What if Eric was right? What if his job was going to be eliminated? Maybe he should think about starting his own job search.
He lowered his head and closed his eyes. Lord, I have no idea what’s really going on, but I care about my friends. Most of them have families to support, and losing their jobs right now would be really tough. Please watch over this situation. Help me prepare for whatever is coming. And about the bakery, could you please show me what’s best for Gram...and for Annie?
He lifted his head, the burden feeling a little lighter. Taking his questions and struggles to God was becoming a new habit. His grandmother would be proud. Annie would be pleased, too. But even more important than that, he had discovered it was a relief to share his problems with someone who actually had the wisdom and ability to do something about them...and that was the best reason to pray, after all.
* * *
“Look, Mom, I ate all my pancakes.” Emma grinned and pointed to her empty plate.
Annie turned from washing dishes at the sink. “Good for you, sweetie.”
Emma’s sticky grin and dancing eyes were too hard to resist. Annie wiped her hands on a towel, then walked over and wrapped her arms around her daughter. Emma smelled like sweet maple syrup and spicy cinnamon.
“Can I have some more?”
Annie chuckled and stepped back. “You’re not full yet?”
“No. I’ve still got lots of room.”
“Okay.” Annie slid two more small pancakes on Emma’s plate, then watched while her daughter squeezed on the maple syrup. “That’s enough.”
Emma reluctantly put the syrup down. Pancakes were a treat reserved for Saturday morning when they didn’t have to rush off to school or church. And it was a good thing, considering the way Emma loved to pour on the toppings.
Irene pushed her half-eaten bowl of oatmeal aside and stared at the newspaper with a wistful look in her eyes.
Alex breezed in and gave his grandmother a kiss on the check. “Morning, Gram. How are you feeling today?”
Irene looked up and sent him a small smile. “I’m fine.” But her shoulders sagged as her gaze returned to the newspaper.
Alex cocked his head and sent Annie a questioning glance.
She walked back to the table. “Can I get you something else, Irene?”
“No, thank you, dear.” Irene quietly folded the newspaper.
Alex took a plate from the cabinet and returned to the table. “What’s wrong, Gram?”
“It’s silly, really. I shouldn’t let it bother me.”
Alex sat in the chair next to her. “What is it?”
“Today is the last day of the Home for the Holidays Gift Show.” Irene pointed to the photo on the front page. “The girls and I usually go every year, then we always go out to lunch after. But they didn’t invite me this year.” Irene blinked a few times and quickly glanced away.
“What’s a gift show?” Emma asked, licking the syrup off her fingers.
“It’s like a craft fair.” Annie patted Emma’s shoulder. “Please take your dishes to the counter and go wash your hands.”
“Okay.” Emma hopped up and set her plate and silverware by the sink, then headed toward the bathroom.
Alex drummed his fingers on the table. “Maybe your friends decided not to go this year.”
“Oh, they’re going. We always go. It’s tradition.”
Alex sent Annie a silent request for help.
She gave a slight nod and took a seat across from Irene. “I’m sure they didn’t mean to exclude you. Maybe they just thought that kind of outing might be too much for you right now.”
Irene sniffed. “They could’ve at least asked and given me a chance to say no.”
“Why don’t you call them, Gram? See if they’ve made plans yet.”
“I can’t do that.”
“Why not? There’s no reason you couldn’t go out with your friends for a little while.”
“They’ll walk around all morning, and I wouldn’t be able to keep up. That’s probably why they didn’t ask me.” Irene glanced at the paper again. “It’s on the second floor at the Cruise Terminal. I’d never be able to climb all those stairs.”
“I’m sure there’s an elevator. Public places like that have to be handicap accessible,” Annie said.
“You could use the wheelchair we borrowed from Lucile,” Alex said.
Irene huffed and drew herself up. “I don’t intend to use that thing!”
“Even if it means you could spend the day with your friends and enjoy the gift show?” Alex asked.
“I’d rather stay home than be treated like an invalid in a wheelchair.”
Alex crossed his arms. “That’s too bad. It sounds like a nice way to spend a Saturday.” Alex looked at Annie, his blue eyes twinkling. “Maybe I should go check it out.”
Irene gasped. “You’d go and leave me home?”
Alex suppressed a grin. “Well, if you don’t want to go, what can I do?”
Irene narrowed her eyes. “Oh, you stinker. You’re teasing me!”
He laughed. “Gram, call your friends and work out the details. You don’t have to sit at home and miss out on something you really want to do.”
“Well, I suppose I could talk to Barb and find out when they’re going.”
“Good idea.” He got up and walked over to the phone.
“But what if they say yes, and then I get all tired out before they’re finished?”
Alex thought for a few seconds. “Why don’t we all go?”
Annie’s pulse leaped. Alex wanted to take her and Emma to the gift show?
“You can walk around with your friends as long as you want,” Alex said. “If you get tired, I’ll either take you home or, if you’re really feeling brave, I can bring the wheelchair along in the trunk.” He looked at Annie and lifted one eyebrow. “What do you say? You and Emma want to come along on this adventure?”
She smiled and nodded, a warm, happy feeling flowing through her. “It sounds like fun.”
* * *
Christmas lights and shimmering snowflakes twinkled all around the ceiling of the Alaska Cruise Terminal. Christmas music played softly in the background, setting a festive mood for the Home for the Holidays Gift Show.
Alex looked over his shoulder and spotted his grandmother a few booths back, encircled by her friends Hannah, Barb and Marian. They’d stopped to admire a display of antique dishes, floral wreaths and table linens in rich harvest colors.
“Looks like she’s having a good time,” Annie said.
“Hope so.” He paused, concern for Irene shadowing his thoughts.
Annie gently laid her hand on his arm. “I’m sure getting out of the house and spending time with them will lift her spirits.”
He glanced back at Annie, surprised she seemed to read his thoughts so easily.
Emma reached for her mother’s hand. “What are those?” She pointed to the next booth, where handmade soaps were displayed in gift baskets. They stopped to sniff the soap and squeeze out a sample of lotion.
Alex’s thoughts shifted to his grandmother again. They had taken her to the cardiologist yesterday. After the appointment, he’d pulled the doctor aside and told him he was concerned about his grandmother’s mood.
The doctor’s words played through his mind again. “It’s normal for your grandmother to feel depressed after a heart attack, especially considering all the lifestyle changes she needs to make now that she’s home from the hospital.”
Maybe it was normal, but it was still hard for him to see her so down in the dumps.
His stomach tensed as he thought of what lay ahead. He only had a few more days of vacation left, and he was beginning to realize that lining up help with meals and home care might not be enough t
o see Gram through all the changes she was facing.
But what could he do? Staying in Fairhaven wasn’t an option. He had an apartment and a job waiting for him in San Francisco—at least he hoped he still had a job.
“Look at all the hats!” Emma tugged on Annie’s hand, pulling her toward the next booth.
He followed them to the display of handmade hats in every size, shape and color you could imagine. They filled the table and metal display racks surrounding it. He grinned as he studied the clever designs.
“Isn’t that one cute?” Annie pointed to a kid’s felt hat that looked like a Christmas tree, complete with colorful ornaments and a yellow star on top.
“It sure is.” He fingered a red plaid fleece hat with earflaps. “Look at this one. I bet that would keep you warm.”
Annie smiled and nodded, then shifted her gaze to a jewel-tone knit hat made from a soft fuzzy yarn. It had a brim and three flowers made of the same yarn attached to the side. It would probably look great with her dark hair and eyes. He smiled, picturing it in his mind.
Annie tipped her head and examined the hat for a few more seconds.
“I like this one.” Emma reached for a blue-and-brown knit hat with a teddy-bear design on the part that came to a long point in the back. It had a fuzzy pompom tassel on the end.
“Remember, look with your eyes, not your hands,” Annie warned her.
Emma bit her lip and slowly lowered her hands to her sides.
The woman working at the booth came around the end of the table. “She can try on the hat if she’d like. I’ll get a mirror.”
Emma looked up at Annie for permission, and Annie nodded. Emma grinned as she took the teddy-bear hat off the hook and tugged it on her head.
“We call that a toboggan style,” the woman said. “It’s actually made from a child’s sweater.” She passed the hand mirror to Emma. “How do you like it?”
Emma caught her reflection in the mirror, and her eyes lit up. Dimples creased her cheeks. She turned to Alex and looked up at him. “How do I look?”
Suddenly Alex’s heart felt like butter melting in a warm pan. He reached out and tapped the end of her nose. “You look great. That’s the perfect hat for you.”
Emma gazed at herself in the mirror again and ran her hand over the fleece band. “It’s so soft.” She turned to her mother with pleading eyes, but she didn’t voice her request.
Annie checked the price tag, then touched her daughter’s cheek gently and shook her head. She took the mirror from Emma and handed it back to the woman. “Thanks for letting her try it on.”
Emma slowly took off the hat and hung it up with a resigned sigh.
Alex glanced from Annie to Emma and to the woman selling the hats. He didn’t want to overstep his bounds, but Emma obviously loved the hat. When Annie and Emma moved to the other side of the booth, he peeked at the price tag.
It wasn’t an outrageous price, but he knew Annie was on a tight budget. It would be hard for her to spend money for something that wasn’t a necessity.
“I have an online store.” The woman passed him her business card, then lowered her voice. “Maybe you could surprise your daughter and give her the hat for Christmas.”
He opened his mouth, intending to say Emma wasn’t his daughter. But something stopped him. He thanked her, slipped the card in his pocket and walked over to Annie.
“What did she say?”
He glanced away and pretended he was interested in a green felt trapper hat. “She just gave me her card.”
She studied him for a moment, then reached out to touch a burgundy velvet hat. “What will you do with that?”
He gave a slight shrug. “She has an online store. I thought I might buy that hat for Emma...for Christmas.”
Annie’s hand stilled, and she looked up at him. “Oh, Alex, you don’t have to do that.”
“I know, but she really liked it.”
Annie’s smile warmed. “That’s sweet of you.”
“I remember what it was like when I was a kid and I’d set my heart on something.” His gaze traveled to Emma.
She stood a few feet away looking at some other hats. She’d tucked her hands in her pockets, probably as a reminder to obey her mom and not touch anything. She squatted down to get a better look at a pink hat with a fuzzy faux-fur band, a look of curiosity on her face.
“You’re lucky, Annie,” he said softly. “She’s a special little girl.”
“Thanks.” Tenderness filled Annie’s eyes. “But it’s not luck. Emma’s a blessing. And not a day passes that I don’t thank God for sending her into my life.”
Alex shifted his gaze to Annie, taking in the sweetness of her expression and the sincerity in her eyes. That was a powerful statement, considering she was a single mom struggling to launch her career and provide for herself and her daughter.
His heart lifted, and a quiet assurance filled his thoughts. Annie wasn’t the only one who was blessed. He’d been touched in a special way by her kind and caring ways. And every day, in so many ways, he was beginning to see what a blessing she was to him.
* * *
Pastor James closed his Bible and led the congregation in a final prayer. Alex lowered his head and shut his eyes, soaking in the quiet strength of the man’s words.
His message this morning made a lot of sense. The clear, practical teaching from the book of Luke reminded him what was important in life, like growing in his faith and strengthening his relationships with God and people.
Once again he realized how far his priorities had shifted away from that. Until he made this trip home to Fairhaven, he’d been totally focused on getting ahead in his career and hadn’t given much thought to the needs of anyone other than himself. He pondered that for a moment, trying to understand why he’d taken that path.
Maybe focusing on work was easier than going deeper with God and people. Deeper relationships required commitment and opened one up to the possibility of loss—and that was a risk he didn’t take lightly, not after all the losses he had suffered in the past. Still, he sensed his heart opening to new possibilities.
The musicians returned to the platform and the congregation stood to sing a final song. He glanced past his grandmother at Annie, taking in her profile. She closed her eyes as she sang, and the sweetest expression filled her face. His throat tightened, and he had to look away. Watching her open her heart in worship seemed too private and personal.
He focused on the large screen in front and read the words, joining in the song, but he couldn’t keep his gaze from drifting back to Annie. She obviously had a deep connection with God. Her face practically glowed with peace and pleasure as she sang.
Suddenly he felt his grandmother watching him. Their gazes connected, and she sent him a slight nod and knowing smile.
He quickly shifted his gaze away. Was Irene aware of his attraction to Annie, or was she suggesting he ought to take a lesson from her devotion?
Either way, he needed to be more careful.
The song ended, and he gathered his coat and stepped out of the pew, followed by Irene and Annie. Before they reached the foyer, Irene’s friends surrounded her, excited to welcome her back to church.
Annie tapped his arm. “I need to go pick up Emma.”
He nodded. “We’ll meet you in the foyer.” He watched Annie walk away, admiring the way her dark curls swung across her back with each graceful step.
He shifted his gaze away, reminding himself he needed to keep his thoughts in line, but it was hard when someone as attractive as Annie was around.
Five minutes later he waited for Irene and Annie in the foyer. Annie appeared first with Emma in tow, then Irene walked out the door of the sanctuary.
“Alex, do you remember Jason Hughes?” Irene ushered his former high-school teammate t
oward him. His tall, husky friend hadn’t changed much in ten years. He still had the same light brown hair, gray-green eyes and suntanned face.
Alex shook Jason’s hand. “Good to see you.”
“Thanks. Good to see you, too. You look great.”
Alex chuckled. “I’d look better if I still played basketball the way we used to.”
Jason grinned. “Yeah, I hear you.” He placed his hand on the shoulder of the little girl beside him. “This is my daughter, Faith.” Her long black hair and exotic Asian features implied she was adopted.
They all greeted Faith, then Irene motioned toward Annie. “This is our friend Annie Romano and her daughter, Emma.”
Annie smiled and shook hands with Jason.
His eyes brightened as his gaze traveled over her. “Nice to meet you.”
A warning flashed through Alex. Jason was making his interest a little too obvious for his comfort. Besides, he must have a wife. He glanced at Jason’s left hand, but there was no ring on his finger. Well, not every guy wore a ring. Maybe in his line of work it didn’t make sense.
“Is your wife here with you?” Alex asked. Maybe a little reminder would help keep Jason in line.
Jason’s expression hardened, and he shook his head. “No, my wife isn’t a part of our family anymore.”
His grandmother pursed her lips and sent Alex a reproachful look. There was obviously more to the story, but this wasn’t the time for it.
“I think Emma and Faith are in the same Sunday school class,” Annie said.
Jason’s expression softened. “That’s great.” Pride and affection filled his face as he looked at his daughter. “Faith just turned five last week. How about Emma?”
“Her fifth birthday was in August.”
The little girls smiled, looking shy but definitely interested in each other.
“Jason is a contractor.” Irene leaned toward Alex. “I was telling him about our plans for remodeling the bakery, and he said he’d be willing to come by and take a look at the building and give us some estimates.”
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