The Friendship Star Quilt

by Patricia Kiyono

  Jennie saw Anne slide into the pew, and her little face lit up. She reached up to give Anne a hug, and the joy in his daughter’s face filled Brad’s heart. Life had given Jennie some tough blows, but she had embraced his recent advice about hugs. Now, she seemed to enjoy giving them as much as receiving them. Jennie seemed to be making up for lost time, and she smiled more these days, too.

  “Mr. Carmichael?”

  Brad glanced at his trumpet player, who pointed a finger at the assistant pastor. Rev. James wasn’t speaking but had turned his full attention to Brad and the brass group, one bushy eyebrow raised.

  Rats. He’d missed his cue while he’d been watching Anne and Jennie.

  Thankfully, with Anne in the pew beside his daughter, Brad knew he could stop worrying. She would take care of his daughter so he could focus his full attention on the ensemble and the beautiful music they’d prepared for this year’s Carols and Candles service. He picked up his baton and gave an encouraging nod to the young musicians, who nervously fingered their horns. He glanced at the Choirmaster, who gave a subtle signal to his singers, and the choir rose in unison. Joy filled Brad’s heart as he raised his arms to conduct the first hymn. For a brief second, he wondered if it was in anticipation of the music he loved or because Jennie was safe with Anne?

  Or could it possibly be due to the beautiful woman herself?

  ****

  Anne settled in the seat beside Jennie to listen to the wonderful hymn service. She’d been delighted when she wakened to see the morning had dawned sunny and clear sky after several days of heavy snows. The balmy weather had allowed her to wear her lightweight fall coat to the advent service instead of the second-hand winter jacket she usually wore every day. Even though she’d hung it in the foyer before slipping into the sanctuary to join Jennie, it still made Anne feel more confident about her appearance.

  The candlelight hymn service had always been one her favorite holiday events—Grams’ favorite, too—because of the message of peace and hope the season brought. Anne hadn’t attended church very often since she’d married Jeffrey. He thought such things were foolish. Then, when she came to Grandville, she’d been too frightened of being recognized by someone who might have seen her picture in the news, so she’d stayed away from public gatherings. At least, it was the excuse she’d given herself. Deep in her heart, Anne knew she’d also been angry with God over what He’d allowed to happen to her and her baby. But the last few months had changed Anne. She was coming to terms with her life and was ready to embrace the season’s message of hope.

  Jennie’s phone call the previous afternoon had brightened her day. Anne loved the surprise chats they’d have when the little girl occasionally called the shop.

  “Will you please come and sit with me at church tomorrow night?” she’d asked. “Daddy has to be with the band, so he’ll be up front, and I’ll be by myself. I can save you a seat. And we’ll have supper in the basement afterwards.”

  Of course Anne had agreed to go. She had grown quite fond of the child and had a hard time turning down a request.

  Besides, it would give her a chance to see Brad conduct, as well.

  She had to admit Jennie’s father definitely intrigued her. She’d never seen him in a suit before, and this one was impeccably tailored to emphasize his broad shoulders and lean frame yet allow him freedom of movement as he conducted. Brad was so handsome in the spotlight, his hands and arms moved with both strength and grace. But Anne was attracted to something far more important than Brad’s appearance or musical talents. He never lost his temper. He was so calm and loving with his daughter, and Anne’s friends in the quilt group all praised the way he worked with their children, too. His gentle humor and genuine caring warmed her heart.

  Maybe she could trust him not to hurt her.

  What are you thinking? The man hasn’t expressed the remotest bit of romantic interest in you.

  Brad Carmichael had been kind and grateful for her help, but she was deluding herself if she imagined there was anything more to it. After all, the man was a recent widower. Just because he’d asked her opinion about things—usually something to do with his daughter—and shared a few meals didn’t mean he was interested in her as a woman. The realization stung a bit, but facts were facts. The man just needed feedback and advice with his daughter, a woman’s point of view. Well, she could give him those things. She’d alter uniforms for him, help with costumes for the spring musical, and support him in whatever way he needed.

  She’d love him from a distance.

  Love?

  As the beautiful hymns surrounded her, she accepted the truth of the situation. She’d somehow fallen in love with Brad Carmichael. How had it happened? The attraction had started with Jennie. The little girl was an angel, and Anne would love her even without her handsome father thrown into the mix.

  But Brad was the one Anne dreamed of when she went to sleep at night. The one she longed to share things with, who brightened her day each time she saw him.

  Jennie leaned against Anne, resting her little head on Anne’s arm. The warmth of her little body felt wonderful. Anne shifted positions so she could wrap an arm around the youngster, drawing her even closer. The child snuggled happily against her as the brass ensemble played and the choir sang of peace and glad tidings. Warmth flooded through Anne. She drank in the joy, the wonder, and her heart overflowed as the triumphant timbre of the brass choir filled the sanctuary. When the Choirmaster turned and signaled for the congregation to rise and join in carol, she and Jennie did so with enthusiasm.

  The congregation took their seats when the song finished, and Pastor Lockhart, a youngish man, rose and gave a moving homily about the meaning of the season. His words struck deeply, as if they’d been meant for her alone. Was this why she’d ended up in Grandville? So she could hear this message and be comforted, set free from her captivity?

  The rest of the service passed in a blur. She rose when the congregation rose, sat when they sat, sang when the people around her sang. Everything else faded away, the stained glass windows, the banners, even the pungent scent of the pine garlands draped around the room. Had she finally come to a place where she could stay? Where she could belong? Where people would let her grow and be herself? Where Jeffrey and his family no longer had a hold over her, couldn’t hurt her anymore?

  When the service ended and people migrated toward the basement for a light supper, Anne picked up her purse, but Jennie remained seated, waiting patiently for her father. Glancing at the stage, Anne saw Brad would be tied up for a while yet. She caught his eye and signaled she and Jennie would meet him downstairs. The sexy smile he gave her sent another flood of warmth to her overflowing heart.

  “C’mon, Jennie,” she said, holding out her hand to the child. “You can show me where the food is, and your dad will meet us when he’s done.”

  Festive streamers draped the ceiling of the church basement. The long tables sported decorations created by the children’s Sunday School classes, candy dishes made from the bottoms of plastic milk jugs and decorated with construction paper stars, trees, and other Christmas motifs. Foil-wrapped chocolates nestled inside each dish. Jennie pulled Anne toward a table in the middle of the room and pointed out the centerpiece.

  “This is the candy dish I made in Sunday School last week, Miss Anne. I put music notes on it for Daddy. Can we sit here?”

  “Of course, we can. Your candy dish is very pretty.” Anne settled herself in a metal folding chair at the end of the table with Jennie beside her. Around her, other people settled into the other chairs, so she placed her purse at the empty space next to Jennie to save it for Brad.

  “Excuse me, miss, don’t I know you?”

  Despite the polite tone, the question made Anne’s heart lurch. Her eyes flew wide and she spun to face the speaker.

  “Aren’t you the young lady from the quilt shop?” a pleasant-faced brunette with a pixie cut and sparkling eyes asked. She put two glasses of punch on the other side
of the table then settled in a seat there.

  Anne recognized the woman as Linda Moore, owner of Cards and Moore, the gift shop near Mario’s restaurant. She returned the woman’s greeting. “Yes, I am. I’m Anne Brown. And you’re Mrs. Moore, aren’t you?”

  The woman nodded. “Did you make the beautiful blouse you’re wearing? You never see such lovely workmanship on the ones in the mall.”

  Anne blushed and thanked her then answered the woman’s question about the fabric.

  “Jennifer Marie Carmichael, you know you’re not supposed to eat candy before dinner.” Brad’s stern voice came from the other side of Jennie.

  A glance at the little girl revealed she had raided the candy dish while Anne had been talking. Several empty red-and-green foil wrappers lay on the table in front of her. With a gasp, Anne pulled Jennie into her lap, wrapping her in a protective embrace.

  “I’m sorry, Brad. I’m so sorry! I wasn’t watching her. It’s my fault. I won’t let her eat any more chocolate. I promise.”

  She had failed again. Now, he was mad, but she wouldn’t let him hurt Jennie. Even if he yelled and began to throw things and—

  “It’s okay, Miss Anne. Don’t cry.” Jennie’s soft voice cut through Anne’s panic.

  She blinked and saw the people at their table all staring at her. Worse, Brad stood rooted in place with a shocked expression on his face. Anne loosened the death grip she had on Jennie — even though the child didn’t seem particularly alarmed by it — and took a deep breath, calming herself.

  Jennie, ever practical, reached for a napkin and patted Anne’s cheeks to dry the tears there. “Don’t worry, Miss Anne. Daddy just sounds mad sometimes. But he’s not. Honest.”

  As if to prove it, she hopped down from Anne’s lap and hugged her father’s middle. “I’m sorry, Daddy. I forgot I was supposed to wait until I ate my supper. I won’t eat any more chocolates until later.”

  “Okay, Princess,” he said, but he continued to stare at Anne. Finally, he patted his daughter’s hair, reassuringly. “Let me just clear these wrappers from the table so we’ll be ready for our meal.” He scooped up the foil wrappers and carried them to a tall waste basket at the side of the room.

  Anne used the time to compose herself, aware of the continued silence around the table. How embarrassing. Brad had probably used the wrappers as an excuse to get away from her. She wished she had thought of it first. Why in heaven’s name had she overreacted so badly? Brad hadn’t made any threats or raised his voice. He’d merely spoken sternly. She’d reacted like some sort of madwoman, grabbing poor little Jennie and sobbing the way she had. Mortified, she prayed the floor would open and swallow her.

  “Let us bow our heads and give thanks for the lovely meal we’re about to share this evening.” The pastor’s voice coming over the speakers put an end to the conversations in the room.

  Anne bowed her head along with everyone else, but when the pastor finished his prayer of thanks, her chair was empty.

  Chapter Twenty-Seven

  Brad kept one eye open during the prayer, so he saw when Anne got up and slipped from the room. He’d half-risen from his seat to go after her, but sat back down. He couldn’t follow her, not with Jennie here. He couldn’t leave his daughter. Even if he could have done so, he’d have made far more noise than Anne had made, and disturbed the people around him in the process. But he longed to run after her, catch her, and find out why she’d been so frightened. He sighed. He’d just have to try to call her later and hope she was at the shop.

  High school students from the church’s youth group came out of the kitchen with platters of food and started to serve the tables. Brad forced a smile to his lips before facing his daughter. “Are you ready for some turkey, Princess?”

  But Jennie shook her head and refused to be distracted.

  “Daddy,” she whispered urgently and leaned toward him. “You have to go find Miss Anne. She’s scared. I felt her shivering when she held me. Maybe you scared her, Daddy. You have to show her you’re not really scary.”

  “I can’t leave you here, honey.”

  “You’ll come back for me, and I’ll be fine. Callie’s family is right over there.” She pointed to the next table and waved at her little friend. “I can go sit with them.”

  Brad was tempted, but he shook his head. “No, Princess. I’ll stay here and eat with you. I’ll call and talk to Anne later.”

  The little girl frowned, and shook her head in a rare show of petulance. “Daddy!” she insisted. “You have to go now. Miss Anne is really worried about something. You need to help her. Please go after her. Don’t let her cry.”

  Brad stared at his little girl. He wasn’t sure what amazed him more, the fact she was arguing with him, or the compassion and insight she had for another human being. He’d known she was an intelligent child, but now she sounded like someone five times her age.

  “Your daughter is right, Mr. Carmichael. Something has frightened your friend,” the woman across the table said in a soft whisper. She gestured to the steely haired man seated beside her. Brad recognized him as Detective Moore from the Grandville PD. “Bob was just about to follow her… to make sure she’s all right… but it might be less frightening for the young woman if you went. Your daughter can stay and eat dinner with us. She reminds me a great deal of my granddaughter.”

  “Are you sure? I don’t want to impose—”

  “Go,” Detective Moore said, nodding toward the door. “Your daughter will be fine. Take whatever time you need. We’ll have dinner, listen to the carols then visit with the other families. I’m on the clean-up committee tonight, so the missus and I will be here for hours.”

  Brad thanked them, told Jennie to behave, then hurried to the exit. How on earth had Anne managed to slip through the crowd so quickly? He nearly collided a couple of times with the young servers as he navigated to the stairwell. Once there, he took the stairs two at a time and rushed outside just in time to see Anne’s trim figure pass under a street lamp in the next block.

  He raced after her, cursing himself for not continuing his daily jogs. In high school, he’d been on the track team and held school records for sprinting. In college, he’d continued his morning runs even though he didn’t compete on a team. But that had been too long ago. Now, he was lucky if he managed to go for a run once or twice a month. He was out of practice, but managed to catch up with her, slowing his pace to let her become aware of his presence.

  “Come this way often?”

  She turned to face him, and he drew in a sharp breath. Anne’s face was streaked with tears, her features scrunched in a frown.

  “What’s the matter, Anne? Why did you run away from us?”

  “You know why,” she sobbed. “I acted like such an idiot. You must have been so embarrassed by my behavior. I had to leave.”

  “Anne, why would I be embarrassed? You didn’t do anything wrong. I startled you. I raised my voice, and you were frightened for Jennie. I should be thanking you for being Jennie’s champion.”

  She turned away. “Are you kidding? People were staring at me like I was a lunatic. I must have resembled one the way I grabbed Jennie to shield her from some imaginary threat.”

  “Maybe the threat wasn’t so imaginary.”

  “You would never have hurt Jennie. No one there would have.”

  “You’re right,” he replied, reaching out to take her arm and turn her to face him. “No one there would harm Jennie. But you were thinking of someone else, someone who might have harmed her. Someone who hurt you. Who was it, Anne? Who hurt you so badly?”

  She turned away, wrapping her arms around her slight frame and rubbing her upper arms. The temperatures had dropped after sunset, and he realized the thin coat she wore couldn’t be very warm. His suit jacket wasn’t much better.

  “Why don’t we go back to the church? We can sit in the sanctuary and talk. Or we can sit in my car if you prefer.” He gestured toward the lot behind them. “Your call, Anne. But we
need to talk. You’re important to Jennie and… you’re important to me. If there’s something threatening you, I want to know about it. Come on.”

  He wrapped his arm around her shoulders and guided her back the way they’d come. When they reached the lot, he paused long enough to ask, “Car or sanctuary?”

  “Car… please.” She rubbed her cheeks. “I don’t want anyone to see me like this.”

  He nodded and led her to his car, unlocked the passenger side and held the door for her. Going around the car, he slid into the driver’s seat then turned to study Anne. The parking lot lights cast a soft yellow glow inside the sedan, just bright enough to see the moisture on Anne’s cheeks but dim enough, he hoped, to be comfortable for the nervous young woman.

  “When I came downstairs and reprimanded Jennie, who were you thinking of?”

  She bit her lip and glanced down at her hands, fisted in her lap. “My… husband. Well, my ex-husband, I guess.”

  “Why did thinking of him frighten you?”

  “Jeffrey had a temper. He used to accuse me of going out of my way to embarrass him, to make him angry. He wanted a classy wife. I was a farm girl, a ‘hick from the sticks.’ He planned to divorce me for someone he’d met who knew how to behave in polite society. “

  “What an idiot,” Brad muttered then continued before she could comment. “Have you heard from him since you came to Grandville?”

  “No. He doesn’t know where I am.” She shuddered.

  “You ran away?”

  She nodded then added in a soft voice. “But… he’ll find me.”

  “I don’t understand, Anne. Why would he want to find you if he left you for someone else?”

  She turned away and stared out the window in silence for so long he thought she wouldn’t answer. Then she took a deep breath and faced him. He didn’t need a brighter light to recognize the fear in her eyes. “Because he got arrested… he embezzled money. He blamed me for telling the police where he was. He was so angry.”