A Mummy for Christmas Read Online Free

through him. He’d hoped to be understood here at least. “You know she’s asked for one for Christmas?”
    “Has she? Then maybe you’d better find her one. And I don’t mean me.” Mum grinned and kissed him. “I’ll see you Saturday.”
    “I’ll drop her over around eleven.” He headed to the stairs. “Gramma’s leaving. Come say goodbye.”
    “Bye…” Haley-Jo’s voice floated through the dark hallway.
    “Come and say it. Don’t shout, or Gramma might not let you stay there this weekend.”
    Haley-Jo thudded down the stairs in double time. “Bye, Gramma. Can I sleep in the pink room this time?”
    Stan headed into the kitchen and checked on dinner. Five more minutes and it’d be ready. They should just about have time to eat before this reporter showed up. He got two plates out of the cupboard. “Lay the table for me, wombat.”
    The nickname had come from a stuffed wombat he’d brought back for her on a trip to Australia shortly after she’d been born. She’d refused to sleep without it ever since. It was the first thing into the case whenever they went away anywhere.
    Haley-Jo took the plates.
    “Gramma tells me you’ve been reading the book the school gave you. How was the party?”
    “It was good. The streamers didn’t come off my hat once.”
    “Gramma said Father Christmas came.”
    His daughter laughed and gave him a knowing look. “You know he did, Daddy. You were there.”
    “Yes, and that needs to remain our secret. You are not to tell anyone, not even Gramma. However,” he pointed a finger at her, “we do need to talk about what you asked him for.” The doorbell rang. “But that’s going to have to wait for later. Go put those on the table.”
    Stan headed to the front door and opened it. His heart sank. It was the reporter, and she was early. “Hello, Miss Jefferson. Carly,” he corrected.
    “Hello, Mr. Fuller, I’m sorry I’m a little early.”
    “It’s Stan, please, and come on in.”
    “Thank you.”
    He stood to one side to allow her entry into the hallway and closed the door against the frigid December air. It was going to be frosty tonight. Maybe he should have put the car in the garage as soon as he’d gotten home.
    Haley-Jo came out of the lounge. “Hello.”
    “You remember Carly Jefferson from school this afternoon? Well, she wants to talk to us both about Christmas. Is that OK?”
    Haley-Jo nodded slowly.
    “OK. Come on in the warm.”
    “Thank you.” Carly followed him into the lounge. She glanced around, setting her bag on the floor beside the couch. “You don’t have your decorations up yet.”
    “Daddy says it’s too early,” Haley-Jo said. “If he had his way the tree would go up on Christmas Eve and down again on Boxing Day. Gramma says he’s a regular Ebeder Schrudge.”
    Stan’s face burned, the horror deepening as Carly laughed.
    “Sounds like it.”
    “Can I get you some tea or coffee?” he asked, desperate to make an exit to control his rampant feelings. The same sense of dizziness as before was sweeping over him like a relentless wave, and he wasn’t going to put up with it. The last woman to have affected him this way was his wife.
    “Some tea would be lovely,” Carly said. “White, no sugar, please.”
    “Be right back.” He pointed at his daughter, giving her the ‘ I’m watching you’ gesture. She scrunched her nose up at him as he hurried from the room, praying desperately for help to get through the next little while and that dinner wouldn’t be ruined as a result.
    ~*~
    Carly smiled awkwardly at Haley-Jo as Stan left the room. “How was the party?”
    “It was good.”
    Carly nodded. She was no good with kids. She never knew what to say to them.
    “Do you believe in Father Christmas?” Haley-Jo perched on the couch and looked intently at her.
    “He was there today at the party, wasn’t he?”
    Haley-Jo shrugged. “Well, there was a man dressed in a red suit there. He might not have been the real