Mountain Mistletoe Christmas

by Patricia Johns

  “Can I read some?” Jen asked hesitantly.

  “You’ve read some before,” Lisa said with a shrug. “It’s more of the same.”

  “Yeah, but apparently, there are about twenty-five I never even knew about!” Jen said with a short laugh.

  “Don’t worry about it. I’ll give you a few copies I have kicking around,” Lisa replied.

  But Lisa didn’t move from her position, her mug of coffee in front of her and her gaze on Jen.

  Bram had a pile of envelopes in one fist, and as Lisa put her mug on the counter and turned to grab a box of animal crackers, Bram dropped the pile of mail at Jen’s feet. She bent down to pick it up, then froze when she saw the front of one of the envelopes. It had a red stamp across it: Past Due. Another envelope, this one from the electricity company, said Final Notice. Jen’s heart sped up, and she gathered up the envelopes and tossed them onto the counter, making sure the top one was a plain envelope. If her sister knew she’d seen the others, she’d be embarrassed, and whatever sisterly rapport Jen hoped to reestablish would be officially over.

  Lisa handed Bram a few animal crackers and picked up her coffee again.

  “What should I get Bram for Christmas?” Jen asked.

  “Nothing.”

  “He’s my nephew,” Jen said.

  “Look, let’s not start that. If we do gifts for each other’s kids, you’re going to spend more than I can afford to spend on Drew, and it’s going to get awkward.”

  “Okay...”

  It didn’t feel right, not being able to give the little guy a present, but Lisa was going to be sensitive about money right now. Besides, it wasn’t like Jen was wallowing in cash. She had a house to renovate before she could even start building her own business.

  This was going to be a lonesome Christmas. Somehow, this made Jen think about Uncle Stu. Aunt Gayle might be remarried, but Uncle Stu, her first husband, was still in town. He’d be lonely, too.

  “Lisa?” Jen said quietly.

  Lisa met her gaze and raised her eyebrows.

  “Have you gone to see Uncle Stu since the divorce?” Jen asked.

  “I saw him at Easter, at the big egg hunt we always do for the kids.”

  “Have you visited him?” Jen asked.

  “Not personally. We got Gayle in the divorce, I thought.”

  “Agreed, but who got him?” Jen asked. “He’s got his own kids who will be in contact and all that, but... That divorce wasn’t his fault, you know. I think he tried to be the man his family needed, but he just couldn’t do it anymore. I feel bad for him. And I miss him, too.”

  Lisa smiled faintly. “Yeah, Uncle Stu was great. Tricia is furious with him still, though.”

  “It would be really hard seeing your parents split up, especially after all those years,” Jen acknowledged. “But I feel for him. He and Gayle got married in a different time.”

  “I agree,” Lisa said. “But you always got along with Stu better than I did. You two liked watching old Star Trek shows, remember? That was your thing.”

  “Maybe I’ll drop by and visit him,” Jen said.

  “You should,” Lisa agreed. “I don’t have a ton of time, quite honestly. I’m working as much as I can, and when I’m not working, I’ve got a screenplay I wanted to finish so I can enter it into a local contest in the New Year.”

  Busy. Yes, message received. But Jen just nodded.

  “Of course. I get it. Squeeze in a few visits with me, if you can, though, okay?”

  Seeing some family that was just as heartbroken as she was—maybe that was the answer this Christmas. Aunt Gayle was remarried, Drew was having Christmas with Sam and Tiffany, and Lisa was secretly broke. Maybe this Christmas could be about raising a glass in solidarity with all the other broken hearts in the family.

  It was better than sitting alone.

  * * *

  MOUNTAIN SPRINGS WAS all decked out for Christmas—lights twined around every tree on Main Street, and the streetlights were hung with festive bells. With the snow-covered mountains and the chalet-styled buildings, this little Colorado town could almost be mistaken for somewhere far away. The town boasted some extreme skiing up in the mountain passes, and lots of good food and cozy fireplaces down in the valley. The Mountain Springs bus station stayed continually busy all year round, bringing in the backpacking tourists looking for a mountain experience.

  Nick stood waiting as the latest bus emptied of travelers. He scanned the faces, and when Amelia descended the bus stairs, he couldn’t help but grin. She was dressed in a pair of black leggings and a complicated-looking wrap. Her makeup was done, her hair pulled back in some sort of bun, and she squinted past the snow flurries as she waited on her suitcase. The driver heaved it out of the luggage compartment in the bottom of the bus, and Nick came forward to grab it for his daughter.

  “Oh, hi, Dad.” Amelia let him give her an awkward hug, then stood back as he hoisted her suitcase out of the fray.

  Nick led the way through the terminal, and he glanced down at his daughter cautiously. She looked older—a grown woman now. He’d seen her in the spring when he went down to the university to take her out to dinner. She’d canceled other plans in order to see him, but he’d caught her checking the time on her phone a few times while they caught up. Their visits were always short and somewhat uncomfortable.

  “You look great, Amelia,” he said.

  “Thanks.” She hitched her shoulders up against the cold and tugged her wrap a little closer. “So...what’s the plan here?”

  “I thought I’d take you home,” he said. “Are you hungry for some lunch?”

  “I could eat.”

  That was something. “Good. I have the fixings for those pizza buns you used to love as a kid. I figured we could have some for old times’ sake.”

  “Sure.”

  Nick’s pickup was parked near the door, and he tossed her suitcase into the back seat beside some of his dog Goldie’s chewed-over tennis balls, then opened the door for Amelia to get into the warmth of the vehicle. He headed around to the driver’s side and got in, glad to get out of the frigid wind. He looked over at his daughter again as he started the truck.

  “I’m glad you’re here,” he said. “I’ve really missed you.”

  “That was a long bus ride,” she said in response. “I was stuck next to a talker.”

  Nick put on his seat belt, then put the truck into Reverse to pull out of the parking space.

  “Nothing changes here, does it?” Amelia said, sounding bored.

  Nick smiled at that. “Not a lot. Well...there are a few new hotels that went up since you’ve been here.”

  But she wasn’t talking about local construction, and he knew it. She was talking about the feel of Mountain Springs, the coziness of being nestled into a narrow valley with those looming, jagged mountain peaks all around.

  “You haven’t met Goldie yet,” he said.

  “Isn’t this the dog that refused to pee outside?” she asked with a low laugh.

  “That was last winter. She was still a puppy.”

  “Right. Does she pee outside now?” she asked.

  “Yeah. She’s a good dog. You two will get along.”

  Amelia fell silent, and for a few minutes Nick navigated the intersections that led back toward Oak Ridge Drive where he lived.

  “So...how’s Ben?” he asked.

  “He’s fine. He’s with his family in Aspen for the holidays,” she replied. “But I’m not sure you should get attached.”

  Nick wasn’t attached to that guy. Ben was nice enough, but his daughter didn’t seem as happy as she should be with him. Call it a hunch.

  “What’s going on?” Nick asked.

  “I don’t know. I guess I’m looking to get serious about more than just my career. I’m ready to get married, settle down, start a fam
ily, maybe. And Ben isn’t.” “You think you’re ready to settle down?” he asked skeptically.

  “Yeah. I do.” Her tone was curt.

  “And Ben doesn’t want that?”

  “He would...” She didn’t elaborate.

  “I’m sorry,” he said, unsure of what else to say.

  “Don’t say that like we’re already over,” Amelia said. “We’re talking about that stuff. That’s all.”

  And they were spending Christmas apart. Nick knew what that meant, and he felt a pang of pity for his daughter.

  “How is school going?” he asked.

  “It’s good.”

  “Any favorite classes?” he asked hopefully.

  “Dad, come on.” As if that was a pitiful question.

  Nick sighed. “How’s your mom enjoying Europe?”

  “Mom and Chris are doing fine,” she said. “I kind of wish I was doing Europe with them, but I understand the need for some private time.”

  Nick fell silent again. Of course he didn’t really want to know the details of his ex-wife’s new life. His divorce had been incredibly painful, but he was better off now. At least he didn’t have someone constantly looking down on him. Not that Shari had meant to. It was just how she saw the world—the details she noticed, the connections she made. She started out as a lawyer in Mountain Springs covering everything from traffic cases to real estate, and now she was a hotshot criminal defense attorney in Denver. Shari loved pedantic detail. The older Amelia got, the more often he’d heard the old, “For crying out loud, Nick! Even our daughter gets it!”

  Had Amelia really understood her mother’s theories about legal defenses, or had she just enjoyed her mother’s approval when she pretended to? He was more inclined to believe the latter.

  “So what about you?” Amelia asked. “Any girlfriend I should be aware of?”

  “Nope.” He chuckled. “It’s just me.”

  “What about that one—” Amelia cast around “—Bev, was it? You were dating for a while, and then you said you two broke up, and then you got back together...”

  Bev had been special, but at the end of the day, they’d been too much alike. They bored each other.

  “Bev has moved on,” he said, casting his daughter a small smile. “She’s living with a guy in Denver now.”

  “Oh...” She eyed him for a moment. “That’s too bad, though. I think you’re lonely.”

  “Why do you think that?” He slowed to a stop at an intersection and waited while some pedestrians crossed the street.

  “I don’t know. I just get the feeling. Like when you dropped in to see me at school.”

  “I missed my daughter,” he said curtly. “That isn’t a sign of weakness, Amelia. And it was nine months ago.”

  Had his visit really been that traumatizing? It was one meal!

  “You should get married again,” she said.

  Not interested. He was still gun-shy of marriage, and his personal tastes were his own worst enemy.

  Nick’s house on Oak Ridge Drive was a short ride from downtown, and he glanced across the street at the old mansion before he turned in to his driveway. He parked and hopped out, grabbed Amelia’s suitcase and led the way to the front door.

  Nick opened the door and the sound of scrambling dog toenails made him smile. He walked inside as Goldie bounded around a corner and barked joyfully at his return.

  “This is Goldie,” Nick said. “And Goldie, this is Amelia.”

  Amelia gave him a bland smile, but she bent down and ruffled the golden retriever’s ears.

  “Does that old lady still live there?” Amelia asked.

  He knew what house she was talking about—the same one that had his attention lately, too.

  “She died. There’s been a few different owners since. It just sold again,” he replied.

  “It went up for sale recently, then?” Amelia asked. She pulled off her coat and stepped out of her shoes.

  “Yeah. You want slippers or something?” he asked, looking down at her sock feet.

  “Dad, I’m fine.” She smiled ruefully. “You know that old mansion is a really good investment. If it were to be restored, it would be just stunning.”

  “It will be,” he agreed. “I’m actually doing some renovations for the new owner. I might put in a bid to do those restorations, too, if I’ve got the time in my schedule.”

  “You should have bought the place, Dad,” his daughter said incredulously.

  “Another mortgage? I don’t know. Life doesn’t always turn out the way you anticipate, and I don’t want more debt.”

  “You have to spend money to make it. That’s what Chris always says, and that’s why it’s easier for people who already have money to make more. But if you’re smart—”

  “Amelia. Thanks for the advice, but it’s no longer for sale,” he said.

  Always a step behind what the women in his life expected of him. He sighed and headed into the kitchen. He was hungry, in spite of it all. And no, he shouldn’t have bought that house. He’d considered it, but he didn’t flip houses much anymore. His contractor business kept him amply busy. And it would have put him into some serious debt, he’d have to do the work himself to renovate and restore and that could take years. Sure, he could have sold it, then made some money in the flip, but what about the interest paid to the bank in the meantime?

  “I’m going to get those pizza buns started,” he said over his shoulder, and Goldie followed at his heels.

  Pizza buns used to be his specialty. They weren’t really pizza. He used shredded cheese, chicken, onions, celery, mayonnaise and tomato, put it on top of buns, and toasted it all in the oven until the cheese was gooey and bubbling.

  “Are these our old Christmas decorations?” Amelia’s voice floated to him from the other room.

  Nick had gotten them down from the attic last night—the old decorations from when she was little. He figured they could put them around the house together, like old times. He grinned.

  “Yeah! Remember how much you loved those little singing bears?”

  “Dad, this stuff is junk!”

  Her words stabbed past his defenses and made him wince, but he ambled back over to see where she stood at the dining room table, sorting through a box of old ornaments.

  “They aren’t junk,” he said. “You loved those.”

  “Dad...” She held up a chipped ceramic bear holding a music book, its painted mouth open in an O. “We got these at the dollar store.”

  And she’d played with them for hours, organizing her choir of Christmas bears underneath the tree. He remembered what she used to look like, lying on her stomach in her Christmas flannel pajamas, her hair all in a tangle, playing with those ornaments that she now considered junk.

  “So...you don’t want to put them up?” he asked hesitantly. He’d displayed them every year on the windowsill, even after the divorce. It didn’t feel like Christmas without them. In fact, they’d inspired his gift for her this year...

  “What we need is to go shopping for something decent, Dad,” she said. “Something a little less kitsch. What you need is something understated and elegant. How are you going to attract a woman if you don’t update your decor a little bit?”

  He wasn’t trying to attract a woman. Besides, Bev had never complained. This year he wanted a Christmas with his daughter. But if those old ornaments didn’t hold the same memories for her, maybe they could make some new ones.

  “Are you offering to shop with me?” he asked.

  “I think I’ll have to,” she said. “I can’t be leaving you unsupervised with this kind of thing.” She waggled the bear at him, her eyes twinkling with laughter.

  “Okay, as long as you come with me to shop for it all,” he said.

  “But not tonight. I’m getting together with Taylor, Mike and Vincent.
They’re in town, too.”

  Those were friends from her middle school years, just before the divorce. Nick bent down and smoothed a hand over Goldie’s head. She looked up at him with those big, brown, loyal eyes.

  “Okay, well...there’s time,” Nick said, and he headed back into the kitchen, Goldie at his heels again, and pulled out a cutting board to chop onions and celery. It wasn’t a complete bust. Amelia had shown some interest in the old mansion. Maybe that could be a starting point for them.

  “I’m doing some work on that old house across the street tomorrow morning,” he called over his shoulder. “Do you want to come see inside?”

  “Really?” she called back.

  “Yeah! You interested?” Nick tossed Goldie a piece of cold chicken and she caught and swallowed it in one movement.

  “What time?” his daughter asked.

  “Eight.”

  “Too early. I’ll pass.”

  That didn’t entirely surprise him, but he was still optimistic. She’d shown some interest, at least. Who knew...maybe this Christmas he’d find a way to remind his daughter that she still had a dad who loved her, even if he couldn’t compete financially with her stepfather.

  They’d buy new Christmas decorations, he’d cook her some of her old favorite meals and he’d find a way to connect with her if it killed him.

  CHAPTER FOUR

  JEN SPENT THE rest of the visit with Lisa playing with Bram. Her nephew was a strong, rambunctious little boy, and when she looked down into his upturned face, she was reminded of Drew. Drew was fair-haired, where Bram was dark-haired, but there was a family resemblance in the mouth and eyes.

  When she was getting ready to go, pulling her coat back on and stepping into her boots, she gave Lisa a smile.

  “I’ve missed you,” Jen said.

  “Yeah...” Lisa dropped her gaze.

  “Lisa, we’re all we’ve got—each other,” Jen said. “Without Mom and Dad, we don’t have anyone to make us make up anymore. And that was what Mom always did! She’d call me up and tell me that you were mad at me, or she’d tell you that you’d ticked me off... She ran interference between us, and now that she and Dad are gone, we have to do this ourselves. I don’t want to keep fighting like we do.”