Kat Brookes - Hometown Christmas Gift

Her mother leaned in to give Lainie a loving hug as well. “We didn’t expect you home until tomorrow.”

“We got an earlier start than we had planned.” She left out the part where her son had threatened to run away so he wouldn’t have to leave his dad. Lainie had tried to explain to Lucas that his father would be with him anywhere he went, that his soul was no longer with his body where it had been laid to rest, but with the Lord. When he hadn’t seemed accepting of her gentle explanation, she’d decided not to wait to go home to Bent Creek. It hadn’t been cheap to change their flights last minute, but the relief she’d felt when they’d landed in Rock Springs, Wyoming, so close to home and the help she so badly needed, was worth the cost.

“Well, come on in,” her mother said, stepping aside as she motioned them into the one-bedroom, ground floor condo her parents had moved into a little over four years earlier. Her father’s arthritic knees had pained him too much going up and down the stairs in the home Lainie and Justin had been raised in. So her parents had downsized into a much more manageable one-story condo a town over from Bent Creek, selling their house to Justin for far less than they could have gotten for it on the open housing market. But that’s how her parents had always been—striving to make her and Justin’s lives better any way they could.

“Baby girl!” her father said as he joined them in the entryway.

“Dad,” she said, stepping into his welcoming embrace.

Her father turned to Lucas. “And who’s this young man?” He pretended to search beyond her son. “Where’s my baby boy?”

Lucas groaned. “Grandpa.”

Her father’s eyes widened. “Lucas? Is that really you?”

Her mother gave her husband a nudge. “Stop your teasing. We both know we can’t keep him our little boy forever.”

If only that were possible, Lainie thought sadly. Lucas had always adored her. That’s why this change in him was so heartbreaking.

“Afternoon, Jackson,” her father said, glancing past Lainie and her son.

Jackson gave a nod in greeting. “Mr. Dawson.” Then he looked to her mother. “Mrs. Dawson.”

Her mother smiled. “It’s so good to see you.” Her gaze moved beyond him. “Where’s Justin?”

“Home, catching up on his sleep,” Lainie explained. “He worked the night shift last night and has to go back in later this afternoon.”

Disappointment registered on her mother’s face. “That son of mine is always burning the candle at both ends.” She looked to Jackson. “Well, come on in out of that cold.”

“I’m not staying,” he told her. “Just dropping Lainie and Lucas off.”

“Don’t be silly,” the older woman said with a wave of her hand. “There’s no sense in you making two trips out here. Stay and visit.”

He hesitated, looking uncomfortable. “This is family time. You don’t need me around while you’re catching up with your daughter and your grandson.”

“You are family,” her father said with a warm smile.

“That’s right,” Lainie’s mother said. “You are. Now come on inside. It’s cold out.”

Jackson looked to Lainie for help, but if she were to put up any sort of protest it would have her parents asking questions she’d rather not have to answer. So he nodded his consent, swept the cowboy hat from his head and stepped the rest of the way inside, closing the door behind him.

“Lucas, there’s a plate of Christmas cookies on the kitchen table,” her mother said. “Grandma baked them this morning if you’d like to go pick a few out.”

Lucas’s face lit up and then her son raced off in search of the sugary sweets his grandmother had no doubt prepared for his arrival.

“Two cookies!” Lainie hollered after him, knowing full well her son would go for the iced cut-out sugar cookies. They were his favorite. And her mother’s tended to be the size of cereal bowls.

“I thought your brother told me he was off today,” her mother said as she led them into the living room.

“He was supposed to be,” Lainie replied as she removed her coat and draped it over the arm of the sofa.

“Deputy Culler fell off a ladder while putting up Christmas lights and had to be taken to the hospital,” Jackson explained further. “Justin had to cover for him last night.”

Her mother’s hand went to her mouth. “Oh, that poor man,” she groaned in sympathy. “Is he all right?”

“He fractured his hip and had to have emergency surgery,” he explained. “But he’ll be fine.”

“Thank the Lord it wasn’t worse,” her father said. “He could’ve broken his neck.”

Like Will had when the car driven by a very intoxicated teenage boy struck ours. Lainie felt nausea stir in the pit of her stomach.

“Oh, honey,” her dad said, his face blanching as he realized what he’d just said. “I didn’t mean to stir up old—”

“It’s okay, Dad,” she said, hurrying to cut him off. Her son didn’t know any of the details about his father’s passing, other than the fact that she had been behind the wheel when the accident had occurred. And he only knew that because one of his friends at school had overheard his mother talking to another mother about Lucas’s father’s accident. That came after a more recent incident in their community that also involved a teen driving recklessly. Thankfully, the other driver’s quick reactions had allowed him to steer clear of what could have been a truly serious outcome—like it had been with her and Will.

Pulling herself together, as she’d had to do since that night she’d awakened in the hospital to find out her husband hadn’t survived the wreck, she said, “I agree. Deputy Culler was very blessed to have come out of it with only a broken hip. But that means Justin and Deputy Vance are going to be handling all the shifts until he can bring in some backup.” She was shocked to sound so calm when so much guilt and regret was whirling about inside her.

“What about Deputy Mitchell?” her father asked.

“Apparently, Deputy Mitchell is on a cruise in Alaska somewhere.”

“Poor Justin,” her mother said with a worried frown. “He works himself to the bone as it is. And poor Kathy. She’s got to be beside herself with worry. A broken hip will mean a long recovery for Todd. I’ll have to make some soup and corn bread to take over to the Cullers after he gets home. Kathy will no doubt have her hands full taking care of her husband.”

Lainie smiled. So like her mom, always caring about others. “I’m sure they would appreciate that.”

“I think I’ll go peek in on my grandson,” her dad said, getting up from his seat. “Wouldn’t want him to spoil his appetite.”

Her mother laughed as he walked away. “Same goes for you,” she called after him and then turned back to Lainie and Jackson. “Your father is going to be a bad influence on your son, I’m afraid.”

“A little sugar won’t hurt him, I suppose,” Lainie replied with a shrug. She had learned not to sweat the small stuff. She had much bigger stuff in her life to contend with.

“You should know,” her mother said with a smile. “Your father ‘snuck’ you and your brother plenty of sweets when the two of you were growing up.”

“And I loved him for it.” And she loved him for giving her and Justin a place to call home. For making them feel safe and loved. The humor left her eyes. “How’s Dad doing? He’s not moving around as well as he was the last time I saw him.” That had been the previous December, when her parents and Justin had flown to Sacramento the week before Christmas to spend a few days with her and Lucas, because she couldn’t bring herself to come home for the holidays. Guilt at Will’s passing still kept her from wanting to celebrate anything. She’d only done so for her son’s sake, wanting to keep his life as normal as possible.