I found it strange that Diana would tell him my name. She had offered to take the food out to him while Emily and I ate the other night, and when we left, he was gone.
“Gabe, nice to meet you. And you’re welcome.”
“That pie really hit the spot.” He smiled.
“The pie was my daughter’s idea. Everyone needs pie apparently.” I grinned, thinking about what a kind little girl she was.
He chuckled. “Yes, everyone does need pie. She’s an adorable young lady.” He looked around and then took a step closer to me. “Is there something I can help you with, Jason?”
Standing there, I wasn’t sure why I was so compelled to talk to this guy, but I was. He seemed like a genuinely nice person, who was probably just down on his luck, but I had no idea. “I was wondering, do you know that woman? The one that brought you coffee?”
“Oh, she’s quite lovely, isn’t she?” He smiled, as if he were musing at something. For being homeless, and likely quite cold, he seemed happy.
“Uh, yes. Yes she is.” It was windy, and I pulled my coat a bit tighter around me.
“So, you like her?” he asked me.
I didn’t quite know what to say. “I … uh …” I stuttered. He was rather blunt, and I was taken aback by his comment, which wasn’t altogether untrue.
“I can see these things,” he said.
“Oh, you can, can you?” I was beginning to think this guy was crazy after all, and I was about ready to get out of there.
“That kind and generous young lady is Samantha. She’s visiting her family for the holidays.” He looked as if he was waiting for my reply, eyebrows raised. Suddenly, I felt like a teenager with a crush, and I didn’t know what to say.
“Oh, that’s cool.” That’s cool. That’s what I said. I didn’t know what else to say.
The old man laughed, hard. “Today won’t be the last you see of her.” He turned to walk away.
“How do you know?” I called after him, almost desperately. His crazy talk was just enough of what I wanted to hear.
Turning back to me, he replied, “I know all kinds of things, Jason. You’ll see her again. And you’ll make her smile again. Not to worry.”
He winked and walked away, leaving me standing there a bit taken aback. The familiarity I felt toward him was so unusual. It was as if we’d been old friends. I switched my gaze to the square around us, thinking of what to say, what to ask, but when I looked back, he was gone. He’d disappeared into thin air.
The old man was on my mind all day, as was Samantha. I spent the day as I usually did, working in my shop. I worked as a mechanic as well as a pilot. One of our residents, old Mr. Macintosh, had a 1967 Plymouth Barracuda that he wanted restored. It was a hell of a job—he’d seriously let it go over the years, but when his wife passed away last spring, he pulled it out of hiding and asked me to take on the project. We agreed that the restoration should be all original parts, and so it wasn’t an overnight job. I worked on it in between regular jobs, a little bit each week. I’d been working on cars since I was a kid and took over my dad’s shop when he retired. Some days, my dad would come and work on the Barracuda with me and talk about the old days. This day, though, I was alone with my thoughts, the confusion swirling.
I couldn’t get the homeless man off my mind, and as I racked my brain trying to figure out why he seemed so familiar, I completely lost track of time and almost forgot to go pick up Emily. She got out of school in the late afternoons, and typically I left work to get her and brought her back to the shop to finish up my day while she did her homework. After the strange day and the distracted thoughts, I decided that I’d close up shop, pick Emily up, and take her for a plane ride. It was always so much fun for both of us, and we didn’t do it as often as I’d like.
When I picked her up from school and told her the plan, she was beside herself.
“Daddy! Seriously? It’s been forever. I’m so excited!”
“Yeah, why not, kiddo? I gotta take her up to keep the motor going, and seeing the Christmas lights from above should be a sight, don’t you think?”
“Oh yes! Will you take us over the old barn?”
“Of course I will, sweetie.”
The McIntyre Farm was known for their holiday lights. They covered their barn with so many lights that you could practically see the glow from across town. It was amazing to see it all lit up below you, and I’d become known for giving a few rides in my little plane here and there to spread the joy. It was one of my many favorite things about the holidays.
; Chapter Five
Samantha
The coffee-toting, rugged, and handsome man I’d run into that morning was all I could think about. Well, that and the fact that I was a blundering idiot and freezing. His short beard had just a few gray strands, and his eyes, they were welcoming in a way that was paralyzing. I felt a sly smile spread across my face as I mused about him. All that time alone must’ve been getting to me because I felt a bit of my cold heart defrost and flutter.