A Warmth in Winter (36 page)

“Alex?”

“Annie?”

Dr. Marc sprang from the pew to embrace his son, while Olympia and Caleb rose to welcome Annie. And slowly, Salt stood and stepped into the aisle, ignoring the hubbub of greetings.

The third man, a stranger to Heavenly Daze, lifted his head and met Salt's gaze head-on.

“Dad—I've come to ask your forgiveness . . . and the forgiveness of my kids.”

“Patrick.” The word slipped from Salt's tongue of its own accord. Reflexively, he took a half-step back toward the front pew where Bobby and Brittany sat transfixed.

“Dad?” As Patrick took a shaky step forward, silence fell over the sanctuary. Olympia and Annie stood frozen in an over-the-pew embrace, and Dr. Marc released his son.

“Patrick.” Salt said the name again, and this time his voice trembled. He extended his hand. “Welcome home, Son.”

Then he ran forward on legs that trembled more violently than they had when he was lost and cold in the water, and suddenly Patrick was in his arms and his son's tears were wetting his shirt, then Bobby and Brittany were hugging his legs, all four of them swirling in a tumultuous embrace as the church smiled and the residents of Heavenly Daze lifted their hands in spontaneous applause and joyous laughter.

And Salt Gribbon's heart swelled with emotions he'd thought he'd never feel again.

Epilogue

So distinctly I remember it was in a cold December, And every village member came rejoicing to my door . . .

G
avriel here, hoping you've enjoyed another sneak peek at the happenings in Heavenly Daze. The month's end found us with many changes on our little island—Stanley Bidderman vacated the B&B's attic room in favor of Vernie Bidderman's guest room. Vernie took to her bed with the flu on Christmas Day, and Stanley proved to be a most compassionate and caring nurse. Now she doesn't object so much to “sweetums,” and there's talk they might actually renew their marriage vows in the spring . . .

A bit of a brouhaha erupted when Annie and Bea invited Vernie to the bakery for a surprise intervention . . . and the town learned that it had been vanilla syrup, not schnapps, that Vernie had been hiding beneath the counter. After being offended, Vernie softened when she realized that her neighbors cared enough to confront her with what they feared was a self-destructive habit.

Romance hit our humans hard this Christmas. Annie and A. J. hardly spent a minute apart during the holiday, and even when A. J. was called back to New York for a medical emergency, his pager kept flashing with Annie's special message: 703870. Apparently, to a love-struck mortal, those numbers look somewhat like “tomato.”

On the thirty-first, as the second hand was sweeping in a new year, Birdie Wester convinced Captain Gribbon that the lighthouse needed more than the occasional woman's touch . . . as did he. Wedding bells may be ringing soon, because mortal life is a fleeting thing.

Patrick Gribbon and his children shared a sweet time of fellowship with Salt at the lighthouse, and Patrick has agreed to seek help for his alcoholism. Salt will continue to keep Bobby and Brittany, and Birdie is delighted to help.

The folks at Frenchman's Fairest enjoyed a truly blessed holiday. Olympia found Annie's gift of a cashmere sweater delightful. Caleb especially liked the Humphrey Bogart video Annie bought him, a movie called
We're No Angels.
I hear it's a comedy, but the title alone is enough to make me chuckle.

But amid all the renewed relationships and tinsel and wrapping, one of the best gifts to grace the island crept quietly onto the scene. Shortly before lunch on Christmas Day, as Annie went out to the carriage house to call Dr. Marc and A. J. in for Christmas dinner, she discovered it on the ground, dusted with snow: a perfect, ruby-red tomato.

Sometimes miracles bloom in the most unlikely places.

Until we meet again,

—Gavriel

Birdie Wester's Nutmeg Shortbread

T
hough these cookies bake for nearly an hour, not much preparation is required.

Yields eight triangles and stores well in tins. Makes great gifts!

1⅓ cups flour

1 teaspoon nutmeg

¼ pound cold butter, cut into ¼ inch cubes

6 tablespoons sugar

1 large egg yolk (Birdie saves the egg whites for meringue.)

Heat the oven to 325 degrees. Grease an eight-inch round cake or pie pan.

In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour and ¾ teaspoon of the nutmeg. With your fingers, rub in the butter completely until the mixture is the texture of a sandy beach. Stir in 5 tablespoons of the sugar.

Stir in the egg yolk. Press the mixture together to make a dry, crumbly dough and put it on a work surface. Knead the dough several times until it holds together.

Press the dough into the prepared pan. Make sure it is smooth and level. With a small, sharp knife, mark eight wedges halfway into the dough. With a fork, prick the dough every half-inch.

In a small bowl, combine the remaining 1 tablespoon sugar and ¼ teaspoon nutmeg, then sprinkle it on the dough. Bake the shortbread until golden, 50–55 minutes.

Let the shortbread cool slightly in the pan set on a rack, then cut into wedges. Leave it in the pan until completely cooled.

Invite a few friends over for coffee and enjoy!

If You Want to Know More About . . .

• The birth of Jesus Christ: Luke 2

• Gabe's story about the preexistence of Jesus Christ: John 1:1–12

• The story about Moses' staff and the battle against Amalek: Exodus 17:10–12

• How cooperation can sustain people in times of weakness: Exodus 17:12

• Angels as servants and messengers: Genesis 24:7; Exodus 23:20; Hebrews 1:14

• Angels are as “swift as the wind” and “servants made of flaming fire”: Hebrews 1:7

• Angels' special care for children: Matthew 18:10

• Angels as protectors: Psalm 91:11–12

• The heavenly throne room: 2 Chronicles 18:18; Psalm 89:14; Psalm 11:4; Revelation 4:1–6

• Angels' limited knowledge: Matthew 24:36

• Angels eagerly watching humans: 1 Peter 1:12

• The third, or highest, heaven: 2 Corinthians 12:2; Deuteronomy 10:14; 1 Kings 8:27; Psalm 115:16

F
or the latest news from Heavenly Daze, visit
www.heavenlydazeME.com

About the Authors

L
ORI
C
OPELAND
is the author of more than 95 books. She lives in the beautiful Ozarks with her husband Lance. They are very involved in their church and active in supporting mission work in Mali, West Africa. Lance and Lori have three sons, two daughters-in-law, and five wonderful grandchildren.

A
NGELA
H
UNT
is the best-selling author of
The Tale of Three Trees, The Debt, The Note,
and
The Nativity Story,
with over three million copies of her books sold worldwide. Her book
The Novelist
won gold in ForeWord Magazine's 2007 Book of the Year award.
The Note
was a Hallmark Christmas movie in December 2007. Romantic Times Book Club presented Angela with a Lifetime Achievement Award in 2006. She and her husband make their home in Florida with two mastiffs.