Chapter Nine
Zoe appraised herself in the mirror and smiled at the image reflected. She hadn’t felt this alive since before she’d moved to Nativity. Her new dress shimmered against the light of her vanity. The cream-colored gown flowed to her ankles and matched the satin pumps she’d found in her closet. Red lace trim sewn along the top of the bodice created a festive holiday accent.
She’d gone to the salon earlier and had her hair professionally styled. The stylist had swept her bangs to the side and pulled the rest into a chignon full of loose curls, courtesy of a professional grade curling iron and hair product. Too bad she couldn’t easily reproduce the look on her own—her straight hair rebelled at the very mention of curls.
Dressed, hair and makeup finished, all she had left to do was accessorize. She knew the perfect set of jewelry to wear, but she’d hesitated to put them on. They were the last gift given to her by Tori. She’d kept them hidden at the bottom of her jewelry box, along with the bracelet from Damien that had been recovered from the scene. She couldn’t bear to wear it, nor could she get rid of it.
But I’m stronger now.The memories didn’t haunt her as they once had, and she’d moved on. She’d even allowed herself to have close friends. Gingerly, she opened the lid of her jewelry box and lifted out the top tray. Removed the letters she’d saved, and Aubrey’s first ultrasound. She fingered the two boxes—one held the matching teardrop ruby earrings and necklace, and the other the ruby and diamond bracelet.
Tori and Damien would approve of her wearing them tonight. If they could, they’d probably ask why it had taken her so long in the first place. They would also approve of Donovan. Not that there was anything to approve of. Yet. They were only friends.
Moving toward the possibility of more.
She’d address that train of thought later, as it had come out of the blue. Donovan had swept into her life in a serendipitous force that made her realize how lonely her life had become. All the candy cane wishes and volunteer work in the world couldn’t wholly fill the void of her heart. It helped, but a piece remained empty.
Humans weren’t made to journey through life alone. An innate need for companionship was built into everyone, and to suppress it caused depression and a heartache that grew deeper with time. She knew that firsthand. Her friendship with Donovan changed her. She could think about their laughter and conversations, and a smile would appear. The days weren’t so long, and the nights alone weren’t so dark and dreary.
She opened the silver-foiled box. The earrings and necklace stared at her, beckoning for her to wear them. They’d sat in there neglected too long. Her fingers trembled when she unhooked the first earring. It took her three attempts to slide the post through the hole in her ear. She put on the second earring, and then the necklace. Emotions assaulted her when she saw herself in the mirror. They were beautiful. Tori’s taste had been impeccable, and she’d known the styles Zoe loved.
The blue rectangular box stared at her, daring her to open it. She’d never worn the bracelet, not even to try it on. Gulping, she closed her eyes and lifted off the top. She felt for the piece of jewelry and took it from the box. She opened her eyes and wrapped the bracelet around her slim wrist. The precious metal was cold against her skin.
Lowering her gaze, she set her eyes on the bracelet for the first time since she’d seen it in the store. In those first weeks after the deaths of Damien, Aubrey, and Tori, she blamed that bracelet for their deaths. If she hadn’t loved it so much, Damien never would have gone to town to purchase it for her. It took time, but she eventually accepted the drunk driver alone held responsibility.
She forced the painful memories from her mind. Tonight was for celebration, not mourning. New beginnings instead of past hurt.
Donovan would arrive soon to pick her up. She grabbed her lipstick and powder, placed it in her evening bag. On afterthought, she spritzed perfume on her wrists, a light scent with an undertone of vanilla.
The doorbell rang, and Zoe grabbed her shawl from where she’d draped it over the bed. She’d always loved this shawl and looked forward to wearing it every Christmas. It was dressy, yet warm and flexible, much more comfortable and less restrictive than wearing a winter coat.
When she opened the door, her eyes widened. Donovan wore dress pants, a white shirt, and a red scarf underneath a beige cable knit sweater. He carried off the festive dress code perfectly and could have walked off the cover of a men’s magazine.
“You clean up nice.” She mentally kicked herself. “Not that you don’t always, but tonight you really…” She shut up when the heat of a blush rose from her neck to her cheeks. “You know what I mean.”
“I do and thank you.” His eyes shifted over her and then locked with hers. “You’re gorgeous.”
“Thank you.” Unaccustomed to compliments from men, she tucked her chin for a second, then regained her confidence.
“This is for you.” He handed for a poinsettia. “It’s not real because I know they could harm your cats, but I thought it would look great on your balcony and you wouldn’t have to worry about the weather affecting it.”
“You’re so thoughtful. I love it.” She set it on the foyer table until later, touched at the effort he’d put into the offering.
Snowball jumped up and sniffed the fake plant. Unimpressed, he leaped down and rubbed against Donovan’s pants, leaving a plethora of white fur as evidence of his affection.
Donovan glanced down at the patch of white and gave a polite smile. “I can tell people I was snowed on.”
She laughed, relieved he wasn’t angry or annoyed. “Like every prepared cat owner, I have a lint roller. Hold on a second, and I’ll grab it.”
Minutes later, his pants leg was fur-free, and they were on their way.
Her stomach knotted as they neared the convention center. Nothing about the night so far saiddate, but the undercurrent between them screamed that tonight signaled a shift in their friendship.
She tried not to think about it. She’d enjoy the night, have a delicious meal, and listen to the music. Then she’d go home, change, and head back out to place the candy canes around town. Without Donovan’s help. The gala wouldn’t end until eleven, which set the candy cane schedule behind. Since he wanted to pick his son up first thing in the morning, he’d decided not to join her later tonight.
The four-story-high Christmas tree outside the convention center announced their arrival before the building ever came to view. This year’s theme revealed strands of bright, multi-colored lights and colorful baubles in every shade of the rainbow. At the top, a large, three-foot-tall star stood proudly. On opposite years, there’d be white lights and traditional red and cream ornaments with an angel at the top.
She couldn’t tear her eyes from the tree. Despite the pain Christmas brought, she loved the holiday. The beauty of remembering Jesus’s birth brought it all into perspective. “Do you put an angel or a star at the top of your tree?”
He turned his head, his eyes registering surprise at the random question. “I used to have an angel, but Brody’s at an age where random things will scare him. This month it happens to be any type of doll or figurine with a face, including angels.”
