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That got his attention, and he smiled to himself. “Nice try.”
“Thought I’d slip that in there. Just to see if you were paying attention.”
Her voice was like a song, and she chattered away, filling his head with love and hope and contentment. Hudson had taken the long way, but he was finally home.
Epilogue
Christmas Eve Day
Rebecca
For the first time in years, Rebecca was caught up and ready for the holidays. She’d done her shopping early, wrapped the presents the week before, and with the vet clinic closing at twelve, had the afternoon to relax for a busy evening ahead. She and Hudson were having an open house at their completely renovated lodge, and they were expecting a host of friends and family to come out.
Kimberly had just locked the clinic door and turned the sign to CLOSED when Ethan Burke, who’d just officially taken over from his father, walked in from the back office with the older Burke, carrying a decanter and four glasses.
“Merry Christmas,” Ethan said, indicating the girls should each have a drink. “Thought we’d toast to the holidays with a rum eggnog.”
“Sounds lovely,” Kimberly said with a grin. “I’ve got some Christmas cookies in the back.”
Rebecca’s smile faltered. Eggnog? The thought turned her stomach. Whoever’d come up with the idea of combining eggs and cream for a drink was nuts. She shuddered and reached under the reception desk for her purse.
“Sorry, guys. I can’t stay. I’ve got a ton of stuff to do before the open house tonight and need to run.” She slipped into a slate gray wool coat and wrapped a cream-and-navy scarf around her neck. Hiking her purse over her shoulder, she wished everyone a Merry Christmas and made sure they knew to pop in any time after seven.
“Wouldn’t miss it for the world,” Kimberly said with a smile and a hug. “I’m so happy for you, sweetie. You deserve the best Christmas ever.”
Feeling more blessed than she could ever remember, Rebecca headed to her mother’s for a cup of tea before going home to soak in the tub. Snow was falling yet again, large flakes that filled the sky and covered the roads. The tops of the evergreens were heavy with the white stuff, and just the day before, several inches fell, so that Crystal Lake and the town that shared its name looked like a winter wonderland. Everything glistened and looked new and fresh.
She hummed along to her favorite Christmas carol, and a feeling of melancholy stole over her as she picked her way along the snow-covered path up to her mother’s front door.
She made a note to get Liam to shovel it and pushed open the door, stomping snow from her boots as she called for her mother. She took a moment to breathe in the smells she loved—ones that made her think of Christmas. Gingerbread, fresh from the oven. Cinnamon. The fresh scent from the evergreens on the Christmas bough across the fireplace. Cinnamon!
“Mom?”
Rebecca slipped off her boots and hung up her jacket before walking to the kitchen. The gentle strains of Bing Crosby echoed down the hall, and she followed his voice. “White Christmas” indeed.
The table was filled with Tupperware containers as well as Christmas tins, all filled with Lila Draper’s homemade goods. Her mother was a whiz in the kitchen—always had been—and as much as Rebecca’s childhood had been dark and sometimes filled with despair, Christmas, with its sense of hope, coupled with her mother’s amazing cookies and cakes, was a memory she would always cherish.
Her mother was at the sink, staring out the window, and with a deft movement, Rebecca lifted the lid on the closest tin and snagged a cookie. She glanced down at it and smiled. Win! It was shortbread.
“I’ll grab the kettle,” Rebecca said, taking a bite from her cookie. She reached into the cupboard for a couple of teabags.
“Oh. Becca. I didn’t hear you.”
Rebecca glanced sharply at her mom. Saw the side profile, the puffy eyes and red nose. The lightness she’d felt all morning suddenly vanished, and Rebecca quietly set about making them tea. She forgot sometimes. Forgot that her happiness, her absolute contentment with her life, didn’t belong to anyone else other than Rebecca and Hudson. The holidays were tough for a lot of folks, and with her father still in jail, she knew her mother was grappling with sadness and heartache.
Rebecca was glad her father wasn’t around to ruin things, and she knew Mackenzie felt the same. But that didn’t negate or lessen the fact that in spite of her father’s many shortcomings and fondness of the bottle—their mother still loved him.
Lila was quiet as Rebecca made the tea, and when it was ready, the two of them took their cups into the dining room. They sat in silence for a good long while, and then, with a sniffle, her mother offered a wan smile.
“I’m sorry, Rebecca. I’m not great company today.”
“You don’t have to be sorry about anything.” Rebecca grabbed her mother’s hand, wanting to provide some kind of comfort.
“I was hoping your father would call this morning but…” Her mother grabbed a tissue from her pocket and dab
bed the corners of her eyes. “He didn’t. He hasn’t called in over a month.” Her mother attempted a smile through her tears. “I guess he’s busy, or…something.”
“He probably is,” Rebecca eventually said, taking a sip from her tea. What else could she say to that?
