Sleigh Ride (Minnesota Christmas Book 2) Read Online Free PDF Page B

off.
    When Gabriel started reading, however, the room went instantly silent, everyone listening.
    Arthur too.
    The story was the one about a mouse and a cookie, which Arthur had heard his sister read to her kids, so he knew it, but the way Gabriel read it out loud made it seem like the best damn story in the world. Several times he realized he was smiling, and twice he out-and-out laughed. So did everyone else.
    When the story was over, disappointment washed over him until Gabriel lifted a second book. This one was new to him— Snuggle Puppy —one of those board things baby Sue chewed on in church and Brianna hit Thomas with.
    Goddamn, but it was sweet, though. It caught the edges of his heart when Gabriel turned to the kids and looked them in the eye, smiling and loving and bright as he led them in chorus through what were obviously favorite lines of the story.
    There was another book, and another, and Arthur stayed for them all, listening.
    Thinking.
    When it was over, the children mobbed Gabriel, asking him a million questions at once—did he have a particular book, would he go to the park with them, could he fix their sweater, did he know T-Rex was a big mean dinosaur that ate people—the attacks were so rapid-fire they alarmed Arthur, and he glanced around, angry at the parents for not rescuing Gabriel. Some of them stepped in, but even when the others continued to gossip or look at the ceiling, Gabriel did fine on his own. He put books into children’s hands, showed one where the bathroom was, admired stuffed animals and toys, and fixed the sweater. Not for a moment did Gabriel stop smiling.
    For half a crazy second, Arthur wished he were little, so he could toddle up and get touched by Mr. Higgins too.
    Shaking his head, Arthur dispelled the longing and dragged himself to the issue which had brought him here. Gabriel clearly wasn’t going to be any help, too busy with his own issues, like running a library without any paid staff or books written this century. Arthur would have to get out of playing Santa on his own.
    It was too bad the fundraiser wouldn’t work. Because goddamn. If this is what the guy could do with story time on a shoestring, imagine what he’d get done with some bank.
    Slipping out of the door, Arthur headed to his truck, tucking his collar up against the cold, making a mental note to grab his stocking cap out of the glove compartment. It was way too cold too early this year, and according to the forecast they’d have snow by the weekend.
    Heat in the library had to be a bitch. Probably ate up all the budget. Might as well feed the books to the furnace itself. Normally the image would make Arthur happy, but…well, the library was different with Gabriel driving it.
    It wasn’t right. The guy was lanky and awkward and needed something a lot more comfortable in his ass, but he was good with kids. Clearly some kids enjoyed the library.
    A grant, he’d said. Like a contract with money or something, wasn’t it? Arthur didn’t know about contracts, but he sure as hell knew somebody who did. Glancing at the dashboard clock as he climbed in the truck, he decided it was close enough to lunch to bother Marcus. He told himself it’d be worth getting reamed out if it got him out of the red suit.
    Because here was the answer, right? The whole point of the sleigh ride was to raise money to save the library. Arthur would cut out the middleman and save the library, straight up.
    Marcus Gardner had a law office on Main Street, right next door to his boyfriend’s salon. Arthur had learned to call it a salon and not a beauty shop , the same as he called Frankie a stylist not a hairdresser . Frankie said he didn’t mind what people called him.
    Marcus made it clear he minded a hell of a lot.
    Arthur had been best friends with Marcus since second grade when Arthur was busted for fighting and Marcus had given him a Twinkie as a consolation. The asshole Arthur beat down liked to call the fat kids fat, and