Greater Than Rubies, a Novella inspired by the Jewel Trilogy by Hallee A. Bridgeman

foot and it shook loose so that Tony could open it. They reached his car, parked on the curb, and piled in, Robin in the front seat next to Tony, Derrick in the back.
    Tony started the car and cold air blasted out from the vents. “It will warm up in a sec,” he said when Robin shivered. As he spoke, the air started to feel warmer.
    He put the car in drive and realized after just a few yards that he would not be able to see in the driving snow. He stopped at an intersection. “We’re going to have to take the Charlie,” he said. “I can’t drive in this.”
    Robin shivered and looked at her feet. She’d worn canvass shoes, not knowing that the weather would turn. “I don’t have a Charlie stop close to me,” she said.
    “Well …” He thought about the available options. “You’ll just have to stay at my place. I have a stop right near me.”
    Just then, Robin’s phone rang. Tony saw Sarah’s picture on the screen as Robin answered it. “Hey, Sarah,” she said. Tony inched the car forward carefully. “Slow down,” Robin said. “I can’t understand you.”
    Tony turned off of the street that housed the pastors of Boston Central Bible and pulled into the church parking lot, driving through the empty lot to the end. He parked in a spot closest to the entrance to the subway system, but did not turn the car off yet.
    “Well, that’s okay,” she said. “I’m stuck, too, and am just going to go to Tony’s. Take the Charlie to Tony’s apartment. The two of us can just stay in your room tonight. Your bed’s set up, and you have a couch in there, too.” Tony nodded and Robin finished the call. “You know which stop to take? Oh, that’s right. You met the decorator there. Okay. Good. I’ll see you as soon as you get there.” She hung up and turned her head to him. “She’s been working at the hospital. There’s no way she can drive home, either.”
    “It’s just two stops up from my place,” he said. “I’ll call the guard in case she beats us there.” While he placed the call, he realized that ninety percent of him was thankful Sarah would be spending the night as well. But he also admitted that there was that ten percent that fought the constant temptation of knowing that Robin would certainly be his wife, so why continue to deny themselves the fulfillment of pushing their physical relationship forward? Knowing she was sleeping in his apartment, he didn’t know if he had the strength to battle that. Sarah’s arrival was certainly an answer to prayer.
    “This,” he said before turning off the car and waving at the falling driven snow outside, “this is why I live in Florida in the winter.”
    He looked over his shoulder at Derrick, who was adjusting his hat. “That’s a good idea, man. Let’s go to Florida.”
    Tony laughed. “I think we will. We can leave Tuesday. I think a week or two will warm our bones nicely.”
    Derrick stopped moving. “Seriously?”
    “Of course. I have a ton of work waiting for me down there, so it will be good to go. You’ll like my house there. It’s right on the beach with a pool. You can vacation before starting your new job at the hotel.”
    Robin glared at him before her face cracked a smile and laughter bubbled past the feigned seriousness. “You’re just mean.”
    “One day soon, cara, you will be free to come and go with me as well. I look forward to it.” He put his hand on the door handle. “Ready?”
     

     
    OBIN met the elevator, relieved to see Sarah step off. “I’ve been worried!” She said, hugging her sister.
    “I missed the train and had to wait for the next one,” Sarah said, pulling her coat off and hanging it on the stand next to the door. She held up her overnight bag. “It was a long wait and my phone died right when we hung up. I’d planned on going to mom and dad’s tonight, thankfully, so I have a bag packed.”
    “Did you find someone to take your Sunday School class?”
    “Yep. All set. I’ll just go with