Free Once Upon a Christmas by Lauraine Snelling, Lenora Worth Page B

thinking.”
    “And?”
    “And I need to make sure Amie has a good Christmas but I have nothing here to even start with. You think you could find time to help me?”
    “But I’m not doing Christmas this year.”
    “Neither was I.” He waited, giving her time to think about it. Please agree to help me, please.
    “You’re not going to move before Christmas are you?”
    “No, even if I were to find something tomorrow, closing takes longer than a week.” He eyed the calendar. “Unless…”
    “If you want me to help, you have to promise no moving before Christmas.”
    “I promise.” He raised his hand. “Scout’s honor.”
    “Uh, Thane, I think there is something I should tell you…”
    Amie screamed, the sound raising the hair on the back of his neck. “Gotta go. Amie. Bye.”
    Matty barked and howled from her crate, banging against the door, as upset as he was.
    “I’m coming, baby. Hang on.” Heart pounding, he entered the room lit by a Pooh Bear nightlight and picked upthe screaming child. “Easy, sweetheart, easy.” He held her to his shoulder and slowly paced the room. “What woke you up?”
    She hiccuped, wrapping both arms around his neck. “Bad things.”
    “Nightmares?”
    “Mommy coming?”
    “No, but Uncle Thane is here.” He strolled down the hall, patting her back and crooning in her sweaty ear. “Easy, Amie, all is well now.”
    Sometime later with both of his charges settled down again, he sank into his favorite chair and stared out the window to see the lights of Martinez and the black stretch that was the river. Lord, I thought I was on the right track, with my company and my time. But You really threw in a clinker here. This is more than I can handle. He rubbed his hands through his hair and nodded. Good point, eh? How long had it been since he’d opened his Bible? Attended church regularly. Prayed more than brief bursts for help, or of thanks.
    “It’s not like I have a lot of time.” What a lame excuse. He blew out a sigh. Often when he felt like this, he’d go running, it didn’t matter what time of day or night, he’d just go. But now, now he was stuck and it was all Linnie’s fault.
    Somehow he couldn’t generate the rage he’d felt while in San Diego and driving home. While he might feel confined, she was in prison. “Linnie, how could you be so stupid? You knew better!” He thumped his hand on the arm of his chair. Here I am with your child.
    “And you are all alone.” He whispered the words.
    “What they said they found—that’s not my stash.” She’d said the words so firmly, her eyes locked on his, no blinking, no turning away. “I have not gone back on my word, I’ve been clean and sober for three months now.”
    Talking on a phone through bulletproof glass, her voice had sounded tinny. But she never wavered. And yet, they had found a stash of crack in her car, under the front seat. How had that gotten there?
    Around and around, thoughts in a maze, finding no answers, only more questions, he finally pushed himself upright and went to bed. At least Blythe would help him. Surely they could pull off Christmas in two weeks. Now if he could only find a good sitter. You didn’t shop for presents with Amie along.
     
    When the doorbell rang at 8:30 a.m., he was just taking Amie out of the tub. The laundry was piling up, Matty needed a potty run and he couldn’t leave Amie alone so he had to bundle her up to go out. He wrapped her in a thick navy bathsheet and, with one end trailing, answered the door.
    “Mr. Davidson?” The smiling man behind the noble fir looked vaguely familiar.
    “Yes.”
    “Blythe, my daughter, said I should deliver the Christmas tree we cut for her here instead of her place. I’m Arne Stensrude.”
    “Ah, ah, good, come right on in. We can put it out on the balcony for now.” He stepped back to make room, accidentally stepping on Matty’s foot. She yipped, he jumped away. If this was the way the day was going to go, all he