roll over me, step on me, slap me…”
The shattering silence that followed this statement sobered her up a little. “See, this,” she said. “This is why I shouldn’t
drink.” Ignoring the startled look exchanged between her sisters, she held out her glass. She definitely needed a refill.
But Tara gently took it away. “Somebody hit you?” she asked softly.
“Slapped.” Big difference. A slap was humiliating and hurtful, but it wasn’t like he’d punched her. Or caused her real harm.
Well, except for that last time, when the corner of a cabinet had broken her fall, requiring stitches just outside of her
eye. But hey, she was single now. All was good. Or as good as it could be.
“Maddie—”
“It’s over and done.” She dropped her head and studied her shoes. Sneakers, scuffed and battered. That had to be symbolic
somehow, she thought unhappily.
Chloe was wearing cute ankle boots, not a scratch on them.
Tara was wearing stylish heels, so shiny they could have been used as a mirror.
“I need new shoes,” she said out loud.
Chloe reached out and squeezed her hand. “New shoes rock,” she whispered, sounding like her throat was too tight.
Maddie squeezed her fingers back while her wine-soaked thoughts rambled in her head, not quite readily available for download.
“Oh! I forgot to show you guys something.” She pulled the recipe box from her bag and told them about Lucille. She flipped
through for a random card. “Bad decisions make good stories,” she read.
“Lord,” Tara said.
“Not ‘bless her heart’?” Chloe asked, grinning until a gust of wind hit so hard that the entire house shuddered.
This was followed by a thundering
BOOM.
The ground shook, the lights flickered, and all three of them jumped.
“Holy shit.” Chloe scooted over on the counter until she was right up against Tara, nearly in her lap.
Maddie hopped down and opened the back door, flicking on a flashlight that didn’t do much for cutting into the utter blackness
of the night.
“Where did that flashlight come from?” Chloe asked.
“My purse.”
Chloe looked at Tara. “She carries a flashlight in her purse.”
“For emergencies,” Maddie said, trying to see into the yard.
“You have any chocolate?” Chloe asked hopefully. “For emergencies?”
“Of course. Side pocket, next to the fork.”
“You’re good,” Tara murmured, holding out her hand for some.
“Are you of age?” Chloe asked snidely.
Tara growled, and Chloe hastily handed her a piece.
“You are a lifesaver,” Tara said to Maddie, who smiled. She’d learned at work to be prepared for anything and everything.
She’d never given it a second thought, but sensing her sisters’ relief, and maybe just a little bit of admiration, as well,
felt good.
Even if they were chomping on her secret chocolate stash.
But she’d always wanted a true family, wanted to be counted on. Oh, she loved her dad, and he loved her, but she had always
yearned for more.
That her family could be here after all this time, right here in front of her, gave her a warm fuzzy in spite of the frigid,
windy night, slapping her in the face as she started outside. Sweeping her flashlight from right to left, Maddie stopped when
she came to the newly fallen tree bisecting the yard. “We lost a tree,” she called back to her sisters. “A big one.”
“Come back before one of them falls on your head,” Tara called out.
Maddie kept going until she stood where the very top of the fallen pine tree had landed, trapping a scrawny baby pine tree
beneath it. And damn if the sight didn’t break her heart. It took her a moment to free it, and then she hoisted the tree into
her arms, turning back to the porch, where both her sisters still stood.
“Found us a Christmas tree,” she said.
Chapter 6
“Obeying the rules might be smart,
but it’s not nearly as much fun.”
P HOEBE T RAEGER
T hey decorated the tree with what they had on
The shattering silence that followed this statement sobered her up a little. “See, this,” she said. “This is why I shouldn’t
drink.” Ignoring the startled look exchanged between her sisters, she held out her glass. She definitely needed a refill.
But Tara gently took it away. “Somebody hit you?” she asked softly.
“Slapped.” Big difference. A slap was humiliating and hurtful, but it wasn’t like he’d punched her. Or caused her real harm.
Well, except for that last time, when the corner of a cabinet had broken her fall, requiring stitches just outside of her
eye. But hey, she was single now. All was good. Or as good as it could be.
“Maddie—”
“It’s over and done.” She dropped her head and studied her shoes. Sneakers, scuffed and battered. That had to be symbolic
somehow, she thought unhappily.
Chloe was wearing cute ankle boots, not a scratch on them.
Tara was wearing stylish heels, so shiny they could have been used as a mirror.
“I need new shoes,” she said out loud.
Chloe reached out and squeezed her hand. “New shoes rock,” she whispered, sounding like her throat was too tight.
Maddie squeezed her fingers back while her wine-soaked thoughts rambled in her head, not quite readily available for download.
“Oh! I forgot to show you guys something.” She pulled the recipe box from her bag and told them about Lucille. She flipped
through for a random card. “Bad decisions make good stories,” she read.
“Lord,” Tara said.
“Not ‘bless her heart’?” Chloe asked, grinning until a gust of wind hit so hard that the entire house shuddered.
This was followed by a thundering
BOOM.
The ground shook, the lights flickered, and all three of them jumped.
“Holy shit.” Chloe scooted over on the counter until she was right up against Tara, nearly in her lap.
Maddie hopped down and opened the back door, flicking on a flashlight that didn’t do much for cutting into the utter blackness
of the night.
“Where did that flashlight come from?” Chloe asked.
“My purse.”
Chloe looked at Tara. “She carries a flashlight in her purse.”
“For emergencies,” Maddie said, trying to see into the yard.
“You have any chocolate?” Chloe asked hopefully. “For emergencies?”
“Of course. Side pocket, next to the fork.”
“You’re good,” Tara murmured, holding out her hand for some.
“Are you of age?” Chloe asked snidely.
Tara growled, and Chloe hastily handed her a piece.
“You are a lifesaver,” Tara said to Maddie, who smiled. She’d learned at work to be prepared for anything and everything.
She’d never given it a second thought, but sensing her sisters’ relief, and maybe just a little bit of admiration, as well,
felt good.
Even if they were chomping on her secret chocolate stash.
But she’d always wanted a true family, wanted to be counted on. Oh, she loved her dad, and he loved her, but she had always
yearned for more.
That her family could be here after all this time, right here in front of her, gave her a warm fuzzy in spite of the frigid,
windy night, slapping her in the face as she started outside. Sweeping her flashlight from right to left, Maddie stopped when
she came to the newly fallen tree bisecting the yard. “We lost a tree,” she called back to her sisters. “A big one.”
“Come back before one of them falls on your head,” Tara called out.
Maddie kept going until she stood where the very top of the fallen pine tree had landed, trapping a scrawny baby pine tree
beneath it. And damn if the sight didn’t break her heart. It took her a moment to free it, and then she hoisted the tree into
her arms, turning back to the porch, where both her sisters still stood.
“Found us a Christmas tree,” she said.
Chapter 6
“Obeying the rules might be smart,
but it’s not nearly as much fun.”
P HOEBE T RAEGER
T hey decorated the tree with what they had on
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