Disturbed and hurting, she was thankful she’d risen ahead of the rest of the household. It was her chance to remove the page from the paper. Mia folded and tucked it deep into the pocket of her robe, abandoning her unfinished breakfast. As she returned to her bedroom to consider the matter, she decided the worst part of it was the fact the malicious contents, were basically true. She didn’t have a college education, had not been educated formally in a traditional school, she hadn’t been groomed for navigating high society, and she wasn’t polished. She did have a strong evangelical faith, clearly rooted in Jesus, led to Him through her parents. The article made mention of her being a preacher’s kid from an obscure horse farm.
After a good cry and blowing her nose on half a box of tissues, Mia prayed for strength to disregard the column. The verse running through her mind was the one about how Jesus had suffered for all Christians, and that it was an honor to suffer for His name. She also denied herself the urge to contact Clay to see if he wanted to pursue a retraction or legal remedy. She decided the best course of action would be to ignore the matter entirely. Any actions they took would only draw more attention.
She washed her face with cool water to soothe her puffy eyes, and then went back to sleep for a few hours since she’d been up since the crack of dawn. When she awoke, she dressed warmly, brushed her teeth, put her hair up in a messy bun, and made her way to her sewing room on the third floor. She had gifts to finish making after all, and then last minute wrapping to do. Coming out of the temporary sewing room for lunch, she spent a little time with her family before they left to view a Christmas exhibit at The Metropolitan Museum of Art.
By early afternoon, Mia’s handmade gifts and wrapping were complete. She placed the gifts downstairs under the beautifully decorated tree situated in a corner of her aunt’s sitting room between the fireplace and one of the front windows. Standing back to admire the view, she found comfort in the way her gifts looked. Taking the extra time to make pretty cloth bows for them had been a good idea.
Time to walk the dogs. She was dressed for the cold spell December had brought to New York, wearing her favorite indigo blue jeans, a beige sweater with a tan tank top underneath, and the lilac scarf from her best friend, Rowan. She had a few hours left to herself before dinner. Getting out and about for some fresh air sounded like the ideal ticket to clear her head. Lately, she’d been taking Roxy and the neighbor’s dogs on daily walks for extra cash to avoid using her savings or her aunt’s credit card for incidentals.
One of the maids named Mary paused in the foyer with her arms full of fresh linens for the upstairs bedrooms as Mia reached for her hat, gloves, and Roxy’s leash in the coat closet. The frou-frou doggie did a little dance of excitement at her feet, knowing she was about to go on an adventure.
“Hey there, Mia. It’s nice to see you today. Where are you headed all bundled up with Roxy? Going for a walk today?”
Mia nodded with a smile, happy to see Mary. She was another helpful, friendly face around her aunt’s brownstone. “Yes, I’ll be in Central Park for a while if anyone needs me. I’ll have my cell, but I should return in about an hour.”
“Have a fun time,” Mary said. “I know Roxy looks forward to her walks since you’ve arrived.”
“Thanks. I enjoy them, too.” Mia smiled and the maid headed up the staircase. In truth, walking Roxy had made a friend of the dog. She no longer growled at her. Aunt Sylvia had noticed it too, but she hadn’t realized her niece was also walking the dogs for their sweet neighbor. The lady battled some sort of chronic pain linked to a nerve disorder. She was very happy to have Mia’s help since her housekeeper was too busy to walk the dogs.
She texted the neighbor, Mrs. Frances Lindford, to let her know she was on her way to pick up her two dogs, Honey and Sweety Pie. Mrs. Lindford always had them ready for her.
Then she put Roxy’s leash on, pulled on her tan leather gloves, and a dark purple slouch style beret hat. They stepped outside, and down the front steps to the sidewalk. Roxy’s little tail swished with excitement. When she arrived at the neighbor’s door, Mrs. Lindford’s housekeeper opened it, and after a warm greeting, handed her two leashes. Two of the most adorable goldendoodles ready for their walk through Central Park pranced outside.
These golden dogs, a cross between golden retrievers and poodles, got along amazingly well with Roxy—at least most of the time. Roxy, a Cavalier King Charles Spaniel, was awfully small in comparison. Size differences didn’t matter to them, and the three dogs usually lavished each other with love and affection in the form of tail wagging, kisses, and sniffing. They also loved their walk, and usually after the initial excitement, they settled down to enjoy the exercise and fresh air.
Today, all three doggies were decked out wearing their finest Christmas bows and sweaters. Trips to the dog groomer were a regular part of her aunt’s routine. She’d made sure, as had Mrs. Lindford apparently, the pets were ready for the celebration of Christ’s birth. It reminded Mia of her cat back in Kentucky, Chip.
Soon, they made their way into the park, and Mia walked briskly to keep warm, glad she’d worn walking shoes along with her other winter items. Despite the chilly weather, there were a few joggers and other folks out and about. She also noticed a few ice skaters on one of the skating rinks. Seeing several couples together, she once again thought of Clay, wondering how he was doing, and if he ever thought of her. Had he seen the horrid newspaper article? She pushed the column once again from her mind, determined to enjoy her walk, and celebrate the birth of the one who’d died for her sins to give her new life.
She continued walking, being careful to hold tightly to the leashes. However, another dog caught the attention of her dogs with its barking. Normally, she was able to give them a stern reprimand and pull them along. This time, they stood firmly in place, barking back at the other dog. When she continued walking forward, they didn’t budge, yanking her back around to face the direction from which they’d come. Little Roxy somehow managed to bark the loudest, but she was the easiest to reign in.
As Mia pivoted through the yanking, she called out after them, “Honey! Sweety Pie!” After turning, she bumped into someone, gasping when she realized it was Clayton Bridgewater. The surprise of running into his strong, firm chest stopped her from calling after the dogs one more time. She still held the leashes, and eventually they’d tire of barking at the other dog.
“I like being called Honey and Sweety Pie,” he remarked, chuckling, steadying her with his arms as she toppled into him.
“Clayton!” she breathed.
“At your service, ma’am,” he said, a grin spreading across his face.
“Hello.” She smiled, overcome by a complete loss for words. How was it that he was standing right in front of her?
As if reading her mind, he added, “Mary told me I might find you here.”
She nodded, still stunned. The dogs at the end of her leashes tugged, begging for her attention. They were ready to return to walking, but she wasn’t. She had so much running through her mind to discuss with Clayton, she could barely think of one thing to begin with.
“Mind if we sit down on one of these benches?” he asked.
“Sure.” She nodded, her composure returning.