Christmas in Evergreen Tidings of Joy - Nancy Naigle Page 0,43
what terpenes were, for goodness sake. You couldn’t unknow that.
Ben’s recitation of that one sentence from her outline hung over her. Was that what her visit here was meant to be? No. No it was not.
Great clarity came over her. She’d come here to work on a new novel. A story that would touch hearts and uplift readers. That assignment wasn’t what she was really here to do at all. In no way did it get her closer to her goal of finishing a second book.
She opened her laptop and started perusing the novel notes she had so far. There were a few good ideas here. She could spend the next day or two shaping the outline, getting the plot points down and putting together a plan.
But the appreciation in Mom’s voice when they’d been on the phone came back to her. Mom was in a bind. Would it really kill her to write one quick article? It wasn’t like she hadn’t done so dozens of times before. If she stayed focused, she could probably get the article completed in two days, and then still have time to work on the novel too.
She turned to a clean page in her notebook and picked up her pen. Pacing the room, she jotted down interesting things she’d already seen in town. Things that hadn’t been mentioned in the other articles she’d read.
An hour later, she was taking a self-guided tour of Evergreen. She toured that adorable little church and learned that last year David had been the one to figure out the mystery about why the church bells had no longer rung. At the noon hour, the bells rang. They swung inside the tower independently, sending three distinct sounds out across the town.
Katie learned the church was quite the attraction during the summer. People came from all over to get married here. She could see why. With its original handcrafted stained-glass windows, bell tower and history of lasting marriages, the church was like a storybook place.
She spent time at the railroad depot too. The renovated train really had once been the main source of transportation into this town, and still all these years later, there was only one paved road that led in and out of Evergreen.
That night she shuffled through her notes, looking for connecting points that might make an interesting story. She fell asleep in a puddle of papers, but her dreams had been vivid, a mixed-up conglomeration of her childhood and all the things she’d seen and learned today. At one point, she was hand-painting pews in the church. Funny how dreams could be such a mishmash that made total sense while you’re in the dream and none once you woke up.
And that’s where she was right now. By morning light, all those dreams that had seemed like a fairy tale now seemed like a Picasso. Something was there, but it sure was hard to make sense of it.
She sat up and scooted to the edge of the bed.
A soft tap came at the door, followed by Megan’s voice. “Excuse me, Katie?”
Katie slid off the bed and opened the door. “Hi. Good morning.”
“I’m heading over to watch them open the second box on the advent calendar. Would you like to walk over with me?”
“Yes. I would love that. Can I take a quick minute to change into something warmer?”
“Absolutely. I’ll meet you downstairs,” Megan said.
With her hand on the edge of the door, Katie leaned out. “Megan. Thank you so much for checking on me. I’ll be right down.”
“No worries. Who would want to miss this?”
Indeed.
Chapter Seventeen
Katie and Megan arrived at the mural just in time to find everyone already gathered around in anticipation of the second box being opened.
It was eye-opening to realize how many of the people standing around her she could name, aside from Megan. Hannah and Elliott. Michelle and David. Nick and Nan. Carol and Joe. Ezra. Lisa. Even Henry had driven in for the big moment. And Ben. She hated where things had landed between them. There’d been something special happening. A physical, emotional tug of something promising like she’d never experienced before.
She noticed Elliott edge closer to Hannah. “It’s chilly out here,” he said to the woman.
“I was just thinking the same thing. But I’m so excited to see what’s in the next box, it’s keeping me warm.” Hannah pressed her lips together, not putting any more space between her and Elliott. Katie hoped they’d admit their feelings.