Free An Aussie Christmas Angel by Clare Revell

yawning again. “It was a long trip back and a very busy weekend.”
    “I’ll let you go to bed. When will I speak to you again?”
    “Soon as possible.”
    “I’ll e-mail every day, ring you on the weekends.”
    “Sounds good. We could alternate ringing each other. Save on the phone bills.” She yawned again.
    “Sounds like a good plan. Go to bed. Ni Night.”
    “Ni Night.”
    John hung up and just sat there. Thank You, Lord. Show us where to go from here. Guide our every step that we may follow in the path You are laying out before us.
    A huge grin covered his face, and he couldn’t lose it. Nor did he want to. He stood and went into the lounge where everyone sat around the table eating. The whole family went quiet and looked at him.
    Had they been listening? Did they know? Oh, who cares, I want to shout it from the rooftops.
    “She said yes. We’re officially in a long distance relationship.”
    Dorrie grinned and ran around the table to hug him. “See, I told you Miss Right lived in Australia.”
     
    ****
     
    The next week passed faster than any John had ever known. He e-mailed Jo daily and got several replies. He’d also written daily letters, finding the blue airmail letters not long enough, even if all he were doing was describing what he did each day. He talked about the way the frost decorated the few remaining leaves on the trees, the threat of further snow, and the Christmas decorations that he’d put up at work.
    Sunday came again and he phoned as soon as he got in from church. Jo answered on the second ring. “Hey.” He smiled. “Were you sitting on the phone?”
    “I took it into my room, so it wouldn’t wake Pip. She’s on the early shift this week.”
    “Good idea.” He broke off as Taylor appeared holding out a book. “What’s this?”
    “It’s bedtime in Australia, Ki John, so she needs a story. You can read her this one. It’s my favorite.”
    John took the book and grinned. Taylor’s speech was pretty good, although he still struggled with the odd word or two. Uncle being one of them—it always came out as Ki. “Thank you. I like this one, too. Jo, I’ve been given a story to read you, as it’s bed time where you are,” he explained. “ Angus the Airship .”
    “Oh, that’s sweet. I love that story.” She giggled. “Who did that?”
    “Taylor, he’s four. So, are you sitting comfortably? Then I’ll begin. Angus the Airship spends his days flying high over the Highlands of Scotland, with his pilot, Hamish McTavish. Each morning Hamish fills Angus with helium.” He read the story.
    When he finished, her smile was virtually audible. “Thank you. Oh, you know Pip is coming to the UK soon?”
    “Yeah.”
    “She was hoping to take in Windsor but her place to stay fell through and now she doesn’t have anywhere to stay in that area—the friend she was staying with has had to go to Wales to look after a sick relative. Now, we happen to know this Christian bloke who lives a short distance from Windsor, and I was wondering, if I asked him very nicely, whether Pip could crash at his for a few nights.”
    John laughed. “Of course. I rent the room over my parents’ garage, remember. It’s one big room so I can’t ask her to share, but my parents do have extra bedrooms.”
    Jo shrieked with laughter. “Oh, that was the sermon this morning. In my Father’s house there are many rooms.”
    He laughed with her. “Tell me when she arrives, and I’ll go check with Mum and Dad, but I know they’ll say yes.”
    “Her plane lands at Heathrow on the fifteenth, and she’s there until the eighteenth when she goes to Bath.” He opened the door and relayed the message to his parents. Having got the thumbs up, he shut the door. “Tell her yes. So, do you want this story again or another one?”
    “How about a Bible story?”
    John beamed. “Sure.” He picked up his Bible from where he’d left it ready for the evening service, and opened it at random. “Psalm one