A Family for the Holidays

Dear Reader,

Welcome to Barefoot Bay World, a place for authors to write their own stories set in the tropical paradise that I created!  For these books, I have only provided the setting of Mimosa Key and a cast of characters from my popular Barefoot Bay series.  That’s it! I haven’t contributed to the plotting, writing, or editing of A FAMILY FOR THE HOLIDAYS.  This book is entirely the work of Karen Ann Dell, a talented author who has written in the Barefoot Bay World once before.

Readers loved Karen’s first Barefoot Bay World book, DOUBLE PLAY, which features the local minor league baseball team, the Bucks. In this spinoff story, Karen takes readers on a holiday-themed journey to learn the power of family during this special time of year on Mimosa Key.  I love nothing more than a hero who has to take down some walls before he can love again and this story has that and more. Merry, happy, and enjoy!

Roxanne St. Claire

PS. If you’re interested in the rest of the Barefoot Bay Kindle World novels, or would like to explore the possibility of writing your own book set in my world, visit www.roxannestclaire.com for details!

This story is set in a world based on Roxanne St. Claire’s Barefoot Bay Series; it is published with the permission of Roxanne St. Claire, information about whose books are found at http://www.roxannestclaire.com/barefoot-bay-series/.

Acknowledgments

Many thanks to Roxanne St. Claire for creating the world of Barefoot Bay, where I have spent countless hours happily soaking up the ambience of Mimosa Key and its inhabitants. When she opened her world to allow her fans to create their own stories here, I jumped at the chance to participate. Setting stories in this world is a fun vacation from my own series, which is set in the fictional town of Blue Point Cove, Maryland. There is just something special about waterside venues, don’t you agree?

Over the years I have received an incredible amount of mentoring and support from the members of my local chapter of RWA. Their names are too numerous to mention here, but I thank them all for their time and expertise.

I must also thank Chris Kridler, whose amazing editing skills help my books become so much better. A fine novelist in her own right, Chris offers insight, encouragement when I’ve run off into the weeds, and the best copy editing in the business.

One of the difficulties my heroine encounters in this story is dealing with her mother’s Alzheimer’s Disease. To all of my readers who cope with this issue themselves, you have my utmost sympathy and admiration. While every caregiver’s challenges are different, the overarching pain of being forgotten by someone you care deeply for is indescribable, and the day to day repetition of even the simplest tasks is frustrating, to say the least. This book is dedicated to those unsung and often underappreciated caregivers.

Chapter One

Kelly Singer squared her shoulders and took a deep breath, then knocked on the door to her mother’s room.

Come in, come in. The door’s open.

Her mother sounded annoyed, and Kelly’s hopes plummeted. She’d hoped, as she always did when she visited her mom, that it would be a good day. She plastered on a smile and entered the private room.

Hi, Mom.

The confused frown and narrowed eyes confirmed Kelly’s fears before the woman sitting in the chair by the window even spoke.

Who are you?

It’s Kelly, Mom. Your daughter. I came to take you out to lunch today.

Well, you might as well turn right around and go. They won’t let me leave this place. I tried to go out yesterday, but the gate in the garden is locked, and no one would give me the key. She flicked her fingers in dismissal and returned her gaze to the window.

Kelly took the chair opposite her and waited. It didn’t matter how many books she’d read about Alzheimer’s, she still had trouble conversing with the woman who had raised her but now rarely recognized her. I think they just don’t like the idea of you leaving by yourself. In case you might, uh, get lost.

Humph. That’s ridiculous. I know where I am. I’ve lived in this house for twenty-two years. She studied Kelly for a few seconds. Do I know you?

Despair filled her, and she fought to keep her eyes from tearing. I’m your daughter, Kelly.

No, dear, you must be mistaken. My daughter Kelly is only sixteen. She’s upstairs in her room, too sick to come down for lunch. Maybe by the time Jack and Francine get back from Gainesville, she’ll feel well enough to join us for dinner.

Kelly’s heart clenched. Her mother often returned to the fateful day that her dad and sister had died in the multi-car pileup on I-75.

Francine wanted to attend medical school at the University of Florida, and the family had planned an overnight trip to explore the campus. Unfortunately, Kelly had come down with the flu and was too sick to go. She’d told them she would be fine by herself, but her mother didn’t want to leave her.

The illness saved her life and her mother’s, but afterward, Kelly suffered from intense survivor’s guilt. Her older sister was the smart one, destined for great things. Kelly wasn’t dumb, but she didn’t have the drive that fueled Francine’s 4.0 GPA and made her valedictorian of her graduating class. If only one of them was destined to survive to adulthood, it should have been Francine.

Although her mother never said as much, Kelly knew she felt the same way.

Gradually, the guilt faded, and Kelly was grateful she and her mother had not gone along on that terrible trip. She had no aunts, uncles or grandparents still living. Her entire family consisted of her and her mom. They became a pair, a team more like sisters than mother and daughter. Kelly had friends her own age, of course, and had a normal, if quiet, social life. But the important days—holidays, birthdays, anniversaries—those they spent together.

And, now, for all intents and purposes, her mother was gone, too.

No, Mom, it’s me. I’m Kelly, and I’m all better now. Remember how we’d always go out to lunch on our birthdays? Today is yours, so we’re going out, she said, firmly enough to keep her mother from arguing.

That’s right. We did do that, didn’t we? A fleeting spark of recognition flickered in her eyes. I’m not sure I’m dressed properly. She brushed imaginary specks of lint from her navy slacks.

You look fine, Mom. She took the tiny dollop of remembrance and ran with it, offering the small gift box she brought. Last week she’d gone to the Casa Blanca Resort and Spa to deliver caps and T-shirts bearing the logo of the Barefoot Bay Bucks to the resort’s gift shop. A gold, heart-shaped locket caught her eye in the jewelry case. It opened to reveal places for three small photos, and she instantly thought of her mother. She bought it and a gold chain long enough so that her mom could open it and see the images of her husband and daughters even when she had it on. Maybe it would help her remember.

A present? For me? How thoughtful, dear. Elizabeth untied the ribbon and opened the box. Oh, this is lovely. Thank you, honey.

Kelly helped her open the locket to reveal the pictures. Her mother stared at them for so long, Kelly expected her to ask who was in the photos. But her mom just closed the locket, kissed it, and asked Kelly to help her put it on. She stroked her hand along the chain and looked up at Kelly with tears glistening in her eyes. This is the nicest birthday present I’ve ever received. Thank you, Francine. You are so thoughtful.

Moisture burned in Kelly’s eyes, and she blinked several times to keep her tears from falling. She forced another smile and helped her mother to stand up. She could feel the bones of her mother’s shoulder beneath the silk blouse, and her wrist felt fragile in Kelly’s grasp. Despite the recent weight loss, she still appeared much younger than her fifty-eight years. Her skin stretched taut over high cheekbones, the fine-grained complexion smooth except for a few lines around her eyes, and the silver strands in her naturally pale blond hair were nearly invisible. She’d always dressed stylishly, and with the income Kelly’s father had provided, designer labels graced her clothes, shoes and bags.

I have a special treat for today. We’re going to eat at Junonia, a wonderful restaurant at the Casa Blanca Resort on Mimosa Key. Their terrace overlooks the beach and the Gulf of Mexico.

Oh, my, that sounds lovely. Let me get my purse. She hesitated and frowned. You’re sure they’ll let me out?

I’m sure, Mom, Kelly said, clasping her mother’s hand in hers. You’re always safe with me.

By the time she and her mom ate their late lunch, the brief window of awareness had closed, and conversation languished as they walked the beach and collected some shells. Kelly was grateful her mom made it through lunch while she still knew her daughter, though often confusing her with Francine. Most visits were a complete wash in that department. She knew the symptoms of the disease were relentless and had been counseled to expect fewer and fewer moments of recognition as time went by. She had hoped the progression would not be so rapid, though.

Kelly was grateful she’d found an available room in an assisted living facility in Naples. It enabled her to visit much more often than the old one in West Palm. A short drive across the causeway and into Naples took less than thirty minutes, so she tried to visit her mother several times a week.

Kelly checked her watch. It was already seven-thirty. It was dinner time for the residents, but her mom insisted she wasn’t hungry, and since she’d eaten so well at lunch, Kelly relented and sat in the garden with her. They watched the sky deepen to indigo. As the first few stars appeared, the evening breeze cooled enough to make her mom shiver, so Kelly walked her to her room, settled her in front of her TV and kissed her cheek goodbye. Her mom didn’t notice when she left.

By the time Kelly returned to the condo she shared with Sky Ziegfeld, she was exhausted. The cycle of hope followed by disappointment was emotionally draining. She sighed, toed off her shoes and went to the fridge. A glass of chardonnay would soothe the heartrending echoes from today’s outing.

Sky and her fiancé, AJ, were visiting his mother up in Massachusetts, so the condo was dark and empty. Lucky Sky, she thought for the thousandth time. She found her soul mate, a pitcher for the Barefoot Bay Bucks, almost