Coming Home for Christmas

by Fern Michaels

  Cheered by her thoughts, Stephanie felt a renewed sense of purpose. She could manage her life at last, but this time around it would be on her own terms. She didn’t need a man to take care of her. Look at where that had gotten her. Actually, Glenn’s jailbreak was the catalyst that had sent her in search of a better life. Stephanie had learned at an early age that life wasn’t always easy, but at thirty-two, she felt as though she’d learned enough about life not to repeat the mistake of allowing a man to have complete and total control of her life. After her mother flew the coop to parts unknown, when Stephanie was three, she’d been sent to live with her mother’s older sister, Aunt Evelyn, who’d loved her like her own daughter. While they hadn’t had much in the way of material things, Stephanie knew she was loved. Sadly, her aunt had passed away the year she graduated from high school. While grieving for the only mother figure she’d ever known, Stephanie had allowed Glenn to step in and control her every move. At first she’d enjoyed her newfound lack of responsibility as she’d spent most of her life caring for Aunt Evelyn, who’d been severely crippled with rheumatoid arthritis. However, her independence was short-lived. She and Glenn married right after graduation; he started drinking, and within a year turned into an angry, bitter, controlling man. Having no outlet for his anger, he made Stephanie into his punching bag. And as they say, the rest is history. Though this time around, Stephanie was writing her own story.

  Stephanie had a job to do in the here and now, so she pushed all negative thoughts of her past to that little dark corner of her mind, where they remained dormant most of the time.

  “Why don’t you take your lunch break now. We’re staying open until seven tonight. This might be the only chance you’ll have. Once the lifts are closed, I expect we’ll be swamped.”

  Candy Lee looked at the Minnie Mouse watch on her wrist. “Okay. You want me to bring you something back? You have to eat, too,” Candy Lee informed her in that all-knowing teenage way.

  “Yes, that’s why I brought my lunch with me. I knew I wouldn’t have time to go to The Lodge for lunch today. Now, go on and get back here,” Stephanie said, using her mothering tone.

  Candy Lee grabbed her purse from beneath the counter, gave a quick salute, and raced out the back door. Stephanie watched her as she tore through the icy parking lot. Had she ever been that young and carefree? If she had, she couldn’t pull up the memory. She had new memories to make, and this time around they’d be the kind she’d always dreamed of.

  Wouldn’t they?

  Chapter Four

  Melanie held a mitten-clad hand in each of hers. The slopes were always dangerously crowded the first day after Thanksgiving. If she let go of Ashley or Amanda, it would be very easy to lose sight of them. Stephanie had made sure to tell the girls to dress in their neon yellow ski suits; that way they would be easy to spot. Melanie glanced around her, seeing at least a dozen other young children dressed in the same neon yellow suits that her charges wore. So much for sticking out like a sore thumb, she thought. Melanie wouldn’t let the girls get too far from her sight no matter what.

  “Auntie M,” Ashley said. Melanie laughed when Ashley called her by the new nickname they’d christened her with after she’d allowed them to watch The Wizard of Oz four times last week. “Can we ski on the blue trails today? Please? Uncle Max says we’re as good as most of the older kids, and their parents let them ski the blue runs.”

  “Puhleeze,” Amanda echoed.

  “I guess so, but not by yourselves. I’ll go with you,” Melanie stated firmly. “There are a lot of skiers out today, so we have to be extra careful.”

  “Yeah, or we’ll get hurt, right? And then Mommy will have to take us to the hospital, and we’ll have to stay there cause she won’t have enough money to pay the hospital bill, right, Auntie M?” Amanda crooned in a squeaky voice.

  At five-foot-nine, Melanie had to stoop in order to be at eye level with both girls. She wanted to wrap them both in her arms and tell them she would never allow that to happen. And she had the resources to keep that pledge, having inherited millions from her grandparents. Nor would her wealthy parents allow it. But Melanie knew how badly Stephanie wanted to make her way in the world on her own, so Melanie had carefully refrained from even hinting at her own financial situation.

  Stephanie had told her more than once about her life with Glenn. Determined to provide for her children, Stephanie had rules she’d explained to Melanie when she’d first taken the job, and one of those rules was no financial help, no loans, no expensive gifts. Two years ago, Melanie’s parents, longtime supporters of Grace’s work with battered women at Hope House, had reduced the rent to something that Stephanie could afford. And to the best of Melanie’s knowledge, no one, including Grace, had ever breathed a word of this to Stephanie.

  Melanie smiled at both girls. “Well, we won’t have to worry about that because you’re both such good little skiers, I can’t even imagine either of you falling down, let alone getting hurt so badly that you would have to go to the hospital. So let’s not even think about that. How about the three of us take the lift up to Sugar Hill, ski to Snow Zone where we’ll stop in and see your mom, then maybe grab a cup of hot chocolate at The Lodge?”

  Both girls nodded in agreement.

  They were both worrywarts, something Melanie wished she could change, but time more than anything else would help to ease the fear and anxiety both girls tended to feel. Again, given their start in life, it was a miracle they hadn’t suffered anything more than becoming overly cautious where their mother was concerned. Melanie wasn’t sure she would’ve been able to cope at such a young age had her life been as tragic as theirs had been.

  “Are you taking us to the Christmas tree lighting tonight, too?” Amanda asked. “Mommy says it’s the highlight of the start of the holiday season. What’s that mean?”

  Ashley looked at Melanie with a knowing smile. “You want me to tell her?”

  “Absolutely,” Melanie said, bending over to tighten the hooks on her ski boots.

  Ashley pursed her lips, moved them from side to side as though she were contemplating the best answer. “Well, it’s kinda like the first day of school when the teacher tells the class what she wants us to learn that year, only the Christmas season is short and a lot more fun.” She looked at Melanie for confirmation.

  Grinning at the complete and total simplicity of Ashley’s explanation, Melanie stated, “I couldn’t have said it better myself.”

  “It’s sorta like a new beginning, right, Auntie M?” Ashley said.

  She continued to be amazed by the girls’ perception. They were both exceptionally intelligent for their ages. Melanie knew Stephanie took great pride in her children’s education. Many times Melanie had stopped by their apartment only to find the three of them gathered at the kitchen table with a pile of books in front of them studying anything and everything, ranging from science to geography.

  “That’s exactly what it is,” Melanie agreed.

  “Then let’s go. I wanna ride the lift now. Can I sit in the middle?” Amanda asked.

  Melanie stood up to her full height, gazed to her left, where she saw that the lift lines were getting longer by the minute. If they were lucky, they’d have just enough time for one run before stopping in to see Stephanie. “Let’s do our safety check first.” Melanie had spent most of her life on the slopes but never took her skill or that of the girls for granted. A loose boot buckle or a stray article of clothing could cause a lifetime disability. Melanie wasn’t going to allow the girls to get hurt on her watch. No way. They went through their usual routine.

  First, they checked to make sure they had all the basics covered. Skis and boots were fastened properly. Pole straps were checked. Helmets and goggles were secure. Gloves were on properly. Since the season was predicted to be one of the coldest on record, Melanie had given the girls foot and hand warmers to place inside their gloves and boots, plus she now put an extra set of each in the inside zippered pocket of their
ski jackets. Each of them had a tube of cherry-flavored lip balm in her pocket, along with a granola bar. As an added precaution, Melanie always made sure Ashley kept a pack of waterproof matches inside her jacket. One never knew. At ten, Ashley had been taught a few basic survival skills. Melanie was sure Ashley would never need them as long as she was around, but that was part of being prepared. One must always prepare for the unexpected.

  “Sunscreen on our faces, and we’re good to go,” Melanie said, removing a small tube of sunscreen from her pocket. She made quick work of slathering their faces with the cream before readjusting their helmets and goggles. “Now remember, I’m in the rear, and you two always stay in front of me. If you need to stop and rest, just stop at the side of the run that faces away from the mountain, okay?”

  “Okay,” the girls parroted.

  Melanie followed close behind the girls as they skied to the long lift lines. Dozens of skiers dressed in every color of the rainbow swished in and out of the lanes, racing to get to the front of the lift line. Melanie kept her eyes on the girls as they carefully maneuvered toward the chairlifts. They were moving surprisingly fast today considering it was the first official day of the Christmas season. Throngs of skiers dotted the mountainside, like the lofty evergreens that flanked the trails.

  Above, the skies were heavy with slate gray clouds. The wind was frigid, the conditions perfect for a snowstorm. Melanie wanted to take the girls up for at least one run since the weather might not cooperate later in the day. The forecast called for snow, a necessity for all skiers and snowboarders, but Melanie didn’t like the looks of the clouds looming above the mountaintops. Since the snowfall wasn’t predicted until later in the afternoon, she reasoned they should have time for at least one decent run.

  When it was their turn at the chairlift, the trio slid into position directly behind the bold red line, and gripped their ski poles in their left hands as they’d been taught while looking behind them to see the chairlift as it slowed to allow them to take a seat. Once seated with the safety bar down, Melanie commented, “You two are really getting to be pros at this. It took me forever to learn how to load up without falling.”

  Since they were going on the blue runs, their ride was longer than normal. It took almost seven minutes for the ski lift to arrive at their designated stop. During the ride up, both girls chatted nonstop, telling her what they hoped Santa would bring them for Christmas. They’d told her about the wall plaques they had made for their mom in art class, and last but not least, they said that their “Aunt Grace” wanted to introduce Melanie to her brother, Bryce.

  She couldn’t help but blush. She’d seen Bryce at Maximum Glide on more than one occasion. He was the epitome of a true hunk. Melanie thought he fit the image of a ski bum more so than that of a college professor. Lucky for her, they arrived at their stop in time to provide her with an excuse not to answer. But she knew these little mischief makers, and this wouldn’t be the last of that conversation. They were relentless when it came to questioning why she wasn’t married and didn’t have children of her own.

  Both girls exited the lift chair with ease, skiing away as fast as possible so as not to block the next group of skiers preparing to exit the lift.

  The particular area on the mountain where Melanie was taking them had an elevation closer to thirteen thousand than twelve thousand feet. The air was thin at that altitude, making one almost gasp for oxygen. The temperature was several degrees lower than at the base of the mountain. Wind gusts at this height caused the majestic towering evergreen tops to sway from side to side, their movements producing a soft whisper, a slow dance, with the bone-chilling winds supplying a soft whistle as their music.

  Melanie skied to where the girls were waiting. “Are you both ready?” she asked.

  Again, they nodded their helmet-covered heads.

  Melanie motioned with her gloved hand for them to begin their descent. They pushed off like two little thoroughbreds, traversing downward without getting too close to the edge of the mountainside. Melanie trailed behind them for several minutes before the run led to a bowl of intersections leading to three different areas on the mountain. One ski lift would take them to the very top of the mountain, where they would find the double black diamond runs. The second lift would take them to the opposite side of the mountain, where the terrain park allowed freestylers and snowboarders to hone their acrobatic skills on half-pipes, rails, ramps, and tables. The third lift led to the mogul runs, for those hardy souls brave enough to tackle the minimounds of packed snow that dipped to the bottom of the mountain at a ninety-degree angle. The girls knew that they were supposed to wait for her at the big blue sign directing them back to lift number one at the base of the mountain.

  She weaved in and out of the groups of skiers, passed a friend who was on the ski patrol. When she reached the intersection, she searched for the two neon yellow ski suits. Seeing a small group gathered at their appointed sign, Melanie made quick work of poling over to get the girls. When she arrived, she was a bit surprised to find that neither of the two kids wearing yellow neon ski suits was Ashley or Amanda. She pushed off and circled the bowl. Seeing that there were no pint-sized girls wearing yellow suits, she stopped once again and scanned the area around her. Then she skied slowly around the perimeter of the bowl once again, and she thoroughly searched the sides of the run, where a grove of evergreens flanked the trail. Maybe they’d fallen, hit a small snowdrift, or something, she thought.

  Melanie jammed her poles into the snow behind her, trying to pick up speed on the flat terrain. She went from side to side, looking in every possible direction, every gully, and even went off trail, thinking one of the girls might have gone to the woods looking for a bit of privacy in order to use the restroom. They’d done this before, and while Melanie didn’t approve of it, sometimes Mother Nature’s call had to be answered no matter what. After searching for fifteen minutes, Melanie had a sneaky feeling the girls had decided to go off on their own. This was not good. Not at all. If she didn’t locate the girls at the end of the run, she’d have to contact the ski patrol and explain the situation.

  What was even worse, she’d have to explain to Stephanie that she’d lost her children.

  Chapter Five

  Candy Lee returned from lunch in the nick of time. Stephanie had managed to eat a few bites of her turkey sandwich between customers. She’d thought the lunch hour would be quiet, but she’d been wrong again. She’d been so bombarded with customers, she hadn’t had time to think. Good thing Patrick wasn’t there to witness her poor planning. She took a deep breath, exhaled, and smiled at a young mother waiting in line with two small children clinging to her legs. Amanda still did that at times. Stephanie didn’t mind, as she wanted to keep the girls sheltered for as long as she could given that the first years of their lives had been plagued by violence and fear.

  She looked at her watch. It was almost one o’clock. Melanie had promised to bring the girls by. Stephanie felt a shiver of alarm run up her spine but remembered this was Black Friday. The lift lines were probably as busy as she was. If they weren’t here in half an hour or so, she’d call Melanie’s cell to check on them. Both girls were natural-born skiers, and Stephanie knew from experience that once they were out on the slopes, it was quite a task to get them to stop for anything. Poor Melanie. She’d take her to dinner and a movie when the holidays were over. Just the two of them. They needed a girls’ night out anyway. Maybe she’d invite Grace to join them.

  So caught up with the customers coming in and out purchasing everything from lip balm to ski boots, Stephanie glanced at her watch again and was shocked to see that it was already after two o’clock. Worry caused her brow to furrow, but if there was a problem, Melanie knew to call her at the shop. Stephanie continued to ring up sales while Candy Lee restocked and refolded the pile of sweaters on the half-price table. If sales kept up like this, Stephanie might have to call Patrick and take advantage of his offer to send another Maximum Glide employe
e to her rescue. It was the last thing she wanted to do, but she and Candy Lee could only stretch themselves so thin. Dreading the thought, she looked up as Melanie entered the shop and hurried to the back of the store. Her cheeks were reddened from the wind, her long blond braid hung haphazardly down her back, and her normal cheerful smile was nowhere to be seen. Emergency potty break, Stephanie thought as she walked to the back of the store.

  “I wondered what happened to you girls. I was about to worry,” Stephanie said. “Where are the girls? I bet they’re freezing.” As Stephanie was about to turn around and head for the entrance to tell her daughters to come inside and warm up, Melanie grabbed her arm and prevented her from taking another step.

  “Melanie!” Stephanie shrieked. “What’s wrong? Where are the girls?”

  Melanie looked down at the floor, where puddles of water had pooled around her ski boots. She shook her head from side to side, then looked Stephanie squarely in the face. “I was hoping they would be here with you. I’ve spent the past two hours looking for them.”

  Stephanie felt her heart plummet to her feet and back, then lodge in the back of her throat. She tried to speak but was unable to utter a single word. She shook her head, hoping she’d just imagined what Melanie had said, but the look on her babysitter’s face told her she’d heard correctly.