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CHAPTER1
Eloise
Christmas is supposed to be the best time of the year—from the fresh scent of a newly cut tree to the sweetness of all the holiday cookies to the excitement as you count down the days until Santa’s arrival. And I guess it is the best time of the year when you’re a kid, but the magic of the holiday season really loses its luster when you are the adult in charge of making the magic.
“Mom?” Aspen asks from the back seat. “How many more days until Santa comes?”
I take a deep breath and push down the rising panic in my throat. I’ve never been good at hiding what I’m feeling, but I work extra hard not to let my children, Brayden and Aspen, see my anxiety when it hits.
“Just a few more days, sweetheart,” I say with a forced smile.
Aspen is too young to catch the subtle nuances in my voice, but Brayden’s older watchful eyes on me in the rearview mirror narrow slightly. There’s no keeping anything from him, despite all my attempts to put on a brave face.
After their dad left almost two years ago, Brayden designated himself as my protector. And as sweet as his intentions are, I don’t want to do anything that will make him feel like he has to grow up any sooner than he should to take care of me. I’m the adult here. His father may not have been able to handle being a parent, but to me, it’s the most important job in the world.
Good thing I know the perfect way to distract him.
“Who wants a cookie?” I ask, opening up one of the tins of freshly baked goods sitting beside me on the passenger seat. I hold it over my shoulder to my children.
Aspen’s little hand reaches forward and grabs as many as she can, hoping that I don’t see what she’s taken.
“Aren’t those for Mr. Harrigan?” Brayden asks, licking his lips and staring at the frosted Christmas tree with sprinkles.
We’ve spent most of the afternoon driving around Snow Falls, dropping off tins of cookies to many of the older people in town. It’s such a great feeling seeing their smiling faces when they open the door and see Brayden and Aspen singing Christmas carols and giving them our gifts.
I was up late last night baking and only got a few hours of sleep, which is why he’s able to see more of my stress seep through than I’d like.
“I found out from Mrs. Barry that he’s spending the holidays with his daughter this year.” I pick up a snowflake cookie and take a bite. “We don’t want these to go to waste, do we?”
Brayden shakes his head and grabs two cookies—the Christmas tree and a bell.
“Can we stop and get some hot chocolate?” Aspen asks around a crumbly mouthful when we pull onto Main Street.
“We have some at home,” I tell her.
“But I’m thirsty now.”
“Don’t be such a baby, Aspen,” Brayden admonishes her.
“I’m not a baby,” she yells, her voice breaking with emotion. A tearful meltdown is quickly approaching if I don’t do something right away to stop it.
“Brayden.” I glance back at him. “Don’t call your sister a baby.”
“I wouldn’t have to if she didn’t act like one.”
“Brayden!”
He presses his mouth into a thin line of frustration that reminds me so much of my brother, Cam. The two are practically twins. It’s uncanny sometimes. They both know just how to push their sister’s buttons.
The soft sound of sniffles from the seat behind me begins.
“Aspen, sweetheart,” I say, reaching behind my seat and taking her hand. “We can stop for some hot chocolate.”
I ignore Brayden rolling his eyes in the rearview mirror as I pull into one of the open parking spaces in front of Drew’s Brew coffee shop. The storefront window is painted to look like it’s frosted with silvery white snowflakes falling. I turn off the engine, but I don’t get out immediately.
“Now, this is a special treat. I expect better behavior in there than I was just shown a minute ago.”
Brayden shoots Aspen a look, but she doesn’t notice because she’s wiping her few tears away with her mittens.
