Irene Brand_Yuletide_01 Read Online Free

guardian.”
    Janice seemed young to be the guardian of her sister. Lance wondered if their parents were dead.
    “We can probably find everything we need to know from her records when they arrive.”
    “I’ll have them transferred right away. When does school start?”
    “August twenty-fifth.”
    “That will give me more than a week to finish my work and move. I noticed there’s a motel where we can stay for a few days until I settle on something.”
    Glancing through the window behind Lance, Janice saw Brooke and Taylor shooting baskets on the playground, and she felt compelled to confide in him. She wouldn’t start a new life by concealing the ugly things in her past.
    “Thanks for not asking questions, but there are things about us that you should know, things you won’t find in Brooke’s records.”
    Janice’s mouth was tight and grim and her long-lashed green eyes smoldered with bitterness. Still staring out the window, she explained. “The reason I’m Brooke’s guardian is because our parents are in prison. They’ve been alcoholics and drug addicts as long as I can remember. They illegally traded their welfare benefits for money whenever they could. When their welfare payments stopped because they wouldn’t work, they started stealing to support their addictions.”
    Janice paused and closed her eyes. Those days were a nightmare she wished she could forget.
    “They were caught robbing a convenience store and sent to prison. Brooke was placed in a foster home and I was sentto the Valley of Hope.” She looked directly at him. “Do you know what kind of place that is?”
    Lance had heard of the Valley of Hope, a reputable institution that ministered to at-risk children and teenagers. He couldn’t envision Janice Reid as an at-risk teenager. At a loss to know how to comment, Lance said, “Yes.”
    “I was fourteen and Brooke was four when that happened. I left VOH when I graduated from high school, got a job and saved enough money to prove I can support my sister. Uncle John’s legacy also helped to convince the Department of Health and Human Services that I’m a fit guardian.”
    Janice’s hands moved restlessly and she clenched them in her lap.
    “I’ve prayed that this inheritance was the end of our troubles and that Brooke and I could have a home together here.” She looked at Lance quickly, hopefully. “How will people in Stanton react to us when they learn that our parents are in prison?”
    Lance leaned forward in his chair and placed his elbows on the table. The compassion in his dark blue eyes lessened the tension Janice experienced when she talked about her parents.
    “Stanton residents are no different from people the world over. Most of them will accept you, believing you shouldn’t be blamed for your parents’ actions. Others will mistrust you.”
    “It doesn’t matter for me, but Brooke is a timid, trusting child. I don’t want her hurt.”
    “I can understand that all too well,” he said. “Taylor’s father served three years in prison, and it’s been rough for her. Dale was sent to prison because he’d embezzled funds from the local bank, although he’s always asserted his innocence. Linda, my sister, had divorced Dale before this happened, and she and Taylor moved in with me.”
    “Then Brooke and Taylor should get along all right.”
    “I’m sure of it. Taylor seems happy-go-lucky, but she loves her father, and she feels sorry for him.”
    “When I inherited this house, and a fair amount of money, I thought it would be good for Brooke and me to start a new life. I intended to go to college while Brooke was in school. Now I’m not so sure, but since I’ve put my plans in motion, I’ll give it a try. I’ve been working at SuperMart in Willow Creek, and since they have a store here, I can work part-time if I have to. If the house isn’t worth renovating, I’m sure I can sell the property. Considering that it’s within the city limits, it should bring enough