No Home for the Holidays by Lillian Duncan Page B

night?
    She had no friends, one of the consequences of her choices. Anyone close to her was a luxury she couldn’t afford. Butterflies fluttered in her stomach. It could be a neighbor who needed help.
    Moving the curtain ever so slightly, she peeked through the shutter slats.
    The preacher stood there stamping his feet and rubbing his hands together. No way was she opening that door. For him. There was no way she’d give him a second look at her.
    Pounding started. The door rattled.
    “I know you’re in there. Open up. I just want to give you back your hat and gloves.”
    She looked down at her hands. She’d been so freaked out when he’d said she looked familiar that she hadn’t realized she’d left them.
    How had he been able to find the right house?
    More pounding and buzzing.
    “I’m not going away so you might as well let me in.”
    If he kept yelling, the neighbors would call the cops. She moved closer to the door. “Just leave them on the porch. I’ll get them later.”
    “Why? I’m not here to hurt you.”
    Leaving the chain lock engaged, she opened the door just enough to see out. “Be quiet. You’ll wake up the neighborhood.”
    He pulled out his cellphone. “Besides, I wanted to show you the picture I took. I didn’t even know you were in it when I took it.”
    A picture of her? Not good. She opened the door wider. “What picture?”
    “Of you at the Nativity. I posted it on the church website.”
    “You didn’t?” Forgetting her resolve to not let him in, she removed the chain and opened the door. “You can’t do that. You need to take it down. Right now.”
    He smiled, clueless as to what his action might cause.
    “Why are you chasing me?” Had someone found her? Was the minister stalking her? Maybe he wasn’t really a minister at all. Why else would he take photos of her?
    “You left your things. I thought you might need it.” He handed the stocking cap and gloves up to her. “It’s too cold to be outside without them.”
    “You chased me down the street to give me back my hat?”
    He nodded and held out his hand. “Colton Douglas. And your name is…”
    “None of your business.” She turned away. He didn’t need to get a better look at her. Good thing she still had her makeup on. “Let me see that picture, please.”
    He held out the phone. She stared at the picture. Would anyone recognize her?
    “It’s a beautiful picture, don’t you think?”
    “No, I don’t think. You have to take that down. Right now.”
    “Why?”
    “It could be dang…well, you just need to take it down. I don’t like people taking my picture. It’s not…please take it down.”
    “Sure thing. Not a problem. I’ll take them down just as soon as I get home.”
    “No, you have to do it right now. Before anyone…please, just do it now.”
    “OK. OK. Not a problem.” He sat down and began to hit buttons on the phone. After a few moments he looked up. “What did you say your name was?”
    “I didn’t.”
    “Then I’ll call you Pink. For your hair.” He hit another button on the phone. “All deleted. Are you happy now?”
    She nodded.
    “Why was it so important to you?”
    “I don’t like my picture taken. It’s not… safe.”
    “Not safe? Sounds a bit melodramatic. Why don’t you tell me the real reason?”
    This guy did it all. Preacher. Cop. Psychic. And now a shrink. “It’s time for you to go.”
    “I think I deserve an answer, Pink.”
    “How did you find me anyway?”
    “Footprints in the snow.”
    “Oh…that makes sense.”
    He gave her a sincere look. “Really, I want to help you. Something’s wrong or you wouldn’t have been in the church tonight. Please tell me what’s going on. God can always make a way.”
    She turned away, not wanting him to see tears. “I suppose that’s true if God loves you.”
    “And you think God doesn’t love you? Of course, he does. He will never forsake any of us.”
    He sounded just like her…a preacher.
    “I’m not