Christmas Wishes by Patricia Kiyono Read Free Book Online Page A

heart beat faster and his throat tightened. The last time he’d been inside a church had been for Sarah’s funeral service. Aside from his feelings of grief and loss, there had been the disapproving stares from his mother-in-law. Though he’d had nothing to do with his wife’s death, Melinda had blamed him. If he’d been a good provider, she’d said, Sarah wouldn’t have felt the need to pursue a career. Never mind the fact that Sarah had never depended on him for anything. She made her own decisions, and a career was what she’d wanted. And she’d had it, until that drunk motorist had run her down while she’d been filming a segment for the evening news.
    “ Daddy?”
    Mitch blinked and realized he ’d parked the car and turned off the ignition but sat staring at the big wooden doors. Angie regarded him from the back seat with a worried frown. “Are you okay? If you’re sick we can go home. I’ll learn the songs next Wednesday.”
    He shook his head. “No, I’m fine, sweetie. Let’s go.”
    Entering the sanctuary reawakened the butterflies in his stomach. He took deep, calming breaths and told himself he could do this. Holding his daughter ’s hand, he followed the usher to a pew in the middle and let Angie sit first. Angie beamed to find herself sitting by a classmate, and Mitch bent to whisper a reminder to behave and keep her voice down. “Pretend you’re at Nana Billingsworth’s house at dinnertime,” he murmured. Angie rewarded him with an understanding nod.
    The organist finished playing the prelude, and a relatively young pastor, identifying himself as the Pastor Joe, the Youth Director, welcomed everyone and asked the congregation to rise for the opening hymn.
    As he rose, Mitch noted a flash of bright pink on the other side of the aisle. He glanced over and his gaze connected with a familiar pair of green eyes. Sophie nodded then faced the front to join in the singing. She sat next to a tall, dark-haired man, and a boy about Angie’s age sat on the other side of the man. Was that her brother-in-law, or was he someone special in Sophie’s life?
    Though the outside of the church presented a traditional front, the inside spoke of fresh, contemporary design and modern conveniences. Well-worn Bibles and hymnals sat in the pockets on the back of the pews, but the words to the songs they sang were projected on a large retracting screen in front. The organist who had played the prelude stepped away from the organ to an electric keyboard, where she joined a trio of singers and a percussionist. The songs they led were a mixture of contemporary and traditional, and the entire congregation, young and old, sang with a gusto he hadn ’t experienced since he had photographed a documentary of a televangelist.
    So far, so good. No one had confronted him about anything he’d done. Nobody had blamed him for any world catastrophes. He hadn’t been questioned about his suitability for appearing there. He could do this. For Angie.
    The song service ended, and an older gentleman identifying himself as Pastor Sikkema rose to give his sermon. It seemed the man spoke to him, because the lesson was about finding lost sheep and returning them to the fold. Angie snuggled into his left side , and he relished the warmth of his baby girl as he listened to the scripture he’d heard so many times before, yet it was like hearing them for the first time. He knew he’d go to any lengths to keep her safe. Maybe that’s what the pastor was talking about. Maybe that’s what Uncle Eric intended when he’d offered the house to him. By giving Mitch a place to settle down, he’d protected him from going bonkers in the big city.
    Afterward, the congregation rose to sing the closing hymn.
    Angie brought him through a hallway to the choir room. “This is where we have our practice, Daddy.”
    “ Okay. Is this where I pick you up? What time should I be here?”
    “ Yes, this would be a good place to come. We should be finished