His Holiday Gift Read online

  His Holiday Gift

  By

  Jordan Silver

  Copyright©2014 Alison Jordan

  All Rights Reserved

  Table of Contents

  Chapter 1

  Chapter 2

  Chapter 3

  Chapter 4

  Chapter 5

  Chapter 6

  Chapter 7

  Chapter 8

  Chapter 9

  Chapter 10

  Chapter 11

  Chapter 12

  Chapter 13

  Epilogue

  Chapter 1

  It's that time again, Xmas. There's lots of running around and joy in the air. Everyone's excited about the big day. Everyone that is, except me.

  I don't know what it is, but lately I've been feeling restless, like something's missing. What that could be I don't know. Looking around me, I see the evidence of my success.

  Two years out of college and I've made more strides than anyone could ask for. My software business was more than successful; my life was full with friends and family.

  There wasn't anything I wanted that I couldn't afford, and yet I felt empty, drained. My life seemed pointless somehow.

  Maybe it had something to do with the dream I had last night. Christina. I haven't thought of her in years, not since the day her father dragged her off and threatened my life when we were teens.

  We weren't doing anything wrong, just kissing, but I guess that was too much for the old man to take.

  She was the girl I'd thought I would grow up to marry. Now I didn't even know where to find her. Not that I'd looked too hard.

  After her father had made such a stink my parents had forbidden me to ever set eyes on her again. That had been the last summer we'd spent at our place in the woods.

  That's where we'd met when I was twelve years old and she was ten. Her family rented a cabin a few doors down from the chalet my family owned.

  We spent every free moment together for those there summers, before we were torn apart. We’d combed every inch of that place, digging in the woods, marking our initials in her favorite tree. All of the things kids do I guess.

  Then there were the hours spent running around behind my dog Benji. She’d loved that dog as much as I did.

  Then as we grew older our playtime changed. I stopped seeing her as the skinny little tomboy who followed me around, and started seeing her as the beautiful young girl she was growing into.

  I remember the first time the sun shone through the leaves and glinted off her hair and eyes. I think that was the first time I really saw her as a girl.

  From that moment on things became strained between us, because I didn’t know what to do with the new awkward feelings in my own growing body.

  I wanted to be near her all the time. Suddenly nothing else was as important as the hours we spent together. And then when she was near I was in all kinds of hell.

  I remember rushing over to their cabin every morning full of excitement, and hoping her dad never guessed at the new thoughts in my head.

  They weren’t anything too sordid back then, just the innocent buds of first love. Then came that fateful day when we’d been caught.

  We’d been practicing our kissing on each other, neither of us having ever done it before. I remember the sweet awkwardness and the way she would always look at me afterwards as though I’d hung the moon.

  No one has ever been able to make feel even half of what I felt back then and believe me I’ve tried to find it.

  Now she's been haunting me for the last few weeks. I say haunting because it was as if I could feel her everywhere. Sleep or wake, she was there with me.

  I even find myself recalling the way she smelt back then, after hours in the sun. Just thinking of it makes my heart race out of control.

  She had a scent that made me nuts as a horny teenager who was now coming into his own and didn’t know shit about hormones or what to do with them.

  It had been years since I’d thought of her. Of course she came in and out of my thoughts every once in a while over the years, but nothing like this.

  Sometimes I’d see something, hear something or even a song would remind me of those days and her. But this was different; if I didn’t know any better I would swear that there was something magical at work here.

  I woke up this morning with an overpowering need to see her; no that’s wrong, not just to see her, the urge was for her period.

  To know what had become of the girl that had meant so much to me all those years ago. The girl that had peaked a young boys interest, and given him his first taste of puppy love.

  ***

  "Mom, I think I'm going to the chalet for the holidays, I know you're disappointed but I just feel the need to get away." I said it all in a rush, because I knew what her reaction would be, had thought and rethought my approach all day before broaching the subject.

  "You're going to Europe for Xmas? Alone? Now Julian, that makes no sense whatsoever..."

  "No mom not France the one right here in the states. We haven't been there in years and I just, I don't know. I need some alone time."

  I couldn’t bring myself to share her with anyone just yet, not even the memory of her, as silly as that sounded.

  "But at the holidays, couldn't you wait until after?" She dried her hand on the apron around her waist and looked at me almost pleadingly.

  I took her hands in mine, I knew this would upset her, but not even that could stop me. The need to go, the pull, was just too strong.

  I felt as though if I didn't go now, at this particular time, that I'd never escape this feeling of...I don't have a name for what I feel. Despondent comes to mind.

  "Mom I can't put it into words but I feel I have to go. I'm sorry, I know what the holidays mean to you and I wouldn't do this unless it was really important. I'll make it up to you."

  She did that thing she's always done since we were kids. Taking my face between her palms, she studied my face as if seeking something there.

  "Okay my boy, if it means that much to you I'll let you go this time, but we're not going to make a habit of it. I guess I should call and have the place aired out. The service sees to its upkeep but since it's been so long since the family's been there it might need a little spiffing up. And a tree, you'll need a tree...."

  "Mom, mom, mom, take a deep breath. I'll be fine I don't want you going to all that trouble."

  "Oh pooh it's no trouble at all for me to look out for my little boy. Have you told the others as yet?"

  "No I wanted to talk to you first. I'll tell them in the morning."

  "When are you leaving?"

  "Day after tomorrow I want to drive instead of flying, I think I need it." I needed the time to clear my head and get my thoughts together; they’ve been a bit on the fanciful side lately.

  "Son that's quite a drive from here to Colorado, you sure you don't want to take the plane? And you know the weather can be quite unpredictable this time of year."

  "I'm keeping my eyes on that mom not to worry." I filched one of the million cookies she was making for the children’s hospital and she slapped my hand playfully, telling me without words that she was okay with my decision.

  "Well at least take your truck and not that little matchbox car of yours."

  "Mom the Aston is a perfectly fine car, but fine I’ll take the Ranger, happy?" I gave her a tight squeeze and kissed her hair. She'd let me off easy I'd been more than sure that she would put me through the wringer.

  Now I could put aside the worry of this little conversation and focus on the most pressing matter. Finding Christina.

  Chapter 2

  I really didn’t have the first clue how to go about finding her, since everything I’d tried so far had faile
d, so I'd put someone on it only this morning, still I didn't hold out much hope.

  I'd only had a name and the name of that little town she'd come from to go on, but if I remember correctly, she'd always talked of leaving there as soon as she turned eighteen; she had a six-year head start.

  Please Christina, help me find you. It’s a prayer I’ve been saying for the last few hours as I tried to imagine what else I could do to help with the search.

  So much time had gone by, so much had changed? What if she was happily married with kids? How will I deal with the disappointment of that?

  “Don’t defeat yourself before you’ve even started Julian.” I’ve been saying that same thing to myself a lot lately as well. Somehow I was reassured that wherever she was, whatever she was doing, she wasn’t taken.

  I don’t understand it, why all of a sudden, out of the blue, someone that I haven’t seen or even thought of in years should just take over my whole life.

  I can’t eat, I can’t sleep, and it’s almost as if someone is standing over my shoulder nudging me to get on with it.

  I’m a practical man, not given to flights of fancy. At twenty-six I’m about as grounded as they come, but this thing has thrown me off kilter.

  In the living room I got the fire started and sat gazing into the flames as my mind wandered. I was amazed at the clarity with which I could now see her face.

  For the longest time her features were just a blur. I could remember the basics, but the essence of who she was had been long gone. Now it was as though I could reach out and touch her.

  I didn’t hear the rest of the house as my family moved around; my mind was a thousand miles away.

  In the woods of Colorado, by a stream, with a young girl who smelled like blueberry bubblegum and sunshine.

  With my head resting on the back of the chair and eyes closed, I let my mind wander and drift back through those days.

  The feelings were so real, as if they were new and I was feeling that jolt for the first time. Just what was going on here anyway? Was I losing my mind?

  I had no answer for that, but I felt sure that unless something gave in the next few days, that might be a very good possibility.

  ***

  No one was happy about me leaving for the holiday, but my mind was made up. There was a little bit of murmuring when my plans to visit the old chalet was brought up the next day, but no one seemed the wiser as to my real reasons for going there, which is how I wanted to keep it for now.

  I had no answers to give anyway, so the family thinking that I needed a little downtime after a busy year was fine by me.

  Mom decided to have a huge family dinner that Sunday before I was set to leave, to make up for my coming absence.

  I have to admit it was great having everyone together, though seeing them all paired off, left me feeling a bit melancholy.

  Dane had his wife Rhonda, and even Amalie, who was two years younger than I, was already married to her longtime beau Peter.

  Everyone looked so settled in and happy. The way they interacted with each other, finished each other's sentences and just plain completed each other, left me feeling empty.

  Don't get me wrong, I'm happy for them, but I wanted my own perfect someone. Lately I've been thinking that that might be the girl I'd left behind all those years ago.

  I ached just for the sight of her face. The only picture I had of her was taken when she was ten years old or so.

  She was all knobby-knees and pigtails, with the widest smile. I’d stolen that picture from her little scrapbook, can’t remember why now, but I’m glad I did. It was the only thing I had of her.

  Had I known our last summer together would be our last, I would've taken a million of them to remember her by.

  There's a lot I didn't know that summer. Like how she'd come back all these years to haunt me, how she'd suddenly become so important to my very existence that I couldn’t go on until I knew.

  I know it sounds crazy, but somewhere deep inside it feels as though my life will never be the same if I didn't find her.

  I couldn't stop to think why that is, there was no time. I felt compelled to find her and find her now.

  Each day that went by, that feeling grew stronger and stronger until, it kept me up all night into the morning.

  I wouldn't let my mind wander to the reasons why it seemed so imperative than I find this girl, who I honestly haven't given a thought to in years, who all of a sudden was the foremost thought in my head.

  There's so much that could've happened to her in the intervening years. She could be a completely different person. Instead of the sweet beautiful girl I remember, she could be something else entirely.

  None of that dampened this need inside me for her though. It was a feeling I'd never experienced before, almost a burning in the gut.

  I went to bed thinking about her and the time we'd spent together, and woke up from my snippets of sleep the same.

  The one thing I haven't taken out and studied too closely, is the knowledge that no matter what I found, I wasn't coming home without her.

  Chapter 3

  I spent the rest of the day preparing for my trip. My last call to the P.I wasn’t very reassuring he hadn't found anything as yet, and I was starting to get worried.

  He'd found the small town she'd grown up in but, there was no sign of her or her family, and no one seemed to know what had become of them.

  That was my only lead. If that dried up I wouldn't begin to know where to look next. I'd told him to keep looking, money was no object and if I had to keep him going for the next five years, I would until I found her.

  In this age of the Internet it scared me that there wasn’t even a whisper of her. I wouldn’t allow myself to think the worse, not even when things seemed at their bleakest.

  It was the holidays, a time for miracles, and I was seriously holding out for one. I hit the road early in the morning, because I had a long trip ahead of me.

  I didn’t bank on what being alone with my thoughts on the long ride would do to me. It was like watching my life replayed in Technicolor.

  Things that hadn’t seemed so significant at the time were now very profound. Like the way she trusted me to hold her hand and help her across the steam even though she was afraid of the water.

  Or the way she would laugh as soon as she saw me coming, like she was so full of joy she just had to let it out.

  How had I forgotten those precious moments? How had they slipped away from the mirrors of my mind?

  The Xmas carols weren’t much help either. Their gaiety and cheer made my heart sad that she wasn’t here with me.

  And changing the station wasn’t much help at either since this far up in the country all that was on the radio was country or blues.

  I was drooping in the last couple of hours of my trip and could barely stay awake. I should probably pull over and get a room somewhere since the snow had started to really come down.

  But somehow I couldn’t, I had to get to my destination tonight, that strange compulsion again.

  The roads were icy and damn near impossible when I finally reached the chalet. I felt that same rush of excitement, like I was going to turn around and she would be there.

  The place was dark, except for the blanket of stars that lit up the night sky. I took a moment to look around, reacquainting myself with my surroundings.

  In it’s place on the hill looking down at its neighbors, I had a great vantage point. From here I could see the light of the town down below and even the twinkling of Xmas tree lights.

  I could already feel the tension of the past few weeks falling away as I lifted my bags from the trunk.

  Treading my way carefully through the snow, I made it to the front steps where I got my first surprise.

  There was a wreath on the door. It looked fresh, like someone had just placed it there. Opening the door I got my second surprise of the night, as my eyes fell on the decorated tree in the window.

  "Mom." I smiled a
s I walked into the room. First things first, I have to get a fire going to ward off some of this cold.

  Then I'll call mom and thank her for her thoughtfulness.

  It wasn't long before my thoughts turned to her. The reason I'd traveled hundreds of miles. Was it hopeless? Was I making an ass of myself?

  I couldn't let those thoughts intrude, couldn't give them any energy. I know there's a reason for me being here I can feel it.

  I said another silent prayer, one of many in the last few days. That somehow, someway, I'd find her. It was the season of hope after all, that must count for something.

  I warmed up in front of the fire before reaching for my cell to call mom. I wanted to call and badger the PI but he was probably getting tired of me.

  I felt bad having him miles away from his own family for the holidays, on what might just be a wild goose chase.

  My conscience had led me to tell him he could call off the search in another day and pick it back up after the new-year.

  It was a bit disappointing that there were still no leads, but I couldn't find my happiness, at the expense of his.

  Chapter 4

  Calling mom was bittersweet. I wanted to be there with the family, as I could hear them in the background, but I needed to be here in this place, the last place I'd been close to her.

  "Mom, I'm here. I got your surprise, you didn't have to do that but thank you." I watched the snow come down outside as I spoke to her.

  "Oh Julian of course I did, what sort of mom would I be if I left my baby boy without a Xmas tree?" Always the mother, I should’ve known she would do something like this.

  "It's beautiful, they did a great job, but I’m sure you gave them blow by blow instructions."

  "Did you check the cupboard and the refrigerator?"

  "No not yet I just got in. What did you do?"

  "Oh nothing, I just had the caretakers stock you up with the trimmings for a Xmas feast…is she there yet?" I had been on my way to the kitchen to check when her words stopped me short.