Chistmas Ever After Read Online Free PDF

coming in. If you need anything at all, please let me know. Excuse me.”
    Jennifer rushed away toward the cash register to help Angela. Mrs. Wintergreen turned, lifted a disappointed eyebrow, and moved through the crowds toward the front door. As she passed through it, Jennifer craned her neck, watching her. To get a better look, she moved toward the front window and stared as inconspicuously as possible, as Mrs. Wintergreen climbed into her car and drove away.
     
    At 6:30 that evening, Jennifer still hadn’t decided what she was going to wear to the Hartmans’ Christmas party. She’d tried on dress after dress and paraded before the mirror so many times that she couldn’t tell any more what looked good and what didn’t. Her hips looked too broad in the red dress; the white and royal blue was out of style; the gold strapless was too provocative; the cream and tan made her look pale and washed out; the light green with slender straps looked like she was trying too hard. The black designer dress that she’d paid a fortune for over a year ago brought the pain of memory. It was the last dress Lance had seen her in.
    What did that leave her with? The pale blue, with puffy shoulders and a plunging neckline. It showed cleavage. All wrong. And then there was a question of jewelry. She’d never felt comfortable wearing jewelry.
    She was about to reach for the telephone to call the Hartmans, to tell them she wouldn’t be able to make it, when the telephone rang. She answered it.
    “Hello?”
    “Hello, Jennifer. It’s Mrs. Wintergreen. How are you?”
    Jennifer closed her eyes, massaging the bridge of her nose. “I’m fine. What can I do for you?”
    “I’m calling to see if you’re going to the Hartmans’ Christmas party.”
    “Actually, something has come…”
    Mrs. Wintergreen interrupted. “… Excuse me for interrupting, my dear, I just want to say that, well…they’re such delightful people and I know they would appreciate your being at their party. They think very highly of you.”
    Jennifer’s eyes opened and she eased down into the closest chair. “I suppose you’ll be there?”
    Her voice was filled with a contagious enthusiasm. “Oh, yes, Jennifer! I wouldn’t miss it for anything. And, by the way, I would still like to offer you that Christmas present. So I do hope we’ll see you there, my dear.”
    Jennifer breathed out a sigh. “Yes, I’ll be there.”
    After Jennifer hung up, she went into the bathroom and quickly brushed out her hair, applied mousse then screwed up her lips, discouraged. What she needed was a Christmas beauty angel. She quickly applied makeup, glancing nervously at her digital clock and realizing that she was going to be late.
    In the bedroom, she ignored the rejected dresses lying in a rumpled pile on the bed, and hurried to her walk-in closet. She reached for her favorite pair of dark pants. Next she grabbed a red silk blouse and white ski sweater on the shelf above. The outfit would have to do.
    From her red velvet jewelry box, she lifted the lid and closed her eyes. It played Winter Wonderland . Her mother had given it to her for Christmas many years ago. She reached in and made a random selection. When she opened her eyes she gasped. They were her least favorite earrings. Silver dangling icicles with a little diamond drip. She shrugged and fastened them on. An old gift from somebody—she couldn’t remember. She resisted the temptation to pass by the mirror before snatching her coat and leaving the condo.
    Driving through the snow-cleared streets, past houses sprinkled with Christmas lights, electric candles in the windows and plastic glowing snowmen waving and grinning, Jennifer felt a mild panic. She’d never been particularly comfortable in large groups. She was always afraid that she would disappoint somehow—say the wrong thing at the wrong time—do something so outrageous that she would wind up on the front page of the morning papers and be run out of town,