11

It had been the longest day of Jessie’s life.

He’d left Charlee Falls at nine that morning, calculating an hour’s driving time to Buffalo, two hours of shopping max, a quick lunch at his favorite burger place, and another hour for the drive home. Which should have been two o’clock at the latest. It was now after eight.

The few gifts he needed at the mall had been surprisingly easy to find. Despite the mobs of other last-minute shoppers, he’d finished up right on schedule. But the travel agent had taken forever. When he’d finally finished up with her, he’d stopped at the diner for a bite to eat. Now, he was sitting on the thruway, stuck behind miles of jammed up traffic. And he was pretty sure he’d left his phone on the table at diner because he couldn’t find it. After a four hour delay he crawled on the thruway in zero visibility, the snow as thick as a down comforter. Izzy would be frantic. And Alexis would probably think he stood her up. Perfect plan, Wainright.

The church was dark when he passed by, the concert long over. When he finally arrived home, light spilled from the living room windows. Two cars sat at the curb, Mark and Wendy’s SUV and a small red sedan he didn’t recognize. Hope swelled. Alexis?

Maybe it wasn’t too late to salvage the evening after all. It was definitely too late for the pizzas, Rico’s would have closed hours ago. He had a couple of two-liter bottles of soda in the fridge. Was there still a heat- and- eat pizza in the freezer?

When he walked through the front door the conversation abruptly stopped. Wendy and Mark sat on the sofa, Alexis in the rocking chair. He caught her eye and gave her a hopeless look and a small wave.

“Hi, everyone.”

“Well, welcome to the party,” Wendy said. “So nice that you could join us.”

Izzy appeared in the kitchen doorway. Dropping the potholders she held, she raced into his arms.

“Daddy, where were you?”

“I got stuck in a traffic jam, sweetheart. I’m so sorry.”

“I thought something happened to you.” Her voice broke, and tears streamed from her eyes.

“A tractor trailer jackknifed on the thruway and jammed up traffic for four hours.” He gently rubbed her back, his heart breaking. “But I’m home now, safe and sound.”

“You could have called.”

“Yes, I could have, except that I think I left my phone in the diner where I had lunch.”

“That’s it. I’m installing a tracking device on your truck. You know, the kind for cheating spouses and forgetful brothers.” Wendy glared at him.

He made room for Wendy to move into their embrace.

“You scared us half to death.” Wendy moved into his free arm, but still glared at him. “Now let’s eat. We’re starving.”

“I don’t know what I have to offer you. Peanut butter sandwiches?”

“Mark picked up the pizzas hours ago. Izzy just took them out of the oven. We were getting ready to eat without you.”

Mark slapped him on the back. “Glad you’re home, brother.”

Mark, Wendy, and Izzy filed into the kitchen.

Jessie and Alexis held back.

“I’m sorry I worried everybody. And I’m sorry I stood you up.”

She smiled. “It’s fine. I’m just glad you’re OK.”

His glance moved over her face, her hair, her sweater that brought out the amazing blue of her eyes. “You look beautiful.”

Her smile widened. “Thanks.”

For the next hour they ate pizza and talked and laughed. Jessie basked in the warmth, the fullness, of his home. The joy that had been missing for more than a year had returned.

“So, when is your next concert?” he asked Izzy. “It sounds as though all those hours of practice paid off.”

“Mostly,” Izzy said with a shrug. “Except I was looking for you and I missed my cue and came in late on the first song.”

“No one but you even noticed,” Wendy assured her. “The concert was glorious.” She stood. “We have to head home now. Your gifts are under the tree for tomorrow, but I want Izzy to open one tonight.”

In the living room under the Christmas tree, Wendy retrieved a large box professionally wrapped in gold paper and silver ribbons.

Izzy tore off the wrapping, exclaiming over the flowered cosmetic bag filled with makeup. She sorted through the pallets of eyeshadows, lip and eye liners, and the sparkly bottles of nail polish.

“Are you kidding me Aunt Wendy? This is amazing. Thank you so much!”

“Yes,” Jessie, said. “Thank you so much, Wendy.”

Izzy glared at him.

Wendy smacked his arm. “Don’t be such a grumpy Gus. Honey, I’m glad you like it. The receipts are all in there in case I goofed on any of the colors.”

“I love it all. It’s the best gift ever.”

After a hug from Izzy, Wendy hugged Alexis, and then Jessie.

“I love you, big brother,” she said softly, kissing his cheek. “But if you ever scare me like that again I’ll wring your neck.”

After a last round of Merry Christmases, she and Mark put on coats, boots, and gloves and headed out to their SUV.

Izzy was being uncharacteristically cool toward him. She must have imagined that horrible night she’d lost her mother replaying in a cruel twist of fate. In her teenaged vulnerability, she’d converted her fear into anger. Still, it stung.

“I know I don’t usually do this, but I’m giving you one of your gifts early,” Jessie said. “Maybe you’ll forgive me for missing the concert when you see what it is.” He handed her a large envelope.

At first she feigned disinterest, but when she tore open the envelope, her eyelids flew wide. “No way!”

“That’s the main reason I had to go to Buffalo today. Forgive me?”

“Of course I forgive you! Oh, thank you, Daddy!” She threw her arms around him and hugged him.

They spent the next half hour poring over the itinerary from the travel agency, the brochures for stores and boutiques, the dinner reservations at an upscale restaurant, the room at a hotel in the theater district, the tickets to the play.

“I have to get online and look up all these places. I don’t even know what to wear to a Broadway play. Lexie, can you help me pick out some clothes?”

Alexis smiled. “I’ll be happy to.”

“Dad, I can’t even believe you did this, I’m —” Izzy’s phone rang, shattering the moment. Checking the screen, she squealed. “It’s Lon. I have to take this.” Clutching her phone, she hurried to the stairs. Halfway up, she turned back. “Night, Lexie.”

“Good night, Izzy.”

“It’s Lon,” Jessie mimicked. He blew out a breath. “I hate that kid.”

She laughed softly. “No, you don’t.”

“You’re right, I don’t hate him. I just wish he was dating someone else’s daughter.”

She smiled and patted his knee. “You’ll be fine.”

“Think so?”

“I do.” She moved her hand, her fingertips lightly grazing the itinerary. “And what an amazing gift, by the way.”

“I got the idea from you. The Nutcracker ballet you went to with your parents. I want Izzy to have something like that to remember.”

“You are such a good dad.”

“Even though I missed my daughter’s Christmas concert?”

“Even though.” She smiled at him, and then to his surprise, she leaned in and kissed him softly on the lips. Before he could react, she abruptly stood and put on her jacket. “It’s getting late. I should go before I end up getting snowed in here.”

The kiss tingled on his lips, confounded his thoughts, but even so, he regained his faculties enough to speak. “I know it’s short notice, but would you like to join us for brunch in the morning? Around eleven? Lon’s coming and if you were here I wouldn’t feel so outnumbered.”

He saw something in her eyes, a hint of hesitation, maybe.

“Sounds like fun,” she finally said. “I’ll bring doughnuts.”

Lying in bed that night, he went over the day again, starting with his ill-fated shopping trip and ending with… whatever it was he’d seen in her expression. What was it? Was he trying too hard? Expecting too much from her too soon?

Alexis had kissed him, and then seemed to regret the impulse. Maybe she wasn’t interested in a man with a teenaged daughter. And he’d promised to love Nicole forever, and he would love her until the day he died. But lately he’d felt an emptiness, space in his heart for a new love. For Alexis.

Lord, You know I’m not good at this. Please help me to want only what You want me to have. And help me to accept Your will, either way.