Under the Christmas Star (Crossroads Collection)

by Amanda Tru

  Just as Joy stepped between them, Mike drew back an arm then stopped at the sound of his name.

  “Mike! What is going on?”

  They all turned to where a blonde woman in designer jeans and a ski parka had just stepped through the front door. Even with just basic makeup and her hair in a ponytail, Joy recognized her as Cyndi.

  Her little plan had worked. She stepped out of the way as Cyndi barreled toward Mike, not seeming to notice that he was already embroiled a heated exchange.

  “Why aren’t you at work like you said?”

  Mike stared at her, blinking rapidly. “I didn’t say I was still at work—”

  “Yeah, you did.” She planted her hands on her hips.

  Mike scratched his cheek, then his mouth formed a smile but his eyes widened like a criminal caught in the act. “I said I was at work earlier—”

  “Oh, really? When?” Joy folded her arms, enjoying the sight of him in the hot seat with someone other than just her there to witness it. “You’ve been here all afternoon.”

  Cyndi let out a gasp, and her eyes practically caught fire.

  Throwing a narrow I’ll-deal-with-you-later glare at Joy, Mike pursed his lips into a line so thin they practically disappeared. He swiped a hand across his forehead. “I didn’t lie, if that’s what you’re saying.” He shook his head as he spoke. “I was at work, then I came here.”

  “Huh.” Joy frowned. “Funny you didn’t mention that you stopped by work. Was that before or after you dropped off the kids?”

  “Why didn’t you tell me there was a wedding?” Cyndi’s voice kept getting higher and, thankfully, quieter.

  Mike shot her an angry look, clearly not happy with being confronted. Joy could tell by the way his eyes darted back and forth that he was trying desperately to come up with something he could say that would resonate as truth with everyone who was standing there looking at him. She shook her head. A liar caught in his own web.

  “Let’s go clear this up in private.” Mike tried to take Cyndi’s arm, but she yanked it away.

  “Don’t touch me. And whatever you have to say, I want witnesses.”

  “Wait.” Mike’s expression turned suspicious and he glared at Cyndi, like a magician using misdirection to distract everyone from the truth. “What are you even doing here?”

  “What am I doing here?” Cyndi splayed her fingers on her chest. “You told me to come here.”

  “Now, that’s just a lie.” Mike waved a hand at her like he’d just solved the case. “Why would I do that?”

  Cyndi took her phone from her purse, tapped at it, then held it up in front of Mike’s face.

  Taking it, he frowned, then read. “Come to 803 Second Ave. South. There’s something you need to see.” He shook his head dismissively as he thrust it back at her. “I don’t know what that’s about. I didn’t send that to you.”

  “Well, someone sure did. Someone who obviously wanted me to know that you’ve been running around on me.”

  “That’s ridiculous.” He tugged at his collar like he was having trouble breathing under the weight of his own deceits. “Running around on you?” He chuckled in a feeble attempt to make the implication of their ongoing relationship look like a joke. “And no one would have had my phone.” A beat went by, then he turned his fiery gaze on Joy. “Unless…”

  “Yes. I sent it. You left your phone on the table, and I read your messages.”

  “You did what?”

  “Oh, please. Like getting mad at me is going to make you any less guilty. I thought Cyndi deserved to see for herself what a liar and a cheater you are.”

  His eyes pleaded with Joy. “This is ridiculous.”

  “No, you’re ridiculous.” Joy folded her arms. “I think you should leave. No one wants you here.”

  He worked his jaw, then slowly nodded, clearly out of ammunition. “Just give me a minute to say goodbye to the kids.”

  As Mike turned to go back into the party, Joy reached out a hand to Cyndi. “I’m sorry you had to find out this way. But I didn’t want him stringing you along for years the way he did me.”

  “I’m sorry too. Wait…you…” Cyndi’s look softened from anger to fear. “You did get divorced, didn’t you?”

  “Yes.” Joy nodded. “But he was trying to get back together. He told me he had stopped seeing you, but I’m guessing that’s not true?”

  Her mouth dropped open in rage. “That bum. We never broke up. In fact, he’s been hinting that I should be expecting a ring in my Christmas stocking. Now I’d like to ‘wring’ his neck.”

  “You and me both.”

  “I want you to know that I never would have gotten involved with him if…. I knew he had kids, but I thought…” Her voice trailed off, and she started to cry.

  “There, there.” Suddenly, Lance appeared from out of nowhere, honing in on Cyndi like some superhero Casanova. “If there’s one thing I can’t stand to see, it’s a woman in tears. Come on, honey. There’s music in the air.” He held out a hand to her. “Let Lance cheer you up.”

  Cyndi looked from Lance’s outstretched hand to Joy, then shrugged. “Well, since I’m here.” She removed her parka and draped it over the banister. “And I’m available. I might as well enjoy a dance.” She took Lance’s arm, and the two of them headed for the dance floor.

  Joy looked at Kyle, and they both released a chuckle. Then she got serious. “I owe you an apology. I left you a phone message the other day, but according to Wes, you didn’t hear it.”

  “I heard it, but not until today.” Stepping closer, he eyed her cautiously. “I have to apologize to you for not realizing it was there. We could have cleared up this misunderstanding sooner. Nicole is just—”

  “Your neighbor. I know. Wes told me.”

  “Good ol’ Wes.”

  “Yeah. So…” Feeling a rush of warmth that seemed to emanate from the middle of her chest, she inched a step closer. “There is music in the air.”

  He made a show of considering that. “And we’re both here.”

  “Uh-huh.”

  “And I’m available.”

  “Coincidentally, so am I.” She felt like she could just melt under the heat of his gaze.

  “Well then.” He held up his arms and drew her into them. “We might as well enjoy a dance.”

  One Year Later

  Joy sat back in her seat, satisfied both by the meal she’d just enjoyed and by the comfort of having her family and friends gathered in her home for Christmas dinner. Under the table, she felt a hand on her knee, and she looked over to see Kyle giving her a sideways smile. She placed her hand on his and their fingers interlaced. It had been a year of contentment, love, letting go of the past, and building trust.

  “So, according to Seattle Today magazine,” Victoria lifted her water goblet, “our own Wendy Milan is the city’s hottest wedding planner.”

  Wendy covered her face with her hand as everyone else lifted their glasses and made sounds of celebration and approval. “I don’t know how that happened, really.”

  “Well,” Joy said, “you hit on a trend with your pop-up wedding idea.”

  “It’s because of all of you.” Wendy blushed, making a gesture that encompassed Victoria and Brian, then Joy and Kyle. “It really wasn’t my idea in the first place, but thanks to all the shots from the warehouse wedding on social media, I’ve been bombarded with clients. You wouldn’t believe all the amazing places I’ve found that are perfect locations for weddings.”

  “But the big question is,” Joy spoke over the round of commentary circling the table, “who are you going to hire to plan your own wedding?”

  “All I know is, I’m hiring someone who knows what they’re doing.” Fanning her face with her hand, Wendy nonchalantly displayed the pretty diamond on her finger. Then she looked lovingly at Wes, who sat next to her polishing off a turkey leg. “Maybe I can learn a few things.”

  As the room erupted in happy chatter. Joy gave an assessing glance down to the
far end of the table, where her dad and the kids pretended not to be sneaking treats to Henry under the table, and where Mom and Sean Connery—otherwise known as Professor Kent—made lovey-dovey eyes at each other.

  Nicole and Jerry both turned to steal a look at their new baby—a German Shepherd puppy named Byron—who was sound asleep in his crate in the living room.

  Victoria exchanged a few whispered words with Brian, then picked up a spoon and clanked it against her water glass. The room fell silent, and everyone gave her their attention.

  “Brian and I have a gift for everyone. And since Joy is our hostess, I think she should be the one to open it.” She handed an envelope to Joy like she was bestowing a major award.

  Eying her narrowly, Joy took the envelope and slipped a card out of it that had a picture on the front of Mary holding baby Jesus. She gave Victoria a questioning look, then opened the card and read. “Our gift to the family is a new family member.”

  A hush fell as the meaning of the message sank in.

  Then Joy squealed. “I’m going to be an aunt!”

  She jumped to her feet and threw her arms around her sister. Then she took a step back, as Victoria and Brian were caught up in a flurry of congratulations and hugs. This was an amazing ending to their stellar year.

  The guests broke into individual conversations about the baby, the upcoming wedding, and about Think Tiny’s collaboration with Home Base—Brian’s ministry that built affordable housing. Joy took her cue to begin collecting plates to take to the kitchen. As she made space to stack them on the counter next to the sink, the door from the dining room swung open. Victoria and Wendy entered, also laden with dishes.

  The two of them were in the middle of discussing wedding plans and baby names, but as Wendy set the soup tureen down, she turned to address Joy. “Thanks for inviting us to dinner. It means a lot to be included.”

  “We’re happy to have you. You and Wes are like a part of the family.”

  Wendy rolled in her lips, her eyes glinting with emotion. “I wasn’t going to tell you this, but…I wanted you to know how grateful I am to both of you.” She paused, like she might be gathering her nerve. “I started my wedding planning business as a way to get back on my feet after escaping an abusive marriage.”

  Taken aback, Joy stood from where she had been pouring detergent into the dishwasher. She looked at Victoria, who seemed equally surprised by this bit of news.

  “Ironic, isn’t it?” Wendy went on. “I mean, the one skill I managed to walk away with after almost being destroyed by the man I’d promised to love, honor, and obey was the ability to plan weddings.” Her attempt at a laugh came out sounding like a sob, and Joy and Victoria each reached out a hand to comfort her.

  Wendy gathered her wits and went on. “Your wedding was my first gig, and when I messed up the yacht club booking, I started to think that my ex-husband was right about me being a loser. If you hadn’t been so patient with me, I wouldn’t have had the courage to put the past behind me and continue. Or to start dating again.”

  She looked at her ring then her face puckered. As Joy and Victoria pulled her into a hug, Joy gave her sister’s arm a squeeze. Somehow, Victoria had sensed that she’d needed to go easy on Wendy and now they both knew why.

  They peeled away from their hug at the whoosh of the door opening again.

  Kyle chuckled as he entered the kitchen carrying a stack of empty serving bowls. “What’s going on in here?”

  “Oh, nothing.” Joy waved her hand in front of her face to keep from bursting into happy tears. “We were just having some girl talk.”

  Victoria leaned against the counter. “I’d offer to help with dishes, but your kitchen is way too small. What else can I do?”

  “Let me see…” Joy plunked her hands on her hips and surveyed the mess that was, amazingly, the result of her attempt at cleaning up as she cooked. How did Ree Drummond do it? “How about if you and Wendy take the coffee stuff out to the living room while Kyle and I get the pie?”

  As Victoria grabbed the coffee pot and Wendy picked up the tray of cups and saucers, the door from the dining room opened again. Dad entered carrying a wriggling Byron, followed by the kids and Henry.

  “Mommy! It’s snowing!” Both of the kids squealed the news as they headed for the back enclosed porch and started to put on their coats.

  Joy noticed then that Dad was already decked out in his coat and gloves.

  “I thought the five of us would burn off some of that dinner and make room for pie.” He patted Joy on the shoulder as he and the dogs trailed after the kids.

  Not a minute later, the back door banged shut, leaving Joy alone with Kyle, a situation that was perfectly fine with her.

  She chuckled as she set a stack of china plates in the sink she’d filled with sudsy water. “They make quite a team, don’t they?”

  “That they do. You know,” Kyle grabbed a dish towel and waited to start drying, “I was thinking we should get the kids a dog for Christmas.”

  Joy let out a laugh. “Are you crazy? I work full time, I go to school.” She rinsed off a plate and handed it to him. “I’m a single parent. And you want to add caring for a dog to my list of duties? Besides, the kids get plenty of dog time when you bring Henry over.”

  “That’s what I meant, actually.” He placed the dry plate down on the counter and waited for her to hand him the next one. “I think we should give them Henry for Christmas.”

  She stared at him, confused. “You’re giving us Henry?”

  “Sort of.” He put down the towel and reached into his pocket. “He and I are a package deal.”

  The next thing she knew, he had lowered himself to one knee and was holding a sparkling diamond on a platinum band.

  Her wet soapy hands flew to her face. If she could have found her voice, she would have screamed, but instead she garbled out a little choking sound.

  Ever the gentleman, Kyle ignored her inelegant response. “Joy, from that day I first met you, I wanted to believe that you were the one for me. And now that I’ve gotten to know you and your kids, there’s nothing I want more than for us to be a family.” He paused, his eyes glistening. “Will you marry me?”

  She lowered her hands as the reality of his question sank in. Then, fighting back a rush of tears, she nodded, still unable to form words.

  Letting out a little breath of relief, he stood, then grabbed the towel again so he could use it to dry her hand. He slipped the ring onto her finger, then took her by the shoulders and gave her a long, lingering kiss. When their lips parted, she gazed at him, feeling like they were the only two people in the world.

  Pulling his eyes from hers, he looked around the room. “I know this might not be the most romantic setting, but I told myself I should ask you as soon as we had a moment to ourselves. It’s like you said, you’re a busy woman.”

  She followed his gaze. To the piles of dishes and the freshly-baked apple pie waiting to be sliced. To the snow falling and the kids playing outside with the dogs. To life happening all around them. “You know,” she draped her arms across his shoulders, “this is absolutely perfect.”

  “I was thinking…” Shifting them, he leaned his back against the counter. “You should consider going part time at your job. At least until you finish school. You’ve got me now to help carry the load.”

  She opened her mouth to object, but he silenced her with another kiss. Then he leaned in to speak close to her ear. “It’s a good idea. Trust me.”

  And she did. She had finally let go of the past, and their future together looked as bright as the diamond sparkling on her ring finger.

  The End

  Joy finds comfort in writing out her thoughts and feelings in a prayer journal. In fact, it becomes the catalyst for her finding a true understanding of the meaning and power of prayer.

  1. Have you ever kept a prayer journal? If so, what has your experience with it been? Has it made your relationship with God feel more personal?

 
Kyle’s friendship with his neighbor, Nicole, leads to a misunderstanding with Joy that almost destroys their budding relationship.

  2. Were there things that Kyle could have done to prevent Joy’s misunderstanding of his relationship with Nicole? In your opinion, are opposite-sex relationships unadvisable?

  While Joy continues to have problems with her ex-husband, she does her best to help her kids maintain a relationship with him.

  3. In your opinion, were there more things that Joy could have done to prevent her divorce? Is there ever hope for a healthy marriage with a person who has a history of lying and cheating with no demonstration of true repentance?

  When Kyle sees that Joy’s ex-husband is still in her life, he wonders if he should step back and not interfere if there’s a possibility of her family reuniting.

  4. In your opinion, should Kyle have resisted becoming involved with a divorced woman in the first place?

  Because of Joy’s comment about the need for prayer, Kyle assumes that she’s a believer. She allows him to go on thinking this as she gets to know him, and in the process actually grows in her understanding of what it means to have a relationship with Jesus Christ. Although her spiritual journey is downplayed in this story, we can assume that by the time they commit to a relationship with each other, they are both believers.

  5. Did you feel that Kyle and Joy were “unequally yoked” at the beginning of their relationship? Should they have been more upfront with each other about their spiritual beliefs when they first met?

  www.lesleyannbcdaniel.com

  Lesley Ann McDaniel fell in love with theatrical costuming while earning a degree in acting at Willamette University in Salem, Oregon, and pursued that as a career while nurturing her passion for writing on the side. A native Montanan and a Big Sky girl at heart, Lesley now resides in the Seattle area with her family, three cats, and a big loud dog. In her spare time, she chips away at her goal of reading every book ever written. Lesley loves to hear from readers. Join her newsletter family and receive all the latest news about her books, plus contests, giveaways, and insider info.