Rebecca Winters - A Christmas Family Miracle - Snowbound with Her Hero / Baby Under the Christmas Tree / Single Dad's Christmas Miracle

Today she could admit the truth to herself. If he hadn’t died, she knew deep inside she would have ended up in Breckenridge and a divorce would have followed. What was the old adage? Dignity in death, disgrace in divorce? It was an awful saying. In both cases there was loss. Period.

Raoul went inside the hospital room ahead of the others. He saw a new addition to all the flowers since he’d last been in here. A beautiful Christmas red poinsettia had been delivered. The get-well card was from Crystal’s parents. Jules would be touched.

His thoughts flew to Philippe. He knew it would frighten him to see his graying grandfather on oxygen with an IV in his arm. In the last few weeks he’d lost ten pounds with the flu. His gaunt appearance made him look closer to seventy than sixty-five.

The doctor couldn’t account for Jules getting so ill at his age, but they both agreed the two deaths in the family had probably been too much for him. Despite all his hard work, he was a family man through and through and lived for his children. Eric’s death had robbed him of his joie de vivre. If anyone could bring it back, it would be Philippe, who had certain mannerisms and features inherited from his father.

“Papa?”

“Ah, Raoul. You’ve been gone so long.” He grasped his hand and wept.

It killed him to see his father like this. “I’ve brought someone with me. Are you up for company?”

His eyelids fluttered open to half mast. “Bien sûr,” he murmured in a voice half as strong as normal.

“I’ll be right back.”

He hurried over to the door and opened it. Three worried pairs of eyes fastened on him. “How is he?” his mother asked.

“He’s awake.”

“Can I see him?” Philippe whispered.

“What do you think?” He reached for his nephew’s hand and they walked over to the left side of the bed. Crystal and his mother followed and stood on the right. Raoul was surprised Philippe didn’t flinch at all the tubes.

“Hi, Grand-père. It’s me.”

Again his father’s eyelids opened, alert to a new voice in the room. “Me, who?”

Philippe giggled. “You know who I am.” In case Jules couldn’t see him well, Raoul lifted him in his arms.

His father’s gray-blue eyes swerved to his grandson before glazing over with tears. “Ah … my boy, my boy. Come closer and give your grand-père a kiss.” Raoul lowered him. “Does this oxygen frighten you?”

“No.” Philippe kissed him on both cheeks before Raoul caught him back in his arms. “There’s a girl at my school named Talitha. She’s from California and has to wear oxygen all the time. It’s because of the altitude.” Raoul didn’t know that. “Does that needle in your arm hurt you?”

“Nah. I can’t even feel it.”

“What’s it for?”

“To give me food.”

“Why don’t you just eat?”

Raoul hadn’t heard a laugh come out of his father in ages. Certainly not one that hearty. “I haven’t been hungry.”

“We had chicken nuggets today,” Philippe mentioned. “Uncle Raoul would go get you some.” He looked at Raoul with imploring eyes. “He’d like them.”

“I’m sure he would.” Raoul was trying to keep a straight face, but Crystal had already burst out laughing. It drew his father’s attention.

“Ah, Crystal. It’s been such a long time.”

“Too long,” she agreed and bent over to kiss his cheeks. “I’m sorry you’ve been ill.”

“It’s nothing. Have you come for Christmas?” The hope in his voice caused Raoul to hold his breath.

“Yes. Philippe and I didn’t want to spend this one away from you and Arlette.”

“Did you hear that, mon amour? ”

There was new animation in his voice. Raoul’s mother nodded and leaned over to kiss his father’s forehead. “I certainly did. That’s why you’ve got to get better quick!”

Suddenly Philippe pulled something out of his parka pocket and leaned over to put it in his grandfather’s hand.

He lifted it with his free arm. “What’s this?”

“Père Noël. Grand-mère let me take him off the tree. I asked him to make you all better. You can keep him until you come home. Then I’ll put him in my spy kit.”

“You have a spy kit?”

“Yes.”

“I want to see it.”

“It has lots of cool stuff you’d like.”

Raoul sensed another miracle was happening. When he lifted his eyes to thank Crystal, he discovered her struggling to ward off her tears. The first miracle was that she’d come back to France with him.

The wall she’d slowly erected months before Eric had been killed had been so high, he hadn’t expected her capitulation. If it weren’t for Philippe …

CRYSTAL CLIMBED IN the backseat with Philippe while Arlette sat in the front seat with Raoul for the drive back to the chalet. The short drive only took five minutes. After seeing Jules’s reaction, everyone was in higher spirits, but Crystal feared the surprise might have been too much and had drained his strength.

“Stop fretting, Crystal. You and Philippe were just what the doctor ordered,” Raoul said. He’d glanced at her several times through the rearview mirror, reading her mind.

“How soon can he come home?”

Arlette turned her head toward Philippe. “That’s up to the doctor to decide, but if I know your grandfather, he wants to come home tomorrow.”

“I wish he could.”

“So do I, but since he can’t, I have a surprise for you.”

“What is it?”

“You’ll find out as soon as we reach the house.”

There was another car in the drive when Raoul stopped the car. Before everyone got out, Vivige appeared on the front porch with her children.

“There’s Albert. Hooray!”

The two older brunettes, Fleur and Lise, nine and ten respectively, followed Vivige, who hurried down the steps to hug Crystal while Philippe got reacquainted with towheaded Albert. They all started to go in the house, but Crystal noticed that Raoul didn’t join them.

Philippe turned to him. “Come on, Uncle Raoul!”

“I’ll be back later when it’s time for dinner.”

“But I don’t want you to go.”

“Philippe—” Crystal put her hands on his shoulders. “He hasn’t even been home yet or seen his girlfriend.” If she kept saying it long enough, maybe she’d be able to handle it. She would have to if she were to acquire a new sister-in-law down the road. “We’ll talk to him later, honey. Don’t forget your cousins are waiting.”

“Okay.” He kicked at the snow with his boot. “Promise you’ll come back?” Philippe had enjoyed his uncle’s exclusive attention since his arrival in Breckenridge. It was hard for him to give it up, even for a short while.

“Bien sûr. Ciao.”

Philippe must have remembered that word because his cute little face brightened. “Ciao.”

Everyone hurried through the house into the kitchen for cocoa and the special cookies Vivige made at Christmas for the kids. All the distractions made the time pass quickly. Crystal got them settled in and helped with dinner. As they were finishing their dessert, Raoul entered the dining room.

She looked up, expecting that he’d brought his girlfriend. Crystal had been dreading it, but to her relief he’d come alone. She could tell he’d showered and shaved. In wool slacks and a navy sweater with a wide white stripe, his male appeal overwhelmed her.

His gaze took in everyone before leveling on her. “Sorry I’m late, but I had a small crisis to attend to at work.” Most likely he’d been with Sylvie Beliveau and had forgotten the time.

“Sit next to Mom.” Philippe’s suggestion took Crystal by surprise when there were two other empty seats. After he complied, her son said, “Uncle Bernard called our dessert les pets de nonne. Why did everyone laugh?”