A Highland Christmas (The Shadows Series Book 5)

by Juliette Duncan

Once both Alana and Brianna had changed out of their night attire and into warm, fleecy pants and thick sweaters, the three of them headed downstairs, drawn by the happy sounds of the other children.

  Danny, Lizzy and the children were already in the drawing room where the fire that Andrew had put out only hours before was now blazing. Quinn let go Alana’s hand and skidded onto the floor to sit beside James and Dillon. Clare sat on Danny’s lap.

  “Merry Christmas,” Danny and Lizzy said in unison. Brianna leaned down and gave them both a hug before sitting with Alana on the same couch she’d sat on with Andrew only hours before.

  Andrew wasn’t there yet, but every time someone entered, she looked up expectantly. When Grace and Ryan entered, a hush fell over the room. Grace’s arm was in a sling, and several bruises on her face had darkened. Clare jumped up and wrapped her arms around Grace’s middle. “Merry Christmas, Auntie Grace. Is your arm sore?”

  Grace let out a small laugh. Brianna knew her sister was fascinated by Clare’s attraction to her, but neither she nor Grace had any idea what had caused the little girl to single Grace out as her favourite auntie. Whatever the reason, Grace loved it. And she loved Clare. They had a special relationship. Strange, really, because Grace had never shown much interest in having children of her own. She bent down and hugged Clare as best as she could with one arm. “It’s just a little sore, but I’m okay. Thanks, sweetie.”

  “Can I sit with you?” Clare’s little voice was so adorable.

  Grace face lit up. “You sure can.”

  The chatter in the room returned, escalating when Lizzy’s parents, Brendan, Shawn, Aislin, Joel, Rosemary, David, Caleb and the girls all arrived. But no Caitlin, and no Andrew. Brianna tried to still her thumping heart. Just the memory of his kisses made her blush. She couldn’t wait to see him, but then there was still the question of Andy… what if God said no? She prayed that wouldn’t be the case. Somehow it felt right. But where was he?

  Moments later, when the children were getting restless and wanting to open their presents, the door opened and Andrew and Caitlin entered carrying trays of steaming coffee, croissants and pastries. Brianna’s gaze immediately went to his, and when they met, her heart-rate accelerated.

  He began offering coffee to everybody, but when he stopped in front of her, joy bubbled inside her. How could a man like Andrew McKinnon have fallen for her? Even though he had a past, and now a present that included a son, he was everything Brianna had never known she’d wanted until now. Her heart pounded as she gave him a shy smile and took a coffee from the tray.

  When he walked on, Alana whispered in Brianna’s ear. “Did I just see something between you two?”

  Brianna couldn’t hide it if she tried. She nodded, knowing her eyes shone, but not trusting herself to speak.

  “I thought so. That’s wonderful, Brianna. I’m happy for you.”

  She squeezed Alana’s hand. “Thank you.”

  “He’s a good catch.”

  “He is…”

  As Andrew offered the coffee tray to his parents, Brianna wondered when he’d tell them about Andy, their grandson. Would they be excited, or would they be disappointed? If she knew them as well as she thought she did, they’d welcome the boy into their family with loving arms.

  Andrew put the empty tray down on the side buffet, grabbed a coffee for himself, along with a croissant, and then sat on the floor at Brianna’s feet. They shared a smile as he tilted his head, and then she sat back and watched with amusement as Danny distributed all the presents, with Dillon and James acting as little helpers.

  The delight in the children’s faces and voices was contagious, and the atmosphere in the room was such a happy one. Just like Christmas should be. Once all the presents had been opened, and the room was littered with wrapping paper, toys, games, clothing and other assorted gifts, Danny announced that following breakfast, a short church service would be held in the chapel, and he hoped everyone would attend.

  Brianna turned to Alana, trying to gauge her reaction. Nothing. She needed to say something. With firm resolve, she met Alana’s gaze. “I’d love you to come to the service, Alana? Will you? Quinny will enjoy it. Danny’s got things planned for the children.”

  Alana shrugged. “I guess so, although I’m not really a church-goer.”

  Brianna squeezed her hand. “It doesn’t matter. I think it’ll be fun.” She turned her head and rolled her eyes. What was she saying? Fun? Church wasn’t normally fun, but maybe today it would be. Especially if Danny was leading the service.

  Andrew stood and offered his hand to help her up. Brianna still had to pinch herself that this had happened. It was like she forgot, but then when she saw him, or they touched, a wave of warmth swept over her, reminding her that something indeed was happening between them.

  When he returned to the kitchen, where no doubt he was concocting something amazing for breakfast, Brianna helped clean up the mess. As she shoved the last of the paper into a huge garbage bag, Grace caught Brianna’s eye and patted the spot beside her on the couch. She adjusted her position and looked Brianna in the eye. “So, are you going to tell me?” Grace raised a brow, a grin on her face.

  ‘Tell you what?”

  “Come on Bibi, you can’t hide anything from me, you know that.”

  Grace was right. They’d shared everything from the time they were young. Nothing was hidden between them. Besides, by the grin on her face, Grace already knew. Brianna let out a small chuckle and glanced at the ceiling. “I think you already know.”

  Grace’s face lit up. “I’m so happy for you, Bibi. He seems like a good man.”

  Brianna nodded. If she could talk to anyone about ‘the complication’, it would be Grace. “Yes, but don’t tell anyone…” She leaned closer and lowered her voice. “He has an eleven-year old son.”

  Grace’s forehead creased. “Is that a problem?”

  Brianna’s shoulders sagged and she looked down at her hands. “I’m not sure.” Lifting her head, she met Grace’s uneasy gaze. “Andrew only found out about him a month ago, but the boy’s mother is dying, and she wants Andrew to take him.”

  “Oh.” For once, Grace seemed lost for words. Moments passed. The fire crackled. One of the children laughed. Brianna could see Grace’s mind working. Finally, she spoke. “And is he going to take him?”

  “I think so.”

  “How do you feel about that?”

  “I’ve prayed about it.”

  “And?”

  “I don’t know yet, but I think I’m okay with it.” Shrugging, Brianna fidgeted with her hands. “It’s early days, anyway.”

  “Yes, but I’ve seen the way you look at each other. I can tell.” Her eyes grew dreamy. “It was the same for Ryan and me. There was something special, different, and you just know. I can see it in you two.”

  “Really?” Brianna thought she might cry from happiness.

  Grace nodded and tucked a strand of hair behind Brianna’s ear.

  “I can’t believe all this has happened.”

  With her good arm, Grace drew her close and stroked her hair. “Bibi, God only wants good things for us, and I think this might be His good thing for you.”

  Brianna squeezed her eyes shut. It was almost too much… all those years of heartache, and more recently, the years of working with rape victims but not really living a life of joy and fun. Although she was so grateful that God had given her new life, and she was content, but if she were honest, she longed to be loved by someone special as well. Someone other than her siblings and friends. She’d accepted that might never happen, and she’d been scared of getting close to anyone. But now that love was a possibility, she was delighted, albeit, in shock.

  “I think you’ll be a great mum.”

  That did it. Tears streamed down Brianna’s cheeks. Grace handed her a tissue. Brianna blew her nose. “Thank you.”

  “I mean it, Bibi. I think it’s great.” Grace leaned closer. “Can I tell you my secret now?” Her f
ace lit up.

  “You have a secret?” What was Grace hiding?

  Grace’s smile widened. “Don’t worry—it’s nothing bad. Ryan and I are expecting a baby.”

  Brianna’s eyes popped. “You’re not!”

  “We are!”

  “I didn’t think you wanted children.”

  “Until I met Ryan, I didn’t. Then everything changed. True love can do that for a person.”

  Brianna threw her arms around Grace, taking care not to hurt her sore shoulder. “That’s fantastic news, Grace. Congratulations.” Drawing back, a thought occurred to her. “Yesterday… the fall… is everything okay?”

  “Yes, praise God. I’m perfect except for the collarbone and shoulder.”

  “I’m so sorry, Grace. If I hadn’t gone skiing, you wouldn’t have been worried about me and gone out looking for us.”

  “Don’t say that, Bibi. It’s all good.”

  “But it could have ended badly.”

  “It didn’t, so no more. Okay?”

  Brianna gave her a grateful smile. “Okay. So, who knows about the baby?”

  “Only you.”

  “Oh. Okay, I won’t say anything.” Briana lowered her voice.

  “We’re planning on announcing it at lunch.”

  Brianna smiled again. “Everyone will be excited. I won’t say anything until then.”

  “Thanks.” Grace hugged her again. “We’d better go in for breakfast before it’s all eaten. That man of yours is cooking something special, so I hear.”

  Brianna giggled. Man of hers? She liked the sound of that!

  Chapter 14

  With Caitlin acting as apprentice chef, Andrew had indeed prepared a special Christmas breakfast. French toast with mixed berries and whipped cream, pancakes with blueberry-plum syrup, and the tastiest little quiches Brianna had ever eaten. She patted her stomach as she thought how much weight she might put on if Andrew kept cooking like this.

  After a very jolly breakfast and a quick clean-up, Danny gave a reminder about the service. Everyone, including Brendan, Shawn, Aislin and Joel, and Alana, said they’d be there.

  After promising Alana she’d walk with her to the chapel, Brianna hung back in the kitchen and helped Andrew with the final clean-up. Andrew slipped his arms around her waist and gave her a slow kiss. “I’ve been wanting to do that all morning.” His breath was warm and sweet and filled her with longing.

  “Have you had any sleep?” she asked.

  “No…” He kissed her again. “Too much on my mind.”

  Brianna pulled back. “Like telling your parents about Andy?”

  “How did you guess?”

  She shrugged. “That’s got to be the biggest thing on your mind right now. So, when are you going to tell them?”

  His shoulders slumped. “After church.”

  “I’m sure they’ll be fine once they get over the initial shock.”

  “I hope so.” He glanced at the clock on the wall. “We’d best go or we’ll be late.”

  “I promised to walk with Alana. Save me a seat?” The prospect of sitting beside him in church filled Brianna with joy and anticipation. If their relationship was to develop, God had to be their focus, and what better day to start than Christmas Day?

  “Yes, but hurry,” he said. A thrill of excitement raced through her when he lowered his head and brushed his lips over hers. Would she ever get used to this?

  “I will.” She gazed into his eyes for a moment longer before tearing herself from his arms.

  Brianna took the steps two at a time, praying that Alana hadn’t changed her mind. She smiled to herself when she reached the room. Quinn was seated on Alana’s bed, hair brushed, face wiped, and wearing the new set of clothes Aislin and Joel had given him for Christmas—dark blue corduroy trousers and a hand-knitted red sweater. He looked adorable. And Alana had applied a little make-up… amazing how much difference it made to her appearance. Brianna was pleased Alana wanted to look her best for church. Not that it mattered. With the amount of snow they’d had, most likely it would only be family attending, as well as David, Rosemary and Andrew. But the fact that she’d taken care with herself heartened Brianna.

  “You look nice, Alana.” She flashed a warm smile and then squatted in front of Quinn, getting down to his level. “And you look so cute in those new clothes, little Quinny.”

  His face beamed. “Auntie Ash made them for me.”

  “She’s a very clever auntie.”

  He nodded as he inspected the trucks and tippers Aislin had knitted into each wrist band. She’d obviously taken a great deal of care.

  Straightening, Brianna glanced in the mirror. A little make-up was needed to camouflage her lack of sleep. “I’ll just be a minute.” Darting into the shared bathroom, she smoothed her hair and brushed her teeth, then threw on some blusher, a light coat of mascara, and a quick lick of lipstick. That would have to do.

  “Ready?” she asked, re-entering the bedroom.

  Alana nodded, took Quinn’s hand, and they followed Brianna out the door.

  The small chapel sat on the far side of the main Elim Community building. Built of stone, it had once been a barn, but quite a few years ago it had been renovated and made into a simple place of worship, and now it even had stained glass windows. Although mainly intended for the students and staff of the Community, people now came from miles around. The small church's reputation for preaching God's word without compromise had spread over the years.

  The chapel was more than half full—people had braved the weather after all. Brianna’s eyes searched for Andrew, and when she caught sight of his tawny-gold hair her heart skipped a beat. Would she ever be able to look at him without having palpitations? Somehow, she doubted it.

  She ushered Alana and Quinn forward, directing them to the pew on the left, midway down the small chapel, where Andrew sat with his parents. Alana motioned for her to sit beside Andrew, while she and Quinn took the spots nearest the aisle. When Andrew slipped his hand into hers, squeezing gently, a thrill raced up her spine. There had been many times when she’d looked at Danny and Lizzy and Grace and Ryan sitting close to each other in church that she wondered what it was like to sit with someone special while worshipping God together. She was about to find out, but so far, she liked it.

  Danny and Lizzy and the others had done a great job of decorating the chapel. A nativity scene, complete with a small make-shift barn, hay, cows, sheep, the three wise men, and the baby Jesus with Mary and Joseph, took pride of place at the front of the chapel. Dillon played Joy to the World on the piano while Lizzy stood and turned the pages. Although he barely reached the pedals, he played brilliantly.

  The other children sat in the front pew beside Grace, Ryan and Danny. When Dillon finished playing, Danny stood and welcomed everyone, inviting the congregation to stand and sing the carol that expressed the joy of Christmas.

  Brianna glanced at Andrew and smiled before turning to Alana.

  She had picked Quinn up and placed him on her hip.

  Brianna leaned closer. “Are you okay?”

  Alana nodded, a small smile lifting the corners of her mouth.

  “Let me know if you’d like a break.”

  “Thanks.”

  Brianna inched closer to Andrew and began singing.

  The service was everything she had expected and more. Danny and Lizzy had a special gift when it came to running a service, and they had planned songs and a short activity just for the children in which they all played a part, even Quinn. Caleb and Caitlin’s girls took turns reading the Bible verses, telling the story of Jesus’ birth in the manger, and there was lots of singing. When Danny stood at the lectern to start the sermon, Brianna shifted in her seat, growing a little anxious. Normally she loved listening to Danny preach, but with Alana beside her, and Brendan, Shawn and the others not far away, she hoped he’d make it short and to the point.

  When he started by promising not to speak for long, Brianna breathed a sigh of relief a
nd relaxed, but prayed silently that God would speak through him to everyone there. Danny had never formally trained as a preacher, but he spoke from the heart, and that, combined with his easy-going nature, meant that whenever he spoke, it was entertaining but meaningful, and God used him to touch peoples’ hearts. Brianna prayed that today would be no different.

  “Christmas is just the best time of year, isn’t it?” he began. “And this Christmas it’s even better having all my family here. To me, that’s what the message of Christmas is all about… connecting. God connecting with man, people connecting with people, families connecting with each other. Love, acceptance, new beginnings, hope. We can all do with that, especially hope. God sent His only son, Jesus, to earth as a baby for just that reason… to give hope and a future to all those who believe.”

  As Danny continued to speak, Alana brushed her damp face with the back of her hand. Brianna reached out, placing her hand gently against Alana’s shoulder while sending up another prayer. God was touching Alana’s heart, and Brianna couldn’t have been happier.

  Danny finished his short sermon by asking everyone to bow their heads while he prayed. From the corner of her eye, Brianna noticed Alana sniffle as she closed her eyes. Brianna slipped an arm around her shoulders, pulling her close while Danny prayed.

  Fresh tears continued to slide down Alana’s cheeks. When Danny finished praying and everyone rose to sing ‘Hark, the Herald Angels Sing’, Brianna offered to take Quinn. The little boy clung to her while staring at his mother with his thumb in his mouth.

  As the carol ended, Brianna leaned closer to Andrew and whispered, “I’m going to stay here with Alana for a while. Okay?” Their eyes held for a second, and she knew he understood.

  Nodding, Andrew held his arms out to Quinn. “Come with me?”

  The little boy quickly climbed across, wrapping his arms around Andrew’s neck.

  Brianna smiled her thanks. “I’ll catch you soon.” For a moment, she thought Andrew might lean across and kiss her, but she was very relieved when he didn’t. They hadn’t formally told his parents they were dating yet, although she assumed they’d guessed. Andrew and his parents left the pew in the opposite direction, leaving her with Alana.