Drake watched as Angela started trembling. She started to lift the glass of water then set it down before she dropped it. He captured her hand between both of his. “Hey, it’s okay, Angel. You don’t have to say any more.”
“I need to tell you, Drake. I need to just get it out in the open. I’ve never told anyone but my Granny the whole story.” Angela took a deep breath. “One night, after Allen and Dad had been drinking, he came to the apartment. Mom had given him a key. He um… he attacked me. At my mother’s urging, he moved back into the apartment. I tried to hide from him, to stay with friends, but he’d always find me. I sometimes wonder if he hadn’t somehow installed a tracking device on my car. He grew abusive, violent. Then I realized I was pregnant in spite of staying on birth control pills. There was no way I wanted Allen or my parents in my baby’s life, so I started making plans to leave, to escape. I was only a month away from finishing my degree. After that, I could disappear and start over. Allen somehow figured out my plans and confronted me. He hit me until I passed out then set the apartment on fire. The sound of flames crackling and glass exploding woke me. I managed to climb out the bedroom window onto the top of the garden shed and made it to the neighbor’s house to call for help.”
A tear rolled down her cheek and Drake reached over to brush it away. Her eyes held such a look of desolation, it made him wish he could take away the pain she’d endured.
“I don’t know if Allen was so drunk he didn’t know what he was doing or if he had a change of heart, but he went back into the apartment and burned to death. My mother blamed me for everything and my father… well, he dealt with the situation by pouring a few extra drinks. I spent a week in the hospital recovering from my injuries, but miraculously, I didn’t lose the baby. Despite everything, I wanted my child. So, I finished my classes, graduated with honors, and left the next day for Tennessee. Granny took me in while I put my life back together. After Nick was born, I went to work in a big vet clinic an hour away. Granny was the one who told me it was time to spread my wings and try something new when I told her about the clinic here in Faraday. I just wish she would have made the move with us, but she refused to leave the home she’d known since she was a young bride of eighteen.”
“Angel, I’m so, so sorry for what you endured, what your family put you through. I don’t even know what to say. I’ve always admired you, but that’s just increased tenfold. What you went through was horrific, and yet you’ve remained a wonderful, caring, sweet person who is raising a terrific son.”
Visibly shaken, she blinked and brushed at her tears. “Thank you, Drake. And thanks for listening to my story and not bolting out of here.”
He gave her a lopsided grin and took her hand in his again, pressing it to his lips. “Never. It’ll take more than that to send me running.”
The server appeared with their meals and Drake tried to still the hundred questions racing through his thoughts. Before he could stop it, one popped out. “Do you stay in contact with your folks? I’ve never heard you mention them, other than to say they live in Colorado.”
She shook her head and toyed with the pasta on her plate. “No. They don’t know about Nick. The only time I’ve spoken to them since I left Denver was when I called to tell them Granny passed away. Mom made some excuse about being too busy to attend the funeral. She never even asked how I was doing or where I was living.” She shrugged. “It’s for the best.”
“That’s their loss, Angel. Besides, you’ve got a huge family right here.”
“I do?” she asked, glancing at him in confusion.
“Are you kidding me? Everyone in town loves you. Well, with the exception of that dog you fixed last week.”
Angela grinned as he knew she would.
“I’m serious, Angela. You’ve made a home and a life for yourself here. You’ve got more friends than you realize. Friends who would do anything for you.”
Her face softened and Drake didn’t think she’d ever looked lovelier. “Like you?”
“Like me.”
When they finished their entrees, Drake insisted they order dessert. While they waited for it to arrive, they watched the snow falling and looked at the lights outside the window. Suddenly, he felt Angela’s finger touch the dimple in his chin. “Granny always said those dimples were made by angel kisses when babies were born.”
Drake grinned, liking the idea of his Angel planting a few kisses there, especially if they roamed upward to his lips. “Your granny was a very smart woman.”
“You have no idea.”
While they lingered over dessert and cups of spicy tea, Drake changed the subject to the Christmas season. They talked about the program coming up at school, the community tree lighting, and the living nativity.
“Nick is excited about Shep being in the nativity again,” Drake commented as they made their way out to his SUV. The snowfall was heavier, but a snowplow drove by, giving him hope the roads wouldn’t be too bad driving back to Faraday.
“He is excited.” Angela agreed. “That boy of mine loves Christmas, although I can’t get him to tell me what he wants this year. He just keeps saying that Santa is going to bring it and it will be the best Christmas ever.”
“Maybe I can try to get it out of him at school or eavesdrop while he’s talking to Sean and Evan.” Drake smiled at her and waggled an eyebrow. “I have my ways of finding out things.”
She laughed. “That would be a huge help. Nick doesn’t ask for a lot, so if there is one thing he really wants for Christmas, I’d love to make his wish come true if I can.”
“We’ll figure it out. After all, it’s two adults against a six-year-old. How tough can it be?”
When they reached town, Drake slowly drove down Main Street so they could take in the sight of the holiday decorations before he turned onto the dead-end street where Joy lived.
Together, he and Angela made their way down the walk and to the front door. Angela rang the bell and the sound of giggles, happy barks, and footsteps grew louder then Drew opened the door with Nick and Bacon racing up behind him.
“Hey. How’s it going?” Drew asked, stepping back so they could walk inside.
“Mom! I had the best time!” Nick threw his arms around Angela and gave her a hug before he took her hand and tugged her down the hall to the family room where Joy rested on the couch with her leg up. “Miss Joy let me play with Pete and I fed him a carrot, and Mr. Drew, he said I could call him Mr. Drew because Mr. Miller my teacher is Mr. Miller, too. Anyway, Mom, he helped me build a snowman and then we made hot chocolate and watched Rudolph on TV, and Bacon and I played tag and we had cookies. And guess, what, Mom!”
Angela bent down and smiled at her son. “I’ll never guess, so you better tell me.”
Nick smiled and pointed to a missing space in his bottom row of teeth. “I lost my first tooth today. Miss Joy said the tooth fairy will come visit me and she put my tooth in a box.”
Angela dropped to her knees and tipped Nick’s face up toward the light so she could examine the hole where his tooth used to be. “I knew it was loose, but I didn’t think he’d lose it this soon.”
Drew walked over to an end table and picked up a small tin, the kind that mints come in, and handed it to Angela.
Drake moved beside her as she opened the lid and looked down at the little tooth resting on a piece of cotton batting.
“Way to go, buddy!” Drake said, giving Nick a high five. “You’ve had quite a day.”
“It’s been the best day I’ve ever had!” Nick said excitedly, flopping down on the floor and giggling as Bacon licked his cheeks and chin.
Something shifted in Angela, something Drake couldn’t define, but wasn’t sure he liked. He saw her stiffen as she tucked the tin with Nick’s tooth in her pocket. The smile she gave Drew and Joy seemed not as bright as the one she’d worn when they arrived. “I can’t thank you enough for this, and for keeping an eye on Nick. Truly, I appreciate it so much.”
“Not a problem,”
Drew said, reaching out and ruffling Nick’s hair. The boy jumped up and leaned against his leg as the puppy playfully tugged on his shirttail. “It was fun to hang out with him.”
“It really was, Angela. Call anytime you need a babysitter. I’m not very mobile, but Nick minds well. And he had a great time with Pete and Bacon.” Joy smiled at her from her place on the couch.
Angela nodded her thanks then pulled Nick to her, as though she needed to reassure herself he was fine. “I better get him home. It’s close to bedtime and as wound up as he is, that might take a while.”
Drew followed them out to the front porch and waved as Angela fastened Nick’s booster seat in the backseat then climbed in beside her son while Drake drove them home.
Disturbed by the fact she’d subtly shifted him into the role of chauffeur, Drake wasn’t surprised when she bailed out of the backseat as soon as he stopped in front of her house and pulled Nick along behind her.
“Thanks for a great day, Drake. I’ll talk to you later.” She shut the door and tugged Nick into the house, shutting Drake out.
He feared it was more than just outside of her home. The look in her eye said it was out of life and heart, too.
Chapter Nine
Drake stood from his desk as the morning bell rang and the last student hurried inside his classroom. The closer it drew to Christmas, the harder it was to get the kids to settle down and study.
Combined with the fact his heart wasn’t in the holiday or teaching at the moment, Drake was half inclined to let them have a day just to read, do crafts, and enjoy a long recess… or four. But he’d never once done that in all his years of teaching and he wouldn’t start now.
No matter how many knots Angela had twisted in his gut, he couldn’t let his students suffer because of it.
The woman had been completely infuriating since the night he drove her home after their day of skiing. He wasn’t sure if it was the fact she’d finally shared her past with him or if some overriding guilt about missing the moment when Nick lost his first tooth was the cause, but she’d not only shoved him an arm’s length away, she’d reinforced the vast space with a spike-encased brick wall.
Every effort he made to talk to her, to reassure her that nothing she’d said about her parents or husband had changed his feelings for her, ended with him angry and hurt. She’d practically run away from him at the tree lighting ceremony last week and she’d avoided him at church Sunday like he carried five different varieties of the plague.
If she wouldn’t even talk to him, how was he supposed to finally work up the nerve to confess he loved her to the very depths of his soul?
He scoffed at himself. If he loved her that much, he wouldn’t be sulking in front of a bunch of first-graders instead of figuring out a way to scale her impenetrable walls and claim her heart.
A brief, fleeting moment on Saturday, when he’d almost kissed her, was the one thing giving him hope. A flicker in her eyes, a look on her face, gave him a glimpse into her heart and what he saw there was love. Not love between good friends, although that was there, too.
No, this was the passionate, die-for-you kind of love that he’d been dreaming of since the first day he met her. Just when he thought he was making progress, when he was certain she was ready to take that next step beyond friendship, she shut him out and locked the door.
Drake forked a hand through his hair and some of the students giggled. He’d forgotten about the mousse he put in it. No doubt it was standing straight up on end, even more than usual. The kids got a kick out of his wacky hairstyle, the silly ties he wore, and the fact he’d goof around with them.
Mindful of fifteen little sets of eyes watching his every move, Drake tamped down his frustration and focused on his students. He did well until craft time arrived that afternoon. Generally, once a week a parent came, brought snacks, and stayed for an hour to help with a craft project. It gave Drake a helping hand and provided the parent with an opportunity to interact with their child and the rest of the class before they went home covered in glitter or glue.
Drake had a special project in mind for today and was excited to share it with the students. “Who’s ready for craft time?” he asked as he rose from his desk. All of his students shot their hands in the air. “Great! Clear off your desks and get ready for fun!”
With a stack of construction paper in his hand, Drake walked down the rows of desks and let each student choose a color. He’d stuck with white and a variety of blue shades for this particular project. The students were going to love what came next.
The door opened and Jasper took his cooing to an accelerated level, like he did when Angela stopped in to visit.
Drake spun around and glared at Angela. She stood in the doorway with two food containers in her hands. What luck! He’d forgotten she’d volunteered weeks ago to help today.
“Come on in,” he said, hoping his tone didn’t sound as gruff to her as it did to him.
“I came for craft day,” she said in a quiet voice, as though she had to explain her presence.
Drake clenched his jaw and nodded.
Angela looked around for a place to set the treats and ended up leaving them on Drake’s desk. She removed her coat and left it on an empty hook by the door then pushed up the sleeves of the red thermal shirt she wore beneath a pale blue scrub top featuring reindeer and trees.
Nick leaned over the back of his desk chair and waved at his mother. She smiled and waved back then walked over to Drake. “What can I do to help?”
It was on the tip of his tongue to tell her she could stop freezing him out and let him love her, but that would never do, especially not in front of his class. They’d grown so silent, the only sound in the room was the cooing of Jasper and the hum of the computers in the testing station behind his desk.
“If you’ll make sure everyone has a piece of paper, I’ll get the rest of our project. It’s in the kitchen.” Drake handed her the papers and left the room then jogged to the kitchen.
“No running in the halls, Mr. Miller,” Mrs. Beeler said, frowning at him as she stepped out of her office.
“Yes, ma’am,” he said, slowing to a fast walk as he made his way to the cafeteria.
In the kitchen, Martha, Jo, and Bobbi baked cookies for the next day and already had pans of bread rising for breakfast rolls.
“Did you come to get your goop?” Jo asked with a smile.
“I sure did.” Drake accepted the bowl of sparkly goo she handed to him.
“Don’t make too big of a mess with that,” Bobbi warned.
Drake kissed her wrinkled cheek. “Have I ever done anything like that?”
All three women said, “Yes!”
He chuckled and hurried back down the hall. Mrs. Beeler remained standing in her door and he gave her a brisk nod as he passed her before returning to his classroom.
Angela had taken Jasper out of his cage and let the children gather around the table as Jasper played with a ball. She tucked the bird back inside when Drake opened the door and stepped into the room.
“What’s that?” Evan asked as Drake carried the bowl to Jasper’s table and set it down.
“Our craft project for the day. Do you know what this is?” he asked as he retrieved a stack of disposable bowls from his storage cupboard and put a scoop of the sparkly, oozing mass in each bowl. He glanced at the students. “Does anyone want to guess what it is?”
“Magic marshmallows!” Megan said, bouncing up and down.
“Unicorn guts!” Billy shouted.
“It’s snow slug sludge,” Sean said, pointing to the bowl. “Like in the summer when you have slugs and they leave a trail of stuff behind, except this is what snow slugs leave. We had big slugs in Mom’s flowers last summer. She let me put salt on them and they curled up like this.” Sean curled his hands into claws and made a comical face as he pretended to shrivel on the ground and die.
“Those are all great guesses,” Drake said, cutting off any more long, drawn out response
s. “But this is snow paint. Today, you’re going to paint a scene with a snowman on your paper. Then we’ll add a hat and eyes, a nose, and buttons. Everyone sit down and push up your sleeves so you don’t get paint on them.”
Angela helped push up sleeves of those who couldn’t get them on their own. She set a little bowl of paint on each student’s desk and passed out paintbrushes.
Once Drake had dipped fifteen bowls of the paint, he went to the front of the room and took a sample project he’d made last night from his desk. “This is what we’re going to make, class. Any questions?”
“Can we eat the paint?” Billy asked.
“No, Billy. Do not eat the paint.” Drake gave the class a stern look. “Repeat after me, ‘I will not eat snow paint.’”
The students repeated the words.
“Good. Now, I will tell you that you can stick your hands in it if you want.”
Every student stuck their fingers into the bowl. Some laughed, a few girls squealed. Drake saw Angela dip her hand in the big bowl near Jasper. “Oh, that’s cold,” she said, grinning with wonder every bit as childlike as that on the faces of his students.
“It’s snow paint, Mrs. Carol. It has to be cold,” Evan informed her.
“Of course, Evan.” She turned and smiled at Drake and he felt his stupid, traitorous heart rapidly thump in response.
“Everyone get painting!” he said then took half the room to help while Angela oversaw the other half.
When they ended up together at the back of a row, she leaned close to him. “This is a great project. It’s giving them so many sensory experiences. The cold temperature of the paint, not to mention the way it oozes through their fingers, and the glitter mixed in. On top of all that, it smells like candy canes. What’s it made of?”
“Shaving cream, school glue, iridescent glitter, and peppermint extract.” Drake caught a whiff of Angela’s soft fragrance and forced himself not to take a deep breath of it.
“You did good, Drake. Then again, you always do,” she said in a whisper before moving off to help a little boy who had more paint on his hands than his paper.
Wings of an Angel Page 10