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 Page B
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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so old?”
“I’m almost eighteen now. I know a thing or two.”
“Let’s just hope you don’t know too much,” Paul teased.
Daniel draped an affectionate arm around his father. It struck Paul that Daniel was nearly as tall as he was, six foot one. He’d likely surpass him in height by this time next year. “I’m going to college in the fall, you know.”
Paul met his son’s gaze with a mixture of pride and melancholy. Daniel had been accepted to Brown, Paul’s alma mater, and would be leaving the nest soon. “I know, and I’m going to miss you.”
Daniel tugged his dad toward him in a one-armed hug. “Maybe you should, you know?” He lifted his brow.
“What?” Paul asked, perplexed.
“Think about getting a life of your own.”
“I have a life.”
“No. You have a business.”
“And business is good. So good that I’m thinking of giving it up, in fact.”
Daniel removed his arm with a start. “What are you saying?”
Paul walked to the window beside the huge stone fireplace crowned with an enormous moose head. Snow beat down furiously outdoors, coating the pines surrounding a frozen lake. Snowmobilers blazed trails across its glassy surface, while ice skaters pirouetted in the rink abutting Pruett’s Barn. “I’m selling the inn.”
“
Selling?
But, Dad, you can’t!”
Paul faced his son, who ran a hand through his hair.
“Found a nice little place up in Montreal. Nice and peaceful, overlooking the water.”
“Canada? You must be joking. Things are tough enough for Amy and me as it is with me going off to Rhode Island. How do you think it will work with me gone summers and breaks too?”
“I’ll fly you—and Amy—up whenever you want. Besides, your grandma’s still in Greenville. I’m sure she’ll make a place for you if ever you get the hankering to visit.”
Daniel set his hands on his hips, then hung his head. “I can’t believe you’d sell this place, after all this time.”
“Aren’t you the one who was just telling me to get a life?”
Daniel looked up. “I meant, in
America
.”
“Things will all work out, you’ll see.”
“Yeah, sure.”
“In the meantime,” Paul said, jerking a thumb toward the window, “the powder’s looking awfully good out there.”
Daniel cocked his chin in a challenge. “Don’t make me embarrass you, now.”
Paul chuckled aloud. “I wouldn’t go counting any chickens before they hatch, if I were you.”
One hour later, they were all suited up and on the ice, mounting matching snowmobiles. “Ready to ride?” Daniel asked as snow streaked down hard.
“More ready than you know!” Paul revved his engine, then took off, gunning it across the lake.
Daniel flipped down his goggles and raced after him. “Hey!”
“Whoo-hoo! Yes, sir!” Paul whooped, zipping along. He glanced over his shoulder to see Daniel in hot pursuit.
Daniel gritted his teeth and lowered his shoulders, leaning into the wind. “You asked for it, old man!” He unleashed his machine’s full force, zooming past his dad and kicking up a blast of powder.
He skidded to a halt at the edge of the lake and waited, panting.
Paul pulled up beside him and cut his engine with a big, bold grin.
“What are you so happy about?” Daniel asked, surprised. “I just kicked your tail.”
Paul wryly twisted his lips. “Just proves I’m a good teacher.” He flipped his vehicle around. “Best two out of three?”
“All ri—”
Paul lowered his goggles and took off again before Daniel was ready.
“Argh!” Daniel cried, chasing after him through the blasting snow.
Chapter Two
The following week, Ashley used her sweater sleeve to wipe the fog off the airplane window. Icy snow slapped against it as the buildings of Boston below came into hazy focus.
“I hope we got a four-wheel drive,” Will said, looking up from his smart phone.
Carol gripped the metal armrests framing her airline seat. She’d never liked flying, especially in bad
“I’m almost eighteen now. I know a thing or two.”
“Let’s just hope you don’t know too much,” Paul teased.
Daniel draped an affectionate arm around his father. It struck Paul that Daniel was nearly as tall as he was, six foot one. He’d likely surpass him in height by this time next year. “I’m going to college in the fall, you know.”
Paul met his son’s gaze with a mixture of pride and melancholy. Daniel had been accepted to Brown, Paul’s alma mater, and would be leaving the nest soon. “I know, and I’m going to miss you.”
Daniel tugged his dad toward him in a one-armed hug. “Maybe you should, you know?” He lifted his brow.
“What?” Paul asked, perplexed.
“Think about getting a life of your own.”
“I have a life.”
“No. You have a business.”
“And business is good. So good that I’m thinking of giving it up, in fact.”
Daniel removed his arm with a start. “What are you saying?”
Paul walked to the window beside the huge stone fireplace crowned with an enormous moose head. Snow beat down furiously outdoors, coating the pines surrounding a frozen lake. Snowmobilers blazed trails across its glassy surface, while ice skaters pirouetted in the rink abutting Pruett’s Barn. “I’m selling the inn.”
“
Selling?
But, Dad, you can’t!”
Paul faced his son, who ran a hand through his hair.
“Found a nice little place up in Montreal. Nice and peaceful, overlooking the water.”
“Canada? You must be joking. Things are tough enough for Amy and me as it is with me going off to Rhode Island. How do you think it will work with me gone summers and breaks too?”
“I’ll fly you—and Amy—up whenever you want. Besides, your grandma’s still in Greenville. I’m sure she’ll make a place for you if ever you get the hankering to visit.”
Daniel set his hands on his hips, then hung his head. “I can’t believe you’d sell this place, after all this time.”
“Aren’t you the one who was just telling me to get a life?”
Daniel looked up. “I meant, in
America
.”
“Things will all work out, you’ll see.”
“Yeah, sure.”
“In the meantime,” Paul said, jerking a thumb toward the window, “the powder’s looking awfully good out there.”
Daniel cocked his chin in a challenge. “Don’t make me embarrass you, now.”
Paul chuckled aloud. “I wouldn’t go counting any chickens before they hatch, if I were you.”
One hour later, they were all suited up and on the ice, mounting matching snowmobiles. “Ready to ride?” Daniel asked as snow streaked down hard.
“More ready than you know!” Paul revved his engine, then took off, gunning it across the lake.
Daniel flipped down his goggles and raced after him. “Hey!”
“Whoo-hoo! Yes, sir!” Paul whooped, zipping along. He glanced over his shoulder to see Daniel in hot pursuit.
Daniel gritted his teeth and lowered his shoulders, leaning into the wind. “You asked for it, old man!” He unleashed his machine’s full force, zooming past his dad and kicking up a blast of powder.
He skidded to a halt at the edge of the lake and waited, panting.
Paul pulled up beside him and cut his engine with a big, bold grin.
“What are you so happy about?” Daniel asked, surprised. “I just kicked your tail.”
Paul wryly twisted his lips. “Just proves I’m a good teacher.” He flipped his vehicle around. “Best two out of three?”
“All ri—”
Paul lowered his goggles and took off again before Daniel was ready.
“Argh!” Daniel cried, chasing after him through the blasting snow.
Chapter Two
The following week, Ashley used her sweater sleeve to wipe the fog off the airplane window. Icy snow slapped against it as the buildings of Boston below came into hazy focus.
“I hope we got a four-wheel drive,” Will said, looking up from his smart phone.
Carol gripped the metal armrests framing her airline seat. She’d never liked flying, especially in bad
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