Olivia wasn’t entirely comfortable with the idea of leaving Mary Jo alone, but it was probably for the best. This way she could rest undisturbed.
“There’s something strange….”
“What?” Olivia asked.
“Well, for no reason I can understand, I decided to do a bit of housekeeping in the apartment yesterday. Cal’s been gone a few weeks now, and I put clean sheets on the bed and fresh towels in the bathroom. It’s as if…as if I was waiting for Mary Jo.”
That was a little too mystical for Olivia. “I’m so glad this is working out,” she murmured.
“She’s an animal-lover, too.”
That didn’t surprise Olivia. She sensed that Mary Jo had a gentleness about her, a soft heart, an interest in others.
“The minute I brought her into the barn, she wanted to see all the Nativity animals.”
“You kept her away from that camel, didn’t you?”
“I kept us both away,” Grace was quick to tell her.
“That beast is going to have to chew on someone else’s arm.”
“Yeah, David’s would be ideal,” Olivia muttered.
Grace laughed, but sobered almost immediately. “Listen, Mary Jo has a concern I’d like to talk to you about.”
“Sure.”
“She’s got three older brothers who are probably on their way into town, looking for her, as we speak.”
“Does she
“I think she does, only she wants to talk to Ben and Charlotte before her brothers do.”
“She’s not trying to protect David, is she?”
“I doubt it. What she’s afraid of is that her brothers might insist David marry her and she doesn’t want to. At this point, she’s accepted that she’s better off without him.”
“Smart decision.”
“Yes, but it came at quite a price, didn’t it?”
“True. A lesson with lifelong consequences.”
“We all seem to learn our lessons the hard way,” Grace said.
“I know I did.” Her children, too, Olivia mused. Justine and James. As always, especially around the holidays, her mind wandered to Jordan, the son she’d lost that summer day all those years ago. Justine’s twin.
“What time are Maryellen and Kelly coming by?” she asked, changing the subject. Although Mary Jo would be staying in the barn, perhaps she should bring her over for dinner. Give her a chance to feel welcomed by Ben’s second family. Cliff’s daughter, Lisa, her husband and their little girl, April, were out doing some last-minute shopping, apparently, and not due back until late afternoon.
“My girls should be here around six.”
“You’re going straight to church after dinner?”
“That’s the plan,” Grace told her. “I was going to invite Mary Jo to join us.”
“For dinner or Christmas Eve service?”
“Both, actually, but I’m having second thoughts.” Grace hesitated.
“Why? And about what?”
“Oh, about inviting Mary Jo to dinner. I’m afraid it might be too much for her. We’ll have five grandkids running around. You know how much racket children can make, and double that for Christmas Eve.”
“Is there anything I can do for her?” Olivia asked.
“Should I ask her to have dinner here?”
“I’m not sure. I’ll talk to her when she wakes up and then I’ll phone you.”
“Thanks. And tell her not to worry about her brothers.”
“I’ll do that.”
“See you tonight.”
“Tonight,” Olivia echoed.
After setting down the phone, Olivia poured the tea and placed both mugs on the table, followed by the plate of cookies, and called Jack into the kitchen again.
His eyes widened in overstated surprise. “Cookies? For me? You shouldn’t have.”
“I can still put them back.”
“Oh, no, you don’t.” He grabbed the star-shaped cookie and bit off one point. “What’s this in honor of?”
