Starry Night: A Christmas Novel Read online

  His head came back up. “You want another dog?”

  Carrie slapped his chest. “No, silly. Children.”

  “Oh, yes,” he said with a chuckle.

  Carrie nestled her head beneath his chin. “Things are right between you and your mother?” Although she hadn’t been able to take her eyes off Finn, Carrie had noticed the happiness that seemed to radiate off Joan. It seemed both Carrie and Joan were having the best Christmases of their lives.

  “You were right about her. She’s never stopped loving me.”

  “You seem to have that effect on women.”

  He brought her mouth close to his. “Certain women, at any rate.”

  “This woman.”

  Finn spread nibbling kisses down the side of her neck. “This man loves this woman.”

  “Good, because this is just the beginning for us. And this time it’s for keeps.”

  “For keeps,” Finn repeated. He was willing to admit he’d been a fool. He’d assumed he’d be able to walk away from Carrie and not look back. At the time, it’d seemed the prudent choice. He knew when he found the article on her laptop that Carrie had never intended to submit it. Finding it gave him all the excuse he needed to break it off. Only she’d called his bluff. She’d forced him to lie. He wasn’t proud of the things he’d said to Carrie. At the time, it had seemed necessary. Finn had believed that it would be tough the first couple of days but within a short amount of time he’d be over her.

  Wrong.

  Miserable didn’t even begin to describe his feelings. He felt lost, cast adrift with nothing to anchor him. Before Carrie had entered his life, everything seemed perfectly fine. He’d been content. Happy, even—and perhaps he was.

  Then she was dumped into his well-ordered existence—no thanks to Sawyer O’Halloran—and everything changed. All at once he became aware of the dark shadows in what had once been light, the isolation he’d accepted rather than deal with the past and his parents’ divorce. At first he assumed he could let her go, and he later realized he was making the same mistake as his father with his unwillingness to compromise. His father had been determined to stand his ground. If Joan loved him, she would accept his terms, and as a result he’d ended up lonely and bitter. Finn refused to repeat history. He loved Carrie, and if loving her meant spending part of the year in Seattle, then that was a small sacrifice in order to make her his wife. In order to make her happy.

  His thoughts returned to his ridiculous efforts to sever the relationship. Carrie knew him far too well, had refused to believe he didn’t love her. How easily she saw through his ploy. She’d read him perfectly. If that wasn’t bad enough, she’d been unwilling to settle for his token apology by giving her the opportunity to write the article about him that everyone seemed to want.

  This woman could be stubborn. It didn’t help matters that she held his heart in the palm of her hand. Still, he fought it; still, he assumed he could go on without her. What a laugh that turned out to be.

  It wasn’t only Carrie, either. In all the years since his mother had walked out, not once had Finn felt the need to connect with her again. She’d left him and his father. Pride demanded that he have nothing more to do with her, despite her repeated efforts to reach out to him.

  Feeling alone and lost, Finn had to accept that as difficult as it was to admit, he needed his mother. His children would need their grandmother.

  Carrie wanted children. The thought both thrilled and terrified him.

  “You’ve got a funny look,” she said, gazing up at him, frowning slightly.

  Finn kissed her again, and a sense of happiness and joy filled him until it felt as if he could soar. “We’re going to be just fine.”

  “Yes, I know,” Carrie agreed.

  Her parents and his mother came back into the room, and Carrie scooted off his lap. They stood and he slipped his arm around her waist.

  Her mother’s eyes were moist with tears, and she held her fingers against her lips, watching the two of them.

  “Are you going to love our Carrie?” Nick Slayton asked.

  “Dad!” she protested, clearly embarrassed.

  “With all my heart,” Finn promised, keeping her close against his side.

  “That’s good enough for me.” Nick thrust out his hand for Finn to shake. “Welcome to the family.”

  The two men clasped hands, and their gazes held for an extra-long moment as understanding passed between the two of them.

  Oh, yes, this was definitely going to be the best Christmas of Finn Dalton’s life.

  TO CONNY AND GINA JOHANNESSON

  IN APPRECIATION OF YOUR

  FRIENDSHIP AND TALENT

  BALLANTINE BOOKS BY DEBBIE MACOMBER

  Starry Night

  Rose Harbor in Bloom

  Starting Now

  Angels at the Table

  The Inn at Rose Harbor

  For a complete list of books by Debbie Macomber, visit her website at www.debbiemacomber.com.

  ABOUT THE AUTHOR

  DEBBIE MACOMBER is a #1 New York Times bestselling author and one of today’s most popular writers, with more than 170 million copies of her books in print worldwide. Five of her novels have scored the #1 slot on the New York Times bestseller list, with three debuting at #1 on the New York Times, USA Today, and Publishers Weekly lists.

  Debbie Macomber is the author of more than 100 novels, most recently Starting Now, a Blossom Street book, and Rose Harbor in Bloom, a Rose Harbor Inn novel; two bestselling cookbooks; numerous inspirational and nonfiction works; two acclaimed children’s books; and the beloved and bestselling series of novels set in Cedar Cove, Washington, upon which the Hallmark Channel based its first dramatic scripted television series, Cedar Cove. Macomber’s Mrs. Miracle (2009) and Call Me Mrs. Miracle (2010) were the Hallmark Channel’s top-watched movies for the year.

  www.debbiemacomber.com

  Ring in the holiday season with the return of angels Shirley, Goodness, and Mercy in Angels at the Table

  A delightful and romantic story about two people who are brought together by a twist of fate, but just as easily pulled apart.

  In the end, it will take a little angelic intervention to reunite the young couple and create an unforgettable Christmas miracle.

  Available from Ballantine Books

  Read on for a special sneak peek!

  Chapter One

  “This is really Earth?” Will, the apprentice angel, asked, lying on his stomach on a low-flying cloud with his three mentors. His eyes widened as he gazed down on the crazed activity below.

  “This is Earth,” Mercy informed their young charge with a tinge of pride. For all its problems, Earth was a fascinating place to visit, with the tall buildings that butted up against the sky and people milling about with such purpose, most of them unaware of the spiritual world that surrounded them. More times than she could remember Mercy had lost patience with humans. Those who were considered the apex of God’s creations appeared to be slow-witted and spiritually dull. Yet she loved them and treasured her Earthly assignments.

  “It’s New York,” Shirley added, resting her chin in her hands as she gazed longingly below. “Oh, I do so love this city.”

  “Manhattan, to be more precise,” Goodness clarified and ended with a little sigh, indicating that she, too, had missed visiting Earth.

  The four hovered near Times Square, watching the clamoring crowds jockeying for space on New Year’s Eve.

  Will’s eyes widened as he intently studied the scene taking place in the streets below. “Is it always like this—so busy and crowded, I mean?”

  “No, no, this is a special night. The people are gathering together to usher in the New Year.” Time was a concept reserved for Earth. In heaven it was much different. Consequently, the time restriction placed on the three Prayer Ambassadors when given Earthly assignments had caused more than one problem.

  “Did Gabriel want us—”

  “Gabriel,” Shirley gasped, and quickly cu
t him off. “He doesn’t exactly know that we’ve brought you here. It would probably be best if you didn’t mention this short visit to him, okay?”

  “Yes, please, it would be best not to let anyone know we’ve shown you Earth.” It went without saying they’d be in all kinds of trouble if Gabriel learned what they’d been up to.

  “Gabriel means well but he tends to get a little prickly about these things,” Goodness explained to their young charge.

  “Why is that?” Will stared at all three of them.

  “Well, you see, we … the three of us … thought we should give you a bird’s-eye view of Earth and these people God loves so much—strictly for training purposes.” Mercy looked to her friends to expound upon their intentions, which were honorable if not a tad bit sneaky.

  This Earthly visitation had been a spur-of-the-moment decision. Mercy had been the one to suggest it. Naturally, Goodness was quick to agree, and after some discussion Shirley had seen the light as well.

  Will, an apprentice angel, had been placed under their charge, and given this honor, it was only right that he get a glimpse of the trials and tribulations that awaited him once he started working as a Prayer Ambassador. The job could be a bit tricky, and the more Will understood the idiosyncrasies of humans, the better he would do once given an assignment from Gabriel.

  Mercy was certain that under their tutorship, Will would make a fine Prayer Ambassador one day. He was young and enthusiastic, eager to learn about Earth and the role he would play.

  As Mercy, who had falsely been labeled a troublemaker, had pointed out, theirs was a duty that required serious dedication. She wasn’t alone in believing this. Goodness—oh, poor Goodness—had gotten something of a reputation, too, and Mercy felt partially to blame, but that was another story entirely. Shirley tended to be a bit more on the straight-and-narrow path and had worked hard to reform her friends. In fact, Shirley, a former Guardian Angel, had done such a marvelous job, Gabriel had offered to let them train the promising young angel who was with them now.

  Naturally, it was understood that if the three of them accepted this assignment training Will, then of course there would be no hanky-panky, no tricks, no nothing. All three had agreed. This was a high honor indeed and their intentions were good.

  Now here they were, New Year’s Eve in Times Square, in one of the most amazing cities on Earth. Mercy breathed in deeply, savoring the moment. Bringing Will had been a good excuse, but the fact of the matter was that she had missed visiting Earth. It’d been a good long while since their last assignment, and she missed the razzle-dazzle of the big city.

  “Isn’t Earth just marvelous?” Goodness said, her huge wings fluttering with delight. “Just look at all those neon lights. I’ve always been especially fond of light.”

  “As we all are,” Shirley reminded them.

  “Can we go down there with the people?” Will asked.

  “Absolutely not.” Shirley’s loud protest was instantaneous.

  “I don’t think it would hurt anything,” Goodness countered, her gaze still fixed on the bright lights of the city below.

  Will glanced from one to the other.

  “How will he ever learn about humans if he doesn’t have the opportunity to mingle with them?” Mercy asked, siding with her dearest friend. Shirley could be such a stickler for rules. Okay, so they’d originally promised not to get anywhere close to humans, but this would be a good teaching moment for Will.

  “How will he ever learn how to work as a Prayer Ambassador if he doesn’t become familiar with humans?” Goodness protested.

  Shirley wavered. While she might be opinionated on a number of topics, she could be easily swayed, which was the best part of working with her, Mercy felt.

  “Well …”

  “Do we hear the humans’ prayers?” Will asked.

  “Oh, no,” Shirley explained. “Only God hears their prayers, and then He talks matters over with Gabriel and then …”

  “Then Gabriel passes along those requests to us.”

  “And we assist in answering them.”

  “One of our roles is to help humans realize how much they can do for themselves with God’s help,” Goodness clarified.

  “We try as best we can without interfering in their lives,” Shirley added quickly, glaring at Goodness and Mercy.

  This was a warning and Mercy recognized it the instant her friend spoke.

  “But first, and this is the most important part,” Goodness emphasized, “it’s our duty to teach these humans a lesson. Then and only then are we able to help them with their troubles.

  “The real difficulty comes when they don’t want to learn.” Goodness shook her head because this aspect of the job was often a challenge. “Some people seem to want God to step in and do as they ask without making a single contribution to the effort.”

  “It doesn’t work like that,” Mercy said, although she’d done a fair bit of finagling to help these poor witless souls. In theory, answering prayers didn’t sound the least bit difficult. Unfortunately, humans were sometimes completely dense.

  “They can be so stubborn,” Goodness said, shaking her head again.

  “Strong willed,” Shirley agreed.

  “Oh, yes, and once—” Mercy snapped her mouth closed. It was best not to reveal their past antics for fear it would mislead their young charge into thinking that perhaps he should follow in their footsteps. Gabriel would take exception to that.

  “Once?” Will pressed. “What happened?”

  “Never mind,” Shirley said, reading the situation perfectly. “Some things are best laid to rest and not discussed.”

  “Can I go down and be with the crowd?” Will asked again. “I won’t say anything to Gabriel.”

  “He isn’t the only one,” Shirley blurted out. “I mean, we shouldn’t mutter a word of this to anyone in heaven.”

  “Or Earth,” Goodness reminded them all.

  “We can’t speak to humans?” Will frowned as though confused.

  “We can but only …”

  “But definitely not tonight,” Shirley said so fast her voice rose an entire octave.

  Mercy took Will’s hand. “There have been times over the last two millenniums when we have spoken directly to humans.”

  “Those occasions have been rare, however.”

  “Yes, very rare.”

  “But not as rare as they should have been,” Shirley found it necessary to add. She crossed her arms over her chest and seemed to be wavering about the best way to handle this training session.

  “I don’t think it would hurt for Will to go down in the crowd,” Goodness said again. “It is a very special night here on Earth.”

  “I promise not to say a word to anyone, human or otherwise,” Will assured them.

  It was hard to refuse him when Mercy was itching to mingle herself. It’d been quite awhile since she’d visited Earth, and humans had long fascinated her.

  “Let’s do it.” Goodness rubbed her palms together, as eager as Mercy.

  “I … don’t know.”

  Mercy ignored the former Guardian Angel. “I’m off. Will,” she shouted, “follow me and stay close. Do what I do.” She zoomed down toward Times Square with Will on one side and Goodness on the other.

  “No, no … this could be a mistake,” Shirley shouted before speeding off to catch up with them. “Do as I do,” she added.

  The four landed behind a concrete barrier with several people pressed up against it. Policemen stood on the opposite side, patrolling the crowd, looking for any signs of a disruption.

  “Can they hear us?” Will whispered.

  “Only those with spiritual ears who are attuned to God,” Shirley answered. “And even then they will doubt themselves.”

  “No one is listening now.” Mercy was fairly confident the crowd was too caught up in the excitement of the moment to notice their presence, which was for the best all around.

  “How come they’re bundled up with coats a
nd scarves and gloves?” Will asked, looking around.

  “It’s winter.”

  “Oh.”

  “Everyone is staring up at the giant clock,” Will observed.

  “Yes, it’s only a couple of minutes until the new year arrives.”

  “And that’s important?”

  “Oh, yes. In two minutes this year will be over and a new one will begin.” This would be a hard concept for Will to understand. All their young charge knew came from heaven, where there were no clocks or calendars. In heaven, time had no meaning; the past, the present, and the future were all one and the same.

  The restrictions of time had always been problematic to Mercy. Gabriel generally gave them a limited amount of time to help humans with their prayer requests, and staying within such a condensed time period often seemed impossible. Although, through their many experiences, Mercy had learned that with God all things were possible. That had been a powerful lesson and one she hoped to pass along to Will when the opportunity arose.

  “How come the streets are black?” Will asked, gazing down at his feet. “They aren’t gold here.”

  “It’s asphalt. Earth is nothing like heaven,” Mercy explained. If Will stuck around Earth much longer, other differences would soon become apparent.

  “Where’s Shirley?” Goodness whirled around so quickly she caused a small whirlwind to form. People grabbed on to their hats. Papers flew in every direction. “We’ve lost Shirley.”

  “No, we haven’t.” For Will’s sake Mercy made every attempt to remain calm. “I’m sure she’s close by.”

  “She isn’t.”

  “Oh dear,” Will cried. “Shirley’s disappeared.”

  “She’s got to be right here.” Mercy was beginning to grow frantic herself. This wasn’t good. Shirley was older and tended to be easily sidetracked, but vanishing like this wasn’t the least bit like her. Of the three of them, Shirley was by far the most responsible.

  “Look for children,” Mercy instructed Goodness and Will. Shirley was invariably drawn to little ones. It was a result of all the years she’d spent as a Guardian Angel.