Debbie Macomber - Call Me Mrs. Miracle

2. In a large serving bowl, combine arugula, pomegranate seeds and pecans. Add dressing; toss to coat. Top salad with cheese; toss once.

TIP: Extra-virgin olive oil, which comes from the first cold pressing of the olives, has a stronger, purer flavor than virgin olive oil. Since it is more expensive, most cooks prefer to use it only for salad and other uncooked dishes. Virgin olive oil is better for sautéing.

Serves 8.

Mickey stepped into the apartment, still holding Gabe, and extended his hand to Jake. “You must be Jake Finley.”

“And you must be Holly’s brother, Mickey.”

“I am.”

“What’s in there?” Gabe asked, looking over his father’s shoulder at the large box resting on the other side of the open door.

“That’s a little something Santa asked me to deliver,” Mickey told his son. Gabe squirmed out of his arms and raced back into the hallway. He stared at Holly and his grin seemed to take up his whole face. “I think I know what it is,” he declared before pushing the box inside. “Aunt Holly told me Santa sometimes makes deliveries late.”

No one needed to encourage him to unwrap the gift this time. He tore into the wrapping paper, which flew in all directions. As soon as he saw the picture of Intellytron on the outside of the box, Gabe gave a shout of exhilaration.

“It’s my robot! It’s my robot!”

“Wherever did you find one?” J.R. asked Mickey. The older man stepped forward and extended his hand. “J. R. Finley,” he said.

“He bought it at Finley’s,” Jake answered in a confused tone.

“Our department store?” J.R. sounded incredulous. “When?”

“My guess is that it was late on Christmas Eve.” Again, Jake supplied the answer.

“And how do you know all this?” Holly had a few questions of her own.

“Because that’s the gift wrap Mrs. Miracle used.”

“But…who sold it to him?” J.R. appeared completely befuddled by this latest development.

“Mrs. Miracle,” Jake and Holly murmured simultaneously.

“He’s right,” Mickey said as he sat on the couch next to his son, who remained on the floor. “I remember her name badge. Mrs. Miracle. We talked for a few minutes.”

Thankfully, Gabe was too involved with his robot to listen.

“I had a chance to go into the city yesterday,” Mickey told them.

“Wait.” Holly held up her hand. “You’ve got some splainin’ to do, Lieutenant Larson. Why are you in New York in the first place?”

Mickey laughed. “Don’t tell me you don’t want me here?”

“No, no, of course I do! But you might’ve said something.”

“I couldn’t.”

“Security reasons?” Holly asked.

“No, just that I wasn’t sure I’d get the leave I was hoping for. I’ve been sent back for specialized training-I’ll be at Fort Dix for the next six weeks. I didn’t want to say anything to Gabe yet, in case it fell through. I could tell from his emails that he was starting to adjust to life here with you. It would’ve been cruel to raise his hopes, only to have Uncle Sam dash them. Turns out I was on duty until nine this morning…so here I am. I thought I’d bring Gabe his Christmas surprise.”

“You might’ve mentioned it to me, ” Holly said with more than a little consternation.

“True, but I had to take your poor track record with keeping secrets into consideration.”

“I can keep a secret,” she insisted.

“Oh, yeah? What about the time you told Candi Johnson I had a crush on her?”

“I was twelve years old!”

Jake chuckled and she sent him a stern look. If Mickey had asked her not to say anything about his possible visit, she wouldn’t have uttered a word. Then it occurred to her that he’d hinted at it when he referred to the surprise he was sending Gabe. Fantastic, stupendous, exhilarating though this was, a Christmas visit was the last thing she’d expected.

“But why buy the robot?” Holly asked. “I told you I’d get it for Gabe.”

“Yes, but you were going without lunches-”

“True,” she interrupted, whispering so Gabe wouldn’t hear. “Then Lindy Lee had a change of heart and decided to give me a Christmas bonus, after all.”

Mickey shrugged. “You didn’t say anything to me. Not that it matters because I wanted to get this for Gabe.”

“I didn’t tell you I received my bonus?”

“You’ve done enough for the two of us,” Mickey told her, his eyes warm with appreciation. “I didn’t want to burden you with the added expense of Christmas.”

“Hey, Holly, that means Finley’s owes you two hundred and fifty dollars,” Jake said. “Plus tax. By the way, Mickey, did you tell Mrs. Miracle who you were?” he asked, approaching the two of them. He slipped his arm around Holly’s waist and she casually leaned against him.

Mickey shook his head. “Should I have?”

Jake and Holly exchanged a glance, but it was Jake who voiced their question. “How did she know?”

“Know what?” Mickey asked.

“That it was you,” Holly said.

“Look, Dad!” Gabe cried out.

Mickey turned his attention to the robot, who walked smartly toward him, stopped and asked in a tinny voice, “When…do…you…go…back…to…Afghanistan?”

Mickey’s eyes widened. “How’d you make him say that?”

J.R., who’d been working with Gabe, grinned at Mickey. “I programmed him,” Gabe announced proudly. “Mr. Finley helped, but he said I can do it on my own now that I know how.”

“You managed to get the robot to do that already?”

“He does all kinds of cool tricks, Dad. Watch.”

While Mickey and Gabe were engaged in programming the robot, Jake and Holly stepped into the kitchen.

“She couldn’t have known Mickey was Gabe’s father.” Jake’s face was clouded with doubt. “Could she?”

Holly didn’t have an answer.

Jake continued, still frowning. “I tried to reach her, but the phone number she listed with HR wasn’t in service.”

“Then ask her when you see her again,” Holly said. Jake had mentioned that, as seasonal help, Emily Miracle would be working until after inventory had been completed in January.

“I won’t be able to,” Jake told her. “When I went to HR for her personal information, I discovered that she’d handed in her notice. Christmas Eve was her last day.”

“But…” Holly wanted to argue. Surely Mrs. Miracle would’ve said something at dinner the night before. Things didn’t quite add up… And yet, this wonderful woman had done so much to brighten their Christmas.

Before she could comment, the doorbell rang again. Holly chuckled, not even daring to guess who it might be this time. Her apartment was turning into Grand Central Station. If she had to guess, the last person to cross her mind would’ve been…

“Lindy!” Her employer’s name shot out of Holly’s mouth the second she opened the door.

Lindy Lee smiled hesitantly. “I hope I’m not intruding.”

“You came, you came.” Gabe bounded up from the floor and raced to Lindy Lee’s side, taking her hand.

Lindy gave Holly an apologetic look. “Gabe invited me and since I, uh, didn’t have any commitments, I thought I’d stop by for a few minutes and wish you all a Merry Christmas.” She glanced about the room. “I see you already have a houseful.”

“I’m Gabe’s father,” Mickey said, stepping forward. “Holly’s brother.” He set his hands on Gabe’s shoulders.

“She’s the lady I wrote you about,” Gabe said, twisting around and looking up at his father. “Isn’t she pretty?”