His Holiday Family

by Margaret Daley

  He framed her face between his hands, his eyes leaving a heated trail where they roamed. “This wasn’t exactly how I pictured telling you this. I wanted something a little romantic. But here goes. Kathleen Hart, I love you. I have never said that to another woman. Ever. In these past two months you’ve become so important to me. I hope one day you’ll agree to be my wife. You don’t have to say anything right now because I know you need time, but please think about it. I want to be a father to Kip and Jared. I want to be a husband to you.”

  Each word seared into her. No. Don’t. I can’t. She stared at him, seeing the sparkle in his eyes slowly fade, the smile transform into a look of puzzlement. Still, she couldn’t say anything. It wouldn’t be fair to Gideon. Her problems weren’t his. She couldn’t…

  She backed away. “You know how I feel about marriage. I had one bad marriage and that was enough. I never want that again.”

  “To be married or a bad marriage?” His terse voice sliced through the air.

  “Both. Not now.” She whirled around and started toward the doorway into the dining room. She needed to get out of here.

  He stopped her with a hand on her arm and rotated her toward him. “Stay. We can talk about this.”

  “No, enjoy the gumbo.” The scent of burning bread permeated the kitchen. She gestured toward the oven. “You’d better take the bread out.”

  When he dropped her arm and turned toward the stove, she fled, hurrying past the dining room table. A gorgeous bouquet of flowers—lilies, carnations and others she didn’t recognize—infused the air with their sweet fragrance. On a plate was a present in a small box. Its sight spurred her to a faster pace.

  This wasn’t the time to give her heart to another—not with all the complication in her life. He’ll thank me later. But as she left his house, that thought didn’t comfort her one bit.

  Gideon yanked the burning bread from the oven. In his haste, one of his fingers touched the hot pan. He dropped it and jumped back. Staring at the bread on the floor, he stood rigid from the emotions bombarding him as if he were being hit over and over from all sides.

  She doesn’t want to have anything to do with me. She might as well tell me to get lost.

  This was the reason he didn’t put himself out there. Anger vied with his hurt. He wanted to be mad at Kathleen. He needed to be. Otherwise, the hurt would win, and he would be back to how it had been after his parents’ deaths. He wouldn’t go there again. He’d fought to get where he was today.

  Lord, what do I do?

  After a long day putting in overtime, all Kathleen wanted to do was put up her feet and do nothing. But tonight was the time she’d set aside to finish baking some goodies for her gifts to family and friends. It was all she could afford to do. When she entered the kitchen with her two bags of groceries, she found her mother at the table with her two sons painting the Christmas plates the goodies would be placed on. She’d wanted to help with that part, too, but when the overtime opportunity came up, her mom said she’d love to assist Jared and Kip. It would be a treat for her.

  “It’s about time you got home, Mom,” Kip said, holding up his work of art. “What do you think? This is for Sally.”

  In the center of the white plate, he’d painted a green Christmas tree and then put ornaments on it and lots of presents under it, much like the front of Miss Alice’s huge card. “Beautiful. She’s going to love it.” Her cousin was still living with her mother at least for a few more months until her apartment building was rebuilt.

  “I’m doing one for Gideon. What do you think about mine?”

  All she saw was Jared’s big grin as he showed her his plate with green rolling hills and a night sky with a brilliant star shining in it. “You’ve done a great job.”

  “That’s the star the Wise Men followed. I remember Gideon telling me about it when we put the star on our tree.” He tilted his head and furrowed his forehead. “Why haven’t we seen him lately? He hasn’t been down here in a week. I had to visit him to see him without his cast.”

  “Yeah, Mom, is he mad at us or something?”

  Kathleen locked gazes with her mother. “I know he isn’t mad at you two, but now that he can work as a firefighter again, he has needed to focus on that.”

  “I asked him to go to church with us on Christmas Eve.” Jared set his plate down among the others they had painted. “He said he couldn’t. It’s sad he doesn’t have a family to share Christmas with.”

  “Yes, it is,” she murmured and turned away from her children before she started crying in front of them. She’d made such a mess of everything.

  “We could be his family this Christmas,” Kip said.

  “That looks like the last two plates you need to do.” Her mother glanced at the clock on the wall. “You said something about watching that Christmas movie on TV tonight. It’ll be on in five minutes. You need to wash up and get into your pajamas. It’ll be late when the movie is over and time for bed.”

  After her boys left the room, her mom approached her. “Are you all right?”

  “No. Everything is falling apart. I—” Kathleen couldn’t find the words to tell her mother how much she’d missed Gideon the past week. She glimpsed him once leaving his house, and it had taken all her willpower not to run after him and beg his forgiveness.

  “I haven’t wanted to pry—okay, maybe I have—but talking about what happened between y’all last week might help you.”

  “I had just gotten the final bill from the doctor and hospital for Kip’s accident that day I made dinner for him. When he told me he loved me and—”

  “He loves you! Why didn’t you tell me? That’s great. That’s—” Her enthusiasm waned. “Is that the problem? You don’t love him?”

  “I do love him. I didn’t want to fall in love, but this whole week he’s all I thought about. I miss him terribly and yet, Mom, how can I ask a man to take on my debt, especially now that thousands more have been added to it? I can’t. It’s not his problem. It’s mine.”

  “Did you talk to him about it?”

  “No.”

  “Why not? He at least deserves to know you care about him, and why you don’t want to see him anymore. You aren’t being fair to him.”

  “I believe he told me life isn’t always fair.”

  “That’s a cop-out and you know it.” Her mother sighed. “He’s good with the boys. They deserve someone like him in their lives. From what you told me, their own father didn’t pay much attention to them in the last few years before he died.”

  “Yeah, and both Jared and Kip have drunk in Gideon’s attention.”

  “Did you think they wouldn’t ask why he wasn’t coming around?”

  “I didn’t think. I just reacted to him telling me he loved me. I got scared. I still am. What if I make a mistake like I did with Derek?”

  “Gideon is a good man. He is nothing like Derek. Whether he is for you is another question and one only you can answer. Do you want Derek to control the rest of your life? He will if you let what happened between you two dictate how you live now.” Her mother took her hands. “Honey, you shouldn’t be having this conversation with me but with Gideon.”

  “Have I told you lately how much I love you?” Kathleen hugged her. “I don’t know what I would have done if I hadn’t come home. I was a mess after Derek died. I should have come back to Hope right away.”

  “I tried to get you to.”

  “I know. I thought I was giving Jared and Kip what they needed. Stability. When what they needed was here all along.”

  “Go rest. You look beat. I’m going to make some brownies and divinity for your goodie plates. Then if you want to add anything besides the lemon bars you did last night, that’s fine. The kitchen will be all yours.”

  Kathleen dragged herself up the stairs to her room where she was sure she would go to sleep immediately after falling into bed. But fifteen minutes later, she punched the pillow and flipped over onto her back. As she stared at the ceiling, she
turned to the Lord for guidance. She needed help untangling the mess her life was in. He was the only one who could help her.

  “Gideon, a lady is here to see you,” Captain Fox at Station Two said as he came into the living area on Christmas Eve.

  Through the open doorway, Gideon spied Kathleen standing in the bay where the fire trucks were parked. Wearing a red and green plaid dress, she looked beautiful. His heartbeat responded by kicking up a notch, and his stomach muscles cinched.

  I don’t want to see her. Who are you kidding? It’s taken all you have to stay away from her. Not to storm down to Ruth’s and demand she love you.

  Gideon shoved to his feet and covered the distance to the exit, aware of his fellow firefighters looking on as he left, intense curiosity in their expressions. A woman didn’t usually come to the fire station unless she was a wife of one of the firefighters on duty.

  “Thanks, captain,” Gideon said as he passed him.

  When he emerged into the large bay, a cool breeze blew through the large open doors. Beyond Kathleen, Christmas lights shone in the darkness. He stopped a few feet from her.

  Her smile transformed the tired lines of her face into a look of radiance. “I didn’t realize you were working tonight. I’d gone down to your house to talk to you and see if you would go to Christmas Eve service and discovered you were working.”

  “I’m filling in for a guy who has a young family. He should be home tonight and tomorrow. I don’t have anyone.”

  “Jared and Kip will be disappointed, but I can certainly understand.”

  “I’ll be off tomorrow night. I’ll come and see them then. I have some gifts for them. Is that where you’re going now—to church?”

  “Yeah, I’m going to meet Mom and the boys there. I told them I needed to come see you first.”

  “Why?”

  She took a deep breath. “I had my speech all planned. That was why I had gone down to your house. But when you weren’t home, it threw me off.”

  “You don’t go with the flow much, do you?”

  “I’m still learning.” She turned toward a table to the side and picked up a plate with goodies covered in plastic wrap. “Merry Christmas. The boys decorated the plate, and Mom and I made the sweets.”

  “Thanks.” He didn’t know what else to say to her. He’d gotten her a heart-shaped necklace the day he’d gone to have his cast taken off. It still sat on his dresser, a constant reminder of the risk of falling in love. But he hadn’t been able to bring himself to return it to the jewelry store. The couple of times he had tried he hadn’t been able to do it.

  Silence descended. Gideon took a step back. Kathleen looked out toward the street.

  Seeing her only made him want to talk some sense into her. Or to drag her to him and kiss her senseless until she gave in to the feelings he knew she was beginning to have toward him.

  “Well…” He searched for the right thing to say. “Tell the boys and your mom Merry Christmas for me. I’ll be sure to drop by tomorrow evening.” He backed away some more.

  “Don’t leave yet.” Her chest rose and fell several times. “I—I was wrong with what I said the last time we saw each other. From the beginning I’ve been afraid of my feelings for you. After Derek’s death I’d decided I didn’t want to get married again. That I would focus on Jared and Kip. Then I met you and you changed everything. I love you, Gideon. I have no doubts about that.”

  He clenched his hands at his sides. “Then why did you say what you did?”

  “Because earlier that day I had found out the extent of money I would owe for Kip’s accident. Thousands of dollars added on top of the debt my husband left me. It was too much to process. I still don’t know exactly what I’m going to do, and I certainly didn’t want you to be drawn into it.”

  “Haven’t you learned by now that it’s okay to ask for help? The Lord didn’t intend for us to go through life alone. It’s taken me years to realize that. In fact, until I met you I didn’t fully realize how alone I was. After my parents died, I lost hope of finding that connection I needed to fulfill my life. You and your family gave me that hope.”

  “And then that night I shattered it. I’m so sorry. I was afraid. Still am, but I had a long talk with God. I think He brought me here to Hope and to you because He wanted me to heal. I’ve been emotionally alone for many years, even before my husband died. I need you.”

  He closed the space between them. “I can help you. Together as a team we’ll work it out. As a firefighter I’ve learned to be a team member. It hasn’t always been easy because I kept those walls up. But this town, these people have helped me to break those walls down.” He clasped her hands and drew her toward him. “You have. Let me be a part of your life. Fully. I’m in this relationship one hundred percent.”

  She wound her arms around his neck and dragged him down for a kiss. “How can I turn down an offer like that?”

  He smiled and hugged her close to him. “I’m hoping you won’t.” He wouldn’t be alone anymore. He had a family to care for and love.

  Epilogue

  The next evening Gideon arrived at Kathleen’s mother’s house with his arms full of presents. Jared and Kip were speechless as Gideon handed them their gifts. “Open them,” he said as he sat next to Kathleen on the couch and took her hand.

  Both boys tore into the packages, unveiling clothes and other items they had lost in the hurricane.

  Glimpsing the joy on Gideon’s face, Kathleen leaned toward him. “You shouldn’t have. But thank you.”

  “They needed the clothes. I had so much fun shopping for them. And I threw in a couple of treats for them, too.”

  Jared held up his rock tumbler. “Yay! I have some rocks I’ve found that I can put in here. Can I tonight?”

  Kathleen chuckled. “Somehow I figured you would say that. We’ll set it up in the garage so the noise doesn’t drive us crazy.”

  When Jared and Kip had finished, sitting among the boxes and wrapping paper, beaming, Gideon rose and drew Kathleen up next to him. “I have one more surprise for you two.”

  Kip looked around. “Where?”

  “On the porch.” Gideon started for the front door.

  Jared and Kip peered at each other then went after Gideon. Kathleen took up the rear.

  Out on the porch sat two boys bikes—one red and the other blue. Her sons’ eyes bugged out, both Kip and Jared rooted to the cement.

  “The red one is Kip’s and the blue, Jared’s,” Gideon finally said when they still hadn’t moved.

  Suddenly, they surged forward, clasping the handlebars of their bikes. “Thank you. Thank you,” Kip said, then Jared.

  Kip swept around and hugged Gideon. “Mom, can we go for a ride?”

  “Yes, but only on the sidewalk. You can ride down to the end of the block and back.”

  Gideon helped Jared and Kip carry their bikes to the sidewalk, the Christmas lights from the neighbors giving off enough illumination for them to see where they were going.

  When they took off, Gideon moved back next to Kathleen to watch, slipping his arm around her. “I haven’t forgotten you.” He drew her toward the steps where the porch light glowed and handed her a wrapped box lying on the wicker chair. “This is for you.”

  She carefully removed the paper then the lid, and lifted a gold chain with a heart dangling from it. “This is beautiful. I love it.”

  “You have my heart. I wanted you to have one to wear close to yours.”

  “Will you put this on for me?” She turned her back to him and lifted her hair so he could.

  His fingers on her neck sent a thrill through her. After fastening the necklace, he bent forward and whispered, “That isn’t the only surprise for you.”

  She glanced over her shoulder. “You’re spoiling me.”

  “I want to spend the rest of my life doing that very thing.” He turned her around and kissed her. “The mayor heard about your medical bills and wants to help. A fund has been set up to help you pay for
Kip’s accident.”

  Words refused to materialize in her mind. She stared at Gideon for a long moment, trying to comprehend what he told her.

  Gideon shifted her toward him. “Are you all right?”

  Thank You, Lord, for sending Gideon to me. “I’m more than all right. After all, I’m in love with a wonderful man.”

  Dear Reader,

  His Holiday Family is the first book in the A Town Called Hope series. Hope, Mississippi, is a small town on the Gulf Coast that faced a hurricane. The series is about how a town rebuilds after a hurricane and grows stronger from its trials. I lived for many years on the Mississippi Gulf Coast and faced several hurricanes that hit my town. This is a tribute to all the people who assist people back on their feet after a tragedy.

  I love hearing from readers. You can contact me at margaretdaley@gmail.com or at P.O. Box 2074 Tulsa, OK 74101. You can also learn more about my books at http://www.margaretdaley.com. I have a quarterly newsletter that you can sign up for on my website or you can enter my monthly drawings by signing my guest book on the website.

  Best wishes,

  Questions For Discussion

  When tragedy strikes, who do you turn to? What do you do to solve the problems that arise from the tragedy—ignore it, figure out what steps you need to do or wallow in self-pity?

  Kathleen began to doubt that the Lord cared about her. She’d prayed for help and didn’t think she was getting any from Him. Have you ever thought that? What did you do?

  Gideon lost so many people important in his life that he became a loner. He felt if he didn’t care about others, he couldn’t be hurt. Have you ever dealt with someone who emotionally kept his distance? What, if anything, did you do to break down his walls?

  Who is your favorite character? Why?

  What would you do if a hurricane (or any other tragedy) struck your home and took all your possessions?

  Gideon learned as a firefighter to be a team player. Do you prefer doing things solo or with a team? Why?