Forever This Time by Maggie McGinnis Read Free Book Online Page B

gritted his teeth, then tried to loosen them before he answered. Diana didn’t need him to remind her that her own daughter had been AWOL for the past ten years, and that everything about this situation was completely awkward.
    â€œShe’s headed over there now, actually.”
    â€œShe is?” Ah hell. Again .
    Apparently his little Go away speech last night had fallen on deaf ears. He clunked all four legs of his chair back to the floor as he scanned the courtyard outside the window. He blew out a quick, frustrated breath. No way were he and Josie going to hole up in this office and work together all weekend. No frigging way.
    But what other option did he have? He might be the CFO of Snowflake Village, but Andy was decidedly still in charge. If the poor man was in a hospital bed, then his wife was the de facto CEO, not Ethan. And if his wife wanted her own daughter to work at the park for the weekend, then there was diddly-squat Ethan could do about it.
    He tried to level his voice. “All right, Diana. I’ll give it my best shot.”
    â€œThat might sound more reassuring if I hadn’t known you for fifteen years, young man.”
    He laughed bitterly. “Concerned that my best shot still might involve me throwing her in the lake if I get a chance?”
    â€œOr onto the roller coaster, yes.” He could hear Diana smiling now. “Just find her something to do to keep her busy. We both know she can’t do waiting-room duty without losing her mind. If she can be at the park, she can at least feel useful, and I can get to her if I need to.” She paused. “Do you think that could work?”
    â€œHonestly?” No way in hell.
    He heard shuffling in the background, like she was gathering together papers. “I’m on my way to the hospital. She should be there in a few minutes.” She paused again. “Just do your best, Ethan. Maybe you could help her realize that home isn’t all bad … at least not anymore.”
    â€œBut no pressure?” He grimaced, craning his neck to look out the window again toward the entrance. What in the world was he going to be able to find Josie to do here?
    As Diana hung up, his eyes caught on the Santa suit he’d been trying to figure out how to struggle into before the phone rang.
    Then he almost hated himself for the smile he felt creeping up the edges of his mouth.
    *   *   *
    Josie took a deep breath as she eyed Elf Central from the courtyard on Saturday morning. How could she be so hot already at nine o’clock in the morning? She imagined the employees going through the Horribly Hot, Humid Day lists in the snack shacks and Care Cottage as she watched three teens in red polos wheeling ice bags down the pathways. They’d be trekking those bags all over the park today in a vain attempt to keep the Slush-Bombs pouring fast enough.
    Josie felt a stab deep in her gut as she thought of the icy drink and one little girl who’d probably downed five hundred of them in the two short years Josie had known her.
    *   *   *
    â€œWhat’s this?” Avery’s eyes lit up as Ethan handed her a sparkly pink bag with tissue paper sticking out the top.
    â€œHappy eighth birthday, Aves!” He leaned down to kiss her on the forehead, then sat beside her on the wishing-well bench. His eyes met Josie’s questioning ones over Avery’s head, but he just winked and shrugged his shoulders.
    Avery pulled out the first piece of tissue paper and folded it carefully. She did the same with the second, then reached in and pulled out a purple T-shirt with letters across the front. As she shook it out to read the letters, her little body quaked with laughter. “Oh, Ethan!! I love it!! It’s perfect!!”
    She stood up and pulled it over her head, then put her hand on her hip in a model-perfect pose so Josie could see. “ OFFICIAL SNOWFLAKE VILLAGE SLUSH-BOMB TESTER