Page 2 of Hard Candy Christmas

Not only was my grandmother the cook for the Ranch, but my mom was the housekeeper. I’m sure now, though, she was also a helping hand to my grandmother.

I rolled to a stop right in front of the porch, taking in the chairs that overlooked the mountains. It was a view I always stared at when I was working on homework. Or it was a place I constantly talked to Chase at. It’s where we shared our first kiss too.

“Snap out of it, B,” I mumbled, climbing out of the car. “The wish of teenagers doesn’t apply to real life. You know that. Besides, he’s married. There was no divorce.”

I nodded to myself after my little speech. That was all a road I wasn’t about to go down. Wouldn’t even think about it. Couldn’t dare entertain it.

“B, is that you?” my mom called out, opening the front door.

“It’s me, Mom.” I turned and ran over to her, wrapping my arms tightly around her. “I missed you, Mom.”

“Oh, I missed you too pumpkin. Goodness, you sure grew up on me. I thought you were done when you left.” She squeezed me just as tightly.

“Nope, not at all.”

I know what she was referring to. I had gained a few inches in height, but I had also gained quite a few inches around my waist. I wasn’t the same stick thin woman that I left as. I was going to blame all this extra weight on my ex though.

Once I left him, I could breathe and in doing so, I fell in love with food all over again. It was my comfort on dark nights and there were lots of dark nights in Tahoe.

“I was just about to go check in on your grandma and see…” she trailed off as she pulled away and I knew exactly what caught her eye. The big scar over my eyebrow that I got because my ex thought it was a good idea to slam my head against the dresser. No matter how much makeup I put on to cover it, it never worked. “Um, see if she needed help.”

“Hey, it’s over. It’s years ago, Mom. It’s not my only scar. Let’s not make a big deal of it, okay?” I told her, squeezing her hands.

“I just don’t like seeing it, pumpkin. You’re my baby, and I couldn’t protect you.”

“Mom, no one could have. I didn’t see the flags.”

I also wasn’t going to confess that if I had, I still would have blown past them in a frenzy with all the hurt I was carrying around.

“Right.” She patted my cheek then took my hands again. “Let’s go see your grandma. She’s going to love to see you. She missed you something fierce.”

“I’ve missed her, too.” With that, she took my arm, and we walked out the back door, heading right to the big house in the distance. “Grandma still walking over?”

“Not really. We got her a little golf cart, so we didn’t raise too much suspicion with her driving over. Sure, age plays a factor, but if they knew that her hip, legs, and spine were problems, they’d tell her to stay home.”

And there were some of the problems. Between surgeries, hospital visits, and specialists, the medical bills were atrocious. That’s why I had to leave. That’s what I couldn’t share.

“Grandma will be smacked silly if that family ever finds out.”

“Well, she’s kept to her story.”

I rolled my eyes, knowing too well how things were always found out. Mom opened the back door to the house and walked into the kitchen.

“Mom, B is here if you need a hand?”

Sure, put me right to work.I shook my head, a smile on my face, ready to hug my grandmother. But stopped right in my tracks as Chase stood next to the woman I adored, looking just as good now as he did ten years ago.

Chapter Two

Chase

Ilaughed at something Betty said, barely registering the back door opening. This woman was such a blessing to have around, especially after having lost my own grandmother at such a tender age.

This woman doted on not just me, but all the boys. We sure as hell didn’t know what we’d do if she left us. Or her daughter, Susan. They were extended family.

I looked up as she walked in, ready to offer Susan a hello, but the words stuck in my throat at the woman behind them.

Belinda.

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