Misfortune: Christmas With Scrooge Read Free

but to look up at him
once again. He did not so much as glance at her, not even the
smallest nod of greeting. Admittedly feeling snubbed, Laura quickly
looked away feeling uncomfortable. It was apparent that Adell’s son
not only found little of interest in Laura, but found her wanting
as well. Unconsciously, she straightened her spine.
    “Laura is with David Farley. She's not
actually one of our employees.” Adell was still cheerful as she
continued the introduction. “What is it you do, Laura?”
    Abashed, she quietly responded, “Nothing at
the moment.”
    That wiped the smile off Adell's face
momentarily, and drew her son's dark gaze back to Laura's flushed
face. Naturally, she glanced back before she could catch herself.
He instantly looked away. Taken aback, she forced herself to
concentrate on what his mother was saying at present.
    “Then what was it you did before?” Seemingly,
unperturbed by Laura's admission.
    “I have a degree in Psychology.”
    “How interesting. Do you plan on following
that career?”
    “I-I'm not sure yet.” The truth being, since
her father's death, she had been in a kind of limbo; not sure where
her future lay and honestly where she wanted to see it go. She just
needed more time to decide. “My father left me enough money from
his life insurance to allow me to live comfortly for the time
being.”
    “Having a psychology degree must help the
process of healing after your father’s death?”
    Adell’s question wasn’t uncommon. Most people
assumed that because she studied the subject in school, she was
equipped to deal with the loss. The truth was, there was no amount
of preparation for a tragedy such as the death of a loved one, and
in Laura’s particular case, the loss of her last family member,
leaving her entirely alone.
    “It's one thing to study it in school,
another to actually experience it.” She was unable to catch the
revealing crack at the end of her voice.
    On their own accord, her eyes shifted to the
face of Adell’s son. His expression had altered slightly, however
it was enough to catch Laura’s attention. He stared down at her in
his usual dark manner, though now there was sincerity to the depth
of his astute gaze, catching Laura unaware. Then in a staggering
split second, a powerful awareness surged between them, and nearly
knocked her off her feet. It was if they shared a very intense, if
not brief, sense of raw grief. The feeling left her acutely uneasy.
The loss of her parent was a personal and painful experience. One,
she was certain, nobody could fully understand.
    Then, just as sudden, the moment was gone and
he was pulling his mother aside, leaving Laura to wonder if the
moment actually passed between them. “Excuse us.”
    Adell appeared horrified by her son’s rude
behavior, if not overly surprised. She allowed him to lead her
away, causing Laura to feel utterly foolish. An unwanted headache
began to throb in her temple and she wanted nothing more than to be
alone. Funny, not more than two hours before, the thought of it
appalled her.
    Glancing at David's table where she evidently
wasn't being missed, she put her drink down on the nearest table
and made her exit. Quickly, she fled from the lodge, snatching up
her coat from the cloakroom before she left. Outside, the snow
began to fall silently again. The Sprucewood Lodge was a popular
ski resort located deep in the woods of the Muskoka district.
Winter hit early and heavy in this northern region of Ontario.
Already the thicket surrounding the city of Bracebridge, where
Laura lived some twenty kilometers west, was well covered in a
thick layer of snow.
    The gravel road leading out of the lodge was
completely covered in a sheet of fresh snow when Laura pulled her
vehicle out of the parking lot and onto the main road. Her
windshield wipers swished back and forth attempting to clear her
vision. Ruefully, she discovered the route back down to town wasn't
as easy as it had been earlier when she