Read Online Holiday Sparks by Shannon Stacey - Free Book Online Page B

would only make it harder. And her parents were on their way home.
    The tears threatened when Kojak, who knew Scott picking up his tools was usually followed by a trip home to his kibble bowl, ran to her for his goodbye belly rub.
    “You’re a good dog, Kojak,” she told him and he didn’t seem to mind that her voice cracked a little. He even licked away the stray tear she didn’t blink back in time.
    “Are you okay?”
    She forced herself to let go of Kojak and smile. “I’m really going to miss this guy. Guess you won’t let me keep him, though.”
    “Sorry, we’re a package deal.”
    It hung there in the air for a few long, awkward seconds…seconds of is he serious and yes, I want the whole package but …and then the moment was gone.
    “Next time you’re up to see your parents, give me a call. Maybe we can have dinner or something.”
    She nodded, focusing all her willpower on not crying. “Make sure you look me up if you’re ever in Boston.”
    “I will. So…” He shrugged and snapped his fingers for Kojak. “I guess I’ll see you around, then.”
    She could only nod again because her throat was so tight she wasn’t sure she could speak. He started toward the door, then turned back. Maybe he was going to kiss her goodbye after all, she thought. And she desperately wanted that, but was afraid if he touched her right now, she wouldn’t let him go.
    “Goodbye, Chloe.”
    She managed to wait until she couldn’t hear his truck anymore. Then she walked slowly up her bedroom stairs, like a woman climbing the gallows, and threw herself onto her bed for a good cry.
    Or what should have been a good cry. Fifteen minutes later her cellphone rang and her stomach twisted into a knot when she saw the name on the screen. “Hi, Mom.”
    “Chloe?”
    “Yes, it’s me. As far as I know I’m the only person who calls you mom.”
    “Are you sick? You sound terrible.”
    No, her heart was broken. “I was watching Steel Magnolias .”
    “I don’t know why you watch that movie. It always makes you cry. I’m afraid I have some bad news, honey. We made it into Logan airport, but everything’s shut down because of the storm. We’ve tried everything, but we can’t get home unless we rent a car and drive.”
    “No, you can’t drive.” The last thing she wanted was her parents being the lead story on the eleven o’clock news. “I think they’re closing the highway, anyway.”
    She could hear her mom sniffling on the other end of the line and hoped she didn’t go for a full sob. Chloe was on the ragged edge as it was.
    “You have your key to my condo, right?” she asked before they both started crying.
    “Yes. We’ll just stay there until we can get home. If the flights into Portland are a nightmare, we might rent a car.”
    “Wait until they’ve got the roads cleaned up, Mom. I’ll miss you, but I’d rather have Christmas a couple days late than get a phone call from the State Police.”
    They talked for a few more minutes and then she talked to her dad, but eventually she had to let them go so they could go out into the storm and settle in at the condo.
    The lonely hours stretched out in front of her. No parents. No Scott. No Kojak to keep her feet warm. Just her and cheery holiday movies on the television she wasn’t sure she had the heart to watch.
    It definitely wasn’t going to be one of the better Christmases of her life.
    * * *
    Scott missed Chloe.
    Even sitting at the dining room table with his parents, his sister and her husband and little Bethany, he felt alone. Sure, it was his family, but when they all went home, he’d go alone. And he’d wake up alone the next day. Except for Kojak, of course.
    He could always spend the night at his parents’ and spend Christmas morning with them, but it wasn’t the same. He wanted to wake up beside his wife and listen for the pitter-patter of little feet sneaking down the stairs to see what Santa left under the tree.
    After three weeks, it seemed