Coming Home for Christmas

by Fern Michaels

  “Don’t move!” Max wrapped his hand around the intruder’s neck and shoved him against the wall toward the door. Knowing the girls were watching prevented him from smashing his fist square in the guy’s face, so he opted for the next best thing.

  Dragging him out the door to Grace’s van, he shoved him into the passenger side. “Move a muscle, and I promise you I won’t be as nice as I was in there.” He nodded toward the cabin.

  Glenn, a stick of a man with a receding hairline, tattoo-covered arms, and several missing teeth, held a bony arm in front of him as Max crammed his fist in his face. Blood spewed from his mouth seconds later. “Bastard,” he spat out. “Those are my girls you got in that cabin! I came to get ’em! No woman’s gonna take what’s rightfully mine! You hear that?”

  Max didn’t know the story behind Glenn’s claim and didn’t really care. “I hear you loud and clear, you worthless piece of shit.” Max ripped his belt off and used it to tie Glenn’s hands behind his back. The skinny man yanked and pulled, but Max was too strong for him. He shoved him against the seat, then used the seat belt to hold him in position. “Move a muscle, and I promise it will be your last twitch.” He jammed his fist into the man’s nose and heard the cartilage snap.

  Glenn dropped his head to his chest, wincing in pain. Before the bound man could recover from the effects of the punch, Max raced back inside the cabin, knowing he had only a few minutes before Glenn wiggled out of the seat belt.

  Without saying a word, he removed the piece of extension cord with which Glenn had tied up Grace. “Stay here and don’t do anything until I return.”

  Grace nodded, rubbing her hands. “Hurry!” She wrapped her arms around both girls, who continued to whimper and cry.

  The last thing Max heard before he raced out of the cabin was Grace telling the girls that everything was going to be just fine.

  She’d promised.

  Chapter Eight

  Three hours later, Max drove back to the cabin with good news for Grace and her charges.

  Max entered the cabin and found Grace, along with the two girls and dogs, curled up on the sofa in the den sound asleep. And he’d thought they’d be waiting on pins and needles for his return. So much for that.

  Ice-D and Cliff bolted off the sofa when they saw him. He rubbed both between the ears, then allowed them their usual licks to his face. “Okay, boys, that’s enough.” Max went to the kitchen. He saw that both dog bowls were full of water, and the food bowls were empty. He was about to load them up with dog food when Grace entered the kitchen.

  “They both had three hot dogs apiece, plus a bowl of dog food. I don’t think they’re hungry.”

  Max stopped and shook his finger at the pair. “You know I ought to turn you two out, make you work for your grub.” Both dogs whined, and Max fluffed the space between their ears. “Go on, you two.” The dogs complied, their muzzles lifted high in the air as they made their way back to the den.

  “They’ve convinced themselves they’re kings today,” Grace said as she watched the dogs jump back onto the sofa, one on either side of the girls.

  “They okay?” He motioned to the sleeping girls.

  “As okay as they can be under the circumstances.” Grace eyed the poor things to make sure they still slept. “What happened? I was sure Glenn was gone for good. Stephanie had him arrested. He was in jail the last I heard.”

  Max motioned for her to follow him upstairs.

  “We can talk up here without waking them. Apparently, Glenn was being transported to Denver. The deputies driving him stopped in Grand Junction for a bite to eat. Thinking Glenn was as innocent and harmless as he claimed, they let him come inside to have his meal with them. He went to the men’s room, and that’s the last they saw of him.”

  “This makes no sense! How did he know where to find Amanda and Ashley? I didn’t plan on any of this happening.” Perplexed, Grace dropped down on a small wooden chair.

  “Those roadblocks last night, they were searching for him. He had no idea he’d find his girls here. As luck or whatever you want to call it would have it, I just happen to have the only house around here for miles. He must’ve walked all night and wound up here, the same as you. It’s a heck of a coincidence, don’t you think?”

  Grace wasn’t sure what to think and told him so.

  “I called the number you gave me and talked to a woman by the name of Juanita. Told her you were fine and that you’d be back as soon as possible.”

  “Thanks so much, really. Juanita is my mother. I’m sure she and Stephanie were beside themselves with worry. Did you tell her the girls were with me and that they were okay?”

  “I did.”

  Grace was about to ask Max if they’d said anything else, but he piped up. “Your mother said Bryce was there. Said he couldn’t wait until Christmas Eve to see you.”

  Her eyes lit up like a Christmas tree. “Fantastic, I can’t wait to see him. It’s tough to schedule visits now that we live so far apart. I can’t wait to see him. It’s been almost a year. I can’t believe I let so much time pass. It’s just that—”

  “You’d better leave before it starts snowing again. We’re supposed to get another two feet by nightfall. I promised your family you’d be home today,” Max said, staring intently into her verdant eyes.

  Grace felt a little piece of her heart break at the thought of leaving Max behind. She barely knew the man, and what she did know she wasn’t sure she liked. Still, there was something about him.

  She nodded. “You’re right. I know the girls are excited; they want to decorate the Christmas tree. I promised them they could.”

  “I gathered as much,” Max said.

  Before he could stop himself, before he had a chance to second-guess himself, Max pulled Grace into his arms kissing her softly on the mouth. Her intake of breath, shock or desire, surprised him because instead of pulling away, she kissed him back.

  “Grace.” The sound of her name filled him with emotions that had been dormant for so long, their intense return stunned him.

  Before either could react Max pushed her away. For a moment neither spoke. When the silence between them became too uncomfortable, Max looked at her with more than just a casual interest.

  Grace looked away, then something pulled her attention back to him. She gazed into his deep blue eyes, seeing more than just the man who’d offered her a place to stay.

  Hesitantly, Max smoothed the hair away from her face. “I want to say I’m sorry, but I’m not.”

  Grace smiled. “It’s okay, really.”

  Max nodded. “You’d better go. The snow and all.”

  Neither made an attempt to move their gazes as they locked on to one another, both amazed at the sudden attraction between them.

  Max spoke up, breaking the connection. “What about Bryce?”

  She squinted her eyes as though he were suddenly out of focus. “What about him?”

  “Never mind,” Max said softly.

  “Wait. Why are you asking me about Bryce? Do you know him?”

  “No, and I don’t want to either. Look, Grace, it was just a kiss, okay? Heat of the moment, nothing more. I’ve been without a woman too long. You’re very attractive. I just lost control, okay?” Visions of Kayla danced before him while his heart hammered to the tune of guilty, guilty, guilty!

  “Why you . . . jerk! What kind of . . . never mind. Give me my keys. I can’t believe I even kissed you! What an idiot I am!” Grace raced down the steps as fast as her feet would move.

  “Amanda, Ashley! It’s time to go,” she called to the pair, who were now wide-awake.

  Quickly, both girls put on their jackets, shoes, and mittens.

  “Can we kiss the dogs good-bye, Miss Grace?” Amanda asked.

  Grace glanced at Max.

  “Of course you can. They like pretty girls.”

  “Just like their owner,” Grace muttered between gritted teeth.

  Beseechingly, Max asked, “Tell me one thing before
you leave.”

  Taking a deep breath and promising to see her own counselor as soon as she could, she rolled her eyes upward. “What?”

  “Why do you keep calling your home ‘Hope House’? Where is this . . . place?”

  Deciding there was no point in lying or dragging this exit out any longer than was necessary, Grace turned to face him.

  “Remember I told you I was a counselor?” She waited for him to reply. He nodded.

  “Actually, I’m a psychologist. Women who’ve been battered and abused come to Hope House. It’s a safe haven. They’re brought to me by local law enforcement when they need a place to stay, somewhere they can feel safe until they either face their attacker in court, divorce him, or, in some cases, leave only to go right back to the man who sent them running in the first place. This year, Stephanie and the girls, plus my own family, will be celebrating Christmas at Hope House.” Grace wanted to invite him to spend Christmas Day with her even after he’d humiliated her when he made an excuse for kissing her. There was just something lonely about him. Thoughts of his spending the holiday alone dampened her holiday spirit.

  “Its location is a secret,” she added.

  Grace watched the numerous expressions roll across his handsome face as she spoke. Curiosity, then she was sure she saw anger. Why would this make him angry? Obviously, she didn’t know the man well. It didn’t matter because she had a Christmas gathering waiting for her.

  “Come on, girls. Let’s go decorate that tree I promised you.”

  Excited they shouted, “Yeah! Yeah! Let’s hurry, Miss Grace, please!”

  Grace gave Max one last glance before speaking. “I appreciate your hospitality, Max. Thanks again.”

  The girls gave kisses to the dogs, who willingly returned them with big, sloppy kisses of their own.

  “Bye, Ice-D. Bye, Cliff!” they chorused, before racing out the door.

  “Be safe,” Max called out to Grace, then closed the door.

  Suddenly the cabin seemed too big for him and the dogs. “Let’s go for a run, you two. I can’t remember the last time I exercised you guys. Better yet, let’s go to Powder Rise, and we’ll ski down the mountain.”

  He made quick work of gathering the dogs’ boots and coats. His skis were in the shed along with everything else from his former life. Dressing the dogs wasn’t easy, but necessary. They ran alongside him while he skied, and their paws had to be protected as well as possible to avoid frostbite.

  Thirty minutes later, Max drove his spare snowmobile up to the top of Powder Rise. His mountain. And what would have been Kayla’s mountain, their child’s mountain.

  Standing on top, he felt small in comparison. He stared at the miles of white and green surrounding him. Kayla hadn’t enjoyed the snow that much. She probably would’ve been content to stay in Denver for the rest of her life. Why was he remembering that? What did it matter if Kayla hadn’t liked the snow, or skiing, or anything else about it? He hadn’t been all that thrilled with her chosen profession either. Couldn’t understand why she wanted to put herself at risk every time she walked out the door. And he would never know, he realized.

  At the top of Powder Rise, which was at best a decent blue run, Max shoved off the top, Ice-D and Cliff running on each side.

  The snow made a soft swishing sound as his skis cut through it. The mountain trail narrowed to a catwalk. Large pines towered above him, an occasional gust of snow from the branches dropping in his path as he maneuvered his way side to side down the hill. Traveling at a slow and steady pace so that both dogs could keep up without becoming tired, Max realized for the first time in many long months just how lonely he was.

  Yes, he had friends, but they’d stopped coming around a long time ago. They stopped coming around because he’d turned into another person after Kayla’s death. Max had crawled into a cocoon of grief. He remembered the guilt he felt just for being alive. Day by day, he’d cursed Kayla for the choice she’d made. And day by day his grief had changed him, turning him into the hard, bitter man he was today. For the first time since Kayla’s death, he didn’t want to be that bitter, hateful man. He wanted to be the man he used to be in spite of what he’d said to Grace.

  He remembered all too well the minutes that led up to the exact moment when his entire universe tilted. Max didn’t like reliving the memory, but today he would. Because today he was going to put the past behind him and move forward.

  It was Christmas Eve, and Max was looking forward to spending the next week pampering his wife. Excited didn’t describe what he felt when he learned they were pregnant. A child of his own. Being an only child, Max wanted at least three, if not more. Kayla said two would be her limit. He didn’t care if they had just the one or a dozen. Max couldn’t wait to give Kayla her Christmas gift, a brand-new fire-engine red Jeep. She’d been driving a Datsun pickup given to her by her father ever since he’d known her. He wanted her to have a vehicle that was a little more reliable, something that wouldn’t break down on her all the time. She’d be angry that he’d spent so much money, but he knew she would get over it. Heck, he had enough money to live like a king for the rest of his life.

  Glancing at his watch, he noticed it was after midnight. Kayla was working the three-to-eleven shift, so he expected her anytime. For the next week she belonged to him and no one else. No work, no calls in the middle of the night to come to a crime scene. In fact, he thought they might take a trip to Denver to look at a crib, something for the baby. How he loved thinking about his child!

  Damn, he was getting sappy-eyed! It was the holidays. They always did that to him. He loved the bright cheerful red and green lights that twinkled on their Colorado blue spruce, the smell of pine, clean and sharp. He’d finished his Christmas shopping. There were dozens of brightly wrapped packages beneath the tree that hadn’t been there when Kayla left for work. Yes, she would be surprised. He laughed. That was an understatement.

  Looking at his watch seeing that it was quarter to one, Max jumped when the phone rang.

  Most likely it was Kayla calling to let him know she was going out for breakfast with a few friends from the department. She did that about once a month, and it was fine with him. She needed the time to unwind.

  Max answered the phone on the third ring.

  “Max Jorgenson?” a male voice inquired.

  “Yes, this is Max.”

  “We’re sending a cruiser to pick you up. Officer Jorgenson has been involved in a shooting. . .”

  Both she and the baby died before they made it to the hospital.

  Chapter Nine

  Sunday, December 21, 2008

  The First Day of Winter

  Grace tied the bright red ribbon around the last package, then added a matching bow. She surveyed the mountain of gifts she’d spent the morning wrapping. This was truly going to be the best Christmas Stephanie and her girls had ever had.

  She’d bought both girls the latest American Girl books along with a special doll of their own: a Julie Albright for Ashley and an Ivy Ling for Amanda. Both American Girl dolls were going through big changes in their home lives, too. Grace thought the girls would identify with the dolls and the stories that accompanied them. She’d purchased all the extra clothes, shoes, and ribbons that she could find for the dolls. The girls would love changing their clothes and fixing their hair.

  She bought Stephanie a new ski suit and jacket because she’d never owned a new one, saying all that she’d ever owned were secondhand castoffs. There were skis, poles, boots, hats, and gloves that promised warmth in subzero temperatures. Briefly, Grace thought of Max. Stephanie had been an avid skier before marrying Glenn. Maybe now that she was putting her life in order, she would find time to take up the sport. Max would’ve been an excellent instructor for her.

  She barely knew the man, yet she couldn’t seem to shake the image of him standing at the door when she’d left. It had been barely twenty-four hours, and here she was pining away like a lovesick teenager. Maybe a lust-sick teenag
er. It’d been a while since she’d had a real relationship. Actually, she hadn’t had a real relationship since Matt, her college sweetheart, who turned out to be anything but. Oh, she’d gone on tons of dates. There was always a friend of a friend who had a cousin in town, or someone’s newly divorced brother who needed a date for his annual company picnic. She liked dating but had never thought too much about marriage. She was thirty-five years old. Marriage might not be in the cards for her. That was okay because Grace was reasonably happy, loved her profession, enjoyed the life she’d made for herself. More than anything, she felt like a proud parent, helping the many women who passed through Hope House. If she didn’t accomplish anything else in her life, she knew she was okay with that. Opening Hope House had been her biggest dream. She’d fulfilled it, and anything extra was simply a bonus.

  “Are you about to finish in there?” Juanita called out to Grace. “I have a few things I’d like to wrap.”

  Grace watched her mother standing in the doorway. Hope House had six available bedrooms. With Stephanie and the girls as her only “guests,” just two of the other bedrooms were in use. Grace had turned the smallest bedroom into a temporary wrapping station, where she could wrap presents without being caught. She loved surprises and couldn’t wait to see the look on the girls’ faces Christmas morning.

  “It’s all yours, Mother dear,” Grace said. “Promise not to peek, okay? Some of those silver-and-gold packages are yours.”

  “Why don’t you put them under the tree?” her mother suggested.

  “I am. I just wanted to wait so Amanda and Ashley could help. They’re having their hair washed right now.”

  “That’s a grand idea, darling. You certainly know how to treat those girls. Too bad you don’t have any of your own.”

  Oh no, Grace thought, the marriage talk. Surely, her mother wasn’t going to do this to her again. Not at Christmas.