Christmas in Evergreen Tidings of Joy - Nancy Naigle Page 0,30
the front porch, writing in her notebook. There’d been a time when he’d scribbled like that in one. Seeing her made him envy that a bit. He wasn’t even quite sure when he’d gotten out of that habit. From here, the sun glistened in Katie’s hair, like an angel among all the gold ornaments and ribbons that decorated the porch.
The truck puttered to a stop in the driveway. The way she smiled when she looked up captivated him, making him happy he’d agreed to take her along for the ride. He stepped out of the truck, feeling young and inexperienced, which he wasn’t, but it’d been a long time since a woman had made him so nervous.
He stepped out onto the running board, stretching tall above the door. “You ready?”
“Waiting on you.” She leaped to her feet and ran down the stairs toward him.
Her enthusiasm was addictive. He couldn’t get enough of it. Once she experienced Evergreen for herself, he was certain the story she wrote wouldn’t be like those fluff-pieces of the past. “Well, come on. Let’s get a tree, but first let’s start by having peppermint hot cocoa. Sound good?”
“Well, yeah! That sounds really good.” She climbed into the truck. “Is this another one of those Evergreen traditions? Peppermint hot cocoa?”
“I guess it will be if you agree to do it with me again tomorrow.”
She smiled wide, nodding slowly. “So that’s how it starts.”
“It’s just the beginning.” Ben started up the truck and made the short drive around the block to Kringle Kitchen. “Just a short pitstop, then we’ll be on our way.”
“Fine by me.”
She hopped out of the truck, and the two of them went inside. Before the door even closed behind them and Ben got the words, “Morning, everyone,” out of his mouth, David was out of his chair and across the room in front of them.
“I was just at the library looking for you. I’ve been going though these things Nan found, and look! Do you know where this picture was taken?”
Ben waved to Carol. “We need two peppermint cocoas to go, please.”
“Coming right up.”
Ben took the picture from David and examined it closely. The old photo was grainy and had faded over time. The Turners, Hannah and Thomas’s parents stood smiling in front of a building with a winter mural painted on it. In the background, he could make out a red truck. “That has to be Allie’s grandfather’s truck in the background, but I don’t recall ever seeing a mural like that in this town. Are you sure it was taken here?”
Hannah walked across the room to see what the fuss was about. Peering over David’s shoulder, she said, “I’ve never seen this photo before.” Her smile was an exact replica of her dad’s in the picture. “I miss them so much.” She reached for the picture. “Where’d you get that?”
Ben showed Katie, then handed the photograph to Hannah, who marveled at it.
“It was in the stack of papers Nan brought me,” David said.
Joe motioned over their shoulder. “That’s Kringle Alley. Right outside. You can see the old bakery sign in the photo.” He pointed to the edge of the photo. “See? It’s where I park the cocoa cart.”
“I wonder what happened to the mural,” David said.
“Uh-oh, looks like someone’s wheels are turning,” Katie teased.
“Oh, he does love a puzzle,” Hannah said. “Just like me.”
“Yes,” David quipped. “I promise to tell you all about the key and the mystery of the silent bells in the church last year.”
“Sounds like a Nancy Drew mystery.” Katie’s eyes lit up. “Put me down for that story time.”
“No time for that this morning,” Ben said. “We’re off to pick up the tree for the front of the library. Henry’s waiting on us.”
“Soon,” Katie said to David.
“Deal!” David was more focused on the picture than his conversation with her, though.
Carol carried two large cups of cocoa to go for them. “You two have fun.”
“We will.” She took one of the cups and headed for the door. Ben held the door for her as she skipped outside and playfully raced him to the truck.
She climbed into the passenger seat and announced her victory, but it was clearly a tie.
“Here we go.” Ben turned the key, and they set off for Henry’s Christmas Tree Farm.
Katie sipped her hot cocoa, and he liked that she didn’t feel like she had to fill every quiet moment with words. Instead, she watched thoughtfully out the window. He pointed out a couple of landmarks,