She captured a trembling bottom lip between her teeth. Dare she trust her heart to him again? This time, she had no excuse…she was old enough to know better. But it seemed so right.
“Scott, can we just maybe…take a little time? Are you leaving soon?”
“I’m not leaving Christmas Inn until I can take you with me, Lissy Neal. I’m here. Yes, let’s take some time, feel our way through the years. I suppose there’s a lot we don’t know about each other…but we know enough. I do. I know that I don’t want to lose you again.”
She said nothing. Why had they lost each other in the first place? Her mind screamed out reasons for the miscommunication all those years ago. Scott apparently knew the exact moment the answer came, because he cupped her cheek in his hand.
“What is it? What’s wrong?”
She choked over the word. “I didn’t give you my phone number, Scott.”
“What?” He frowned. “Of course you did. I swear, I called you.”
“I know you think you did. I believe you tried. But Scott…I never gave you my phone number. When I got in the car that last day, I suddenly realized that you didn’t have a number to call. I had yours, but you didn’t have mine. So I jotted it down on a slip of paper and asked Dad to let me run it back to you. He refused, because I was already sobbing, and—”
“And your brother brought me the number.” Scott shrugged. “Still, I did get it.”
“Did you?” She met his gaze, and hoped he couldn’t see the fire that raged behind hers. “Do you remember anything at all about it? I mean, I’m sure you don’t remember the actual number, but—”
“But I do remember that it wasn’t legible because…well, you must have let a tear drop on the paper. The ink was smeared. Doug was already jogging away, and I caught up with him to say I couldn’t read it.”
“So he gave you the number then?”
“Yes, he actually fished a pen out of his pocket, scribbled out the whole thing and wrote it out nice and neat, so I couldn’t get a single digit wrong.”
She pulled in a breath that tore at her throat. “Oh, how I wish I knew what he wrote down.”
Scott’s eyebrows did the stairstep thing, and her heart responded with a quick little pitter-patter despite a fast-building anger and resentment as things began to make sense. All that pain…all those lost years…
“Are you saying you think Doug deliberately gave me the wrong number? No, Lissy. I reached your house.”
“Of course you did. Who answered the phone?”
He paused, and then pulled in a deep sigh. “Doug. Every time, except when there was no answer at all.”
“Just before we went to Oregon that year, Doug had his own phone line installed in his bedroom. He’d gotten a job that summer, and the first thing he wanted was his own phone line with his own number. No one ever answered it but him.” She managed a crooked smile. “He made it very clear that he’d rather miss a call than give anyone else permission to go into his room and answer his phone. Of course, our parents were just as adamant that if his phone rang after 9 o’clock at night, all bets were off.”
The half-hearted grin disappeared and she slapped the table with the flat of her hand. Dishes rattled, and a few other diners cast curious glances their way. “He gave you his number, Scott. My brother deliberately sabotaged our relationship. My brother is the reason I cried for months. He’s the reason I thought you’d forgotten me!”
Scott pulled his chair closer and slipped an arm around her shoulders. “It doesn’t matter anymore. When God intends something to happen, man cannot stand in the way. Look at us…here we are, together again. Don’t let the past interfere with what God has for us now.”
“Excellent advice, young man.”
Alissa’s head snapped upward in response, and Scott stiffened beside her. They both stared across the table, where an older gentleman stood peering at the stick card Lydia had pointed out earlier.
“Ahh, this is it.” He smiled, and Alissa gasped as all the tension in her soul began a sudden swift meltdown. “Please forgive me for interrupting. I am Gabriel D’Angelo, from the Christmas Around the World room. May I join you?”
Scott stood and reached across the table to shake the newcomer’s hand.
Why in the world did he feel so humbled? The guy wasn’t striking in any way…except for his smile, which seemed to break down all the barriers in Scott’s soul, leaving him open and exposed. As if Gabriel D’Angelo’s bright, kind eyes could see every piece of his heart, and knew the when, the why and the how of all hurt, each pain, every individual sorrow and joy in his lifetime.
Of course he couldn’t. He was just a man, after all. But even had it been possible, Scott didn’t think he’d mind, because D’Angelo possessed a pure soul, and would never judge him, no matter what he saw in Scott’s heart. How he knew this, he’d never be able to explain. But he knew, without a shadow of a doubt, that it was true.
“Of course, Mr. D’Angelo. This is your table too. Please…have a seat.”
“Why, thank you, I believe I will. And please, call me Gabriel.”
Scott stood until the older man was seated, and then settled in again next to Lissy, who seemed unable to take her gaze from the newcomer.
“I’m Scott Lowell.” He laid a hand atop Lissy’s and gave it a gentle squeeze, hoping to awaken her from her current trance—which he completely understood could be attributed to D’Angelo’s presence. “This is Lissy Neal.”
“Alissa…” Barely more than a whisper. “My name is Alissa.”
Gabriel’s smile soothed the confusion in Scott’s mind.
“It is a pleasure to meet you…and perhaps I’ll just call you Miss Neal until we’ve decided on a name for you.” He picked up his napkin, snapped it open and tucked it under his collar. “How’s that?”
Alissa drew a sharp breath and gave her head a shake. Strands of silky hair whipped against Scott’s cheek.
Pure heaven.
Before any more could be said between the three, Lydia stopped and stood beside Gabriel, a hand on his shoulder.
“I like the looks of this table much better this evening.” She grinned at Scott. “It wasn’t easy, watching you dine alone, but somehow I didn’t think inviting you to join another table would be the right move.”
“You were right, of course. You’ve a real sensitivity to the nuances of personality, Miss Lydia.”
“Why, thank you, kind sir!” She clasped her hands together. “I’m here to take your orders. One of our servers is ill, so I’m trying to help out.” A quick glance at the beautifully calligraphed menus tucked beneath their napkins, and she grinned. “However, it appears you haven’t had a chance to decide yet. How about I give you a few minutes to do that? I’ll be right back.”
Scott had personally tried three of the half dozen items on the menu—each of which was utter culinary perfection. He’d order one of the remaining options tonight. Within moments, they’d all made their decisions, placed their orders, and watched Lydia hurry back to the kitchen.
“So.” Gabriel broke the brief silence that followed her departure. “Miss Neal, tell me about yourself. Where are you from? What do you do?”
“Well, I…I teach middle school during the day. At night, I do what I really love.” She paused, and then rushed into the next statement like a steamroller, as if she feared ridicule of some kind. “I’m a cruciverbalist.”
A cruci-what?
Gabriel’s eyes seemed to glow from within. “You love words! That’s wonderful. It is my understanding that a cruciverbalist might be one who solves crossword, or one who constructs them. Which are you, my dear?”
“I construct them. In fact, I’m not really here at Christmas Inn to enjoy the holidays. This is kind of a working vacation. I’m on contract to turn in twenty-five puzzles with a variety of themes, by the first of January. When I arrived I had completed only ten. I’ve somehow managed to finish a couple more since I arrived, but that still leaves thirteen to
be done.”
No wonder she locked herself in her room for two days. And I thought her disappearance had everything to do with me.
“Well, I’m confident you’ll complete them in plenty of time.” Gabriel’s soft response seemed to create an immediate response in Lissy. The stiffness melted from her shoulders…and she smiled. Really smiled—the wide, open, beautiful smile Scott remembered.
Even now, fifteen years later, it did something strange to his heart, and left him a little weak in the knees. Good thing he didn’t need to stand right away.
“Thank you, Mr. D’Angelo,” Lissy said. “You know, I—I’m pretty sure I will finish them, even though I wasn’t at all certain of that until you said it out loud. Thank you for boosting my confidence.”
“Well, I’m not sure I deserve any credit for that, but if so, then you’re most welcome, young lady.” Gabriel nodded across the room. “Here comes our food.”
They’d barely started eating when the soft strains of music filled the air.
Across the room, a couple of lovely young women—mirror images of each other—occupied a small, corner stage. One sat next to a beautiful harp, her fingers poised over the strings. The other held a violin. Straight white hair hung below tiny waists. Even from across the room, their violet eyes captivated and mesmerized.
“Scott…their eyes…” Lissy breathed.
“Violet eyes are said to be impossible,” Gabriel offered. “Yet I have seen them in more than a few people across the world. They are lovely, are they not?”
“Absolutely stunning.” Lissy seemed unable to look away from the entertainers.
Scott had no time for the violet-eyed beauties on stage. They didn’t hold a light to the vibrance of the dark-eyed beauty right here beside him, now that she’d allowed herself to open up a little.
The teenager he’d met on an Oregon beach had grown into a gorgeous woman. Even her tiny imperfections–the slight overlap of her front teeth…a faint scar just above her upper lip—added to her charm.
This time, he wouldn’t let her get away.
“Listen, Scott! Isn’t it wonderful?”
The unexpected pairing of harp and violin did indeed create a phenomenal effect. The musicians sailed into a slow tune with underlying vibrations of sorrow, loss and longing, countered by higher notes of joy and victory…unconquered love and hard-won devotion.
Scott took Lissy’s hand. “Shall we dance?”
He half expected her to freeze again, to become the timid stranger she’d been when she arrived at the inn. To his surprise, she reacted well. A slight hesitation, yes…but then she smiled and rose from her seat, perfectly in unison with him.
“Yes, I think we should.”
Scott’s heart all but fell at her feet.
He swallowed hard and turned to Gabriel. “If you’ll excuse us…”
Gabriel waved toward the tiny dance area in front of the stage. “Go, go. Dance. It is time.”
Long past time, my friend. You have no idea.
Scott shook off the brief second of melancholy and led Lissy onto the dance floor…and into his arms.
Chapter 5
“YOUR NAME. ALISSA?”
She smiled, drinking in the little pucker between his eyebrows, the crease in his forehead, the slight tilt of his head. This is Scott’s puzzled look. Had all that time not been stolen from them, she’d have known that already.
Still, she had to admit getting to know him now promised to be a breathtaking experience.
“Yes.”
“But…I’ve always thought it was Lissy.”
“That’s what I was called as a child…and as a young teen.” Her smile trembled a bit, but she managed to still the shaking. “I insisted everyone start calling me Alissa about the time Mom convinced me I shouldn’t be crying over lost puppy love.”
“Oh, Lissy…” He gathered her a little closer. “I’m so sorry. I would never have hurt you like that, not intentionally.”
“I know…at least, I’m beginning to believe that.”
Scott stepped back to give her a slow, gentle whirl, then pulled her back into his arms.
“So what should I call you then?”
“Whatever you’d like. I’m okay with Lissy…from you.”
“Lissy it is, then.” He touched his lips to her hair. “We have so much catching up to do. Think you could spare a little time each day away from your crossword puzzles if I help you come up with words?”
She laughed softly. “I don’t want to bore you silly.”
He bent his head a little lower to speak against her ear. His breath against her skin made hers hard to come by. “Nothing I do with you could possibly be boring.” He drew back enough to look at her and grin. “That’s inconceivable.”
“Ahh…I see you can toss around a word or two yourself.”
“Oh, yes, I’m a regular linguaphile…or is it logophile?”
“Pretty much the same, I think, although a linguaphile includes love of languages and words, whereas a logophile is simply a lover of words.”
“I knew that.” He responded quickly, and then winked. For a moment she couldn’t decide whether he was teasing—as usual.
A little flicker in his eyes gave him away. She stopped dancing to place both hands on her hips. “You’re serious!”
He chuckled. “I am—although I admit you threw me a bit earlier with ‘cruciverbalist.’
“But I meant what I said. I can help you get those puzzles out of the way while we’re catching up on each other’s lives. It’s a win-win, don’t you think? We spend every possible moment together, and you still meet your contract. I’d call it serendipitous.”
They were both laughing as he led her back to their table, where Gabriel was enjoying his dinner.
“Sorry I didn’t wait, but everything looked so wonderful, and I didn’t think you’d mind. The meal is beyond amazing. You should both dig right in before it gets cold.”
“Tell us about yourself, Gabriel.” Alissa used her fork to lift a small slice of avocado caprese from her plate. “What brings you to Hope Creek?”
“Oh, I often stop here in my travels.” He used the end of his napkin to wipe his lips, and then smiled. “This time I’m here to make sure a certain situation is worked out to the good of all involved parties.”
“So you’re a corporate mediator?” Scott asked.
“Sometimes, yes, that would be the perfect description. Other times, I’m nothing more than a courier…of messages, lost or much-needed items…that type of thing.” A slight shadow crossed his sunny visage, and then was gone. “Upon occasion, I must fight big battles.” The kindly gentleman drew a deep breath, and then smiled. Something that had started to tighten in Alissa’s tummy relaxed with the curve of his lips. “But this time I’m hoping everything can be worked out without a great deal of interference on my part.”
“Oh…I hope so too!” Alissa surprised herself with the fervent response, but for some reason, she’d taken Gabriel’s job description as something of vital importance—and not just for him.
A ridiculous reaction, of course. Why on earth would what the man did for a living matter in the least to her…or to Scott—or anyone else in this room?
Remember that I work in mysterious ways, child.
She paused mid-chew, shocked by the faint, but familiar whisper in her soul. How long had it been since she’d heard that still, small voice?
Over the years “after Oregon,” she’d started to waver on her spiritual beliefs. Little doubts about the strong faith she’d carried with her all her life. Questions about God’s desire to answer prayer. Most of the world never bothered to give him a second thought while going about their daily lives. Why would he care about their problems?
Finally, she just quit talking to the One who’d always been her Strength…her Strong Tower. Years had gone by since she’d spoken to Him in more than a momentary pause to give thanks for food, or a hasty, ritual moment of prayer before falling asle
ep. Her Bible lay dusty and unused on her bedside table, because she’d even stopped searching His Word for guidance in life.
Too busy coming up with words of her own.
The harsh truth slammed her conscience in a brutal wave that nearly sent her to her knees, right in the middle of dinner, in the center of the Christmas Inn dining room. How could she have failed for so long to realize how much she missed God’s sweet voice? No wonder her world had grown so dark…
Oh, Father…forgive me! How did I stray so far?
A question that required no answer. She’d strayed because she’d laid aside her faith, forgotten that she needed a light for her feet on the often-dark path of life.
“Lissy? Are you okay?”
Scott’s words startled her from the moment of insight, and she raised a gaze that surely spelled out her guilt to the world.
Gabriel gave her a slight nod. “Sometimes we all just need a private moment…am I right, Miss Neal?”
She drew a shaky breath. “Y—yes. Exactly right.”
Gabriel removed the napkin from his open collar and laid it across his plate. “Well, thank you both for the wonderful company. I hope we get to share dinner again. But this old guy’s had a long day, and I believe I shall retire to my room for an equally long night—of sleep, I sincerely hope.
With the older gentleman gone, she and Scott were once again alone, and a wave of shyness swept over her. The adult versions of those lovestruck Oregon teenagers didn’t know each other. What could they talk about?
Scott seemed content to just stare at her, as if drinking in all the years they’d missed.
Ahhh…something to talk about.
“We should catch up a little, Scott. You know I work as a teacher and play as a cruciverbalist. You know I had my heart broken as a kid and…” She grinned. “And took on a new, less childish name as a result. I’ve told you that I’m here on a sort of working vacation. I’m single, never married, never engaged. You know all that, and I know nothing about you, other than that you’re still as mischievous and fun as you were fifteen years ago.”
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