Holiday in the Heart Page 13

  “It feels as if we’ve only just begun to dance.”

  “It doesn’t have to end here. I’d like to see you again. Perhaps for dinner?”

  “I’d love to.”

  “How about next Saturday, say seven-thirty?”

  “Fine.”

  “Then it’s a date.” Smiling, he took her hand in his.

  After the dance ended, she wrote down her address and telephone number and gave them to him. He held the paper—and her hand—a bit longer than necessary.

  By then Brittany and Matthew had walked over to them. After the introductions, Adam turned to her. “May I drive you home?”

  Brittany seemed thrilled. From the look on her sister’s face, Claudia had a feeling she and Matthew had no intention of going directly home.

  Claudia’s heart quickened at his question. Funny, how things often turned out. In one short evening her world had changed and seemed to be spinning in a new direction, promising a brighter future. Had she not come to the dance in the first place, none of this would have happened.

  ~*~

  Adam turned toward her as he slowed the car for a stoplight. “Would you like to get some coffee?” At her nod, he stopped at the nearest diner.

  She was hungry, but not for food. Instead she was eager to learn everything she could about this attractive man who had just entered her life.

  “There’s not much to tell,” he answered as she posed question after question. “Since I had nobody left in Dayton to keep me there, I accepted the teaching position at Carlyle.”

  She must have had a questioning expression on her face, for he added, “My parents are both dead.”

  “I’m sorry.”

  “Don’t be. Things happen in life. We learn to deal with them.”

  “That’s quite a philosophy.”

  “It works for me. My sister took it harder. Being older, she lived with them longer.” A hint of a smile touched his lips.

  “Where does she live?”

  “On a ranch in Montana, of all places.” He raised his cup, sipped the coffee.

  “That must be exciting. Does she have a family?”

  “It’s not too romantic being married to a rancher. She helps run the place, taking care of the smaller animals, not to mention her kids.”

  “Her days must be long.”

  “But she loves it. Calls it God’s country.”

  Claudia smiled, imagining the implications.

  “And what about you?” he said, clearly changing the subject.

  She found it easy to talk to him and surprised herself by telling him things she rarely talked about. Although she couldn’t explain it, she had a feeling it was okay. That this man was going to be a permanent fixture in her life.

  At her front door, after having told her a number of times how much he’d enjoyed the evening, Adam took her in his arms and kissed her. They parted, letting their eyes drink in the moment, before their lips came together once again, more passionately this time.

  As Claudia watched him go, she knew she’d be counting the hours until she saw him again.

  ~*~

  Their first official date turned out wonderful. He insisted on taking her for dinner at a small Italian restaurant. The food tasted scrumptious, the company divine. Afterwards, they parked on the bluff overlooking the ocean, while stars twinkled above in the canopy of endless black sky. She felt as carefree as a school girl. It was a picture-perfect evening, one that would remain forever in her memory. Had she fallen in love with this man? She hardly knew him—yet what she did know was enough. Had he asked her to drop everything and run away with him, she would have done so without giving it as much as a thought. Never one to advocate happy endings, she saw nothing but clear skies before her as months passed and they truly became a couple.

  ~*~

  During one of their early talks, Adam mentioned he was in the Army Reserve. Although she hated being separated from him, once every month he had to go away for a weekend. However, when the United States became involved in Afghanistan and Iraq, things changed. A few of their acquaintances in the Reserve had been deployed there, but it didn’t become personal until Adam told her about his orders to go to Iraq.

  “But, what about your classes?”

  “I’ve already spoken to the chancellor. They’ll be divided up amongst the other professors until I return.”

  “But...”

  “What?”

  Tears filled her eyes and started to slip slowly down her cheeks.

  “I don’t want you to go.”

  “I don’t want to go either, baby, especially now. But I have to.”

  She sobbed uncontrollably, unable to stop herself.

  He drew her close, enfolded her in his arms. “Shh, don’t cry. I’ll be back before you know it.”

  They sat like that for a very long time. The thought he’d be flying out of her life in a few days hung over her like an axe waiting to fall. She feared he wouldn’t come home. In the end, it would be just like Andrew. She would lose Adam, too. Nothing had changed after all.

  ~*~

  Claudia’s world fell apart when Adam left. Her heart splintered into a million tiny pieces—never to be repaired again. In her mind, she thought never to see him again. First Andrew and now, Adam. Was she only to fall in love with men who left her in the end?

  Clearly sensing the black funk she’d fallen into, her mother sat down beside her one evening shortly after Adam shipped out.

  “He’s coming back, Claudia.”

  She shook her head.

  “Nonsense! Of course he is.”

  “Nothing is certain, Mom. You know that better than most.”

  “But you can’t put the cart before the horse. You, of all people, should think positively.”

  “Why?”

  “Because you and Adam were meant to be. You said so yourself,” she replied.

  “That was before he shipped out.”

  “Destiny can’t be altered.”

  Why couldn’t she believe that? Unable to stop them, tears poured from her eyes. “I’m so scared, Mom.” Feeling like a child again, she buried her head in her mother’s ample bosom.

  Her mother stroked her head the same way she had when she’d been small and afraid. Finally she whispered, “I hate to see you so sad. Everything always works out for the best. You’ve got to believe that, sweetheart.”

  Claudia didn’t answer. Instead, she sobbed her heart out.

  ~*~

  Adam wrote and called whenever he could. Listening to him on the phone and reading the words from his heart kept hers beating. She religiously read the newspaper every day, and watched the news on TV in an attempt to keep up with the country’s peacekeeping efforts in Iraq. He couldn’t really tell her much about what his unit was doing there, but she knew he had to be scared. Between suicide bombings, insurgents, kidnappings and beheadings, how could a non-career soldier not be frightened?

  Then the worst happened. Adam’s letters stopped. There’d been increased activity by insurgents in the area where his unit was stationed. After not hearing from him for over a week, she feared he was hurt—or God forbid, worse.

  “Be logical, Claudia,” her mother pleaded. “If they’re under fire, how could any mail get in or out?”

  She had a point. Getting supplies or reinforcements had to be their number one priority, but being aware of this didn’t help her eat or sleep any better. In fact, nothing Brittany or her mother said soothed her. She finally contacted her congressman for help. She had to find out what had happened to Adam. The congressman’s office gave her a sympathetic ear, but Claudia doubted anything else would come from the call.

  Weeks turned into months and still no word. Claudia was nearly out of her mind with grief. What else could she imagine, but the worst?

  Then the very thing she dreaded happened. Her congressman contacted her with news: Adam was missing in action. His unit, a supply platoon, had gone out on a mission to deliver food, water and fuel to sol
diers stationed in a combat zone. They’d been ambushed by insurgents. More than half of the platoon was killed. Two went missing in action—her Adam one of them.

  “There’s always a chance the two men could be found alive,” he’d said, but Claudia knew his words were merely ones of consolation and held no weight.

  As she put the phone down, she felt as if every bit of air had been sucked from her body. All she wanted to do was crawl into a corner and die.

  ~*~

  Claudia watched out the window as Brittany and her new boyfriend, Tom, drove away. They’d been going together for nearly a month. Her flighty, younger sister never let herself get attached to any guy for long. She used to think less of her for doing so. Now, she looked at it in a different light. Perhaps Brittany had the right idea, after all. If you didn’t get attached to one guy, you couldn’t experience much heartbreak when you broke up...or lost him.

  The only thought never far from her mind was—where’s Adam? Each time someone detonated a suicide bomb in that God-forsaken place, she wondered if he was in the midst of it. Not knowing whether he was dead or alive tore her apart.

  “Claudia, I know you’re hurting,” her mother said, coming up behind her, “but you’ve got to keep believing Adam’s all right.”

  “Mother, how can I? I haven’t heard from him in over five months.”

  “God is watching over him.”

  “There is no God. If there were, there’d be no war.”

  “Claudia Sykes! You know better than that. Your father and I made certain you understood such things. God doesn’t declare war on others. Man does.”

  “Why doesn’t He stop them, then?” Claudia asked defiantly.

  “Because the Lord gave man free will.”

  “What a mistake.”

  No matter how hard her mother tried to console her, the more she fought her. She simply couldn’t look at the world through rose-tinted glasses.

  ~*~

  As the months dragged on, it seemed so hopeless. Claudia threw herself into her work, trying to forget. It didn’t help. Nothing would ever ease the terrible pain in her heart. She’d lost Adam. She tried not to think of him, but his smiling face came to mind every time she closed her eyes. Memories made her feel his mouth on hers or his hands gently caressing her body. Nothing seemed to dam her constant flow of tears.

  Work was her refuge. It felt good whenever she helped a young couple secure a loan, allowing them to make their dreams come true. Sometimes, they’d come in with their children. Yet often she found herself envying their good fortune. They reminded her of the sweet times when she and Adam had talked about marriage and having a family.

  He’d wanted at least three kids. She’d dreamed of having his children, but the dream quickly became impossible, for each passing day proved Adam wasn’t ever coming back.

  ~*~

  Claudia sat at her desk in the bank staring at the calendar. Tomorrow was Christmas Eve. Without Adam it would be a very blue Christmas. She’d prayed he’d be home for the holidays. They could’ve gone to the upcoming Christmas dance at the church. How Adam loved to dance. She smiled at memories of them dancing—of the night they’d met. He was such a good dancer.

  Tears filled her eyes. She’d never dance with him again. What good were her tears? They weren’t going to bring him back. She dabbed at her eyes and cleared her desk.

  ~*~

  Claudia grabbed her purse and coat when the clock chimed six. She wanted to stop at the store on the way home to pick up a few things for her mother. She wrapped her scarf around her neck and pulled on her gloves as light snow flurries swirled around her. The street was lightly covered with new fallen snow. Just the way Christmas Eve should look. Head down, she headed towards her car parked at the back of the lot near the light. She looked up as she approached and noticed somebody by her car. Why would someone be standing by her car? A rapist? A mugger? Although her favorite time of year, many people were down on their luck and often chose the holidays to steal from other people. She was too far away to see who it might be.

  Should she go closer, or run back to her office for help? Her feet kept moving of their own volition. She slowly approached the car...

  Claudia rubbed her eyes, thinking they were playing tricks on her. She blinked, but the man was no mirage or figment of her imagination. Her heart slammed against her ribs! She ran towards him laughing and crying at the same time. She wanted to fling her arms about his neck, but seeing his crutches nearly stopped her.

  “Oh, Adam,” she cried as she kissed his beautiful face, his eyes, and then his sweet mouth.

  As their lips clung together, her heart beat wildly in her chest.

  “Oh, my love, I imagined this moment over and over again as I lay in the hospital. Knowing I would come home to you got me through it,” he murmured as he kissed her hair.

  “Are you in pain? Do you want to sit? Oh Adam, how did you get here?”

  He chuckled. “Slow down, baby. We have all the time in the world.”

  “I can’t believe you’re actually here.” Gently she stroked the side of his face.

  A car horn blared and Claudia looked up to see Brittany wave and drive off. A grin shone on her face from ear-to-ear. She’d brought Adam tonight.

  “It’s cold,” she said, reaching up to caress his cheek. “Let me help you into the car.” Fumbling with her keys, she turned and unlocked the door.

  Holding on to the frame of the car, Adam handed Claudia the crutches as he lowered himself into the bucket seat. She reached inside and put the crutches in the back.

  “I won’t have to have them forever. They’re only temporary. The doctors say I’ll be able to walk without them soon.”

  “Adam, I wouldn’t care if you did need them forever. I’m just so glad you’ve come home. Are you hungry?”

  “Not for food.” A teasing gleam filled his eyes.

  Claudia drove to the closest motel and booked a room. She didn’t care who might see them. She needed to be alone with Adam. There was so much to say and so much she wanted to do.

  Entering the room, she put her purse down and crossed to the phone. “Mom, it’s Claudia. I just wanted to let you know I won’t be home for dinner. I didn’t want you to worry.”

  Laughter filled her mother’s voice. “I didn’t expect you.”

  Adam was stretched out on the bed watching her as she spoke to her mother. His eyes hadn’t left her since she ran to him in the bank’s parking lot. Now he opened his arms and she rushed into them, her heart racing so fast she could hardly breathe. His lips captured hers, practically devouring them before they continued down her body as if to reclaim what was his. Shivers of delight followed the path of his lips.

  They became one quickly and then cuddled together in love’s aftermath while their hearts slowed to a more normal pace. Not letting go, he began to make love to her once more. This time they took their time and savored every kiss, every touch.

  Then they talked. There was so much to say. Claudia clung to him, so afraid if she closed her eyes he’d disappear. Her fingers trailed lightly over his chest.

  “Each day I didn’t hear from you made me think the worst.”

  “I know. And I’m so sorry for making you worry. But I couldn’t contact you. After escaping the ambush, an Iraqi family hid me until they thought it safe to be turned over to the Americans.”

  Claudia imagined the terror he must have experienced.

  “Once in American hands, they flew me to Germany for medical treatment. My legs had been shattered, the rest of me badly wounded. One leg was fractured so badly the doctor feared they might have to amputate. He thought the other might be salvageable. Hearing his prognosis, my world seemed as shattered as my legs. I begged them not to notify you.”

  “But, why, Adam? I love you—want you with all my heart. I wouldn’t love you any less had you lost your legs.”

  “In my heart I knew that, but I didn’t want to become a burden. I saw what my father’s stroke d
id to my mother.”

  “I’m not your mother—”

  He placed a finger on her lips. “I know, but I was out of my head, strung out on meds.”

  “I don’t care about any of that. You’re here with me now and I don’t intend to ever let you go again.” She kissed him with all the passion she felt.

  Adam shifted her slightly away, raised himself on both elbows. “Do me a favor, baby, and hand me my jacket.”

  She got off the bed and walked to the table where they’d laid it.

  “I don’t intend to ever leave you again, either,” he said, as she handed it to him. He reached inside a pocket and took out a small box. He patted the bed beside him and Claudia sat. Love filled his eyes as he handed it to her. “I want you to be my wife.”

  Claudia’s hands began to shake as she opened the blue velvet box to find a beautiful diamond ring. Her eyes widened and tears filled her eyes, but she quickly slipped it on her finger.

  Not caring about who might be in the nearby rooms, she screamed, “Yes! Yes! Yes!”

  “Merry Christmas, Claudia,” he said before he took her in his arms and kissed her.

  Be sure to visit Candace’s website

  http://www.candacegold.com

  Victoriana

  Heather Hiestand

  Even the local dollar store looked inviting at Christmas. As Robyne pushed through the door she noted the decorations, complete with evergreen branches over the door and a gay wreath on the wall behind the cash register, but Catherine added the eccentric charm no other store could capture. Standing behind the cash register, dressed in an old-fashioned costume complete with bustle and ornate velvet trim, the dear friend of Robyne’s late grandmother smiled and blew her a kiss as she turned the corner into the toy section. Robyne understood why Catherine might be hiding in the past, but she was drowning in the issues of the present, shuttling severely disabled children to and from school.

  She hoped to find presents for the kids she thought of as her own. Though she couldn’t afford much, Catherine would give her a discount.