“Sorry,” Wolf said, patting her hand. “Bad memories. I won’t mention it again.”

“That life is long over,” she replied. “But I still love going to see the ballet and the theater and opera. We have such a rich cultural heritage here in San Antonio.”

“We do, indeed,” Gabriel agreed.

The musicians began tuning their instruments again, just as Sara came back down the aisle, so graceful and poised that she drew male eyes all the way.

“Your sister has an elegance of carriage that is quite rare,” Elise said to Gabriel as she approached.

“She also studied ballet,” Gabriel replied quietly. “But the stress of dancing and trying to get through college became too much. She gave up ballet and got her degree in languages.” He laughed. “She still dances, though,” he added. “She just doesn’t put on a tutu first.”

“It wouldn’t go with the broom,” Sara said to Wolf, and smiled coldly as she sat down.

“Broom?” Elise asked, curious.

“Never mind. I’ll explain it to you later,” Wolf replied.

Sara gave him a look that might have curdled milk and turned her attention to the stage as the curtain began to rise.

“Well, it was a wonderful evening,” Michelle said dreamily as she followed them out to the car. “Thank you so much for taking us,” she added to Gabriel.

He studied her in the lovely dress, smiling. “It was my pleasure. We’ll have to do this more often.”

“Expose you to culture, he means,” Sara said in a stage whisper. “It’s good for you.”

“I really had a good time.”

“I would have, except for the company,” Sara muttered. She flushed. “Not you two,” she said hastily when they gaped at her. “That...man! And his date.”

“I thought Elise was very nice,” Michelle ventured.

Sara clammed up.

Gabriel just chuckled.

Christmas Eve was magical. They sat around the Christmas tree, watching a program of Christmas music on television, sipping hot chocolate and making s’mores in the fireplace, where a sleepy fire flamed every now and then.

In all her life, Michelle couldn’t remember being so happy. Her eyes kept darting to Gabriel, when she thought he wasn’t looking. Even in jeans and a flannel shirt, he was the stuff of dreams. It was so hard not to appear starstruck.

They opened presents that night instead of the next morning, because Sara announced that she wasn’t getting up at dawn to see what Santa had left.

She gave Michelle a beautiful scarf of many colors, a designer one. Michelle draped it around her neck and raved over it. Then she opened Gabriel’s gift. It was pearls, a soft off-white set in a red leather box. They were Japanese. He’d brought them home from his last trip and hidden them to give at Christmas. The necklace was accompanied by matching drop earrings.