Christmas at Holiday House

by RaeAnne Thayne

  “What’s a ‘traction’?” Christopher looked puzzled and intrigued.

  Oops. She thought he had headphones in, watching his favorite PBS children’s show, and couldn’t hear her. That would serve her right for trying to use her son as an excuse.

  She forced a smile. “A distraction is something that diverts attention away from something else. Like when you’re playing with a ball and then see a truck and decide to stop playing ball and play truck instead. I just meant that instead of talking to each other, Lucy and Ethan might want to talk to you since they both like you so much.”

  “I like them, too. Ethan is my friend and so is Lucy.”

  “There. You see? We will both want to hang out with our buddy Christopher. And you, of course.” Lucy said the last as if an afterthought, then grinned to show she was teasing.

  “A family dinner isn’t much of a family dinner with only the three of us. How can you resist the smell of that tagine? It’s going to be epic. And I made enough to feed Winnie’s entire choir.”

  Abby refrained from pointing out she and Christopher could still enjoy Lucy’s food, just in the comfort of their own room.

  “It does smell good,” she conceded. “It’s wonderful to see you have picked up a few culinary skills since we were living in the dorm together. As I recall, you could barely reheat a can of soup.”

  “I’ve lived in a few places over the years where it was either learn to cook or starve. I like to eat too much to starve so I adapted.”

  From Abby’s perspective, Lucy had changed a great deal from her old college roommate. She had to admit, Lucy had intimidated her at first. She had thought they would have little in common when they were fortuitously matched by the university’s housing department.

  From the first night, something between them had clicked. Perhaps it had something to do with the fact that they had both endured difficult, unorthodox childhoods. She didn’t know. She only knew she cherished Lucy and felt so lucky to have her in her life.

  “I’m setting five plates at the table. You have to join us.”

  Abby sighed, throwing up her hands both actually and figuratively. “See? It’s utterly impossible to win an argument with you.”

  Lucy didn’t laugh, as she expected. Instead, her friend’s smile slid away, and for a moment she looked almost...sad.

  The expression slid away so quickly Abby wondered if she had imagined it.

  Lucy shrugged. “It’s a gift. What can I say?”

  “Too many things. That’s the problem. And in any language.”

  “Ethan will be here in about a half hour, so we’ll eat shortly after that.”

  She mentally braced herself. “Okay.”

  “That’s not a problem for you, is it?”

  “Why would it be a problem?”

  Lucy shrugged. “I don’t know. I just thought I sensed something weird between you the other night when I arrived.”

  “You didn’t,” Abby said briskly. “We had both had a long day. That’s all.”

  “Ethan is my friend,” Christopher interjected into the conversation. Apparently, he had given up watching his show and was now playing a game on his tablet and listening to the two of them talk. “He took us on the snow-tube hill and we went so fast you wouldn’t believe it!”

  “Wow! That sounds fun,” Lucy said.

  “Yeah. And he said he would take us skiing, except my mom’s afraid of being too high up in the air. So Ethan said he would take just me and Mom could watch us from the log.”

  “The lodge, sweetie,” Abby corrected gently.

  “Right. The lodge.”

  “You should really take him up on that while you’re here,” Lucy advised. “My brother is an excellent ski instructor. He taught me when I was a little girl. I was just your age.”

  “You were five years old, too?” Christopher asked.

  “Around that. Maybe a year or two older. I just remember that Ethan was three years older and already a good skier. I thought he could do anything.” She grinned. “I’ll tell you a secret. I still think he can do anything.”

  Despite all her self-talk about keeping boundaries with him, Abby couldn’t help but be charmed to imagine a younger Ethan teaching his sister to ski.

  “I like Ethan. He’s my friend,” Christopher said.

  “You have good taste,” Lucy said.

  As the two of them chattered about the things they each liked about Ethan, Abby fought down a growing sense of dread.

  She should have been more careful. She had been so busy trying and failing to protect her own heart that she hadn’t given the care she should have to protect her son.

  Christopher was so impressionable right now, openhearted and loving. Her son clearly adored Ethan already. She couldn’t let the man become too important to either of them. Once she and Christopher left Silver Bells, what were the odds she would ever see him again? Probably not great.

  Christopher already would have to leave Winnie, whom he loved. She hoped she hadn’t doubled his pain.

  “If Ethan’s coming over, I’m gonna go get my digger. I told him I would show him when he came over again.”

  “You left all your trucks in the box by your bed, remember?”

  “I remember.”

  Christopher scooted off his chair and raced to their rooms.

  Lucy watched after him with an affectionate smile. “I sure love that kid of yours.”

  “What’s not to love? I’m the luckiest mom in the world.”

  “I can’t disagree.” Lucy paused. “He’s really taken to Ethan, hasn’t he? And vice versa.”

  “Your brother made a strong impression on him during our outing on the tubing hill, probably because Chris hasn’t spent a lot of time around men lately.”

  Lucy gave her a meaningful look. “You should really do something about that. Kevin has been gone two years.”

  She was half-tempted to tell Lucy about her disastrous dates and the humiliating nausea that had resulted, but it was too embarrassing. She’d already overshared with one of the Lancasters. She didn’t need to tell the other one.

  “I will,” she finally said. “When I’m ready. I loved Kevin with all my heart.”

  “I know. And you were shattered when he died. I get that. But you don’t have to love a man to date him. Why can’t you just go out for fun and companionship?”

  “Are you suggesting I should take romantic advice from the woman who self-identifies as the world’s biggest cynic?”

  “I believe in love for other people. How could I not? You and Kevin were sweet together. It was lovely to see two people care about each other so much.”

  “So why are you convinced that kind of love is impossible for you?”

  Lucy looked down at the onions she was chopping for the couscous. “I don’t know. I guess maybe some of us are programmed differently. We lack the necessary genetic markers that allow us to open our hearts to love.”

  “You think you’re predestined to be unhappy like your parents were.”

  “I think the odds are good that I would screw up any long-term relationship,” she said flatly.

  Abby knew it was a mistake to ask, but she couldn’t resist. “What about Ethan? He has the same genes, the same parental history. Are you saying you don’t think he could ever fall in love?”

  “I hope so,” Lucy said, though she didn’t sound entirely convinced. Which wasn’t an answer at all, really.

  Abby wanted to press her, but Christopher came back into the room before she could, his arms loaded with all his favorite diecast vehicles. “I brought my digger but I also brought my dump truck and the grader. Do you think Ethan will want to see the grader?”

  “I wouldn’t be at all surprised,” Lucy said. “Now why don’t you help us set the table, then you can go in and tell my grandmother that di
nner will be ready in a few moments?”

  “Okay,” he said happily, and hurried to obey.

  * * *

  “Here. You sit by me.”

  Ethan had to smile at the boy’s peremptory tone. Apparently, he was taking orders now from a little boy.

  “Christopher. You’re being bossy again. Remember we talked about how that’s not good manners? When you would like someone to do something, you should always ask them, not tell them they have to do it.”

  Christopher gave a sigh that sounded put-upon.

  “Ethan, you’re my friend. Would you please sit by me so I can show you my digger and my grader?”

  “I would be delighted. Thank you.”

  He sat beside the boy and pulled out his napkin, laying it carefully across his lap. He was charmed when Christopher immediately mimicked him.

  He spent a few moments admiring the diecast vehicles and remembering his own vast collection when he was this age.

  “Have you done anything fun this weekend?” he asked him.

  “Yesterday I played with Lucy and Winnie while my mom went to the store and then I went bowling with Lucy and José and Rodrigo.”

  He raised an eyebrow at Lucy, who had just come in carrying a platter of olives and other vegetables. If he wasn’t mistaken, she might have blushed a little.

  “Did you?”

  “It was my first time. I picked a green ball with glitter on it and then Rodrigo and me had ice-cream cones. Vanilla. That’s my favorite.”

  “Mine, too.”

  “When we came home, I went outside with my mom and we played in the snow. We builded a snowman.”

  He could picture it clearly, both of them laughing as they rolled the snow around the yard. He would have liked to have joined them.

  “You built that snowman? Nice work! I saw him when I pulled up. He was huge. Bigger than me.”

  “And it was our very first time building a snowman, too,” the boy informed him.

  “You did an excellent job, both of you.”

  “I know.”

  “I loved seeing that snowman out my window this morning,” Winnie said. “Thank you for putting him where I can see him the moment I wake up.”

  “You’re welcome. My mom said when you look at the snowman, maybe you can remember us after we go back to Arizona.”

  “I won’t need a snowman to remember you,” Winnie said, her voice a little emotional.

  The boy’s words seemed to cast a pall over the entire meal. Ethan didn’t like to think about it, either, but he also didn’t want the meal his sister and Abby had prepared to go to waste. He carefully changed the subject.

  “Explain to me how you’ve been in Thailand for a year, yet the first dish you make when you come home is a chicken tagine from Morocco.”

  Lucy looked sheepish. “I love Thai food. I really do. But I was craving chicken tagine and couscous the whole time I was there. This is mostly for my benefit.”

  “We’re the lucky ones who get to enjoy it,” Abby said. “This is delicious.”

  “Thanks.” Lucy smiled, but Ethan knew his sister well enough to see the shadows in her eyes. She wasn’t her usual cheerful self. Something was wrong. All his protective older brother instincts flared.

  What was bothering her? He found it an interesting coincidence that José had been acting like a bear caught in a trap all day, short-tempered and sour, which wasn’t at all like him, either.

  “The house seems so quiet without all the people and music and holiday cheer of the past two days,” Winnie said.

  “Don’t worry. All of that will be back tomorrow,” Abby said.

  “Why aren’t you doing your fundraiser on Sunday?” Ethan had to ask.

  “Everybody wanted a day to rest their voices and be with their own families,” Winnie explained. “It’s such a busy time of year, it’s hard to schedule something every single night. Maybe next year we’ll start earlier in the season and only do it four nights a week or something.”

  “That makes sense.”

  “I can’t believe we have already done it two nights and only have six more to go. Next Sunday at this time, we’ll be all finished with them and will have money to start work on the adaptive lodge. It’s going to be so marvelous to break ground for it in the spring.”

  His grandmother glowed when she talked about her latest pet project. Winnie loved helping other people. She always had. She was happiest when she was doing something to make the world better.

  Too bad that altruistic, compassionate gene had completely passed over her son. Ethan’s father generally only cared about himself.

  “Do you think you’ll make enough?” Lucy asked.

  “Between that and the gingerbread contest next week for Rodrigo’s birthday, we should at least have enough for the initial construction. The endowment fund will help us with the continuing cost of running it and we should be able to supplement with the proceeds from future house tours. If we decide to continue them, anyway.”

  “Have you already chosen the site of the lodge?” Abby asked.

  Ethan answered her. “This has been in the works for a while. We did the preliminary survey work last year.”

  He did not add that he had intended to have Lancaster Hotels donate the materials and labor portion of the construction costs. He hadn’t even told Winnie that yet. He thought he would surprise her with it at Christmas.

  “Speaking of the gingerbread contest next week, you’re taking me again, right?” Winnie asked him.

  “Of course. I wouldn’t miss it.”

  “Ethan has been my partner at the annual gingerbread contest for years,” Winifred told Abby. “Before this year and our own fundraiser here at Holiday House, that was always the highlight of the season for me. We can’t win, unfortunately, since Lancaster Hotels always donates the grand prize. Personally, I don’t think the rule disqualifying us is particularly fair, but I’m outvoted on that year after year.”

  Ethan laughed. “I don’t think it would be a very good look if two Lancasters won a week’s all-expenses-paid stay at one of their own hotels.”

  “Whatever,” Winnie said. “If not for that rule, I’m sure we would have won the competition at least twice by now.”

  “Maybe we ought to sit this one out and simply enjoy the day, since you’re on the injured list.”

  “Forget that! I’ve been working on designs all year long.”

  “Can I build a gingerbread house?” Christopher asked. “We did one at my preschool last year. I put crushed candy canes on the roof.”

  “I bet that looked great,” Ethan said, smiling down at the boy. He shifted his gaze in time to see Abby looking at him with an odd, arrested look on her face.

  She quickly looked away. “Maybe we can go watch.”

  “This is a pretty heated competition,” Lucy said. “If you show up you have to come ready to throw down.”

  “Why do you want to throw gingerbread down? Won’t it be ruined?” Christopher asked, looking genuinely concerned.

  “It’s a saying. It means come ready to do your best work. There is a kids’ competition,” Lucy said. “You should definitely join in the fun.”

  For the rest of the meal, they discussed the competition and the themes of previous years. The food was delicious and the company enjoyable, making Ethan glad he had let Winnie talk him into it.

  Finally, after Lucy brought out a dessert of lemon cake she admitted she had bought from Emily Tsu’s bakery, Abby slid her chair back.

  “That was delicious. Thank you for including me, but somebody here needs to go to bed.”

  It was almost nine, Ethan realized with shock. They had been eating and talking for almost two hours.

  “Not me,” Christopher said sleepily.

  “You’ve had a big day, sweetie. And will have an even bigg
er one tomorrow. Say good-night, and then we had better get you to bed before you fall asleep in the tub.”

  “I won’t fall asleep because I’m not tired,” he claimed, but ruined it with a big yawn that had the adults at the table all trying to hide their smiles.

  “Come on,” Abby said.

  Christopher sighed. “Okay.”

  To Ethan’s shock, Christopher threw his arms around his neck and hugged him. “Bye, Ethan. See you later.”

  Abby was frowning. Had he done something wrong? He couldn’t help noticing that her frown seemed to ease a little as Christopher went around to Winnie and Lucy for hugs, as well. Was it only him, then?

  After she left, he and his grandmother and sister stayed at the table a little longer, until he saw Winnie yawn, as well.

  “Why don’t you go to bed, Grandmother,” he said. “I can help Lucy clean up.”

  “I’m not sure why I’m so tired,” she grumbled. “I feel like I slept all day.”

  “You’re still recovering from a major injury,” Lucy said. “It’s no wonder you’re still tired.”

  “Take a little advice from your old grammy. It sucks to grow old.”

  Lucy hugged her. “I’ll help you into your nightgown, since Abby is busy with Chris.”

  While the two women made their way to Winnie’s room, Ethan rose and started clearing away the dinner dishes.

  He was loading the last dish into the dishwasher when Lucy came out from their grandmother’s room.

  “I could have cleaned that up.”

  “I didn’t mind. Thank you for dinner. It was delicious. Makes me wish again that we had a hotel in Marrakesh.”

  When she didn’t respond by either word or gesture, he had the feeling she had barely heard him. What was bothering her?

  He finally decided to ask.

  She looked surprised at the question. “What makes you think anything is wrong?”

  “Maybe a wild guess. You just seem distracted and upset.”

  She shrugged off his concern. “Probably jet lag.”

  He didn’t buy that was the only reason so he took a wild guess. “Did something happen yesterday at the bowling alley? Christopher said you were there with José and Rodrigo.”