Christmas in Sugarcreek Read Online Free PDF Page A

could see them on the twenty-sixth.”
    Though she was tempted to say something sharp, like that was big of them, she knew sarcasm would only make him feel worse. Instead, she kept her voice even. “I will look forward to seeing them. Would they like to come over here?”
    “No. They thought perhaps we could meet them at a restaurant. Or we could go to their home.”
    So they still didn’t want to step foot in their house. Lilly supposed she shouldn’t have been surprised. Technically, it was only Robert’s—it was the house he’d built for Grace, his first wife who’d died much too young.
    Though Robert had said time and again how glad he was that Lilly lived here now—that he was glad she was changing things here and there—Lilly knew his family didn’t feel the same way.
    In their minds, she had ruined Robert. For her, he’d left them, left their community. She’d made him different.
    That wasn’t true. Robert was still upstanding and serious and kind. He still believed in the Lord and tried to be a good Christian man. Only now he wore jeans.
    And smiled. Well, he smiled when he wasn’t dwelling on his family.
    A small, petty part of her wanted to hurt them, too, but she loved Robert too much to play such games. “A restaurant is fine. Their home is fine, too,” she added. “Wherever you want to see them is fine with me.”
    “Fine.” His lips twitched. “Well, they’re trying, I suppose.”
    When she noticed that his cup of coffee was already half gone, she grabbed the carafe and took it to the table. Her hand trembled as she carefully poured coffee into his favorite mug.
    “You’re not going to say much about my family, are you? Or how you feel about how they are treating you.”
    “I wouldn’t dream of it.”
    His eyes sparkled. “I had no idea you could be so closemouthed.”
    “Me, neither. Actually, I’m more than a little proud of myself,” she said with a smile. “You should be impressed.”
    “I am.” After another sip, a shadow fell across his brow. “I’ve got something else to tell you.”
    “What is that?”
    He took out his pocket watch. “It broke,” he said.
    Taking the chair next to him, she picked up the timepiece and examined it more closely. The glass face was shattered. The silver case surrounding the face looked a bit mangled, too. “Perhaps we could get it fixed?”
    “I don’t know. I’m thinking it’s well and dead.” He sighed as he took another sip of the hot brew. “It must have fallen out of my pocket today when I wasn’t aware of it. I was working on sanding a hope chest when my boot got it well and good.”
    Reaching out, she clasped his hand. “I’m sorry, Robert. I know the watch was special to you.”
    “It was my grandfather’s. But it was more special to me because I used it for the time,” he said with a wry smile. “Now I’m going to be forced to walk to my office to know what time it is.”
    “We’ll think of something,” she said, suddenly having a very good idea about his Christmas present. Afraid if she didn’t redirect the conversation he was going to talk about replacing it right away, she said, “Let’s not worry about it for now.”
    “All right. Now that we won’t be seeing my family, I was wondering how you would like to spend Christmas Day.”
    She’d been thinking about their plans for some time. “Since we’re going to my parents’ house on Christmas Eve, and services at our new church before that . . . how about we stay home, just the two of us?” she ventured. “I know it might be kind of quiet, but sometimes quiet is good.”
    His eyes widened. “You’d be okay with that? Just being here, together?”
    “Of course, Robert.” Speaking from her heart, she said, “I love being with you more than anyone else in the world. I think spending the day together, celebrating Jesus’s birth here at home sounds like a really nice way to spend Christmas.” Who knows? Maybe she’d even be able to make a turkey