Come Home For Christmas

by Matthews, Susanne

  He nodded. “Not everything had to change, Krista. Some things were good. You used to love doing this when you were a kid.”

  “Well, you might’ve been five years older than I was, but you enjoyed it, too.”

  “I liked the fudge.”

  “The fudge was to die for,” she said, remembering the creamy butterscotch confection.

  “It still is,” he agreed, picking up Leah to trudge through the snow and slush to the doors. “This shouldn’t take too long.”

  They entered the crowded grocery store, and one person after another greeted Ethan. It seemed he knew everyone. While she recalled a few faces, she knew the wig’s shorter, dark hair confused them, and that was good. She was confounded enough for all of them.

  “Krista? Krista Jacobs,” a voice she would’ve recognized anywhere called loudly, getting everyone’s attention. “Liebling, you’ve finally come home.”

  The gray-haired woman dressed to look like Mrs. Claus was exactly as she remembered her.

  “Hello, Mama Schneider,” she said fighting to keep the tears back, as the woman grabbed her, folded her into her arms, and held her there tenderly. When was the last time anyone had shown her that level of affection?

  “Let me look at you,” Mama said taking her by the shoulders and pushing her back a bit. “You look just like your mama with your hair like that, but I miss your red curls.”

  “It’s just a temporary change,” Krista said, trying to swallow her emotions. The last thing she needed was to breakdown in public.

  “Some men are fools,” she shrugged, “and Russian hockey players? Spoiled brats.”

  Krista chuckled. Leave it to Mama to peg Theo for what he was.

  “Come have some cider and a piece of my fudge,” Mama continued. “You loved that fudge. You’re so thin, have two pieces. You’re home for good now, yah?”

  Krista shook her head. “I’m staying for five days,” she said. “There are some things to iron out in Uncle Charles’s will.”

  The woman frowned. “There are?”

  Ethan interrupted. “Hey, Mama. How’s Franz? You can tell him we got all the lights up and the dent in the tree hardly shows.”

  “What happened to Papa?” Krista asked.

  “He’s fine, driving me crazy, but he’s good.” She turned back to her. “That old fool fell off the ladder putting up the lights in the tree. Fell right into it. He has a few bumps and bruises, but you’d think it was the end of the world.”

  “Well, he’s lucky,” Ethan continued. “It’s time he let younger people take care of things like that. Now, we have to hurry, the weather isn’t getting any better. I need some wine. I know it’s after six, but could you open the wine rack for me?”

  “Of course. You have to celebrate her coming home where she belongs.”

  “Leah, why don’t you and Krista go and get a turkey while I pick up the rest of the stuff we need? Grab a couple of those pizzas, too.” He smiled at her. “What kind of wine do you like?”

  “Dry red, please. A cabernet or a merlot.” She’d need more than one glass to get through the next few days.

  Maybe I should ask him to get a case.

  “Daddy, don’t forget your wish.”

  “I won’t.”

  “This way,” Leah said, taking charge of her as if she were some kind of celebrity. “First we’ll make the wish, then get the pizzas, and after that the turkey.” She screwed up her face. “It probably won’t taste very good this year.”

  “Why is that?” she asked.

  “Because Mrs. Jones had to go to her sister’s house, and she won’t be back until after New Year’s when I go back to school. Daddy’s got to cook it, but he’s only good at macaroni.”

  Krista chuckled at the forlorn look on the child’s face. So much for wishing for a buffer. The little girl was growing on her by leaps and bounds. She’d hoped to have a child like this, but at first she’d had her job, and then things had gotten bad between her and Theo. When she’d miscarried, he’d accused her of doing it on purpose and had hit her so hard, he’d cracked her cheekbone and blackened her eyes. The team lawyer had walked in on him and escorted Theo out of the room while the doctors attended to her. The news reports had said she’d hit her face on the ice when she’d slipped. No mention of the lost child. Two weeks later, someone had served her with divorce papers. Theo had moved out of the condo before she’d returned home from the hospital.

  “Maybe I can help out with that,” she said, knowing the time would pass more quickly if she had something to do, and she loved cooking.

  “Are you a good cook?” the child asked skeptically. “Can you bake cookies?”

  “I can.”

  “Peanut butter ones?”

  “Yes.”

  Leah grinned. “Chocolate ones, too?”

  Krista nodded. “We can make some tomorrow, just for practice.”

  “That would be fun. Mrs Jones lets me help when she makes cookies,” the child added. “Daddy likes oatmeal raisin ones.”

  “I seem to remember that. Maybe we can make some of those, too. Here’s the angel,” Krista said as they reached the small crèche set up in the store. Like so many things she’d seen since her arrival, here was another familiar one that brought back good memories. The figures had to be at least a hundred years old. They’d belonged to Mama’s mother, one of the few things the woman had managed to take with her when her family had left Germany after the war.

  “Do you have a wish ready?” Leah asked.

  “No, I don’t. I didn’t know I’d be making a wish today,” she answered as solemnly as the child had spoken, although she could probably think of a few—if she still believed in angels and wishes.

  “Then, can I ask you to make a wish for me?”

  “I’m not sure it works that way,” Krista said smothering her concern. Whatever the child wanted, she wanted badly. It was never good to make promises to children you couldn’t keep—promises like you’d love them and protect them forever.

  “Neither am I,” Leah answered resigned, “but I heard Daddy tell Mr. Slocum that sometimes you had to have faith and take a chance.”

  “Who’s Mr. Slocum?”

  “He’s Daddy’s lawyer.”

  “I see.” Ethan probably thought she was going to give him a hard time about the ranch. If she didn’t need money to start a new life, she’d just give up her share, whatever it was, and walk away. “Okay. So what do you want me to wish for?”

  “I want a new mommy,” the child said.

  Her sad blue eyes punched Krista in the gut, making her swallow sudden tears.

  “Honey, that’s an awfully big wish. I’ll make it for you, and hope God hears it, but you know he doesn’t always answer our prayers.”

  “Yes he does,” Leah countered. “Reverend Clark says sometimes He says yes, and sometimes He says no, but often He says to be patient and wait.” She frowned. “I’ve been patient my whole life almost. That’s why I want to remind him again this year.”

  “That makes sense,” Krista answered, refusing to be the one to destroy the child’s faith. “I’ll even put a twonie in for it.” She dropped the two dollar coin into the angel’s bag, wishing the child wouldn’t be too disappointed. Maybe Ethan had a girlfriend in the wings waiting to be the next Mrs. Terrance. “Please find Leah a new mommy.”

  The coin disappeared from view, and the plaster angel nodded, as if granting the wish. As a child, she’d believed that was exactly what happened. As an adult, she knew better.

  Leah repeated the process with the loonie Ethan had given her, but her prayer was a little different.

  “Hello, angel. Last year I asked for a mommy and got a puppy. Mama says you’re really old, so maybe your ears aren’t good. I love Rascal. He’s the most perfect dog ever, but I still want a new mommy—m o m m y. Thank you.” She turned to Krista. “What kind of pizza do you like? I like Hawaiian.”

  The quick change of topic had Krista’s brain scrambling to c
atch up.

  “I do, too,” although in reality the idea of pineapple swimming in grease and cheese made her queasy.

  “Yes!”

  After placing two large frozen Hawaiian pizzas in the basket, Leah led her around to the meat aisle.

  The overhead sign clearly proclaimed the location of the turkey. Krista rolled her eyes.

  Why do they always place them in deep freezers?

  Hopefully, she’d be able to get one close to the top. Krista looked into the bin and realized it was almost empty. There were only three turkeys left, each one about the same size as the child beside her, reminding her of a scene from A Christmas Carol. Oh well, Ethan would have left over turkey until Easter.

  “Get a big one,” Leah said. “Everybody comes to dinner on Christmas.”

  Of course they do.

  Some things, like Mama’s crèche and fudge, didn’t change. Seven Oaks had always been the holiday hub. Mom had hosted the parties, and she’d been gone before the next Christmas. Had Krista stayed at Seven Oaks, she’d have been the official holiday hostess. Now, would she get the job by default?

  Who says God doesn’t have a strange sense of humor?

  Bending into the freezer, Krista reached for the icy cold but not frozen bird in the bottom. Stretching a little harder, up on her tip toes, she still couldn’t reach it. Leveraging herself on the edge of the chest, she managed to get her hands around the bird, and then it happened. The heaviness of the bird shifted her weight, and she was stuck half-in, half-out of the freezer, ass in the air.

  Lord, kill me now.

  Letting go of the bird, she tried to push herself off the lip of the freezer, but the button on her coat seemed to be caught on something.

  This is just frigging wonderful.

  “Leah, go get your daddy. I’m stuck.” She groaned, bent her knees, and kicked frantically, trying to get some momentum to pull herself up.

  “Daddy, come quickly,” Leah yelled at the top of her voice, making sure everyone in the store, and anyone walking by outside, could hear her. “Krista fell into the freezer.”

  The sound of several pairs of running feet added to her mortification.

  “Need a lift?” Ethan asked.

  She grabbed the bird just as he put his arms around her waist, pulling her upright, turkey and all.

  “Thank you,” she said with all the dignity she could muster, praying no one had used a cellphone to take a picture of the crazy lady head first in the turkey freezer. Of course, it was he face not her ass that was famous, so she might get away with it.

  “Are you okay?” he asked, trying hard not to laugh at her. It was the look of fear on Leah’s face that kept her from making a nasty comment.

  “I’m fine. Leah, thank you for getting help.” She bent down and smiled at the child who dissolved into tears. Krista looked at Ethan, who appeared to be as confused as she felt.

  “This is probably my fault. I’m Liz Standish, one of the Educational Assistants in Leah’s class. We had a lesson in safety at school last week about not playing in freezers and refrigerators as well as snow banks, although I never anticipated a shopper would go in head first,” she said and chuckled. The woman bent down and pulled the crying child into her arms. “It’s okay, Leah. Your friend wasn’t in any danger. There’s no top on the freezer.”

  “But she was stuck,” the child said through her sobs.

  “Yes, but your daddy rescued her, and she’s fine, see?” The woman turned Leah to look at her and Ethan.

  “I’m good, sweetie,” Krista said bending down to her level. “Your daddy saved me, and we got the biggest turkey in the store. Now, I don’t know about you, but I’m all shopped out, hungry, and ready to go home. Who wants a Hawaiian pizza?”

  “I do,” Leah said and hiccupped, before throwing herself into Krista’s arms.

  If Ethan hadn’t been standing right there, his body moving quickly to support her, they’d have ended up on the floor. Whatever embarrassment she’d suffered in the freezer had been overshadowed by the child’s concern for her safety. Leah Terrance had found her way into Krista’s heart, and no matter what happened in five days’ time, she’d never forget her. Maybe, if she and Ethan worked things out, she could consider coming back to visit again someday.

  But if Leah gets her new mommy, will that ever happen?

  Chapter Four

  Ethan exhaled, easing his grip on the steering wheel, and pulling into the carport at the back of the house near the barns. Never had he been happier to see the ranch house lights. The twenty minute ride from Appleton had taken almost an hour. At first, Leah had been animated and talkative, telling Krista all about the upcoming Nativity play as church, but it didn’t take her long to realize she needed to be quiet. The truck had fishtailed more than once, and Krista had maintained a death grip on her seat belt and a silent attentiveness to the road.

  “Well, looks like we made it in one piece,” he said, trying to lighten the mood.

  Krista’s face was paler than it had been and her eyes were huge, the fear she’d felt still in them.

  “Leah, why don’t you take Krista out to say hello to Princess while I empty the truck?” He hoped seeing her horse would comfort and calm her. He wasn’t prepared for the stunned look she gave him.

  “Princess? My Princess?”

  The shock on her face tore at Ethan’s heart.

  “Yup,” Leah answered before he could. “Didn’t you know Daddy’s been taking care of her for you?”

  Krista’s eyes were bright with unshed tears.

  “No. I thought Uncle Charles would’ve sold her,” she said, her voice thick with emotion.

  “Couldn’t sell what wasn’t his,” Ethan answered, sotto voiced, knowing full well the old bastard had tried to do it more than once. Princess had been kept at the Anderson’s until a few months ago when the stroke had incapacitated his father, and he’d brought her back to the ranch.

  Ethan helped Leah out of the truck and turned to help Krista.

  “Thank you,” she said looking into his face as he lifted her down.

  “You should be able to ride her a few times while you’re here, and once you get settled, I’ll ship her out to you.”

  She nodded and swiped at a tear crawling down her cheek.

  “Welcome home.” He still held her around the waist and felt the overwhelming need to kiss her. He’d only done it a few times before he’d left for Vancouver. He’d planned on asking her to be his girl when he returned. He’d wanted to ask her years ago, but their five year age difference had been enormous back then. Her eighteen to his twenty-three was acceptable. He’d been so sure of her answer, he’d bought a promise ring. When he’d discovered she was gone, he’d been devastated. That ring was still in its box in his sock drawer. He hadn’t had the heart to return it, even when years had passed and she’d married someone else. Now that she was free once more, if he played his cards right, he might finally be able to give it to her, but he’d have to tread carefully. His eyes zeroed in on her lips…

  “Are you coming?” Leah asked, displaying a typical preschooler’s lack of patience, and snapping him back to reality. “Patches is there, too.”

  He released Krista.

  “Don’t be too long, he said, his voice husky. “Leah will show you where we keep the sugar cubes and apples. Ian would’ve fed her earlier, but if you to give her a treat, it won’t hurt her. There might be a few carrots out there, too. And Leah, Patches only gets one sugar cube. They’re bad for his teeth.”

  The child rolled her eyes. “I know. This way,” she said, taking Krista’s red gloved hand in hers. “Be careful; it might be slippery.”

  Ethan watched the two people who meant more to him than anything walk hand in hand along the sidewalk Ian, his assistant farm manager, had shoveled.

  There had never been anyone else in his heart or in his life. He’d tried, dated a few times for Leah’s sake, but no one had ever made him feel the way he did when Krista was aroun
d. Seeing her now, knowing what a hell her life had been lately, brought out all the love and protectiveness he’d felt for her. Knowing he’d inadvertently played a part in her misery ate at him. If she forgave him and agreed to stay, they could pick up where he’d thought they’d been headed ten years ago. But that was asking a lot, far more than most people would be able to give.

  It took four trips to get everything into the house. After carrying Krista’s bag up to her room, he put away the groceries and turned on the oven for the pizza. He was about to go out to the stable and get the girls, when the mudroom door opened, and Leah and Krista came into the kitchen.

  “She remembered me,” Krista said, her eyes shining. “She’s beautiful. You’ve taken really good care of her. And Patches, he looks so small. I can’t believe I rode him. I don’t know how I’ll ever be able to thank you for this.” She took off her coat and hung it and Leah’s on the hooks near the door, removing her boots and placing them next to the child’s in the boot tray. “You did a beautiful job decorating outside. I can’t believe how tall the pine trees are out front.” She smiled. “And, it still smells like home in here. I could almost expect my folks to come in at any minute.” She swallowed. “I’ll just use the bathroom and come back to help with supper. Which room did you give me?”

  “Your old room,” he said, wondering how she’d feel seeing it again. He hadn’t had much time to get it back the way it had been. He’d been sleeping there the last few months, taking comfort from the walls that had been hers for thirteen years. “Take your time. We’re only having pizza and salad. Unpack and then come down when you’re ready.”

  “I won’t be long,” she said and left the room.

  “Did you make your wish?” Leah asked, the minute Krista was out of earshot.

  “I forgot,” he admitted. “I promise I’ll do it the next time I’m in the store.”

  Leah let out a heavy sigh. “Daddy, it’s really important you make the right wish. Just tell the angel that you want her to get what Leah, that’s me, asked for.”

  He smiled and pulled one of her light brown pigtails. If he could make a wish of his own, it would be that Krista would forgive him, accept his offer, stay on Seven Oaks like she was meant to, and never leave. Assuming Leah wish was for the pony she wanted he chuckled. “I know, sweetie. Don’t worry. Now, why don’t you go and turn on the television while I get supper ready?”