Mary's Christmas Surprise by Carol James

Author:Carol James [James, Carol]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Tags: Christian Fiction
ISBN: 9781522301837
Publisher: Pelican Book Group
Published: 2018-12-01T05:00:00+00:00

~*~

By the time they got home, it was almost midnight. Probably the same time Jake and Riley got home every night this week. Mary had always been in bed asleep, so she didn’t really know.

Jake was outside brushing the sawdust residue from Riley’s coat. Tonight explained the woodsy aroma Riley had sported when he returned home after these mysterious outings with Jake.

Going had been a distraction, but it had only put off the inevitable. Being alone with her thoughts and memories. Her chest ached as her heart began to race. The idea of being by herself sounded even less appealing now than it had hours ago, yet she couldn’t ask him to stay. He’d given her his cell number the other night and told her to call if she needed anything, but many people said that simply to be nice. He wouldn’t really expect her to take him up on his offer.

She needed an excuse. She grabbed the bag of decaf coffee, quickly measured enough for a small pot into the coffeemaker, and poured the water into the reservoir.

As the steaming liquid dripped into the carafe and she got down two mugs, Jake and Riley bounded through the kitchen door. “All better. Y’all sleep—”

“I made us a pot of decaf,” she blurted out around the knot in her throat.

He glanced at the clock on the microwave. “It’s kinda late, and we’ve got a couple of busy days coming up.”

As her eyes burned, she turned away. “Sure. Of course.” A whisper was all she could manage.

“But...I’ve never been able to pass up a good cup of coffee, no matter what time, night or day.”

When she turned back, his gaze was warm. Fighting the urge to pull him close and bury her head in his shoulder, she filled the two mugs instead. A “thank you” was the only response she could muster.

They sat across from each other at the table. No words passed between them as he patiently waited for her to speak.

He was a safe person to unload on. He didn’t know her, didn’t know Drew. He was in a relationship. But best of all, in a few days, she’d be back in Atlanta away from him. She took a deep breath. “I know you heard the conversation with my parents in the truck.”

He sipped his coffee. “I, uh, tried not to listen, but we were only about two feet apart.”

“I was supposed to spend Christmas in Aspen with Drew. He is—was—my fiancé.” The story gushed forth like a waterfall. Drew, their breakups, Lindsay, Mary’s lost job. She licked the salty tears from the corners of her mouth.

Slowly, Jake scooted his chair around next to hers, and tonight he, not she, took a napkin and gently dabbed her cheeks. “Shhhhh. I know it’s hard. I’m sorry you’re going through all this.”

Right now, she needed someone who loved her to hold her close and tell her everything would be all right. But her parents were on a cruise ship headed toward England, her friends were gone home for the holidays, and Drew? Well, Drew was a big part of the problem.

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