Snow fell as I turned the key in the ignition. Nothing. I slammed the car door.
“Fine. I’ll just spend Christmas Eve alone in a truck stop.”
I stepped inside. The place was crowded. Didn’t these truckers have any better place to spend the holiday? Maybe it was this awful snowstorm. I couldn’t see an empty table.
A child’s voice sounded above the din. “You could sit here. There’s a place by me.”
I stood near a circular booth occupied by a man and three children. I smiled at the little girl.
“Thanks, honey, but I don’t want to intrude on your family.”
The man beside her stood. “No intrusion, ma’am. We’d be honored to have you join us.”
“Well if you’re sure you wouldn’t mind. . .”
The man offered me his hand across the table. “Tom Conway. Merry Christmas. This is Jenna, Jeff and Jacob. Please, have a seat.”
I slid in beside Jenna. “Faith Rogers. Nice to meet you.” Four pairs of eyes stared at me.
The waitress appeared. “What can I get you?”
The others didn’t have their food yet. “Cheeseburger with fries, please and coffee.”
“So, where you all from?” I asked.
“Clifton, about 30 miles from here. You?”
“Really? That’s where I live. I teach at Roosevelt Jr. High. I’ve been to Lytell to visit my parents for Christmas. I hoped to make it home before the storm got too bad. But, I stopped here for gas, and now my battery’s dead.
Tom’s smile seemed tight. “Is someone coming to get you?”
“I should probably call my dad but it’s 60 miles from Lytell and I hate to have him out in this storm. Maybe I’ll find a motel and wait it out.”
“I don’t think there’s much around here in the way of motels. Did you check with the truck stop’s mechanic’s shop?”
“Thanks, that’s a great idea.”
The waitress arrived with an enormous burger surrounded by golden fries. That was quick.
I picked up a fry, aware of the little eyes staring at my plate. Maybe I should wait until their food arrived. I put the fry back down.
“Oh, please, go ahead,” Tom urged. “Kids, let Ms. Rogers be.”
Jenna’s blue eyes filled with tears. “But, I’m hungry.”
“Yeah, me too,” Jeff piped in. “Could I have one of those fries?”
“I’m sure your food will be here soon.”
“No it won’t!” Jacob insisted. “We can’t order nothin’ cause he won’t let us.”
Tom looked embarrassed. “We were on our way home and I pulled in here for gas. I filled the tank before I realized my wallet was missing. Probably lost it in the couch cushions back at Mom’s. Anyway, no cash, no credit cards. I called my brother but he had to turn back when they closed the highway north of here. Until he can make it, we’re stranded. I can’t leave until the gas is paid for.”
I stared at the plate in front of me. I couldn’t eat in front of these children. Was there enough to share? The waitress appeared again. “Anything else?”
I heard myself answer. “Yes, four more burgers with fries, please.” Tom looked startled. “That is, if it’s all right with your dad?”
“He ain’t our dad,” Jenna put in. “Can I have a hamburger? Please, Uncle Tom?”
Tom hesitated, the red deepening in his cheeks. Finally he nodded.
“Thank you for your kindness. I’ll reimburse you, of course. If it weren’t for the children. . .”
“I understand,” I interrupted. “Happy to do it. We can’t have these kids going hungry on Christmas Eve.”
The food arrived and the children dived in. Tom looked uncomfortable, but he also ate heartily. When the waitress refilled my coffee, I asked about the mechanic’s shop. She shook her head.
“Closed up for the holiday. Be open 8:00 a.m. the 26th.”
Tom cleared his throat. “Uh, Miss Rogers. . .”
“Please call me Faith.”
“Faith, forgive me. I wouldn’t ask if our circumstances weren’t so dire but…”
I was thinking the same thing. “Perhaps I could pay your gasoline bill then you could offer me a ride home.” There. I said it. I wondered if I had ‘gullible’ written across my forehead.
“I’ll pay you back.”
I paid for the food and the gas. Soon we were on the road to Clifton.
It was slow going but at last, the lights of Clifton came into view. I directed Tom to my house and thanked him for the ride. Sinking into the comfort of my recliner, I realized Tom hadn’t asked for my phone number.
“I’ll never see that money again,” I lamented.
The doorbell startled me the next afternoon. Who would be visiting today? I opened the door a few inches. “Need your signature for the delivery, ma’am.”
“Delivery?”
“Your car. Keys are in the ignition.”
He motioned to the driveway where my car was now parked. Another car waited behind it.
“Oh, Mr. Conway said to give you this.”
“M…Mr. Conway?”
The man nodded as I accepted the envelope. “Merry Christmas.”
“Merry Christmas,” I called weakly.
I ripped open the envelope and unfolded the paper.
I took the liberty of having a new battery installed in your car. Many thanks for your generosity and kindness. Yours truly, Tom Conway.
A check was enclosed and a gasp caught in my throat as I glanced at it. The amount was well in excess of what I paid for the hamburgers and gasoline.
I read the note again. What kind of mechanic went out of town to install a new battery on Christmas Day? A business card was stapled to the note.
Thomas Conway
CEO
Conway Motors
The Thomas Conway? The wealthiest bachelor in town? No – it couldn’t be. A telephone number on the card was circled in red ink. I dialed it.
“Tom Conway.”
“T…Tom? It’s Faith. Th…thank you.”
His voice was soft and gentle. “Faith. I was hoping you would call
