The Snowmaiden, A Bride for Krampus - Jeanette Lynn Page 0,7

longer or donkey ears were starting to sprout.

“Great,” he enthused. Someone said something in the background, a non-masculine voice. Clearing his throat to cover up the feminine laugh that issued at something he said as he poorly tried to muffle his voice on the phone instead of just hitting the damn mute button, he came back on. “Listen, I’ve got a meeting I’m late for-”

“Really? What’s her name?” I deadpanned.

As if I hadn’t spoken, he let out an overloud laugh that made no sense. In a burst of whispered words, he clipped out, “Ah, Lumi girl?”

“Hm?” Don’t tell me more. No more. Not another word. I don’t want to know. To each their own fetish and freak flag flyin’, just keep it to yourself, man. I really didn't want to know any more.

“Stay out of the back shed, hm?”

“Not a problem,” I clipped out quickly. Before he could say anything else, I hung up on him. Staring at my phone, wanting to bleach it with the rest of this joint, I shuddered and made gagging noises. Argh. Ugh. Blech. No.

It was amazing how much some people changed, how life and their choices changed them. Thinking of his smirking wife and her rude comments, a tiny smirk of my own formed on my lips. It was mean, no one should have to deal with either of their bullshit, but I supposed there was something very cosmically karmic to their unhappy union.

And they were still reproducing… Or were they, I thought as the unkind thought occurred to me.

It was sad to say, but it really wouldn't matter anymore. I wasn’t stupid. This was a get-out-of-my-life gift. I’d be relegated to texts or the infrequent phone call, no more once yearly trips for Christmas.

The only real total loss for me was the boys. Was it really fair to them? I supposed it was fairer than them getting a double mind fuck hearing their mother was a liar. They’d figure that out someday all on their own, no help from me needed. Hopefully.

It was easier for me, I’d concede, and all parties involved because there would be no arguing, pecking or bickering, no daddy let me down talks or you’re wife’s a dick to me, your daughter’s being a bitch but all I said was no one likes a chubby girl, yadda- yadda.

Easier didn’t always mean right.

I didn’t even know why I was acting like I had a say in this.

I knew how this all worked. The writing was on the wall.

“I suppose I should start unpacking,” I muttered, and got to it. About to put my hands on the back of the sofa I stood next to, I paused. “But first, gloves.”

Chapter 5

Even after finding a bottle of disinfectant and having my cleaning way with the entire small cabin, unearthing the small angel globe ornament from Mom in the process, I was feeling no better about this whole cabin-to-keep-out-of-their-life thing. Rummaging around to find there wasn’t a speck of food in this place, nothing, uhm, normally edible—argh—a garbled noise left me and I shuddered. Gross, Dad, just… no. I wasn’t sure I’d be able to look that man in the eye after the hidden ‘goodies’ I’d found. It was a veritable treasure trove of perversion up in here.

Uncaring what he thought, I’d dragged all of his tasteful looking on the outside but full of hidden restraints furniture right out the back door. Too heavy to lug through this thick assed snow, I got each piece as close to the back shed as I could before calling it quits. The backyard looked like a graveyard for hidden perversions home collection, complete with pull out sofa, loveseat, two overstuffed leather armchairs that the bottom cushions slid out of for reasons I wasn’t going to fathom but had an inkling, and a very, erm, unique ‘bench’ I’d covered in trash bags before hefting it out of this heap.

I’d be making him pay for any therapy I might need after this, after he forked over the cash for a cabin remodel. We sat on those sofas as kids! If Mom were here she’d be included in my frowny faced kink shaming, but there was no use reprimanding the dead.

After dragging the untouched chair Mom had used to read to us in the tiny reading nook off from the electric heater, dragging the cloths tied to it off, it was the only piece of furniture in this joint I was willing to trust. I supposed it worked in