Christmas Present

By Linda Rettstatt

Sometimes the greatest gift we can give is time and the sharing of a sweet memory. Connie Stockton has not seen Douglas Miller for fifty-two years, since he left for college with a promise he'd return to her. Now, his son appears to seek a favor from her--one that could give him one more day with the father he remembers. Christmas Present is a poignant story of love lost, love remembered, and love that endures.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Linda Rettstatt
• Release date: Dec 9, 2021
• ISBN: 9781005836924

Linda Rettstatt

Linda Rettstatt is a best-selling and award-winning author of Women’s Fiction and Mainstream Contemporary Romance. In March of 2012 her novel, LOVE, SAM, won the prestigious EPIC eBook Award for Mainstream Fiction. And in April, 2016, LADIES IN WAITING won the EPIC eBook Award for Contemporary Fiction. Rettstatt grew up in the small town of Brownsville in Southwestern Pennsylvania. After 20 years living and working in Mississippi, she has returned to the hills of PA to write and work as an editor.

Book preview

Christmas Present:

A poignant story of love lost, love remembered,

and love that endures.

~

Linda Rettstatt

Christmas Present:

A poignant story of love lost, love remembered,

and love that endures.

3rd Act Books

© 2021, Linda Rettstatt

Smashwords Edition

Cover Design: Linda Rettstatt

Cover Photo: Courtesy of Pixabay/Monicore

All rights reserved. The unauthorized reproduction or distribution

of this copyrighted work, in whole or part,

by any electronic, mechanical, or other means, is illegal

and forbidden.

This is a work of fiction. Characters, settings, names, and occurrences are

a product of the author’s imagination and bear

no resemblance to any actual person, living or dead, places or settings,

and/or occurrences. Any incidences of resemblance

are purely coincidental.

Dedication

This story is dedicated to those whose families are touched by the horrific effects of dementia and Alzheimer’s disease. Those moments of presence and clarity—moments of living in the present—are precious, as are the memories locked inside. Hold fast to those moments and to the memories of love. They are gift.

Chapter One

Connie was going to be late. But, in truth, if she showed up at the party on time, her friends would be suspicious. She was never on time. She fussed to fasten the latch of the Christmas tree necklace her granddaughter had given years earlier.

Mom? You’re going to be late. I brought your mail from the shop, and you have a package. Her daughter, Melanie, came to the house every day for lunch. Connie suspected it was more to check up on her. Not that Connie needed to be checked on. She was a healthy seventy-two that everyone said looked and acted more like sixty. She retired a few years ago and still wondered why. Melanie now managed the antiques shop Connie had established twenty years earlier—Connie’s Collectibles.

Connie slipped into her comfortable shoes and gave herself a final once-over in the mirror. Age had taken its toll on her, just as it had on so many of her friends. Except for Julia. Of course, Julia had married a plastic surgeon. Connie picked up her purse and headed down the stairs. At least she was authentic.

Melanie stood at the bottom of the stairs and looked up. A man brought this package into the store for you.

The brown paper was tied up with red twine. An envelope bearing her name—well her maiden name—Connie Hendricks had been slipped under the twine.

I’ll open it later, Connie said.

Mom, I’m dying of curiosity. Open it now. Mel thrust the box toward her.

Oh, all right. Who delivered it?

I don’t know. I was busy at the time. Nice-looking man. I think his name was Jason. He said he didn’t have your home address but found you through the Chamber of Commerce. Melanie opened a drawer in the hall table and