Hi. This is Taye. I’m not sure if you remember me or not from the airport. I sat with Brea. How is she?

  The woman had no idea he remembered her vividly. He tapped back: I certainly do. My sister and I are adjusting, but not good.

  Taye: Sorry to hear that. I’ll be praying for reconciliation for both of you. She sent the message followed by another one. I really could use her help on a project. I was hoping I could talk to you first about it.

  Let’s talk now. Donovan considered himself tech-savvy as the next person, but he preferred talking to someone versus texting back and forth. Plus, he wanted to recall the sound of her voice. He called her through Messenger. When she answered, he smiled at the soft but strong tone. “This is Donovan.”

  She chuckled. “I know. When you said, let’s talk, I hadn’t expected it to be this very moment. Thanks. It is rather urgent.” She was rambling.

  “Is everything okay?” he asked. Donovan went on alert. “Does this have to do with the death of your friend?”

  “I would like to think of it as Charity’s legacy,” Taye said. “I know you’re a busy man and—”

  “Not at all, I have a few minutes.” He dismissed the reports waiting for his attention, then relaxed in his chair to stretch his legs. “What’s up?”

  “I believe Brea has a talent, and I would like to nurture it to bless others.”

  Donovan shook his head in confusion. “And you surmised this from your hour-and-a-half plane ride?” He smirked to himself.

  “It was almost two hours,” she corrected. “Anyway, since this is a season of giving, I would like to bless Brea with a sewing machine, so she can pay the blessing forward.”

  Not her too. Donovan groaned inwardly. He was trying to discourage his sister from this silly notion of a career as a seamstress. Now, Taye wanted to encourage Brea’s ambition. No way. “Lady, I don’t know what scam you’re up to, but the buck stops with me. Leave my sister out of it.”

  Taye sighed. “Wait. Please. It’s not a scam, but an act of kindness in memory of my friend.”

  “We can be friends on Facebook, but let’s leave it there. Otherwise, I’ll un-friend you—”

  “I can explain.”

  “Sorry. I don’t have time to listen.” He ended the call and shook his head in disappointment. Why were the fine chicks the weirdos?

  Chapter Five

  N ot good. When was the last time someone hung up on her, especially a man? Taye only wanted him to hear her out before he turned her down. Sighing, she rubbed her scalp, finger-combing her hair. It wasn’t as if she had a solid plan; it was just an idea to grant a wish.

  Taye couldn’t forget Charity’s hype about the secret angel project in high school. How much could she divulge to Donovan about what she had to do and still keep it a secret? Brea would need a sewing machine, so Taye would have to disclose the mission. The fabric would have to come from Sewing World without Mr. Sam knowing it, then there was stocking Miss Queenie’s shop with new fashions. In her head, it was a solid plan, right? How would that be a secret? Maybe this was a disaster of an idea, but Taye had already wasted enough time. She had to stick with it.

  “Lord, I know nothing is too hard for You—a job for me, booming sales for two businesses, and a dream fulfilled for a teenager.”

  With men this is impossible; with Me all things are possible, Jesus whispered Matthew 19:26.

  “Then what do I pray for to bring You joy in honor of Charity’s request?” Taye sniffed.

  My Will.

  “What is Your will in all this, Lord?” She listened, but nothing more was revealed.

  Her phone rang. It was Mia from Snowflake. “Are you coming back for the town’s tree lighting ceremony?”

  “Ah, I hadn’t planned on it. I’m still trying to put something together.” Taye silently screamed, Lord, I need Your game plan.

  “Well, think about coming. Maybe you’ll get some inspiration,” Mia said cheerfully.

  “And I need a whole lot of it.”

  Mia chuckled, and Taye found herself smiling. They chatted for a few more minutes before ending the call.

  One thing for sure. Taye wasn’t making any headway in Kansas City. Instead of booking another flight, she would drive her car to save money. She always had a place to stay in Snowflake—the B&B.

  For the remainder of the day, Taye prayed for guidance, then took a short drive to Oak Park Mall, not to shop, but to check out the competition’s merchandise that Miss Queenie lacked.

  She called Melissa to go along after she got off work. Her friend didn’t need a reason to shop, bargains or not. If Melissa wanted it, the price didn’t change her mind.

  “Cool. That’s what I’m talking about, girl,” Melissa said excitedly. “I want to see what Nordstrom might have on sale anyway.” She paused. “Hey, I thought you were on a budget.”

  “Trust me, I am. I’m in the mood to do some window shopping.”

  “Humph. You can look through the window if you want, but I plan to walk through the door. If I’m going to the mall, I have to hit at least five stores…”

  Hours later, Taye returned to her apartment after Melissa dragged her to a dozen-plus stores. The outing helped lift her spirit, but it was exhausting as they maneuvered around the crowds. The commercialism caused consumers to go mad. A few high-strung shoppers demanded to see the manager after some items were sold out.

  Years ago, Taye had been caught up in that same mix until she heard her pastor preach about truly celebrating Christmas.

  “If you’re honoring Christ on Christmas, Jesus, not someone else, should get the best gift on His birthday. If you spend a hundred dollars on your husband, Jesus should get a hundred and one. Never give someone more than what you give Christ,” Elder Hogan reminded his congregation every year.

  Since then, Taye set a cap on her spending so she could give the Lord the best love offering on Christmas Day.

  Not only had Taye Thomas gotten into Donovan’s head at work, she seemed to trail him home that evening. When he entered his house, his sister had surprisingly cooked tasty spaghetti for dinner, and whether she accidentally prepared too much or intentionally left him some, he was grateful. Aside from that, she stayed holed up in her room, watching TV. They’d barely made eye contact since their blowup. His prayer hadn’t changed since night one: Lord, I know my sister loves me—in her own way. Please help her to see how much I love her back.

  After eating, he retired to his den and stretched out on the couch. Soon his aunt called him to check in on them. “After five days, I don’t know how to get her to even like me.”

  “I’m praying you can reach her better than I could. You have to find some common ground. Maybe, if you had a wife, she could help…”

  Donovan groaned. “Don’t start.”

  “A woman’s intervention may not be a bad idea,” she pressed.

  Donovan had no prospects in sight… Then Taye came to mind. Brea did seem to like the woman and had opened up to her, however, he was skeptical of the woman’s agenda. How much could Taye learn about Brea during a plane ride? Maybe he should hear her out before telling her no again.

  Aunt Sadie’s chatter broke his reverie, but he was clueless about what she had said. “This is Christmastime. Good will to all men and peace on Earth. I’m praying you two will settle into a loving sibling relationship.”

  “Don’t stop praying—please,” Donovan requested.

  After they ended the call, he was still thinking about a female intervention. Donovan might not have a wife, but maybe Taye could be a big sister figure to mentor Brea. After much procrastination, he logged into his Facebook account and sent Taye a message asking for her number. Half an hour later, she responded, and he called right away.

  “Thank you, Donovan, for agreeing to hear me out,” she said with relief in her voice.

  “It would probably help if I knew more about you.” His interest was more than in regard to Brea. Taye genuinely intrigued him.

  “Fair enough. Your sister and I have something in common.”

  “What, a big brother you can’t stand?” he asked half-jokingly.

  “Huh? No. If I had any siblings, I would love them like crazy. I was an only child. My parents divorced, then my mother died when I was around the same age as Brea. I was shipped off to Snowflake, Colorado, kicking and screaming to live with my mom’s mother.

  “I had heard about small towns being sundown towns where blacks had to leave town before sunset, and the threats weren’t confined to the South. I freaked out, so I arrived with an attitude—mad and rebellious didn’t begin to describe me. I didn’t even know how miserable I was holding on to my anger and disappointment.”

  Donovan had a hard time believing the woman he met at the airport was the same person Taye described. She seemed kind, gentle, soft-spoken and heartwarming. Wow. Had he picked that much up about her in that short period of time?

  Taye chuckled, and he smiled, not knowing why. “Then one day, my attitude was met with kindness from a student. My attempts to push Charity Hart away only fueled her patience with me to extend her love and friendship toward me.” Her voice faded into a whisper.

  “The woman who passed away?” Donovan guessed.

  “Yes. It was a lasting friendship. Sometimes, being biracial, it’s hard to find the right balance in life, but I found it in Snowflake, and I want to give back to the two oldest black-owned businesses there that are struggling. I’m returning to Snowflake this weekend and plan to stay until after Christmas to see how I can help them.”

  Donovan’s heart rate raced in excitement. She would be closer to him—yes.

  “I think I know how, but I need Brea’s help.”

  “Why my sister?”

  She cleared her throat. “Because she can sew…”

  Although it was a heartwarming story, Donovan felt the Big Bad Wolf Brea called him ready to surface as he tried to tame his response. “Taye, there’s one problem. I’m trying to discourage her…”

  “Taye! Is that Taye?” Brea’s excited voice startled Donovan. He looked over his shoulder, and his sister’s face lit up. Pure happiness engulfed her as she jumped in place. It was rather comical, but he refused to be double teamed by two irresistible pretty ladies.

  “It is.” He nodded.

  “Can I talk to her?” Brea pleaded.

  He held up a finger for her to wait. If he handed over the phone, it would mean the end of his conversation. “How about I pick you up from the airport, and we can talk about it more?”

  “I’m driving.”

  “Alone?” Donovan went into protective mode. So what if he barely knew her. The point was he wanted to get to know her. “That’s ten hours.”

  “I’ll be okay.”

  Donovan didn’t like the thought of any woman on the road alone, especially at night. She seemed as headstrong as Brea, but not as intense. He prayed the Lord would give her traveling mercies. “Since I’m not far from Snowflake, maybe we can meet somewhere, grab a bite and talk more about it.”

  Taye didn’t respond right away. Finally, she agreed. “Okay. See you on Saturday.”

  “Great. Sounds good.”

  When he ended the call, Brea folded her arms. “I didn’t get a chance to talk to her.” She squinted. “And it sounds like you’re trying to get a date. Hmmm—mm. You like Taye.”

  “It’s not a date,” he corrected her.

  “Good. So, wherever you’re meeting her, I’m going too,” she said, then twirled around and headed back to her room.

  Donovan closed his eyes. Did he have any gray hair yet? Rewind. Did he and Brea just have a civil conversation? If Taye was the cause of Brea speaking to him, he looked forward to this weekend.

  Chapter Six

  T aye had lost her mind. She had less than three weeks to pull off this caper, she thought as she packed her bags for her mission in Snowflake. In the business world, the mantra of “dress to impress” helped when trying to secure a position.

  If Donovan’s getting to know her was a subtle interview about her character, then she needed to adopt that mantra as she perused her clothing selections. Wait a minute. She paused in her task. “Who am I trying to impress?” She frowned as she gathered her toiletries. It wasn’t Donovan. That was ridiculous. Meeting with him wasn’t for a job interview.

  She was dressed for comfort for her long road trip to Denver, then another hour to Snowflake. “But I want Donovan to take me seriously,” she mumbled as she slipped into her riding boots, then scrutinized her appearance in the mirror: her favorite blue sweater—a gift from Melissa—and fashionable very worn jeans.

  She had to get on the road. Traveling during the winter months could be risky, but spending more money on airfare wasn’t an option. After she checked the forecast, Taye prayed the Lord would go with her and keep the highways clear of snow and ice. “In Jesus’ name. Amen.”

  Some folks’ traveling companion was music, talk radio, or even audiobooks. Taye preferred quiet where she occupied her mind with talking to the Lord. During one solo road trip to Memphis for a conference, she had done a life playback from the time she was living in a loving home with her parents, to their arguments, divorce, then her world was shaken again when her mom died. Snowflake had been her refuge.

  Back then, she had been so angry that she had no say about her life that she had lashed out. No doubt Brea was experiencing the same emotions. Taye hoped the teenager would learn a life lesson in this transition: love from family and friends were a gift, not a given. Love had truly healed Taye’s feeling of unworthiness. Why hadn’t her parents loved each other and her enough to want her? Somehow, her grandmother had filled that void in her life.

  Five hours into her drive along I-70 Westbound, Melissa’s ringtone interrupted her musing.

  “How’s it going out there? The Weather Channel says there’s a storm brewing up. Girl, be careful.”

  “I am, Melissa. When I checked the forecast, there was only a twenty percent chance this evening.”

  “They’ve upped it to forty percent, and the snow might start earlier. You might want to stay overnight somewhere and wait it out,” her friend advised. “I still don’t understand the rush to get back to Snow Mountain.”

  “It’s Snowflake,” Taye corrected with a chuckle. “Last weekend made me miss being there. Since I’m not working anyway, why not? I can easily apply for jobs from there.”

  “None of this is making sense to me. If you had waited, we could’ve gone together.” Melissa tsked. “Hey, is there an old crush you’re going to meet and plan to secretly wed without telling me?”

  Taye hmphed. “I wish. You should write for Hallmark.”

  “Sorry. You know how my mind operates when things don’t add up to me. I kicked into conspiracy mode,” she defended.

  “Yes, I know.” Which is why you don’t know about the secret angel project.

  “Okay, okay. Call me when you get there.”

  “Yes, Mother,” Taye joked before disconnecting. If her friend knew her true motives for going back to Snowflake, Melissa wouldn’t understand that either. Plus, Taye was accustomed to driving in the winter elements. As she eyed the sign for Burlington ahead fifty miles, Taye debated whether to take heed to her friend’s advice or to keep driving with less than two hundred miles to Denver, then another sixty miles to Snowflake.

  “Jesus, You are Lord of every situation. Please hold off the storm until I reach my destination and keep all travelers safe. In the mighty name of Jesus. Amen.” With renewed confidence, she kept driving. This time, she selected a Christian station playing Christmas music as her companion, and Taye hummed along.

  She was ninety miles outside of Denver when she received another call. “Hello?”

  Donovan’s deep voice filled her car. Surprise and exhilaration made her grin. “How close are you? The weather’s getting bad here.” The concern in his voice was more urgent than Melissa’s.

  “More than an hour.” She strained her eyes to see as far as she could. “I do see something falling ahead, so it may be more like a couple of hours,” she explained, gripping the wheel. “Pray for my safe travels, and I’ll get there.”

  “Done,” Donovan said, then added. “I have a four-by-four. I have no problem coming to your rescue.”

  That touched her heart that a man who hardly knew her was willing to risk his safety for hers. She smiled, then chuckled when she heard Brea echo, “Me too,” in the background.

  An odd sensation of love engulfed her. Their concern propelled her to keep going. However, a half hour later, the wind began to howl as a snowstorm engulfed her out of nowhere, and roads became slicker. Taye swallowed and rebuked the fear that was rising up within her.

  Keep your eyes on Me, God whispered.

  Donovan called again. “Where are you now?”

  His earlier thoughtfulness was now bordering on obsession. “On the same highway, inching along,” she said. “Looks like we won’t be meeting this evening. Jesus has guided me to this point, but looks like I’d better get a hotel room and hopefully, see you and Brea tomorrow.”

  He was so quiet she thought he had ended the call, but seconds later he said, “I’ll call you back.”

  Taye rolled her eyes. Didn’t he know talking and driving were a distraction, whether it was through a Bluetooth or not? He was worse than Melissa.

  Sure enough, five minutes later, Donovan called her. “If you can make it to the Holiday Inn & Express on Rockford Drive, a room is waiting for you.”

  “I haven’t made any reservations yet.” And definitely not at a Holiday Inn—a cheap motel fit her budget.

  “I did—my treat.”

  Taye was speechless at his generosity while her heart was singing. “Ah, you don’t—didn’t—have to do that,” she fussed but was glad he did, “but thank you.”

  “My pleasure. Thank you for accepting. I know we’re not really friends—”

  “We are!” Brea shouted in the background.