Sweet Christmas Kisses by Ginny Baird, Grace Greene, Donna Fasano, Helen Scott Taylor, Beate Boeker, Melinda Curtis, Denise Devine, Raine English, Aileen Fish, Patricia Forsythe, Mona Risk, Roxanne Rustand, Magdalena Scott, Kristin Wallace
Authors: Ginny Baird, Grace Greene, Donna Fasano, Helen Scott Taylor, Beate Boeker, Melinda Curtis, Denise Devine, Raine English, Aileen Fish, Patricia Forsythe, Mona Risk, Roxanne Rustand, Magdalena Scott, Kristin Wallace
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vacation?” he asked, motioning to the brochure on the table.
Ashley took it in her hands, fanning it open. “The Love Inn?” she said with a big, broad smile. “Sounds sweet!”
Will polished off his sandwich, peering over her shoulder. “Yeah, Mom, look. They’ve even got dog sledding.”
Yes, Carol had looked in to that, and its incumbent price tag. She could nowhere afford that kind of fun on her public-schoolteacher’s salary. “Dog sledding’s expensive,” she said with a sympathetic smile. “I’m afraid we can’t swing that this year. In fact, we won’t be making it to Maine at all.”
Ashley shot her a worried look. “But you said we were going skiing.”
“Yes, honey, and we will,” Carol said brightly, producing a new pamphlet. “In Asheville!”
Her kids’ faces fell as they studied the dismal brown condos hugging the side of a craggy mountain. Their placement looked Photoshopped as log-shaped lettering proclaimed:
Discount Family Vacations.
Lightning crackled outside, and the sky opened up in a downpour.
“Oh,” Ashley said with a frown.
“For Maine, we’d have to buy airline tickets,” Carol explained. “Asheville’s within driving distance.”
“Looks cool, Mom. Really.” Will nudged his sister.
“Yeah,” Ashley said, brightening. “I’m sure it will be great.”
Just then, the doorbell rang. Carol glanced down at her sweatshirt and jeans. She’d been so busy grading papers, she hadn’t even bothered to put on makeup today. “Are you two expecting anybody?”
Will and Ashley shrugged and shook their heads.
“Probably just a delivery person,” Carol said, straightening her short brown ponytail.
Carol pulled open the front door to find a curly-headed man holding Christmas packages. Behind him, rain came down in droves.
“Hi, Carol, nice to see you.”
“Jim.” Her stomach clenched, making her feel ill all over. “You could have called.”
“I thought I’d surprise the kids on my way to the airport.”
Carol noted his dark sports car parked in the drive. A stunning, young blonde waited inside. Naturally, Jim was headed to the airport. He and Brenda hadn’t stopped traveling since they’d hooked up. When he’d been married to Carol, he’d never taken her anywhere.
“Is that Daddy?” Ashley called from inside. She rushed out on the porch and wrapped her arms around him. “Daddy, it
is
you!” she said with a happy laugh. “Come in the house. You’re getting wet!”
“Merry Christmas, angel,” he said with a happy grin.
Carol burned to rail at him for every single Christmas, birthday, and special event he’d missed. Instead, she pressed her lips together and cleared the way for him to walk indoors.
Will ambled in from the next room and cast his dad a wary eye.
“How you doing, son?” Jim asked in a jovial tone.
Will’s gaze panned out the door seconds before Carol shut it. He’d obviously seen the sports car too. “We’re headed out of town ourselves,” he said, his gaze back on his father’s.
Jim turned toward Carol. “That so?”
“Where are you going, Daddy?” Ashley wanted to know.
Jim chortled, apparently pleased with himself. “Brenda and I are headed down to St. John, little island in the Caribbean.”
“That sounds nice,” Ashley said, in all her innocence.
Carol squared her shoulders and spoke resolutely. “I’d prefer a white Christmas myself.”
Jim stared at her, then glanced at the kids. “Just where is it you’re off to?”
“Ash—” Will began, before Carol cut him off.
“Actually, we’re going to Maine!” She didn’t know why she’d blurted that out, but suddenly she’d been unable to stop herself. There stood Jim, with his expensive new car and high-maintenance wife, bragging…
bragging
… to them all about yet another extravagant vacation he would take. Well, she could be extravagant too, couldn’t she? Her kids were worth it. Didn’t matter how long it might take to pay down the
Ashley took it in her hands, fanning it open. “The Love Inn?” she said with a big, broad smile. “Sounds sweet!”
Will polished off his sandwich, peering over her shoulder. “Yeah, Mom, look. They’ve even got dog sledding.”
Yes, Carol had looked in to that, and its incumbent price tag. She could nowhere afford that kind of fun on her public-schoolteacher’s salary. “Dog sledding’s expensive,” she said with a sympathetic smile. “I’m afraid we can’t swing that this year. In fact, we won’t be making it to Maine at all.”
Ashley shot her a worried look. “But you said we were going skiing.”
“Yes, honey, and we will,” Carol said brightly, producing a new pamphlet. “In Asheville!”
Her kids’ faces fell as they studied the dismal brown condos hugging the side of a craggy mountain. Their placement looked Photoshopped as log-shaped lettering proclaimed:
Discount Family Vacations.
Lightning crackled outside, and the sky opened up in a downpour.
“Oh,” Ashley said with a frown.
“For Maine, we’d have to buy airline tickets,” Carol explained. “Asheville’s within driving distance.”
“Looks cool, Mom. Really.” Will nudged his sister.
“Yeah,” Ashley said, brightening. “I’m sure it will be great.”
Just then, the doorbell rang. Carol glanced down at her sweatshirt and jeans. She’d been so busy grading papers, she hadn’t even bothered to put on makeup today. “Are you two expecting anybody?”
Will and Ashley shrugged and shook their heads.
“Probably just a delivery person,” Carol said, straightening her short brown ponytail.
Carol pulled open the front door to find a curly-headed man holding Christmas packages. Behind him, rain came down in droves.
“Hi, Carol, nice to see you.”
“Jim.” Her stomach clenched, making her feel ill all over. “You could have called.”
“I thought I’d surprise the kids on my way to the airport.”
Carol noted his dark sports car parked in the drive. A stunning, young blonde waited inside. Naturally, Jim was headed to the airport. He and Brenda hadn’t stopped traveling since they’d hooked up. When he’d been married to Carol, he’d never taken her anywhere.
“Is that Daddy?” Ashley called from inside. She rushed out on the porch and wrapped her arms around him. “Daddy, it
is
you!” she said with a happy laugh. “Come in the house. You’re getting wet!”
“Merry Christmas, angel,” he said with a happy grin.
Carol burned to rail at him for every single Christmas, birthday, and special event he’d missed. Instead, she pressed her lips together and cleared the way for him to walk indoors.
Will ambled in from the next room and cast his dad a wary eye.
“How you doing, son?” Jim asked in a jovial tone.
Will’s gaze panned out the door seconds before Carol shut it. He’d obviously seen the sports car too. “We’re headed out of town ourselves,” he said, his gaze back on his father’s.
Jim turned toward Carol. “That so?”
“Where are you going, Daddy?” Ashley wanted to know.
Jim chortled, apparently pleased with himself. “Brenda and I are headed down to St. John, little island in the Caribbean.”
“That sounds nice,” Ashley said, in all her innocence.
Carol squared her shoulders and spoke resolutely. “I’d prefer a white Christmas myself.”
Jim stared at her, then glanced at the kids. “Just where is it you’re off to?”
“Ash—” Will began, before Carol cut him off.
“Actually, we’re going to Maine!” She didn’t know why she’d blurted that out, but suddenly she’d been unable to stop herself. There stood Jim, with his expensive new car and high-maintenance wife, bragging…
bragging
… to them all about yet another extravagant vacation he would take. Well, she could be extravagant too, couldn’t she? Her kids were worth it. Didn’t matter how long it might take to pay down the
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