Total pages in book: 32
Estimated words: 31777 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 159(@200wpm)___ 127(@250wpm)___ 106(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 31777 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 159(@200wpm)___ 127(@250wpm)___ 106(@300wpm)
Reuben sighed behind her and she tensed, turning to find him on his laptop. “This storm doesn’t look great.”
“We can’t get through?” she asked.
He eyed her for a moment. “I want to tell you that we’ll be fine, but I’m not going to risk your safety by driving in this snow. We’ll just have to wait a bit longer and see.”
That’s what she’d thought he was going to say. Anxiety made her antsy as she paced around the room.
“Come here, Little Blossom. Do you want to do some coloring? Play with your stuffies? Watch a cartoon?”
“Can we go outside for a bit?” She knew it was snowing hard and probably really cold. But she was feeling cramped and claustrophobic.
It just felt like if she got outside, she’d be able to breathe.
“Outside?” Reuben shook his head.
“Please, Daddy? Just for some fresh air? I’ll dress up warm.”
He eyed her for a long moment. “All right, for a short while.”
She didn’t say a word as he dressed her in so many layers that she was sweating and could barely move. Then he drew on a jacket and led her out to the elevator.
“How come I have to have fifty layers and you only need to wear a jacket?”
“Because I don’t want you to get cold and sick.”
“What about you?” she asked.
“I’m a Daddy. We don’t feel the cold.”
Sheesh. She rolled her eyes at him and he tapped her nose. “Naughty girl.”
Silly Daddy.
They stepped outside and she took in several breaths of cool air. Yep, it was snowing heavily, but it was so beautiful. Reuben’s phone rang.
“It’s Juliet,” he explained. “Stay right where I can see you.”
He stepped away, answering the phone and she walked out further, turning around. Her gaze was caught by someone in the distance.
Hey! Wasn’t that the couple they’d met the day before? The older couple who had said that she and Reuben reminded them of themselves?
They climbed into a large red truck. Where were they going? Would they be all right? She moved toward them, ignoring Reuben’s order to stay close. She needed to tell them it was unsafe to drive in this storm. But as they drove away, it was like they took the storm with them.
The snow started to lighten. And the clouds parted, the sun shining through.
“Faith! I told you to stay close. What are you doing? Holy crap. Is the storm clearing?”
“I think so.” She turned to him, bouncing with excitement. “I think we’re going to make it to Wishingbone after all.”
Relief filled Faith as they drove through Wishingbone, Montana.
“Wow, they have outdone themselves on the lights,” she said with wonder, staring around at the beautiful Christmas lights strung across the main street and around every large tree.
Reuben grunted. He had a bit of a love-hate relationship with this town. She had to admit that the people who lived here were kind of kooky. But they could also be kind and friendly and they took care of Juliet.
And anyone who hurt Juliet, well, they mysteriously suffered a series of unfortunate events and generally ended up leaving town . . . or going missing.
Faith shot her man a look . . . she wouldn’t put anything past him. He adored his sister.
Not that she could blame him for protecting Juliet. Although she did have two men now who were also very protective.
“Oh, look, I think that’s Keisha!” She rolled down the window.
“No, don’t!” Reuben said as she leaned out of the open window.
“Keisha! Harry! Hi!” She waved at them.
“Faith!” Keisha squealed loudly. “You’re here! Juliet will be so relieved. We have to catch up! Quiz night! See you there.”
“See you there,” Faith called back as Reuben kept driving.
Keisha was so much fun. All of Juliet’s friends were lovely.
“We are not going to quiz night,” Reuben told her.
Faith sent him a pouting look. “Why not? I love quiz night.”
“No.”
“Juliet loves quiz night.”
“She’s not going either.”
Faith shook her head. “You know that you have no right to tell Juliet what she can and can’t do, right?”
“Of course I do. I’m her brother. She’s not going, you’re not going. I won’t gain some new gray hair. We all win.”
“Aww, but I like your gray hair,” she told him. “Makes you look distinguished.”
“Yeah?” He glanced over at her before returning his gaze to the road. “You’re still not going. It’s too dangerous.”
“Reuben, it’s quiz night! It’s not dangerous.”
“How many crazy things have happened during quiz night?”
All right, so he might have a point, but . . .
“It’s Christmas time. No one is going to do anything crazy at Christmas.”
“If you think that, then you don’t know the people of this town well.” He pulled into Juliet’s driveway. “And what was Keisha dressed as?”
“I’m pretty sure that she was meant to be a Christmas ornament.”
“Why?” he asked, sounding baffled. “Actually, never mind. I don’t want to know. Wait there.”