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Following is a short sample from each of the four novellas, to give you an introduction to each story and the characters.
from
SHOPPING FOR LOVE
by Gail Sattler
"Well?"
"He's going to make a few calls and phone me back."
Emily leaned slightly forward over the table, looking at Bryan with big,
wide eyes. "How long do you think that will take?"
Bryan stared back, lost in the sea-green for a few seconds before he dragged
his mind back to where it should have been. "I have no idea."
She sighed, relaxed her posture, and opened the laptop again. "Then
I'm going to trust that God will work this out, and I'm going to start
planning what I want to see and do." She punched in a few keys. "Starting
with the Statue of Liberty."
Bryan sat, fascinated, watching her type into her computer. She was so
upbeat, while his own mood had continued to spiral downward ever since
Steve deserted him.
"Look at this! Double decker bus tours!" She punched in a few
more keys. "Look what you can see. The Empire State Building, Greenwich
Village, Little Italy, Chinatown, Battery Park, which this says is the
departure point for Statue of Liberty. Also Times Square, Rockefeller
Plaza, and a bunch of other stuff. I can even pay with my credit card,
online. And the Guggenheim Museum. I've heard of that, but I'm not really
sure what it is." She looked up at him. "What are you going
to do while you're here?"
He shrugged his shoulders. "I was going to make all my plans with
Steve once we got together, except he's not coming. Something urgent came
up so he's staying home." The excitement of his vacation was gone.
He couldn't picture himself venturing through the attractions of New York
alone. After his week of business meetings were finished and he'd done
enough sightseeing to satisfy himself, he wondered if there was a possibility
of catching a flight on standby, even if it took days of waiting at the
airport.
But yet, it wouldn't be much fun at home, either. Knowing he was going
to be gone for a month, his brother, sister-in-law, their three kids,
a family of hamsters and a bouncy poodle were bunking out in his two-bedroom
townhouse while their house was being renovated. If he went home, he would
either end up on the couch in the middle of mayhem for three weeks, or
he'd move in with a friend, and hurt his brother's feelings.
As he tried to think of other options, Emily returned to the tourist websites.
He envied her enthusiasm as she hopped from one site to the next.
His cell phone rang while she was oohing and aahing over pictures of Central
Park at different times of the year.
***
from
WHERE THE LOVE LIGHT GLEAMS
by Lynette Sowell
The squeaking wood of the stairs made Gwynn look up. Theo descended,
his nose pointed in the air like a dog catching a scent.
"Delicious. I'm amazed you found enough ingredients to prepare a
decent meal." Theo stood in the entryway. "I can't recall the
last time Malina went by the market."
"It's meatloaf. Nothing fancy, but it'll stick to your ribs."
Gwynn tried to smile. Her cheeks felt as if she'd been out walking laps
around the block. "The potatoes should be done at any moment. Au
gratin."
She rose to enter the hallway, and Theo stepped aside to let her pass.
"Were you able to change your flight?"
"I was," she called over her shoulder. He followed her to the
kitchen door. "The best deal I got was flying home on the twenty-seventh.
More than enough of time to make sure Malina rests and gets better."
They moved into the kitchen, now warmed by the oven and smelling of meat,
potatoes, and tangy cheese. Gwynn fished through the cabinets until she
found a bowl large enough for a tossed salad.
"Well, I wish you the best in getting Malina to be a cooperative
patient."
When Gwynn glanced back at him, she caught a twinkle in his eyes. "I'm
sure she will. I've tackled the best…Staci and Malina are probably
equal in the hardheaded department." Gwynn took out the baby spinach
she'd found in the fridge earlier, and started washing it for salad. Oh
dear. She'd just called Theo's daughter hardheaded.
"I suppose I should turn you loose at the market, that is, if you
wouldn't mind picking up a few things." Theo's voice took on a businesslike
tone.
"I don't mind." She placed the salad bowl on the table. "Malina
probably won't be up to takeout for a while, so I'd like to plan some
meals."
"Tomorrow, I'll show you where we shop. D'Agostino's is two blocks
over. We have an account there."
Gwynn wasn't so much concerned with groceries. "Let me know when.
Except, I was wondering, are there any special traditions you have at
Christmas?"
Theo waved off the request and helped himself to a cup of coffee. "Is
this the decaffeinated blend?"
"Yes." Gwynn watched him cross the kitchen and take a whiff
at the stove. "You didn't answer my question."
"You don't have to go to any trouble for us. Really. We'll be fine.
Christmas dinner, if not at Rita's, will be at one of my sisters' homes."
It was Gwynn's turn to wave off his explanation. "I don't consider
it trouble. Not in the least. We could spruce up the whole apartment.
No pun intended."
"I…I smell burning cheese." Theo looked helplessly at the
stove.
"The potatoes!" Gwynn bolted from the chair, nearly upsetting
it. Theo moved out of her way as she grabbed a potholder and yanked open
the oven door. A brown crust bubbled on top of the potatoes and cheese.
"Oh, dear. I'm not the best cook in the world, I've got to warn you.
I try to do more than one thing and forget what I'm cooking." And
right now Theo's warm dark eyes had her attention.
***
from
MOONLIGHT AND MISTLETOE
by Carrie Turansky
Sarah squeezed in the door before Molly could get away. She set down
her tote of cleaning products and organizational supplies. Molly trotted
over and sniffed the containers.
"Well, I'm ready to get started," Justin said. "What do
we do first?"
Sarah looked up at him. "Thanks, but don't you have to go to work?"
"Not really. I'm taking some time off right now."
"What do you do?" She'd been curious about that since they'd
met, but this was the first time it seemed appropriate to ask.
"I'm a writer."
"Oh. . .what do you write?"
He scratched his jaw, looking a little embarrassed. "I've written
some plays and songs. But mostly I write poetry."
Sarah nodded and tried to keep an open expression on her face, but that
sealed the deal for her. Though she admired his kindness to his grandmother
and would even admit she felt attracted to him, she'd never date someone
seriously unless they had a strong work ethic and a respectable, well-established
career, because someday she'd like to get married and have a family. Maybe
she'd continue working part-time when the kids were in school, but she
wanted the freedom to choose to work or stay home, and she definitely
didn't want to spend her life supporting some free spirit, starving-artist
type who didn't have a dime and couldn't provide a decent living for himself
or his future family.
"Sarah?"
"Oh, sorry," Her face grew warm as she realized where her thoughts
had taken her.
He chuckled. "That's okay. I do that all the time."
She sent him a quizzical look. "You get distracted?"
"Yeah, sometimes I see something that sparks an idea, and off I go."
He waved his hand in the air. "Some days I have a hard time keeping
up with my imagination. I even wake up at night with words to a song or
poem running through my head."
"They just come to you at night?" Sarah couldn't imagine that
happening to her.
"Yeah, so now I keep a flashlight and notepad on my nightstand."
"You actually wake up in the middle of the night and write things
down?"
"Sure. That's when I get some of my best ideas." He looked at
her is if that was the most logical thing in the world.
She couldn't keep a straight face any longer. Laughter bubbled up and
overflowed. "I'm sorry. That just seems so. . .strange."
"What's strange about it? Don't you ever wake up with a great idea?"
"No. I fall asleep right away, and I don't wake up until morning."
He studied her for a moment looking disappointed. "Too bad. If you
listen, God speaks to you in the night."
This conversation was getting stranger by the moment. "He speaks
to you?"
"Yes. That's what David says in the Psalms, 'On my bed I remember
you; I think of you through the watches of the night. Because you are
my help, I sing in the shadow of your wings.'" He smiled. "So,
it's not so strange. I'm in good company."
"You mean you and King David?"
"Yes, we have a lot in common. He was a song writer and a poet too."
Sarah nodded, still trying to make sense of the man and the conversation.
Justin obviously knew his Bible. He even memorized verses. She hadn't
met many other people who took their faith that seriously. Maybe she shouldn't
equate free-spirited and creative with lazy and unproductive. But she
couldn't imagine someone spending their life writing songs and poems and
not having a real job.
Sarah pushed those confusing thoughts away. It didn't matter what she
thought of him. She was here to organize Lillian's apartment, not get
involved with a song-writing, Bible-quoting poet!
***
from
Gifts Of The Magi
by Vasthi Reyes Acosta
Cecilia held open the heavy metal door for Tia Ramona and Mamá
to enter the church. She heard the congregation singing and wished she
hadn't taken so long to choose her outfit. Tonight was Christmas Eve,
she'd wanted to wear something fancy, festive, while also, understated.
And that was the problem. Nothing in her wardrobe worked. Cecilia settled
on a short, black velvet dress with a full skirt and a satin bow at the
waist. Tia Ramona and Mamá had waited patiently, watching her with
very smug smiles. Yes, they were right. If she had to face Elias she wanted
to look her best. She had changed a lot, since the last time he saw her,
even more, since the last time they'd communicated. She remembered him
skinny, with dark circles under his eyes, wayward hair, and the ever-present
smile. She wondered how he remembered her, probably selfish, silly and
snobby. Thank goodness she wasn't that girl anymore.
Holding onto all their coats, Cecilia followed Tia Ramona and Mamá
down the aisle toward their favorite seats near the front. The sanctuary
was dressed for the holiday. The round, steel columns that supported the
large, open space were wrapped in gold and burgundy rope. Two huge poinsettias
sat up front on the platform, one on each side of the pulpit. A deep burgundy
banner embroidered in gold with a crown and cross draped over the pulpit.
Cecilia sat between Tia Ramona and Mamá and tucked their coats
under each chair. She pulled out her hymnal and checked the large screen
against the back wall of the platform, for the page number of the hymn.
She closed her eyes and sang the chorus to O come, let us adore him. One
of her favorite Christmas carols.
"Have you seen him?" Tia Ramona whispered and nudged Cecilia
with her elbow.
________________________________________________________________________________________________
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