The Christmas Plan

by Samantha Chase

  Squeezing his hand, Melanie reached over and hugged him. “It’s not like you never tried, Dad. Grandma was pretty stubborn. You can’t sit here and take all the blame.”

  When she released him, she saw him wipe away a stray tear. “In my mind, I guess I always thought there would be time. Time to make amends and…”

  “I know,” she said softly. “And I’m sorry. I really am.”

  “You probably don’t even remember her. You were so little when it all happened.”

  It was the truth, sort of. Melanie had some memories of her grandmother and none of them were of the warm and fuzzy variety. Unfortunately, now wasn’t the time to mention it. “So who contacted you?”

  “Her attorney. He actually called last night and met me in person today.”

  “Well that was nice of him. I guess.”

  “He had some papers for me. For us.”

  Melanie looked at him oddly. “What kind of papers?”

  “She um…she left some things to us in her will.”

  Her eyes went wide again. “Seriously? The woman didn’t talk to either of us all these years and she actually put us in her will? Is it bad stuff?”

  John chuckled. “What do you mean by bad stuff?”

  “You know…like she has a really old house, and she was a hoarder, and we’re supposed to clean it out. Or she has some sort of vicious pet we’re supposed to take care of. That kind of thing.”

  John laughed even harder. “Sometimes your imagination really is wild; you know that, right?” he teased.

  Melanie couldn’t help but laugh with him. “What? It’s true! Things like that happen all the time!”

  “Mel, it doesn’t,” he said, wiping the tears of mirth from his eyes. “And for your information, there was no hoarding, no vicious pets…”

  “Did she collect dead animals or something?”

  He laughed again. “No. Nothing like that.”

  Relaxing back on the couch, she looked at her father. “Okay. Lay it on me then. What could she possibly have put in her will for the two of us?”

  John took a steadying breath. “She left me my father’s coin collection.”

  That actually made Melanie smile. “I know how much you used to talk about it.” She nodded with approval. “That’s a good gift to get.”

  He nodded. “She’d kept it all these years. Then there are some family photos, things from my childhood that she had saved, that sort of thing.”

  “So no money,” Melanie said because she already knew the answer.

  John shook his head. “And it’s fine with me. I don’t think I would have felt comfortable with it. All those years ago, it would have meant the world to me to have a little help so you and I didn’t have to struggle so much. But we’re good now and I don’t really need or want it.”

  “Who’d she leave it to? Her cat? Some snooty museum?”

  “Museums aren’t snooty,” he said lightly.

  “Anyway,” she prompted. “So who’d she leave her fortune to?”

  With a sigh, he took one of her hands in his. “She left the bulk of her estate to the local hospice care center.”

  “Oh…well…that was nice of her,” Melanie said. “I guess she wasn’t entirely hateful.”

  “No, she wasn’t,” John said softly. “And she did leave you something.”

  The statement wasn’t a surprise since he’d mentioned it earlier, but Melanie figured he’d tell her when he was ready.

  “When the attorney told me about it,” he began, “I was a little surprised. I had no idea she still had it.”

  Curiosity piqued, she asked, “Had what?”

  “The cabin.”

  Okay, that was a surprise, she thought. “Grandma had a cabin? Where?”

  “Up north. Practically on the border of Canada.”

  “Seriously? Why on earth would she have a cabin there?”

  A small smile played across John’s face. “Believe it or not, there was a time when your grandmother wasn’t quite so…hard. She loved the winters and loved all of the outdoor activities you could do in the snow. She skied, went sleigh riding, and…get this…she loved Christmas.”

  Pulling her hand from his, Melanie stood with a snort of disgust. “That’s ironic. The woman went out of her way to ruin so many of our Christmases and now you’re telling me she used to love them? So…so…what? She started hating them after I came along? That would just be the icing on the rotten Christmas cookie.”

  John came to his feet and walked over to her. Placing his hands on her shoulders, he turned her to look at him. “It wasn’t you, sweetheart. It was me. When your mom left, grandma wanted us to move in with her—but there were conditions and rules, and I just knew it wasn’t the kind of environment I wanted you to grow up in.”

  “Dad, I know all this. I remember the fights, but…what made her hate Christmas?”

  He shook his head. “She didn’t. As far as I know, she always loved it.”

  “Then…then why? Why would she ruin ours?”

  A sad expression covered his face. “It was punishment. I grew up loving Christmas and we always made such a big celebration out of it. It was her way of punishing me for not falling in line. She took away that joy.”

  Tears filled Melanie’s eyes. “See? She was hateful. And whatever this cabin thing is, I don’t want it.”

  “Mel…”

  “No, I’m serious!” she interrupted. “I don’t want anything from her. She ruined so many things in our lives because she was being spiteful! Why on earth would I accept anything from her?”

  “Because I think you need it,” he said, his tone firm, serious.

  “Excuse me?”

  Leading her back to the sofa, they sat down. “I think this may have come at the perfect time.”

  She rolled her eyes. “Seriously?”

  “Okay, that didn’t quite come out the way I had planned,” he said with a chuckle. “What I meant is…I think you could really use the time away. With the pressure you’re feeling about the book, maybe a change of scenery will really help put things into perspective.”

  “Dad,” Melanie began, “a change of scenery is not going to undo twenty-five years of hating Christmas. And besides, I really don’t want the…the cabin. I don’t want anything from her. It would have meant more to me to have her in my life while she was alive.”

  He sighed. “I know, and I wish things could have been different. But…this is really something you need to do.”

  She looked at him with disbelief. “Now I need to do it? Why?”

  “Melanie, you are my daughter and I love you.”

  “That’s an ominous start.”

  “You’re too young to be this disillusioned and angry. We can’t go back and change anything, but I think you need to do this to make peace with the past and have some hope for the future.”

  “Dad…”

  “Three months, Mel, that’s all I’m asking.”

  She jumped to her feet. “You expect me to go live in some arctic place for three months? Are you crazy?”

  He smiled patiently at her. “I’m not crazy and you know I’m right.”

  “No…I’m still going with crazy.”

  “There’s a stipulation in the will,” he began cautiously.

  “What kind of stipulation?”

  “You need to live in the cabin for three months. After that, you’re free to sell it.”

  “That’s a bunch of bull. What if I don’t want to live there at all? Why can’t I just sell it now? Or give it away?”

  “If you don’t want it, it will be given away.”

  “Well then…good riddance.”

  “You’re being spiteful just for the sake of it, Mel. What have you got to lose? You work from home so you don’t have that hanging over your head, and your condo is paid for. Think of it as a writing retreat. Your editor will love the idea and it will show how you’re seriously trying to get the book done. It’s a win-win if you think about it.”
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  “Ugh,” she sighed. “I’m not a big fan of being cold.”

  “The cabin has heat.”

  “It will mean I’ll be gone for Christmas.”

  He chuckled. “Nice try. We don’t celebrate it anymore, remember?”

  She let out a small growl of frustration. “I’m still going to have writer’s block. That’s not going to change.”

  “Trust me. It will.”

  Tilting her head, she gave him a curious look. “What’s that supposed to mean?”

  “Okay, there really isn’t any way not to tell you this…”

  “Tell me what?”

  “The town is pretty much all about Christmas.”

  “Forget it. I’m not going.” She sat back down and crossed her arms.

  “You’re too old to pout so knock it off,” he said.

  She glared at her father. “So I’m supposed to go to this…this…Christmas town and then, thanks to the wonder of it all, suddenly I’m going to be able to write this fabulous holiday story and have it become a bestseller?”

  “There’s that imagination again! I knew it was still in there!”

  “Ha-ha. Very funny.” Slouching down, she let out another growl. “I really don’t want to do this.”

  “Mel, it’s not often that I put my foot down. You’re normally more level-headed, and you’re old enough that I don’t need to, but this time, I’m going to have to put my foot down.”

  “Who gets the cabin if I turn it down?”

  John sighed dejectedly. “I have no idea. The lawyer didn’t say.”

  “Maybe she left it to someone who really needs it,” Melanie said, trying to sound hopeful.

  “She did,” John replied. “You.”

  A week later, Melanie was in her car and driving halfway across the country to see if she could get her writing mojo back. It was a fifteen-hour drive so she split it up over two days, and since she was alone in the car, she had nothing to do but think.

  “She couldn’t have left me a condo in Hawaii or maybe someplace tropical like the Bahamas? No. I have to go to the tip of freaking New York for this.” It was a running dialogue in her head throughout the drive, and it seemed like the closer she got, the angrier she became.

  On the second day of the trip, when her GPS told her she was less than an hour away from her destination, she called her father and put him on speakerphone.

  “Hey, sweetheart! How’s the drive?”

  “She hated me,” Melanie replied. “She seriously hated me.”

  “I’m not even going to pretend I don’t know who you’re referring to,” he said. “Are you there already? Is the cabin in bad shape?”

  “I’m not there yet, but I’m driving on this little two-lane road and there is nothing out here. I mean nothing! The GPS says I should be there soon, but I haven’t seen a city or a town in quite a while. Where am I supposed to shop and get food? Or am I supposed to hunt for it? Because if I am, that’s a deal-breaker and you should have told me.”

  John laughed. “You seriously need to put all of this in your book. It’s hysterical!”

  “I’m not trying to be funny here, Dad! I’m serious! There isn’t anything around!”

  “You haven’t gotten there yet. If I remember correctly, there are plenty of places to shop and eat. You won’t starve and you certainly won’t have to go out and kill your dinner so don’t worry.”

  “But you don’t know that for sure…”

  “Mel, stop looking for trouble. We talked about this. It’s going to be good for you. Your editor is thrilled and promised to give you a little extra time so you’re off to a promising start.”

  “Yeah…I’m lucky,” Melanie deadpanned.

  “You need a positive attitude, young lady,” he admonished. “I’m serious. I want you to make the most of this time you have up there.”

  She mentally sighed. “I’ll try, Dad. But I’m not making any promises.”

  “That’s all I ask.”

  “Okay, well…let me go because the road seems to be getting pretty winding and hilly and I need to pay attention to it. I’ll call you when I get there.”

  “Be safe, sweetheart!”

  Hanging up, Melanie frowned at the road. It was getting narrower and the sky was getting a little bit darker. A chill went down her spine and attributing it to the cooling temperatures, she cranked up the heat.

  The GPS began calling out directions to her and Melanie feared she was leaving civilization further and further behind. “I better hit the New York Times for this,” she murmured. A few minutes later, she hit the brakes and stared at the giant sign on the side of the road.

  “Silver Bell Falls Welcomes You!”

  Melanie frowned and then looked around because she was certain she was hearing things. Turning down her car stereo, she groaned when she heard the song “Silver Bells” coming from the massive sign.

  City sidewalks, busy sidewalks, dressed in holiday style…in the air there’s a feeling of Christmas…

  “You have got to be kidding me.” Cranking the radio up to block out the Christmas carol, Melanie slammed her foot on the gas and continued her drive. It was maybe only a mile down the road when she spotted a small grocery store, a gas station, and a diner.

  And that was it.

  “I guess I just drove through town,” she sighed. It was tempting to stop and look around but she was anxious to get to the house and check it out first. Being practical, Melanie had already shopped for enough food and essentials to get her by for the first night. And besides, she had no idea what kind of shape the house was going to be in.

  “Turn left,” the GPS directed and Melanie did just that. “Your destination is at the end of the road.”

  Squinting, Melanie looked straight ahead but saw…nothing. There were trees, lots and lots of trees. Slowing down, she approached the end of the pavement and saw a dirt road that led through the trees and a small mailbox hidden in the brush.

  “Charming.” With no other choice, she carefully drove off the pavement and made her way over the bumpy road through the trees. It was like a dense forest and for a minute, she didn’t think she was going to get through it.

  But then she did.

  The field opened up and off to the right was a house—not a cabin. In her mind, Melanie pictured some sort of log cabin, but the structure she was looking at was more stone than log. It was a one-story home with a wraparound porch and a red roof. The yard was completely manicured and the place even looked like it had a fresh coat of paint.

  Since neither she nor her father had any contact with her grandmother, there was no way for them to know about the upkeep on the place. She had tried to question the lawyer, but other than giving her the deed to the house and the keys, he had very little information for her.

  A little beyond the house was a shed. It looked like it was perched on a trailer and it certainly looked a lot newer than the house. Maybe it had been a new addition. Maybe her grandmother hadn’t known she was going to die and was doing some renovations on the property.

  Pulling up to the front of the house, Melanie sighed. She was anxious to go and explore the space and silently prayed she wasn’t going to open the door to some sort of nightmare. Climbing from the car, the first thing she did was stretch. Looking around the property from where she stood, the only thing that was obvious to her was that she had no neighbors—she couldn’t even see another house!

  Pulling the key from her pocket, she closed the car door and carefully walked up the two steps to the front porch. Stopping at the front door, she bounced on her feet and noticed that the floor was in pretty good shape—no creaking and a lot of the wood looked reasonably new.

  Not a bad start, she thought and opened the front door.

  Stopping dead in her tracks, she could only stare. It was dark and dusty and there was a smell that made her want to gag. Not that she was surprised, but it did cause her to spring into action. With a hand over her mouth, she quickly made her way around t
he house opening windows. Next, she went out to her car and grabbed the box of cleaning supplies out of the trunk. Melanie knew a certain amount of cleaning would be involved, but she hadn’t expected quite so much.

  For the next three hours, she scrubbed and dusted and vacuumed and mopped. It didn’t matter that it was thirty degrees outside, and currently pushing that temperature inside thanks to the open windows; she was sweating. Once she was satisfied with the way things looked, she walked outside, grabbed the box of linens and went about making the bed. Next came the groceries and finally her own personal belongings.

  It was dark outside and every inch of Melanie’s body hurt. Slowly she made her way back around the house to close the windows and jacked up the heat. Luckily the fireplace was gas, clearly a recent update. She flipped the switch and sighed with relief when it roared to life and the blower immediately began pushing out heat as well.

  Guzzling down a bottle of water, she looked around with a sense of satisfaction. The house was small, maybe only a thousand square feet, but it had potential. Grabbing a banana from her cooler, she peeled and ate it while contemplating her next move.

  “Shower,” she finally said. “A nice hot shower or maybe a bath.” The latter sounded far more appealing. Locking the front door, Melanie walked to the newly-cleaned bathroom and started the bathwater. It was a fairly decent-sized tub and for that she was grateful. “Bath salts,” she murmured and padded to the master bedroom to search through her toiletry bag.

  Within minutes, the bathroom was steamy and fragrant and Melanie could feel the tension starting to leave her body. Her cell phone rang and she cursed when she realized she had forgotten to call her father when she’d arrived.

  “Hey, Dad!” she said quickly. “Sorry!”

  He chuckled. “Are you all right?”

  “I am. The house was a mess, and once I got inside and looked around, I couldn’t help but start cleaning. I guess I lost track of time.”

  “Have you eaten dinner yet?” he asked expectantly.

  “A banana.”

  “Mel…” he whined. “You have to start taking better care of yourself.”

  “I will. I know. Actually, I’m just getting ready to take a nice hot bath to relax. I promise I’ll eat as soon as I’m done.”