Authors: Fern Michaels

Coming Home for Christmas (20 page)

BOOK: Coming Home for Christmas

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Chapter Five

Candy Lee returned from lunch in the nick of time. Stephanie had managed to eat a few bites of her turkey sandwich between customers. She'd thought the lunch hour would be quiet, but she'd been wrong again. She'd been so bombarded with customers, she hadn't had time to think. Good thing Patrick wasn't there to witness her poor planning. She took a deep breath, exhaled, and smiled at a young mother waiting in line with two small children clinging to her legs. Amanda still did that at times. Stephanie didn't mind, as she wanted to keep the girls sheltered for as long as she could given that the first years of their lives had been plagued by violence and fear.

She looked at her watch. It was almost one o'clock. Melanie had promised to bring the girls by. Stephanie felt a shiver of alarm run up her spine but remembered this was Black Friday. The lift lines were probably as busy as she was. If they weren't here in half an hour or so, she'd call Melanie's cell to check on them. Both girls were natural-born skiers, and Stephanie knew from experience that once they were out on the slopes, it was quite a task to get them to stop for anything. Poor Melanie. She'd take her to dinner and a movie when the holidays were over. Just the two of them. They needed a girls' night out anyway. Maybe she'd invite Grace to join them.

So caught up with the customers coming in and out purchasing everything from lip balm to ski boots, Stephanie glanced at her watch again and was shocked to see that it was already after two o'clock. Worry caused her brow to furrow, but if there was a problem, Melanie knew to call her at the shop. Stephanie continued to ring up sales while Candy Lee restocked and refolded the pile of sweaters on the half-price table. If sales kept up like this, Stephanie might have to call Patrick and take advantage of his offer to send another Maximum Glide employee to her rescue. It was the last thing she wanted to do, but she and Candy Lee could only stretch themselves so thin. Dreading the thought, she looked up as Melanie entered the shop and hurried to the back of the store. Her cheeks were reddened from the wind, her long blond braid hung haphazardly down her back, and her normal cheerful smile was nowhere to be seen.
Emergency potty break,
Stephanie thought as she walked to the back of the store.

“I wondered what happened to you girls. I was about to worry,” Stephanie said. “Where are the girls? I bet they're freezing.” As Stephanie was about to turn around and head for the entrance to tell her daughters to come inside and warm up, Melanie grabbed her arm and prevented her from taking another step.

“Melanie!” Stephanie shrieked. “What's wrong? Where are the girls?”

Melanie looked down at the floor, where puddles of water had pooled around her ski boots. She shook her head from side to side, then looked Stephanie squarely in the face. “I was hoping they would be here with you. I've spent the past two hours looking for them.”

Stephanie felt her heart plummet to her feet and back, then lodge in the back of her throat. She tried to speak but was unable to utter a single word. She shook her head, hoping she'd just imagined what Melanie had said, but the look on her babysitter's face told her she'd heard correctly.

Glenn? It couldn't be!

Melanie must have read her mind. “They're on this mountain somewhere skiing, I'm sure of it; no way did their dad bust out of jail. They were so excited about going on the blue run, I think they simply forgot to wait for me at the appointed area. I saw them ski all the way down, then I lost sight of them for what couldn't have been more than two or three minutes. By the time I got to the meeting point, they were nowhere to be found.”

Stephanie felt as though she would simply die. Just die and be done with it. But she wasn't a quitter, especially where her children were concerned. She'd been this route before and would do whatever she had to do to protect her daughters. She wanted to strangle Melanie, but her anger would have to wait. She had to find her children before it was too late. Just minutes ago, she'd heard a snow report, and it didn't sound good. She'd heard a few customers saying they'd heard the lifts were going to close early if the snow report held true.

Springing into action, Stephanie raced to the office, where she grabbed her old skis, poles, and boots. She knew this mountain like the back of her hand. If her girls were lost, she wasn't going to wait around. She was going to find them no matter how long it took. She raced out of the office, shouting to Candy Lee over her shoulder. “There's an emergency. Call Patrick and tell him to send someone over to help you. The girls are lost on the mountain!”

Melanie raced after her. “Stephanie, you can't go out in this weather. The storm is moving in faster than the forecasters anticipated. I've contacted the ski patrol, and they're all out searching for them. They'll need their mother once they're found.”

As Stephanie raced out the back door to the snowy parking area, she stopped to lay her skis down on the crusted snow on the path that would lead her to the lifts. She shot a quick glance at Melanie and saw thick tears streaming down her face and knew she was as concerned for the girls' safety as she was. She leaned in to give her a quick hug. “I can't
not
search for them, Melanie. They're all I have,” Stephanie said as she buckled her ski boots and slid her boots into the skis' binding. After she heard the required click letting her know her boots were fitted securely into her skis, she pushed away from Melanie, heading to the lift. She poled as fast as she could through the clumps of ice and brown slush. An injury was the last thing she needed.

Arriving at lift number one, Stephanie practically soared to the chair, where she was met by a young boy of no more than eighteen. She'd seen him around but couldn't recall his name.

“We're closing the lifts. Sorry,” he said as he stood in front of the chair Stephanie was preparing to get on.

She shook her head. “No, I have to get up there. My girls are lost. The ski patrol is looking for them now.” Stephanie saw the look of indecision on the boy's face. “Look, I won't tell anyone you let me ride up to the mountain in these conditions. I have to get up there, please!” Stephanie shouted. Giant flakes of snow scattered across her cheeks as she stared at the boy. Apparently he decided her request was worth the risk because he went inside his minibooth, and the chair began to move slowly.

A million thoughts went through her mind as the lift made its climb to the top of the mountain. What if they couldn't find the girls in time? With the weather conditions worsening by the minute, they wouldn't last long in this cold. Stephanie knew Ashley understood basic survival skills, as she'd insisted that Ashley take a junior mountain-survival class last year when the child had pleaded with her, telling Stephanie she was old enough to ski the green runs alone. They'd compromised. Ashley took the class and was allowed to ski certain green runs, but she had to take Stephanie's cell phone with her. Why hadn't she thought to get the girls phones of their own? They could have called for help. The reception on the mountain was excellent, so there wasn't an issue about lack of coverage. Why in the world hadn't she provided both girls with such a necessity? She remembered when she first arrived at Hope House. Grace had insisted she take a cell phone, saying she gave them to all the women at Hope House just in case they needed to dial 911. Why, why,
why
had she been so irresponsible? Money, she thought as she shivered in the bone-chilling air. She'd been so intent on giving the girls a home of their own, she'd lost sight of their other wants and needs. Ashley had asked for a cell phone months ago, and Stephanie had dismissed it, telling her she was too young for a phone of her own, saying it was an added expense that she didn't need. How she wished she'd given in! As they say, hindsight is twenty-twenty. Little good it did her to dwell on what she should've done. Now all she wanted was to find both of her daughters safe and sound. She gave a silent prayer.
Please let them be safe. I'll equip them both with GPS if I find them safe and unharmed.

The lift came to a slow stop at the top of the mountain. Stephanie practically jumped out of the chair. She whipped down the trail, making the twists and turns from memory, as the snow was coming down heavier by the minute. She wiped her hand across her goggles just in time to get a decent look at the bowl where Melanie had last seen the girls. She knew the girls would never attempt to ski a black diamond trail, so she followed Melanie's route, hoping and
praying
that she would magically find her girls hiding behind a snowdrift, visible only to her. She'd bring them back to the Snow Zone, where they'd sip hot chocolate
,
warm their hands with the chemical hand warmers they sold at the shop, all the while relaying to Candy Lee how brave they had been. If only, Stephanie thought as she traversed down the last quarter mile of the run, with still no sign of her children. She stopped every few minutes to call out their names, only to have her voice drowned out by the turbulent sound of the wind as it whipped through the towering evergreens.

Tears stung her eyes, freezing against her windburned cheeks as she continued to ski in areas that she knew were off-limits for the girls, but at this point she'd have skied down Mount Everest blindfolded if she thought it would bring her girls back. The late-afternoon sky was overcast, the light flat and indistinct, the snowfall heavy and thick, making visibility almost nil. These were blizzard conditions, Stephanie thought. Why hadn't she paid closer attention to the weather forecast? Why had she even allowed the girls on the slopes, knowing how packed they would be? She was stupid, her skill as a parent equivalent to that of a teenage babysitter. Her throat was dry, and her heart pounded in her chest as she used every ounce of energy she had left to pole her way back to the lift. She'd seen the chairs as they hung suspended from the heavy-duty cables, empty of passengers. Knowing the lifts were closed wasn't going to stop her. She'd borrow a snowmobile from the ski patrol. She was not leaving this mountain until she found Amanda and Ashley.

Alive.
The word skittered through her brain.
Alive. Alive. Alive.
From out of nowhere, Stephanie was filled with a complete and utter sense of peace and well-being. Without knowing why, she suddenly knew her girls were alive. And not only were they alive, but they were fine.

Somewhat shocked by the epiphany she'd just experienced, she debated her next move. With the temperature dropping into negative numbers, Stephanie stopped in the middle of the storm, took a deep breath, and prayed for a higher power to guide her in the right direction. As though controlled by an outside force, she pointed her ski tips in the direction of Snow Zone, where she saw a crowd gathered outside its doors. Briefly, she wondered how anyone could possibly shop when her girls were missing, but then common sense took over. These people had no idea where her children were. For that matter, Stephanie was sure they didn't have a clue about her or her life. And why should they? She was nothing more than a shop manager who couldn't seem to keep tabs on two small children.

Beyond cold and knowing she needed to check in with the ski patrol, Stephanie skied as far as the snow allowed before she stopped to remove her skis, leaving them in the middle of the parking lot. Not wanting to disturb the crowd gathered at the front door, she used the employee entrance. Inside, she hurried to her office, where she dialed the emergency number for the ski patrol. The line rang a dozen times before a recorded message told her to dial 911 if this was a true emergency. What the heck? Wasn't someone supposed to be there manning the phones in case of an emergency? Wasn't that the entire point of having a ski patrol? Were they out searching for the girls? She hit the END button on the phone, then saw her black leather, fur lined boots, which she'd tossed under her desk. She quickly pulled off her ski boots, changed out of her damp socks into a dry pair, and crammed her feet into her warm boots before heading to the front of the store, where dozens of people stood in a semicircle. She would ask Candy Lee if she'd heard anything, then she would go to the ski patrol office to see if there was anyone there with any news of the girls. This was beyond a nightmare. The girls should be enjoying their Christmas vacation. They'd been so excited about tonight's tree-lighting ceremony. How could a day that started out so perfect turn into one so horrid? It actually caused her physical pain to think beyond the
what ifs
and the
if onlys.
She couldn't even imagine life without her children.

She wouldn't go there!
She couldn't.

Stephanie hurried to the front of the store, where she found Candy Lee and Melanie . . .
smiling.

How could they even think about smiling at a time like this? She was about to ask that very question when she saw what or rather whom they were smiling at.

Her girls.

Sipping cups of hot chocolate.

Chapter Six

Stephanie was momentarily stunned when she saw Amanda and Ashley seated behind the counter. “Thank goodness you're both okay! What happened? Where, who?” Stephanie cried out. She glanced around her, only to discover Patrick, along with several Maximum Glide employees, grinning from ear to ear. Apparently the two mischief makers had a story to tell.

Overwhelmed by the sheer relief of seeing her daughters safe and sound, Stephanie forced her way behind the counter. Not caring that she was being watched by several dozen strangers, she wrapped an arm around each of her daughters. Tears of relief streamed down her face, and her heart sang with delight as she breathed in the scent she knew and loved so well. The sweet smell of Johnson's Baby Shampoo clung to their long, dark hair. Stephanie gloried in the moment as she recalled her vision of her daughters being alive and well. It had happened exactly as she knew it would. She would leave it at that. After all, it was Christmas, and she still believed in miracles.

Candy Lee handed her a wad of tissues along with a piping-hot mug of cocoa. “You're gonna need this,” she said.

Stephanie wiped the tears from her eyes, then took a sip of her drink. “Okay, now I think it's time I heard exactly what happened out on that mountain today.”

“Patrick saved us, Mommy! He really did, then he cried,” Amanda said. “Right, Ashley?”

Those were the last words Stephanie expected to hear. She caught Patrick's gaze across the group that had gathered around the girls. He smiled. Sort of. Joy bubbled up inside her like an overflowing fountain. She smiled back.

“I don't think he was crying. I think it was just the cold air,” Ashley stated matter-of-factly in the way that only a ten-year-old can.

Patrick edged through the crowd, stopping when he reached the girls. “Why don't you tell your mother what happened out on that mountain today. I think she'll be very proud of you two,” he added. “And it might help to keep you both out of trouble,” he went on, grinning from ear to ear.

Amanda spoke up, “Are we in trouble? I sure hope not 'cause I still want to go to that tree-lighting thing. We can still go, right, Mommy?”

Using a firm-yet-gentle tone, Stephanie explained, “A lot of people were worried about you two today. Right now, I want to know what happened, then we will think about the Christmas tree lighting.”

Ashley started to speak, then hesitated as the crowd gathered closer. Suddenly, she seemed bashful, almost as though she were afraid.

Patrick observed her hesitancy. In a boisterous voice, he spoke directly to the group. “I think Ashley feels a bit overwhelmed. If you're not here to shop, why don't we give the little lady a few minutes with her mother. As most of you know, these children have been through quite an ordeal.” Patrick paused as he waited for the crowd to disperse. At least two dozen people left the shop, but not before wishing the girls good luck and congratulating them on a job well-done. The remaining few were Maximum Glide employees. Patrick turned to Stephanie. “If you don't mind, a few of my employees would like to stay and hear the rest of the story since they were part of the search party.”

Stephanie looked at Ashley. “Only if you're okay with this?” If she didn't find out soon what her daughters had been involved in, she would take them to her office, where they could have a few moments of privacy.

“I'm okay with it, Mom,” Ashley replied.

“Then spill the beans because I don't think I can wait another minute. I've been beside myself with worry the past hour,” Stephanie said, in hopes that this would hurry along what was becoming quite a lengthy process.

“We were waiting for Melanie at the sign, but then me and Amanda heard this really loud crying sound. It was by that building where they keep those giant machines that smooth out the snow.” Ashley smiled. “Then we just followed the crying. It was inside the building, so we weren't really cold, but Amanda had to use the potty in the corner.”

“And there wasn't anyplace to wash my hands either, so I just . . . didn't,” Amanda offered.

Laughter pealed from the employees as they listened.

“Go on,” Stephanie encouraged.

“We heard where the crying noise came from.” Ashley looked at Patrick. “She's gonna be okay, right?”

“Thanks to you and your sister she is,” Patrick said. “Now don't keep your mom waiting any longer.”

“Once we were inside the building, we just followed the cries. And that's when we found the mommy dog. She was so sad, her eyes had that look you know? So we just waited for her to stop crying, but then I saw a little baby puppy, and there was another one that was trying to . . . get out of the mommy's belly. That's why she was crying 'cause it was hurting her so bad. Amanda covered the baby pup up with her ski jacket.”

“And I rubbed her head, too,” Amanda informed them.

Ashley laughed at her little sister. “And the puppy was fine. But the mommy was still crying, and that's when I helped her out, sort of.”

Stephanie wasn't sure what was coming next, but something told her it was about to make her day.

“I watched those little tiger cubs on Animal Planet. That man helped take the cubs out with his hands, so I just did what he did, and another puppy came out, and the mommy stopped crying. She licked the puppy, and we gave her our granola bars. Amanda and me melted some snow and gave it to her to drink. So once the mommy had both of her pups, she just licked 'em, then she fed 'em. We put our jackets on them, so they wouldn't freeze. I wanted to leave to find Melanie so she could help us with the dogs, but when I peeked out of the shed, I didn't see her anywhere. The snow was really pouring out of the sky by then. And I remembered what I learned in my survival class. They taught us to stay where there was shelter, and, well, that's what we did.” Ashley told the story as if it were something a ten and seven-year-old did every day.

The employees applauded loudly, some calling out to Ashley “Way to go!” “You're a hero!” “You can ski with me anytime!”

Ashley appeared surprised by all the attention, so she just smiled as some of the employees stopped to give her a hug before they left. Stephanie watched in amazement as her daughter accepted their thanks in stride as though this were a normal, everyday event. Stephanie wasn't sure exactly what to think right then. How was it possible that her ten-year-old daughter had delivered a puppy? And not only that, she remembered what to do in an emergency situation while in a snowstorm. Tears pooled once again. She was extremely proud of both girls for using their heads in this situation when most children their age wouldn't have had a clue as to what to do. And where and how did Patrick fit into the picture?

“I can't tell you how proud I am of you both. I'm sure the dog was grateful you two showed up when you did, but that still doesn't get either of you off the hook for not waiting for Melanie. She was worried about you, and so was I. You both know how I feel about knowing where you are at all times, right?”

The girls nodded in unison.

“But what about helping others? Didn't you tell us that's what good, decent people do?” Ashley asked, a puzzled look on her face.

Oh boy.
Stephanie didn't think now was the time to get into the moral of this lesson. She would wait until they were home, where they could discuss this in private. For the moment, she was simply relieved that they were alive and didn't seem to be fazed in the least by their experience.

Stephanie needed to know Patrick's role in finding her daughters. Since it didn't appear as though he wanted to tell his side of the story, she turned to face him. For a second, she was flustered. He was so sexy, with his windblown raven black hair just a shade too long. And those blue eyes. Well she knew she could drown in them if given the opportunity, but it wasn't the time. “How did you find the girls? And before you say anything, let me say thank you.”

Patrick chuckled. “It was by sheer luck, trust me. When Candy Lee called me and told me they were missing, and with the storm worsening by the minute, I didn't want to take a chance on using the snowmobiles. I took the lift up to the garage, where we store the Snow Cats. I found them there caring for the dogs. I loaded the pups and the girls into the cab, and brought them here before dropping the dogs off with a friend of mine who's a veterinarian. I stopped back by to make sure you'd found them. End of story.”

“I can't thank you enough. I was beside myself with worry,” Stephanie said, then stopped. “I know you don't have children, so you probably haven't a clue what it feels like knowing you might not see them again, so thanks, Patrick. You can't imagine how much this means to me.”

“As long as you don't get any funny ideas about the future,” he said.

Shock at his remark yielded quickly to anger. Not caring that he was her boss, and not caring that he was the man who'd just saved her daughters from being stuck out in a blizzard, Stephanie found she was practically breathless with rage. How dare he? And in front of her daughters, Candy Lee, and Melanie! She swallowed the vile words she wanted to sling at him before she made a fool of herself. Taking a breath, as much as she was able to, Stephanie spoke, letting her eyes convey the outrage and fury she felt. “Mr. O'Brien, trust me, any âfunny ideas' I may have had about you have been completely erased from my memory. If you don't mind, I'm going to take my girls home so they can change their clothes, then we're going to the Christmas tree lighting.” She walked to the front of the store, where she flipped the
OPEN
sign to
CLOSED
.

“You can't do that! We've got two more hours before it's time to close up shop. In spite of what you may think, there are people still out there who might want to visit the shop before they call it a day. You can't just leave. There is money to be made, and I expect you to stay here and do your job. Or else,” he added.

Knowing Patrick had about as much tact as a rattlesnake didn't excuse his smart-ass comments, and for once in her life, Stephanie refused to allow a man to browbeat her into submitting to his demands. Without giving it another thought, she shot back, “Or else what?”

She knew her remark caught him off guard just by looking at him. His nostrils flared like those of an angry stallion. She was familiar with Patrick's reputation as a tough and demanding boss, but that didn't prepare her for the words that spewed from his mouth.

He rubbed the dark stubble on his chin and lowered his voice. Standing as close to her as possible, he said, “Or else this. How about you take the next four weeks off work. Spend some quality time with your children.”

Stephanie felt the blood rush to her head, settling in her temples only to pound like a jackhammer.

Before she even had a chance to respond, Patrick leaned next to her, and whispered in her ear, “Without pay.”

BOOK: Coming Home for Christmas

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