Starlight in Her Eyes, page 16
“It means this isn’t Heaven, but I have the feeling a lot of the people in this town might know Jesus.”
Lily’s curls bobbed beneath her knit cap as she nodded. “I love it here, Mommy.”
“I do, too,” Serena murmured. Spotting Barney’s Diner, Serena pulled the car to the front curb, but she left the car idling. An older woman with silver-white hair approached the front door and rotated the OPEN sign to CLOSED. Serena’s heart sank and she wanted to groan.
“Oh no! Don’t let her close the restaurant. I want mashed potatoes!”
Serena lowered her head and closed her eyes. “Lord, help keep me sane.”
A few seconds later, Serena startled when she heard a rap on her window. Putting one hand over her chest, she glanced up to see the woman from the diner.
She wasn’t wearing a coat but she didn’t appear chilled in the least.
Serena lowered the window.
“Honey, would you and your little girl like to come inside for a bite to eat? I was closing up for the night, but I still have plenty to do. You’re welcome to come in, and I can warm up plates of food for you. I had a turkey dinner special tonight with all the fixings. How does that sound?”
Serena blinked back tears. “That’s very kind, but I’m sure you need to get home to your family.”
“Don’t you worry about that. I’ll get home eventually. Right now, I think it’s more important to be here. I’m Caroline Picasso.” She peered past Serena to the backseat. “What’s this pretty girl’s name?”
Lily had released her seat belt and crawled up into the front passenger seat. “I’m Lily. Do you have mashed potatoes, Miss Caroline? With gravy?”
“Lily, honey—” Serena started to protest.
“I sure do, young lady.” The woman’s blue eyes twinkled as she moved her gaze back to Serena. “I take it you’re Lily’s mother?”
“Yes. I’m Serena Monroe. It’s very nice to meet you, Caroline. A hot meal sounds wonderful if you’re sure you don’t mind. I promise we won’t be any trouble and we won’t stay long.”
“I’ve heard that before.” With a wry smile, Caroline tapped the window ledge. “You stay as long as you’d like. I’ll leave the front door unlocked. Come on inside and warm up while I get your dinners.”
Lily ran into the diner ahead of Serena, and squeals of delight carried back to Serena as she reached the door.
“This place is great!” Lily scrambled onto a seat at the counter. Wiggling on the red vinyl, she swung her legs back and forth. Just as quickly, she slid down to the black-and-white checkerboard floor and then started to hop and skip across the tiles.
Serena hung their coats on a hook at the end of one of the nearby booths. Then she stretched her arms high above her head and stood in front of the large picture window of the diner. The snow was lightly falling and she gasped when she spied a red sleigh, drawn by a majestic white horse.
“Lily, come look!” She motioned to her daughter.
Lily bounced over to her. “That’s so beautiful, Mommy! This is the best place ever!”
For the moment, Serena had to agree. When she heard jingle bells, her smile grew wider at the reminder of Colin.
Caroline emerged from behind a swinging door. “Any allergies I should know about before I bring your meals?”
“No, but thanks for asking,” Serena said, turning away from the window. “We were just admiring the beautiful, horse-drawn sleigh.”
The other woman nodded. “One of our newest couples in town got engaged in that sleigh on Christmas Day last year. The romantic gesture caught the imagination of the townsfolk, so it’s a regular thing here now.”
Serena returned to the counter seat.
“You look like you could use a hot cup of coffee. I still have some I made in the last half hour, if that’s all right. Would you like a cup?” Caroline motioned to the coffee maker.
“That sounds great, with a little cream if it’s not too much trouble. If you have milk, that’ll be fine for Lily to have with her dinner.”
“Sure thing. Coming right up.” Caroline poured steaming coffee into a red mug and set it on the counter in front of Serena. After pulling out a container of creamer from a small refrigerator beneath the counter, she poured it into a pewter pitcher. On her way back to Serena, Caroline grabbed a small basket of sweeteners. “If you don’t mind my asking, are you passing through Starlight on your way to somewhere else for Christmas?”
Serena hesitated, uncertain what to say.
“We’ve come here to see Mr. Colin!” Lily called from across the diner.
“Honey, maybe you shouldn’t be jumping,” Serena cautioned.
“She’s fine.” Caroline waved her hand. “I imagine Lily’s got pent-up energy stored up if you’ve traveled all the way from Philadelphia.”
Serena snapped her gaze to Caroline’s. “How did you—?”
“We flew on my grandpa’s airplane and then Mommy rented a car and drove us here from De…De…what is that city called again?”
“Des Moines,” Serena said. Based on her comment, Caroline seemed to know who she was. She’d take that as a good sign.
“I think the world of Colin,” Caroline said as if she’d read her mind. “He’s visited Starlight a few times since Nikki and Alex moved here.” The woman’s piercing blue eyes met hers. “Colin was here in the diner for lunch today, as a matter of fact.”
Serena’s heart raced. “He was? So he is here.” Oh, she was anxious to see him. Waiting until tomorrow would be one of the hardest things she’d ever done. It made her feel like a child again, waiting for Christmas morning. On Christmas Eve. Waiting to hear jingle bells and the arrival of a sleigh. Hmm… She’d already seen a sleigh tonight. And heard bells jingling.
“If you ask me, Colin is missing his other half,” Caroline said with a kind smile. “That sweet man shared enough for me to know he’s crazy in love with a woman named Serena who has a precious daughter named Lily.” Caroline darted a glance to where Lily continued her hopscotch game on the black-and-white checkerboard floor. “Does Colin know you’re here in town, honey?”
Serena’s cheeks warmed. “Not yet. It’s…a surprise. I don’t always plan things very well, Caroline. I thought I’d wait until tomorrow morning to call him. I didn’t think it was appropriate to show up on Nikki and Alex’s doorstep tonight without any advance warning.” She glanced at her wrinkled sweater and jeans and frowned. “I’d also prefer to look more presentable.”
“He won’t care what you look like, but I understand you might want to surprise him for the best Christmas gift of his life. If you’re not planning on going to Nikki and Alex’s house tonight, then you and Lily are coming home with me. My husband, Ben, and I have plenty of room. We’d love to have you stay with us.”
“I…” Serena blew out a sigh and hoped her expression conveyed the depth of her gratitude. How many people would open their home to strangers? Never in her life would she ever accept such an offer from a stranger…until now. Colin was right. Starlight was different, and if Caroline was any indication, so were the people—in the very best of ways. Serena had complete confidence and trust that Caroline had her and Lily’s best interests at heart.
“That would be great,” Serena said. “Thank you so much. Except for a lively little chatterbox, we’ll be good houseguests. Once Lily hits a pillow tonight, she’ll fall asleep quickly.”
“I’m not worried. You two don’t look like rabble-rousers.” Caroline laughed. “I’ll go get your dinners. Be right back.” Then she disappeared into the kitchen again. From behind the door, Serena heard a man singing an Italian aria. Was Caroline listening to an opera CD?
Spying a menu, Serena plucked it out of the holder on the counter. Opening it, she glanced at the various offerings. With names attached to many of the sandwiches and other offerings, Serena figured they had to represent the townspeople. How fun. She smiled when she spied Delicious Dante’s Pastrami. No doubt that sandwich was named after the resident former World Cup soccer star. Likewise, the kids’ menu featured names of kids who must live in Starlight.
Taking her first sip of the coffee, Serena’s eyes widened and she sputtered. Wow. That was the strongest coffee she’d ever tasted, even more than espresso. She tapped her curled fist on her chest a few times and cleared her throat.
As she closed the menu, something caught Serena’s eye. Flipping it open again, she gasped. “Colin’s Bangers and Mash?” With a widening grin, Serena read the description of the traditional British dish made with sausage and potatoes. Colin had clearly made an impact on this little town, too.
Caroline emerged from the kitchen and placed two plates of steaming food on the counter—roast turkey with mashed potatoes and gravy, cranberry sauce, green beans, yams, and a roll for each of them. Then she disappeared and came back out almost immediately with a glass of milk for Lily. Everything smelled delicious and looked as if it were made from scratch.
“Are you an opera fan?” Serena asked Caroline as Lily skipped across the room and climbed onto the counter seat beside her.
“Oh, that’s Marv, the dishwasher. That man loves his opera. Thank the Lord he’s got a decent voice,” Caroline said. “I’m going back in the kitchen now to help him. I’ll be out to check on you in a bit, but if you need anything before that, you give me a holler.”
“Thank you, Caroline. You’re very kind. How much will I owe you? I’m sure you need to close your books for the night.”
Caroline patted Serena’s hand and smiled at Lily. “Don’t you worry. It’s my treat. I’m thankful you’re here, and I know a handsome, young British man who will be overjoyed.” With a wink, she departed.
“I want to see Mr. Colin,” Lily said. At least she’d waited this long to pout.
“Me too, Lily.” Serena reached for Lily’s hand. “All in good time, sweetie. Let’s pray for this meal, and especially for the mashed potatoes.”
Lily slid her hand around hers. “And the gravy.”
Serena smiled and tweaked Lily’s chin with her free hand. “I think we’re going to love Starlight.”
20
Colin watched with amusement as Nikki’s eyes widened. Her cellphone was beside her ear, and she nodded a few times as she stared at him. “Sounds great,” she said. When she hung up, Nikki looked as if she wanted to say something but wasn’t quite sure how.
“Spit it out, love. You’ve never been at a loss for words. What’s going through that lovely mind of yours?”
“That was Caroline. She needs your help with something over at the diner.”
“My help? Why would she—?”
“Yes, there’s something that requires your expertise. Or something like that. What do I know? I’m a confused pregnant woman.” Nikki planted one hand on her hip. “It’s either a little field trip into town or stay here and help me make pies for the big Christmas feast tomorrow. Take your pick.”
Colin chuckled. “If dear Caroline needs my help with something and has specifically requested my assistance, then I’m more than happy to oblige.”
Nikki appeared visibly relieved. “Would you? Thank you so much. Grab your coat and I’ll drive you over.” Her gaze skimmed over him. “On second thought, why don’t you go comb your hair? You might also want to brush your teeth. Oh, and you might want to change out of your reindeer lounging pants, adorable as they are.”
He grunted. “I didn’t know Caroline was so picky, and I hadn’t expected to be entertaining company tonight.”
“Not that you’re not perfectly respectable, but humor a pregnant woman, won’t you?”
“Of course.” Colin gave her a curious look. “I could say you’re already milking this pregnancy for all it’s worth, but that doesn’t sound very politically correct now, does it?” He scratched his head. “I’ll just dart upstairs and be back down shortly. Hopefully then I’ll pass muster.” He paused. “I’m assuming jeans and a sweater are acceptable?”
Nikki nodded with a smile. “Perfect. Now, off with you. Hurry.”
Fifteen minutes later, Nikki parked her car near the back door of Barney’s Diner. Colin glanced out the windows as a fresh snowfall fell. “Ah, a white Christmas. I can imagine that’s commonplace in Starlight. The snow here is magnificent and so different from the cold, wet snow in Philadelphia. Not that Philly doesn’t have its charms.”
“I’m sure,” Nikki said with a wry grin as she pulled the keys from the ignition.
“May I ask why we’re going in the back door instead of the front?”
“Caroline’s already locked up for the night. Being the night before Christmas, there are a lot of family members visiting in town and they don’t know the diner’s regular hours. If anyone sees us going in the front door, they might get the mistaken idea they’re still open.”
A convoluted explanation if ever he’d heard one. Deciding to humor Nikki, Colin feigned shock. “Heaven forbid. I’ve sneaked in a few back doors in my life, so I suppose going back to my heathen ways to help the owner of a small town diner this once won’t hurt anything. It is Christmas Eve, after all.” Colin climbed out of the car and then traipsed up the back steps of Barney’s Diner behind Nikki.
She knocked a couple of times, and within seconds, Caroline’s smiling face appeared around the door.
“Hi, Nikki. Colin. Thanks for coming to help me. Come in out of the cold.” Holding the door open, Caroline waited as they stepped inside the kitchen and stamped their feet on the mat.
The warmth was inviting, and he tugged off his gloves while Nikki did the same.
A large man sprayed dishes in a nearby sink, and he gave them a wave in the midst of a cloud of steam while an Italian aria played in the background. La Traviata?
“Hi, Marv!” Nikki smiled and waved to the other man. “Marv’s married to Laverne, the town librarian,” she told Colin.
“How wonderful for them. I hope Laverne loves opera.”
“She does,” Caroline said. “I had some last minute dinner guests show up tonight, and I didn’t have the heart to turn them away. Being Christmas Eve and all.”
Nikki moved toward the door and opened it a crack.
Colin shook his head. “No peeking, Nikki. You need to wait until Christmas morning.”
She put a finger over her lips and closed the door. “Looks like they’re really enjoying their meal.”
Colin turned to Caroline. “What can I help you with, love? Have your visitors outstayed their welcome? Do you need a blond Brit bouncer?” He smirked. “Forgive my punchiness tonight. And apparently my inadvertent alliteration.”
Caroline gestured to him. “Colin, if you’ll come with me, please.”
“Gladly.”
Caroline pushed the door and led him into the main dining area.
As Colin passed by Nikki, he puzzled over why she had one hand over her heart and tears in her eyes. Those pregnancy hormones must be quite potent. When he entered the dining room, Colin turned at the sound of voices. Female voices, one young, one older. Familiar voices. Joy filled his heart and he broke into a wide grin as he spied Serena and then Lily.
Lily spotted him first. “Mr. Colin! You’re here!” She slid off her counter seat and ran to him, arms opened wide. “I’ve missed you.”
“I know what you mean, Lily-Love,” he said, crouching as she ran into the circle of his arms. “It’s been an eternity.” His gaze found Serena’s.
Her eyes were moist and she gave him a tentative smile. She wouldn’t have come all the way to Starlight, Iowa, only to tell him she never wanted to see him again.
Overwhelmed with emotion, Colin buried his face in Lily’s sweet-scented hair. He hadn’t cried in more years than he could count, and he was determined not to do so now.
“That’s a long time, right?” Lily clung to him.
He ran one hand over her dark curls. This child was in his heart to stay. Closing his eyes, Colin treasured the moment. “Yes, it’s a very long time. I love you, my sweet girl.” He kissed her soft cheek.
“I love you, too. Mommy and I came to see you because we wanted to surprise you for Christmas.” Lily raised her arms high in the air and then wrapped her arms around his neck, leaning her head against his shoulder. “Merry Christmas!”
“Best gift ever in my life.” Rising to his feet, Colin watched as Serena left her seat.
“Lily, honey, why don’t you come into the kitchen with me,” Caroline said, offering her hand to the child. Thankfully, Lily offered no protest and walked with Caroline.
Nikki would get to know Lily in the next few minutes, and without a doubt they’d be best friends in no time flat.
Colin found himself momentarily speechless as Serena took a small step toward him. “You’re here,” he said finally. “I can’t tell you how happy that makes me. My…heart.”
Serena took another small step in his direction, closing the gap between them. “I’m sorry for acting like a twit earlier in the week. I realize how inadequate that sounds for making you miserable. If it’s any consolation, I was miserable and not at all happy with my behavior.” She shrugged and gave him an adorably sheepish grin. “I can only claim temporary insanity and pray you will forgive me.”
“No forgiveness is needed, love.” Colin restrained himself from running to her and enfolding her in his aching arms. He hoped this conversation wouldn’t last long. He had more important things to do. Like kiss her endlessly and never let her go. This Christmas was turning out a lot better than he’d anticipated when he’d first arrived in Starlight, thank the Lord.
She seemed to be waiting for him to say more. “As long as I’ve known you, Serena, you’ve never been a twit. You had a lot to absorb, understandably so.”
She took another small step in his direction. “You may not know that Paulina came to see me before your appearance with Gabrielle in my office.”
Colin quirked a brow. “I wasn’t aware. I suppose sympathies are warranted.” He couldn’t imagine why Paulina would have paid Serena a visit.
“Paulina wanted to warn me about Gabrielle. She’d seen her with you in the wardrobe room.” Shrugging her shoulders, Serena slipped her hands into the pockets of her jeans. If possible, she looked thinner, as though she’d lost weight since Monday.
