Free Red Hot Christmas by Jill Sanders Page A

walked into the restaurant just after noon the next day she made a point to watch and see what the reaction was. So far, no one stared at her or whispered in hushed tones while looking in her direction. Maybe that was too high school-ish. She walked into the back room and noticed everyone was moving around, busy as usual. Nobody seemed to care or notice her.
     
    Could she have lucked out? Maybe Ruth didn't know her mother? Maybe it was a different Donna Kennedy?
     
    By the end of the shift, she knew that no one in town knew her story. There were enough locals coming and going each day that she would have had some clue if they knew her secret. But she'd worked herself up so much that morning that she had a migraine by the time she pulled into her parking spot.
     
    She was happy it was close to one in the morning so the store's windows were all dark, it was one less thing she would have to worry about. But when she entered her place and saw the blinking light on her message machine, she knew her monthly call had come. No matter what she did, her mother seemed to always find her phone number .
    One less thing she would have to worry about. But when she entered her place and saw the blinking light on her message machine, she knew her monthly call had come. No matter what she did, her mother seemed to always find her phone number.
     
    “ Hello, Amber. It's your mother. I wanted to let you know the progress we've made for your father. So far, Mr. Malone thinks we have a chance this time. All we need is your cooperation. If you change your mind about helping out, give Mr. Malone a call. You have his number.” The machine beeped at the end of the message.
     
    Amber walked into her bathroom and dropped her hoop skirt and shirt. She pulled the pony tails out of her hair as she turned on the hot water. When it was nice and steamy in the room, she stepped under the spray and cried until she couldn't cry anymore.
     
    Walking out of the bathroom, she wrapped herself in a large towel and fell face first on her bed and didn't move.
     
    The darkness consumed her mind, and she shivered in the cold. When she looked out the window of the van, she saw a man lying on the ground, staring up at the night sky with empty eyes. She knew the monster was inside the large silver building, but she didn't know when he'd be back. Remembering what had happened just a few minutes ago, she shivered again.
     
    “You stay down now, Amber. I mean it. Don't poke your head up for nothing. Daddy's just going to go meet a friend, then I'll come back and take you out for some ice cream, like I promised.” Her father turned his head and waved at someone out of her sight. She was nine years old and sitting on the floor of her father's van. It was a week before her birthday. She remembered because Gabby Luft told her that she wouldn't go to her birthday party if she was the last girl on Earth. Amber had cried all day, and even now her eyes were puffy and red. It was one of the reasons she'd pestered her daddy into taking her on this short trip. He'd finally agreed and promised her that if she was good, he'd take her out to Stripes, her favorite ice cream place.
     
    She’d stayed tucked down on the floorboard of her father's van until she'd heard the yelling. Then she'd quietly stood up and looked out the side window. What she saw changed the way she would look at her father for the rest of her life.
     
    There was a young man in a guard uniform down on his knees as her father stood over him, yelling. The man's blond hair was curly. She remembered that detail because she'd always wanted curly blond hair. His hands were raised up like he was praying, but before she could blink, her father pulled a gun out of his coat and shot the man right in the face. Amber's whole world shattered in that split second. She was frozen in place, even her eyes refused to blink. She watched as her father walked past the man's lifeless body and into the large building. He was