Read an excerpt!
Joseph Gardner stared out at the clear night sky, wondering how the lawn had grown so frosty it down-right sparkled. It was still early, after all, he thought, leaning his six foot frame against the wood railing of the Gazebo Café’s front porch, hoping it held. His family gathered inside, laughing and planning the upcoming holiday season.
He, however, felt like grinding his boots against the brick walkway in a quick getaway. If the holidays didn’t arrive this year, that would be fine with him.
The front door squeaked behind him.
“Hey, Joe?” his cousin Daniel called. “What’s going on, man?”
Joe sighed, and rolled his shoulder muscles to ease the tension. “I’m about ready to take off.”
Silence. A truck passed on the road in front of the café, and Joe inhaled diesel exhaust. Even in a small town trucks held a presence. Behind it, a small white car turned into the drive and headed for them.
“Late comer?” Joe asked, pushing his hat off his forehead.
“Guess so.” Daniel moved out onto the porch. “Looks like Liza’s Camry.”
The car stopped and a blonde woman got out, carrying a purse and what looked like a basket.
“Hey, it is Liza,” Daniel said, waving. He turned to Joe. “This is someone you should really meet. Single, an attorney. Good looking. A Christian.”
The blonde reached the porch and stepped up, her heeled boots clicking on the wooden planks. Joe watched, appreciating her slim figure and long hair. There was something familiar about her, but that might just be because she looked a little like Tiger Wood’s ex-wife. As she neared he inhaled a whiff of some sweet perfume, something he’d smelled before.
Daniel kissed her cheek and relieved her of the basket. “Glad you came!” He gestured toward Joe. “And this is my cousin Joe.”
He met her gaze, and locked gazes really. His heart thudded. Joe saw the flecks in her eyes glint when she recognized him
Her smiled faded. Shoulders rigid, she took a step back. “You.”
After a few beats Joe nodded. “Elizabeth,” wondering why he’d never heard her called by a nickname before. From the corner of his eye he saw Daniel staring at him, his arms folded across his chest.
“Mr. Gardner.”
Joe could hear the frost forming in the yard as they stood there.
“Well,” Daniel said, “Why don’t you both come in for dessert?”
A few more seconds clicked by in the evening air, and Joe was relieved his cousin didn’t start peppering them with questions over their behavior. Not the behavior of two people just meeting for the first time.
“I was just leaving.”
“Sure, I’d love to,” Elizabeth said, stepping forward and flashing an almost defiant glance at Joe.
So, this is how it was going to be, Joe thought. She hadn’t forgotten what went down, and that was okay because he hadn’t either. He felt a tug in his gut and almost wished he’d talked to her back then, cleared the air. Okay, he’d change his mind and stay a while. Just to make Daniel happy. Yeah, that was it.
Daniel held the door and they both went through into the light spilling from the Café. Watching Elizabeth’s hair shine under the lobby chandelier, he wondered what she was thinking about him. When she disappeared into the crowd, he looked over to see Daniel studying him. Great, now he had to wonder what Daniel was thinking too, which was interrupting his ability to think of something appropriate to say to Elizabeth. Of course, she might just avoid him for the rest of the evening, but that was okay. He deserved it.
Read the reviews!
"Once again Robin Bayne has managed to touch this reader's heart. If you're looking for a feel good story, look no further."
----Award winning author/Donna L. Bolk
"Make space on your 'keepers' shelf, friends, because Carol Award-winner Robin Bayne has done it again in The Christmas Pearl!Make space in your schedule, too, because once you start reading, you won't want to stop until you've turned the very last page. But be warned, friends...when this story ends, you're heart's going to ache every bit as much as when you say goodbye to treasured family members and friends...because the characters are just that real!"
----- Loree Lough, best-selling author of more than 80 award-winning books, including From Ashes to Honor, #1 in the First Responders series.
Robin Bayne is the award-winning author of six novels and five novellas, along with a variety of short stories. She has contributed to collections including God’s Way for Teens, God’s Way for Fathers and Cup of Comfort Devotionals; and published articles in Writer’s Journal and Christian Communicator. She has given workshops at regional and online romance writing conferences and the Writer’s Digest World’s Largest Writing Workshop. She lives in Maryland with her husband of twenty one years. Robin recently compiled a book of devotionals for writers titled “Words to Write By.” Visit her at www.robinbayne.com and her blog at http://wwwwritingbetweensundays.blogspot.com.
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