A Gift of Family (Love Inspired)
Page 18
Which brought him back to Lisa. Before their fight, he’d seen the wistful look in her eyes. Despite his best efforts, she’d gotten attached to him. If he apologized and she forgave him, what would he do next? Move to Harland, work for Gus and date Lisa? Chances were it wouldn’t take him long to completely fall in love with her. What then?
That path was a huge leap from where he was now. Maybe if he turned the problem over in his mind for a while, the answer would jump out at him the way it did when he was working his way through a difficult carpentry project.
The only difference was, Lisa wasn’t a block of wood or something out of his toolbox. She was a sweet, sensitive woman who saw something in him no other woman ever had. For some crazy reason, she’d deemed him worth the effort it had taken her to break through his defenses and drag him back into the world.
The big question was, should he do something about it or let her go?
Sighing, he pulled into the truck stop and called his mother as he’d promised. The excitement in her voice earlier was nothing compared to what he heard now, and he grinned as he clicked his phone off and pulled back onto the highway.
He still wasn’t sure what he’d be doing in the New Year, but today he was going home. It felt good.
* * *
That afternoon, Seth went outside with his father to help him bring in the tree. After the huge lunch Mom had made, he figured the activity would do him good.
“You know this thing won’t fit in the living room, right?” Seth asked.
Stepping back from the enormous Douglas fir, Dad cocked his head one way and then the other. “This is the one your mother wanted.”
Seth got the message loud and clear. She’d been through so much worrying over him, she deserved whatever tree she wanted. He didn’t bother to ask how much it had cost, because he knew it really didn’t matter. She didn’t often ask for anything and when she did, Dad made it happen.
That was love, Seth realized with sudden clarity. Doing everything in your power to make someone else’s dreams come true.
While they trimmed the tree down to size, Dad asked about the rehabbing Seth had done for Aunt Ruth and at the church. Seth answered the questions, but he was only half listening. After a while, his father set down the saw and looked at him over the waist-high stack of excess pine boughs.
“You’re not saying much. Something on your mind, son?”
Trying to avoid worrying him, Seth hedged, “Mom’s roast beef always knocks me out.”
“That’s not going to work with me,” Dad warned him. “If you don’t want to talk, that’s fine, but I can see something’s bothering you.”
“It’s nothing, honest. I’ve just been really busy, and I’m still tired, I guess.”
That was the wrong thing to say, he realized instantly. Concern flooded Dad’s eyes, and Seth quickly amended, “Not the bad kind of tired. The kind you get when you’re done with a big job you’re really happy with.”
His worried expression relaxed a bit, and he chuckled. “Who is she?”
“Who?”
“I know that look, Seth. When I first met your mom, I looked a lot like you do right now.” Balancing the bow saw on the chopping block, he rested his hands across the top. “Who is she?”
Busted, Seth thought, giving in to the grin that seemed to keep popping up when he thought about going back to see Lisa. He had no doubt she’d give him some grief at first, but they’d work it out somehow. He was determined not to surrender just yet.
“Her name’s Lisa Sawyer. She works for Aunt Ruth at the diner, but she’s an amazing artist. You should see the way she paints.”
“Is this the girl who called to ask for advice on a present?”
“Yeah,” Seth replied with a sigh. “We got in a fight over it, which was totally my fault, so she’s pretty mad at me.”
“You’re going to apologize, then.”
It wasn’t a question, and Seth nodded contritely. “Yes, sir. Right after Christmas.”
“Tell me about her.”
As Seth described all they’d done together, his father listened without interrupting. When he was finished, Dad said, “She sounds pretty special.”
“She is,” Seth admitted without a second thought. “I’ve never met anyone like her.”
“Really? Then let me ask you something.”
“Sure.”
“What in the world are you doing here?”
Chapter Thirteen
“Would you look at that?” John asked when they stepped out of their cars near the church that evening. Pointing to a spotlighted oak tree, he asked, “Who planted that?”
People were bypassing the steps to go check it out, and the Sawyers joined the procession out of curiosity. There was no note, only a care tag attached to the trunk of a sturdy tree that was listed as three years old. Not a sapling that would keel over in a moderate wind, Lisa noticed. Something strong and capable of weathering a storm without breaking.
Like Seth.
He’d been so interested in the old Sawyer family picture, her finely tuned intuition told her he’d been the one to think of replacing the tree. Running a hand through the bare branches, she recalled telling him how much it meant to her, back when they’d hardly known anything about each other.
He’d remembered, she realized as a wave of regret washed over her. Remembered and made it right. It was just like him to do something generous like this without taking credit for it. During the day, her anger toward him had faded, and she wished he was here to see how much his anonymous gift meant to the town.
Turning away, she followed her family into the church. There were a few details still to finish up, but after its brush with disaster, the little white church looked more beautiful to her than ever. Two Christmas trees twined with natural garlands and tiny white lights flanked the famous window, and garlands were draped everywhere.
The hurricane lamps in the windows added their own glow, and the conversation buzzing through the sanctuary had a warm, melodic ring to it. After being empty during construction, it was nice to see the place full of people, the way it was meant to be.
That made her think of Seth again, and she wished things had ended better between them. She still didn’t think she’d done anything wrong, but it would have been nice to send him off with a cheerful “Merry Christmas,” rather than memories of them glaring at each other.
She slid down her family’s usual pew so she could get a full view of the decorations. Once the family was settled, she made space for a couple more people at her end. Judging by the number of folks coming in the door, they’d need every available spot.
Absorbed in a conversation with the Millers, she paid no attention when someone sat down beside her. When whoever it was reached into the rack on the back of the pew in front of them for a hymnal, she caught a glimpse of their hand. Covered in scars and brown stain, it was a very familiar hand.
Hardly daring to believe her own eyes, she slowly angled her head to confirm what she already knew.
Seth grinned back at her. “Merry Christmas Eve.”
Lisa opened her mouth, but nothing came out. That was slightly ridiculous, because a zillion questions were bouncing around in her head. One popped to the surface, and she stammered, “What are you doing here?”
“Trying to find the right hymn.” Squinting at the sign listing tonight’s songs, he asked, “Is that a 3 or an 8?”
Astounding as it was that he was in church for anything other than repair work, she focused on the more pressing question. “I mean, what are you doing here in Harland? I thought you were spending Christmas at home.”
Reaching over, he took her hand and brushed a kiss over the back. As his eyes locked with hers, they shifted to a color she couldn’t have mixed on her palette if she tried for a mont
h. A pale sky blue, they held none of the iciness she’d seen there just before she stalked away from him. Tonight, they glimmered with a warmth she could almost feel.
“I’m going back in the morning,” he explained. “But I wanted to be here tonight, to see how everything looks.”
She could tell he wanted to say something else, and in the spirit of the season, she decided to give him a break. Reaching over, she squeezed his hand. “It’s okay, Seth. I’m sorry, too.”
“I’m not usually such a jerk, honest.”
“I know.”
“You didn’t do anything wrong, and I completely lost my mind.”
Trying not to laugh, she smiled instead. “I know that, too.”
“I’m really, really sorry.” Grimacing, he leaned closer and murmured, “Can you forgive me?”
“Since it’s you, yes.” Giving him a mock frown, she pointed at him. “But don’t do it again.”
“Yes, your highness.”
They both laughed, and she gave him a quick hug. When the organist started playing, they stood to sing the opening of “Hark the Herald Angels Sing,” but Lisa couldn’t stop smiling.
Seth had come back. She didn’t know why exactly, and he’d be leaving tomorrow, but she didn’t much care. Having him here, grinning down at her while they sang, was the greatest Christmas gift ever.
Once the last strains of organ music died away, Pastor Charles stood in front of his restored lectern and held his arms open as if he were embracing them all at once.
“Merry Christmas to you all.” They answered him, and he sent a grateful smile around the crowd. “We’re gathered here in this place on this blessed night only because so many people volunteered their time, energy and a good amount of money to make it happen. It may be slightly unusual, but I’d like you all to give yourselves a hand. You’ve earned it.”
Beaming at them, he applauded, and everyone followed his example. Even the Scroogey Jim Canfield, Lisa noticed with surprise. She hoped his recent change of heart would carry into the New Year.
“And to whoever planted our new tree,” the pastor continued, “thank you. While I respect your desire to remain anonymous, I’d like you to know that your generous gift has touched all of our hearts and will continue doing so for years to come.”
With that, he launched into an uplifting sermon about the birth of a baby who would grow into a man offering His followers the most precious gift of all: salvation. Walking in His footsteps, the pastor reminded them, was the path to having a good life on Earth and eternal peace in Heaven.
His words were the perfect segue to their closing hymn, and everyone belted out “Joy to the World” with more enthusiasm than skill. To Lisa’s ears, the sound was even more glorious because they’d come so close to celebrating Christmas packed into the dining room at Ruthy’s Place.
Chancing a look up at Seth, she caught him smiling at her and easily smiled back. Leaning against him, she started the second verse, wishing this completely perfect night would never end.
When the service was over, the Sawyers raced back to the farm to put the last-minute touches on their annual Christmas Eve party. John peeled out of the lot in his classic Triumph, beating them all home by a good two minutes. Knowing how sore a winner he was, Lisa prepared a few zingers for when he tried to rub their noses in it.
This year, she’d strung lit garland around the sign marking their lane, and she was glad to see the solar-powered lights were still nice and bright. As Seth drove down the long driveway, he let out a low whistle. “The place looks like a Norman Rockwell painting.”
She laughed. “We Sawyers do everything big.”
“Yeah, but this is something else.”
He parked next to the barn, out of the way near the Sawyers’ own cars. That he’d thought to leave space for their guests was so considerate, she impulsively hugged his arm.
Angling a look at her, he asked, “What’s that for?”
“For being here.” Afraid that might sound clingy or girlfriend-ish, she hastily added, “I know it’s a long drive, and it was really nice of you to come all this way.”
“I wanted to be here.” Turning to face her, he gently took her hand. “I wanted to be with you.”
Lisa’s heart soared at the tenderness running through his voice. She’d heard things like that plenty of times, from more guys than she cared to recall. But none of them meant those words the way Seth did. Before she could think of something to say, he leaned in and kissed her.
“I love you, Lisa.”
Shocked to her toes, she yanked back with a gasp that made her choke. While she tried to stop coughing, poor Seth sat there looking mortified. And regretful. As she struggled to regain her composure, she patted his shoulder, trying to ease his mind until she could say something.
“I’m sorry,” she croaked. “I didn’t mean to react like that.”
“It’s okay.”
As he drew back, she reached out and grasped his shoulders to keep him close. After a kiss to soothe his embarrassment, she said, “I love you, too. I just never dreamed you’d feel the same way about me. You really caught me by surprise with that one.”
“Imagine how I felt when it first hit me.” His wry look was tinged with a warmth she felt all the way to her toes. “I’m not good with this mushy stuff.”
“Men never are. That’s why God made women the way we are, to teach guys how to be mushy.”
“Ya think?”
“Definitely. If Matt and Ridge can learn, so can you.”
“So this time you’ll teach me.” Seth gave her that knee-weakening grin she’d assumed she would never see again. “I like the sound of that.”
* * *
For the first time in his life, Seth understood the phrase “walking on air.” With his arm around Lisa, he strolled toward the old farmhouse feeling as though nothing could ever beat him again. The most remarkable woman he’d ever met loved him, and before long they’d be spending every single day together, preparing for their trip. Practicing languages, planning day trips, arguing over which landmarks to see first.
He couldn’t wait.
Tonight would have been perfect enough on its own, he thought with a grin, but it was just the beginning. As he and Lisa paused on the back porch to greet some of the other guests, he saw there wasn’t enough room for everyone inside. Smaller versions of the huge tree stood on both porches, strung with lights and simple red-and-green balls. Like the sign, the railings were draped in Lisa’s trademark lit garlands. Christmas music poured from John’s mega-stereo, and Seth counted twelve speakers hanging from the porch posts.
When Lisa was finished chatting with her friends, Seth pulled the door open for her.
“Tucker, no!”
Out of reflex, Seth slammed the door closed and stepped in front of it just as Tucker came barreling in from the barn. Fortunately, he was able to stop the determined Lab or he’d have smashed face-first into the glass.
John came jogging up behind the crazy dog, laughing and panting at the same time. “Nice one, Seth. I was getting some ice from the freezer in the barn, and he blew right past me. If he managed to get in the house, he’d tear that buffet apart in two seconds. Marianne’d never let me hear the end of it.”
“Glad to help.”
“I’ll trade you,” John replied, hefting the two bags of ice he was carrying. After they’d made the switch, he grinned at his sister. “This guy fits right in around here, doesn’t he?”
Beaming up at Seth, she circled her hands around his arm. “He sure does.”
“Come on, you.” Bending over, John tugged on Tucker’s collar. “We’d best get you locked back down before Marianne sees you.”
After John had taken the dog around the corner of the barn, Seth decided it was safe to open the door again.
All that food made him think of Aunt Ruth, and he remembered that Gus had mentioned bringing her to the service tonight. Wondering if they were here, Seth scoped the crowd and found them talking to some people, Gus’s arm resting lightly over her shoulders. Maybe, Seth thought with a grin, his aunt was right about that Christmas magic, after all.
“Lisa!”
They both turned at the sound of Marianne’s excited voice. With Ridge in tow, she pushed her way through the crowd and hugged them both. Something told Seth there was more to the gleam in her eyes than holiday spirit.
“I wanted to tell you before, but it was too crazy at the church.” Pausing, she took a deep breath and hurried on. “Guess why I’m so sick all the time.”
“Because you’re pregnant?” Lisa guessed.
“With twins,” Ridge filled in, hugging Marianne closer. “We just found out today.”
“Twins,” Lisa echoed, embracing Ridge and then her sister. Holding Marianne at arm’s length, she added, “We really need to start shopping for baby clothes.”
“I can’t believe it,” Marianne continued. “It’s just incredible.”
Some of the joy had left Lisa’s face, and she got serious. “You’re going to need some help.”
“Don’t even think about that. You’re going to Europe, and I’ll be fine. It’s not a problem. Ridge and the boys are here all the time, and Caty will be around.”
“But Caty will have her own baby to take care of, and the farm keeps the guys so busy.” Marianne opened her mouth to protest, but Lisa cut her off. “Before you mention Kyle and Emily, they’re just kids.”
“You don’t know anything about babies, either.”