15

Aside from a couple of lunches with Brady, who was busy building the gazebo for Miss Angie’s Christmas party, Winter spent the next week researching. The following week she dedicated to soul-searching. What was she doing…really? Why was she still in Cambria?

Honesty forced her to admit to stalling. So far she’d looked at this story through a hazy window that revealed just enough to make her want to turn and run the other direction. This assignment should have been wrapped up, tied up, topped with a pretty bow and delivered to Jeremy by now. Winter’s dogged determination—which her colleagues called “scary aggression”—had yet to come into play on this story because something told her she wouldn’t like what she saw if she gave that imaginary cloudy pane of glass a streak-free shine.

Nor would she like herself, and that bothered her intensely.

Even more troublesome was the certain knowledge that tying up this investigation would steal something vitally important from her. Something she loved and wouldn’t want to lose.

On her deck while taking a much-needed break, Winter heaved a sigh as her father’s voice echoed in her mind. Stop pussy-footing around the truth, girl. Face the fear that’s holding you back. Take the thing by the throat and destroy it, before it destroys you.

But facing this fear meant using the hypothetical glass cleaner on that imaginary window. Yet every instinct screamed a warning to leave it alone. What she revealed would destroy her…because it would destroy Brady.

He was the treasure she couldn’t bear to lose.

“Winter, is that you? Kai?”

She blinked, startled from her reverie, and then stood to peer over the rail. On the lawn below, Miss Angie stared up at the deck, one hand over her eyes like a visor despite the huge floppy hat on her head.

“Hey, Miss Angie.”

“Winter, dear!” The older woman’s soft, warm laughter ignited a pleasant tingle somewhere in Winter’s psyche. Not exactly a shiver—the word held vaguely sinister connotations, and Miss Angie’s sweet laughter was anything but sinister. But still…something. Some kind of soul magic that always made her think of angels singing and birds trilling a joyous symphony.

“All I could see were feet.” Miss Angie never got loud about anything, but she was clearly amused. “Neither toes nor soles offered a hint as to whether it was you or Kai up there.”

It was Winter’s turn to laugh. “Well, we are twins, so I suppose our feet might bear some resemblance too. But I’ll let you in on a secret: Kai has hairy toes. I don’t.”

“I’m glad to hear that. How sad it would be to know your beauty was marred by icky, hairy toes.” A mock shudder shook the woman’s tall, slender form. “Such an unpleasant image to get in one’s head. Winter, dear, I don’t suppose you’d want to escort an old lady on a walk around the grounds, would you?”

“I’d love to!” Maybe it would get her mind off the horrid investigation that refused to be completed. “Give me half a shake to grab my sandals. I’ll be right down.”

“I’ll wait right here.”

Winter dashed into the house and slid her feet into the sandals she’d left beside the sofa, where Kai sat staring at his cell phone. “I’m going to walk with Miss Angie.”

“Right. See ya.” He didn’t even look up.

At the door, Winter stopped and tiptoed to stand behind her brother. She peered over his shoulder and grinned. “Who’re you texting?”

He slid the phone between the sofa cushions. “None’ya. Thought you were going downstairs?”

“Oh, I am.” Winter grinned. She knew full well who Kai was texting. “Tell Julia I said hey.”

Kai chuckled. “Go away, pest.”

Her brother’s quiet excitement about whatever was going on between him and the pretty doctor created an echo in Winter, and she was laughing as she hurried downstairs.

“I do love your beautiful smile.” Miss Angie linked her arm through Winter’s and nodded toward the wooded area south of the lodge. “Let’s walk through there, shall we? I want to show you something.”

“All right.” Winter suppressed a shudder. The trees were beautiful to look at from a distance, but her skin crawled at the thought of being in the middle of them. She did not like creepy-crawlies—bugs, beetles, spiders of any kind, or—heaven forbid!—snakes. Those woods were certain to be full of them.

Miss Angie used her free hand to give Winter’s a gentle pat. “Don’t worry, dear. Nothing in these woods will harm you.”

How did she know what I was thinking? Soul magic again? But Winter didn’t believe in magic. So what was it about the gracious woman at her side? She wasn’t just a sweet lady who owned Paradise Pines Lodge—or managed it. Miss Angie was unlike anyone Winter had ever known. There was about her an aura of innocence and purity.

Brady would probably say it was something divine.

“I’d love to know what lies behind those lovely eyes of yours.” Miss Angie gave Winter’s arm a squeeze. “What are you thinking about, child?”

“You really want to know?”

“I did ask...”

“That’s true. Well, I was thinking that you’re much more than meets the eye. You’re beautiful and sweet, but you’re so much more than that.” She chuckled, a little embarrassed at her outburst. “You’re kind of angelic, Miss Angie.”

Soft laughter wrapped itself around Winter’s heart like a soft, warm glove on a cold day. “You think so?”

“I do. For real.”

“Well, it’s true that there is usually more to a person than meets the eye. But…angelic?” Miss Angie gave Winter’s hand another squeeze and then stopped walking. “Oh, here we are. I wanted you to see this.”

Enchanted by her companion, Winter hadn’t noticed they’d walked out of the tree cover and into a pretty clearing marred by a litter of something that stole the breath from her lungs. Across the expanse of wildflower-dotted grass, pieces of the broken C-Cove Flying Taxi lay scattered like castoff clothing in an otherwise pristine room.

As her gaze roamed the wreckage, Winter’s heartbeat raced. The simple fact that she and her brother had fallen out of the sky had been reason enough to believe they’d had the narrowest of narrow escapes. But seeing what was left of their transportation brought on a breath-robbing panic. How had she and Kai survived?

One crumpled wing, bent into a battered “U” shape, cradled the broken tailpiece. The mangled cockpit lay canted to one side, and jagged shards of glass gripped the shattered windshield like stubborn tentacles. Other, smaller parts created a confetti of airplane pieces Winter didn’t recognize.

“Where’s the rest of it?” Her voice sounded small, even in the hushed glade.

“Here and there,” Miss Angie said. “Somewhere across the miles your flying chariot covered during its ungraceful descent.”

Winter stepped close to peer in through what should have been the windshield. Kai’s license hung askew from the clip on which her brother had kept it displayed. How pitiable it seemed, dangling there like a manifesto of failure. She reached in and took the plastic-framed document. Kai would be glad to have it. Stepping back, she let her gaze travel the length and breadth of the clearing. The area nestled into the woods, peaceful and serene, only weeks after having its solitude violently invaded by a flying monster. The unsightly pieces of metal and glass hunkered like ugly scars against the backdrop of glorious, gorgeous nature.

“There, there, dear…don’t cry. It’s all over, and you and Kai are both safe and sound. I brought you here so you would understand what a miracle that is.”

Winter hadn’t known she wept until Miss Angie spoke, and then she found the flood of tears would not be dammed. “How is it even possible that we’re both ‘safe and sound’?” She hitched in a breath. “Why would God waste a miracle on my brother and me? We’re not even Christians.”

Miss Angie slipped an arm around her waist. “With God, all things are possible. And know this, child…miracles are never wasted. Our Father had a reason for bringing you here to Paradise Pines. And He brought you here alive, which means He has something left for each of you to do.” She brushed a strand of damp hair off Winter’s face. “Rather than wondering how, perhaps you should ask yourself why.”

“I don’t understand.”

“Of all the places your plane might have gone down—including somewhere in the depths of the ocean—you wound up here, in Cambria. Do you really believe that happened by coincidence?”

She lifted one shoulder and opened her mouth to say yes, that’s pretty much what she thought. But then an image of sapphire eyes and thick, unruly black hair flashed through her mind. Winter squeezed her eyes shut against Brady’s face, only to find Julia Rafferty’s gray eyes and sweet smile projected on the backs of her eyelids.

She and Kai had both found something in this seaside community that made them want to stick around a while. If the plane now lying in pieces around her had not malfunctioned…had it not fallen from the sky right where it had, she most likely would’ve never met Brady. Kai—sweet, shy Kai—would not have met Julia, with whom he’d been so smitten that he’d ventured out of his shell to make sure she noticed him, even before he left the hospital.

Brady and Julia aside, if the plane had gone down anywhere but here, she and her twin would almost certainly have been killed.

She shook her head, not sure how to deal with this kind of thinking. Was she really entertaining the idea that the crash and everything that followed it was all a part of some Divine plan?

“To everything there is a season,” Miss Angie murmured. “And a time to every purpose under the heavens.”

“Do you really believe that, Miss Angie?” Winter brushed at her leaky eyes.

“Oh, my dear…I never doubt God’s Word.”

Of course not. Everyone in the woman’s circle of friends seemed convinced the Bible was utter truth, that God was real, that He cared for each of them and had a master plan for their lives.

How comforting it must be to truly believe Someone, somewhere, loved every individual with a pure, undying love. Winter yearned for that comfort…for the ability to believe, to trust that He had her back, no matter the circumstances. “I wish—” She broke off, not sure what to say. “Miss Angie, you’re so peaceful. Brady has that same aura of quiet calm and a steady confidence that God is real and loves every one of us. I wish I knew how to…” She lowered her eyelashes, embarrassed by her inability to articulate her feelings. “I’d love to have what you have. And Brady. Actually, everyone I’ve met since I arrived radiates that same inner joy.”

Miss Angie wrapped both arms around Winter and pulled her close. “God brings peace to the hearts of His people, no matter what’s going on in the world around them. If you want that same joy your new friends wear with such grace, you can have it, dear. Christ is standing by, waiting for you to invite Him in.” She stepped back and looked straight into Winter’s heart. “There’s no ritual involved, no secret rite of passage. Just choose to believe that He is. Believe that He died for your salvation and then rose again on the third day. He still lives, sweet child. The peace that you’ve seen in Brady and me, and in our friends here in Cambria…that’s Jesus in our hearts. He is the Bringer of Peace.”

“I have so much to learn.” Tears burned her eyes and trickled down her face. “But when I look at what’s left of this airplane, it’s hard not to believe there’s a higher Power, and that—for whatever reason—He chose to save my brother and me. I want to know Him, Miss Angie. I want to find the peace I see in all of you…but I don’t know how.”

“Oh, sweet child!” Miss Angie gave her a final, gentle squeeze and backed away.

Winter looked up, drawn by something in the older woman’s voice. She gasped, and both hands flew to her face.

Vivid blue eyes glowed golden. A bright white aura surrounded the lodge hostess’s slender form. And, for a second or two, didn’t a pair of wings hover in suspended motion behind the shining figure? The glow, the aura, the wings…there for a moment, and then gone. Surely she hadn’t imagined them. They’d been so real, a breathtaking flash of glorious, angelic beauty.

But then Miss Angie wrapped Winter’s fingers in her own, and she was, after all, only flesh and blood.

A twig snapped in the trees. Winter glanced around the glade, her heart lodged in her throat, until Raine stepped into the open.

“Hi! Kai told me the two of you were taking a walk on the grounds, and I had a feeling I’d find you here.”

Miss Angie smiled, and her soft laughter soothed Winter’s tight nerves. She wanted to laugh along and confess to being delusional.

“I won’t ask how going for a walk on the grounds equals standing in this clearing, but I’m glad you’re here, Raine. Our lovely newscaster is ready to give her heart to the Lord. Come pray with us.”

Pure delight shone from Raine’s eyes. “Oh, Winter! I’m so happy I could dance a jig right here in Miss Angie’s prayer room.”

“Her prayer room?”

“Why would you say such a thing?” Miss Angie asked, but the twinkle in her eyes told its own tale.

“I think you know.” Raine stepped close and hugged the older woman. “While I was a guest at Paradise Pines, I saw you praying here one late afternoon.”

“Yes, dear. I know. I wondered if you’d ever mention it.”

“The time was never quite right, I guess. Tonight, it feels right.”

“God’s timing, dear. Yes, I do love to pray in this pretty place.” Miss Angie swept her gaze around the glade.

Apparently picking up on Winter’s confusion, Raine touched her arm. “Remind me to tell you about it sometime.” With the words barely spoken, her full lips formed a perfect O. Wide blue-gray eyes roamed the clearing, studying the scattered pieces of the puddle jumper. “Your prayers—they sanctified this place, Miss Angie. Maybe that’s why Winter and Kai came through that awful crash with such minimal injury.” She crossed her arms and shivered, her gaze fixed on the mangled plane parts. “I mean, seriously…look at this wreckage!”

Winter nodded. “We discussed that. Miss Angie said God has work for us to do. I don’t really know what that means, but I want to. I’d love to know Him the way you do, Raine.”

Her friend heaved a sigh, gave a final rueful shake of her head and one last glance at all the mangled metal in the clearing. Then her rigid posture relaxed. She gave Winter a quick hug and then took her hand on one side, Miss Angie’s on the other. “Then, come with me. I’ll introduce you to my Father.” She lifted one dark eyebrow. “Shall I talk with Him first, and you repeat after me? Or you can just say whatever you’d like. He won’t be interested in whether or not you pray a pretty prayer, or say the right words, or use perfect grammar.”

Winter glanced down, but this wasn’t a time for shame or guilt. Miss Angie said there was a time for everything, and Winter felt in her soul that this day and in this place, it was time for her to meet God. But she didn’t know to pray.

“I’d like you to guide me through, Raine. Please.” She bit her lip and nodded. “I’ll learn to pray—I want to. But I don’t know how just yet.”

“No worries. Let’s do it.”

They bowed their heads, and Raine brought Winter before the Father’s throne. She prayed a simple prayer of repentance, and Winter repeated every word. By the time they all said the final “amen,” tears streaked Winter’s face—liquid joy that bubbled up in her soul and overflowed through her eyes. Peace unlike anything she’d ever experienced filled her heart.

Miss Angie drew both of the younger women into a hug. “Oh, what a celebration they’re having in Heaven! Winter, dear…your name is known to the Father, and the angels rejoice because another soul is saved.”

Winter took a step back and swiped at her damp eyes. “You think Heaven is celebrating over me? Oh, no, Miss Angie…I’m not worthy.”

Raine laughed softly, and Miss Angie’s lips curved into the most beautiful smile. “None of us are, dear child. But read Luke chapter 15 when you can. I tell you, the heavens rejoice over you today.” She closed her eyes and lifted her face to the sky. “I can almost hear them lifting their voices in praise, celebrating salvation—your salvation, Winter. What a lovely song they sing!”

Winter couldn’t speak.

Miss Angie’s uplifted face shone, as if she really could… Could she hear the angels singing and praising?

She glanced at Raine and found her friend also mesmerized by Miss Angie. Then, as though she heard Winter’s questions in her soul, Raine turned her head, smiled…and then nodded.

Winter didn’t question what the nod was about. She knew.

Raine believed Miss Angie was peering through the windows of Heaven, seeing the splendor, and yes…listening to the angels’ song.

Winter believed it too. If her Father could save the unsaveable sinner she’d been until moments ago, then she could believe the unbelievable.