Page 1 of Mountain Gift

Chapter One

CAROLINE

“Say cheese!”

Barb and Jack lean in, pressing little Lucy between them like a human panini as they huddle together and laugh.

“That’s great, hold it right there,” I say.

The bright flash of the camera illuminates the living room. Pulling the camera away from my eyes, I check the viewfinder.

Seeing them captured so perfectly together, my heart almost starts to ache. With the Christmas tree behind them and the garlands hanging from the walls, they look like a family from a commercial or a TV Christmas movie.

It’s ten days before Christmas, and my daughter Lucy’s grandparents are here to pick her up. For the first time in her life, Lucy is going to visit her late father’s family in Boston. This also means that this is the first time we won’t spend Christmas together.

I try to swallow down that pinch in my heart, but Jack must notice something in my expression.

“Uh oh,” He says with a chuckle. “Did our sweet Lucy have red eyes again? I told you there was a little devil in her.”

“It’s because of that ancient camera,” Barb chimes in with a laugh. She looks at me over her enormous glasses and adds, “That thing’s been on its last leg for years.”

I shake my head, chuckling. “It’s only ten years old, Barb. If that’s what you call ‘ancient,’ what does that make you and me?”

“I’m just saying you should probably look into getting a new one,” Barb says. “It’s Christmas. There are a lot of sales going on right now.”

I clutch the camera a bit tighter in my hands.“It’s not about the money,” I say quietly.

Barb and Jack exchange a look.

“Of course, it isn’t, dear,” Barb replies gently. “Forget I said anything.”

The camera belonged to their son and my late husband, James. He died in a plane crash seven years ago. And ever since then, I haven’t had the heart to get rid of it.

Putting my smile back on, I look at Lucy.

“Hey, Lulu?” I ask sweetly. “Why don’t you run upstairs and grab your suitcase? It’s almost time to go.”

“That’s right,” Jack says, grinning. “We can’t keep Sprinkles waiting.”

Lucy’s ocean-blue eyes brighten in anticipation at the mention of her grandparents’ new chihuahua. Without any kind of pause, she skips out of the room in a blur of red skirts.

Jack moves to follow her into the hallway.“I’ll go and help her. Goodness knows those bags can be heavy.”

As Jack leaves the room, I turn to Barb and wiggle my eyebrows. “I have a surprise for you."

She smirks. “Let me guess. You’ve been crafting again, haven’t you?”

I laugh a bit sheepishly. "I can't help it. Crafts are my secret super power."

I lead her into the kitchen and comb through the piles of crafting materials I’ve left on the counter. Felt pieces, markers, sewing needles and thread, and even a big bag of toy stuffing are strewn everywhere. I find what I’m looking for in the middle of it all.

Turning around, I hold it up and squeeze its belly so that it makes a loud squeaking noise. “It's a toy squirrel. For Sprinkles.”

Barb laughs. “Oh, he’s just adorable, isn’t he? Thank you, hon.”She wraps me in a tight hug, and the toy shrieks again as it’s pressed between our stomachs. We burst out laughing.

“When did you have time to put this together?” she asks, sitting on one of the kitchen stools.

With a shrug and a warm smile, I reply, "Oh, I whipped it up last night after Lucy went to bed. It was a fun little project to keep my hands busy."

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