Christmas Wishes (8 page)

“W
hat do you
mean you’re in labor? You’re not due for another month!” Sophie dropped her chopping knife onto the cutting board and raced into the den to her sister, who sat doubled over.

“
Try and explain that to the baby. She’s on her way.” Joanie groaned as she heaved herself off the sofa.

“
Okay. I’ll call Dave.”

“
No time. He’s in class for another hour, and he’s got another one right after that. You’ve gotta take me to the hospital. I’ll call and leave a message in the department office and he can come when he’s done. With Joey I was in labor for a day and a half, so I don’t expect this one to be here any time soon.” She picked up her cell phone and waddled toward the front closet.

“
Let me help you.”

“
I can get myself to the car. Would you please grab the suitcase at the foot of the bed? I think it’s all packed. I’ll meet you at the car. You can drive my SUV — it’ll make it through the snow better.”

Sophie raced to Joanie and Dave
’s room and found the overnighter. She double-checked and found her sister had indeed packed everything she’d need, including a cute little pink outfit to bring the baby home in. There was also a small framed photograph of the family: Joanie, Dave, Joey, and Sophie. She cracked a smile, seeing herself included. Mitch had stopped by one evening at Joanie’s request and taken the picture. Joanie planned to have Mitch take a photo of the new baby and include both pictures on their Christmas card.

Hearing the front door open, she quickly closed the suitcase.
Showtime
.

Holland was on the Lake Michigan shore, and the lake
-effect snows were even deeper than those in Zutphen. Joanie’s car had front-wheel drive, so it was a safer choice than her own vehicle, but Sophie said an extra prayer as she started the ignition. Despite the urgency, Sophie decided to take the main plowed roads rather than the interstate to the Holland Community Hospital. She’d experienced the helplessness of losing control on icy highways more than once, and she didn’t intend to do so now, with her sister and unborn niece on board. Joanie groaned as another contraction hit, and Sophie wondered if she’d made the right decision. Would they make it to the hospital in time?

The drive to the hospital seemed to take forever. Much of
the previous night’s snow had been plowed, but deep drifts still covered some of the road leading into town. Joanie conversed with her doctor, explaining how far apart the contractions were.

How can she remain so calm?
If I were in her shoes, would I remember what to do?
She pushed those thoughts away. Nate’s abandonment had quashed her dreams of having her own family.

As soon as Joanie hung up
, she called the college history department office and left a message for Dave. And then she called a neighbor, asking her to please pick Joey up after school. Good grief. Sophie hadn’t even thought of that. Poor Joey might have been waiting outside a locked house. Joanie made another call to Kathy Sikkema at the school, explaining the circumstances and giving her permission for Joey to leave with the neighbor.

Sophie reached for the radio controls, flipping through her favorites until she found a calming country ballad. Then she took a deep breath and concentrated on the road. Beside her, Joanie hummed along with the melody. Apparently the music calmed her
, too.

At last, they rounded a bend in the road and the towers of the hospital came into view.
Only a few more miles to go
. Sophie breathed a little easier knowing they were closer to help. She pulled into the drive and made her way to the emergency drop off, where a burly attendant came up to the passenger door with a wheelchair. He helped Joanie into it while directing Sophie to the parking structure.

She parked the car and ran into the hospital, stopping at the information desk to ask,
“My sister is here to have her baby. Where can I find her?”

She plowed through an endless maze of hallways, pausing only to remove her jacket when the sweat began to pour down her face. On the second floor, she spied a sign directing her to the birthing center. Good. She had to be close. A friendly receptionist checked her ID and gave her directions to Joanie
’s room.

Joanie sat on a hospital bed, already changed into a gown. A nurse took her vital signs, hooked up the fetal monitor, and adjusted her pillows. Sophie stood back, unsure what she should do. With nurses coming and going, it was a challenge just to stay out of their way. Should she go to a waiting room? No one had told her to
leave, and she didn’t want to leave Joanie alone. She decided to sit in a chair in the corner until someone told her to do something else.

Dave burst into the room, his face white, his hair a mess.
“Baby, I’m so sorry it took me so long. The roads from campus are deadly. I thought I’d never get here.”

“
I didn’t expect to see you here so quickly,” Joanie remarked as Dave enveloped her in a tight embrace. “You’re supposed to be in class for another hour.”

Dave
’s head reared back. “You didn’t think I’d be able to teach knowing you’re in labor, did you? I had the secretary cancel my classes for the rest of today and all day tomorrow. They know I need to be here.”

“
I wasn’t sure you — oh!” Joanie’s face scrunched as another contraction hit.

Dave hugged her again, murmuring his encouragement. He held her tight until the pain passed and her breathing returned to normal. A nurse entered and checked her and assured them that things were progressing normally.

Sophie stepped away from the scene. She wasn’t really needed.

“
Joanie, do you want me to call Mom and Dad?”

Joanie
’s eyes opened wide. “No! Not yet. We can call everyone afterward. Mom would drive everyone here nuts, especially me.”

Sophie understood Joanie
’s reaction. Joyce Gardner was a loving mom, but she could be a mama bear when it came to her children and grandchildren. If she felt Joanie wasn’t getting the best care, she would make sure everyone in the hospital knew of her displeasure. Best to let her know after the fact.

“
Umm, do you want me to go back to your house and stay with Joey?” She waited while Joanie dealt with another contraction.

“
Sure,” she said between pants. “He’s with Grace Talsma. It’s Thursday, so she’s probably got her book club there at her house. Or maybe it’s her gourmet cooking class. Anyway, she’s usually got plans every night of the week, and she’d probably appreciate it if she didn’t have to bring Joey along.”

“
Joey would probably appreciate it, too,” added Dave. He reached for his wallet and took out a twenty. “Here, take him out for pizza. That’ll soften him up about having had to spend the afternoon at Grace’s house.”

Sophie was torn between relief and guilt at leaving. It was difficult, watching her sister go through such agony. As her sister, she felt she should be there with her. On the other hand, she
’d gotten Joanie to the hospital, and Dave was there. She could do her part by taking care of their older child.

Once again, she navigated the roads back to Zutphen. In spite of the rush hour traffic, the trip was easier than the one going to the hospital. The day
’s sunshine, in addition to the county salt trucks, had cleared the roads. Sophie followed the speed of the traffic and made it back to the village before she knew it. She stopped at Grace’s house to pick up Joey and headed to Pizza Barn. Maybe spending time with an energetic seven-year-old boy would cure her longings for a family and remind her why she’d wanted a career.

~~~~

Mitch stared at
the charred mess in front of him. He’d burned dinner again, even after reading the instructions and setting the timer on his phone. The authors of
Fifty Foolproof Dinners
had apparently underestimated his ability to make the easiest meals inedible.

“
Daddy, what’s that smell?” Angie stood at the doorway, clutching her book. She’d been reading to him when Mitch realized that his timer should have gone off several minutes earlier. “It kinda smells like when Grandpa Carson burns the marshmallows in the campfire in their backyard. Kinda yukky.”

Mitch grimaced.
“Yeah, sweetness. Dinner turned out kinda yukky. How would you like to get some pizza tonight?”

J
udging from the
Pizza Barn’s crowded parking lot, it seemed the rest of the village had the same idea. She and Joey walked in to find it full of young families. The owners, Frank and Mary Veeninga, had built a play area for kids, and that seemed to be a big draw for business.

Mary met them at the door.
“Hi, Sophie. I hope you don’t mind waiting a bit. Every single table is full right now.”

“
We don’t mind, right, Joey?” She looked down at her nephew, who nodded. “We’ll just wait over here on the bench.” Before they could sit, a quiet voice stopped her.

“
Miss Sophie?” Angie Carson greeted her with a shy smile.

“
Hi there, Angie. Are you enjoying your pizza?”

“
We haven’t gotten it yet. You can come and sit with us. We have room at our table. Daddy said you could.” She flicked a glance over at Joey. “And he can come, too.”

“
Where are you sitting?”

“
Over there.” Angie pointed, and Sophie craned her neck to look. Mitch waved from a booth near the window. She turned to her nephew. “Is that okay with you, Joey? This way we won’t have to wait so long.”

“
Okay.” Joey followed Angie, and Sophie took up the rear.

Sophie was a bit surprised that Joey went so willingly to sit with the girl, but maybe he was hungry. She herself was more than ready to eat. Joanie
’s labor had interrupted lunch. Right now she could devour several of Mary’s breadsticks and still be able to eat her share of a pizza.

Angie sat next to her father, and Joey slid in the seat across from Mitch. Sophie sat next to Joey and introduced her nephew to Mitch. Joey, to Sophie
’s surprise and pleasure, asked politely if he could have a breadstick.

Mitch picked up the basket and handed it to him.
“Here you go, buddy,” he urged. “Help yourself.”

Joey took one and tore into it, but Sophie hesitated, even as her stomach growled.
“Are you sure?”

Mary answered her question by stepping up to the table with a fresh basket of breadsticks.
“Thanks so much for doubling up, folks. We haven’t been this busy in ages. I think the storm cut off electricity for a lot of homes. She looked back and forth between Sophie and Mitch. “Shall we make it a large pizza instead of a medium?”

Mitch glanced at Sophie.
“Pepperoni okay for you two?”

Both she and Joey agreed, and Mary nodded.
“Coming up.” She dashed off.

Sophie shook her head.
“Mary doesn’t write anything down, but she’s never messed up anyone’s order. I don’t know how she does it.” She took one of the hot buttered treats and sank her teeth into it, sighing in satisfaction. She opened her eyes to catch Mitch’s smirk.

“
Do I have something on my face? Cheese hanging from my lips?”

“
No, you just looked like you really enjoyed that breadstick. Either that’s your favorite food in the world, or you haven’t eaten in a long time.”

“
It’s the second. I was just ready to start making a late lunch when Joanie went into labor.”

“
Really? She had the baby?”

“
Not yet. At least, not that I’ve heard. I took her to the hospital and Dave met us there. I came home to stay with Joey.”

“
She’s lucky you’re around. I’m not sure what I’d do for Angie if I ran into an emergency.”

“
What happened to that list of teenagers I gave you? You can call one of them unless it’s during the school day. If they’re in school you can call me — or Joanie after she’s back on her feet. Angie’s no problem at all. And then there’s Linda Myers over on Pine Street. She’s got a little girl about Angie’s age. Toni Myers.”

Angie perked up.
“I know Toni Myers,” she chirped. “She’s nice.” Then her face fell. “But she gets in trouble with the teacher a lot.”

Mitch rolled his eyes.
“Not the kind of kid I want my daughter to become close with.”

“
Aunt Sophie, can I go play in the playground?” Joey asked.

“
I guess so.”

“
Daddy, can I go, too?”

Mitch looked over at the play pit.
“I don’t know, angel. It looks pretty dangerous.”

Sophie bit her lip. She admired dads who looked out for their children, but right now he seemed a little overprotective. Still, it wasn
’t her place to argue or disagree.

“
I’ll watch her,” Joey assured him. “I’ll make sure she won’t get hurt.” Mitch’s eyebrows rose, and Sophie assumed she must have looked equally surprised, because the boy continued. “Well, Mom said I’m going to have to get used to watching my little sister. I might well practice on Angie.”

“
Please, Daddy? I’ll be careful. Joey will watch me. And you can see me from here.”

She had him there.
“Okay, princess. Stay close to Joey, and I’ll come and get you when the pizza is ready.”

~~~~

Another meeting with
the church girl. Is he getting serious about her? If he marries this hometown sweetie, his daughter will have a momma, and the old bird in Chicago won’t have much of a case against him.

Duncan stood in the bushes outside the Pizza Barn and shot several pictures of the couple. They
’d sent the kids off to play. Probably did that so they could have some alone time. Thanks to the lighting, they looked more like they were on a date rather than having a night out with the kids. He raised his camera to his eye.

“
Excuse me.” A raspy voice from behind him sent shivers down the PI’s spine. Standing outside a restaurant window with a camera was not a good place to be caught. He’d hoped the darkness and the four-foot bushes would hide him. Slowly, he turned, and seeing nothing but a massive chest, he directed his gaze up.
They sure grew these farm boys big around here.
He gulped and attempted a feeble smile.

“
Evening, officer.”

~~~~

True to his
word, Joey watched Angie, making sure she stayed with him in the play area. Mitch started to relax.

“
So how are the mini-sessions going?” Sophie asked.

Mitch kept his gaze on Angie as he answered.
“Great. Thanks a million for the idea. I’m booked almost every day for several hours right up until Christmas. I’m glad I have the equipment to make the prints and offer a good price.”

“
I’m glad it’s working out. And you’re getting your name out there. I’ve heard good things from the gossip mill.”

“
Oh?” That brought his attention to her.

“
Yeah, Mildred Feenstra told the quilting group you were quite a catch. You might get bookings from a lot of single ladies for a professional portrait.”

“
Umm, okay.” He felt his face heat and his throat constricted. He searched his mind for a change of topic. “So, how’s the roller skating job going?”

Her face fell, and he wondered if he
’d hit a sore spot with her. Had she lost her job?

“
The job is okay, but I don’t get that many hours, and it doesn’t pay well. At this rate, it’s going to take at least another year to save up enough just for the plane ticket, let alone living expenses while I get my bearings. Once Joanie is back on her feet, I’m hoping to get a waitressing job at a nice restaurant. Or I can cook.”

“
You’re welcome to cook at my house. The reason we came here tonight is because I burned another meal.” Mitch kept his voice light, but his heart took a beating with every word she uttered. She planned to leave as soon as possible. Fame and fortune lured her like it had lured Sarah. Big city life, crammed schedules, and endless traffic.

Everything Mitch had wanted to leave behind.

Angie came back to the table. “Look what I got, Daddy.”

Mitch fingered the little fur-covered plastic figurine and studied it solemnly.
“Uh, that’s nice, sweetheart.”

“
You don’t know what it is, do you?”

He wrinkled his nose.
“Sorry. No. What is it?”

“
It’s a Puffy Monster. I won it in the ball toss game.”

“
You did? Good for you, sweetie.”

“
I’m gonna give it to Baby Jesus.”

“
You’re what?”

“
I’m gonna give it to Baby Jesus, just like the Wise Guys. They just gave him a bunch of boxes. I’m going to give him a toy.”

“
That’s it!” Sophie nearly jumped out of her seat.

Mitch wasn
’t sure which female at his table to try and figure out first. But Sophie seemed to understand Angie. She reached over to give the girl a hug.

“
Angie, you’re a genius! That’s just what this program needs. I was trying so hard to find something special the kids in each grade could do for the show. We can have the first graders each give something to the Baby Jesus, just like the Wise Men. That’s perfect!”

Angie beamed, showing the wide gap in her front teeth.

“We could do this right after the Wise Men give their gifts during the play. The narrator can say something like ‘What would
you
give to the Holy Babe?’ and have each of you come up to the microphone. We can tie in other parts of the play with modern day references. Like when Mary and Jesus couldn’t find a room at the inn. We can have the second graders present the ways they would help people in need.”

She started to pace around the table, heedless of the stares from other patrons in the restaurant and the waiters who skillfully stepped around her, balancing large trays.

“What can I have the third graders do? There’s the animals. Maybe one class can share something about their pets. And there are the angels, singing the Good News. I’ve gotta write some of these ideas down. She sat back in her seat, grabbed a napkin, fished a pen out of her purse, and started to write.

Their pizza came and Joey joined them at the table. Sophie, despite her earlier hunger, kept writing, too excited to eat. Occasionally she
’d cry, “Perfect” or, “Oh yeah!” and write some more. Twenty minutes later, she had an entire napkin covered. She put it in her purse with a deep sigh. And then she dug into her cold pizza.

Mitch watched her eat. It was good to see a girl enjoy her food. He couldn
’t remember ever seeing Sarah eat pizza. It had always been salad with a vinaigrette dressing and unsweetened tea. Her pregnancy had added to her weight worries. She’d watched every ounce she gained and her biggest concern afterward was losing it all. Mitch had dealt with night feedings, since Sarah had needed her sleep.

But that was in the past. He really needed to let go of his bitterness. He had Angie, and could never regret that. But sometimes he wished he had someone who would be willing to share the responsibility. He could picture Sophie in that role. But she had plans. Big plans that didn
’t include him. He needed to stop thinking about her. About the cute way she bit her lip while she wrote. About the way her wavy hair came loose from her ponytail and framed her face. About the way she excited him like no woman had in a long, long time.

Yup, he had to forget about all that and focus on being a dad to Angie.