The young priest looked out the window, scanning the ground as snow continued to fall. Father James had just recently been assigned to the parish, located in a small town in Virginia. There wasn't much to the town, except for the Garden Festival every year. It was so popular, people would travel from all around to enjoy the vegetables and fruits the town produced. He began to move away from the window, when, in the distance, he spotted a cloaked figure falling down.
He ran out and rushed to the person's side, kneeling down, hands working to help lift the prone figure up. His eyes looked for any sign of injury.
"Are you alright?" his voice betrayed concern. He helped the figure up, looking for any sign of harm or injury.
The cloaked figure looked up, two devilishly green eyes peering from the shadows of the hood. A slender hand reached up and pulled it back. Now, he could now see her more clearly. Red haired flowed down her back, green eyes shining even more in the darkness. She was one of the most beautiful women he had ever laid eyes upon.
Her head dipping forward. She smiled shyly and said, "I am." her voice a soft baritone. "Thank you. I just stumbled." Her hands now moved to either side of her shoulders, "It's very cold though, do you have a place where I might stay and rest?" Her face looking fearful that he might say no.
Father James helped her back into the Parish, letting her rest on the couch as he made her some fresh tea and prepared a small meal. He came back, setting the plates down next to her. He sat down across from her and stared
"What?" She asked coyly, a mischievous smile appearing on her face.
The young priest had lost track of time. He shook his head, clearly embarrassed. "I apologize. I was just surprised to find someone like out in the cold. What are you doing out so late at night?"
The smile slowly faded. Her hand came up to move a strand of red hair out of her eyes. "This time of year always makes me sad." she said, " It reminds me of my failures. It reminds me of my friends that I lost." With a soft sniff she looked at the ground, "Christmas has always been a sad time."
Father James' eyebrows rose as she spoke. Christmas was only a week away. A frown appeared on his lips. He reached out to touch the woman's hand, provide some comfort. As his hand met hers, he could feel the heat radiating from the woman.
He looked down at her. "Are you feeling alright? You are burning up."
The woman looked up, startled at the touch and the question, "Oh, yes. I am fine. I just run hot." Another mischievous smile before she asked her next question. "Would you mind if I freshened up?"
The priest nodded and withdrew his hand. She got up and he directed her to where to go. He sat down and waited for her to return. After a few moments, the woman called out, "Thank you so much for your hospitality. You are so much nicer then the last man I called Father. He was so angry with me."
This intrigued James. He called back to her, eyes on the door. "Well I am glad to hear that. I would hate to hear that you were mistreated. Who could ever mistreat such a beautiful woman?" The question caught in his throat. He was surprised at himself that he would even say that.
