A Year of Extraordinary Moments (A Magnolia Grove Novel)

by Bette Lee Crosby

  Meghan eyed Tracy with a crooked grin. “Look at how cute they play together. Don’t you think it’s time Lucas had his own dog?”

  Lucas stopped tugging on his end of the rope Sox had retrieved and turned to Tracy.

  “Pwease, Mama, pwease?”

  “Sometimes you hear more than you’re supposed to, Lucas, but I’m not complaining.” Tracy playfully ran her hand through his hair. “Okay, I’ll consider the possibility of getting a dog.”

  Meghan snickered. “Possibility or probability?” she asked, using their daddy’s oft-repeated adage. It was a memory she held dear. Possibility, he’d told her, meant there was only a slender chance of something happening, whereas probability meant the likelihood was far greater.

  Seconds later the romp and play started up again, so Tracy grabbed her handbag, and the two sisters headed off to go shopping. All morning they roamed from store to store with Tracy slipping in and out of dresses that ran the gamut from frothy ice cream–colored frocks with layers of tulle to a scarlet-colored ball gown. Shortly after eleven they stopped for coffee.

  Sitting across from one another, they talked and laughed as they hadn’t for many months. As she caught the sparkle in Tracy’s eye, Meghan wondered why she had been foolish enough to think Dominic might be back in the picture.

  “It’s good to see you so happy,” she said.

  Tracy took a sip of her coffee, then leaned into the conversation and confided, “This’ll be my first formal dinner, and the first real date I’ve had in ages, so I really am excited.”

  “And it’s Gabriel!” Meghan teased. “No wonder you’re excited. This could lead to something—”

  Tracy shot her a say-no-more look.

  There had been other occasions—prom, the homecoming dance, the senior farewell—but Tracy had opted out of them all. Back then, she’d said they were uncool; now it seemed apparent that she felt differently.

  “Come on, tell the truth,” Meghan prodded. “You’re really into Gabriel, aren’t you?”

  Tracy turned her face to the side and peered out the coffee shop window as if she’d not heard the question. When she turned back, she grinned and asked, “What about my hair? Wear it up or down?”

  Typical Tracy, Meghan thought, and laughed. “Wear it up,” she said. “I’ve got one of those sparkly clips. I’ll style it for you.”

  Three shops later, they walked into the Madison Boutique, and Tracy spied a tea-length black chiffon dress hidden behind the others. She lifted it off the rack and headed for the dressing room. The moment she slipped it over her head she had a feeling, and when she turned to view herself in the mirror, she knew for certain. This was the dress.

  It seemed as though there was some kind of magic woven into the gossamer fabric. A magic that somehow made her look . . . well, prettier. In the span of a single breath, she had taken on a more carefree appearance. Gone were the frown lines that usually ridged her forehead. The girl in the mirror had eyes that looked like melting chocolate and highlights in her hair she hadn’t noticed before.

  She lifted her hair, held it atop her head, and turned to Meghan. “What do you think?”

  Meghan smiled. “You look absolutely gorgeous!”

  “Gorgeous?” She again eyed herself in the mirror. “That’s a word I never thought of as describing me, so I guess this really is a first.”

  Friday evening, Gabriel called, and for a moment Tracy’s heart stuck in her throat.

  I hope he isn’t going to cancel.

  “About Saturday night,” he said.

  In that split second before he continued, Tracy’s heart plummeted into her stomach.

  “I was thinking it might be easier if I pick you up rather than having you drive to Barrington.”

  She breathed a sigh of relief. Their date was still on. “That’s very sweet, but it’s a lot of driving back and forth for you, isn’t it?”

  “Since it will be a late night and everything, I thought maybe you could stay over.”

  A slightly awkward pause followed, then he quickly added, “My apartment has a guest room.”

  “I would hope so!” she replied, laughing.

  13

  The Event

  Saturday evening, Gabriel rang the doorbell at six thirty on the dot. He’d arrived ten minutes earlier and driven around the block several times so as not to seem overly eager. He kept reminding himself that they’d been out together a number of times, that there was nothing to be nervous about, but still he sensed this evening would be different. It wasn’t an evening where they’d be wearing jeans and sharing popcorn at a movie. It wasn’t an afternoon where Lucas would tag along; this was an actual date.

  Lila opened the door, and he stepped inside.

  “Tracy will be down in just a moment,” she said. “Have a seat. Would you like something to drink while you’re waiting?”

  Gabriel dropped down into the club chair closest to the door. “Thanks, but I’ll pass on the drink. I’m driving.”

  “I meant a glass of water or iced tea,” Lila replied, smiling. “But it’s nice to know that you’ll be taking good care of my daughter.”

  Gabriel’s face reddened. “That’s something you can be sure of.”

  Before he had the chance to say anything more, he glanced up and spotted Tracy coming down the stairs.

  He stood more suddenly than he’d meant to and almost bumped into Lila. “Sorry,” he said without taking his eyes off Tracy. He’d always thought her beautiful, but he was not prepared for this.

  “Wow,” he exclaimed. “You look amazing!”

  A blush of color appeared on Tracy’s cheeks, and she gave an appreciative smile.

  On the drive back to Barrington, the conversation flowed freely, and this time it had nothing to do with Lucas or the school.

  “It’s strange seeing you all dressed up in a tux.” Tracy looked across and smiled. “You look great. Not that you don’t look great other times, but tonight is, well . . . kind of special.”

  He grinned like a schoolboy. “It’s something I’ve looked forward to for a long time.”

  “The humanitarian award?”

  He gave a sideways glance with that grin still tugging at his mouth. “No, not the award. Our first real date. I’ve been hoping this would happen since the day I met you.”

  “Really?”

  “Yes, really.” He nodded. “And have I mentioned that you look amazingly beautiful tonight?”

  She laughed. “Yes, five times.”

  In what seemed far too short of a time, they pulled up in front of the banquet hall, and the valet popped open Tracy’s door. Gabriel stepped out, handed the attendant his car keys, and looped his arm through Tracy’s as they walked across the foyer.

  The cocktail party was already underway. As a waiter passed by, Gabriel lifted two glasses of champagne from the tray and handed one to Tracy.

  He touched his glass to hers and whispered, “Here’s to the prettiest girl in the room.”

  After a few sips of champagne, they made their way through the hall, and Gabriel introduced her to some of his colleagues. They’d just begun to talk with Dwayne Morrison, editor in chief of Georgia Life magazine, when the lights flickered, and everyone turned toward the ballroom where dinner was to be served.

  Once the dishes were cleared, the master of ceremonies stepped to the microphone and began the program. He informed the audience that tonight they were honoring three of the county’s most influential citizens.

  The first was a businessman who’d refurbished an entire block of small shops along Greene Street. Everyone applauded as he talked of his plans to continue the expansion with a gourmet restaurant in the Keystone Building.

  When the applause ended, the emcee stepped to the microphone. He pulled a sheet of paper from his breast pocket, scanned the printed bio, then began to speak.

  “Many of you know Gabriel Hawke as a member of our business community, but are you aware that his school, the Hawke School, is regarded
as Georgia’s finest learning institution for hearing-impaired children? Because of the hard work and dedication that built this school, thousands of children who might have suffered through a life of silence can now hear and speak. That, my friends, is a true humanitarian effort.” He raised his arm and waved Gabriel to the platform.

  As Gabriel approached, the emcee said, “On behalf of the Georgia Communities at Work Organization, I am proud to present you with our Humanitarian of the Year Award.” He handed Gabriel an engraved crystal obelisk and shook his hand.

  There was a round of applause, then Gabriel stepped to the microphone. Instead of expounding on the growth of the school or the number of children who had passed through, Gabriel’s response seemed to be drawn from the depths of his heart.

  “Imagine what it would be like to never hear your loved one’s voice, or the song of a bird, or the drip of a faucet . . .”

  His voice was deep and filled with emotion. As he spoke, the whispers of conversation circling the room fell silent, and all eyes were on him. He explained that he, like many of the children attending the school, had been born deaf.

  “It’s impossible to understand the challenges of deafness unless you’ve experienced them. Deaf children live in a world all their own, isolated from friends, siblings, parents. It’s as if they’re surrounded by a glass bubble. They can see out but not be a part of anything. Without today’s technological advances and proper training, a deaf child is destined for a lifetime of silence, and silence can be very lonely.”

  He went on to detail the difficulties of learning to speak and differentiating the sounds of one word from another. As he spoke, Tracy pulled a tissue from her bag and dabbed her eyes.

  Toward the end of his speech, he thanked those who had helped him build the school and the dedicated teachers who worked with him. When he told of the overwhelming joy that came from witnessing a deaf child hear for the first time, his voice became softer, and his eyes glinted. As he stepped back from the microphone, there was a thunderous round of applause.

  Tracy’s heart swelled to twice its normal size, and a cloud of tears blurred her vision. When he returned to the table, she reached over, took his hand in hers, and held it as they listened to the third award presentation to Jennifer Morales, a ten-year veteran of the first responders team who had, in the past twelve months, saved three lives because of her skill and quick thinking.

  When the speeches ended, the band returned to the platform, and couples began to step onto the dance floor.

  Gabriel stood and offered Tracy his hand. “Shall we?”

  She nodded and slid into his arms.

  The band played “You Are the Best Thing.” As they swayed to the music, he held her close enough to feel her heartbeat.

  “This is nice,” he whispered.

  “Yes, it is,” she replied, then nuzzled her head to his chest and sighed.

  When Gabriel pressed his hand tighter against her back, Tracy didn’t resist.

  In time, the band moved into more upbeat tunes like “Don’t Look Down” and “Happy”; still, they remained on the dance floor. When the hour grew late and the bandleader announced the last song, the music transitioned to something soft and dreamy, a song neither of them knew. Still, they danced. When the band struck the last chord, the two stood in place for a moment; then she tilted her face up, and he brought his lips to hers.

  Right then, Tracy knew their relationship would never again be the same. Her back stiffened, and she wondered if he also had felt something.

  “I’m sorry,” he said. “I shouldn’t have—”

  She touched her index finger to his mouth and shushed him. “Don’t be sorry,” she whispered. “I’m not.”

  On the drive back to the apartment, they said very little.

  “Are you okay?” Gabriel finally asked.

  “Yeah, sure, I’m fine. What about you?”

  He laughed. “I’m fine, too.”

  Tracy had said “fine,” but inside her chest, there was a niggling concern that the remainder of the evening would lead to something she wasn’t prepared for. When they arrived at the apartment, he carried in her overnight bag and set it in the small bedroom to the right of the master suite.

  She couldn’t honestly say if that was what she wanted or not. For the past year, she’d told herself it was too soon, but tonight something inside of her had stirred. Something she’d almost forgotten.

  “How about a nightcap?” he asked.

  “I’d love one.”

  She followed him into the kitchen and watched as he set out two glasses, dropped ice into them, and splashed Bailey’s Irish Cream over the cubes. They carried the drinks to the living room and sat on the sofa, with barely a sliver of space between them. For a while they talked of the evening, happily reminiscing.

  When the mantel clock chimed, she was reminded of the time. “I can’t believe it’s already two o’clock.”

  Gabriel stood, then bent and offered her his hand. “I guess it’s time to turn in; I know you must be tired.”

  “I’m not that tired.” Tracy rose and playfully tilted her face to his, inviting another kiss.

  He held her for a moment, then brought his lips to hers. It was a soft, easy, loving kiss that she felt take hold of her heart. It was a kiss given without words, but it spoke volumes and told of a love that could last forever.

  Suddenly, an unbidden thought of Dominic flashed through Tracy’s mind; it was there one second and gone the next. She wanted to let go, toss caution to the wind, and give herself to Gabriel, completely and without restraint, but the past was stuck to her like a speck of lint clinging to a black skirt. It refused to be plucked loose or left behind.

  As they turned and started hand in hand toward the bedrooms, Tracy found herself wondering if perhaps they could have a future together. She looked up at him and smiled. Possibly yes. But first, she had to let go of the past, and that was not an easy thing to do.

  In the tiny hallway between the two bedrooms, he stopped and took her in his arms. “Tracy,” he whispered, his voice faltering, then giving way to a soul-deep sigh. He held her close, his hand strong against her back, his breath heavy in her ear. Then without saying anything more, he stepped back.

  “Is there something . . .” Tracy met his eyes but left the remainder of her question unspoken.

  “Get some rest,” he said. “I’ll see you in the morning.” He leaned in and tenderly brushed his lips across her cheek.

  She hesitated for a heartbeat, then reluctantly turned toward the guest room.

  When she looked back, he had already closed the door to his room.

  14

  Tracy Briggs

  Last week when Meghan said Gabriel could be more than just a friend, I’d told her I wasn’t ready. All along I’ve felt our friendship was so special I didn’t want to ruin it by getting involved in something more and then having it not work out. But now I’ve got mixed feelings. Just knowing Gabriel is in bed a few steps down the hallway, I’m tempted to run down there and jump in beside him. I won’t, of course.

  First of all, my doing something like that would totally shock him. Second, I learned my lesson after doing almost that same thing with Dominic. It’s too easy to get carried away when you’re caught up in the moment.

  The weird thing about all of this is that Gabriel and I have gone out a bunch of times before. We’re friends. We’ve gone to the movies and ball games, and he’s been to dinner at the house. We even have lunch together at least two or three times a month.

  Now everything is different, and I don’t know if it’s good or bad. Last night, when Gabriel kissed me on the dance floor, I felt it clear down to my toes. It was like I’d never been kissed before. A kiss like that isn’t something you can forget.

  I’m excited about where we might go from here, but I’m also scared.

  A while ago I said falling out of love is harder than falling in love, but now I can see that neither is simple. Especially if your life
is tangled up in strings of the past.

  15

  The Truth of Friendship

  Alice DeLuca knew that of all the people in the world, the one she could always count on was Charlie Barnes. He’d been her friend and confidante since the day Joe died. Their relationship could have easily been far more, were she able to forget the years of him being her husband’s best friend.

  In the days following Joe’s funeral, when the thundering sobs had caused her body to tremble and she could do nothing to lessen her grief, Charlie had remained at her side. He’d curled his arm around her shoulders and sworn she would never be alone.

  Back then, the loneliness had been like a shadow stuck to her soul. It never left; not during the day and definitely not during the seemingly endless nights.

  “No matter what you need, I’ll be here for you,” Charlie had promised. “I was Joe’s friend, and I’m yours as well.”

  For all these many years, his promise had held true.

  Although it was not something Alice would admit, there were times she wished Charlie had come into her life earlier. Before Joe. Before she’d had no alternative but to get married. On the rare occasion when she had such a thought, she’d remember Dorothy and Dominic. They were part of her and part of Joe. Without him, she would not have them, and she could never wish them away. With the weight of too many memories and too much guilt holding her back, she and Charlie went from year to year simply being friends.

  Regardless of what needed to be done, she could trust Charlie would take care of it. He was the one who showed her how to invest the insurance money and set it up so there would be a lifetime income. That first winter when the furnace broke down, he came and fixed it. The following summer, several storms roared across Georgia and tore the limbs from trees, but Charlie came with a chain saw and cleared away the debris. He fixed pipes that sprang leaks, climbed onto the roof to hammer loose shingles back into place, and listened to the things that troubled her heart.