CHAPTER 17
Madison peeked through the peephole and gasped. A real-life Santa stood on the porch holding bags of gifts and food.
Betsy ran into the room as Madison threw the door open wide. “It is Santa, Mommy. I told you.”
Immediately, Madison recognized Adam’s twinkling hazel eyes and sheepish smile.
“Better late than never, I hope?” He shifted the protruding bags. “These are heavy. Mind if I come inside?”
Madison swallowed. While this was a nice gesture, she couldn’t take a rollercoaster relationship and definitely didn’t want to get Betsy’s hopes up. Her tone was matter of fact. “Why haven’t you called?”
“It’s a long story,” Adam said.
She leaned against the door. “Usually is.”
He blew out his breath. “I can see you’re upset. I promise I’m not playing games. I have a logical explanation if you’ll just let me in-” One of the bags ripped and a turkey, dressing, and rolls fell onto the porch.
Madison’s eyebrows shot up. “You brought food?”
“Of course. It’s a tradition to have turkey on Christmas,” Adam said.
“Normally, that’s Thanksgiving but I’m not complaining.” She bent down to pick up the big bird. “Come in.”
Betsy carried the rolls and followed them to the kitchen. “Hi Adam. Where have you been? We had to dec-wate without you.”
Adam’s face fell as he peeked around the corner and observed the pink tree. “It’s beautiful. I’m sorry I wasn’t here.”
Setting the rolls on the table, Betsy asked, “Where were you?”
For once, Madison was more than happy to hear her daughter’s incessant, probing questions. She couldn’t wait to hear Adam’s answer.
He sat down and patted his lap. “Have a seat and I’ll tell you.”
Madison couldn’t keep from stiffening as she watched her daughter happily climb onto Adam’s lap. Betsy was more forgiving than she was. She crossed her arms. “I’d like to hear this story, too.”
Adam frowned. “I get it. You’re mad. Hear me out.”
Her jaw set, Madison said, “I’m listening.”
Adam sighed. “Remember that client I told you about. The persnickety one?”
Madison nodded. “Yes, go on.”
“He insisted I fly to London to see a particular building he wants me to emulate.”
Madison raised her eyebrows. “You couldn’t see photos online? Google it?”
Betsy wriggled out of Adam’s lap, obviously already bored with the conversation since it didn’t involve Santa or reindeer. “That’s exactly what I said to him but he insisted I see the building in person.”
Taking a deep breath and wanting to believe his story, Madison asked, “Okay, so you went to London. Don’t they have cell phones in the UK?”
Adam shifted in his chair. “Of course, they have cell phones but I didn’t have one.”
She furrowed her brows. “What do you mean?”
“In my rush from Heathrow Airport to the hotel, I left my phone in the cab. It’s long gone and I couldn’t remember your cell number. If you still worked at the clinic, I could have called there but-”
“But I don’t have a job. Don’t remind me.”
“Sorry. Anyway, I was gone for three days across the pond. I have serious jetlag but couldn’t wait another hour to see you two. I went straight to the grocery store after landing. I haven’t even unpacked.” Adam winked. “You can check my smelly luggage if you want verification.”
Her heart swelled so much, Madison thought it might pop out of her chest. She ran over, put her arms around Adam’s neck, and kissed him. “You had me worried. I thought-”
Adam kissed her. “I’m not that kind of guy. I missed you.” He glanced at Betsy in the living room. “Both of you.”
Oblivious to her distraught-now-thrilled mother, Betsy tapped on the window. “Look. It’s snowing.” She bounced up and down, pointed with her tiny finger, and began dancing. “Snow, snow, snow.”
Adam and Madison raced toward the window. Soft, fluffy flakes had already carpeted the ground. Adam’s eyes lit up. “That’s coming down fast. I hope I don’t get snowed in here tonight.”
As her daughter tugged on her arm, Madison cocked her head. “That would be a real shame.”
“Can we go outside, Mommy? Pweaze.”
Adam tugged on her other arm. “Yes, Mommy, pweaze. This is the first snowfall of the season. Let’s go outside and enjoy it.”
Adam crouched beside Betsy with their smiling faces pressed against the chilly window.
Madison said, “I’ll get your coat and gloves, Betsy.”
“How about if Betsy shows me where her coat is and you make some coffee before I completely collapse from jetlag? Or . . . I’ll make the coffee. Just point me in either direction.”
Madison groaned. “Where are my manners? I should have offered you coffee earlier. Betsy, show Adam where your coat and gloves are while I brew coffee and put the groceries away.” Her eyes filled with happy tears when she noticed her kindergartner reach for Adam’s hand.
After the coffee brewed, she placed it in two hot thermoses and handed the largest one to Adam.
Bundled up in a purple coat with teal gloves and white knee boots, Betsy bounced around the room like a Super Ball. Madison laughed. “Hold on.” She secured her daughter’s hood and kissed her cheek. “There. Go ahead. I’ll be right out.”
Grateful as she observed Adam assist Betsy along the slippery walkway, Madison rushed to find warm clothes and decent outerwear. She decided on a reindeer antler sweatshirt and tan corduroy jeans. Then, added two pairs of socks for good measure and pulled on knee boots. Wrapping a wool red scarf around her neck, she donned a red knit cap and her warmest coat. Feeling like an overstuffed astronaut, she finally joined the group outside.
Betsy and Adam were both sticking their tongues out to catch snowflakes.
“Mommy, Mommy. The snow melts in your mouth. Try it.”
Madison stuck her tongue out and caught cold flake after flake. She giggled and realized she hadn’t played in a long time, especially not after losing her job.
“Have you guys ever had snow ice cream?” Madison asked.
Betsy’s eyes widened. “Ice cweam from snow?”
“That would be a negative but I’d love to try it. How do you make it?” Adam asked.
Madison stared at the light gray sky. “As long as it keeps falling like this, we’ll have enough snow for ice cream. I think it’s just a few ingredients. I have a recipe inside. Let me see if I have everything I need to make it. Be right back.”
Soon, she returned with a big mixing bowl. “We’re having snow ice cream. I’ve got the three ingredients—snow, vanilla, and a can of sweetened condensed milk.”
Bending over, Adam said, “Excellent. I can’t wait to try it.”
Madison placed the big mixing bowl on the porch. Betsy grabbed snow with both hands and headed toward the bowl. “Not that snow, honey. We stepped on it. It’s dirty.”
Betsy studied her little hands and the half-brown snow. “Oh.” She dropped the white mounds onto the ground and dusted her gloves.
Madison walked around the side of the house and pointed toward the pristine, white ground. “Get clean snow over here where we haven’t walked.”
Betsy ran and slipped but recovered. She motioned for her mother and Adam to join her. “Over here, guys.”
Adam grabbed the bowl and the three of them filled it to the brim.
“I’ll get this started. Want to come inside and warm up?”
“No,” Betsy said.
Adam laughed. “I’ll stay with her while you make it.”
Madison balanced the cold, metal bowl on her hip as she opened the door. “I’ll work fast before it melts.” Once inside, she set the bowl on the coffee table, dusted the snow off her boots, and placed them near the front door. She hung her coat and gloves over a kitchen chair and went to work adding a teaspoon of vanilla and stirring in the canned milk. When she got the consistency she wanted, she poured the ice cream into a slightly chipped green bowl and set it inside the freezer.