Read Online Winter Hopes (Seasons of Love) by Jennifer Gracen - Free Book Online Page A
Authors: Jennifer Gracen
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giggled and jumped up and down, excited.
Tyler clicked a picture of them on his digital camera. “Go on, get with the boys,” he said to Jane and Lydia. “I’ll get a picture of all four of you.”
“I’d love that,” Lydia said gratefully. She and her sister crouched down next to their sons, and the four of them smiled up at Tyler.
“Got it,” Tyler said. “Let me take another just in case.” He snapped again.
“I want that one by tomorrow morning,” Lydia told him. “Please?”
“No problem,” he assured. “I’ll do you one better—I’ll email it to you tonight.”
“Are we almost ready?” Jane called out. “We’re gonna get going in two minutes.”
“Coming,” Cooper yelled as he barreled down the stairs.
“I can’t find my wand!” Sophie screamed.
“I’ll go help her look for it,” Tyler said, leaving the living room as Cooper entered it.
“What do you think?” Cooper asked his mother and aunt, holding up his arms in what he thought to be a frightening pose. Dressed as a rotting skeleton, with black and white paint all over his face, he gave his best scary face.
“Um… pretty spooky,” Lydia said with a laugh.
“Well, he’s nine now,” Jane said. “This might be his last year trick or treating. Next year he’ll be too cool to get costumed up and come out with us.”
“Am I scary?” Cooper asked. “Am I freaking you out?”
“Totally, dude,” Jane assured her older son.
The doorbell rang.
“Trick or treaters!” Ethan cried. He and Andy started jumping up and down again.
“I’ll get it,” Lydia said, heading for the door. She went to it and swung it open wide; her ex-husband stood before her. Her face fell in disappointment.
“Well, that alone was almost worth the trip,” Matt said with a dark laugh. “What a look.”
Lydia recovered quickly. “I didn’t think you’d come.”
“You said I could.”
“Yes, I did.”
Matt glanced at his watch. “Two o’clock. Right on time. Isn’t that what you said?”
Lydia nodded and pressed her lips together so hard they hurt. She moved aside for him to enter the house. He smirked at her obvious discomfort, but as he stepped inside, Jane and the boys came into the foyer. The smirk slid right off his face as Jane coldly appraised him. He’d always been slightly intimidated by her, and since he and Lydia had separated, Jane had not held back, showing how she truly felt about him, especially right to his face. She often made him feel defensive and off kilter, and she clearly liked that. So did Lydia, although she'd never admit it.
“You came,” Jane said flatly, her disapproval evident.
“Hello, Jane,” Matt said. “I was invited.” He looked away from her down to the three boys. “Hey, guys! Great costumes!”
“Dada!” Andy shrieked with joy. He ran into his father’s arms.
Matt picked him up, kissed his face, and hugged him tightly. “You look great, buddy! Bet you’re surprised to see me, huh? I’m gonna come trick or treating with you guys.”
“Yay!” Ethan cried happily. “Uncle Matt’s coming with us!”
Lydia went to the kitchen without a word. Her hands were ice cold. Rubbing them together, she picked up her camera from where she’d left it on the table and shoved it into her coat pocket. She walked across the room to the drawer where Jane always stashed mints and packs of gum. After rummaging through it, she chose a blue pack of Trident, took two pieces, and popped them into her mouth. She chewed the gum with hard, grinding motions.
“You okay?” Tyler asked from the kitchen doorway.
Lydia turned to him with a fake smile. “Sure.”
“Right.” He walked across the room to his sister-in-law. He held her shoulders, looked down at her, and said quietly, “He can only ruin today if you let him. Don’t let him.”
Lydia nodded with what she hoped seemed like resolution. “I know.”
“We got your back, babe,” Tyler said, and gave her a quick hug. “Come on, I
Tyler clicked a picture of them on his digital camera. “Go on, get with the boys,” he said to Jane and Lydia. “I’ll get a picture of all four of you.”
“I’d love that,” Lydia said gratefully. She and her sister crouched down next to their sons, and the four of them smiled up at Tyler.
“Got it,” Tyler said. “Let me take another just in case.” He snapped again.
“I want that one by tomorrow morning,” Lydia told him. “Please?”
“No problem,” he assured. “I’ll do you one better—I’ll email it to you tonight.”
“Are we almost ready?” Jane called out. “We’re gonna get going in two minutes.”
“Coming,” Cooper yelled as he barreled down the stairs.
“I can’t find my wand!” Sophie screamed.
“I’ll go help her look for it,” Tyler said, leaving the living room as Cooper entered it.
“What do you think?” Cooper asked his mother and aunt, holding up his arms in what he thought to be a frightening pose. Dressed as a rotting skeleton, with black and white paint all over his face, he gave his best scary face.
“Um… pretty spooky,” Lydia said with a laugh.
“Well, he’s nine now,” Jane said. “This might be his last year trick or treating. Next year he’ll be too cool to get costumed up and come out with us.”
“Am I scary?” Cooper asked. “Am I freaking you out?”
“Totally, dude,” Jane assured her older son.
The doorbell rang.
“Trick or treaters!” Ethan cried. He and Andy started jumping up and down again.
“I’ll get it,” Lydia said, heading for the door. She went to it and swung it open wide; her ex-husband stood before her. Her face fell in disappointment.
“Well, that alone was almost worth the trip,” Matt said with a dark laugh. “What a look.”
Lydia recovered quickly. “I didn’t think you’d come.”
“You said I could.”
“Yes, I did.”
Matt glanced at his watch. “Two o’clock. Right on time. Isn’t that what you said?”
Lydia nodded and pressed her lips together so hard they hurt. She moved aside for him to enter the house. He smirked at her obvious discomfort, but as he stepped inside, Jane and the boys came into the foyer. The smirk slid right off his face as Jane coldly appraised him. He’d always been slightly intimidated by her, and since he and Lydia had separated, Jane had not held back, showing how she truly felt about him, especially right to his face. She often made him feel defensive and off kilter, and she clearly liked that. So did Lydia, although she'd never admit it.
“You came,” Jane said flatly, her disapproval evident.
“Hello, Jane,” Matt said. “I was invited.” He looked away from her down to the three boys. “Hey, guys! Great costumes!”
“Dada!” Andy shrieked with joy. He ran into his father’s arms.
Matt picked him up, kissed his face, and hugged him tightly. “You look great, buddy! Bet you’re surprised to see me, huh? I’m gonna come trick or treating with you guys.”
“Yay!” Ethan cried happily. “Uncle Matt’s coming with us!”
Lydia went to the kitchen without a word. Her hands were ice cold. Rubbing them together, she picked up her camera from where she’d left it on the table and shoved it into her coat pocket. She walked across the room to the drawer where Jane always stashed mints and packs of gum. After rummaging through it, she chose a blue pack of Trident, took two pieces, and popped them into her mouth. She chewed the gum with hard, grinding motions.
“You okay?” Tyler asked from the kitchen doorway.
Lydia turned to him with a fake smile. “Sure.”
“Right.” He walked across the room to his sister-in-law. He held her shoulders, looked down at her, and said quietly, “He can only ruin today if you let him. Don’t let him.”
Lydia nodded with what she hoped seemed like resolution. “I know.”
“We got your back, babe,” Tyler said, and gave her a quick hug. “Come on, I
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