Snow Angels (5 page)

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.

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 teenager. 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.

“Mom, we’ve talked about this before. I’m not getting any younger. If a child and marriage aren’t in my future, then please allow me to spoil and love those I can.”

Juanita looked at her daughter, tears filling her matching green eyes. “I don’t know how I raised such a wonderful and wise woman, but I did. Come here,” her mother said. Grace stepped into Juanita’s loving embrace.

“I just followed your lead, Mom.”

“Oh, I don’t know about that. I don’t think I was ever brave enough to do some of the things you do, dear. Have I ever told you how proud I am of you? All the women and children you’ve helped throughout the years. Your father would be so proud of you.”

“Stop it, or I’ll get all teary-eyed and ruin my mascara,” Grace said with a grin. “You know how clumsy I am when it comes to putting on makeup.”

“Oh, go on. Let me get these packages wrapped before Bryce discovers what I’m doing. You know what a sneak he can be.”

“I’ll keep him occupied downstairs while you’re wrapping. Hide them under the bed when you’re finished.”

“Good thinking.”

Downstairs, Grace found Bryce where else but snooping into the fridge. “Is that all you do?”

“What?” He shot her his all-American smile. Bryce was as handsome as their father had been, with his coal black hair and dark eyes. He’d just completed the requirements for his Ph.D. in history, same subject as their father, who’d been a professor at the University of Colorado. Starting in January, he would tackle his first real teaching job at the same college. Seeing Bryce all grown-up would have made her father proud. He’d died of a massive heart attack when Bryce was sixteen.

“Every time I look at you, you’re eating,” Grace teased.

“Hey, I’m a growing boy. I haven’t had real food in ages. I wish I could cook.”

“Then I’ll make sure to get you a cookbook for Christmas.”

“Thanks, Sis. I can always count on you to be practical,” Bryce said between bites of banana nut bread.

“You better save some of that for the girls. And what’s that supposed to mean?”

Bryce poured a large glass of milk, downed it, then answered, “Just that you’ve always been the more practical one. That’s not a bad thing to be, Gracie.”

Suddenly, Grace wanted to cry. Good old practical Grace. Tears shimmered in her eyes. “Think that’s why no one ever…well, you know, fell head over heels in love with me?” Grace could ask Bryce anything, and she could count on him to tell her the truth.

“Probably. Or they never thought they were good enough. My money’s on the latter.” Bryce winked at her.

“You’re a good brother, you know that?” Grace wrapped him in a hug. Though she was older by six years, he was twice her size, a rock of solid muscle. Years on the ski slopes had guaranteed that.

Which made her think of Max. “Remember that guy you used to go all gaga over? The Olympic skier?” Grace wasn’t sure if he would remember, but she wanted to see if it was possible if Bryce knew anything about Max, other than what had been in the news during his career.

“Max Jorgenson? Darn straight I remember him. As a matter of fact, some of the guys and I are going to Maximum Glide next week. Jorgenson owns the resort. Why? You thinking of taking up skiing?”

“I might. I was just curious. I don’t know if Mom mentioned it or not, but I…uh, spent the night at his house.” Grace grinned when she saw how big Bryce’s eyes got. They looked like two giant black holes.

“What do you mean, you ‘spent the night at his house’?”

Grace swatted him with a kitchen towel. “Not spent the night like the way you’re thinking. When I was coming home from Eagle Valley Friday night, I was detoured by the local cops. The snow was so bad I couldn’t see, my cell phone wasn’t charged, long story short, I wound up knocking on his door at two in the morning. Amanda and Ashley were with me.”

“Maybe I was wrong when I used the word ‘practical.’ ‘Sneaky’ might be better.”

“Stop it! I knew you were a big fan when you were in junior high, just thought you might want to know.”

“So that’s it? Did you two do…anything?” Bryce asked, his eyes downcast, a grin the size of Texas spreading across his face.

“Why you little shit!” Grace laughed so hard she lost her breath. Of course, that was when her mother chose to make her grand entrance.

“Grace, I haven’t seen you laugh that hard since you wrote ‘I love you’ on all of your brother’s Valentine cards.”

“Oh my gosh, I did do that, didn’t I?” She folded over laughing as she remembered when Bryce was in the fourth grade. He came home from school swearing he wouldn’t ever return because all the girls thought he liked them. It’d been a rotten thing to do, but Grace and her mother both had told Bryce a dozen times to write out his Valentine cards for his classmates. When Grace offered to do them for him, she decided to play a joke by writing ‘I love you’ on all the cards for the girls in his class. He’d never let her live it down.

“Yes, and to this day Ramona Clark still has the hots for me.”

“What’s wrong with that?” Grace asked.

“She weighs about four hundred pounds, that’s all. Nice girl, but not my type.”

“What is your type, Bryce? Mother and I would love to know. Wouldn’t we, Mom?” Grace asked teasingly.

“Well, I suppose this is one of those times when I need to leave the room. So I can eavesdrop.”

They were all laughing when Stephanie brought the girls to the kitchen. “They’re hungry again, Miss Grace. I don’t know how I’ll ever repay you. The food bill alone will take me years. They just might eat you out of house and home.”

“Nonsense! They’re growing girls. I was just telling Bryce what a pig…how nice it is to see someone eat all these baked goods.” She winked at Stephanie.

“How about peanut butter with strawberry jam on a slice of banana nut bread?” Grace suggested.

“Yummy, Miss Grace,” Amanda said.

“Yeah,” Ashley added with less enthusiasm.

Grace made sandwiches for the girls while Stephanie fixed each a glass of chocolate milk. Grace would never allow anyone who came to Hope House to go hungry. Many of the women and children who passed through Hope House came to her not only helpless and beaten down. Often they were hungry as well. In many of the so-called homes, food hadn’t been a priority. Grace was sure the girls hadn’t had enough to eat because when they had first arrived, they were skin and bones. Though they were still on the thin side, Grace was glad to see some pink in their cheeks, and their eyes were much brighter. It still amazed her how a loving, caring touch could change one’s life.

Which brought her back to her conversation with Bryce. Practical? Is that what had turned Max off after that kiss? The kiss that took her breath away. The kiss that was unlike any she’d ever experienced. The kiss that almost knocked her whole world askew. Was she a practical kisser doomed to be denied all the passion and romance she’d secretly read about in all the romance novels she hid in her room? She laughed. Love and romance of that nature was pure fiction.

“When will it be time to decorate the tree, Miss Grace?” Amanda asked when she finished her sandwich.

“As soon as your sister is finished, we’ll get started.” Grace smiled at the girls. When they had returned yesterday afternoon from their adventure, she’d taken them to Jingle Bells and More, one of her favorite Christmas shops in Gypsum, where she’d purchased several Dora the Explorer ornaments for Amanda and
High School Musical
ornaments that all her friends back home would love for Ashley. She’d enjoyed seeing the looks on their faces each time she said yes to their, “Can we buy this one?” The trip had cost her a bit more than she’d budgeted for, but the delight she’d seen in their eyes was worth every penny.

“I’m finished,” Ashley called out loudly.

All the adults laughed.

“Then let’s get started,” Grace encouraged them.

Three hours later, the twelve-foot spruce sparkled with red, green, and white lights, the ornaments she’d bought for the girls, plus dozens and dozens of her own personal ornaments that she’d collected over the years. She still had the hot pink star she’d made for her mother in sixth grade.

“I think there’s something missing under the tree. What do you think, Amanda? Ashley?”

The girls looked to their mother for an answer, but Stephanie just shrugged. Bryce and her mother shook their heads.

“Are you sure you don’t know?” Grace inquired.

“Nope, Miss Grace we don’t. We never had a tree this big before. We just had one Mommy had from when she was a little girl, but it wasn’t real. It didn’t smell good either,” Ashley continued. “It was glass.”

Grace’s eyes welled with tears when she realized this was the first
real
Christmas tree the girls had ever had.

“Well, since you can’t guess, I’m going to tell you.” Grace smiled, wrapping one arm around each of their shoulders.

“I believe we are missing some…presents!” Grace emphasized the last word as loud as she could without scaring them.

“Presents? Real presents with sparkly wrapping paper and shiny bows?”

“Yep,” Grace said.

With a questioning look, Ashley said, “But we already have our presents, Miss Grace. You bought us all these pretty ornaments.”

“Oh, sweetie, those aren’t your Christmas presents. Those are presents for the…tree. Yes, trees get presents, too,” Grace improvised. Bryce gave her a high five. She
was
practical, wasn’t she?

“They do? Mommy never got presents for our tree,” Amanda said.

“Well, only real trees get presents because when they’re cut down they leave all their…tree friends and family behind.”

“You’re pushing it, Sis,” Bryce interjected.

“Yes, I suppose so. But it doesn’t matter. Either way, I’m going to need the help of two little…elves. Ashley, Amanda, do you want to be my elves for a while?”

“Do we have to wear those shoes that curl up in the toes like the elves at the mall wear?”

Again they laughed. “All you have to do is follow me,” Grace instructed, then headed toward the steps.

As the two little girls trailed behind her, she heard Amanda whisper to her older sister, “See. I told you there really was a Santa Claus.”