Paige's Miracle

Chapter 4

AFTER THEY'D PILED all the gifts under the tree, they started preparing dinner. Paige was standing by the kitchen sink, peeling potatoes. Jason was kneeling on a chair by the counter, basting the huge turkey they'd received through the Wish I May Foundation.

"It's too bad Mr. and Mrs. Bennett and some of our other neighbors aren't here," Jason remarked.

Paige glanced at her son. He had his head bent over the turkey, methodically brushing it with oil. "It's a little quiet this year, isn't it? But our friends have their own families to visit."

"Yeah." Jason dipped the brush into the small bowl of oil and continued basting. "I miss Grandma and Gramps, too, since they moved to Florida and can't come visit anymore."

Paige wiped her hands and moved to stand beside Jason. "That part we can fix. Why don't we call them once we've finished in here?"

After Paige slid the roasting pan with the turkey into the oven, they called her mother and father. They chatted at length, and Jason thanked them for the gifts they'd sent him, and Paige's mother praised Jason profusely for the beautiful picture he'd painted for them.

The turkey had been in the oven for hours, filling their apartment with its delicious aroma, by the time Paige and Jason were settled in the living room again. They'd made more hot chocolate and were playing one of Jason's new games when someone knocked on the door.

Thinking it might be one of her neighbors, Paige was surprised to find a tall, attractive man standing in the hallway. He was easily over six feet, with an athletic build. He had well-cut, thick black hair, a strong face and friendly, vivid green eyes. He wore black slacks and a weathered black leather bomber jacket over a white shirt. He had a grin on his face and a large, cheerfully wrapped box in his arms.

Paige held the door ajar but blocked the opening with her body. The man didn't appear threatening, but she believed in being cautious, especially where Jason was concerned.

"Can I help you?" she asked, perplexed.

"Are you Ms. Summerville?"

"Yes, I am."

He braced the package against the doorframe and held out a hand. "I'm Daniel Kinsley."

Paige glanced at his hand but kept her own on the doorknob. The name meant nothing to her. She had no idea who this person was. Just because he was unreasonably attractive and well-dressed didn't mean he couldn't be a threat. She remembered hearing about a man who dressed up as Santa Claus with a bag of gifts to get into people's homes to rob them. "I'm sorry, but should I know you?"

"No, not directly. I'm your sponsor from the Wish I May Foundation."

The warmth of his smile made it hard to imagine he could be dangerous, but...

"I asked Laura Andrews for your address," he explained. "So I could bring Jason a gift."

"Oh," was all Paige could manage, since this did nothing to dispel her unease. They'd already received the delivery, and she knew the Foundation protected the families' identities.

Peering into the living room and at a wide-eyed Jason, Daniel waved to him. "And that must be Jason!" He lowered his voice conspiratorially. "I'm sorry to show up unannounced on Christmas Day. I realize it's unusual, but these are special circumstances. This is his last Christmas gift. Jason wanted a train, and I ordered this for him." He nodded at the large package in his arms. "But it didn't arrive until this morning, too late to deliver it with the rest of the gifts. I wanted to make sure Jason got it."

Paige studied the box. "That's much too big for a toy train."

Daniel laughed. "It's a train, all right. It just happens to be a complete, deluxe electric train set," he whispered.