Mr. Miracle Read Free Page A

up.”
    “But Addie—”
    “Mom, please, let me put up the lights.” Her dad would have wanted her to do this for her mother, Addie was sure. She owed him this, even if things hadn’t been so good between them when he died, or maybe because of that.
    “Erich offered to put them up for me, but I said no.”
    “Good.” Perfect Erich. She bristled at the mere mention of his name. He’d always been so thoughtful and kind … to others. But he’d tortured her at every opportunity. Forone thing, from the time they were in first grade together, he’d insisted on calling her Adeline. Addie had always hated the name. She’d never even known the great-grandmother she’d been named after. Saddling her with that name had been her father’s doing, no surprise.
    Her mother moved a couple steps into the garage. “Um … there’s a reason I didn’t want Erich to put up the lights.”
    Addie straightened. Her mother’s voice revealed hesitation and a bit of apprehension. “What is it, Mom?”
    “I mentioned all those firsts without your father, remember …?”
    “Yes.” It was one of the reasons Addie had returned home when she did. She didn’t want her mother spending this first Christmas without Dad by herself. Jerry couldn’t get away, but Addie could. Actually, she’d been more than ready to leave Montana. Although she’d come to love the state, everything else there had proved to be less perfect than she’d hoped. Her job at the mine had fizzled out after a few months, but pride hadn’t allowed her to return home so soon after her grand departure. For a while she drifted from job to job, until finally settling in at the diner. She’d made friends and the tips were good. It was easy enough to coast through the next few years.
    “I didn’t say anything earlier when you called to say youwere coming …” her mother said, interrupting her thoughts. Her mother wrung her hands.
    “Mom, what is it?” Clearly there was something her mother didn’t want to tell her.
    “Please don’t be upset with me.”
    This was all very strange. “Mom, please, don’t worry. You’re not going to upset me.”
    “You’re sure?”
    “Positive. Just tell me.”
    Her mother squeezed her eyes tightly shut. “I’m going on a two-week Christmas cruise with Julie Simmons.”
    It took a second for the information to sink in. “A cruise?”
    Her mother still hadn’t opened her eyes. “Julie’s a widow. I’m a widow. We figured that we’d both get away this Christmas with a trip to the Caribbean. We booked a few days in Florida before the cruise as well. The sunshine and all … please tell me you’re not upset with me.”
    “Of course not,” Addie assured her, although her heart sank. This meant she’d be spending Christmas alone.
    “Julie and I talked about it for months, and then right before Halloween we found this great deal from the cruise line and Julie said we should do it. If not now, when? I had no idea you’d be coming home, let alone for good, and … and, oh Addie, if you want I’ll cancel the trip.” Her voice became half plea and half regret.
    “No way,” Addie insisted, strengthening her resolve. “You’re going on that cruise and you’re going to enjoy every minute of it while I hold down the fort here.”
    “Erich offered to look after the house.”
    Of course he would.
    “He’s not married, you know, and neither is Karl.”
    Erich’s younger brother.
    As if she felt the need to keep talking, her mother continued. “Karl is dating a wonderful young woman and is spending Christmas with her family someplace back east. Neither Julie nor I have grandchildren yet, and being this has been such a difficult year …”
    “Mom, please, you don’t need to make excuses. I want you to do this. Please go.”
    “But you’ll be alone.”
    “It’s fine. I’ll connect with a few friends and it won’t be a problem. Don’t worry about me.”
    “You’re sure …?”
    “Absolutely