Miracle Road

remained in the girls’ basketball game.

Daniel’s heart pounded. His mouth was dry and his palms were wet. He stepped into the gymnasium and surveyed the players.

He saw her. He knew her. He didn’t need fingerprints or DNA, although, of course, he would follow through with them.

“Mr. Garrett?”

He looked around to see a Hispanic woman who appeared to be in her forties. “Yes, I am Daniel Garrett.”

The woman’s gaze went to the court. “I am Jacinta Guerrero, Amanda’s aunt.”

“Thank you for calling me, Mrs. Guerrero.”

She released a long, heavy sigh. “After Amanda showed this to me, I could do nothing else.” She reached into her coat pocket and pulled out a familiar neon pink paper folded into quarters. She opened it, handed it to Daniel, and said, “Look at her. It is obvious. The age progression photograph is amazingly close.”

Daniel didn’t need to look at the photos on the flyer. He knew them by heart.

Just as he knew that little number six playing guard on the basketball court was Holly Montgomery.

“Here, Gabi, catch.” Lucca dropped the empty plastic ornament box through the opening in the attic floor at Aspenglow Place.

“Jeez, Lucca,” his sister called. “That almost hit me right on the head.”

“Reflexes, sis. Work on ’em.”

“‘Work on ’em,’” Gabi repeated, a sneer in her voice. “Come down out of the attic, brother, and I’ll show you reflexes.”

Hope laughed. “Would you two try to get along, please?”

Lucca descended the attic stairs carrying two more boxes. “That takes all the fun out of it, Hope.”

“He’s right,” Gabi agreed. “Bickering helps us battle through the boredom and physical misery.”

Hope arched her eyebrows. “‘Physical misery’? Of taking down the Christmas decorations? Don’t you think that’s a bit of an exaggeration?”

“Hah!” Gabi looked at her brother. “Obviously, she hasn’t experienced the traditional Romano family joy of untrimming a natural tree on Epiphany.”

“It’s like dancing with a porcupine,” Lucca explained. “Pure misery. Every year, Dad tried to convince Mom that this was one tradition we could forgo. Every year, she shut him down.”

Hope glanced from Lucca to Gabi, then back to Lucca again. “Okay, I know I’m a little dense, but your mother is in Florida visiting her sisters. She hasn’t been here for over a week. If this bothers you, why didn’t you take the tree down a week ago?”

“And break tradition?” Gabi scoffed. “We couldn’t do that.”

Hope sighed. “I can tell already that I’m going to have trouble keeping track of all the Romano family traditions.”

“No, you won’t,” Gabi said. “I’ve decided to embroider them on a wall hanging to give you for a wedding gift.”

Lucca snorted. “Wonderful. You sew as good as you cook, Gabriella.”

“Bite me.”

“I could. I expect you taste better than your meat loaf.”

“Oh stop it,” Hope said, grinning at the sibling banter. Of course, she grinned at just about everything these days. She hadn’t stopped grinning since she’d left Madison Square Garden engaged to be married.

It had been a whirlwind few days. They’d returned from New York in time for a New Year’s Eve party that quickly evolved into an engagement celebration. On New Year’s Day, while the Romano men watched football on television, the Romano women got serious about wedding plans. After studying both high school and collegiate basketball schedules and consulting with Hope’s principal regarding time off for a honeymoon, Hope and Lucca set the wedding date for February 14. Maggie had assured her that empire waists were making a comeback in wedding gowns this year.

Hope had even been strong enough to reach out to Mark. On New Year’s afternoon, with her Angel’s Rest pendant held tightly in her grip, she’d placed a call to her ex-husband.

When he didn’t answer, she left a voice mail. “Hi Mark. It’s Hope. I know your first question would be about Holly, so no, I’m not calling with any news. I’m calling because I wanted to … well … I want to wish you a Happy New Year. I mean it, Mark. I hope that this new year brings you happiness and, most of all, peace.”

Five minutes later, her phone rang. Mark. Her heartbeat thudding, she answered it. “Hello, Mark.”

“I got your message. I’m glad you called.”

“You are?”

“Yeah.” He cleared his throat. “I’ve thought a lot about my trip to Colorado, about the things I said. I was an ass. I’m sorry.”

Hope was shocked. She couldn’t remember the last time Mark had apologized for anything, and she didn’t know how to respond. Finally, she simply said, “Thank you.”

A moment of awkward silence followed, then Mark said, “I saw you on television. I guess congratulations are in order, too.”

Her heart twisted. He sounded a little lost and lonely, and compassion filled her. “Remember how Holly woke up excited to meet the day? She taught me what a joyous heart looks like. I’m going to try to live my life with joy. That honors her, I think.”

His voice sounded gruff when he replied, “That’s nice, Hope.”

She licked her lips, then added, “I wish that you could be happy, too, Mark. This may sound silly to you, but I wish you’d spend some time in Eternity Springs. There is something about this town. People come here and find peace.”

He released a long sigh. “After I left your house last time, my rental car had engine trouble. I was stalled beside the road waiting for the auto service to arrive, and an older woman riding a motorcycle stopped to offer help.”

“Celeste Blessing?”

“Yes. Once she figured out who I was, she said something similar to me about Eternity Springs. Then, she invited me to stay in a little cabin on the Angel’s Rest property. I stayed two nights.”

“You did! I didn’t know that.”

“I’m thinking I might come back sometime. That is, if you don’t mind. If your basketball coach doesn’t mind.”

“I think that would be wonderful, Mark.”

The doorbell sounded, jerking Hope out of her daydreams. “I’ll get it,” Lucca said, heading for the front of the house. “You girls get started on the ornaments.”

“Make it quick, brother,” Gabi warned. Then, once Lucca was out of earshot, she asked, “So, back to your trip to Tiffany’s. Did he just say ‘Pick out the ring you want,’ or what?”

Hope glanced down at the sparkler on her finger. “He was so romantic. He said—”

Lucca interrupted. “Hope? Please come here.”

She and Gabi shared a look. “That sounds serious,” Hope’s sister-to-be observed.

Hope shrugged and walked out of the family room, headed for the front door. Her gaze landed on Lucca, and the stunned expression on his face slowed her steps. “Honey, is something wrong?”

“No, darling. Something is right. Very, very right.” He backed away from the door, and Hope caught her first glimpse of the figure standing outside on the porch. “Daniel?”

“Hello, Hope.”

“What are you doing here?”

His lips twisted into a crooked smile. “It’s the Twelfth Day of Christmas. I understand Romano took care of the golden ring thing and I can’t abide drumming drummers, so I figured I’d give you something else. You know what they say about miracles, don’t you? Better late than never.”

Miracle? Roaring started in her ears. Her stomach dropped. Her heart pounded, and her mouth went dry.