A Texas Holiday Miracle. Linda Warren
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This wasn’t the place to discipline Emma. She’d wait until they got home. Lacey didn’t know if she had the strength or the capabilities to continue to deal with this kind of behavior. But she would keep trying.
As they pulled into their driveway, Lacey saw Gabe in his front yard digging up a shrub that had died. The black knit cap he wore on his head gave him a dangerous, fierce look. He didn’t even raise his head as they got out. He just kept digging.
Before Lacey could stop her, Emma darted over to Gabe. Lacey wanted to pull out her hair. This was turning out to be the worst day ever. She ran behind Emma and caught her just before she reached the man.
“Whatcha doing?” Emma asked.
Lacey took her hand and led her back toward their house without saying a word to the man who was glaring at them.
“You disobeyed me again. Go into the house and sit on the sofa until I get there. And do not turn on the TV. Do you understand me?”
Emma nodded and stomped toward the front door. Lacey unlocked it and Emma went inside. First, Lacey had to get the tree off the SUV, and then she would deal with her sister.
She grabbed a pair of scissors and the kitchen stool. She cut the strings off the tree and tried to lift it from the SUV, but soon found she couldn’t. The stool gave her some height, but not enough for her to hoist the heavy tree. The branches scratched her face and she said a cuss word under her breath. How was she going to get the tree off the car?
* * *
GABE KEPT DIGGING, trying to ignore the crazy lady on the rickety kitchen stool. She was going to fall and break her neck, but it was none of his concern. She stood on tiptoes and tried to heave it off, but to no avail. The woman was a menace. Her smoke alarm went off regularly. He’d heard it that morning. Evidently, she couldn’t cook. The stool wobbled and she grabbed the car to keep from falling.
Do not help. Do not help.
The warning in his head was clear, and he always obeyed it because he didn’t want to interact with anyone. But even he had a breaking point. He propped the shovel against the house and walked over.
With one gloved hand he gripped the tree trunk and lifted it from the SUV.
“Oh...oh...” she stammered, almost falling off the stool again.
“Where do you want this?” he snapped.
“Uh...” She climbed off the stool and headed for the front door. “In here.”
Inside the house she pointed to the living room windows. He placed the tree in the spot.
“Hi, Mr. Gabe,” the little girl said from the sofa.
He didn’t want to engage in conversation, so he left. On his way back to his house, he cursed himself. He didn’t want to get involved, and helping the crazy lady was a sure way for that to happen. He was trying desperately to keep his privacy, and he’d probably just made a big mistake.
That suffocating feeling came over him, and he went into the house to check on Pepper. She was better this morning and had even trotted outside to do her business. The shots always helped for a while. How he wished they could last longer. Soon he’d have to make a decision, and it was tearing him up inside. He just couldn’t let go.
He wasn’t sure what he was afraid of. The vet had said it was the best thing for the dog, but how could killing something be good? If he did what the vet had suggested, it would be like letting go of Zack all over again.
Some things were just too painful to endure twice.
* * *
LACEY WAS STUNNED. The Grouch had helped. She was still trying to digest that. Maybe things would change. Maybe he would be friendlier. And maybe she would sprout wings and fly. Oh, yeah. Gabe Garrison had not changed. She had no idea why he had helped, and he probably had none, either.
She had other important matters to take care of. For the first time, she’d become aware of how Emma brightened when Gabe was around. She’d formed a connection with him and Pepper.
Their father had raised Emma. Mona had died six months after Emma’s birth. While Mona had been pregnant, the doctors had discovered cancer. Mona had refused any treatment until after the baby was born, but by then the aggressive cancer had spread. She hadn’t lasted long.
Emma was more comfortable around men, and she’d somehow transferred that need for a father figure to Gabe. That was why Emma kept saying Gabe didn’t mean what he said. Another problem. Lacey had too many to deal with. She’d tackle the most pressing first.
“Mr. Gabe brought our tree in,” Emma said, her eyes bright. It didn’t escape Lacey that Emma had said our. Maybe Lacey was winning her over.
She knelt in front of Emma, who sat on the sofa. “Why did you disobey me again? You’re not supposed to go into Gabe’s yard.”
Emma twisted her hands. “I forgot and I wanted to see what he was doing.”
“Emma...”
“Really. I forgot.”
Lacey had a feeling she was fighting a losing battle about Gabe and his privacy, so she decided to tackle another problem. “What did the little girl at the tree lot say to you?”
Emma looked down at her hands. “She said hi.”
“Then why did you kick at her?”
“’Cause I don’t like her.”
“Why? She seemed real nice and she was there with her daddy....” Lacey’s voice trailed off as something occurred to her. “You don’t like her because she has a daddy and you don’t.”
From the shattered look in Emma’s eyes, Lacey knew she was right. She wanted to stand up and do a jig. She’d gotten it right. Maybe parenting didn’t come through the birth canal. Maybe it was trial and error.
She sat next to Emma. “You have a father, and he loved you more than life itself. You do know that, don’t you?”
“But he’s not here.” The little voice wavered. “Why did my daddy have to go?”
Lacey gathered her into her arms. “I don’t know, sweetie. I wish I had an answer that would make you feel better, but I don’t. Sometimes bad things happen in life, and we have to adjust and go on. That’s what Daddy wanted for you, and you promised him you wouldn’t be sad.”
“I miss Daddy,” Emma cried.
“I do, too.” Lacey held her sister and hoped by talking she could ease some of her pain. “Close your eyes.”
“Why?”
“Just do it.”
Emma scrunched her eyes together.
“Now, can you see Daddy? Try to see him.”
“I can. I can see Daddy.”
Lacey held her tighter. “Is he smiling?”
“Yes. He’s smiling at me.” Emma’s voice grew excited.
“When you’re feeling lonely and when you think other children have a daddy and you don’t, just close your eyes and your daddy is right there. Always. And I’m right here. Always.”
Emma leaned away. “Are you mad at me?” It was Emma’s stock question when she’d done something wrong.
Lacey kissed her forehead. “No, sweetie. I’m not mad at you. But the next time that little girl says hi to you, I want you to say hi back. I do not want you kicking at anyone. Understand?”
Emma nodded.
“I’ll call Sharon and see if Jimmy can come over and play for a while.”
Emma jumped up. “Oh, boy! I’ll get my Legos out.”
And