With Christmas in His Heart. Gail Gaymer Martin

her questioning her own decisions. She saw a specific difference between Will’s attitude toward his work and hers.

      “Would you like to see how I do any of these things?” He motioned toward the projects scattered around the room.

      “I’d love to, but I think we’d better get going. I’m nervous about leaving my grandmother too long.”

      He nodded, then reached beneath his worktable and pulled out a large folded paper. “A pattern I’m designing. I’ll show you back at the house.”

      “I’d like that,” she said. “Let’s go. We still have to stop at the grocery store.”

      As the words left her, her cell phone played its familiar tune. She dug into her pocket, curious yet concerned. “I left the number with Grandma. I hope she’s okay.” She stared at it, afraid to answer.

      “You’ll know, if you answer that thing.”

      The melody stopped when she hit the green button. “Hello,” she said, expecting to hear her grandmother’s voice, but who she heard instead gave her a start. “Dad. Where are you?”

      She heard the upset in his voice, and she listened as her pulse pounded in her temple.

      “You’re in Florida? Why?”

      Her stomach tightened as her world crumpled. She turned her head toward Will, unable to believe what she’d just heard.

      She closed her eyes, then opened them again. “My mother fell and broke her hip, jogging.”