blurb:
Heartbroken over the unfair loss of a position in the school where she teaches, Angela Taylor is determined to find an AP position.
Adam Thornton has struggled for years to overcome the physical and emotional effects of a devastating accident that occurred when he was a teenager. A successful real estate attorney and part-time handyman, Adam uses his gifts and talents to serve others.
When Angela is hired as an AP at the school where Adam’s mother is the principal, Angela and Adam find they share a past…an unexpected connection. And they must choose whether to surrender to the pain of that past or find hope for the future in the spirit of Christmas.
extract:
Static crackled from the old intercom box on the wall above the
whiteboard. “Ms. Taylor, Dr. Jernigan would like to see you in his office.”
“Thank you. Please tell
him I’ll be right there.” Angie pulled her make-up bag out of the bottom desk drawer
and ran her brush through her hair. She refreshed her lipgloss and powdered her
nose. Then she stood and slipped on her suit jacket. Her students had teased
her about being dressed up today, but they’d just have to get used to it.
Excitement fluttered
her stomach as she headed down the hall. The school board had met last night
and made their decision. She drew in a calming breath and forced back the
tears. Grammy and Poppy would have been so proud.
As Angie entered the main office, Mary Jo
winked from behind the front desk and then nodded toward the door behind her.
“They’re waiting on you.”
Smiling, Angie walked across the office and rapped
on the door. When Will opened it, she stepped inside. He
nodded toward the sofa behind her. “Ms. Taylor, you remember John Carlton.”
Not a surprise that the
president of the school board would be here, too. She turned and offered her
hand. “So very nice to see you again, Mr. Carlton.”
“And you, as well.” He
grasped her hand and then gestured toward the sofa. “Won’t you please have a
seat?”
She perched on the edge
of the cushion and folded her hands in her lap. Will dropped into the chair
across from them.
Mr. Carlton smiled. “As
you’re probably aware, the board met last night to consider filling the position
of assistant principal.”
Angie nodded, her heart skipping with
excitement.
“Thank you for your
application. Your résumé’s quite impressive. You’re an excellent teacher and
have been a faithful employee.”
So far, so good.
“Unfortunately, we’re
unable to offer you the assistant principal position at this time. The school
needs a candidate who has more experience in personnel management. Someone with
an advanced degree.”
She shot a glance
toward Will. His eyes were fixed on his lap.
Turning her attention back to Mr. Carlton, she countered, “I appreciate your
position, however, my master’s will be completed before this school year ends.”
He nodded. “Dr.
Jernigan reminded us, and for that reason, we’d like to offer you the newly
created position of upper elementary lead teacher. It would mean a ten percent
increase in salary beginning in January. I’ll have the job description and
salary information sent to Dr. Jernigan before the end of the semester. With an
updated contract, of course.” He stood and shook her hand. “Pray about it.”
Then the two men shook
hands and Mr. Carlton left.
This had not gone at
all the way she’d expected.
Will slipped onto the sofa beside her and grasped
her hand. “Angie… I’m
so sorry. I tried.”
Tears threatened.
“Say something.” He
sandwiched her hand between both of his.
“You know I’m qualified
for that position, even if I don’t have my degree yet. I have the right
experience. I know the curriculum backward and forward. I even helped write
some of it.” She would not cry. “You shouldn’t have had to ‘try’ anything.”
“I know.” He rubbed the backs of her hands
with his thumbs. “Baby, the board felt…they thought the offer of the lead
teacher position would be a good compromise. And maybe in a few years…”
“Good? For who?” She pulled
her hands away. “And ‘personnel management,’ really? Do they not realize
exactly how many ‘personnel’ I manage every day?”
“The board knows you’re
an excellent teacher…. That’s why they’re creating this position for you. They
don’t want to lose you.”
“They’ve already hired
someone, haven’t they?”
“Angie…” He shook his
head. “I really can’t say.”
“Can’t or won’t?”
“Shouldn’t.” He broke
eye contact. “Let’s just say, the board really didn’t have much of a choice.”
“People always have a
choice.”
He huffed. “It’s the
nephew of one of the church elders. He just got his master’s in admin and wants
to move back here to be close to his mom. She’s sick, and he needs to take care
of her.” He shook his head. “I’ve told you more than I should’ve.”
Angie’s heart ached for
the nameless young man. “I am sorry.” She drew her hands away and stood. “But
I’ll have to think about things. I’m not sure this is the future I want.”
“Angie, don’t make it
any harder.” Will stood and rested his hands on her shoulders. “I pushed all I
could without making them suspicious. I understand you’re hurt, but you should
be grateful they created a new position for you.”
Grateful? If she looked
at it from his perspective, maybe. But from hers? It stung like a slap in the
face. “I’m qualified. You shouldn’t have had to push.”
“In a perfect
world…yes.” He drew her close. “Go home. Take the rest of the week off and pray
about it. I’ll have Mary Jo get a sub.” He whispered across the top of her
hair. “Neither the school nor I want to lose you.”
***
Angie breathed in the
calming aroma of her chai. A latte this late in the day would keep her up all
night. But maybe it wouldn’t have mattered. She was so upset, she probably
wouldn’t get much sleep tonight anyway. She’d tried to pray during the drive to
the coffee shop, but her mind had been churning over today’s disappointment.
When she’d started her
master’s, she’d been sure her decision to pursue a degree in admin had been the
right one. But now…? Maybe she’d misinterpreted things.
She should have never agreed
to date Will. It wasn’t the first time a teacher and an administrator had begun
a relationship, but it put him in an awkward position. That was one reason
she’d decided to pursue her master’s. So they’d be on a more level playing
field at work.
They’d been discreet.
Careful. Going to restaurants and events in Dallas rather than staying in Fort
Worth. Their contracts didn’t forbid personal relationships between employees,
but school policy certainly didn’t encourage it. Other employees knew. Some of
the board probably knew, too. But they turned the other way.
When they were at
school or extracurricular functions, it was all about their jobs, their
responsibilities to the school, their students, and their students’ families.
Neither of them would do anything to jeopardize that.
Only once had they run
into some parents when they were out. The single comment Mrs. Jensen had made
was, “It’s very nice to see the two of you enjoying each other’s company.”
They’d fully expected word to go zipping through the school family, but as far
as they’d been able to tell, the Jensens had respected their privacy.
Over the years, Angie
had chosen to put her professional life above her personal life. And until
today, she’d been satisfied. But now, she could only wonder if all her
sacrifice had been worth it. And Will? She’d finally come to understand what
her heart had been trying to tell her for several months now. He was a great
guy. Just not the one for her.
She pulled her phone
out of her pocket. Today’s verse from her Bible app popped up. “So we fix our
eyes not on what is seen, but on what is unseen, since what is seen is
temporary, but what is unseen is eternal. 2 Corinthians 4:18”
Could a person really
see something that was unseen?
Yes. When she’d been in
college, she’d been able to see the unseen. Her vision had drawn her toward
teaching in a Christian school. Touching the hearts and minds of children.
Investing her life in the unseen. The eternal.
Maybe these last few
years she’d been concentrating mostly on what she could see. What the Bible
said was temporary…and she’d forgotten about focusing on the everlasting.
She’d go home and pray.
But she’d also update her information on the professional websites.
inspiration
People always ask where I get the ideas for my novels. Some are strictly
the result of a busy imagination. Others are derived from real-life
experiences. In Choosing Christmas, both the hero and the heroine have
life-experiences that are born from reality.
Angela, the heroine, is
a teacher. I’ve spent most of my adult life teaching. I’ve taught students as
old as nineteen and as young as two. The last teaching position I had was in a
private Christian school whose philosophy was based on the writings of Charlotte Mason. Miss Mason was a British educator who lived
in the late nineteenth and early twentieth century. She was an advocate for
rigorous education for all, not just the wealthy. One of the tenants of her
philosophy is that children are born persons. Angela finds life-saving truth in
this philosophy.
Adam, the hero of Choosing
Christmas, suffered a back injury while on a mission trip as a
teenager. This idea was born from a true incident that injured members from a
nearby church when they were on a mission trip. He struggles to overcome both
the horrible memories and the physical disabilities of the accident.
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