Merry Kisses (Riverbend Romance 5) (10 page)

“Hey, you two.” Kelly’s laughing voice held warning.

Heath glanced at the little girls, both of whom were watching him and Sonya with wide eyes. “I’ll get even with you for that later,” he whispered in Sonya’s ear. “Now be a good example for the children.”

Her eyes danced. “I didn’t do anything. You really did have icing on your nose. You still do.”

“Uh huh.”

“You do, Mr. Heath,” Elena said decisively. “Miss Sonya, can you help me with an angel? I want one like Sophie’s.”

“Sure.” Sonya turned to spread icing on another cookie while Kelly moved several completed confections to the counter.

“This is the Mount Everest of cookies.” Heath added a chocolate chip belt to a gingerbread man. “Who is going to eat them all? I’ll do my best, because I wouldn’t want Sophie or Elena to get sore tummies.”

“Mommy said we are making them for the Christmas party at church.” Elena glanced up from the profusion of red glitter on her angel.

“That’s right,” Kelly agreed. “We’ll keep a few out so the girls can have one each day, but the rest are going in the freezer for the party. How many kids do you think are coming, Heath?”

“I really don’t know. I’m not in charge of anything but my part of the program. If all the church kids come, we’ll have forty at least, and if they bring friends...” He spread his hands wide.

“I invited my friends,” said Sophie. “Gracie is coming, and maybe some of the others.”

“That’s awesome.” Heath glanced at Sonya as she continued icing cookies.
 

“Still not sure how this fits as a church event,” she mumbled.

“I can’t wait to see!” Kelly passed a snowman shape to Sophie. “I think you and Nick and Lindsey have some great ideas, and I’m glad Pastor Davis and the board got behind it.”

Sonya sucked in her lip and added a sliver of black licorice to a sheep’s leg. Hopefully she’d dunk the rest of the cookie in coconut, officially making it Heath’s favorite combination.

He leaned closer to her. “Will you come and help out with the program on Monday? I’d love to have you there.”

“They wouldn’t let me,” said Kelly. “I tried to sign up, but Lindsey said parents weren’t allowed. She wouldn’t let Sarah either, because she’s a teacher.”

“Reed and Carly are doing music with the kids, aren’t they?” put in Ian.

Heath nodded. “They have something special planned.” He glanced at the girls and grinned at their rapt attention. “But I can’t say what it is. I’m not allowed.”

Elena rolled her eyes. “No one tells me anything.”

“I like surprises,” said Sophie.

“Sonya?” asked Heath softly.

She glanced at him sideways. “I think I have to.”

He caught his breath. “Have to?”

“I need to figure out your angle. Before it’s too late.”

Too late for what? He had a guess or two. A lot rode on next week’s presentation, but God would work it out.

CHAPTER 12

Well over fifty children crowded into the fireside room at River of Life Church, with more voices from the corridor beyond. Across the space, Sonya and Lindsey helped a group of children with a Christmas craft, while at a second table, other volunteers led another craft.

Heath let out a long breath. A lot rode on this program. He’d been the one to approach the pastoral team with this idea. He could be glad his buddy Nick, the church’s youth and family pastor, had seen potential, and developed it together with his wife, Lindsey.

But not only had this become a big deal to the church families, over the past week, it had become a big thing between him and Sonya. She still hung back, just a bit, as though waiting for the other shiny black boot to fall.

Please, Lord.

This month had done wonders for Heath’s prayer life. Not just for his relationship with Sonya, though that had been a lot of it, but for the needy families the ministerial association had been able to pinpoint. And for the little girl, Bailey. He’d seen her a couple of times, but she always disappeared before he could get anywhere near. He’d met so many kids in the past weeks. Why this one refused to leave his mind, he didn’t know.

“Look, Mr. Heath. See what Miss Carly helped us make?” Elena held up a half-walnut shell containing a bead with a face painted on it and a scrap of Christmas fabric tucked to its chin. “It’s Baby Jesus in the manger. See? There’s fishing line, so we can hang it on the tree.”

“That will help you remember Jesus’ birthday.” He crouched down beside her.

She nodded soberly. “Not everybody knows about Jesus. Some kids only know about Santa Claus.” Elena leaned closer. “But did you know some kids don’t even know about Santa?”

“That’s hard to believe in Canada. Don’t they ever come to the mall?”

Elena grinned. “I know. But Santa doesn’t come to their house.” She pressed her hand to her forehead. “I get so mixed up about it. I know Santa is pretend and Jesus is real.”

“It’s tough to remember everything all the time. Even for grownups.”

She tipped her head at him and sighed. “Really? Sophie always remembers.”

Heath forced the grin to stay off his face as he glanced around. “Where is your twin, anyway? She’s usually right beside you.”

“She invited her friend to come, and she’s not giving up waiting at the door.”

“Wow, good for Sophie.” Heath pointed at the other craft table. “Are you going to do that one, too?”

“I sure am, Mr. Heath!” And off she bounded.

Heath made his way through the busy room and out into the corridor as several children entered. Sophie wasn’t among them. He headed for the church foyer, rounding the final corner just as a little girl came in the big doors. “Bailey!” called Sophie. “You came. I knew you would.”

Bailey?
Heath’s heart nearly stopped as he melted back into the shadows. He’d only caught a glimpse, but it couldn’t be another child with the same name. Had she kept the invitation she’d crumpled into her jeans’ pocket two weeks back?

Heath shook his head. Could she even read it? Let alone figure out the place and time by herself? Maybe the unknown mean mother had dropped her off after all. That would be an answer to prayer right there.

The two little voices came toward him, and Heath beat a hasty retreat to the fireside room. Would Bailey recognize him? Unlikely. At least not until he donned his Santa suit later, but she’d recognize Sonya.

Heath worked his way through the group of children as Carly passed out jingle bells, castanets, and tambourines. “Sonya!”

She turned at his voice, a smile on her pretty face. “Hey, handsome.” She lifted her hand to his cheek.

For some reason, she seemed to like his face with a day-or-two-old beard. Definitely worth leaving it. He resisted the impulse to lean in for a quick kiss. Best keep focused with sixty-some kids in the room. “Don’t look now,” he whispered, “but see who just came in with Sophie?”

She leaned around his shoulder and her eyes widened. “Bailey,” she breathed.

“Yeah, God worked some kind of miracle to get her here. She’ll recognize you, I’m sure.”

Sonya nodded. “Should I go over to her, do you think? Or avoid being seen?”

“I’m not sure.” He closed his eyes for a second. “Ask God. That’s all I’ve got.”

“Wait. I gave her the invitation, so she’d expect me to be here, right?”

Heath gave his head a little shake. “Of course. I should’ve thought of that.”

Reed strummed his guitar and asked the children to match the rhythm with their instruments. Heath glanced back as Sophie and Bailey shook two sets of bells, adding to the cacophony in the room. They were seated on the carpet in the midst of the group, which was reason enough to stay back and let events play out.

“When do you need to go get ready for your talk?” Sonya asked.

“Not for a few minutes.” Heath leaned on the wall and pulled Sonya against him so they could both watch and sing along. “I can keep you company for now.”

She leaned back, her head resting against his shoulder and both her hands covering his around her waist.

This. This was as close to heaven as Heath could get on Earth. At least for now.

* * *

Sonya watched the children’s delighted faces as Heath, dressed in his Santa outfit, came onstage. Several of the church teens acted out the story of the first Christmas as Heath told the tale. Then he talked about how the story of Jesus’ birth had spread around the world and how different cultures celebrated it with gift-giving. Pastor Nick, dressed up as Saint Nicholas in long robes and elaborate head-piece, invited Elena to the front. He then demonstrated how in some parts of Europe, the village priest visited each household on December fifth, taking the children on his knee to bless them for the coming year.
 

Soon Corbin entered dressed as Sinterklaas, lamenting that his white horse was not welcome inside the church. He handed out candy to the kids as he and Heath recounted the Dutch traditions.

By the time Reed appeared as the British Father Christmas, Sonya had settled into a chair at the back of the room, amazed by the thousands of little details that had gone into this presentation. Young Bailey sat between Sophie and Elena, as enthralled as any child in the room.

Why hadn’t Sonya ever stepped way back and looked at the whole Santa Claus legend like this before? She still didn’t think parents should lie to their kids, but Elena and Sophie seemed well-adjusted. Turfing Santa completely was like throwing the baby out with the bathwater. Look what it had done to Bailey.

Look what it had done to her.

A woman’s voice came from the corridor, rapidly growing louder. Lindsey surged to her feet and headed to the door, Sonya at her heels. Lindsey opened the door just as the woman pushed on the other side of it.

Sonya’s mouth dropped. Deborah? What on Earth was her anti-Christmas ex-boss doing in a church — at a children’s Christmas party, no less?

“You?” Deborah’s eyes blazed. “I should have known it was you. I saw you acting out at the
Santa
display at the mall.”

Sonya jerked back a step. “Should have known what was me?”

“Where is she?”

Lindsey took Deborah’s arm and shifted her back half a step, shutting the three of them out into the hallway. “I’m sorry. My name is Lindsey Harrison, and my husband, Nick, is the youth pastor here at River of Life. Would you mind telling me what all this is about?”

“My daughter. Someone gave her an invitation to this thing, and I told her no way. But then she got it into her head to come anyway, against my wishes. She’s in there. I know she is.”

“Y-your daughter?” Sonya’s brain buzzed. “I didn’t even know you had a child.”
Bailey
. That would explain so much. Deborah was exactly the kind of person who would produce a jaded child like Bailey.

Sonya should know.

“I had to bring her to the mall a few times this month when her after-school care fell through. I know she went down there and gave Santa Claus a piece of her mind.” Deborah’s voice vacillated between anger and satisfaction. “But the worst thing?”

There was more? Sonya stared in fascination, peripherally aware that a few meters down the corridor, the other door to the fireside room opened and Santa Claus — Heath — strode toward them.

“Hello, Deborah. What seems to be the problem here?”

Sonya cringed. Was he being too forceful? Deborah would stomp all over him if she thought so.

The toy-store owner pivoted on a sharp heel. “You.”

Heath spread his white-gloved hands wide. “Me. Yes. What can I help you with?” He glanced from Deborah to Sonya and back again.

“Heath. I think Bailey is Deborah’s daughter.”

Deborah spun again, her finger jabbing toward Sonya’s chest. “Aha. You admit you knew. And you tried to turn my child against me. Well, I’ve come for her now.” She turned a narrow glare at Lindsey, who leaned against the door. “Please move. You have no right to keep my daughter here without my permission. Do I need to call the RCMP?”

Sonya stepped closer to Lindsey. “I’ll go in and get her.” There really wasn’t anything else she could say, was there? Deborah was right. It wasn’t their place to interfere with how she raised her child.

Lindsey didn’t move out of the way. “Just a sec, Sonya. I have a question first.”

Deborah sputtered.

Lindsey raised her hand. “One question. You said there was something else. A worse thing. Care to elaborate, so we have all the facts?”

Deborah glared at each in turn, but must’ve come to the conclusion she couldn’t overpower all three of them to get in the fireside room. Reed’s guitar and the not-so-melodic sound of dozens of children singing
Away in a Manger
drifted through the door.

The woman turned on Heath. “It must be your fault. I don’t know whose else it could be.”

He held up both hands. “What happened?”

“Some man who said he was the pastor of a church showed up at my house last night. He said someone had given our name as a family in need of Christmas cheer.” No cheer was evident in her tone.

Memories crashed over Sonya. The neighbors who’d meddled, who’d made Dad as crazy as Deborah was right now. Sonya and her brother had cowered in the corner as Dad raved. It hadn’t been any of that neighbor’s business whether she and Brian had gifts under their non-existent tree or not. Was that what Heath had been doing, thinking he was making it better for Bailey? Because that wouldn’t be the result.
 

She turned to look at him, to read the reassurance on his face, but the blank expression didn’t give the reassurance she craved. “Heath? Do you know anything about it?”

“I-uh...”

The clamor in her head grew to a deafening pitch.

He took a step closer, glancing between her and Deborah. “I can explain.”

Sonya didn’t see how.

CHAPTER 13

He didn’t have time to explain. Sixty kids poured out of the fireside room. Deborah grabbed Bailey’s arm and towed her down the corridor ahead of the tide without a backward glance. Little ones gathered around Heath, wanting to whisper secrets in Santa’s ear.

Somewhere in the midst of the melee, Sonya disappeared.

Heath’s heart — his entire being — ripped in two. He and Nick had planned this event for months, working over the details of presenting Santa as a bridge to celebrating Jesus’ birthday. He couldn’t toss aside all these children and race down the church corridor to find the woman he loved above all others.