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“Yes, that’s me. Listen, I was on the phone with someone there for hours the other day, and I just need to know how to finalize all of this. I have a meeting with my accountant next week and I—“
“Mr. Williams, that case has been taken care of. All paperwork stamped ‘Paid in Full’ will be sent to you in seven to ten business days.”
Creed pinched his forehead. “Uh, I’m sorry, I think you made a mistake. I didn’t make a payment yet, I just wanted to confirm my payment plan.”
“Mr. Williams, your balance is paid in full. As of yesterday. Like I said, the paperwork will be sent to you within two weeks,” the woman sighed and spoke slowly as if he were dimwitted.
Creed blinked in confusion, stunned speechless.
“Sir?”
“Um, uh, yeah. I’m here. I’m sorry, did you say my balance is paid in full?” he stammered.
Another sigh. “Yes. Your account is paid in full.”
“By who?” Who would do this?
“I don’t see a name, just that the amount was paid. Is there anything else I can do for you today, Mr. Williams?”
“No, I don’t—“
“Thank you and have a nice day.”
The line went dead before he could respond. Creed sank to his desk chair, staring in bewilderment at the phone in his hands. Was it a mistake?
He called the number again and got another agent, male. Even more precise and impatient.
The answer was the same: someone had paid his debt.
Disbelief swelled in him. It burst forth in rarely shed tears of thankfulness. Lord, only You could have accomplished this for me. Yet again—in spite of myself—You have given me another chance.
He felt the Lord’s favor the rest of the day, when, as promised, Hailey withdrew her custody documents. Instead, the judge was presented with a letter from her lawyer stating that she wanted Creed to have full custody of Izzie. He truly felt pity for Hailey Anderson. He didn’t know how long she had been addicted to pain pills, but it was obvious that her life was an empty shell of what it could be. Only he knew what she had given up when she walked away from the child they had conceived.
Well, he, his family…and Amelia.
When he retrieved Izzie from Peabody’s assistant, Creed knelt down to sweep her into an ecstatic hug.
“It’s over, baby girl! You’re not going anywhere!” he laughed as she squeezed him so tight that that he nearly fell over.
“Does this mean we get to spend Thanksgiving with Miss H and Aunt Lucy?”
Creed grinned, buzzing with excitement. “It sure does, baby.”
They drove to his parents’ house with a carton of vanilla ice cream to celebrate. Alone in the kitchen with his dad, Creed told him about the baffling call to the IRS. When his father wouldn’t meet his gaze, Creed’s jaw dropped.
“Dad. You didn’t.”
No answer.
Creed stepped forward. “Dad?”
His father paused, the ice cream scooper still in his hand. “Listen, Creed. When you called us all those years ago, I was very disappointed. More than I like to admit. But then you came home and I watched you turn yourself inside out to provide a stable life for your daughter. I watched your faith finally become real. I’ve been so proud of you, Son,” his voice wavered.
Creed sniffed and scratched his nose. When his Dad had collected himself he went on, voice slightly gruffer than usual.
“So when all of this garbage happened and still you hung in there, I thought you could use the reminder of what the Lord accomplished for you on the cross. We all need that now and again. He paid our debt, knowing we could never pay it back.” He seared Creed with a gaze.
Creed nodded, swallowing past the tightness in his throat, understanding the unspoken message.
“Thanks, Dad.”
His father nodded once and Creed knew they would never speak of it again. After the celebration, they drove toward the grocery store, Creed relishing the peace he felt. As he steered through the packed parking lot, he prayed that someday he could accomplish for Izzie what his Dad had for him: a priceless, tangible example of Christ’s work on the cross.
“Oh look, Daddy,” Izzie cooed when they finally made it out of the busy store. She tugged his hand toward a young couple sitting in lawn chairs in front of the store. They had a box at their feet with FREE KITTENS scribbled on the side.
Izzie leaned into the box and plucked a black and white spotted kitten up and under her chin. The small animal meowed softly and tried to crawl out of Izzie’s arms.
“Aren’t they cute, Daddy? Can we have one?” She scooped up another—a calico—and gazed up at him.
“Aww, Kiddo, I wish I could get you one. But we’re not allowed to have pets in our townhouse. I’m sorry.” He reached down to pet an all-black kitten curled up in the corner.
“It’s okay.” Izzie accepted softly. Man, she was a good kid.
Creed brightened with an idea. “You know who I think would want one of these?”
* * *
Amelia considered cancelling with Aaron. But that was rude, wasn’t it? What could she say?
“Yeah, so the guy I have feelings for is going to be at dinner tomorrow and I’d like to keep our friendship quiet.”
Not happening. She picked up her phone to text that she would just meet him at the theater but she heard tires on the dirt road leading to her house and set her phone down. Olé barked wildly when footsteps and voices sounded outside the door just before someone knocked.
Olé had lost some of his manners since they had moved to the country. She held his collar and inched open the door.
“Surprise!” Izzie yelled.
Amelia laughed and opened the door wider, allowing Olé to sniff her legs. Creed stood behind Izzie with a large box in his hands. Olé sniffed all around the bottom of the box and whined, his bottom shaking wildly.
“Come in, you guys,” Amelia said, moving out of the way.
“I hope you don’t mind us dropping in, but we have something we needed to give you,” Creed said. He smiled shyly.
Amelia returned his smile, feeling warmth spread through her like a cozy hug. “I don’t mind at all. But what could you possibly have in that box?”
Izzie danced from one foot to another while Creed set it down and opened the flaps. A black kitten with a white tipped tail and white belly leapt up the side, it’s claws scraping the cardboard as it slipped back to the bottom.
Amelia gasped. “You guys brought me a kitten?”
“The kitten was free. We bought the supplies even in the store with all of the crazy people walking around,” Izzie said.
Amelia laughed and picked up the little animal. Olé whined and circled her feet, jumping up to set his paws on her waist while she snuggled the kitten close. The cat hissed at Olé and dug her claws into Amelia’s shoulder. Creed reached out to help her unhook the claws.
“Here you take her—him—it while I go put Olé in his kennel for now.” Amelia handed the kitten over and pulled Olé back to the mud room. She hadn’t realized she was shaking until she slipped him a treat. When she came back in the living room, she tried to see her house through their eyes.
The living room and dining room were open to each other. She and Lucy had scored the large farm table and matching benches from a place called Junkyard Chic. When she found the sideboard at the thrift store, she sanded and painted both so they would match.
The living room was cozy and perfectly farmhouse chic with white pillows on the large sectional—a splurge to celebrate the new house. She had painted the brick around the fireplace white after she talked her Dad into mounting the thick piece of recovered barn wood in place of the crumbling shelf that had served as the mantle. A wingback chair recovered with French grain sacks hugged her favorite corner in the house where two windows met at a ninety-degree angle. A small, three-legged table piled with a stack of old books, a small lamp and her Bible kept the chair company.
Izzie and Creed were seated on the sofa when she came back in the room, the kitten curled up on Creed’s knees.
“I can’t believe you got me a kitten, Izzie,” Amelia gushed, her hands on her cheeks. Her words were for Izzie, but her eyes wouldn’t leave Creed’s face. He shrugged and offered her a lopsided smile.
She knelt on her knees before him and pet the kitten, loving the silk of its fur and the rattle of its tiny purr.
“It’s a girl, by the way,” Creed said. “I checked.” His eyes pierced hers. “I thought it was time for you to have your cat, Amelia.”
Her eyes welled with tears and she smiled up at him. “Thank you,” she whispered, melting right into the floorboards.
He and Izzie stayed a while longer, helping her to name the kitten—Sassy—and to get the feline and canine properly acquainted. When Creed declared it time to get Izzie home and ready for bed, Amelia reached up on her toes to hug him around the neck.
“Thank you, Creed. I love her.” She pulled away slowly, allowing her eyes to study his face. She turned to hug Izzie as well. “And thank you, Miss Izzie. I love the name you picked out.”
“You’re welcome,” Creed said, eyes crinkling in pleasure at her joy.
“See ya tomorrow, Miss Amelia,” Izzie called as they walked to their car. Amelia waved and watched while they drove away. A small smile painted her lips for the rest of the evening.
Chapter Thirty-Nine
Amelia arrived early at her parents’ home, ready to help decorate for Christmas as she did every Thanksgiving morning. She knocked and opened the door, letting herself into the wide entry way. Her mom had already pulled out the red and green plastic tubs that they stored all of their decorations in and placed them at the base of the stairs. Amelia stepped around them, her arms full of the pans she and Lucy had prepared the day before.
“Hey, Amelia, my favorite firstborn, come in here,” her dad called out from the den. She smiled at his jovial greeting and stepped into the room where he sat in his favorite recliner watching the Thanksgiving Day parade.
“Hey Daddy,” she greeted, planting a kiss on his forehead. “Good parade?”
“You know I love parades,” her dad muted the television and turned to her, eyes twinkling.
“You know, Dad, one of these days we need to brave the cold and go to the one downtown,” she suggested.
“It’s not the cold that scares me,” he said, glancing behind her to be sure the hallway was empty. “I’m more afraid of telling your mother that we’re not spending Thanksgiving decorating the house,” he gave an exaggerated shudder at the thought.
“I heard that,” her mother called from the kitchen, her tone wry.
Amelia laughed when her dad winked and turned back to the television. She loved the way they spent this day. She would come over early and flit between helping her mom with the cooking and decorations and sneaking glimpses of the parade and handfuls of Chex mix with her dad. It had been their special tradition for years.
She saved the tree in the dining room for last. Her parents still lived in the home she had been raised in, a large, charming two story with a front porch that spread across the front of the house. Across from her dad’s den was the dining room, and her mom had a tree for both windows.
“That way we light up each of the front rooms with Christmas cheer,” her mother had explained when she first brought home the second tree. Her father had rolled his eyes.
Amelia pulled the tub close to the tall plastic evergreen. She preferred a real tree and would hopefully have one in her home by the next week, but she loved the one her mother had picked out as well. Although Stacy had said it was to light up both windows, Amelia thought maybe the new tree had more to do with the fact that her mother had always wanted a nice, formal tree, but couldn’t bear to leave their family ornaments in storage. And thus the junk tree was displayed in Dad’s den, and the glamorous one, dressed in red bows and golden ornaments, showed off in the dining room.
Lucy arrived first and took Amelia’s place in the kitchen while she finished trimming the trees and strung boughs of holly up the stair railing. Next came Mr. And Mrs. Williams. Then her brothers and their families.
Chad arrived, carrying a big box of wedding decorations. Lucy looped an arm through his and kissed his cheek, before leading him to her room upstairs—also known as wedding headquarters.
Creed and Izzie arrived as Amelia was teetering on the ladder, tying the last red ribbon to the top branch of the dining room tree. Izzie gasped in delight and Amelia looked up in surprise, holding onto the top of the ladder for support. Although it was early afternoon, the sky was overcast, creating a romantic glow from the soft, twinkling tree lights. She hoped they wouldn’t emphasize the warmth blooming on her cheeks.
Creed locked eyes with her, standing tall and handsome in a long overcoat sprinkled with snow. Izzie was dressed in a fancy purple dress that looked as if it had been dusted with glitter.
“Hiya Miss Amelia,” she called up the ladder.
Amelia smiled down at her, her heart full of love for the girl. Love that went far beyond the previous teacher student relationship.
“Hiya Izzie,” she answered. “Sassy wanted me to tell you hello.”
She climbed down from the ladder, feeling Creed’s eyes on her. Could he see the slight tremble in her knees? She reached Izzie and hugged her close. A cold cheek met her embrace and she pulled back to place her hands on Izzie’s face.
“Brrr!” she exclaimed. “Did it start snowing out there?”
“Uh-huh. Daddy said maybe we can play in it after dinner,” Izzie beamed.
“Well that sounds fun. But I hope you brought a change of clothes,” Amelia looped an arm around Izzie and turned her toward the kitchen. She inched past Creed, barely glancing at him.
“Hi, Creed,” she murmured awkwardly as they passed.
“Hi, Amelia,” he answered, his eyes seeming to drink her in.
Coward, she scolded herself. Using Izzie as a shield to sneak past Creed. Seriously, Amelia.
With a start, she realized that she forgot to tell Aaron that she would meet him at the movies instead of having him pick her up. She couldn’t risk hurting Creed, especially after his sweet gesture the night before. She felt doubt rise up. Would he really care?
But did she want to risk it?
She excused herself and slipped into the kitchen to where her phone was plugged in. She tried to call Aaron but it went straight to voicemail.
Drat. He’s probably the type that turns off his phone for family dinners. Maybe she could just explain to Creed that they were friends. But her insecurity swallowed that idea. Creed probably wouldn’t care.
Or would he?
She groaned inwardly and trudged to the dining room.
* * *
Creed felt like a hero when he showed up at Amelia’s with the kitten. Did she see what he was saying? That he would be there for her, supporting her, no matter what?
Of course not, Williams. You have to tell her that yourself, not through some symbol-cat. Still, with the IRS paid off and Hailey out of the picture, he felt free at last to pursue Amelia and show her how good they could be. He followed her toward the kitchen and tried to catch her alone, but his mom called him into the living room before he could.
When dinner was announced, he rushed to slip into the chair next to Amelia’s, but she took a seat in between his mother and Chad. Creed captured the chair across from her instead. Throughout the meal, he would smile with assurance whenever Amelia looked up to find his eyes on hers. In response she would fidget in her chair, or with her necklace.
Once she dropped her fork, rolling her eyes as it clattered loudly against her plate.
“Well, Amelia, I hear from your mom that you’re in the middle of a renovation,” Creed’s mother suddenly said when they had all been served pie.
A lull in conversation around the table ensured that everyone heard the question and turned to listen to the answer. No one more eagerly than Creed. He had often wondered how it was going—there was so much to catch up on. Things had seemed put together the night before, but they had mostly focused on the kitten and Izzie.
Amelia glanced up, embarrassed to be the center of attention. “Well, I was, sort of. Just the upstairs.”
“And how is that going?”
“Dusty,” Amelia quipped. Low chuckles sounded around the table. She glanced up at Creed again, tucking a strand of hair behind her ear. “Honestly, though, it’s going great. Lucy helped me paint the inside before I moved in. The work upstairs is purely cosmetic so I’m doing most of it myself.”
Mrs. Howard spoke up from other side of the table. “Yes this fabulous little home is turning into quite the place. You should see the paint colors she picked out. Her room is extraordinary.”
“And have you done anything like this before, Amelia?” his mom asked.
“No, never. Thank goodness for Pinterest and YouTube videos, though. I think I’ve avoided any major catastrophes. I mostly just sanded down the floors and applied new stain, then painted everything. This week I hope to tear out the vanity in the master bath. I already bought one to replace it. All I have to do is figure out the plumbing. Hopefully it’s as easy as the guy on YouTube says.” She lifted one shoulder and dropped it again.
Creed leaned back in his chair. Wow.
“That sounds daunting.” His mother again.
Amelia swallowed. “It’s not bad, really. The couple that sold it to me are really helpful. They also own the large apple orchard next door. I’ve taken my students there for years”—her eyes bounced off of Creed’s—“and we’ve developed a sweet friendship. This house is on the edge of their property. They took pretty good care of it and their son remodeled the entire downstairs. This summer I’ll work on the yard and possibly have a driveway poured. Eventually, I will also have a garage added. Right now I just have a little dirt road and a lot of weeds for my dog and cat to run through.”
Her eyes met Creed’s again and held them for a moment.
Warmth spread through him and he leaned back, his hand rubbing his sweater where his heart beat wildly.
