “Here’s one.” Next he dug his hand deep into the sack and pulled out a small, gold-wrapped gift. “I wanted gold foil. Keep with the Magi theme.” He took a deep breath. “Which one do you want to open first?”
Waverly’s eyes fastened on the gold box in Alec’s hand. It couldn’t be what it looked like. “I’ll start with the big one.” Her voice trembled and she sat on the couch where actors rested between scenes. Alec sat next to her, and heat wrapped her body where their arms touched. She took her time untying the bow and running her fingernail along the edge of the wrapping paper, as if she wanted to preserve the paper for all posterity.
“A car seat? But I have one.” Why all the secrecy for a car seat? Her heart slowed down. That gold box—It couldn’t be …
“I hate seeing you move it all the time. And I hope for you and Cinnamon to take many trips in my truck.”
“That’s … thoughtful.” She stared at the gold box.
Alec moved, and air rushed in to take his place by her side. He knelt in front of her.
This can’t be happening. Waverly wanted to hide her face behind her hands.
He wrapped her fingers around the gold box. “Open it.”
This time she tore into the paper, uncovering a square jewelry box. She hesitated, running her finger over the solid dark blue velvet lid engraved with the name of the local jewelry store.
He smiled at her and opened the lid, revealing a diamond ring. “Will you marry me, Waverly Coe? Will you trust me with your love and give me the opportunity to be a husband to you and a father to your daughter?”
The ring sparkled through the tears in Waverly’s eyes. “If I have learned anything this first Christmas with Cinnamon, it’s that with God, I can trust Him with ev
erything—He gives me more than I could ever dream.” She leaned forward and met Alec halfway, their lips touching in a soft kiss.
“Even you. With all of my heart, yes.”
Award-winning author and speaker Darlene Franklin recently returned to cowboy country—Oklahoma. The move was prompted by her desire to be close to her son’s family; her daughter Jolene has preceded her into glory.
Darlene loves music, needlework, reading, and reality TV. Talia, a Lynx point Siamese cat, proudly claims Darlene as her person.
For information on book giveaways and Darlene’s upcoming titles, visit www.darlenefranklinwrites.blogspot.com.
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