Christmas Unexpected by Leah Atwood

Author:Leah Atwood [Atwood, Leah]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Falling Leaf Press
Published: 2019-11-03T16:00:00+00:00

Chapter Eight

Gabe ran a hand through his hair. His muscles tensed with mounting frustration. He’d promised Cora a solution, but he hadn’t found one yet. Even though it had only been three weeks, he wanted to present the answer as a Christmas present.

Her lease didn’t end until February, and they hadn’t discussed it further, but February loomed ahead of them, threatening to shatter their new relationship.

He wanted to believe it wouldn’t matter, but it would, even if she said it didn’t. His inheritance was the elephant in the room. Could he give it up to save her business and their fledgling relationship?

After a lot of prayer, he didn’t think so. Uncle Frank left the building to him, when he could have easily left it to Cora. For whatever reason, his uncle wanted him there, and he would honor those wishes.

If it came to Cora not understanding that, then they weren’t meant to be.

He only prayed it wouldn’t come to that.

Sitting at the kitchen table, bemoaning his circumstances, wouldn’t do any good. He’d traded his car in for a truck yesterday and had an entire cab and bed of studio gear to unload from his trip to Knoxville.

He’d made a day of it, also stopping by a furniture store to purchase beds for the guest rooms. His sisters could share one for the week, but he also bought a futon just in case. Only ten more days until they arrived, and he couldn’t wait.

His life was busy preparing to open his studio. Making friends came easily to him, and in the short time since he’d moved to Outlook, he’d made several acquaintances he’d soon consider friends. Plus, he had Cora—kind of. He was building a good life for himself in Outlook, but he missed his family.

Standing up, he stole a glimpse of the Christmas tree. He didn’t consider it solely his, but his and Cora’s. It was as much a part of her as him. His memory slipped to two weeks ago when they’d spent the afternoon decorating it. He remembered the delight in her eyes when the bulbs first lit, her peals of laughter when she tried to see his salt dough ornament.

Most of all, he remembered how she felt in his arms as they slow danced around his living room. Those moments were the closest he’d felt to home since he’d moved.

A strong desire to see her welled in his chest. They’d had dinner before Wednesday night service, and he’d pick her up before church tomorrow morning, but that wasn’t soon enough. He glanced at the clock, saw he had just enough time to unload the truck and then meet her as she closed for the day.

Rushing through, he set all his purchases directly inside the doorway, vowing to himself he’d sort them properly when he got home. He changed out of his shirt, dusty and grimy from all the boxes he’d carried, and put on a navy thermal. On the way out the door, he added his leather coat to the ensemble and wrapped a scarf around his neck.

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