Come Home For Christmas Read Online Free PDF

swallow sudden tears.
    “Honey, that’s an awfully big wish. I’ll make it for you, and hope God hears it, but you know he doesn’t always answer our prayers.”
    “Yes he does,” Leah countered. “Reverend Clark says sometimes He says yes, and sometimes He says no, but often He says to be patient and wait.” She frowned. “I’ve been patient my whole life almost. That’s why I want to remind him again this year.”
    “That makes sense,” Krista answered, refusing to be the one to destroy the child’s faith. “I’ll even put a twonie in for it.” She dropped the two dollar coin into the angel’s bag, wishing the child wouldn’t be too disappointed. Maybe Ethan had a girlfriend in the wings waiting to be the next Mrs. Terrance. “Please find Leah a new mommy.”
    The coin disappeared from view, and the plaster angel nodded, as if granting the wish. As a child, she’d believed that was exactly what happened. As an adult, she knew better.
    Leah repeated the process with the loonie Ethan had given her, but her prayer was a little different.
    “Hello, angel. Last year I asked for a mommy and got a puppy. Mama says you’re really old, so maybe your ears aren’t good. I love Rascal. He’s the most perfect dog ever, but I still want a new mommy—m o m m y. Thank you.” She turned to Krista. “What kind of pizza do you like? I like Hawaiian.”
    The quick change of topic had Krista’s brain scrambling to catch up.
    “I do, too,” although in reality the idea of pineapple swimming in grease and cheese made her queasy.
    “Yes!”
    After placing two large frozen Hawaiian pizzas in the basket, Leah led her around to the meat aisle.
    The overhead sign clearly proclaimed the location of the turkey. Krista rolled her eyes.
    Why do they always place them in deep freezers?
    Hopefully, she’d be able to get one close to the top. Krista looked into the bin and realized it was almost empty. There were only three turkeys left, each one about the same size as the child beside her, reminding her of a scene from A Christmas Carol . Oh well, Ethan would have left over turkey until Easter.
    “Get a big one,” Leah said. “Everybody comes to dinner on Christmas.”
    Of course they do.
    Some things, like Mama’s crèche and fudge, didn’t change. Seven Oaks had always been the holiday hub. Mom had hosted the parties, and she’d been gone before the next Christmas. Had Krista stayed at Seven Oaks, she’d have been the official holiday hostess. Now, would she get the job by default?
    Who says God doesn’t have a strange sense of humor?
    Bending into the freezer, Krista reached for the icy cold but not frozen bird in the bottom. Stretching a little harder, up on her tip toes, she still couldn’t reach it. Leveraging herself on the edge of the chest, she managed to get her hands around the bird, and then it happened. The heaviness of the bird shifted her weight, and she was stuck half-in, half-out of the freezer, ass in the air.
    Lord, kill me now.
    Letting go of the bird, she tried to push herself off the lip of the freezer, but the button on her coat seemed to be caught on something.
    This is just frigging wonderful .
    “Leah, go get your daddy. I’m stuck.” She groaned, bent her knees, and kicked frantically, trying to get some momentum to pull herself up.
    “Daddy, come quickly,” Leah yelled at the top of her voice, making sure everyone in the store, and anyone walking by outside, could hear her. “Krista fell into the freezer.”
    The sound of several pairs of running feet added to her mortification.
    “Need a lift?” Ethan asked.
    She grabbed the bird just as he put his arms around her waist, pulling her upright, turkey and all.
    “Thank you,” she said with all the dignity she could muster, praying no one had used a cellphone to take a picture of the crazy lady head first in the turkey freezer. Of course, it was he face not her ass that was famous, so she might get away with it.
    “Are you okay?”