Chapter 18 Faith and Reuben
FAITH AND REUBEN
Christmas Eve
The snow was growing thicker.
Faith studied it out the window of their hotel room. They’d woken up early this morning in the hopes of setting off to Wishingbone.
But the weather was looking terrible. Were they going to be stuck in this hotel for Christmas? This was awful.
Reuben sighed behind her and she tensed, turning to find him on his laptop. “This storm doesn’t look great.”
“We can’t get through?” she asked.
He eyed her for a moment. “I want to tell you that we’ll be fine, but I’m not going to risk your safety by driving in this snow. We’ll just have to wait a bit longer and see.”
That’s what she’d thought he was going to say. Anxiety made her antsy as she paced around the room.
“Come here, Little Blossom. Do you want to do some coloring? Play with your stuffies? Watch a cartoon?”
“Can we go outside for a bit?” She knew it was snowing hard and probably really cold. But she was feeling cramped and claustrophobic.
It just felt like if she got outside, she’d be able to breathe.
“Outside?” Reuben shook his head.
“Please, Daddy? Just for some fresh air? I’ll dress up warm.”
He eyed her for a long moment. “All right, for a short while.”
She didn’t say a word as he dressed her in so many layers that she was sweating and could barely move. Then he drew on a jacket and led her out to the elevator.
“How come I have to have fifty layers and you only need to wear a jacket?”
“Because I don’t want you to get cold and sick.”
“What about you?” she asked.
“I’m a Daddy. We don’t feel the cold.”
Sheesh. She rolled her eyes at him and he tapped her nose. “Naughty girl.”
Silly Daddy.
They stepped outside and she took in several breaths of cool air. Yep, it was snowing heavily, but it was so beautiful. Reuben’s phone rang.
“It’s Juliet,” he explained. “Stay right where I can see you.”
He stepped away, answering the phone and she walked out further, turning around. Her gaze was caught by someone in the distance.
Hey! Wasn’t that the couple they’d met the day before? The older couple who had said that she and Reuben reminded them of themselves?
They climbed into a large red truck. Where were they going? Would they be all right? She moved toward them, ignoring Reuben’s order to stay close. She needed to tell them it was unsafe to drive in this storm. But as they drove away, it was like they took the storm with them.
The snow started to lighten. And the clouds parted, the sun shining through.
“Faith! I told you to stay close. What are you doing? Holy crap. Is the storm clearing?”
“I think so.” She turned to him, bouncing with excitement. “I think we’re going to make it to Wishingbone after all.”
Relief filled Faith as they drove through Wishingbone, Montana.
“Wow, they have outdone themselves on the lights,” she said with wonder, staring around at the beautiful Christmas lights strung across the main street and around every large tree.
Reuben grunted. He had a bit of a love-hate relationship with this town. She had to admit that the people who lived here were kind of kooky. But they could also be kind and friendly and they took care of Juliet.
And anyone who hurt Juliet, well, they mysteriously suffered a series of unfortunate events and generally ended up leaving town . . . or going missing.
Faith shot her man a look . . . she wouldn’t put anything past him. He adored his sister.
Not that she could blame him for protecting Juliet. Although she did have two men now who were also very protective.
“Oh, look, I think that’s Keisha!” She rolled down the window.
“No, don’t!” Reuben said as she leaned out of the open window.
“Keisha! Harry! Hi!” She waved at them.
“Faith!” Keisha squealed loudly. “You’re here! Juliet will be so relieved. We have to catch up! Quiz night! See you there.”
“See you there,” Faith called back as Reuben kept driving.
Keisha was so much fun. All of Juliet’s friends were lovely.
“We are not going to quiz night,” Reuben told her.
Faith sent him a pouting look. “Why not? I love quiz night.”
“No.”
“Juliet loves quiz night.”
“She’s not going either.”
Faith shook her head. “You know that you have no right to tell Juliet what she can and can’t do, right?”
“Of course I do. I’m her brother. She’s not going, you’re not going. I won’t gain some new gray hair. We all win.”
“Aww, but I like your gray hair,” she told him. “Makes you look distinguished.”
“Yeah?” He glanced over at her before returning his gaze to the road. “You’re still not going. It’s too dangerous.”
“Reuben, it’s quiz night! It’s not dangerous.”
“How many crazy things have happened during quiz night?”
All right, so he might have a point, but . . .
“It’s Christmas time. No one is going to do anything crazy at Christmas.”
“If you think that, then you don’t know the people of this town well.” He pulled into Juliet’s driveway. “And what was Keisha dressed as?”
“I’m pretty sure that she was meant to be a Christmas ornament.”
“Why?” he asked, sounding baffled. “Actually, never mind. I don’t want to know. Wait there.”
She rolled her eyes at him, staring out at the huge house where Juliet lived. Relief filled her.
They’d made it.
She hadn’t ruined Christmas.
Reuben helped her out just as the front door opened and Juliet ran down the stairs.
“Juliet!” Brick yelled as he followed her. “Slow down!”
“Don’t run outside!” Reuben added.
Juliet ignored both of them and threw herself at her brother. He captured her close, a soft look filling his face that had Faith’s eyes misting.
It wasn’t often that Reuben was soft. He had so much on his plate and he never showed that it wore him down. He was unguarded and gentle with her, of course. But she rarely got to stand there and watch him soften.
“Hey there, Faith,” Brick said, coming up and holding his arms out.
Faith stepped into his embrace.
Until she felt someone tug her away.
“Stop touching my woman,” Reuben demanded. “And help me with the bags. Juliet, Faith, get inside where it’s warm. Where is Xavier?”
“He’s on his way home,” Brick told him.
Faith shook her head at Reuben. He was so bossy.
He was just lucky that he was so darn cute.
However, she took the hand that Juliet held out to her and walked inside.
“Oh wow, you’ve done an amazing job at decorating, Juliet,” Faith told her.
Juliet gave her a wide smile. “Glad you like it.”
Like it? She loved it. There was a large table with a full Christmas scene complete with roads and bridges and snow as well as houses and other buildings. Santa and his reindeer flew around above the village scene.
The banister of the stairs had been decorated with a gorgeous snowy garland and red flowers.
Then she walked into the living room and saw the most beautiful tree.
“It’s stunning.” Faith twirled around. The fire was going and there were matching stockings on the mantel.
There was even one with her name and Reuben’s.
“Look! We have stockings!” she said to Reuben, pointing to the mantelpiece.
“So we do,” he said as he walked into the room. “Brick offered to take our stuff up. Mini, you have outdone yourself.”
Juliet flushed with happiness as he drew her close.
She was wearing a green velvet dress with red trim. It was kind of old-fashioned looking, but it suited Juliet. Faith knew she’d worn a lot of black before she found happiness with her two men.
“I’m so glad you two are here,” Juliet told them. “Christmas just wouldn’t be the same without you.”
“I’m glad we’re here too, Mini,” Reuben said.
“Christmas is always better with family.” Faith joined them both in a hug and stared at the Christmas tree with a smile.
She couldn’t help but feel that it had been a bit of a miracle that they’d made it.
A Christmas miracle.
Thanks, Santa.