It Really IS a Wonderful Life: The Snowflake Falls but Hearts in Love Keep a Home Warm All Year Long (9 page)

“I always suspected the kids overwhelmed him. Some men can’t compete with children. They want all the attention for themselves.”

“I thought when he corrected the children he meant to be protective, like …”

“Like Devon?”

Dorie’s eyes moistened as she fell into her mother’s embrace.

“Devon was a wonderful husband and father. You can’t bring him back by trying to find a man who reminds you of him. If you do, you’ll see things that aren’t there. You’ll look for anything that will make Devon alive to you again.”

“Do you think I’m doing that with Gabe?”

“Give yourself time. You won’t dishonor Devon’s memory by loving another man. Don’t contrive it either. God knows who that man is and when to bring him into your life.”

Mom was right. Although Dorie had seen Gabe as nothing more than a fling, she did entertain fleeting thoughts of what a future with him might bring. Now, any thoughts of Gabe, good or bad, seemed moot apart from the play. He’d never call again. And it was for the best. “I’ll try to sneak away as soon as Josh is done with his part.”

Josh came into the kitchen with his coat on and his scarf wound around his face. “Come on, Mom. I don’t want to be late.”

“Yes, sir.” Dorie saluted and marched to the coat closet. “Isn’t this kind of fun, you and me in a play together?”

“Well, I won’t know until I try it, will I?”

Dorie tugged his knit cap over his ears. “How you’d get so smart?”

“Mom! Don’t!”

No amount of little-boying would stop her son from growing up.

***

This time Dorie welcomed Evie’s take-charge persona, offering to introduce Josh to the Stanton boys. She leaned in toward Dorie as Josh hung up his coat. “I have bios on all our regular actors, like Gabe and Jamey. If you want, I’ll e-mail them to you. It might help with your publicity articles.”

“That would be great.” Now she could avoid any unpleasant cast interviews, especially Gabe’s.

While Josh went with Evie, Dorie glanced over the assembling cast. Gillian Davidson pored over her script, mouthing her lines. Mom described Gillian as a senior ball of fire, a woman with a huge, golden heart. She might be the best first choice for a cast interview.

As Dorie approached Gillian, she spotted Swivel Hips at a nearby table. She and Jamey chirped like two happy songbirds. Susan flicked her hair off her shoulders every which way but normal, far too liberal with her touches. Even her unnatural laugh grated, sounding more like a humpback whale’s mating call. Jamey threw a wave. Should she wave back? Dorie held a hand up in recognition, then quickly retracted it.

She turned to Gillian, who patted a youth’s chair next to her. “Have a seat.”

“Could I interview you now?” Dorie asked.

“Sure, fire away.”

Dorie harpooned a few prepared questions, and Gillian answered with wit and warmth. No wonder Mom thought so highly of her. Not surprisingly, Gillian was involved with myriad community projects, including hospice and Meals on Wheels. She still found time to tutor at the homeless shelter and coach church productions.

“For a retired person, you put in a lot of hours.”

“I retired from work, dear, not from life.” She waved at Susan and Jamey. With any luck, Evie’s bios would include Susan’s. Unfathomable that she was Gillian’s daughter.

Gillian’s whispers tickled. “Susan is easily distracted. I keep telling her to stop flitting around and to focus on her part. You won’t tell her I told you that, will you? Here she comes.”

Susan approached and posed with hands on her hips like a pouting teenager. “What do you want, Mother?”

“Better get your interview while the going is good.”

“You’re Dorie Fitzgerald, aren’t you? It seems as if I already know you. My mother talks about your folks all the time.” Susan took a seat next to Dorie, pretense fouling the air like over-sprayed perfume. “What would you like to know? By the way, before I forget to mention it, I adore your son.”

Protective heat gushed. “How do you know Josh?”

“I teach high-school math and help out with the elementary school’s gifted program.”

Midville School District consisted of two attached buildings, one for the lower grades and one for the upper. That a high school teacher knew Josh came as no surprise. But Susan, a brainiac? Who’d have thought it?

“Josh excels in all his subjects. He gets his smarts from his father.”

“I’ll also be working with Josh for your church Christmas play.”

“How’s that?”

“I usually attend Grace Community Church with Jamey. He’s going to help Mom and me with the play.”

Dorie tried to corral her thoughts. She not only blew her chance with Gabe, she’d spurned Jamey too. Why shouldn’t he find someone else?

Danny took center. “I’d like Josh and the Stanton boys up front, please.”

Josh hopped to attention. How easily he mingled with the other cast members, at home in new surroundings. Just like his father.

Footsteps sounded behind her, then hands came around her face, covering her eyes. Startled, she screeched.

Gabe stepped in front of her, clearly amused at her near-heart attack. He waved at the crowd. “Everything’s okay. Sorry to interrupt.”

Danny pointed an accusatory finger and offered a contradicting smile. “Dr. Wellington. Who else?” He returned his attention to the children, positioning them on stage and reading lines with them.

Gabe pulled up a chair next to Dorie. “So, how’ve you been?”

Dorie forced a cold smile. “Fine.”

“I wanted to call you, but I’ve been out of town for a few days. Helen’s father died Monday morning.” Gabe stood, removed his coat, tossed it on the table, and sat back down. It still bothers me when I lose a patient. I went into a tailspin—”

“Tailspin?”

“Whenever I feel discouraged, I go into New York City for a couple of days. My kind of bender, you might say. I walk down Forty Second Street. Even though the city glitters, there’s a missing ingredient that I can find only in a small town like Midville.”

So that’s your solution to your problems? Take off?

Gabe inched his chair closer. “I wondered if we could do another run at the café. This time, I promise we won’t wait on tables.”

Dorie smiled as Josh galloped over to her. “We’re done, Mom. Mr. Riley says we can go home.”

“You were great, Josh. I’m proud of you. Now, get your coat.”

His little face beamed as he hurried off.

Gabe nudged her arm. “So?”

She searched his eyes for sincerity and saw the same look Devon had worn when he asked her out for the third time, as if his future had already entwined with hers. She shook with uncertainty. Something about Gabe drew her in—something like a sparkly stone jutting from the ground, demanding a closer look.

“Can we go home now, Mom?” Josh raced back to her, his coat half on and his hat sliding over his eyes.

“In a minute, sweetie.”

Dorie turned her attention back to Gabe. “I’ll think about it. Right now, I’ve got to get Josh home.”

“I’ll call you later.”

“Sure.” A loud clang went off in her head. Not like church chimes signaling the union of two kindred spirits. More like the distant wail of an ambulance.

***

Rage burned Jamey’s cheeks when he saw Gabe and Dorie together. Friendship required him to step aside, but at what cost?
Lord, I hope they know what they’re doing. I don’t want either one of them to get hurt.

His Android blared with Beethoven’s Fifth. He’d upped the volume while in Bargains Galore and forgotten to lower the tone at rehearsal. Danny would have given him a disapproving glare, but most everyone had gone home. He planned to run lines with Gabe after he and Susan finished practicing their early scenes. Funny. He’d always pegged Gabe and Susan together. So much alike—both of them self-absorbed.

Jamey checked the incoming number. “Hi, Pop. Everything okay?”

Pop coughed. The length and severity worried Jamey, his father’s strength failing more every day. “Jamey … I want you to do … a favor for your old man.”

Jamey had put his life on hold these past four years. What else could he give? “Sure, Pop.”

“The favor’s not for me. It’s for my fishing buddy, John Perkins. His daughter … needs a job. You’ve been on my case for over … a year to bring on a computer analyst … and John’s daughter … has the credentials we need. I want you to hire her.”

“Why me?”

“I turned her down … for a clerk position. She was overqualified. At the time … I didn’t know she was Perkins’s kid. She’s a widow … Dorie Fitzgerald. John said … the two of you are in … this play together. So I thought you could ask her.”

Great. If Dorie thought Jamey had been the one to reject her job application, no wonder she’d lost interest in him. He probably inadvertently drove her into Gabe’s arms. Hiring her now would only make matters worse. Could he be near her every day and not feel the loss his stupid hesitancy had cost him?

What else could he do? Pop already promised Dorie’s father. Jamey could offer no excuse except the fact Dorie Fitzgerald was the most fascinating woman in the world, and she liked someone else. He could call, but this was something he’d rather do face to face. “I’ll see her Sunday. I’ll ask her then.”

Chapter Thirteen

Sunday blew in like a hot-tempered quarterback. Toasty warm inside, Dorie dreaded venturing out in the cold. She’d seen enough snow in the past few weeks to last a lifetime. Would it hurt to skip church on occasion? Gabe insisted on picking her up, and he had installed car seats in his car. At least she wouldn’t have to brush the snow off the car or shovel the driveway.

Josh and Emma sat on the couch, coats, boots, and mittens on. Boomer crouched by their feet. Dorie glanced at her watch. Five minutes late. Maybe Gabe was held up at the hospital. Maybe that was a good thing; that way she would have an excuse to stay home.

At the doorbell’s chime, she buttoned her coat and threw on her scarf. “Josh, Emma, let’s go.”

The phone rang, and Josh ran to the kitchen to pick it up.

She opened the door. “Jamey? What are you doing here?”

Josh galloped back into the living room and handed her the phone. “Dr. Wellington for you, Mom. He told me to get you to the phone—stat. Stat means real quick.”

Dorie smiled. Instead of an Olympian, Josh might grow up to be a doctor. “Well, come in, Jamey. Gabe? What’s going on? Where are you?”

“Is Jamey there yet?”

“Just got here.”

Gabe’s sigh seemed to come from his toes. “I zigged when I should have zagged. Went into a skid and hit a pole.”

“Are you okay?”

“Fine. But my car’s not. It’s probably totaled. I’m waiting for the tow truck. Jamey happened by a few minutes after I wiped out. I asked him to pick you up, so you wouldn’t miss church and the kids wouldn’t miss their practice.”

“That’s thoughtful, Gabe, although it wouldn’t be the end of the world if we did. Are you sure you’re okay?”

“Everything’s under control. I’m afraid we’ll have to cancel our plans for this afternoon. I’ll call you later tonight.”

He clicked off his cell phone before Dorie could feign disappointment. Not that she wished anything bad on Gabe, but she welcomed a quiet evening at home.

Jamey tugged his cap. “So now you know why I’m here. I brushed the snow off your car and unplugged the driveway enough that we can get out. Do you want me to transfer the kids’ seats into my car?”

“No. We’ll take my car. I know it’s silly, but I like to keep the seats right where they are. That way I don’t accidentally leave them behind. I’ve done that before.”

“Here, Josh. Please hang the phone back up for me.” Dorie turned toward Jamey. “Thanks for coming to the rescue. I’m perfectly capable of driving the children to church by myself. I’ve driven in snow before.”

“Probably not this much, though. The weatherman says ten inches fell last night. And Gabe’s worried your car might need a boost. And you don’t have snow tires.”

“It appears he doesn’t know how to drive in this weather any better than I do.”

Jamey joined in her snorts. “I’ll give you that one. Our dear Dr. Wellington has found more than one snow bank in his driving career.”

Emma handed Mr. Bear to Jamey. “Would you carry Mr. Bear to the car? He’s afraid of the big snow.”

Jamey knelt to meet Emma eye to eye. “Would you like a lift, too?”

She nodded.

Josh rushed outside and made a path through the highest snowdrift.

How could she refuse Jamey’s offer now?

He held Emma along with Mr. Bear in one arm, grabbed the snow shovel with the other, and cleared a path. Josh raced to the car and buckled up, his pants caked with snow.

Once in her seat, Emma positioned Mr. Bear on her lap. “Jamey said Mr. Bear could be in the church play too, Mommy.”

Big wet flakes, like a Carolina spring storm, splashed onto the windshield. “Don’t they cancel church when the weather’s bad?”

Jamey stretched his jaw with a poor attempt to hide his smile. “When the weather’s bad, yes. This is nothing for the North Country. Supposed to keep warming and change to rain. Most of the snow will be gone by the afternoon. Right now, the roads are pretty slushy.”

The car revved on the first turn, her self-satisfaction short-lived when the car slid sideways.

Jamey pumped the brakes. “You really should replace these tires soon. It’s dangerous to drive with practically bald tires, especially on these wintry roads.”

Didn’t anyone think she had a brain? “I’ll get to it.”

Once safely on the road, Jamey cleared his throat. “Have … uh … you found a job yet?

Was there no end to this man’s insults this morning? “No.”

“I’d like to offer you a position at Bargains Galore.

There’s an opening at my store.”

“So you do own it?”

“My family does. We own several businesses in the area, and I manage them for my father.”

Hot acid burned her mouth. “I already applied and you didn’t hire me.”

“I’m sorry you think that. Actually, my father does most of the hiring. We’re looking to fill a new position. Since I know you, and I heard you were looking for work, I thought I’d ask.” Jamey turned into the church parking lot. “If you’re not too sore at us, come in at eight tomorrow and we’ll talk about it.”