Christmas Kisses with My Cowboy - Diana Palmer Page 0,112
friend had brushed aside her admission of guilt with a gentle understanding that had almost made Veronica want to weep.
Having friends again—having the support of a local community who watched out for each other—was something she desperately wanted. But would Victor let her stay when he learned what she’d done? He was a man with great respect for the law, and he’d firmly insist that Veronica should tell the truth and accept the consequences for her actions.
She got out her cell and anxiously checked her old local channel, but there was no news. Should she call her boss and just casually inquire if anyone had been asking after her? Like the police? But Leon wasn’t stupid, and he’d definitely want to know what she’d done. And, as she still wasn’t sure exactly what she’d done, she wasn’t going to confess and incriminate herself.
She returned to the apartment, and found Ted standing on one of the chairs in the hallway in front of a closet packed with boxes. He glanced down at her after she’d put Bacon away.
“Can you take these from me? They aren’t heavy at all.”
“Sure.”
Veronica reached up to take the box, which was helpfully marked “Christmas Decorations,” and took it through to the family room. She came back to receive the second box, sneezing as the dust rose to tickle her nose.
She washed her hands and brought a damp cloth to wipe down the two boxes while Ted put away the chair and came to join her on the rug. He carefully opened the first box and peered inside.
“This is definitely the Christmas stuff.”
“Is it okay to just take it out and put it on the floor?” Veronica asked as she cut the tape on the other box.
“Sure. It’s not as if this is a new rug. I think my dad brought it with him from our old place.” Ted started unwrapping newspaper parcels and Veronica took the other box and did the same.
After a while, she glanced over to see Ted staring down at a star-shaped ornament. His smile had disappeared as he gently ran his finger over the metal. He must have sensed her interest because he looked up.
“I’d forgotten about this one. My mom got it for me.” He held it up so Veronica could see it better. “She had it engraved with my name, hers, and the date.” He grimaced. “Shame she didn’t stick around to see me actually open my present that year.”
“She left at Christmas?”
“Two days before.” Ted shrugged. “I don’t think Dad ever got over it. She resurfaced in Fresno a few months later, and asked Dad for a divorce.”
“I remember you getting really quiet at school and Beth crying a lot,” Veronica said carefully. “You know what small towns are like—we all knew your mom had left Morgantown.”
“Yeah, well.” He turned the star over in his capable hands, his head bent low. “I did get to see her again occasionally after things settled down, but it was never the same.”
“Did she remarry?”
“No, which, to be honest, kind of surprised me because I was pretty sure she’d left Dad for another guy, but there never was anyone. I guess she just couldn’t stand living with us anymore.”
Wincing at the echo of pain in his voice, Veronica took the ornament from Ted to read the inscription.
“‘I’ll always love you, Teddy Bear.’” She met his gaze. “Maybe she was trying to leave you with something to remember her by?”
A muscle twitched in his cheek. “I’d rather she’d stuck around to be honest. If she’d loved me, she wouldn’t have left, would she?”
Veronica considered the ornament, the metal warm from Ted’s fingers. “Have you ever asked her about that?”
“Why would I?” He raised an eyebrow. “She went and she didn’t come back. What else is there to say?”
Veronica wanted to tell him that there obviously was a lot that needed to be said, but knew it wasn’t her place.
“She picked out most of these ornaments.” Ted gestured at the box. “I think Dad must’ve only used the ones he’d bought after she left because I haven’t seen these since then. She loved to buy a new one for each of us every Christmas—something special, or a private joke, or nickname.”
“Like Teddy Bear,” Veronica said softly.
“Yeah.” He reached over and took the star from her, wrapped it back up, and started on the rest of the pile he’d already accumulated.
“What are you doing?” Veronica asked.
“Putting them back where they belong—in the closet gathering dust.” He