A Season of Miracles Read Online Free PDF Page B

there.
    â€œExquisite,” Connie breathed.
    â€œBuy it. Fifty-percent off,” Jillian suggested.
    Connie shook her head sadly. “Too long and too tight for me. But…” She paused and looked at Jillian. “It’s you.”
    â€œMe? I’m not wearing a costume. And there’s no time. We have to take the girls out. In fact, we need to take them soon.”
    â€œYes, and I’m going to find a costume. I’ve decided I’m going to be one of those fun moms, all dressed up like the kids. Oh, look, there—”
    Jillian looked where Connie was pointing and saw a large horse’s head. “That one? Oh, no, Connie, even if I decide to come with you, I am not playing the rear end of a horse so you can be a fun mom.”
    Connie started to laugh. “No, not the horse. I’m going to be a princess, and you can be the witch. The gorgeous witch, I might add. And when we finish the trick-or-treating bit, we’ll meet Joe at Hennessey’s.” She made a face and shrugged. “It will be fun. You know Joe. He’ll take a few pictures of the kids, tell them they’re adorable, then leave me to do the candy bit. But he’s going to the annual Halloween party at the pub, and he’s always telling me to get my mom to watch the kids and join him. We’ll do it. We’ll get dressed up and go together.”
    â€œAn Irish pub for Halloween?” Jillian asked skeptically.
    â€œWhy not? It’s sure to be filled with pixies and leprechauns and maybe a banshee or two.” Connie cocked her head, looking at Jillian hopefully. “All right, so there are sure to be a few big bad wolves around, as well. Actually, you could use a big bad wolf or two in your life.”
    â€œMy life is fine.”
    â€œYou can’t mourn Milo forever,” Connie said, studying her friend.
    Jillian felt another twinge of loss. People still tiptoed around mentioning Milo’s name most of the time. Today, though, he seemed in the forefront of her mind, and she reminded herself again that she had married Milo Anderson with her eyes wide open. She had known about his cancer. He had tried to talk her out of marriage on the basis that she pitied him but didn’t love him. She had insisted, though. Because he had been wrong. She had loved him very much.
    Even more than Connie, he had been the best friend she’d ever had. Maybe she hadn’t been in love the way it was in movies and romance novels, but she wasn’t so sure she wanted to be in love that way. Loving Milo had hurt enough.
    Neither all the king’s horses and all the king’s men—nor all the Llewellyn money—had been able to stop the growth of the disease. Milo had died almost a year to the day after their wedding. Almost a year ago now. No one in her family ever told her, “Well, you knew it was bound to happen,” and for that she was grateful.
    â€œI’m not going to mourn Milo forever. I’m glad for the time we had together, glad for what he did for my life, glad for what I was able to do for his. But it’s not as if I’ve been wasting away for years. He hasn’t even been gone a year. I don’t go out a lot because I’m busy. I—”
    â€œYou need a life. And I happen to know that you refused a get-to-know-you with Robert Marston for this evening, when your grandfather suggested it.”
    â€œAnd how do you know that? It wasn’t even a real suggestion.”
    â€œYou poor innocent! Word is all over the company. You know we love to talk about the bosses.”
    â€œI’m not the boss.”
    â€œYour grandfather wants you to be.”
    â€œNo, he doesn’t. He doesn’t want to let go of the reins while he’s living, and I don’t think he should.”
    â€œHe knows he’s not going to live forever.”
    â€œIt’s a huge operation. I’m in design, not business. I don’t want the