“If that’s true, how come you haven’t been home for Christmas for three years?”
Brad hesitated. How could he explain? The truth always served him well, and since David had opened up to him, he owed him an honest answer. “I thought coming home after the accident would make things tougher on the people I care about—you and Josh and your mom...your grandparents.” So far, he’d been fortunate enough not to run into Patrick’s parents in town. They’d made their feelings about him clear the day of Patrick’s funeral—neither of them had acknowledged his presence at the grave site.
“Tougher on us or tougher on you?”
Wow, Brad thought. Hadn’t expected that from the eight year old. As much as he wanted to believe he’d stayed away for the sake of everyone he cared about, he knew it had largely been a matter of self-preservation. Nightmares of the accident still persisted, anxiety attacks still plagued him whenever he heard the familiar sound of Patrick’s guitar on the tracks they’d laid down for the first CD.
“Both,” he said at last. “And I’ve really missed you guys.”
The little boy gripped a light with his bare hand and the thin glass shattered. “Ow!”
Dropping his own set of lights, Brad ran over to David. “You okay? Why aren’t you wearing gloves?”
“They didn’t fit. They were just slowing me down.”
Troy was right that the kid was a hard worker. But safety came first. He took David’s hand. “You still need to wear them. Let me see.”
The boy pulled away from him. “I’m fine.”
Just then, a yellow school bus pulled up alongside the lot. The door opened and Josh bounded out, and then hurried toward them.
“I’m here and ready to work,” he announced, dropping his backpack and putting his hat on his head.
“Great!” Brad said. “You can take over with those lights.” He nodded toward David, who was still holding his hand, a few drops of blood falling onto the white snow at his feet. “David, why don’t you go inside and take care of your hand? Josh and I can finish up here and meet you inside for hot chocolate.”
“Whatever,” David mumbled as he headed across the lot toward the house.
When he was out of earshot, Brad turned to Josh, who had picked up the discarded work gloves from the ground. Josh was busying himself with the lights. “Your brother’s quite a grinch this year, huh?” He hoped his tone sounded light. He didn’t want Josh to feel torn between maintaining his loyalty to his brother and giving Brad the information he sought.
“Yeah, he’s just being stupid and ruining Christmas for Mom,” Josh said. He struggled to fasten the new lightbulb in place with his oversize gloves.
“Any idea what that fight at school was about?”
Josh shrugged and reached for another light. “Michael and David fight all the time.”
“Maybe, but obviously this was more serious than usual.” Brad opened a new set of lights and handed the box to Josh.
“Michael lied and it made David angry.”
“What did he lie about?”
Josh bit his lip.
Brad pressed on. “It must have been something really awful for David to react that way. I know your brother would never hit someone over nothing, especially not one of his friends.”
Josh stopped working and cast a nervous glance toward the house. “Look, if I tell you, you can’t tell him you know, okay?” he whispered. “You promise?”
“Your secret is safe with me,” Brad replied, moving closer.
“Michael said we were going to be homeless soon.” Josh twisted a light between his thumb and forefinger, a worried frown on his face. Clearly Michael’s statement had affected Josh, too.
Brad stopped. “What? Why would he say something ridiculous like that?”
“He said he heard it from his dad.”
His dad? What would Jeff Thompson know about the Myers family? “I don’t get it. How would he know something like that?”
“Mr. Thompson works at the bank. Michael heard his dad say Mom doesn’t make enough money...”
The mortgage. Brad clenched his fists at his sides and tightened his jaw. What was Jeff doing telling his son about the Myerses’ financial situation? Small town or not, there had to be confidentiality laws. If the man had been standing in front of him right then, Brad would’ve...
“I told David that was ridiculous,” Josh said. “Mom works three jobs, so she has lots of money.”
Brad softened. Both boys were just trying to protect their mother. “What did David say?”
“He said I was too young to understand.” Josh rolled his eyes. “Six minutes older and he thinks he knows everything.”
“Well, don’t worry, okay? I’m sure Michael misheard what his father said.” He hoped. The thought of Melody losing the house was too much to contemplate. He placed an arm around Josh’s shoulder and turned him toward the house. “Come on, buddy. Let’s go inside and see how David is.”
* * *
MELODY TURNED HER minivan into the driveway of the Monroe farmhouse just before dinnertime. But as she backed up the familiar-looking driveway, she noticed something unusual. Either she was more exhausted than she thought, or Brad had changed the family mailbox. Instead of the usual wooden one that had always stood at the end of the driveway, there was a shiny red metal one with Jackson written on the side. What a guy. Clearly the past three years had done nothing to change him. He was still only thinking about himself and his career.
When he’d first suggested David work on the tree farm during his suspension, she’d wanted nothing more than to say no. But she hadn’t wanted to abuse Leigh’s good nature by taking too much advantage of her free babysitting, so she’d felt she had no other option. The boys’ reaction to Brad had unnerved her. Josh, sweet Josh, so open and loving, and David, even more shut down than before. Of course the boys didn’t know the circumstances surrounding the accident, but she knew they sensed she blamed Brad. They didn’t bring him up often, but over the years she’d heard them talking about him, especially when that first CD was released. She knew they missed him. She hated that, despite everything, so did she. Or perhaps more accurately, she missed the way things had once been. He’d robbed them all of so much, including the opportunity to have him in their lives.
She parked in the driveway, then grabbed her mismatched gloves from the passenger seat and jumped down from the van. The smell of wood smoke from the indoor fireplace reached her nostrils, and the fumes escaping the chimney were illuminated by hundreds of colorful lights. Melody stood there for a moment, enjoying the peace and tranquillity of the property. How many Christmas Eves had been spent at the Monroe farm for the family’s annual holiday party? For years it had been a tradition, one she rarely allowed herself to recall. The memories of the laughter and fun were too much. Now once the boys went to sleep on Christmas Eve, she played Santa by herself and then fell asleep alone on the sofa watching old black-and-white holiday movies. She’d never admit to anyone how lonely she felt this time of year.
“You going in?” A voice nearby her made her jump.
“Oh, Troy, I didn’t see you,” she said, climbing the front steps to the door.
He was sitting on the porch swing, a steaming mug of coffee in his hands. “It’s a zoo in there. I needed a break,” he said.
“Sorry,” Melody said. “I meant to pick the boys up sooner.” Her shift at Play Hard was supposed to have been over by four, but they’d asked her to stay an extra hour and there had been no way she could have refused overtime. Not now.
“It’s not the boys. They can stay as long as they want. They were a great help on the farm today. You’re raising them right, Mel.”
The compliment couldn’t have come at a better time. “Thank you.”
“No. I was referring to the camera crew.”
/> “They’re still here?” She glanced around and spotted the van from Heartland Country Television parked on one side of the house. She refused to acknowledge the small pang of envy she experienced. She’d watched their Christmas Eve special every year growing up, dreaming someday... But not today, not like this. She glanced at the Play Hard Sports smock sticking out below her thermal coat, the mismatched gloves, the running shoes. She wasn’t going in there. “Um, do you think you could let the boys know I’m here?”
“Melody! Hi.” The front door opened and Breanne stepped outside.
Crap. “Hi, Bre. I’m just here to get the boys. Could you...?”
“No way. You can’t leave without saying hi to mom. She’s been baking all day. She has some cookies and cakes for you.” Brad’s sister waved her inside.
If it were possible to die from mortification, Melody was about to find out. As she entered the house and seven heads turned to stare at her, she almost wished it were. “Hi,” she said, scanning the room quickly. Brad, Breanne and five people she didn’t know. No kids. “I’ll be out of your way in a minute,” she said. “Just came to collect my kids.”
“No worries. We were just finishing up,” Brad said, jumping up from his armchair near the fireplace. The microphone cord hidden below his shirt got caught, and as he moved, it lifted the edge of the light blue fabric, exposing severely scarred flesh underneath.
Melody gaped. The realization that he, too, had almost died in the crash shook her. After the accident, she’d seen Brad at the hospital, where she’d received the news about Patrick. He’d been hooked up to monitors, bandages covering over 80 percent of his body. At the time she hadn’t thought she’d survive her own pain over losing her husband. She’d been angry at Brad, so angry she hadn’t been able to see how close to death he’d been himself. Well, she was seeing it now. She averted her eyes.
He unhooked the mic from the back of his snug jeans and motioned to the woman on his right. “Melody, this is Bridget Marilyn, host of Heartland Country Television.”
Bridget stood and extended a hand. “Nice to meet you. Those boys of yours are quite the charmers,” she said.
Melody swallowed hard. Bridget Marilyn was even more beautiful and sophisticated in person than she was on television. In a baby-blue cashmere V-neck sweater and tight leather pants tucked into black-and-gray riding boots, she was camera-ready. Her perfect hair fell in a light wave around her shoulders and her makeup was flawless.
Melody quickly pulled off her gloves to accept the woman’s handshake. Mismatched gloves. She was wearing mismatched gloves on the day she was meeting a host from one of her favorite television stations. “Thank you.” Uncomfortably, she scanned the room again. “So where are they?” she asked Brad.
“Just in the kitchen with Mom,” he said.
“Great, thanks. Nice to meet all of you.” Rushing down the hallway, Melody let out a deep breath. There was no way she was going back through the living room. She hoped the entryway off the back deck was cleared of snow. Otherwise she and the boys would be crawling out the kitchen window.
The sound of laughing in the kitchen made her pause before she reached the entryway. Josh’s laughter...but also David’s. Relief flowed through her. She stood unmoving, her eyes closed, enjoying a sound she hadn’t heard much the past few weeks. She only wished she was part of it. Afraid to destroy their fun with her presence, she leaned against the wall in the hallway. She wished things could be different. She wished she had more time to spend with them, doing fun things. Everyone else had the opportunity to enjoy her children, while she struggled every day just to afford to keep a roof over their heads. And now even that was—
“You okay?”
Brad, of course. Her eyes opened. She wished he wouldn’t keep catching her in these moments. But since he had, there was no point in her making an excuse. “I’m fine. I just didn’t want to rush in. They sound like they’re having a great time with your mom.” She spoke softly.
Brad kept his voice down, too. “They can stay for a while longer.” He moved toward her. She wanted to back away, but had no room to maneuver.
“No, I have to work at the bar tonight. Have to pick up the babysitter...” She stopped. If she started with her long I have to... list, they’d be there all evening. “We should go.”
“I can bring them home to the babysitter later. In fact, I told Gracie and Darius I’d take them to see the new Disney movie tonight. I’d love to take Josh and David, as well.”
All she’d heard over the past few weeks was how much the boys wanted to see that movie, but she’d yet to find the time or the money to take them. She felt like a terrible mother. Strangers were making her children happy. She mentally calculated the cash in her wallet... Not enough. “No, not tonight.” They would hate her if they heard her say no. Somehow she’d find a way to take them on her next day off.
“Oh, come on,” Brad coaxed her. “I heard Josh telling Gracie he’s been dying to see it.” He touched her arm.
The touch was soft and almost unfelt through the fabric of her coat, but it made her skin hot at the point of contact. “I was planning to take them after my payday next week.” The words were tough to say, but she held her head high as she did so. Not everyone had money to waste.
“The boys could pay their own way with the money Troy gave them for working today.”
“He paid them? That was unnecessary. David was being punished and Josh was just happy to spend time with—” She stopped. Him. She found herself nodding before she could find her voice. “Okay, they can go.” The truth was she feared otherwise they’d never get to see the movie.
Brad smiled and its effect knocked the wind from her lungs. He’d always been a gorgeous man, but at that moment, she couldn’t remember ever seeing his eyes so blue or his dimples so deep. His five-o’clock shadow tempted her to reach out and touch his cheek. She didn’t like the odd feelings washing over her as they stood there looking at each other in the hallway.
“Great,” he said. “Do you want to go tell them it’s okay?”
She shook her head. “I don’t know if you’ve noticed, but David’s been a little upset with me. He seems to be having a good time right now with his brother and your mom, and I don’t want to interfere. Just let them know I’ll call later tonight from the bar, okay?”
“Sure.” He opened his mouth again but then closed it.
She moved past him. “Thanks,” she said as she walked back down the hall, desperate to get out of that narrow space and away from him.
“Mel, if you need anything...” she heard him say to her retreating back.
She kept on going. The simple offer to take her sons to a movie was already more than she wanted to accept from Brad.
CHAPTER SIX
“FORGET IT, ETHAN. David’s grounded,” Melody said as she laced Josh’s hockey skates in the locker room of the arena the following evening.
“But, Mel, I need him,” Ethan said. “We’re playing Beach Haven tonight. That Jones kid is a monster, and I need a good defenseman.” He checked his coaching chart. “Dylan is sick and Marcus isn’t ready to go up against an offensive player with that size and speed.”
“Save it. I heard all this already from David.” She suspected uncle and nephew thought they could tag team her into submission. Wasn’t going to happen. Grounded meant no extracurricular activities, as well.
“Yeah, but you’re also punishing me. Coach Harris is so darn smug. For once I just want to beat that team—and I can’t do it without David.”
Melody had watched enough of her son’s games to know it was true. David was incredible on the ice. Both of her sons were gifted athletically, but David’s passion for the sport made him outstanding, and while he wasn’t the biggest player on the team, he was the fastest and the strongest. The Brookhollow Blades’ goalie had an easy job
with her son on the defensive line. But that wouldn’t apply tonight. She refused to break her no-sports-while-grounded rule. She’d already allowed him to go to the movie the evening before, and she couldn’t show any more signs of weakness. Without their father around to play bad cop, she had to assume both roles. Her boys were good kids—most of the time—and she didn’t want that to change. David’s recent behavior had her questioning whether she was too easy on them already.
“Sorry, Coach. You’re on your own this time.” She patted her brother on the back as Josh stood and snapped his helmet into place. “You ready?” she asked him.
“Yeah. But, Mom, we really could use David out there.”
Melody tapped him on the helmet. “Not you, too. You know the rules. Pick up the slack out there for your uncle, okay?”
“Sure.”
“I don’t know why you’re being so hard on him, Mel.” Ethan lowered his voice as they left the locker room. “Especially when you still don’t know why he did it.”
Melody swung to face her brother. “Physical violence against a classmate is never acceptable, Ethan. What’s wrong with you?” Her brother was the first one to teach the kids he coached the proper way to handle conflict. “If they fight on the ice or the field, they get suspended for a game,” she said.
“Yeah, but that’s different. Fighting over a game is unnecessary. I’m just saying, David is a good kid and something must have really set him off.”
Despite her attempts to make him talk, David had yet to tell Mel the story behind the incident, and Josh had been staying loyal to his brother by staying quiet. “I know, but until I know what happened, what am I supposed to do?”
“Maybe try a softer approach?”
Softer? The word didn’t exactly apply to her. At one time, she’d had a softer side—before the death of her husband, three jobs and financial problems had caused her to build walls around her heart. The thought of her last two encounters with Brad flashed in her mind. She hated that those rare displays of weakness had been in front of him, of all people. Then, remembering the scars on his abdomen, she shuddered. Any day now, he would be leaving town...
The Mistletoe Melody Page 8
