Read Online How I Came to Sparkle Again by Kaya McLaren - Free Book Online Page A
Authors: Kaya McLaren
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What if I lost you, too?”
“Dad, I’m sorry,” she said again.
“Nancy was a wreck,” he added.
Cassie was silent.
“She quit,” he said.
Cassie was happy about that but had the good sense not to show it.
“I’m really mad, Cassie.”
She looked at the deicer crystals on the wet sidewalk and squirmed under his gaze. “Sometimes when I’m on the mountain, I feel like Mom is with me,” she said quietly.
Mike rubbed his forehead with both hands. “You’ve put me in a tough spot. I can’t have this. I need to know you’re safe, and I need a babysitter to do that. You’re only ten years old. After this story circulates through town, no one is going to want to be your babysitter. You’re a liability to them. If we can’t solve this, I’m going to have to send you to Phoenix to live with Grandma and Grandpa.”
Cassie’s eyes bulged with disbelief.
“I have to know that you’re safe,” he said unapologetically.
And both their hearts sank as they walked back into the fire hall, each of them wondering what they would do without the other. They ate silently, as the others around them laughed and chatted, and when it was over, Pete’s wife, Barb, brought Cassie to their house.
* * *
“Are you staying here for the whole winter?” Eric asked as he drove Jill to the top of the mountain in the groomer.
“I think so. Right now I’m just taking it day by day.”
“You’re not going to sleep on a couch all winter, though, are you?” he asked.
“I don’t know. I’m just not thinking that far ahead yet,” she replied.
“Well, look, think about this. Travis is out for the winter. If we don’t get another housemate to replace him, we’ll have to cut back on our consumption, and no one wants that. We’ve never had a lady housemate before, but I don’t think Tom or Hans would object. Cheap rent—think about it.”
“Lisa made me promise never to go in there,” Jill said with a smile.
He laughed. “We know you’re in a tight spot, so you can pay rent after you get your first paycheck. Just think about it.”
“Okay,” she agreed.
He dropped her off at the summit and continued on to groom more of the mountain.
She walked over to Tom, who was gathering wood for a fire. “Lisa’s got the food and is on her way up with Hans.” He rubbed his hands together excitedly. “It won’t be long now!”
“Hey, did that little girl turn up?” Jill asked.
“Yeah, Howard found her sleeping in the racing shack. Do you remember Kate?” Tom asked.
“Kate?”
“Kate Paulson,” Tom said.
“Yeah,” Jill answered. “I used to race with her. She was fast.”
“She died last summer,” Tom said. “Breast cancer. Spread to her lungs. Her daughter, Cassie, has been breaking downhill records since she was five. We’ve all been waiting for the day she’s old enough to dominate international competitions, but this year she’s not racing at all. I used to see her all over the mountain all the time, but I haven’t seen her once since her mom died.”
“Oh,” Jill said, and shook her head. Then she frowned, thinking. “I heard her dad say he needs a sitter. If it works with my schedule, I’d be interested.”
“I know he works twenty-four-hour shifts. I’ll get more info for you, or you could track him down yourself.”
“David cut off my access to our funds, so extra cash would be welcome.”
But it was more than that. Jill had no child. This child had no mother. They needed each other. In principle, it sounded great. A lot of things sounded great in principle, though. Kate Paulson had been one of those people she just hadn’t liked, and near as she could tell, Kate hadn’t really liked her. There had never been any aggression or hostility. It was the little things, like moments when she and Lisa were laughing at something and Kate hadn’t laughed. Sometimes it seemed Kate looked at them as if she thought they were stupid, but maybe that was all in Jill’s
“Dad, I’m sorry,” she said again.
“Nancy was a wreck,” he added.
Cassie was silent.
“She quit,” he said.
Cassie was happy about that but had the good sense not to show it.
“I’m really mad, Cassie.”
She looked at the deicer crystals on the wet sidewalk and squirmed under his gaze. “Sometimes when I’m on the mountain, I feel like Mom is with me,” she said quietly.
Mike rubbed his forehead with both hands. “You’ve put me in a tough spot. I can’t have this. I need to know you’re safe, and I need a babysitter to do that. You’re only ten years old. After this story circulates through town, no one is going to want to be your babysitter. You’re a liability to them. If we can’t solve this, I’m going to have to send you to Phoenix to live with Grandma and Grandpa.”
Cassie’s eyes bulged with disbelief.
“I have to know that you’re safe,” he said unapologetically.
And both their hearts sank as they walked back into the fire hall, each of them wondering what they would do without the other. They ate silently, as the others around them laughed and chatted, and when it was over, Pete’s wife, Barb, brought Cassie to their house.
* * *
“Are you staying here for the whole winter?” Eric asked as he drove Jill to the top of the mountain in the groomer.
“I think so. Right now I’m just taking it day by day.”
“You’re not going to sleep on a couch all winter, though, are you?” he asked.
“I don’t know. I’m just not thinking that far ahead yet,” she replied.
“Well, look, think about this. Travis is out for the winter. If we don’t get another housemate to replace him, we’ll have to cut back on our consumption, and no one wants that. We’ve never had a lady housemate before, but I don’t think Tom or Hans would object. Cheap rent—think about it.”
“Lisa made me promise never to go in there,” Jill said with a smile.
He laughed. “We know you’re in a tight spot, so you can pay rent after you get your first paycheck. Just think about it.”
“Okay,” she agreed.
He dropped her off at the summit and continued on to groom more of the mountain.
She walked over to Tom, who was gathering wood for a fire. “Lisa’s got the food and is on her way up with Hans.” He rubbed his hands together excitedly. “It won’t be long now!”
“Hey, did that little girl turn up?” Jill asked.
“Yeah, Howard found her sleeping in the racing shack. Do you remember Kate?” Tom asked.
“Kate?”
“Kate Paulson,” Tom said.
“Yeah,” Jill answered. “I used to race with her. She was fast.”
“She died last summer,” Tom said. “Breast cancer. Spread to her lungs. Her daughter, Cassie, has been breaking downhill records since she was five. We’ve all been waiting for the day she’s old enough to dominate international competitions, but this year she’s not racing at all. I used to see her all over the mountain all the time, but I haven’t seen her once since her mom died.”
“Oh,” Jill said, and shook her head. Then she frowned, thinking. “I heard her dad say he needs a sitter. If it works with my schedule, I’d be interested.”
“I know he works twenty-four-hour shifts. I’ll get more info for you, or you could track him down yourself.”
“David cut off my access to our funds, so extra cash would be welcome.”
But it was more than that. Jill had no child. This child had no mother. They needed each other. In principle, it sounded great. A lot of things sounded great in principle, though. Kate Paulson had been one of those people she just hadn’t liked, and near as she could tell, Kate hadn’t really liked her. There had never been any aggression or hostility. It was the little things, like moments when she and Lisa were laughing at something and Kate hadn’t laughed. Sometimes it seemed Kate looked at them as if she thought they were stupid, but maybe that was all in Jill’s
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