Read To Hell in a Handbasket for Free Online

“Nick and Mr. Contino decided to call the relatives so she wouldn’t have to. But then, she and I met with the funeral director and she had to make all those decisions about the service. She kept asking me what I thought, and I had no idea how to answer her.”
    â€œI’m sure your presence was a comfort to her.”
    Judy took a moment to think. “I’m not so sure. Sometimes I’d catch her looking at me with a wistful expression on her face. I think it’s weird for her that I’m alive and Stephanie’s not. It was a little too overwhelming, so finally I had to get out of there, at least for a minute. I went to find Nick. He was with his dad in the study. That whole scene was a little odd.”
    â€œOdd? How?”
    â€œThe door was open, so I walked in. Mr. Contino was pacing the room and crying. He kept saying over and over, ‘It’s all my fault’.”
    Every time Judy or Michael had gotten hurt, Claire had felt that parental guilt— if only I had been there, protected them more, made them take fewer chances. “He probably feels he and Nick shouldn’t have gone to Copper, that if he’d been with Stephanie, he might have been able to protect her.”
    â€œBut how?”
    â€œI know it doesn’t make sense, honey, but that’s the way parents are. He could also be feeling survivor’s guilt. Did you leave them alone?”
    â€œI tried to sneak out, but Nick saw me. He jumped up and followed me into the hall, said their conversation was private. When I said I realized that and had decided to leave, he grabbed my arm and asked me how much I had seen and heard. He seemed really worried about me seeing his dad like that. It was probably the most upset I’ve ever seen him.”
    A chill raced down Claire’s spine. If that young man’s abusing my daughter, he’ll have to deal with Mama Bear. “Has Nick ever hurt you, Judy?”
    â€œOf course not, Mom.” Judy’s nose wrinkled in disgust. “Jeeze, don’t blow this up into some huge issue. He didn’t grab me in that way. You know I’d never date a guy who hurt me.”
    Claire relaxed. Yes, she had raised Judy to be strong and independent. Maybe too independent. “He was probably just con cerned that his dad would be embarrassed that you’d seen him crying. What happened next?”
    â€œI told him I hadn’t heard much, and I apologized for walking in on them. I said I would knock next time. Then Nick said not to worry, that he and his dad were just really stressed out. I decided we all needed a break, so I offered to make lunch for everyone.”
    â€œOh.” Claire checked her watch. Almost five. “I should bring over a dinner for them.”
    â€œYou don’t need to. Nick’s going to pick up a pizza on the way home, but I doubt they’ll eat much of it. They just picked at the sandwiches I fixed them.”
    â€œI haven’t even thought about our dinner,” Claire said. “Food doesn’t seem so important at a time like this.”
    â€œMaybe I should order some Chinese takeout,” Roger said.
    â€œNot for me,” Judy said. “Some friends from CU-Boulder rented a condo here for the week. Nick and I called to tell them about Stephanie. They asked us to join them for dinner tonight. He can’t, but I thought I would.”
    â€œBut we’ve barely spent any time with you since you returned from France. Not that it’s anyone’s fault,” Claire hastily added, “with Stephanie’s accident, but I thought we could spend a quiet evening together and comfort each other.”
    Judy made a face. “I don’t think spending the evening with two old people in their long underwear is what I need right now.”
    Claire bristled. “That’s not fair, Judy. We’ve been out skiing all afternoon looking for that damn snowboarder, and we’re