Beauty In Her Madness (Winterland Tale #3) - Stacey Marie Brown Page 0,15

expected, but it was the day after Black Friday. The attention on small businesses and the race to start Christmas shopping had commenced. Two women I had met briefly were on the floor and behind the counter. The store was small but put together so efficiently it appeared larger, my sister’s hat designs filling every space.

“Welcome…” A short, cute woman greeted me at the door. She was in her mid-twenties, with a heart-shaped face, rosy, chubby cheeks, pert little nose, long blonde hair, and bright blue eyes. Something about her was so warm and inviting, you wanted to hug her like she was your favorite grandma, waiting for you with a cup of cocoa. “Oh, Dinah.” She clapped her hands. “You and your sister look so much alike; I almost thought I was losing my mind there for a moment.”

“Funny, because I think I actually am,” I muttered.

“Excuse me?” Her tag reminded me her name was Joy.

“Nothing.” I forced my mouth into a smile. “Do you know where my sister is, Joy?”

“I think she’s in the back. We had a rush of orders last night.”

“Thanks.” I nodded, moving around her, my journey halting when my eyes landed on a child trying on a beanie. A stab of adrenaline pumped fear up my neck.

Frosty the Snowman was knitted on the adorable hat. The icon was famous, but something about it brought my vivid dream back from the shadows. Alice captured every detail so precisely it was as if she plucked it from my memory, down to the poinsettia flower on his hat.

Get it together, Dinah. It wasn’t real. Just a silly dream, I mentally yelled at myself.

Barreling past the counter, I traveled down the short hallway to my sister’s office. Not bothering to knock, I started to open the door.

“I don’t want to hear it. We go through this every year.” Her annoyed voice stopped me, the door cracked open enough to see a slice of her figure, her back to me. She wore jeans, knee-high boots, and a black fitted sweater, her black hair loose down to her lower back, her arms bent like she was holding something, facing the floor to ceiling mirror in the corner.

“But she’s being that B-word again,” a boy’s childlike voice whined. What the hell was a kid doing in her office? “And I don’t mean bossy.”

“It’s that time of year. You know how she gets. Now take Pen and go. I will help later, okay?” She bent down as if lowering a child to the ground. I couldn’t see much from my angle, most of her hidden behind the desk. “Oh, and tell Hare we need more…” She stood back up.

“More what?”

“Everything.” She exhaled.

“Only if you ask Queen B to tone it down. Happy already went to the pub, and I’m about to join him.”

“Go!” She laughed. “Pen, go with him. Stay out of Dee’s way.”

I thought I heard a little voice humming a Christmas song before everything went silent. Alice shook her head, turning back for the desk, an amused smile on her face. Her look snapped to the door, catching on me in the doorway. “Dinah,” she yelped. It was a second, but I could swear fear flashed over her face, her gaze darting behind her before it vanished, a confused grin on her lips. “What are you doing here?”

“I can’t come visit my sister?” I stepped into the room, my eyes searching for the voices I heard. “Who were you talking to?”

“Oh…friends.” She tucked a strand of her loose, long dark hair behind her ear as she nodded to her cell phone on her desk. “Speakerphone.”

“Strange. They sounded like they were right here. And young.” I couldn’t stop looking for some kids to jump out, as if this was some bizarre prank.

“Nope.” She shook her head. “They’re ancient.” Her arms opened, moving to me. “But hi! It’s really good to see you. I wish you’d let me know. Today is kind of crazy.”

I fell into her hug. “I know, but I just needed to see you. I’ve missed you so much.”

“I’ve missed you too.” Her arms wrapped around me tighter, and for the first time in a long time, I felt myself sigh as if for one moment, everything was okay.

I was sane.

Chapter 6

“Now I get the lines outside.” I chuckled into the most delicious hot cocoa I’d ever had—creamy, rich, making me groan in ecstasy every time I took a sip. The cup had the phrase “drink me” scrolled on