Amy can’t find her voice but nods her head, pulling him up to kiss him. “Yes!” she says, over the cheers and applause. “Yes, I will!” She kisses him again and Maddie hugs them.
“Bet this wasn’t on your time chart,” Gloria says to Miriam, leaning over to see the chart in her hand. Miriam tosses it over her shoulder, making both of them laugh.
Gabe’s parents are the first to break through the small crowd to throw their arms around Gabe and Amy. Gabe’s mother’s face is wet as she says, “We always loved you, Amy!” Her words are tumbling out so fast that Gabe puts his arm around her shoulder, kissing her cheek.
“Hold on, Aunt Molly!” Travis yells above the cheers and Gabe’s mom’s wailing. “When’s the date?”
“Whenever she tells me,” Gabe says.
“Why not now?” Travis says, looking at everyone. Gabe opens his mouth but Travis isn’t finished. “Everybody you love is here. Nearly everybody. We can call Amy’s parents and get them over here. And everybody’s dressed for a wedding.”
“And there’s plenty of food,” Miriam says, stepping forward in her role as wedding planner.
“And the minister’s still here,” Pastor James says, smiling from the back of the living room. “You can get the official paperwork tomorrow.”
Gabe looks at Amy and she looks down at Maddie, who has her arms wrapped around her waist. “This isn’t the time. This is Travis and Lauren’s day.”
“We’ve had our day,” Lauren says. “And it was the best day of my life. If you get married it will make it amazing!”
Amy smiles, hugging her, and shakes her head, looking at Gabe. “Are you sure?”
“Yes, he’s sure!” Maddie says.
“Are you sure?” Gabe asks Amy.
Amy nods. “I’m positive.” She can’t believe this. “Can I at least dry my face and call my parents?”
Miriam races over to her. “Go right up the stairs and we will get you ready.”
“I need my phone,” Amy says, trying to remember where she put her purse.
“I’ll call your parents,” Gabe says. “I already talked to them a few days ago.”
Amy stops. “When?”
“I went over to their house and we had a five-hour chat. I told them I loved you and wanted to marry you and asked for their blessing. Of course I didn’t know then that it would happen this quickly! I assumed there’d be months of planning ahead of us. You actually called your mom while I was there. She said she was just going to lie down because she had a headache.”
“She lied to me?”
He nods. “She had to. You were being very pushy about bringing a pizza over that night.”
“They had asked me to come over for dinner and I was being helpful! So you asked for their blessing and…”
“And if they pick up the phone when I call them right now I’m sure they’ll come over. It didn’t hurt that you had already put in a good word for me with them.” He smiles. “Your mom said that you told them that you adored me.”
Amy puts her hand on Gabe’s face. “You are a crazy man and I do adore you.” She begins to laugh as Maddie grabs her hand, leading her upstairs with Miriam, Gloria, and Lauren.
* * *
Amy’s parents arrive just minutes after Gabe’s phone call and they hug Gabe’s parents in a minireunion. Amy’s mom, Theresa, is wearing black pants with a red sweater and Amy’s dad, Jay, is in black slacks with a button-down shirt and tie. “I refused to come to my daughter’s wedding wearing sweatpants and I insisted that Jay take off his football jersey!” Theresa says.
There’s no time for them to see Amy as Miriam hurries down the stairs explaining, “We need to hurry things along so that Travis and Lauren can get to the airport in time to catch the plane for their honeymoon.”
The living room booms with chatter and laughter, and Heddy hurries to the piano, playing “Joy to the World,” as Pastor James shows Gabe and Travis where to stand. When Miriam waves at her, Heddy begins the wedding march and Maddie leads Amy down the stairs. Amy’s hair has been swept up and she’s wearing the same red dress she had on for Lauren and Travis’s wedding but with one of Miriam’s cream-colored silk scarves, which tumbles over the back of her shoulders, nearly reaching the floor, and is clipped in place with one of Gloria’s brooches with tiny blue gems. “Something old and blue,” Gloria said when she pinned it in place.
Amy carries Stacy’s matron-of-honor flowers and hands them to Maddie when her dad steps through the crowd to reach for her hand, kissing her cheek as he does so. Pastor James smiles as they take their places in front of him. “I’ve never said this twice in one day but … Who gives this woman away?”
Amy’s dad says, “Her mother and I,” on top of the laughter.
“Gabe and Amy have asked to say their own vows. Since this was spontaneous, there are no rings but they’ll—”
“Here!” Maddie says, waving her arm in the air with the bracelets that Gabe and Amy gave her a few weeks ago. “You can use these!” Gabe and Amy smile as she removes them from her arm.
“Well, then,” Pastor James says. “Do you have the wedding bracelets, Maddie?” Her face widens in a smile as she hands one to Gabe.
Gabe holds the bracelet in his palm in front of him. “I’m so honored that you have agreed to be my wife, Amy. We got these bracelets many years ago because they’re made with a cord of three strands. It was supposed to be God and us together. Remember? A cord of three that can’t be broken. But I never let God in and pushed you away, leaving a cord of one, and I was a weak cord.” She smiles, looking at him. “I promise to keep you and God in this cord of three this time. I promise to love you and cherish you and be faithful to you and believe in you for the rest of my life. I promise to protect you and defend you and make you laugh for the rest of my life.” Amy laughs as her eyes fill with tears. Gabe continues. “I promise to be true and faithful to you and love you well. I’m still flawed and far from perfect but I promise to be a husband the right way this time.” He slips the bracelet onto her wrist and Amy opens her palm for Maddie to give her Gabe’s bracelet.
“Gabe Rodriguez, I take you as my husband because I believe in miracles. I see a miracle when I see the man that you’ve become. I believe in miracles when I think of all that was wrong with us the first time we tried this, and I see all that is good with us this time. We’re in the same bodies but we’re not the same people. God still makes all things new, doesn’t He? I had a hard time believing that before but I do now.” Watery eyes fill the living room and Gloria rests her head on Marshall’s shoulder, wiping a tear and smiling at Miriam. What a day this has been! Amy clears her throat as she puts the bracelet on Gabe’s wrist. “I promise to encourage you and help you and believe in you, being faithful to you only, because you have always been and will always be the man of my dreams.”
Pastor James waits a moment to make sure they’re through with their vows and looks at Gabe, opening his mouth to speak, but Gabe raises his hand, looking at Amy. She smiles and nods at him, squeezing Maddie’s hand. He bends down on one knee in front of Maddie and pulls a small box from his pocket. “Maddie, I ordered this from the jeweler and picked it up just this morning.” Her eyes widen in surprise. “You told some kid at school that you wanted a ring for Christmas but he didn’t think you deserved a ring. I think you deserve the most beautiful jewels in the world. When I ordered it, I thought this would just be a ring from ole Mr. G., but Amy and I talked a few minutes ago and we don’t think it’s just a Christmas gift that I give you. We’re hoping that with this ring you’ll take us to be your parents.” Maddie begins to cry and audible gasps are heard in the living room. “I’d love to be your dad, Maddie.”
Amy kneels down beside him. “And I’d love to be your mom.”
“If you’ll have us,” Gabe says.
Maddie crumples into them, and when she’s able to speak, she pulls away, looking at them. “Yes!” The living room erupts with applause as Gabe puts the ring on Maddie’s fi
nger, hugging her. “So, should I call you Dad or Mr. G. in school?”
“Whatever’s cool with you,” Gabe says. “I know that having your dad work at the school might not be so cool.”
She bobs her head up and down, grinning. “Oh! I think it’ll be really cool!”
“With the power vested in me,” Pastor James says, “I now pronounce you man and wife. Kiss your family, Gabe!”
TWENTY-NINE
Travis and Lauren are the first to congratulate them and they give quick hugs and wave as they run for the door. Lauren brings Gloria, Miriam, Dalton, Heddy, Stacy, and her son Ben into a group hug. “I love you all,” she says, her voice breaking.
“Go on now,” Gloria says, kissing the top of her head.
“Get to Florida and thaw out,” Miriam says, tears rimming her eyes.
The door closes behind Travis and Lauren, and then Gloria, Miriam, Dalton, Heddy, and Stacy look at one another, each of them misty-eyed, and they begin to laugh at the sight of one another.
Gloria bends down to hug Maddie and her voice catches as she says, “All I can say is, Merry Christmas, Maddie! I’m so happy for all of you!”
“So when do we all get to live together?” Maddie says, reaching for Gabe’s and Amy’s hands.
“I’ll call Patricia Anderson first thing tomorrow morning,” Amy says.
“Can you ask that lady if Linda can be my grandma?”
“The only one we need to ask about that is Linda and I’m absolutely, positively sure that she will say yes!” Amy says.
“This has been the best Christmas holiday ever!” Gloria says.
Miriam throws her arms into the air. “You say that every year, Gloria!”
Gloria turns to her. “And am I right this year?”
Miriam smirks, defeated. “Yes. You are.”
“Miriam agrees with me. It’s a Christmas miracle!” Gloria says, making the room laugh.
“You simply must take your first dance together,” Miriam says, reaching for the CD with the song titled “When God Made You” from Lauren and Travis’s ceremony. Gabe takes his wife’s hand and leads her to the center of the living room, where they begin to dance, but somewhere in the middle of the song, Gabe kisses her and never stops, making Maddie close her eyes.
“Yuck! Are they always going to do this?” she says, covering her eyes.
“I’m afraid so,” Gloria says, squeezing Maddie’s shoulders.
After pictures are taken and much chatter, Gloria takes Maddie by the hand. “Since none of us were prepared for this joyous event,” she says, patting the small hand in hers, “once the lovebirds return from their honeymoon, we will throw you a wedding/adoption party! How does that sound?”
“Who will be in charge?” Miriam asks.
Gloria shakes her head. “You will, O Queen!” Miriam nods her head, satisfied.
Gabe reaches for Amy’s hand, talking to everyone left in the room. “I still can’t believe we’re married again.” He looks at Amy and she smiles, not quite believing it’s real either. “We need to get Maddie back to Linda’s and let her know what happened tonight and then we need to get home and plan our honeymoon.” He looks at Amy. “Are you ready to go home, Mrs. Rodriguez?”
“I am, Mr. Rodriguez.” He kisses her and feels Maddie patting his side.
“Come on, already!”
He looks down at her. “Get used to it. You’ll be seeing this all the time!”
Maddie sighs. “That’s what I hear!”
* * *
It’s a cold but sunny day in January when Gabe and Amy, Maddie, her longtime foster mom, Linda, Patricia Anderson, Travis and Lauren, Gloria, Miriam, Dalton, and Heddy, and Gabe’s and Amy’s parents arrive at the courthouse with balloons and streamers. Judge Marlene Dane says that this is her favorite part of her job as she declares Maddie’s adoption as legal to shouts and cheers.
Gabe lifts Maddie and squeezes her. “I love you, sweet girl,” he says, kissing her head.
“You’re my dad now?”
“I’m afraid so. The judge made it legal.”
“And Amy’s my mom?”
“That’s the deal,” Amy says.
“So, just like that, it’s all over?”
Gabe shakes his head. “Nope. Just like that, it’s all beginning.”
Also by Donna VanLiere
The Christmas Town
The Christmas Light
Christmas Keepsakes
The Good Dream
The Christmas Note
The Christmas Journey
The Christmas Secret
Finding Grace
The Christmas Promise
The Angels of Morgan Hill
The Christmas Shoes
The Christmas Blessing
The Christmas Hope
About the Author
DONNA VANLIERE is the New York Times and USA Today bestselling author of The Good Dream, Finding Grace, The Angels of Morgan Hill, and nine Christmas books, including the perennial favorites The Christmas Shoes and The Christmas Hope. She travels as a speaker and lives in Franklin, Tennessee, with her husband and three children. You can sign up for email updates here.
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Contents
Title Page
Copyright Notice
Dedication
Acknowledgments
Epigraph
Chapter One
Chapter Two
Chapter Three
Chapter Four
Chapter Five
Chapter Six
Chapter Seven
Chapter Eight
Chapter Nine
Chapter Ten
Chapter Eleven
Chapter Twelve
Chapter Thirteen
Chapter Fourteen
Chapter Fifteen
Chapter Sixteen
Chapter Seventeen
Chapter Eighteen
Chapter Nineteen
Chapter Twenty
Chapter Twenty-One
Chapter Twenty-Two
Chapter Twenty-Three
Chapter Twenty-Four
Chapter Twenty-Five
Chapter Twenty-Six
Chapter Twenty-Seven
Chapter Twenty-Eight
Chapter Twenty-Nine
Also by Donna VanLiere
About the Author
Copyright
This is a work of fiction. All of the characters, organizations, and events portrayed in this novel are either products of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously.
THE CHRISTMAS STAR. Copyright © 2018 by Donna VanLiere. All rights reserved. For information, address St. Martin’s Press, 175 Fifth Avenue, New York, N.Y. 10010.
www.stmartins.com
Cover design by Michael Storrings
Cover photographs: star © IMG Stock Studio / Shutterstock.com; tree © Jason D. Neely / Getty Images; town © Denise Panyik-Dale / Getty Images; gazebo © James Hackland / Alamy Stock Photo
The Library of Congress has cataloged the print edition as follows:
Names: VanLiere, Donna, 1966– author.
Title: The Christmas star: a novel / Donna VanLiere.
Description: New York: St. Martin’s Press, [2018]
Identifiers: LCCN 2018026433 | ISBN 9781250163905 (hardcover) | ISBN 9781250163943 (ebook)
Subjects: LCSH: Christmas stories. | GSAFD: Love stories.
Classification: LCC PS3622.A66 C482 2018 | DDC 813/.6—dc23
LC record available at https://lccn.loc.gov/2018026433
eISBN 9781250163943
Our ebooks may be purchased in bulk for promotional, educational, or busine
ss use. Please contact the Macmillan Corporate and Premium Sales Department at 1-800-221-7945, extension 5442, or by email at [email protected].
First Edition: October 2018
The Christmas Star Page 14
