Forever After (25 page)

She nodded, leaning forward, so much hope in her eyes. “But how do you know, Luc?”

“You just know”—he placed a hand over his heart—“in here.”
Oh, God, give me the words. I want her to know You.
A few minutes ago his reasons might have been less than altruistic. But now—even if nothing else ever came of their friendship—he only wanted for Jenna to know the love of a heavenly Father.

For the next hour he tried to make a case for the God who’d carried
him through the past year. She asked earnest questions that made him examine the evolution of his own faith.

A few minutes after the schoolhouse clock in the kitchen struck midnight, Jenna yawned and rubbed her temples. “My brain is on overload.”

He laughed. “Mine too.”

She unfolded herself from the sofa. “It’s late. I should go. I’ve got a lot to think about.”

He reached for his crutches and struggled to his feet. “I’ll walk you to the door.”

“You don’t need to, Luc. I’m fine.”

“No, I want to.” Leading the way with long strides of his crutches, he stood in the entryway in front of the door. He leaned one crutch against the door and put a hand on her arm. “Would you come for dinner tomorrow? Lunch, I mean. We’ll probably eat around one. My grandparents will be here. I’d love for you to meet them.”

“It’s Christmas Day.”

“Um … that’s sort of the point.”

“Lucas, it’s your family’s—”

“Jenna, in case you didn’t notice, my family adores you. They’ll love having you.
I’d
love for you to come.”

She looked up at him and narrowed her eyes. “You just want a re-match on that Finger and Toe game.”

“Hand and Foot,” he said, cracking up, thoroughly charmed.

She grinned. “Whatever. And you’re sure?”

In reply he leaned in and brushed a strand of hair from her cheek. Before he could think about what he was doing, he kissed her forehead. Overcome with emotions he couldn’t quite identify, he threaded his fingers through her pale, thick curls and cradled her head in the palm of his hand. He had never wanted to kiss a woman so much in his life. And by the way she leaned into his caress, he thought she was feeling the same.

“Are you convinced yet?” he whispered.

“Lucas …” Her eyes held a look of desperation that only made him want her more. “I don’t—”

“Shhh.” He put a finger to her lips. They were like velvet beneath his touch and he traced their lines. Something snapped inside him and he drew her close, kissing her full on the lips.

She made a sound that was somewhere between a moan and a sigh. “I have to go,” she said, eyes wild.

He hadn’t intended to do that, but he couldn’t apologize because he wasn’t sorry. “Jenna, wait. I—”

“No. I … I asked for it.”

“You did? Well, in that case—” He kissed her again, a teasing peck on the cheek this time, but it was only his dependence on the crutch that kept him from taking her into his arms and giving her what she claimed to be asking for. He intended to quiz her on that further, but right now if he didn’t walk her out that door, he would regret it.

He opened the door and put a hand lightly at the small of her back. “Come back tomorrow. We’ll both sleep on … what just happened. We’ll talk about it then.”

She nodded, looking dazed.

“Merry Christmas,” he said.

“Merry Christmas, Luc.”

He stood in the doorway watching her pick her way down the sidewalk and get into her car. After she drove away, he went back inside, praying his sisters had already gone to bed. Because he couldn’t seem to wipe the silly grin off his face.

From the look in his eyes, he was not happy with the interruption.

28

Thursday, December 25

J
uggling a fruit basket under one arm, Jenna wiped damp palms on the back of her pants before ringing the doorbell. Hearing footsteps inside, she stole a quick look at her reflection in the side panel window, hoping she didn’t look as nervous as she felt.

“Jenna! Come in. Merry Christmas!” Emily Vermontez flung the door wide.

“Here … I brought this for you.” She thrust her offering into Emily’s arms, feeling a prick of guilt since this was actually the gift basket she’d intended for Bryn. But she thought her friend would understand.

“Oh! How nice. You didn’t have to do that.” She turned and called down the stairwell. “Lucas? Jenna’s here.”

Feeling a little more confident at the warm greeting she’d received—and the reassurance that Lucas was expecting her—she took a deep breath and stepped inside. The savory aromas of turkey and gravy and something cinnamony filled her nostrils and made her
remember her manners. “Merry Christmas. Thank you so much for inviting me.”

“We’re delighted you could come.”

Jenna took in the house in the daylight, warmed again by memories of last night.

“You look lovely,” Emily said.

“Oh … thank you. I love your sweater,” she said, pointing at the soft lavender cardigan Emily wore over black dress pants. She’d worried about what to wear today, but her crisp white cotton shirt and casual black pants felt just right.

“Thank you,” Emily said, fingering one of the rhinestone buttons and looking pleased at the compliment. “I’ve had this for years … a Walmart special. I think I paid eight dollars for it. I wish I’d gotten one in every color.”

Jenna was a little shocked—both at Emily’s admission and by the fact that such a pretty sweater had come from a discount store. Clarissa would have died before she’d shop for clothing at Walmart. When she bragged on a bargain, it was a designer name she’d picked up for under a hundred dollars in St. Louis. Jenna was embarrassed to realize that she’d been guilty of the same thing under the guise of impressing her friends with her thriftiness, but in truth, designed to reveal how much she usually spent on her clothes.

Jenna had always thought Lucas’s mother was a beautiful woman, but for the first time she became aware that Emily’s beauty didn’t come from designer clothes or expensive cosmetics—or even a great haircut. Her beauty was natural and understated, and due in large part to her warm, friendly manner. Luc had inherited that from her—along with his dark good looks.

Luc.
She’d started to think of him by that nickname. Maybe it was from being around his family, who all called him Luc—unless they were lecturing him, and then he became “Lucas Alexander.” Jenna had noticed that during the card game last night.

She’d awakened in Bryn’s apartment this morning not sure if she had the courage to come back and face Lucas after their stolen kisses last night. But she’d loved being part of this happy, generous family too much to stay away.

Lucas’s voice floated up from the bottom of the basement stairway. “Hey, you came! Merry Christmas.”

She peered over the railing at him.

“Come on down … we’re watching the game.” He leaned on his crutches, seeming as unsure as she felt. Or maybe he was just uncomfortable with his mom watching them.

She turned to Emily. “Do you need help in the kitchen?”

“No, no … you go on down.” She glanced at the clock. “We’re still waiting on Luc’s grandparents. I may enlist you and the girls when it’s time to dish things up, but dinner won’t be ready for a few minutes yet.”

“Come on down,” Lucas said again. “Hope you don’t mind if I don’t come up. It’s a bear getting upstairs on these stupid things.” He shifted his weight to one crutch and pointed at her with the other.

She hurried down the stairs. Smiling, Luc took her hand as if it were the most natural thing in the world. “How are you?”

So many other questions contained within his three little words. “I’m good. How are you?”

He squeezed her hand. “Better now.”

“Hi, Jenna!” Luc’s sisters called in unison from the family room.

From the look in his eyes, he was not happy with the interruption.

She laughed at him and poked her head around the corner to where Emily’s fiancé, Victoria, and Gina were ensconced in mismatched sofas and overstuffed chairs. The cozy room was lit only by the big-screen TV.

Lucas poked Gina with the rubber-tipped end of one crutch. “Scoot over.”

“Ouch! You could just
ask
.”

“I did.”

Jenna laughed, charmed at the little boy Lucas became in the presence of his sisters. Even though he was the big brother.

Lucas plopped beside his sister and pulled Jenna down beside him.

She settled in, letting Lucas take her hand again in the dark. She pretended to watch the game, but as he twined his fingers with hers, her mind wandered far away, fantasizing what it would be like to be part of this happy family. What it would be like to have Lucas beside her every day, holding her hand, kissing her the way he’d kissed her last night. She almost couldn’t breathe thinking about it. Wishing it would happen again, fearing it would. And wondering if things could ever work out between them.

Emily appeared on the stairway. “I don’t suppose anyone could tear themselves away from the game long enough to help me in the kitchen.”

“Luc would be happy to.” Victoria grinned at her brother from her nest in a comfy chair.

He picked up a crutch and pointed it at her. “Have a little compassion for the handicapped, will you?”

“I’ll help.” Jenna untangled her fingers from Lucas’s grip and pushed off the sofa.

Victoria and Gina shot from their seats, which made Lucas roar. “Oh, man! You guilted them straight out of their seats.”

Jenna laughed, but she felt awkward as she followed the Vermontez sisters up to the kitchen. Emily put her immediately at ease, assigning her simple tasks and keeping up friendly chatter while they worked.

The doorbell rang while Jenna was slicing homemade bread.

“Abi and Baba are here!” Victoria shouted.

“Manny’s parents,” Emily explained, wiping her hands on a Christmas-y dishtowel.

Jenna thought she saw a glint of sadness in Emily’s eyes when she spoke of her late husband’s parents.

Victoria and Gina ushered an elderly couple into the kitchen. “Jenna,” Victoria said, hugging the petite white-haired woman, “this is Abuela and Abuelo Vermontez.”

“Nice to meet you,” she said, coming around the counter to shake their hands.

“She’s a pretty girl,” the gentleman said to his granddaughters, as if Jenna couldn’t hear him.

She smiled, mildly embarrassed, but Luc’s sisters seemed not to notice.

“Baba, Abi, this is Lucas’s friend, Jenna Morgan.”

“Morgan, you say? Wasn’t that the name of that rookie friend of Lucas’s? The fellow who died with our Manuel?”

Emily came to her rescue. “Yes, Pop, Zachary was Jenna’s husband.”

“I thought you said she was Lucas’s friend.”

“She is, Pop.” Emily smiled a friendly apology Jenna’s way. “Any friend of Zachary’s is a friend of our family.”

Luc’s grandfather removed the gray fedora from his head, placed it over his heart, and bent at the waist. “I’m very sorry for your loss, dear.”

“Thank you.” She swallowed back sudden tears. “And I’m sorry for yours.”

“We’ve all had some hard times, haven’t we?”

“Yes, we have.” She managed to acknowledge his sweet expression of sympathy before her throat closed completely.

“Girls, take Abi and Baba’s coats. Dinner’s almost ready.”

A few minutes later the adorable couple was settled at the table, and the food was arranged on the bar counter doubling as a buffet.

“Gina, go tell Luc and Geoff that dinner’s on … and don’t let them talk you into bringing plates down to them either. It’s Christmas and we
will
eat a proper meal together.” She winked at Jenna.

“Good luck with that,” Victoria mumbled.

But within seconds Gina was back with Geoff in tow, and Jenna heard the muffled
thump thump
of Lucas’s crutches on the carpeted stairs.

He reached the top and clumped over to greet his grandparents. After kissing both of them—kisses on both cheeks—he came to where she was standing near the table. “You hungry?”

Jenna nodded, butterflies fluttering in her belly. “Everything looks delicious.”

Emily smiled her thanks and turned to Lucas. “Luc, will you say the blessing?”

He looked a little taken aback by her request, but he nodded and everyone bowed their heads. Jenna followed suit.

“Father God, we thank You for this day when we celebrate the birth of Your Son. Thank You, God, for the hope that gives us. It’s been a year of—”

Lucas paused and Jenna realized he was choking up, struggling to regain his composure. Unexpected tears threatened behind her own eyelids.

“It’s been a hard year,” Luc murmured. His voice grew strong again. “But it’s been a year of healing, too, and we’re grateful for all Your blessings. Thank You that Abi and Baba could be here with us, and for each person You’ve brought around this table today.”

He reached over and squeezed her shoulder.

“Bless this food and bless our time together,” he finished. “In Jesus’ name, amen.”

A chorus of amens fluttered through the room, and Jenna bit her lip to keep it from trembling. This was a side of Lucas she’d only seen hints of. But his prayer unlocked something within her that she couldn’t yet define. It moved her deeply to be standing here with this family. She could imagine what their lives must have been like two years ago, while Manny was still alive, gathered around this same table, unaware that tragedy would soon shatter their world.