Christmas Diamond, a Novella

Chapter 4

FAITH sat at a booth in the airport's restaurant. A glass of ice water sat next to a half eaten tuna sandwich, but she ignored the food and drink. Instead, she penned a post card to her grandmum.

Three days 'til Christmas. Will miss you very much. Can't wait to give you the present I found for you. Be nice to the night nurses. Much love, Faith

As she looked up from the postcard, she felt her eyes widen when she saw TJ Viscolli march into the café, look around, then head straight for her. He wore a pair of khaki shorts, a short sleeved button down Hawaiian style shirt with Christmas trees all over it, and leather deck shoes with no socks.

He slid into the booth across from her. "Here you are," he greeted with a smile, stripping his sunglasses off and slipping them into the pocket of his colorful shirt.

"Here I am?" She couldn't help but make it sound like a question.

"Yes. I've been calling your hotel room since eight this morning, and you don't have a cell phone. It was a bit of a trial to find you." Reaching across the table, he took her hand. "I'm very happy I did."

With a raised eyebrow, Faith asked, "Why is that?"

TJ grinned. "Okay, first, because you're beautiful. But also I enjoyed the party last night, especially the times you were telling stories about flying or England. I enjoyed being alone with you on the beach more than anything. And, I definitely want to get to know more about you."

"I'd like to get to know more about you, as well." Faith smiled, then observed the bruise on the side of his head. "How is your noggin?"

He reached up and fingered the angry contusion near his temple. "Still a little sore. I guess my guardian angel was on duty."

"Interesting choice of words." She squeezed his hand and pulled hers out of his grip so that she could sit back against the bench. "I also believe God looked after your safety and made sure you were saved."

"By you."

Faith shrugged. "Perhaps. Or perhaps it doesn't have anything to do with me. Could have been anyone."

"I don't think so." He tapped the table in front of him with a finger. "I think you got a tap on the shoulder from my guardian angel. All that time you spend in the air and all."

"Perhaps." She put the cap on her pen and set it aside. "Although I'll confess I'm not entirely comfortable with the idea."

"What could be more comforting than to know that you're in the place where God would have you right at the perfect time? I would — and do — find extreme comfort in that notion."

Faith pursed her lips. "Wouldn't it just have been easier to prevent you from bashing your head in the first place?"

He looked at her with serious eyes. The look made the breath catch in the back of her throat. "Then I wouldn't have found you. Or, more to the point, you wouldn't have found me."

"We would have met last night at dinner," she said on a breath.

"I don't think it would have had the same impact as tripping over my breathless body, honestly." He laughed and looked at his watch. "How much time do you have today?"

"I have to be in my North American at half two."

"Two-thirty?" he asked, eyebrows furrowed and clearly in need of clarification.

"Right. Two-thirty."

He smiled. "Then we have more than two hours. What would you like to do?"

"Why do you assume I'd like to do anything?"