Dr. Noah and the Sugar Plum Fairy (8 page)

“He was on duty when I took Snowball to the animal emergency clinic.”

“So the guy who let our cat die is taking liberties with my sister.”

“Yes, but he didn’t let our cat die. It was time.”

“So what’s the matter? Why are we convening the Sister Cuddle Committee on Christmas Eve?”

“I think it may be over already.”

Mel punctured her juice box and took a long pull on the straw. “What happened?”

“I don’t know. We had this fast connection. Then the kiss. He surprised me at the ballet. Then I believe he had a long sit-down with his ex-fiancée last night. I think she drove all the way from California.”

“How do you know?”

“I just know. And I have to ask myself, why would a woman come all this way two days before Christmas? And the answer is: to get a great guy like Noah back.”

“You don’t know anything for sure.”

“True. I keep thinking if I hadn’t wandered by with that pie, I wouldn’t even have known she was there. Maybe it’s completely innocent and means nothing. I’m not one to torture myself over misunderstandings or perceived situations. I’m going to ask him if I get the chance, but it’s hard, you know?”

“At the risk of sounding like our mother, if he goes back with his ex it wasn’t meant to be anyway, and you don’t want him.”

Jane’s phone chimed from within her room. “Here. Hold my chocolate moo juice.” She grabbed her cell from her room and dove back into bed beside Melody.

“Something from one of your adoring fans?”

“It’s a text from Noah.
‘Pie was awesome. It’s gone. I am also out of cookies—dog and otherwise. I’m picking you up for the eleven o’clock service. Do I have to wear a suit to your church? ’Cause I can’t find mine.’
”

Melody put their drinks on the nightstand. “Guess that answers that. You’ll figure it out tonight.”

“Guess so.” Jane texted a response and closed her eyes with her phone still in her hand.

Meeting of the Sister Cuddle Committee adjourned to sleep.

****

Jane smoothed the skirt of her simple gray/silver dress and slipped on a pair of red pumps. She swiped a black fuzzy sweater from Melody’s closet and headed downstairs.

The doorbell rang. Every Trumbull raced for the door—except for Jane who was still on the stairs slowed by her heels. Melody and Grandpa made it there first.

“Evenin’ Noah,” Grandpa said.

Jane pushed her way to the front while Melody made obvious attempts to check him out from head to toe.

“Noah, this is my sister Melody.”

“Nice to meet you,” he said. “Glad you’re feeling better.”

The Christmas lights on the porch blinked at regular intervals and lit his face in an array of holiday colors.

Jane struggled to claim her purse and red scarf from the bench by the door while everyone stood and stared at him as if he were going to do something significant. What they expected, she had no idea.

Grandpa tried to turn on the porch light.

“We don’t need that,” her mother said. “It’s already bright out there, and it takes away from outside lights.”

Noah shoved his hands into the pockets of his dark slacks. Jane didn’t know why, but she loved it when guys wore dress pants with a narrow cuff at the bottom.

“Uh... Jane? Can I have a minute with you out here before we go?”

“Of course.” She slid through the entrance and closed the door behind her. “I told you they were weird. How did you get away from the clinic?”

“Long story. Dr. Salmons is one sneaky guy.”

“You keep saying that.”

The porch light clicked on.

“C’mon.” She dropped her purse in the corner and put the scarf around her neck. “Let’s walk down the street and look at the lights. We have time. The Murray’s house is crazy with decorations.”

Her first few steps were shaky. A case of nerves had settled in her knees and made her legs near useless. Anxiety bubbled in her chest. “Don’t keep me in suspense. What do you want to talk about?”

“I had a terrible Christmas last year.”

“You mentioned it. Your girlfriend broke up with you. What happened?”

“Her name is Skye.”

“Pretty. I like that.”

“We got engaged around Thanksgiving. Her parents and mine decided we should all go skiing near my parents’ cabin in New Mexico around Christmastime to celebrate and talk about wedding plans. My parents are all about appearances. They loved that I was engaged to a people doctor like them. Somehow, it made me and my choices more acceptable to them. They wanted this big trip they could brag about to their friends at their New Year’s Eve party.”

He paused to take a breath. She waited.

“Everyone was arriving and flying in at different times because of full flights and busy schedules. I was the last one in. They were all at my parents’ cabin. The weather was typical but turning. Skye said she’d pick me up. I said to wait until the weather cleared. She started anyway and her mother insisted she come along. They had an accident. Skye didn’t have much practice driving in those conditions. She should have never left the cabin. I should have insisted she stay put.”

“You can’t predict these things.”

“Her mother died at the scene, despite Skye’s medical training. And she was injured herself.”

“That’s devastating, Noah. For her to not be able to help her own mom. To be away from home...”

“I kept calling. The news started to get around. My parents came to get me at the airport and took me to the hospital. It’s a blur. It took several days to get Skye stable enough to travel and to send her mother’s body home.”

“This is horrifying, but how did the relationship end in the midst of all this?”

“Pretty simple. Skye blamed me for everything. If I hadn’t proposed, if I hadn’t flown in late, if I’d arranged for my own car, and so on.”

“That’s the grief and shock talking. Surely she didn’t believe any of that.”

“She did at the time and decided we were through. The worst part was her mother’s funeral. She didn’t want me there. I loved that woman, and I didn’t even get to say a proper good-bye.”

“Noah, please tell me you understand none of this is your fault. You can’t accept the blame for this.”

“I know that. But when you love someone, you want to ease their pain. You take responsibility for stuff so maybe they’ll feel better. It doesn’t work. I know it doesn’t.”

They reached the end of the street and hadn’t looked at a single festive yard. She took his hand. “We might as well make the block.” They took a few steps in silence. “I don’t want to sound harsh or anything, but I’m sure deep down Skye was really blaming herself. She was driving, she couldn’t save her mom. She couldn’t face that, so you got the brunt of it.”

“Yeah, she told me as much last night.”

There went her knees again... “That was Skye last night?”

“Yep. She and her dad are on some cathartic journey to keep from spending Christmas at home without her mother. They’re trying to move on. Her mother was born in Louisiana so they decided to get in the car and take this trip across the southern United States all the way to Florida. I was shocked when I saw them. I had no idea.”

“But she made peace with you?”

“She’s dealing with her issues. Trying to forgive herself. Letting me off the hook.”

“I’m glad. You needed to be let off the hook for that. Are they still here?”

“Oh no. They’re gone. I won’t see them again.”

“So what now?”

They stopped at the top of her street. “Now nothing. Now everything.”

“Are you about to get poetic again?”

“No. In fact, I haven’t said this much to anyone in years, so listen closely because I’m about done talking for a while.”

“I’m listening.”

“I’m glad I met you, Jane. I’ve learned a hundred things from you in a few short days. Your faith and your relationship with Christ comes through in everything you do, and you don’t have to say a word about it. You live it, and I can see I’m missing something there. I’m a believer. My grandparents made sure I understood things and accepted Jesus into my heart as a child. But I don’t know how to live that anymore.”

“It’s easy, Noah, you just have to have fait—”

“I thought you were listening.”

She pressed her lips together.

“I know you have to go back to school for a term, and I don’t know what’s going to happen in the long run, but I’m not going anywhere, and I think we should spend as much time together as possible.”

She nodded, and then hugged him so hard and so fast she felt the breath rush right out of his lungs.

He wrapped his arms around her. “See? This is how you’re going to drive me insane. When you do talk, you sometimes ramble and don’t say anything. Then when you’re not supposed to be talking at all you still do something that says a million things.”

She stepped back. “Now who’s rambling?” She looked at him and caught his gaze and the reflection of a million twinkle lights from the neighbor’s yard. “I appreciate the kind words, but I’m not perfect. I have lots of issues. And you already know my family’s weird.”

“They’re not weird. It’s my family that needs the work. I realize I need to try to fix what I can.”

“I’m glad. You need your parents. And speaking of family, I have one request.”

“Name it.”

“If Bridget’s family doesn’t come forward, please don’t let her go. Save her for me.”

“I’m not letting anybody go, Jane.”

She smiled as he grabbed the ends of her scarf.

She knew what that meant.

And she liked it.

Sunny Trumbull’s Best Ever Sugar Cookies

1 ½ cups sugar

½ cup shortening

½ cup butter or margarine, softened

3 eggs

1 teaspoon vanilla

3 ½ cups flour

2 teaspoons baking powder

Combine sugar, shortening, butter or margarine, eggs, and vanilla and beat at medium speed with electric mixer.

Spoon dry ingredients together and add to creamed mixture. Mix well.

Chill for several hours or overnight. (Dough can be stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to two weeks.)

Separate dough into portions and roll out to desired thickness—usually ¼ to ½ inch.

Cut out cookies.

Bake on cookie sheet or baking stone at 375 degrees for 8-10 minutes. Remove cookies to wire rack to cool completely.

Decorate as desired.

****

Jane and Dr. Noah’s Gingerbread Dog Biscuits

3 cups whole wheat flour

1 ½ to 2 tablespoons ground ginger

1 teaspoon ground cinnamon

½ teaspoon ground cloves

½ cup molasses

¾ cup water

¼ cup canola oil

Preheat oven to 325 degrees.

In a large bowl, whisk together flour, ginger, cinnamon and cloves until combined.

In a small bowl, stir together molasses, water, and canola oil.

Pour molasses mixture into flour mixture. Stir until thoroughly combined.

Separate dough into manageable portions and roll out to ¼ to ½ inch thickness.

Use your favorite dog cookie cutter to cut shapes.

Lightly spray a baking sheet or use a baking stone.

Bake for 20 minutes.

Cool completely on wire rack.

These dog biscuits will keep fresh in the refrigerator for several weeks. They also freeze well.

****

Jane’s Holiday Apple Cranberry Pie

1 pastry for a 9-inch double crust pie

4 Granny Smith apples

1/2 cup butter or margarine

1 tablespoon all-purpose flour

2 tablespoons cornstarch

2 tablespoons water

1 tablespoon vanilla extract

1/2 cup white sugar

1/2 cup brown sugar

1 teaspoon ground cinnamon

1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg

1 cup dried cranberries

Preheat an oven to 425 degrees.

Press one of the pie crusts into a 9-inch pie plate.

Peel and slice the apples.

Melt the butter in a large saucepan over medium heat.

Stir in the flour and cornstarch.

Stir in 2 tablespoons of water and the vanilla extract, white sugar, brown sugar, cinnamon, and nutmeg; bring to a simmer.

Add apples and cranberries.

Cook and stir 5 minutes; remove from the heat and allow to cool slightly.

Pour the fruit into the pie plate and add the top crust.

Bake in the preheated oven for 15 minutes; reduce the oven temperature to 350 degrees and continue baking an additional 35 to 40 minutes.

Thank you for purchasing this White Rose Publishing title. For other inspirational stories, please visit our on-line bookstore at
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White Rose Publishing

Where Faith is the Cornerstone of Love™

an imprint of Pelican Ventures Book Group

www.PelicanBookGroup.com

May God’s glory shine through

this inspirational work of fiction.

AMDG