She wanted to make her mother promise to return, but what was the point? There were too many broken promises between them already.
As her mother left the kitchen, she set Brett on his feet. "How about a snack while we wait for Grandma to come back?"
"Can I have a banana?"
"Absolutely." As she walked over to the kitchen island that was already littered with ingredients, she really hoped the baking bonanza would work out, for a lot of different reasons. Not only would she have the cookies she needed for the party, but her mom would get a chance to bond with Brett. Plus, it would be the first time she and her mom would attempt to recreate one of their favorite shared experiences. While she had always been impatient with the cooking portion of baking, she had loved hanging out with her mom while she baked. It would be fun to do it again, but she had a feeling that it wouldn't just be the chocolate that was bittersweet.
An hour later, Hannah's kitchen looked like a bakery with flour, sugar, vanilla, and eggs cluttering up her counter. The heat from the first batch of cookies made the room not only warm and cozy but also filled with the scent of chocolate and cinnamon. Hannah felt a wave of nostalgia. Watching her mom patiently help Brett cut out sweater cookies, she saw herself in the same scene a very long time ago. She could also see a young Kelly pouring sugar into a bowl and Tyler toddling around in a diaper with chocolate smeared across his mouth.
Her heart ached as the image now included her dad coming in to steal a spoonful of raw cookie dough. Like her, he'd been too impatient for the cookies to bake. Her mom would tell him it wasn't good for him. But he never listened, and their playful argument often ended with a kiss.
She didn't know much about their relationship beyond what she'd witnessed, but she'd always thought it was strong. Her dad had been the solid anchor to her mom's neurotic and impulsive tendencies. They'd balanced each other out. And in the years when they were a whole family, there had been a lot of fun, a lot of good times.
More stress had entered the family when Kelly had gotten into her middle teens. She had inherited more of her mom's reckless impulsiveness than her dad's steady, plodding personality. But even with the fighting between Kelly and their parents, there was always a strong undercurrent of love. Her dad had had a patience with Kelly that made the two of them very close but had put a distance between Kelly and her mom. And then he'd died, and the family had shattered.
Watching her mom with her grandson now made her feel like some of the old family love was coming back. Or maybe it would be a new love, a new start.
They could never be what they were, but scenes like this gave her hope for the future. She just wished Tyler and Kelly were here, too. Tyler would be home Tuesday. But Kelly…
Would she ever come back? Or would she keep running for her life?
She wished Kelly would reach out. Then she could find a way to help her. Although, if Kelly had killed a man, regardless of her motivation, helping her might not be possible. But she could still help Brett. She could still try to make this Christmas special for him.
"When is Tyler getting in?" her mom asked, interrupting her thoughts.
"Tuesday morning." She paused, suddenly realizing that the guestroom she had reserved for her brother was now being used by Brett. "I'll have to put a blow-up bed in my office."
"That should work."
"I think we should make a big deal out of Christmas morning," she added. "We need to make it special."
Her mom met her gaze. "That makes sense."
"But I'm going to need some decorations." She paused and spelled out the rest. "A t-r-e-e and some g-i-f-t-s."
"Oh, that's right. Maybe you should run out now and take care of some of that."
"I don't want to leave in the middle of all this."
"I have things under control. Let's be honest, I'm much better at baking than you are."
"I know, but Brett is here."
Her mom let out a sigh. "You don't think I can watch a four-year-old? I raised three kids."
That was her mom, the queen of denial and make-believe. "You're glossing over some not-so-great years," she couldn't help saying. "Like the Christmas you almost burned the house down."
"You burned the house down, Grandma?" Brett echoed.
Her mother sent her a pointed frown and then looked back at Brett. "I did not. Hannah is exaggerating."
"What does exaggerating mean?" Brett asked her mother, always curious about everything.
"Never mind. Just keep stirring. I'll be right back." Her mother marched out of the room, motioning for Hannah to follow her. "I can watch Brett," her mom said, a note of decisiveness in her voice that Hannah didn't hear that often.
"I just don't want to put any stress on you, Mom."
"Do you think I'm suddenly going to drink because you leave me alone with a four-year-old for an hour?"
"I don't know. You've been triggered by very small things in the past. Yesterday, you didn't even want to see Brett. You were afraid."
"I was," her mother admitted. "I was afraid that my heart would break when I saw him, that he would remind me so much of Kelly that I wouldn't be able to handle it," her mom admitted. "But I didn't drink last night. And I came back today because I knew I had to see my grandchild, and I had to try to help you." She drew in a breath and let it out. "I've been sober for almost four years, Hannah. Four years! When are you going to believe that I'm better?"
"It's not that easy. I've seen you fall too many times to count."
"I've never gone this long. I'm not saying I'm cured. I know that this is a disease that I will always have to deal with. But all we're talking about right now is an hour where you go get a tree and I bake cookies with my grandson. I'm not going to set anything on fire."
She had to let her mom off the hook on that particular concern. "I know that, Mom." After one last minute of silent debate, she said, "Okay. It would be helpful if you could watch Brett while I run out to the tree lot."
"Take your time. I don't have anything else going on today."
"All right." They walked back into the kitchen. Brett had stopped stirring the dough and was playing with the unused cookie cutters on the floor. "Brett," she said. "I'm going to run out and do an errand. Grandma will watch you. You're going to be very good, right?"
Brett nodded. "I will."
"I'll be back soon." She looked back at her mom. "Call me or text me for any reason—promise?"
"Yes."
She really hoped she wasn't making a mistake, but her mom could hopefully handle this, and she was only a phone call away. With that reassurance in mind, she headed for the door. She only had a few days to turn her house into a Christmas wonderland for Brett, and she was going to take whatever time she could get to do that. She might not be able to bring Kelly home, but she could make sure one little boy had a happy Christmas.
Chapter Fourteen
As Hannah wandered around the Christmas tree lot, she realized two things: one, most of the good trees were gone, and, two, she would not be able to fit the tree in the back of her small car. She did know someone who had a truck, but was she really going to bring Jake back into her life, when she was trying to get rid of him?
As if on cue, her phone rang, and Jake's number flashed across the screen. A hot tingle immediately ran through her body, but she tried not to think about that. "Hello?"
"Hey, where are you?" Jake asked. "I need to talk to you, but I'm in front of your house, and I don't see your car. I do, however, see your mom's car, which is why I haven't rung the bell."
"Sorry about earlier. She was a little harsh."
"She was protecting you. I respect that."
"Why do you need to talk to me?"
"I got some information from Trevor."
"What is it?"
"I'd rather tell you in person."
"Is it bad?"
"Where are you, Hannah?"
"I'm at Donny's Christmas Tree Lot," she said.
"I'll be there in five minutes. A
nd it's not bad. I just want us to talk about it in person."
"Okay. I'll see you soon." While she was waiting for Jake to arrive, she made another pass through the selection of trees. She was curious as to what he'd learned, but it didn't sound that earthshaking, so she focused on the trees.
She hadn't bought a Christmas tree in a long time, probably not since Tyler had hit his twenties. Before that, she'd tried to make Christmas special for him. But after that, they'd both been content to order a pizza and exchange one present, which was usually some kind of a joke.
Now things were different. Although, in some ways, the situation with Brett felt remarkably familiar. She was trying to make a happy Christmas for someone whose parent should have been the one to do it. But that wasn't Brett's fault, and she had a feeling he would like a big tree, something that would make his eyes light up. That's what she wanted to see—that spark of joy.
"Well, if it isn't one of the Starks. How are you, Hannah?" an older, gray-haired man asked.
"I'm doing well." She smiled at Donald Ralston, the owner of Donny's Christmas Trees. His family had a Christmas tree farm just outside of town, and she'd gone to school with his son, Andrew.
The Ralstons had been selling trees for decades, and there was a time when their lot had been right next door to her dad's hardware store. Donny and her father had been the best of friends during that period. Donny and his wife, Rose, had tried to support her mom after her dad's passing. Her mom hadn't made that easy, though, and after some embarrassing incident at one of Rose's birthday parties, their families had stopped getting together.
"I didn't think anyone in your family bought Christmas trees anymore," Donny said. "Or maybe you've been getting 'em from Ace's lot or chopping down your own at one of the farms outside of town."
"We just haven't been getting trees, but this year is different."
"Why is that?"
"My sister's son is staying with me. He's four, and he needs a tree that will light up his eyes with wonder and amazement."
"This one should do the trick. It's a seven-footer, good symmetry, and thick branches."
"It looks perfect," she agreed.
"I didn't realize your sister was back in town. When did that happen?" Donny asked.
"Actually, it's just her son right now."
His sharp eyes didn't miss a beat. "Well, that's good. Always nice to have little ones around at Christmas. How is your mother?"
"She's doing well."
"Happy to hear that."
"How's your family?"
"Rose is in charge of remodeling our kitchen, so she's keeping busy. Andrew is selling cars during the week and racing 'em on the weekends."
"He always liked fast cars."
"He did. Of course, Rose would like him to spend more time finding a wife and maybe producing some grandchildren, but he pays her no mind."
"I'm sure he'll find the right person when he's ready."
"What about you? You got someone special?"
"Right now, the only male I'm obsessed with is my four-year-old nephew."
"I wish your dad was alive to meet him."
"Me, too. Brett looks a lot like my father and also like Tyler. No red hair for him."
"That red is beautiful, and it's your fire," Donny said with a smile. "It gives you strength, and Lord knows you've needed it. I'm sorry we fell out of touch, Hannah. I let you and your siblings down. Rose and your mom got so angry with each other, and I was caught in the middle."
"You don't have to apologize, Donny. The only person at fault was my mother. She pushed everyone away. But she's sober now. It feels like she finally came out of the tunnel she went into after my dad died."
"I'm very happy to hear that. Now, what about this tree? Do you have some way to get it to your house? Otherwise, I can have Randy drop it off. However, he might not get it there until later tonight. He had to run a tree over to the west shore, to some fancy celebrity's house."
They'd been getting more and more celebrities staying at the large estates that had recently been built on the west shore, but they didn't seem to wander into town too often. "I should be able to get the tree home. Someone is coming to help me." She handed him her credit card. "Could you ring it up and then we'll figure it out?"
"Sounds good." As Donny ambled back to the cash register, she saw Jake drive into the parking lot, and she quickly moved in his direction.
He'd barely gotten out of the truck when she said, "What did you find out?"
He closed the door and gave her a reassuring smile. "It's not huge news, but it's something."
"Tell me."
"Kelly went to Trevor's cabin to ask if she could borrow his car. She said that hers had broken down. Trevor was drunk at the time, so he said yes, but on one condition—she had to drive him to the motel where he's staying now. Apparently, the cabin had too many memories of his ex-girlfriend, so he needed to move. Kelly agreed. She drove him to the motel Friday night, and he hasn't seen her or his car since then. He did say that on the drive, she kept murmuring to herself that her kid was going to be all right, that he was with her sister, and everything would be okay, like she was trying to give herself a pep talk."
"Did she look like she'd been hurt?"
"No, but he did confirm that she was pregnant. She also kept talking to the baby, saying everything would be all right, and she'd protect her."
She thought about Trevor's story. "It sounds like she was very stressed out. But where was her car? If it was broken down, why wasn't it in front of the cabin?"
"Because she hid it in the trees."
"How do you know that?"
"I called Adam to tell him what Trevor had said, and he told me that they'd just located Kelly's rental car about a mile from the cabin. It was in perfect working condition."
"Then she just needed to switch cars."
"That would be my guess and Adam's as well." He paused, his lips tightening. "They did find some drops of blood inside the vehicle."
Her stomach turned over at that piece of information.
"It might not have been her blood," he continued. "The police are running the DNA."
"If it turns out that the blood belonged to her boyfriend, that won't be good for Kelly," she said heavily.
Had her sister really been able to stab a man to death?
It didn't seem possible. On the other hand, if she was fighting for her life, for the lives of her son and her unborn baby, maybe there was no limit to what Kelly had been willing to do.
"Let's take it one step at a time," Jake said. "Now that we know Kelly drove to the motel in Trevor's car, the police will try to track her movement from there via traffic and security cameras."
"What if she switches cars again?"
"Then she'll have to leave Trevor's car somewhere and that will be another clue. But for now, we focus on what we know so far. She's not injured. She's not with anyone. And she has made sure her son is safe."
His determined optimism inspired her to think positively. "You're right. I need to concentrate on all that." She let out a breath. "Now I need a favor. I know—there's no end to the favors I need."
He smiled. "Considering where we're standing, I'm guessing you need help getting a tree back to your house."
"Good guess."
"What were you going to do?"
"Donny said he would deliver the tree, but maybe not until late tonight. I'd rather get it now."
"I assume your mother is watching Brett."
"Yes. And they're baking the cookies I need to take to the hospital party tomorrow."
"How did that all happen?" he asked curiously. "I thought she didn't even want to see Brett.
"She had second thoughts. Once she met Brett, he stole her heart with one smile. I was a little reluctant to leave them alone, but my mom has been sober for almost four years, and there's no alcohol in my house at the moment, so she should be okay, right?"
"I would think so."
"How is Trevor doing?" she
asked.
"He's almost to the forty-eight-hour mark without a drink, so he's hanging in there. He thinks the worst is over."
"He's lying to himself."
"Maybe. But he seems determined to get clean."
"By himself? That rarely works."
"I said the same thing, but he tried rehab once and it didn't stick, so he thinks he needs to be able to stop in the real world."
"He has a point, but it can still be physically debilitating."
"I agree. But he has to do it his way. I got him some groceries. I'll check in on him again tonight."
"That's generous and very kind."
He shrugged. "He's not a bad kid. He's just emotional and having a rough time. It doesn't help that it's Christmas."
"What do you do for Christmas, Jake?" she asked as they headed toward the tent where hopefully Donny would have her tree waiting. "Do you spend the day with your family?"
"I'm leading a cross-country skiing group in the morning. I'll drop by for a drink before dinner. My parents usually have about twenty people over for dinner, so it's not just a family thing, which is fine by me. What about you?"
"The last couple of years, Tyler and I would make enormous bowls of cereal in the morning. We mix three or four different kinds like we used to do when we were kids. We catch a movie in the afternoon and later in the evening we get pizza for dinner."
"You don't see your mother?"
"Not usually on Christmas. But this year is going to be different. It has to be more like a traditional Christmas—cookies for Santa, presents, stockings, a big breakfast, playing in the snow, and maybe a prime rib for dinner. I want Brett to have the kind of holiday I had when I was young, when my dad was alive."
"And your mom will be included?"
"I think so. We'll see how things go between now and then." She paused as they got to the tent.
Donny handed her back her credit card and then he and Jake took the tree out to Jake's truck.
When the tree was safely loaded, Jake said, "I'll meet you at your house."
"Thank you so much for this. I can pay you in cookies."
"That your mother made? I'm sure she would not want you to do that."
Just One Kiss: A heartwarming Christmas romance (Whisper Lake Book 4) Page 14
