The Secret Christmas Child Read online

  He rubbed the back of his neck and looked upward, hoping God or his memory would supply him with a good idea. And something came to him. When he’d been doing carpentry and hit a rough patch, rather than pounding the work out anyway, he’d go off into nature. A few hours of hiking or chopping wood for the local farmers had usually given him the inspiration he needed.

  The boys needed inspiration for the show, and here they were in the middle of a beautiful, snowy place. There had to be a way to get them outdoors and active. At a minimum, it would cheer them up; ideally, it would also spark some ideas in them to improve the show they were working on.

  There was a hearty, feminine laugh he would have recognized anywhere. While he’d been ruminating, Gabby had apparently come in. The boys were groaning to her, and she was teasing with them, laughing her sparkling laugh, cheering them up.

  Watching her made all his feelings rush back. He’d gotten full of foolish hope, kissing her. He wanted to do that again. A lot.

  But although she’d seemed to like it just fine at the time, almost immediately she’d thought better of it. He could think of plenty of reasons he wasn’t good enough, but knowing that didn’t soothe the ache in his heart.

  He sucked in a breath and pushed those thoughts away as he beckoned her over. “I know you were planning to teach them to sew today, work on costumes, but I’m not sure they can sit still for it this morning.”

  “We need to get the costumes done.” She bit her lip and looked at the boys roughhousing and arguing. “But I see what you mean. You know them best. If you have another idea of what to do with them today, go for it, and I’ll tag along and help.”

  He liked that about Gabby. She wasn’t bossy, insistent on getting her own way. She could listen and be flexible. It reminded him of how she’d been when they’d been in school together, and that gave him a brainstorm. “I’d like to take them sledding,” he said.

  Her face lit up. “They’d love that. Where?”

  Then they looked at each other, and Reese was pretty sure they were having the same idea at the same time.

  “Romano’s Mountain,” she said slowly.

  He nodded. “It’s still the best place around.”

  Their eyes met again, just for a few seconds, and then they both looked away. Too much remembering. They’d gone sledding at Romano’s Mountain when they’d first started dating; it was where they’d shared their first quick, awkward kiss. Even now, he could remember the way she’d started to fall on a slippery patch of ice. He’d caught and steadied her, held on a little too long, and then, impulsively, leaned in and brushed his lips over hers.

  Even then, young and inexperienced as they both were, it had been electric. They’d both pulled back quickly, stared at each other. He for one had known that moment that she was the girl for him.

  At least, that was what he’d thought at the time, when he was young and romantic and idealistic. Full of happy dreams about how life could be.

  He’d been wrong, of course. Because even after their much more intense kiss a couple of days ago, she’d told him in no uncertain terms that she wasn’t interested in a relationship.

  So much for romantic, happy dreams.

  The boys were sounding rowdier now, getting out of control, and he pushed away his own memories to focus on today. “The problem is, Romano will never let us sled there,” he said. “He’s not exactly a fan of our group, our boys.”

  “It’s such a good idea, though.” Gabby frowned for a moment and then snapped her fingers. “Why don’t we offer to shovel all his walks and that huge driveway of his? Maybe it’s a better idea to connect with him than avoid him.”

  “That’ll take a lot of shoveling,” he said. “But...you might be right. Better to try to win him over a little bit now, instead of putting all our eggs into that one basket of the show.”

  She wrinkled her nose. “Exactly. That might not have been my brightest idea.”

  “Do you think?” He softened his words with a smile, because something about today made him not want to argue with her.

  She nodded over at the roughhousing boys. “They have a lot of energy. We can borrow shovels from Nana, and the church.”

  “And Uncle Clive’s snowblower. They’ll love that.”

  “Let’s do it.” She smiled at him, bright and sunny, and he was the same kind of bowled over he’d been as a teen.

  Or almost the same. The difference was that now, he didn’t have the simple optimism he’d had then, the same faith that things could work out between them.

  * * *

  Gabby loved the idea of sledding Romano’s Mountain, except for the dangerous memories the place evoked.

  They borrowed shovels and sleds, and the boys expended a ton of energy: first shoveling Mr. Romano’s long driveway with more speed than finesse, and then running up and sliding down Romano’s Mountain—really more of a hill, but it counted for a mountain in Ohio—in the cold air. Their moods brightened, even more when Gabby got reluctant permission for them to build a fire in the old fire barrel at the bottom of Romano’s Mountain.

  While the boys gathered wood and built the fire, Gabby drove to the store and bought hot dogs and buns. Some of these boys had never eaten hot dogs cooked over an open fire—just like she hadn’t, not until she’d been a teenager visiting friends—and she wanted to give them the opportunity. She threw in a bag of marshmallows, too, and a day that had started out dreary suddenly became festive.

  Reese was showing the boys how to keep the fire going when she returned, and soon they all had full stomachs. They needed to get to the church for their afternoon rehearsal, but it was hard to leave the warmth and camaraderie of the fire.

  When Reese used his prosthesis to help with the cleanup, one of the younger boys blurted out, “How does that work?”

  “Shut up!” another boy whispered.

  “How does it even stay on?”

  Reese looked around at the circle of curious boys, and Gabby’s heart went out to him. It had to be hard enough to deal with the physical challenges of learning to live with one arm, but the emotional challenge of having people want to talk about it might be almost as bad. “Guys,” she said, “maybe Reese doesn’t want to talk about it, and that’s his choice.”

  “It’s fine.” Reese shrugged, and it seemed to Gabby that he purposely held his prosthetic hook in the air an extra moment so the boys could get a good look. “I’d rather have you ask questions than just stare or talk among yourselves. Do you want to see how it works?”

  All of the boys nodded or smiled or both.

  He knelt close to the fire and slipped off his jacket and then his flannel shirt. In his white T-shirt, he looked like a bodybuilder, and Gabby sucked in a breath, her face heating. Wow.

  He showed them how the prosthetic arm had straps fitted around his back and how he used tension to make the hand move. He reached for a stick and picked it up and handed it to David. Then he fumbled with another one. “I’m still learning how to make it work right,” he said. “Some guys can pick up a marble and shoot it, but I’m not there yet.”

  “Can you take it off?” one of the boys asked.

  “Yeah!”

  “Hmm.” A faint flush climbed up Reese’s face. “Some of you might not want to see it.” He didn’t look at Gabby.

  “Oh, c’mon. We all want to see it, right?”

  “Is it gross?”

  “Miss Gabby might not,” Wolf said.

  “Oh, yeah.” All those disappointed faces turned her way.

  She studied Reese’s face and didn’t see reluctance there. “I’ve got to admit, I’m curious,” she said, “but it’s up to you, Reese.”

  He shrugged and unstrapped the prosthesis, slid it off and offered it to the boys to examine.

  “How come you’ve got that?” David pointed at the sock-like piece of cloth that covered
what remained of Reese’s arm.

  “Helps the prosthesis fit better. Soaks up perspiration.” He leaned closer. “And it’s really not gross under there. It’s just scar tissue. Like you have under your chin, where you cut yourself.”

  “This is so cool!” one of the boys said, making the prosthetic claw open and close. “I wouldn’t mind having one of these.”

  “Yes, you would,” Reese said, taking the prosthesis back and strapping it on. “It’s tough to deal with at times. I’m right-handed, so I’ve had to learn to do a lot of things all over again, like handwriting and throwing a ball. And the fit isn’t perfect, so sometimes I have to take a break from wearing it.”

  “Plus, it looks weird,” one of the younger boys said. “Some girls might not want to go out with you.”

  All eyes turned to Reese at that declaration.

  Reese sucked in a breath. “You could be right.”

  Gabby couldn’t let that go. “Most women would be glad to go out with a man who’s served his country,” she said firmly.

  “But it’s kinda weird, isn’t it?” Conner asked.

  “Not to me,” she said, “and not to any woman worth having. Anyway, it’s what’s inside that counts, and all of you should keep that in mind when you start dating.”

  She didn’t look at Reese at all while speaking her mind, but she hoped he was listening. Mostly he seemed self-confident, but the fact remained that he’d had a major physical change, and that had to be tough.

  “Gabby’s not like other women,” Jacob said, a note of pride in his voice.

  “You’re right,” Reese said. “She’s not.” He flashed her a smile as he shrugged back into his jacket. “Okay, everyone, let’s head back to the barn and gather our stuff. We have a show to put on.”

  * * *

  It took two van trips to get all the boys and dogs hauled over to the church that afternoon, and even then Gabby had to drive separately, bringing Nana and Izzy. Nana was going to help with the sewing, and Izzy, as usual, was cheerfully along for the ride.

  Being around all the boys in the Rescue Haven program was good for Izzy. Between them, and Reese and Jacob, she’d gotten used to deeper voices and a slightly rougher style of interaction, and as a result, she was more confident and happier than ever. Since Gabby didn’t expect to raise her with a father in the home, all the boys and men surrounding her now were a godsend.

  As they got out of the van, she heard a few of the boys complaining. They were tired. They were cold. They didn’t want to hang out in a church.

  But it was good-natured complaining, not like the slightly hostile tone they’d had this morning. Reese had called it right, getting them all outdoors for fresh air and exercise.

  Reese called a lot of stuff right. He was good at his job, and if she hadn’t known him before, she’d never have guessed that working with kids wasn’t his first choice of career.

  God worked in mysterious ways. Reese had been truly gifted at carpentry, but wasn’t he affecting even more boys, for the better, in his current position? Just look at how he’d gently educated the boys about his prosthesis, modeling gracious acceptance of a disability and calm, secure leadership.

  Nana squeezed her arm as they walked together up the icy sidewalk. “I’m so proud of you for how you’ve embraced this work,” she said. “You’ve grown into an impressive woman.”

  Her words warmed Gabby, and so did the voice behind them. “I’ll second that,” a familiar voice said.

  “Sheniqua!” Gabby spun around and hugged her old friend. “It’s great to see you, but what are you doing at the church today?”

  “Even doctors get a little time off,” Sheniqua said. “And you know I like quilting and sewing, so when your grandma said you all were working with the boys here at the church today...I thought I’d stop by, see if I could help.” She held up a plastic container and flipped open the lid. “Plus, I brought cookies.”

  Drawn by the delicious fragrance, several boys circled them.

  Gabby inhaled with deep appreciation. “Chocolate chip. You’re the absolute best,” she said.

  “Could I try one?” David asked.

  Wolf elbowed him out of the way. “I can help you carry that, ma’am.”

  Sheniqua held the container out of reach. “Wait your turn, boys. Nana and Gabby—and Reese, where is he?—anyway, the adults get the first pick before I give the rest to you young people.”

  Nana and Gabby quickly took warm cookies and Gabby took an extra one for Reese, wrapping it in a napkin. Then Sheniqua handed the container to Wolf and told him to distribute the cookies fairly.

  As Sheniqua, Nana and Gabby walked into the church, Sheniqua put an arm around Gabby. “Your grandma’s right, you know? You’re all grown up now. I remember you in middle school, and oh boy! I’d never have guessed you’d turn into this mature, cool, together woman at, what, twenty-three?”

  “I’m together?” But even as she snorted, Gabby’s mind turned over the words. Maybe she was getting it together, at least a little bit. “Thanks. You were always so cool yourself. I never thought I’d come to see you as a friend I could actually hang out and relax with, but I do.” They hadn’t seen much of each other since Gabby’s middle school years, because Gabby had spent so little time in town, and Sheniqua, as a med student and then a physician, was insanely busy. But they’d talked on the phone a few times each year. First, it had been Sheniqua checking in with a younger girl as an act of service, and then later, when she’d become Nana’s doctor, about Nana’s health. All along, she and Gabby had felt close enough to discuss a little bit about their personal lives. When Gabby had come home for Christmas, she’d called Sheniqua and conversation had flowed between them as equals. They’d made plans for a coffee date over the weekend.

  Gabby was grateful to be renewing old friendships. It was starting to feel like she was building a life here in Bethlehem Springs.

  As she unloaded sewing supplies from a couple of boxes, Gabby thought more about what Nana and Sheniqua had said. She was more mature and more together than she’d ever expected to be. Motherhood had a way of making you grow up fast.

  She felt stronger now, less scared. It crossed her mind that if the assault had happened to her now, if something like that ever happened again, she’d roar like a tigress. She might not be able to stop it from happening, but she’d never keep silent.

  She had to have compassion on her younger self for covering it up and running away. But in the face of her grandmother’s and Sheniqua’s supportive words, something occurred to her: maybe, just maybe, she didn’t need to do it anymore. Why should she take on the responsibility for keeping the Markowskis in the dark about their son’s criminal act? And if there were people who didn’t believe her, well, so what? She knew what had happened. Talking about it wasn’t a crime, and anyone who knew and loved her would take her word for it. As for the gossips...well, they’d think what they wanted to think, anyway, no matter what she said.

  Obviously, she needed to think about it and pray about it before taking steps to reveal what had happened to her. Figure out whether there was a way to reveal the truth to a few key people, close friends and family, without causing pain to Brock’s parents.

  But now wasn’t the time to figure all that out; she had responsibilities.

  “Okay, guys,” she said, clapping her hands to get the attention of the boys who were milling around. “I need three people over here to cut fabric. Once we have the pieces for the shepherd costumes, we’ll go to work cutting out the animal ones.”

  “And I’m going to show the rest of you how to sew,” Nana said. “If you’ve already learned, you can help someone next to you. Let’s start with a running stitch.” She waved strips of colorful cloth around like flags, drawing the attention of several boys.

  Gabby had a moment of worry that the boys wouldn’t want to spend time with an olde
r lady like Nana. But several actually seemed eager to sit beside her. Something she said made them laugh, and a couple of other boys joined her circle.

  That was Nana: charismatic to people of all ages. And these boys, many of whom had had instability in their home lives, seemed to gravitate to Nana with her warmth and groundedness.

  Gabby’s heart swelled with love for the woman who’d selflessly taken her in and raised her without once making her feel like she wasn’t wanted and loved. Now that Gabby was a mother herself, she had an inkling of the sacrifice involved.

  Reese, Jacob and Wolf came in with the dogs. The two white ones were barking a little, and Gabby bit her lip, wondering if their group would bother the pastor in his study or the groups meeting elsewhere in the church. But they quieted down quickly. Biff, to her amazement, walked beside Jacob in a decent heel position, and Wolf held Bundi in his arms.

  She’d just gotten her group of boys started cutting fabric from a simple pattern when the door opened with a bang, and Mr. Romano walked in.

  “He always did have to make an entrance,” Nana muttered. “Are you here to thank the boys for shoveling, Santiago?” she called to him in a louder voice.

  He raised an eyebrow at her, but when the boys all looked expectantly in his direction, he waved a hand. “Much appreciated, boys,” he said. “You did quick work.”

  A chorus of “you’re welcome” and “no problem” came from the boys.

  He walked around overlooking the scene, and Gabby sidled over to Reese, standing off in a corner of the room. “What’s he doing here?” she asked, feeling uneasy.

  Reese shrugged. “He’s a member of the church board, so I suppose he’s just checking on what happens in the church. I don’t think he really came to thank the boys in person, but your grandmother forced him into it.”

  “Nana and Mr. Romano have known each other for probably eighty years, and fought for most of it,” she said.