Read Online A Christmas to Remember by Thomas Kinkade - Free Book Online Page A

happen.” He shrugged and glanced at his watch. “I’d better go.”
    “Me, too.” Lucy stood up and gathered up her trash. She had lost track of time talking with Jack. She didn’t want to return late from her break and give Margaret Sherman another reason to be annoyed with her.
    Jack had to stop at the radiology department before returning to the floor, so Lucy went back on her own. She felt anxious heading back to the scene of her disgrace, but Jack’s words had helped. He was right. She wasn’t going to be Super Nurse in one day. She had to expect a few mishaps.
    Nursing was what she had always wanted to do, and she wouldn’t let a silly accident discourage her.
     
    “L UCY , IS THAT YOU ? W HAT TOOK YOU SO LONG ? Y OU SAID YOU would be home by six-thirty.”
    Lucy heard Charlie call out to her from the kitchen before she was even halfway through the door. She dumped her book bag near the front door and shrugged out of her jacket as she walked to the back of the house.
    The boys sat at the kitchen table frowning over their homework. Charlie stood at the stove. At least he could fix a meal. But since he worked over a hot stove all day, he claimed it wasn’t his place to cook at home, too. She could tell he was annoyed now by the rigid set of his shoulders.
    “Hi, boys.” Lucy kissed each of her sons on the cheek. C.J., the oldest, didn’t even look up from the thick textbook he was reading. He wore headphones hooked to a CD player, listening to music while he studied. Or supposedly studied.
    Lucy pulled one of the earpieces out. “No music while you’re doing homework. You know the rules.”
    He made a face but took the headphones off and put them aside. “Bummer.”
    Lucy knew that was all she would get out of him for now. At thirteen, C.J. was at a stage where he only replied in one-word answers.
    Jamie was two years younger. He, at least, was still at a communicative stage and clearly missed her while she was out of the house.
    “I got a ninety-five on my math test, Mom. Look.” He held up the sheet proudly.
    “Wow, that’s great, honey. I’m so proud of you.” Lucy squeezed his shoulder. “Charlie, did you see Jamie’s test?”
    “Yeah, I saw it. Pretty good.” Charlie glanced over from the stove. “C.J. has a report due tomorrow. American History. As usual, he’s barely started. You’ll probably have to write it for him.”
    C.J. wasn’t the best student but he tried hard. Charlie never gave him any credit, though. Criticism didn’t help. It only made C.J. feel worse and do worse. But Charlie didn’t seem to understand that.
    Lucy caught her older son’s eye. He looked as if he expected her to be angry at him, too.
    “Don’t worry, we’ll write it together. How long does it have to be?”
    “Three pages, typed.”
    Lucy forced a smile. She had a pile of her own schoolwork to do tonight. This extra assignment was definitely going to set her back. But her family came first. Her son needed her. She wasn’t going to let him down.
    “That’s not much. We’ll start right after dinner.”
    She quickly washed her hands and pulled an apron over her nursing outfit. “Can I help you, Charlie?”
    “Just set the table, everything’s ready here. I’ve got to get back to the diner. Jimmy came in at three to cover for me, and he doesn’t want to close up, too.”
    “At three? What happened to my mother?”
    “Your mother got stuck late at her job. So I had to pick up the boys at school. Again.”
    “Something must have come up.”
    “Yeah. That’s what she always says.”
    Lucy knew it wasn’t her mother’s fault. She had a day-care job watching small children. The woman who employed her was a teacher, but she wasn’t always able to come home right after the school day ended. Lucy knew her mother wanted to help with the boys, but she couldn’t just walk out on her own job.
    The boys cleared their books off the table, Lucy set out the dishes and utensils, and Charlie served