by LoRee Peery
“You saw how far south the city has grown. You should go southeast and north as well. Maybe we can take a drive soon.”
“I’m satisfied with staying downtown for now. When it gets warmer you can give me a grand tour.”
He wants to keep in touch other than our work days. Deep down, she glowed.
Along the Cornhusker Highway trek to the airport, they didn’t talk.
Liam wore a bit of a frown and kept his head turned from her toward the side window.
Her thoughts drifted to the church service that would start within an hour. Lord, I pray you continue to work in Liam’s heart. I want our Christmas together to bring You honor and praise.
“By the way, Camo Man saved me earlier.”
“What? How?” She braked for a red light.
“I’m glad the guy was hanging around. I had a happy little boy in my viewfinder and wasn’t paying attention. I stepped into the street. Would have been mowed down by a car if Camo Man hadn’t knocked me down, pulling me to the sidewalk.”
Zoe took one hand off the wheel and pumped it in the air. “A hero on the streets.”
“That’s what I said. His name is Gabriel. He taught me that we can learn from anyone, even the lowly.” Liam swiped at the trickle of a trailing tear. “Wow, we’re at the airport already.”
She parked, stuffed her keys in her pocket, and reached for the door handle.
“Wait.” Liam stayed her with a hand. “We don’t ever have to talk about what you told me. I’m not going to say I understand. I want you to know I judge you in no way, and I’m here. Any time you need to talk.”
Gabriel’s influence? She closed her eyes. Thank You, Lord.
She smacked a light kiss on the side of his mouth. “I’d kiss you for real, but we need to meet your sister.”
They hurried to the terminal entrance. The baggage carousel twirled as greeters and passengers milled.
Meredith hustled toward them in a swirl of energy. She dropped an oversized purse, a tote, and the handle of her carry-on.
“Zoe, Liam.” Meredith hugged them at the same time.
Liam let loose and Zoe clung to Meredith. With Zoe’s family way down South, a lifelong friend filled the gap.
Zoe sniffed, and raised her gaze. Meredith had to be six inches taller than Zoe’s petite height. Tissues required, but she stepped back to soak in the sight of Meredith. Her flaxen hair was cut in a pixie, which made her eyes huge and accented her cheekbones.
She fingered one of Zoe’s curly locks. “You’re a bombshell. No wonder my brother hasn’t made a lick of sense since running into you.”
“Hey, I’m right here.” He collapsed the extended handle and lifted Meredith’s carry-on. “You two are bent on going to service. We have half an hour.”
“Thanks for the reminder. Meredith, I can’t believe you’re still single. Your appearance matches your last name, same as your brother.”
“I was engaged once and he betrayed me. It’s Christmas and I put that all behind me. Let’s go to church. I can’t wait to see where we attended as kids. I’m excited as a girl. This is going to be the best Christmas ever, with my bestie.”
Zoe grabbed Meredith’s tote. “The church is in the same location, but you won’t recognize much anything else. The building has been expanded and renovated.”
Arms around each other’s waist, they followed Liam to Zoe’s car. She tossed him her keys, too excited to be able to concentrate on driving.
Meredith opened the back door and pulled Zoe in after her.
She shut the door, so lighthearted she could have been riding on a cloud.
They messed with the seat belts and then held hands the way they had as girls. Zoe caught Liam’s strong profile, but turned to his sister. “This feels like all those times we crawled in the back for the drives downtown.”
“Right.” Meredith fixed her gaze on the rearview mirror. “Liam, remember how you moaned when Mom insisted you go with us?”
He winked at Meredith. “I didn’t mind that much. Usually met my friends at the movie. Hey, Mom paid.”
Zoe squeezed Merri’s hand. “And we helped those homeless people enjoy a bit of Christmas cheer.”
They didn’t have time to go into much more detail.
“Look at that. I remembered the way,” Liam announced as they arrived at the church parking lot.
Day had darkened into night. They grew solemn and followed congregants along the walk illuminated by votive candles in sand-filled sacks. Inside they were greeted with warm smiles and gentle handshakes. The setting couldn’t have been more perfect.
Lord, I’ve seen a vast change in Liam over the past few days. Please be real to him again. Work a miracle in his heart so he is filled with nothing but You. I thank You for Meredith’s safe arrival, and give You the rest of this night. Thank You for bringing Liam and Meredith back into my life. Most of all, thank You for coming to earth and saving me from my sin.
~*~
Liam kept quiet after the church service. He tuned out the women and fixed his gaze on the wiper blades as they swished the windshield clear of snow. Recalling the pastor’s last words, “Blessed be the Lord, who daily bears our burden, friends. Give your trials to God, who is our salvation. Be blessed as you bless those around you. My family and I wish you the merriest Christmas.”
Liam repeated the reference in Psalm 68:19 so he could read it for himself later. He had no reason to be downcast. Confess your sin, seek joy in what the Lord has done, and count your blessings, man.
He jumped at the pressure of Zoe’s hand on his leg. “Do you want me to let you off at the parking garage? Then you can follow us out and won’t have to drive in the morning. You can have Cliff’s room, or the couch.”
“Thanks, but no. Drop me off at the courtyard gate.” He released the safety belt and got out.
Huge snowflakes gathered on his lashes as he rounded the hood. He tapped on her window and reached for Zoe’s hand. “Thank you, ladies, for finagling it so I attended Christmas Eve service with you.”
“Are you sure you don’t want to come to the acreage with us?” She squeezed his hand.
He shook his head and smiled. “It’s snowing; you need to get the window up. I’m so full of Christmas ’couragement I’m going to get lost in that New Testament you loaned me.”
“Thank the Lord.”
“We’ll talk tomorrow.” He kissed the back of her hand. They laughed at the collecting moisture that melted on their skin. “See you, sis.”
Zoe swiped her cheek.
She rolled up the window as Meredith yelled, “Love you, big brother.”
He flipped up his collar and widened the scarf to cover more of his throat. Then he jogged to the gate. Those two women would talk all night long, and he needed to be alone.
For the first time since moving to downtown Lincoln, he missed the carols playing in the courtyard. He shook his head and grinned. No doubt about it; Christmas had been restored to his soul.
Jesus had never let go of Liam.
He dropped his coat and scarf on a bench and retrieved the pocket-sized Bible, where it opened to Romans. Chapter 15:7 caught his eye.
Accept one another, then, just as Christ accepted you, in order to bring praise to God.
12
Christmas Day
Liam arrived at the acreage at 8 AM, which wasn’t early in his book, but if he knew Meredith and Zoe, they’d gabbed most of the night.
McKenna answered the door before he could knock. “Merry Christmas, nice to see you again. Meredith is still asleep in Anna’s room. Zoe’s in the kitchen but not dressed for the day. You just missed Cliff. He planned to leave for his home last night, but he chose to get to know Meredith over spending the night with his family. I’m heading out right now.”
“Good morning to you.” He laughed as he carried a laundry basket through the door while McKenna held it open. “Sounds like you’re flying on caffeine already. Thanks for the update. You saved me from hav
ing to ask about anyone. Drive safe.”
“Thanks. Bye, Zoe.” And McKenna was out the door.
“Morning, Zoe.” He unloaded packages and placed them beneath the tree. Then he turned to the kitchen area of the great room. “Smells delicious. That ham has my taste buds working overtime. You asked me to bring dessert. Hard to find any place open. Pies were all gone except mincemeat.”
Meredith leaned against the wall. Her hair stood every which way. “Yuck. That sounds gross enough to take my appetite.”
“Some people eat it or it wouldn’t be for sale. I wanted a different dessert so I’ve got every kind of stuffed cream donut your little hearts could imagine.”
Zoe wiped her hands on a frilly, lime green apron covered in giant poinsettias. She wore no makeup and a messy ponytail. “It’s a blessing you remembered. Liam, how sweet. You brought your sister a gift.”
“Why not? One for you, too. You’ve blessed me with your encouragement, and pointed me back to the Father’s arms.”
“No credit goes to me. I allowed the Lord to work through me.”
He sauntered to the dividing island with the donut box, held in both hands. “I’m thankful we went to church last night. I needed time alone to face my sinful, dark world. I had refused to forgive the woman who took Mom’s life, and I lumped the downtrodden into a subhuman class of people. Jesus touched lepers. Each of us was created in God’s image. I have no right to look down on anyone.”
“Sounds like we all had a good night. Praise the Lord for your change of heart, big brother.” Meredith’s fuzzy slippers slapped the tile on her way into the kitchen. She put her arm around Liam’s waist, laid her head against his arm for a second, and then reached up to kiss his cheek. “Coffee, I spy the coffeepot.”
“According to McKenna, it wasn’t just the two of you having a pajama party gab fest.” He elbowed his sister, and pointed to her flushed cheeks.
She bounced her hip against his side, grinned, and then strode to the coffee carafe. “We talked about you after Cliff left for his parents’ home.”
He reared back. “Uh, oh.”
“All good, big brother.”
Zoe slid her arms around his waist, hugged him, and leaned her head on his chest. “We’re so glad you went to church last night. When we met that first day, I thought you were lost, and needed to experience the joy of Jesus again. I didn’t see a smile in what seemed like forever. Then I saw your pictures. You’re an excellent photographer when it comes to artistic takeaway, but they made me sad because I viewed them as drab in appearance.”
He cupped her shoulders and held her at arms’ length to see her face. “They lacked heart.”
“You received plenty of heart in the gifts she made for you.” Meredith bumped past them to top off her coffee cup. “Zoe told me about the cards from the beginning. I love the idea, and plan to take notes on how to do something similar next Christmas.”
“Go drink your brew, little sister.” He released Zoe and returned to the laundry basket for a gift box of flavored hot chocolate mixes that he set on the end of the island counter. “I want to impress upon Zoe how eternally grateful I am for the fact that she brought me out of the pit where I wallowed. Those loving ’couragement cards were heaven inspired.”
Zoe squeezed his arm. “It was easy to give you the cards, Liam. You needed them. And I had fun getting my creative juices flowing.”
Meredith elbowed the refrigerator door as if telling it to get ready. “I’ll put together the Waldorf salad in a bit. Shower first. Better step out for a few minutes and leave you two alone. The love word, you know.”
They ignored her.
Liam swiveled so he and Zoe stood toe to toe. He had eyes only for this woman before him. “I was afraid of losing you the way I lost my mother. I thought if I loved you, you’d leave, too, and I’d go through life alone. Worse off than ever.” He played with her earlobe, traced the dangling cross between his fingers.
“You’ve never been alone, Liam. The Lord chose you and you were close to Him as a boy. He never took His loving arms off you.”
I never want to take my loving arms off you. He lowered his head.
Zoe trailed her fingertips over his ears and into his hair, leaving zings of intensity in their wake.
Tightening his arms to draw her even closer, he met her lips. The sample taste of her sweetness made him thirst for more. Like drying grass soaking up rain, he drank.
Her moan drifted through his greed.
His head cleared enough to let him know his legs wobbled.
She linked her fingers behind his neck, and laughed from somewhere deep inside.
He didn’t want to let her go, so he reached for her hands and danced her around the dividing island toward the Christmas tree.
“Well now, that’s exactly where I want you two, in front of the tree.” Meredith entered from the hallway. “Let’s exchange gifts now.”
He pulled back, reluctant to release Zoe’s hand.
“I’m not dressed for Christmas, so no pictures yet.” She handed him packages wrapped in a pyramid held together by ribbon. He couldn’t restrain the laugh when he opened the largest to discover coloring books designed with adults in mind. The middle box revealed fifty colored markers, and the smallest box held a CD package of praise songs.
Meredith presented Liam with a gift card to a craft store. “So you can get framing materials for photographs, or whatever else you might want for the gallery. Impersonal, but functional.”
Meredith gave Zoe a large leather scrapbook/photo album plus a gift card for more craft materials.
Zoe waved the envelope. “We can shop together, Liam. Here you go, Meredith.”
She opened a beaded rose colored knit headband. The fake jewels caught the light and sparkled. “Perfect. I need my ears covered since I don’t have hair to keep them warm.”
Last, he held out Zoe’s gift, a group of matted pictures within a rainbow-hued frame that spelled her name. The Z and E were photographs of ironwork. The O consisted of a downtown bar sign shot against a background of turquoise and purple.
“Thank you, Liam. I love it.” She graced him with a soft kiss, and leaned back. “I’ve also given myself a gift. I asked the Lord to absolutely and forever take my addiction. I refuse to give getting high another thought. I’m going to trust God for taking away the temptation forever.”
“This is a Christmas Day to remember. Tell me what I can do this morning food-wise while you go get ready.”
Later while he scrubbed potatoes, he looked ahead to the indescribable gift of praying out loud to the God he’d neglected, topped off by the presence of the two women he’d always love.
Then he went over the next day’s order of events. The grand opening of Gorgeous Photography. Not only that activity, but what he’d planned for Zoe.
13
Grand Opening, Gorgeous Photography
December 26th dawned brisk and sunny. Zoe yawned through breakfast and left Meredith still abed. Two grande mugs of chocolate flavored coffee by lunchtime hadn’t done much to perk her up. Not one client had come through the door of Agape Wear all morning.
Zoe kept nodding off. Each time she jerked awake, she had trouble finding the correct page on her e-reader because she couldn’t remember the paragraph where she’d stopped. She needed someone else to hang around to relieve her. Better yet, a comfy recliner where she could curl up. The bell would announce…she sat taller to gain a better view out the window.
Should she close up and cross to Liam’s place for his opening day?
Across the way, a quartet of young men entered Gorgeous Photography. Were they lost? Dressed in black suits, snow-white shirts set off by cardinal red ties? Zoe tried not to gape as they crowded inside and out while two held open the door.
Of all things, they turned toward the courtyard. Liam and Meredith trailed behind as the group headed Zoe’s way. She rounded the counter to wait in the center of the shop.
The foursome entere
d and stood in a row before her. “Ma’am? Are you Miss Zoe Danner?” The tallest, in a voice as low as Liam’s, addressed her.
She could only nod.
The next in line drew her attention. “We are here with a special message from Mr. Liam Gorgeous.”
“You brought joy and laughter and peace back into his life,” the third continued.
“At his request, we’re here to sing for you.” The fourth pulled out a pitch pipe and blew.
The highest tenor launched off with the chorus of “In My Heart There Rings a Melody.”
Zoe figured she looked like a goof standing there with a smile that wouldn’t quit. A thrill ran down her spine every time the bass sang the low notes. Electrical surges wove through her being. Warm and cold and teary. Her heart sang with the lyrics. Not only had God given her a melody within her heart, but He had placed that same joy back within Liam’s soul.
Liam circled from behind the quartet and held out a bouquet of giant, long-stem red roses, which he settled in the crook of her arm. Then he took her hand. “I have a melody in my heart now, a song you helped put there.”
“A melody of love.” She mouthed thank you and let the tears flow.
Another note sounded from then pitch pipe, and the quartet launched into a lively rendition of “Let Me Call You Sweetheart.”
The pure a cappella notes along with their synchronized choreography chased away the tears. She laughed with joy. The bass sang way down low at the end of the song, creating crazy flip-flops up and down and all around her insides.
The friends clapped and the quartet bowed a second time.
Zoe looked each young man in the eye. “Thank you, guys. I’ll remember this forever.”
Meredith chatted with the quartet, and then opened the door. “Let’s give the lovebirds a moment, shall we?”
As soon as the door shut, Zoe squealed. “I love you, Liam Gorgeous. You’ve given me enough Christmas ’couragement to last through eternity.”
“And I love you with all my heart, Zoe Danner.” He took a knee. “Thank you for giving yourself to me and renewing my belief in Christmas. Is there any chance you love me enough to share the next fifty and more Christmases with me?”