“Why the glum look?” Josie asked when Aren met his sister Monday morning. “I thought you spent the day with Lucie and she cooked you dinner.”
“I didn’t go.”
“What?” Josie nearly stumbled into the man standing in front of her in the Starbucks line. “Why not? Being with Lucie was all you could talk about on Saturday.”
That wasn’t entirely true. The one doing the talking had been his sister. Josie had been bemoaning the sorry state of her life after she saw Jack. Aren wished now he’d been a little more sympathetic seeing that he was currently the one on the receiving end of rejection.
“It’s over between us,” he stated matter-of-factly, as if it was of little consequence. In reality, Lucie was all he’d thought about from the moment he’d disconnected the call. She’d made her feelings clear. No matter what he said, Lucie wasn’t going to change her mind. She wanted a breather, or so she said, but he didn’t need a crystal ball to read her mind. Lucie didn’t want anything more to do with him, only she hadn’t been strong enough to say it.
One look told him Josie had figured out what had happened. “Lucie read the column, didn’t she?”
The Starbucks line moved forward and so did they. “Yeah, and sweet as she appears, she doesn’t have a forgiving nature.”
Josie frowned. “Are you going to leave it like that?”
Aren’s gaze shot to his sister. “I don’t have any choice.”
“Hold on just a minute. Weren’t you the one who lectured me about Jack and pride and telling me that if I was really in love with him I couldn’t take our breakup sitting down?”
“I said all that?” Aren wanted to eat those words now, seeing that they were coming back to bite him.
“That and more.”
“Did you take them to heart?” He knew she hadn’t and now, seeing the situation from her side, he understood why.
“As a matter of fact I did.” Seeing that it was her turn in line, Josie stepped to the counter and ordered for the both of them.
Aren hadn’t expected his sister to buy his coffee. He’d done it for her recently and apparently this was payback.
The barista handed them each a grande coffee and Josie paid with a swipe of her debit card. They started toward the subway when Aren pushed for more information.
“You contacted Jack?”
“Not yet, but I thought long and hard about what you said. You’re right, Aren. I have to face the fact that I do care for Jack. What I need to decide is if the pain I felt seeing him with another woman was real or if I was simply jealous and angry that he’s recovered enough to date someone new.”
“What did you decide?”
“I haven’t … not yet.”
Aren shook his head. They were certainly a pair, hurting and broken and both unwilling to let go of their pride. “I’m beginning to think I’d be better off concentrating on my career,” he told his sister. “It’s best if I avoid relationships completely.”
“Don’t be silly. You want a wife and family.”
“Who says?” he argued.
“I do. You’d make a wonderful husband and father. You can’t let a little bad luck stand in your way.”
“It’s more than bad luck. This is karma. Every relationship I’ve had—or been close to having—has gone down in flames.”
“Not true. What about Mary Jane Milton. She was crazy about you in high school.”
“I saw her at our last high school reunion. Married, three kids, and another on the way.”
“See, you didn’t act fast enough.”
“I was seventeen.”
They came to the subway and his sister paused. “Meet me for dinner,” Josie insisted.
“I’m working late,” he muttered. He knew she wanted to help, but this thing with Lucie was fresh in his mind and he preferred to take a couple of days to lick his wounds.
“Fine, call me when you’re finished and we’ll meet somewhere convenient.”
“I …”
“Don’t argue with me,” she said and started down the stairs. Halfway down, she paused and looked back. “Don’t disappoint me, Aren.”
It didn’t look as if he’d be able to get out of this easily, so he decided to make the best of it. Dinner with his sister should be safe enough.
Thankfully Aren was busy from the moment he walked into work. The distractions helped keep his mind off Lucie. He ate lunch at his desk, swallowing his sandwich of roast beef with horseradish sauce and a cup of hot coffee. By six he was tired and out of sorts. Dinner with Josie held little appeal, seeing that she was sure to lecture him. Aren wished now he’d kept his mouth shut when it came to dishing out advice, especially now that Josie was sure to give it back to him.
Being a dutiful brother, he called her as promised.
“You hungry?” she asked.
Aren had to think about it. “I suppose.”
“Great. Meet me at the Italian place I told you about.” She gave him the cross streets.
“Are you buying?”
“Yes, so don’t argue.”
Aren realized giving her an excuse wouldn’t do any good, so he capitulated. He didn’t have any trouble catching a taxi and did his best to ignore the festive mood that seemed to permeate the city. He didn’t want to think about Christmas. He had other matters on his mind. Not matters, he admitted, Lucie. He tried not to think about their painful conversation but it kept repeating itself in his mind. Bottom line: Lucie didn’t feel she could trust him. She claimed she didn’t know him.
Josie was waiting outside the restaurant when Aren’s taxi pulled to a stop at the curb.
“This is one of my favorite restaurants in the entire city,” Josie said as way of greeting. “Their red sauce is the best I’ve ever tasted.”
“Why haven’t you suggested we eat here before now?” he asked. He often talked restaurants with his sister. She loved Italian but he could remember her mentioning this place only once before.
She hesitated. “It was Jack’s and my favorite spot. Mostly I didn’t want to bring up a bunch of hurtful memories so I’ve avoided coming here ever since our breakup, which is silly.”
Aren hesitated. “Aren’t you afraid of running into Jack?”
Josie shook her head. “He probably doesn’t want to chance meeting up with me in the place we used to think of as ‘our restaurant.’ ”
Aren hoped his sister was right. Then, on second thought, it might serve Jack and Josie well if they did happen to stumble across each other. If Jack’s reaction was even close to his sister’s, then perhaps there was hope for the two of them. And if matters could be patched up between the pair, just maybe it could happen for him and Lucie. Aren frowned. His mind was playing silly tricks on him.
Aren held the door open for his sister. She paused just inside the restaurant and whispered, “And if Jack does happen to show I’ll smile and pretend I’m having the time of my life.”
“Right,” Aren whispered back.
The hostess smiled warmly when she saw Josie.
“Oh, Miss, it’s so good to see you.”
“You, too,” Josie said. “Is my favorite table available?”
Aren didn’t pay much attention to the exchange between the two women as he was distracted by the enticing scents coming from the kitchen. He momentarily closed his eyes and breathed in deeply. A mixture of garlic and spices, tomatoes and basil. If the aroma was anything to go by he was in for a treat.
In just a matter of minutes they were escorted to a table and handed menus. Even before Aren had a chance to review the selections, breadsticks were delivered to their table.
“The breadsticks are baked here every afternoon,” Josie told him. “They’re divine. Jack always said we could make a meal out of them alone.”
“How’s the ravioli?” he asked, more interested in studying the menu. He had to admit he was impressed.
A pained look bled into Josie’s expression. “The cheese ravioli were Jack’s favorite. He’d order them every time we dined here, and we came at least once a week.”
“What about you? What did you order?”
She smiled then. “Everything. The food is so good, I wanted to try every last thing on the menu. I’d worked my way through the appetizers and the salads and I was halfway through the entrées when we split.”
“Did you have a favorite?”
“That’s just it. Every dish is simply wonderful. I was even inspired to try to make some of the appetizers myself, especially the rolled eggplant, but my attempts were never as good as what we had here, so we just kept coming back week after week.”
The waiter came for their order and Aren asked for the cheese-stuffed ravioli. Josie had just finished telling the waiter she wanted to try their seafood spaghetti when she abruptly went still. Aren didn’t need anyone to tell him Josie had spied Jack. He could almost have guaranteed this would happen.
Leaning across the table, Aren asked, “Is Miss Universe with him?”
Josie held her head high and nodded ever so slightly. “Oh, yes, and she’s as gorgeous as ever.”
Because Aren’s back was to the entrance, he couldn’t see, and turning around to look would have upset Josie, although he was tempted.
Josie smiled and nodded. “He just saw me,” she said under her breath.
“And?”
“And he looks pretty shaken up. Good. Now he knows how I felt when I saw him last Saturday night.” She leaned across the table and whispered, “Laugh.”
Aren blinked. “I beg your pardon?”
“Don’t be dense. I want you to laugh as if I’m the funniest, most clever woman you’ve ever met in your life.”
“Josie.” Aren wasn’t up to playing games.
“Please, Aren, do this for me. I’ll never ask anything of you again as long as I live.”
That was a likely story. He was beginning to think his sister had set up this entire meeting and he’d blindly walked into her plans.
“Please.” Her eyes pleaded with him.
“All right, all right.” He chuckled and managed a weak smile.
“Louder,” Josie whispered.
“This is ridiculous.” He should have suspected something was up when Josie mentioned a favorite table and insisted on sitting facing the door.
To keep the peace, Aren laughed again, with a bit more energy this time.
She smiled with a dreamy expression. “That was perfect.”
“Thanks.”
Josie leaned closer and became more animated, laughing softly while Aren did his best not to roll his eyes. His sister was overdoing it. She pressed her hand over her heart and smiled at him as though she hung on every little word Aren uttered.
“The least you could do is play along,” his sister hissed when he glared back at her.
“What’s Jack doing now?” Aren asked.
Josie looked mighty pleased with herself. “He hasn’t been able to take his eyes off us.”
“Where’s he sitting?”
“Two tables over against the wall.”
Aren set his napkin on the tabletop, then he stood up without a word.
“What are you doing?” Josie whispered as a worried look came over her features. “Aren, if you do what I think you’re about to do, I swear I’ll never speak to you again.”
He grinned and shrugged. “I should be so lucky.”
“Aren,” she pleaded frantically, half-standing as though to stop him.
He had no intention of being dissuaded. His sister was miserable and if Jack hadn’t been able to take his eyes off her then Aren suspected Jack felt the same way about her.
Turning away from his sister, Aren crossed the short distance between the two tables. As Aren approached, Jack set aside his napkin and stood. He was a good three inches taller than Aren and outweighed him by twenty pounds, but Aren wasn’t looking to best the other man.
“You must be Jack,” he said and extended his hand. “Aren Fairchild, Josie’s brother.”
The other man broke into an instant smile.
Aren dared not look in Josie’s direction. “It seems you and my sister have had a misunderstanding.”
“Excuse me.” The woman with Jack didn’t look the least bit pleased. “I’m not invisible, you know.”
Jack appeared to have completely forgotten the other woman. “Oh, sorry. Pamela, this is the brother of the woman I mentioned earlier.”
“You mean the one you seem to drag into every conversation?”
Jack looked away and didn’t answer.
“It seems I ordered your favorite meal. It’s about to be delivered. Why don’t you join my sister and I’ll introduce myself to Pamela.”
“Now just a minute. Don’t I have a say in this?” Jack’s date demanded.
“Apparently not,” Aren answered. Jack was already halfway across the restaurant.
Aren pulled out the chair and sat down with Pamela. She was pretty enough, he supposed, but two minutes in her company and it was clear she was high maintenance. After a good ten minutes she scooted out of her chair and said, “Tell Jack it would be best if he not contact me again.”
Aren waved her off. “It might be best if you tell him that yourself.”
“Then I will. Gladly.”
Sure enough Pamela pranced across the room to the table where Jack sat with Josie. Their heads were together and whatever their problem had been, it wasn’t in evidence now.
Jack stood as Pamela approached. Aren wasn’t privy to whatever the other woman had to say but apparently she wanted nothing more to do with him. She left in a huff.
Seeing that he’d accomplished his mission, Aren left a generous tip on the table before getting up to leave. He felt more than conspicuous as every eye in the restaurant was on him. He could only imagine that speculation among the diners must be rampant. On his way out the door, Josie caught his eye and blew him a kiss. He returned it with a wave and was off.
His apartment felt cold and dark when he let himself in. He felt good about helping his sister and Jack. He hoped it had just been prewedding jitters that had set them off course. Seeing them together this evening made it clear neither one was happy apart. He hoped they would be able to settle the matter once and for all.
His phone rang close to midnight, waking Aren out of a sound sleep.
“Thank you,” Josie whispered.
“You’re welcome. Can I go back to sleep now?”
“No. Do you want to come over so we can talk?”
“Josie, I’m in bed.”
“Okay, be a party pooper, see if I care.”
“I’m happy for you.” And he was, but at the moment he was too tired and he wanted to get back to his dream … a dream that involved Lucie.
It was Christmas Eve and Lucie should be excited and happy. She wasn’t. Instead her heart was heavy. It’d been that way from the moment she had last talked to Aren. He hadn’t contacted her and pride wouldn’t allow her to reach out to him. She faithfully read his column and noticed that he wasn’t quite as cutting as he had been, at least in her mind. She hungered for news from him but none came.
Her mother walked into the kitchen where Lucie sat with her morning cup of coffee. Sammy rested by her feet. “Come on, sweetie, smile,” Wendy urged. “It’s Christmas Eve.” Her mother’s happiness brightened the room.
“I am smiling, Mom. I’m grateful for this time off.” They’d decided to close the restaurant for the next two days and Lucie welcomed the break. She hadn’t been in the Christmas spirit much and had put off shopping and wrapping until the last minute.
Wendy reached for the coffeepot and poured her own mug and then sat down and tested her blood sugar. Without a word, she stood and brought out a container of orange juice. “Are you going to contact Aren?” she asked as if it were a little thing.
“No.”
Her mother’s shoulders sagged with disappointment. “Why not?”
“Mom, we’ve been through this a dozen times. It’s over between us.”
“And that’s what you want?” Her mother’s skeptical look said it all.
Lucie didn’t answer because she longed for Aren, she missed him and wished with every part of her being that things could be different. But he was who he was and she couldn’t change that.
“I thought I’d go into the city this morning,” Lucie announced, doing her best to sound excited and upbeat. “I have some shopping left and I need to run a couple of other errands, too.”
“Don’t be late for dinner,” Wendy told her after Lucie reached for her coat and purse.
“I won’t.”
Actually what Lucie wanted most was to escape and forget this was Christmas Eve. What had happened between her and Aren remained fresh in her mind. If she kept herself busy, she might be distracted enough to put Aren out of her thoughts and be able to appreciate the season at least a little bit. That was her hope. A day in the city was bound to help.
“Do you see how miserable Lucie is?” Will asked Mercy.
“I couldn’t help but notice.” Mercy and her two friends stayed close to their young charge as Will followed Lucie onto the subway leading into Manhattan.
Will had been a fast learner, although he was still tempted to intervene in the lives of humans. Mercy recognized that he’d picked up the habit from the three of them. They really did try to walk the straight-and-narrow path, and somehow, to this point, they’d been able to answer the prayers as God intended even if the path made several sharp twists every now and again.
Once the subway arrived at her stop, Lucie walked up the steps to the Manhattan sidewalk. The city was crazy busy with shoppers darting from store to store. Everyone seemed to be in a terrible rush.
“Is it always like this on Christmas Eve?” Will asked, darting around the bustling crowds and doing his best to stay out of their way.
“Always,” Shirley insisted. “Sometimes it’s even worse.”
“Busier than this?” Will appeared to find that hard to believe.
“Oh, yes, I remember the year—”
“Where’s Lucie going now?” Will interrupted.
Mercy knew he felt responsible for the mix-up in timing for Lucie and Aren to meet and wanted more than anything to make matters right. She couldn’t allow Will to intervene, though. Gabriel had been quite specific. Lucie and Aren had to work this out themselves, which made a reconciliation all the more difficult. Both were prideful and stubborn.
“Is she really going to ignore Aren over Christmas?” Will demanded.
“She’s ignored him to this point,” Goodness reminded them.
“She didn’t even send him a Christmas card.”
“Nothing,” Mercy confirmed.
“Did Aren send her a card?” Shirley asked. “It wouldn’t have hurt him any to make an effort.”
“I agree, he should have done something,” Will said. “Don’t you just want to shake these humans? They’re impossible.”
“My dear young charge, you have only seen the tip of the iceberg when it comes to dealing with humans.”
“The what?”
“Never mind.” Goodness patted Will’s upper arm. “One day we’ll show you the Arctic.”
“Is that close to New York?”
“It’s a bit farther north,” Mercy explained.
“Are humans there as stubborn as they are here?”
“Oh, yes, humans are the same everywhere.”
“Amazing. And God still loves them?”
“It’s hard to comprehend, but He does. It’s really incredible when you think about how slow-witted they are.”
“Where’s Lucie headed now?” Will asked, frantically following her into a store.
“Oh, this is one of my favorite spots in the whole world.”
“What is it?” Will cried, jumping on the escalator behind Lucie.
“It’s a bookstore,” Mercy answered and grabbed Shirley by the belt in order to keep her away from the children’s section.
Shirley sighed with disappointment. “I wasn’t going to get into any trouble.”
“Maybe so, but I’m playing it safe just in case.”
“What is Lucie looking for?” Will asked, staying close on the chef’s heels.
“I imagine she’s searching for a special book to give as a present,” Goodness supplied. “This is a bookstore, you realize.”
“A very big one with lots of people.” Shirley darted out of the way.
“Look, Lucie found a quiet corner and is sitting down.”
“I’ll join her,” Shirley insisted. “Running around like this is wearing me out.”
“I think we’re all a little frazzled.”
“You are all working overly hard, don’t you think?”
At the sound of Gabriel’s booming voice the four angels jumped and whirled around. “And in addition you’re looking guilty.” His voice rumbled so much it was a wonder the walls didn’t tremble. “Is there something the four of you wish to tell me?”
Will, acting braver than Mercy had ever seen him, stepped forward. “We need to do something and fast.”
“You mean you want to intervene?”
“Yes, I feel responsible for Lucie and Aren. I introduced them when they weren’t scheduled to meet and now everything has gone awry and they’re separated and miserable.”
Gabriel sadly shook his head. “It’s not up to us. The lesson both Aren and Lucie need to learn is about pride and stubbornness. If they can’t resolve this minor life issue then their relationship is already doomed. Love is about acceptance and generosity of spirit, and frankly I don’t see that in either of them.”
“I do,” Will challenged. “Look at what Lucie and her mother did for the homeless.”
“And look at how willing Aren was to pitch in and help,” Goodness added.
“He was wonderful with the children,” Shirley reminded Gabriel.
“Yes, now that you mention it, he was.”
“See, there is hope for Lucie and Aren,” Will insisted. “If only you’d allow us to—”
“No.” Gabriel raised his finger, stopping Will from speaking further. “Intervention is out of the question.”
He left them then and Mercy watched as young Will’s shoulders sagged with disappointment. Glancing over her shoulder, Mercy lowered her voice. “I don’t mean to cause problems, but I think I might have an idea.”
“Does it involve Lucie and Aren?” Will asked with hopeful expectation.
She cocked her head to one side and lowered her voice.
“Indirectly.”
Goodness perked up right away. “Now, this sounds promising.”
“Who does it involve, then?” Shirley remained the skeptic.
“You’ll see,” she said. “Follow me.”
“Should I leave Lucie?” Will asked, and seemed doubtful.
“She’ll be fine, trust me.”
Will complied, although reluctantly.
“I just hope we’re doing the right thing,” Shirley said, the last to turn away from Lucie. “I’ve gotten into a heap of trouble before listening to Mercy.”
“I have a good feeling about this,” Goodness added. “Mercy’s got great ideas.”
——
Lucie’s cellphone beeped, indicating she had a text message. She reached in the side pocket of her purse and grabbed her phone. The number was one she didn’t recognize. With a tap of her finger she read the message. Four o’clock on top of the Empire State Building.
Frowning, Lucie tucked her cell back inside her purse while she mulled over who could possibly have sent her the text. Her first thought was that it might be Aren. It wasn’t though. She would have recognized his cell number.
Well, she wasn’t going. It would be ridiculous. She had several errands yet to run. Later she had dinner plans with her mother, and then that evening the two of them would attend Christmas Eve services at their church. Lucie had everything all planned out. Her day didn’t leave time for a wild-goose chase to the Empire State Building.
She wasn’t doing it.
Ten minutes later she glanced at her watch. Three thirty-three.
Even if she wanted to she would never reach the Empire State Building in time, and getting a cab in the city at this time of day and on Christmas Eve would be next to impossible.
No sooner had the thought entered her mind than a taxi pulled up to the curb next to her. A woman climbed out.
Lucie stared in amazement as no one rushed to get inside.
“You coming or not, lady?” the cabbie demanded. “I got people waiting.”
Looking around, Lucie slapped her hand against her chest. “Are you talking to me?”
“You waved me down, didn’t you?”
“Ah … no.”
“Fine, then.”
He started to pull away but Lucie stopped him. Running a couple of steps, she caught up with him and opened the passenger door. “Can you get me to the Empire State Building before four o’clock?”
“In this traffic? You’re joking, right?”
“Do what you can.” Lucie hadn’t intended to follow the instructions from her text and at the same time she couldn’t stop herself. Even if Aren hadn’t sent the message, she needed to know who had and why.
The taxi driver eased back into the bumper-to-bumper traffic. “It’ll be a miracle if we make your four o’clock appointment.”
“Do your best … if I don’t make it, then I don’t make it.” Even now Lucie wasn’t sure why she was in the cab. This was someone’s idea of a joke and a bad one at that. Perhaps Aren was behind it, luring her to this destination point to keep her waiting, the way she had kept him waiting last January.
Even while the thought raced through her mind, she knew he would never do that. It wasn’t in his nature to pull something that twisted.
Perhaps it was hope that convinced her to make her way there. A mixed-up kind of hope that led her to believe that somehow she and Aren could work things out.
“Well, would you look at that?” the cabbie whispered under his breath.
“I’m sorry?” Lucie said, leaning forward. Because she’d been wrapped up in her own thoughts she hadn’t heard the driver.
“Fifth Avenue,” he said and gestured for her to look out the windshield.
Lucie looked but didn’t see anything. “What about it?”
“It’s clear. It’s like the parting of the Red Sea. I’ve got an entire lane to myself. I’ve been driving a cab for nearly twenty years and I’ve never seen anything like this happen. You’d think I had a police escort.”
“Oh?” Lucie wasn’t sure what to say.
“You got an angel on your shoulder or something?” he called back to Lucie.
“No … I don’t think so.” Lucie was beginning to think she had some kind of crazy karma when it came to cabs. Her last experience had been equally unexplainable, with the newspaper flying around and the windows moving up and down of their own accord. Now this. She watched as the traffic seemed to divide just for them.
In no time at all the cab pulled to the curb outside the iconic skyscraper. The driver scratched the side of his head and seemed utterly amazed. “I don’t believe this but it’s five minutes to four. We made it all the way downtown in heavy traffic in unbelievable time. I’d say it’s a Christmas miracle, but I’m not saying a word to anyone—who’d believe me?”
“Five minutes early,” Lucie repeated in a state of shock herself.
She paid the driver and climbed out of the cab. Standing on the street, she held on to her knitted hat and looked up at the skyscraper.
Now that she was here, she might as well find out what this cryptic message was all about. The line to pay for the elevator ride and the view on the 102nd floor moved quickly. The woman selling tickets glanced at her watch. “We’re closing at four today, seeing that it’s Christmas Eve.”
“I can promise you that I won’t be long.”
The woman handed Lucie her ticket and she moved with the others waiting for what must be the last ride of the day up the elevator. She’d been to the top floor once before, but that had been years ago. If Lucie remembered, she’d been on a field trip with her fifth-grade class. Although she was young, she’d been impressed with the story of the structure, which first opened in 1931, just after the start of the Great Depression.
As she stepped out of the elevator, Lucie immediately went outside. The lights of the city had started to turn on and she stood mesmerized by the incredible three-hundred-sixty-degree view. Although she’d promised the woman selling the tickets she wouldn’t be long, Lucie felt drawn to the view. The sadness that had enveloped her since her last conversation with Aren lifted. All at once she knew what she had to do.
She needed to phone Aren. When they last spoke she claimed she needed a breather. Well, she’d had one.
Digging into her purse, she reached for her phone and scrolled through her contacts until she found his name. A smile lit up her face as she initiated the call.
It rang four times and then went to voice mail.