The Christmas Secret. Lee McKenzie

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СКАЧАТЬ and patched the walls, and Kristi cleared countless decades’ worth of clutter out of the kitchen. If all went well, Sam would be home in time to fix dinner. If not, she’d have to call Mrs. Stanton and ask her to take Tildy a plate of whatever she and Mr. Stanton were having tonight. Her mother barely ate enough to keep a bird alive, and although Sam wrote her neighbor a check for a hundred dollars every month to cover the cost of food, she hated asking for favors. On the plus side, her mother had never shown any inclination to cook for herself, so at least no one had to worry about her starting a fire in the kitchen.

      “See you tonight, Mom.”

      Tildy snapped another puzzle piece into place.

      “I love you.” Sam always said it, but her mother never reciprocated. No one ever had. Not her father. Certainly not AJ, and yesterday she’d discovered why. He hadn’t loved her. He’d been married to someone else.

      Today was no different. “Don’t forget to buy milk,” Tildy said without looking up.

      Sam didn’t reply, she just sighed as she let herself out of the apartment, locked the door and knocked on the one across the hall.

      “Good morning, Sam,” Elizabeth Stanton said when she opened the door. She was a tall, boney-looking woman, fiftyish with salt-and-pepper hair, married to a man fifteen years her senior. “How’s everything this morning?”

      “Same as usual. Mom’s working on a puzzle right now. I left some tuna salad in the fridge and bread to make a sandwich, if you can get her to eat one.”

      “She usually will, as long as I cut the crusts off. I’ve got some leftover pumpkin pie from Thanksgiving so I’ll take her a slice of that, too.”

      “If she calls to tell you we’re out of milk, just tell her you’ll bring some over at lunchtime. There’s plenty in the fridge, but she keeps forgetting about it.”

      Mrs. Stanton displayed a prominent overbite when she smiled. “I take it she’s having tea this afternoon?”

      “I’m afraid so.”

      “It’s harmless,” the woman said. “You should count your blessings for that because you can’t say the same for everyone who has her condition.”

      “You’re right.” She had trouble seeing it as a blessing, but as curses went, it could have been a lot worse.

      “I’ve been hoping the new medication will make a difference.”

      “I am, too, especially for your sake, but you need to give it some time.”

      “I know.” That’s what the doctor had said, too. “I’m starting a new job today but I’ll try to be home in time for dinner.”

      “Have a good day, Sam. Let me know if you’ll be late and I’ll run across with some dinner for her, too.”

      She closed the door, and Sam trudged down the hallway to the stairwell, leaving one set of problems behind and setting off to face another.

      Will scooped a forkful of his eggs off his plate as AJ walked into the kitchen. “Daddy, I eating green eggs an’ ham. See?” He held up the food, then popped it into his mouth.

      “I see that. It looks delicious.”

      After Will had fallen in love with the Dr. Seuss story, Annie had cleverly concocted a recipe for scrambled eggs with chopped ham and spinach. “Good way to get some greens into him,” she’d said, and as usual she was right. Will loved it, and AJ had to admit he did, too. He poured himself a cup of coffee and sat next to his son with his own plate of green eggs and ham.

      “Will you be working today, Mr. Harris?”

      He unfolded the morning paper and scanned the headlines. “This afternoon I will be—the gardening article I’m working on is due tomorrow—but I’ll take Will and Hershey to the park this morning.”

      “Good idea. It’s supposed to rain this afternoon. Did those women say what time they’d be here?”

      “Around ten-thirty. Claire DeAngelo called last night to say they had a meeting first thing, but they’d be here after that.” He intended to be out of the house by then. “The interior decorator, I think her name is Kristi, would like to start clearing out the kitchen. I hope you don’t mind.”

      “Not at all. I plan to do a little Christmas baking before they arrive, then I can give her a hand.”

      “Thanks. If there’s anything you’d like to keep, I want you to feel free.”

      “That’s very generous of you. I’m mighty fond of a couple of your grandmother’s teapots.”

      “Then I want you to have them.” It wasn’t as though there was any shortage of teapots in this house.

      Will’s fork clattered to the table. “Going to park now?” he mumbled around his last mouthful of eggs.

      “Remember your manners, William,” Annie said. “Good little boys don’t talk with their mouths full, do they?”

      Will swallowed. “All gone.” To demonstrate, he opened his mouth wide.

      Annie laughed and lifted him down from the table. “Come with me. We’ll wash your hands and face and get your jacket and mittens while your father finishes his breakfast.”

      AJ watched them leave the kitchen, admiring her patience. He should be taking notes because it wouldn’t be long before he would be taking care of William on his own. He looked forward to it, but that didn’t mean he didn’t have regrets.

      Adopting his own son hadn’t been the first time he’d used the family fortune and status to get something he wanted, but it would be the last. His parents, make that his father, had issued an ultimatum the day he’d brought William home. He could keep his position in the business or he could keep his illegitimate son. One or the other. Not both.

      His decision had been a no-brainer and he’d never regretted putting his son first. Grandmother Harris, horrified by her son’s hard-hearted stand, had opened her door to AJ and William. Her health was failing and he couldn’t turn his back on her, so although he had already purchased the house in Idaho, he’d moved in with his son and hired Annie Dobson to look after them. His grandmother was able to spend her final years getting to know her great-grandson in the home she loved. AJ had never regretted doing what he’d had to do to get his son, and he never would. He hadn’t regretted postponing the move to Idaho, either. Now, as long as he was careful, he wouldn’t regret letting Sam’s company sell this house. He hoped.

      Chapter Four

      Ready Set Sold’s downtown office was already open when Sam arrived, and Marlie, their office manager, was talking into her headset. Six months after opening the business they had advertised for an office manager and the decision to hire Marlie had been unanimous. Her name was short for Marline. She’d had impeccable references, a no-nonsense approach to dealing with clients, big hair and an even bigger heart. She referred to Sam, Kristi and Claire as “Marlie’s angels,” and they loved it.

      Marlie’s wardrobe consisted of pencil skirts and matching stilettos in every color under the sun, and snug-fitting sweaters that made СКАЧАТЬ