Maybe This Christmas Read Free Page B

talks to me like a grown-up. If you could give me some money, I’ll go and buy what I need. I’ll buy some stuff for the fridge, too, so if Grandma drops by she’ll be impressed by your housekeeping.”
    “Gooey eyed?”
Tyler pulled his wallet out of his pocket. “What is that supposed to mean?”
    Jess shrugged. “Like some of the moms at school. They all wear makeup and tight clothes, in case you’re picking me up. The other day when Kayla picked me up, there was almost a riot. Sometimes the other girls want to know if you’re coming or not. I guess their moms don’t want to bother with the whole lipstick thing if you’re not going to show up.”
    Tyler stared at her. “Are you serious?”
    “Yeah, but it’s okay.” Jess tugged her coat around her skinny frame. “I’m cool with the fact my dad is a national sex symbol. But if you’re going to pick someone I have to live with and call Mom, I’d like you to pick someone like Brenna, that’s all. She doesn’t flick her hair all the time and look at you with a dopey smile.”
    “No one is coming to live with us, you won’t be calling anyone
Mom
and, for the final time, I’m not going to have sex with Brenna.” Tyler spoke through clenched teeth. “Now go buy whatever it is you need.”
    Jess slid down in her seat. “I can’t.” Her voice was strangled. “Mr. Turner has just gone in there with his son, who is in my class. I want to die.”
    Tyler breathed deeply and then rummaged in the mess in his car until he found an old restaurant bill and a pen. “Make me a list.”
    “I’ll wait until they’ve gone.” It was dark in the car, but he could see she was scarlet again.
    “Jess, we need to do this before we both die of hypothermia.”
    She hesitated and then snatched the pen and scribbled.
    “Wait here.” Tyler took the bill from her and walked into the store. If he could ski Austria’s notorious
Hahnenkamm
at a speed of 90 mph, he could buy
girl stuff.
    * * *
    T EN MINUTES LATER , Brenna Daniels walked into the store, relieved to be out of the bitter cold.
    Ellen Kelly came out from the room behind the counter, carrying three large boxes. “Brenna! Your mother was in here earlier today. Told me she hadn’t seen you for a month.”
    “I’ve been busy. Can I help you with those, Ellen?” Brenna took the boxes from her and stacked them on the floor. “You shouldn’t carry so many at once. The doctor told you to be careful lifting.”
    “I’m careful. Storm’s coming, and people like to stock up in case they’re snowed in for a month. We’re all hoping it’s not going to be as bad as 2007. Remember Valentine’s Day?”
    “I was in Europe, Ellen.”
    “That’s right, you were. I forgot. No snow at all in January, and then three feet in twenty-four hours. Ned Morris lost some of his cows when the barn roof fell in.” Ellen rubbed her back. “By the way, you just missed him.”
    “Ned Morris?”
    “Tyler.” Ellen bent and opened one of the boxes. “And he had Jess with him. I swear she’s grown a foot over the summer.”
    “Tyler was here?” Brenna’s heart pounded a little harder. “We have a meeting back at the resort in an hour.”
    “I’m guessing they had an emergency. Jess stayed in the car, and he came in and bought everything she needed. And I do mean everything.” Ellen Kelly winked knowingly and started unpacking the boxes and transferring the contents to the shelves. “I never thought I’d see Tyler O’Neil in here shopping for a teenage girl. I remember people had nothing but bad to say about him when Janet Carpenter announced she was pregnant, but he’s proved them all wrong. That Janet is as cold as a Vermont winter, but Tyler—” she arranged cans on the shelf “—he may be a bad boy with the women, but no one can say he hasn’t done right by that child.”
    “She’s almost fourteen.”
    “And looking like a different person from the one who arrived here last winter, all skinny and pale.