Winter Wonders

by Delia Latham

  “My pleasure.”

  He paid for the earrings and then watched while a large, glass vase was blown in a work area behind a counter. Winter wandered through the rest of the shop before joining him. She said nothing, but took in the precise work of the artist with what appeared to be intense interest.

  After a moment, Brady took her hand. “Ready?”

  “Not really, but I guess we need to go, don’t we?”

  “We do, but we’ll come again and stay as long as you’d like.”

  She squeezed his fingers. “It’s a date.”

  

  

  Winter gave herself a mental kick as Brady opened the car door and waved her inside.

  A date?

  The man tried to be friendly, to show her around the area, to insert a bit of pleasure into her enforced stay in Cambria…and she turned it into something personal. Not that she’d meant anything personal. Of course, a trip back to Harmony wouldn’t be a date. Not necessarily.

  Not at all.

  “So, onward ho!” Brady grinned as he pulled the car back onto the highway and pointed them in the direction of San Luis Obispo. “Maybe we can actually get where we’re going and turn you loose in some makeup clerk’s department. Then again, there’s always a chance I’ll find another local must-see in between here and there, and slow us down yet again.”

  Winter breathed a little easier. His lighthearted dialogue gave no indication that he’d let her little faux pas unnerve him. The Cambria minister not only had a great sense of humor and a rare appreciation for local history, but he didn’t take himself—or slightly crash-disoriented blondes—too seriously.

  “If there’s another little berg as charming as Harmony, I’ll be happy to take time out for another detour. That was a delightful side trip, Brady. Thank you for stopping, and I do look forward to going back another day.”

  “Have you not been to Cambria before?”

  “No, I haven’t. Kai and I left Hawaii when I landed a job at KCCN, and—”

  “Wait, wait. Back up.” Brady sent her a sideways glance, with one eyebrow raised high. “You lived in Hawaii?”

  She laughed. “I still can’t get used to the way people here in the contiguous states react to that. You’d think Hawaii was some high-end resort on another planet, one everyone on Earth wants to visit. It’s beautiful, yes…and I guess, to be honest, it’ll always be home to us. But it’s not without its less-than-romantic side, you know.”

  “Again, back up. You said, ‘it’ll always be home.’ Does that mean you grew up there?”

  “Hawaii born and raised. My father is a military man. He was stationed in Oahu almost from the beginning of his career with the Navy. That’s where he met my mom, and they just never left. They still live there, even though Dad retired a couple of years ago.”

  “I see. Your name—Kalani—makes more sense to me now. Not that it didn’t ‘make sense’ before. I just thought it sounded Hawaiian, and wondered why you’d been given a Hawaiian name. I also thought it was beautiful.” He hesitated and sent her another questioning glance. “Kai told me you changed your name when you took on the anchor desk at KCCN. Make me understand why…?”

  Winter found herself floundering for an answer that only a few days ago had made perfect sense. She must have hesitated a few seconds too long. Strong fingers wrapped around hers and administered a gentle squeeze.

  “You don’t have to answer that. It was just idle curiosity on my part.”

  “No, I don’t mind. I just…it’s kind of hard to make people understand.” Her laughter hit her ears like something hard and brittle. She wanted to cringe, but was far too trained as a journalist to show such a reaction. “When I started studying journalism, I saw it as a way to have a lucrative career that held the promise…well, that’s a pretty strong word. I should say there’s always the possibility of achieving some sort of celebrity status.”

  A week ago, I still wanted that. Why doesn’t the idea of being famous make my pulse beat faster today? Had the crash brought things into a different perspective? Or was it that ‘angelic’ encounter afterward? Maybe it was simply meeting all the people here in Cambria. They’re so real, so transparent…and I really like the way I feel around them.

  “Winter?” Brady gave her hand another squeeze.

  Had he reclaimed it, or had he been holding it all along?

  “You won’t make me check your pulse again, will you?”

  She smiled. “That won’t be necessary, angel man. I was just thinking about what you asked. I’ve always wanted to be famous, to make something really special of myself, but at the moment, I can’t think why.” And why was she being so open with this man she barely knew?

  “Then don’t try so hard. Tell me about your family. There’s Kai, of course…I take it he’s the easier going of the Wonder twins?”

  “He is…by far!” She laughed. “He’s had to rescue me from any number of bad situations brought on by my impulsive nature.”

  “Hmm.” Brady slanted another glance her way, along with a lopsided grin that caught at her heart and gave a massive tug. “I’ll want to know more about those situations at some point. But for now, tell me what your names mean. I don’t know a lot about Hawaiian culture, but I have heard that the meaning of a name is important.”

  “It is. My mother says she and Dad went a few rounds over choosing names for Kai and me, mostly because she focused more on what the names meant, whereas Dad either liked the way a name sounded or he didn’t.”

  “I take it Mom won.”

  Winter laughed. “What was your first clue? You’re right, she did. My name—Kalani, not Winter—means something like ‘from the heavens’ or maybe ‘the sky.’ Kai means ‘sea,’ or ‘sea water.’” Nature plays a big part in the naming of island babies.”

  Brady said nothing for a moment. Winter watched him think—it wasn’t a chore. Pastor Brady Merckle was easy on the eye.

  “I think Kalani is perfect. You came to me—I mean, to Cambria, of course—from the sky. Or maybe from the heavens. And wouldn’t that make you the angel?”

  Winter couldn’t remember the last time she’d been speechless. Words were her bread and butter, and she used them well. They came to her easily. But Brady’s response was so unexpected…so sweet…so sincere.

  Words failed her.

  Brady took his eyes off the road long enough to look her way with another of those crooked smiles, and a slow wink. Without a clue what else to do, since her tongue seemed utterly useless, she smiled back.

  10

  Brady followed along while Winter selected various cosmetic items. Her delight in choosing colors and products appropriate for teens transmitted itself to him, and he found himself providing answers to her questions—answers he hadn’t even realized he knew until they slipped off his tongue. To his surprise, he enjoyed the experience. How could he not?

  Winter was as jazzed as a kid at Christmas time. Wide eyes, big smiles, near palpable excitement that had every sales clerk she interacted with getting in on the action. One savvy clerk took the project to her manager, who placed a quick call to someone further up the chain of command and received permission to donate product in an amount that covered a hefty percentage of their purchase.

  They stopped at a small Italian restaurant on their way out of town. The lunch hour had long since come and gone, so the place was rather quiet—to Brady’s relief. He’d spent more time in the public today than he had in the past year or so, all told. Being out of sight and mind of anyone who might be interested in him and his former occupation summed up the whole reason he’d wound up in Cambria. So far, his plan had worked, and he had no desire to mess it up by running into anyone who might recognize him and destroy the peaceful existence he’d built for himself.

  “Would you mind stopping at Harmony again on the way back, Brady?” Winter’s eyes glowed more green than gray. Excitement rolled off her in waves.

  Brady recognized the signs.
As a minister, he’d seen it more than once. The first time a person turned their attention outside themselves and simply…gave. Of themselves, of their possessions, of their time and effort, of their hard-earned money. Most folks had, at some time in their lives, read or heard that “it is better to give than to receive.” But until they’d been there, and truly given—without any expectation of return—they had no idea of the fulfillment, the pleasure, the natural high God always gave back.

  Their male server was every inch a true Italian, right down to the accent women found so romantic. Something in the man’s bearing and demeanor made Brady think he probably owned the restaurant. He delivered warm bread to their table with a smile, and not long after, brought Brady’s lasagna and Winter’s shrimp fettuccini. No mincing over a salad for Winter. Brady grinned when her eyes went wide and she spread her napkin in her lap with visible anticipation.

  He reached for her hand. “Pray with me.”

  “Oh!” She looked a little taken aback for a split second. Then, with a sweet smile, she placed her hand in his. “Of course. I’m sorry, this is all new to me.”

  He loved her open admission, the lack of pretense. She wasn’t accustomed to Christian practices, and she didn’t pretend to be. He could handle showing her the way. The ones who knew enough about Christianity to go through all the right motions but never let its truth touch their hearts…those poor souls were hard to win.

  “Father, thank You for this beautiful day and for the sweet spirit of this lovely woman, who’s giving of her time and expertise to bless our teen girls at Chrysalis. Thank You for the food on this table, and for Your ever-present love. Amen.” He gave Winter’s hand a squeeze and released it…far more reluctantly than should have been the case.

  “So. Just can’t wait to get back to Harmony?” Brady sank his fork into the lasagna. If it tasted half as good as it smelled, he’d be treating his mouth to a bite of bliss in about ten seconds.

  Winter had gotten there before him. She used a napkin to dab at her mouth and pointed her fork at the fettuccini on her plate. “This is fantastic! By far the best I’ve ever tasted.”

  Brady smiled. “Good. My lasagna is amazing too. So…about Harmony?”

  She drew in a breath. The light in her eyes shone right onto Brady’s heart, warming it, awakening in it a longing for…what? Love? Someone to have dinner with every night for the rest of his life? A woman to hold, to cherish?

  His stomach lurched. No matter how he longed for a wife, a mortgage, and a couple of little ones underfoot, this woman was dangerous to the life he’d created for himself in Cambria. Any woman who became a serious romantic interest would want to know about his past, and he couldn’t go there. He’d kept his secret so long it had become an albatross around his neck. What would the congregation he pastored at Cambria House of Praise think if they learned he’d been hiding a past that had nearly crushed him?

  Besides, Winter didn’t know the Lord. Until she did, that path was more than dangerous to his own house of cards—it went against the Word of God, which Brady strove to exemplify. He preached the scriptures with fervor and faith, including one all-too-familiar verse from II Corinthians—Do not be yoked together with unbelievers. For what…fellowship can light have with darkness? He loved doing what he did. Loved preaching. Loved his flock. And above all, he loved his heavenly Father. No matter how drawn he was to Winter, she must also know and love God before Brady could even think about any romantic possibilities.

  Even then, there’d still be that secret past to contend with.

  “Brady?” Winter spoke softly, her voice somewhat tremulous. “Are you all right?”

  With a quick, clearing shake of his head, he gave her a smile. “Seems you don’t have a monopoly on taking trips to somewhere a friend can’t follow. I apologize. I’m fine, just got a little sidetracked for a minute.” He reclaimed his fork and went to work on the delicious lasagna. “Now, you were telling me why you want to stop in Harmony.”

  “Yes, but then you spaced out on me. For a minute there, you looked like the angel man I told you about.”

  He chuckled. “No backtracking, lady. Harmony.”

  “Right.” She grinned. “But you did look quite beautiful, with those bluest of blue eyes staring off into nowhere, and your expression all dreamy and soft…”

  “Stop it.” Brady’s ears were hot, a sure sign they were brick red and that his face would soon be the same shade of embarrassment. “Harmony!”

  She laughed. “OK. I saw several beautiful necklaces with gorgeous butterfly art on them. They would be nice gifts for your teen girls. Do you know how many you have right now?”

  “Not a clue. I’m sure Raine knows, and I’ll call her, if you’d like. But Winter, Chrysalis operates on a tight budget. I’m not sure we can swing—”

  “Oh, no!” Winter’s eyes widened. “I don’t expect Chrysalis to do this. It would be my gift to the girls who attend my little demonstration tomorrow.” She hesitated. “You’re a man, Brady. I don’t want to discredit your insight in any way, but to be honest, most guys just don’t get how important it is for women to feel good about themselves—in lots of ways, but feeling attractive is a big bolster to our confidence. The girls at Chrysalis…” She paused to gnaw at a full bottom lip.

  Much to his chagrin, Brady’s stomach did a backwards somersault. Thank God she wasn’t paying attention, since his face most likely reflected the delicious discomfort. He tuned in to what she was saying, determined to get his mind back into a properly ministerial place.

  “Well, they’re bound to have reasons to not feel pretty. If my psych classes were even a little on track, your Chrysalis ladies think they’re not just plain, but—and I hate this word—ugly. They’re haunted by things they’ve done or that have been done to them. Their night dreams are inhabited by past horrors, but their daydreams…oh, Brady. In their daydreams, their lives are so different. They’re beautiful and unscarred by life. They’re successful, admired, and…loved. In their daydreams, they are so loved.” Winter broke off and cleared her throat.

  The moisture in her eyes bespoke her sympathy and concern for the teens who, thanks to Chrysalis, were beginning to break the chains of unhappy pasts. They were ready to emerge from the cocoon—the chrysalis—that the outreach had provided. It had changed their lives, made them stronger, freer, more productive people.

  “I just want them to have something really pretty to remind them that they are beautiful, Brady. Something that, maybe, in some small way, will help bolster their wings when Chrysalis sends them back out into the world. Would you allow me to do that for them?”

  Brady pushed his plate back and laid both hands palm up on the table. After a brief hesitation, Winter placed hers in them, and he quickly wrapped his fingers around hers. “Of the two of us, you are the angelic one, Kalani Wonder.” He almost grinned when she blinked but didn’t protest his use of her given name. “Now let’s go call Raine and find out how many necklaces you’ll need.”

  

  

  Winter’s phone rang as they left the glassworks shop armed with ten colorful necklaces. A glance at the screen told her Jeremy was on the line. “Excuse me, Brady. I have to take this. It’s my boss.”

  He nodded and relieved her of the package in her arms. “I’ll put these in the car. Take your time. I’ll just walk around a bit.”

  “Thank you.” She moved to one side of the building, out of the way of shoppers. “Hey, Jeremy! What’cha got?”

  “Something that will help, I hope. Have you had a chance to look at the material I faxed to that lodge you’re staying in?”

  “I gave it a quick look, but honestly, I don’t even know where to start with so little information. I’m not even sure who or what I’m looking for.”

  “Well, what I’ve got now will give you a better idea. Are you there now, at the lodge?”

  “No, but I will be soon. Go ahead and send it. Miss Angie will take it up to Kai.”

>   “Right. Look at it as soon as you’re there, Winter. This could take a little while, so you need to get on it as soon as possible. I’d like to have you back at your desk before the year ends.”

  Winter laughed. “I’ll be there long before that. Just don’t let anyone else near my desk, you hear?”

  “Not a chance. Let me know what you find—’cause you’ll find something. You always do.”

  “I’m on it, boss.” Winter rang off and looked up.

  Brady was rounding the corner, coming from the small plaza they’d visited earlier. He met her in the middle of the road, took her hand, and headed back the way he’d come. “You have to see this.”

  She let herself be led. “Did you find something we didn’t see this morning?”

  “Well, I’ve seen it before, but I overlooked it during your mini-tour, and it’s worth an extra few minutes.”

  He walked to a small structure and stopped in front of the doors. Winter gasped. No, she hadn’t noticed the building earlier. How had she missed it?

  The doors were cut into a striking, round oak piece that resembled the end of a wine cask—appropriate, given its location in California’s “wine country.” Grape vines twined their way around the partial circle in beautifully carved splendor, along with a few doves and a subtle abstract of mountains and trees. Overhanging the stunning portal, wooden signs carved to follow the circular line of the entry proclaimed the tiny building’s purpose.

  “It’s a chapel! I wonder if…is it a wedding chapel?”

  “Right the first time.” Brady chuckled. “I hear it can fit about sixty people, if everyone stays on their feet.”

  Winter couldn’t stop staring. “Can we see inside? Do we have time?”

  “Sure. I already peeked, and there’s nothing going on, so we won’t interrupt anyone’s nuptials. Come on, let’s check it out. It isn’t always open—they must have had a wedding here sometime today, and whoever’s in charge is still around somewhere.”

  They walked into a tiny foyer. On one side, a small room with glossy wood floors was clearly the chapel. It resembled most churches, but on a much smaller scale. Old wooden pews lined each side of a short aisle that ended at an arched window, beneath which stood a simple podium.