Meet Cate Read Online Free PDF Page A

tell her I said thank you,” Cate smiled.
    “Oh, I will! I will! Thank you so much!” the astonished girl stammered to Cate.
    And with that, Cate sailed out. She felt wonderful. Lucy, content and dreamy, showed off her new cookbook to the next customers in line. She couldn't stop grinning.
     
                 
     

Chapter Twelve
    Back at home, Cate set her purchases down in her spacious office. The desk was large and ornate; it fit the room perfectly. The wall behind it featured bookshelves and built-in filing cabinets, both finished in a light stain. To her left was the hallway to the kitchen. To her right sat a long, wooden conference table that doubled as a meeting area. (And a sometimes craft area, or a seasonal wrapping station.) Under the window that looked out onto the porch was a window seat. The inviting spot was nestled between tall cabinets that held organized wicker bins full of craft, office and holiday supplies. The cabinet doors were framed and lined with chalkboard paint. Across from Cate sat a group of large windows looking out on the driveway and the woods beyond. There was another window seat, and a low bookshelf−a makeshift play area for the children that seemed to always find their way to her. In the far corner of the room stood a tall, traditional brick fireplace. In front of the majestic fireplace were two upholstered chairs. They matched the pair that sat closer to Cate's spacious and elegant desk, for guests. The exquisite silver pattern of the cushions blended beautifully with the colors that dripped from luxurious window treatments. Behind the desk, where Cate stood now, sat her own highback, leather desk chair. The end result was a comfortable, warm, serious room that said, let's do business.
    Cate unloaded her packages, meaning to add a few of the carefully wrapped candles to the drawer where she stored items for donation. This time of year the drawer was more full than it normally was, as she prepared for Toys for Tots and Christmastime giving. There were gift cards from Barnes & Noble, bags and bags of Hershey Kisses (she could move those to the freezer) and two boxes of smaller crafts she'd picked out at The Big E, the largest state fair in New England.
    Cate put the Best Buy bag aside on her neat desk, to be wrapped and stored until closer to Christmas. (She'd have her tree in less than two months, Cate thought happily.) Her unpacking done, Cate jotted a Post-it note to herself to replace the cookbook and CD she'd taken from her Jeep.
    Relaxed, she sunk into the comfortable leather chair and kicked her shoes off under her desk. Pulling out a notepad and her calendar from the top right hand drawer, Cate began to make notes for the upcoming season.
    She scrawled A & N across the holiday season, frowning, reminded of Tom. Shaking her head, she jotted Vermont across the first week in December, doodling an elegant question mark on the second week. The three of them and Merry had always traveled north to snow, whenever possible, to start the season off in a festive spirit. At home, they were too close to the shore to see the accumulations that Al still loved to sled through. Nic could use the relaxation time, probably−it might prove to be inspirational, she thought. Cate could fit in a little cross country skiing. Smiling, she noted it all down.
    She'd make one more trip to the city for last-minute shopping. She'd buy books at B & N, stop in at the American Girl store, visit Dylan's Candy, and round out the trip with lunch and skating. She jotted notes around her schedule, planning ahead past the December hiatus, thinking about who she wanted to invite. Alex, of course. Maybe they'd make it a long weekend with a fancy hotel.
    Cate rested her chin in her hand, looking out the tall windows to the driveway. Soon, it would be filled with the vehicles of her children and their friends: Nic's Jeep, Alex's VW Beetle, and as many more as they could fit in. It would look like a car