The Christmas Wish by Sharon Sala

Author:Sharon Sala
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Sourcebooks, Inc.
Published: 2021-07-20T00:00:00+00:00

Chapter 13

Josh King finished up his first official day on the job with a feeling of satisfaction, but after clocking out, he had to face going home to that empty house. He stopped by the Dairy Freeze to get a chocolate malt and then set it in the console and headed home.

He had already turned the corner and was on his way down the street when he saw the car in the drive. He thought he was dreaming, and still didn’t believe it until he got all the way up beneath the carport and parked beside the car. He didn’t know what this meant and was almost afraid to go inside.

He got his chocolate malt and his lunch box and was all the way on the porch when the door opened and his kids came barreling out.

“Daddy! Daddy! We’re home! We missed you!” they cried, and then they saw the malt. “Did you bring that for us?”

He looked up, saw LaJune standing in the doorway, and started crying.

“Son, take the malt into the kitchen and divide it with your sister,” LaJune said.

They took the malt out of his hands, but he never knew it. All he could do was stand and stare.

“Well, are you coming in or not?” she said.

He stumbled over the threshold and fell into her arms.

“I’m sorry, I’m so sorry. You were right. I hurt the people I loved most, and I don’t know why.”

LaJune wrapped her arms around him as he cried. He was shaking and sobbing so hard he could barely breathe, and her heart was breaking. Her instincts had been right.

“It’s okay, Josh. It’s okay. We’ll talk about it. We’ll figure it out. I shouldn’t have walked out without talking to you. I won’t ever do that again. For better or worse, remember?”

He just kept shaking his head and kissing her face and then hugging her, then kissing her again, unable to believe this was real.

It was the giggle and then peals of laughter coming from the kitchen that settled his last fear. He would never, for as long as he lived, do anything that might cause him to lose this.

“I better go see what’s going on in the kitchen,” she said.

But Josh couldn’t bring himself to turn her loose.

“You’re here to stay?” he asked.

She put her arms around his neck and then pulled him close.

“Yes, sweetheart. I am here to stay.”

***

Bridgette made a quick stop at Bloomer’s Hardware before she went home. She already had the fabric and new padding she intended to use on the chair, but she wanted to get a can of upholstery adhesive and some decorative tacks so she’d have everything she needed before she started.

Fred was at the front counter checking out customers when she came in.

“Evening, Birdie. I’ll be right with you,” he said.

“Don’t bother. I know what I need and where to find it,” she said, and headed to a back wall on the far side of the store.

After a quick search, she got the upholstery adhesive and the tacks she wanted and went up front and got in line to pay.

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