Christmas Shoppe , livre ebook

Baker Publishing Group - Melody Carlson

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69 pages

English

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Description

The small town of Parrish Springs is not ready for Matilda Honeycutt. A strange older woman with scraggly gray hair and jewelry that jangles as she walks, Matilda is certainly not the most likely person to buy the old Barton Building on the town's quaint main street. When it becomes apparent that her new shop doesn't fit the expectations of Parrish Springs residents, a brouhaha erupts. After all, Christmas is approaching, and the last thing the town needs is a junky shop run by someone who looks and acts like a gypsy. But as townsfolk venture into the strange store, they discover that old memories can bring new life and healing.Once again, Melody Carlson delivers a Christmas story that will touch hearts and delight the senses. Sure to be a classic, The Christmas Shoppe is filled with the special magic the best Christmas stories share--that intangible mixture of nostalgia, joy, and a little bit of magic.

Sujets

Christian worship

Informations

Publié par	Baker Publishing Group
Date de parution	01 septembre 2011
Nombre de lectures	0
EAN13	9781441234179
Langue	English

Informations légales : prix de location à la page 0,0173€. Cette information est donnée uniquement à titre indicatif conformément à la législation en vigueur.

Extrait

© 2011 by Melody Carlson
Published by Revell
a division of Baker Publishing Group
P.O. Box 6287, Grand Rapids, MI 49516-6287
www.revellbooks.com
E-book edition created 2011
All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form or by any means—for example, electronic, photocopy, recording—without the prior written permission of the publisher. The only exception is brief quotations in printed reviews.
ISBN 978-1-4412-3417-9
Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data is on file at the Library of Congress, Washington, DC.
This book is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, and incidents are the product of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously. Any resemblance to actual events, locales, or persons, living or dead, is coincidental.
Contents
Cover
Title Page
Copyright Page
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About the Author
Back Ads
No one in Parrish Springs could recall exactly when Matilda Honeycutt came to town. No one seemed to know where she came from either, but most everyone remembered the day Matilda Honeycutt purchased the old Barton Building. Not because she made much noise when her bid won the run-down brick building in the sealed-envelope auction conducted by the city, but because Councilman Snider swore so loudly that patrons in the coffee shop next door to his real estate office actually heard his tantrum.
Word spread quickly about “the interloper who’d snuck into town and practically stolen that property right out from under the noses of the good citizens of Parrish Springs.” Experienced in rumor circulation, Councilman George Snider made sure of this. He also requested that the city extend the close of the bidding so that he could have a second chance at securing the Barton Building. “I’ll pay 10 percent more than what that woman paid,” he promised the new city manager behind closed doors. But as the city manager pointed out, and rightly so, doing this would put the city at serious risk of a lawsuit should Ms. Honeycutt choose to take legal action.
Now, most people would’ve given up at that point, counted their losses, and just moved on. But not George Snider. Having served as councilman for more than thirty years, he was used to getting his way, and he was not one to back down from a fight, particularly if money or profit was involved. So when he observed the city manager walking down Main Street with that intruder—that blasted Matilda Honeycutt—it took all his self-control not to break into swearing again. Seeing the two of them walking up to the Barton Building, unlocking the front door like they owned the place—when he doubted that the sale even would’ve been through escrow—was adding insult to injury. Good grief, why not just give that fool-headed Honeycutt woman the blasted keys to the city?
George felt certain this state of affairs would not have occurred back when Leroy Stanton managed their fair city. But Leroy had retired late last spring, and after many interviews and candidates, Susanna Elton was hired to replace him. Her work experience hadn’t even been all that impressive—she’d been an assistant to a city manager for less than ten years, although it was a larger town. George suspected the other council members were swayed by her appearance as much as by her fancy college degree. Despite his attempt to warn them of the dangers of youth in positions of power, the upstart got the job. And now this. Leave it to a woman to foul things up royally!
He scowled at the two of them. Susanna, as usual, looked like she planned to be photographed for some highfalutin fashion magazine, whereas that strange Matilda Honeycutt character looked more like a bag lady. What a pair. And what a mess they’d made of things too!

It didn’t take Susanna Elton long to figure out that Councilman Snider was going to make her life difficult. Although she had to admit that her first impression had been deceiving. Taken in by his easy smile, silver hair, and sparkling blue eyes, she’d let her guard down a bit. But when he called her a “youngster” during her third interview with the city council, she knew exactly where he stood.
“Don’t let Councilman Snider get to you,” Councilwoman Laxton had told her during a break, when their paths crossed at the sinks in the women’s restroom. “George is a card-carrying member of the Good Ol’ Boys Club, and trust me, old habits die hard with that man.”
“He thinks I’m too young and too female to manage Parrish Springs,” Susanna stated as she touched up her lipstick. “That just makes me want to prove him wrong.”
Their eyes locked in the mirror above the sinks, and the older woman simply winked as she gave Susanna a slight nod. Then, without saying a word, she dried her hands and left. At the time, Susanna had been unsure as to the meaning of the wink and the nod. But at the end of the day, when she was offered the job of city manager, she understood. When Councilwoman Laxton warmly congratulated her as they were walking to the parking lot, Susanna suspected that the only woman serving on the city council might prove to be an important ally.
At times like now, when Councilman Snider was acting like a complete jerk, Susanna was tempted to run crying to Councilwoman Laxton. Except that she knew better. Small-town politics were tricky at best. At worst they could derail a career before it ever got fully started. No, Susanna was determined to deal with this herself. If Councilman Snider wanted a fight, she’d give it to him. In a ladylike way, of course. It wouldn’t be the first time she’d stood up to a bully.
At least that’s what she told herself when she spied him scowling at her and Matilda Honeycutt from across the street. It didn’t escape her attention when he ducked into the newspaper office, probably off to one of his Good Ol’ Boys Club meetings. Susanna felt confident she could deal with the old coot, but she felt bad for Ms. Honeycutt’s sake. It wasn’t a very friendly welcome to their town.
“I’m new to town myself,” Susanna admitted as she unlocked the door to the Barton Building.
“I thought perhaps you were.” Ms. Honeycutt glanced across the street, making Susanna suspect that she’d observed the ill-mannered councilman as well.
“I haven’t actually been in this building yet, although I’ve admired it from the outside. The city I moved from didn’t have much in the way of old architecture.”
“It does have nice bones, doesn’t it?” Ms. Honeycutt smiled up at the brick building. “A good feeling too.”
Susanna handed her the key. “Feel free to poke around as long as you like. As soon as your check clears at the bank, we’ll get the deed paperwork going.”
“Wouldn’t you like to see the interior of the building?”
“Sure.” Susanna nodded. “I’d love a little tour.”
“Hopefully the electricity is on by now.” Ms. Honeycutt flipped the switch, and after some initial blinking, the overhead fluorescent lights came on. “Let there be light!”
“How did you manage to view the property before, without electricity?”
“Your assistant ran over to the hardware store and borrowed a couple of lanterns. We made do.”
“That Alice is a resourceful girl.” Susanna chuckled as they walked across the dusty floor. It appeared to be hardwood, but it was hard to tell beneath all that grime.
“Yes, she is. Of course, I already knew this was the building for me. Unless we’d discovered something terribly amiss, which I knew would not be the situation, I was certain I wanted this building. Your assistant promised to call the power company and get the electricity turned on as soon as possible.”
Susanna ran a finger over a dust-covered shelf. “Looks like you’ll have your work cut out for you, Ms. Honeycutt.”
“Please, call me Matilda.”
“Then you must call me Susanna.” She smiled at the older woman. “I would appreciate it if you considered me a friend.”
Matilda’s brown eyes lit up. “That would be lovely!”
“Do you have any specific plans for the building?” Susanna asked as they inspected a back room with a large door that led out to the alley behind.
“Oh yes. Definitely.”
Susanna wanted to ask what but figured Matilda would’ve been more forthcoming if she’d wanted her to know. Best not to appear overly nosy at this stage. “Well, if you need any help in applying for business permits or whatever, feel free to ask Alice. She knows her way around city hall.”
“Thank you, I’ll do that.” Matilda stopped by the stairs, flicking on another light switch. “Would you like to see the apartment on the second floor?”
“I’d love to.”
Soon they were in a spacious room with massive windows that overlooked the street. Like everything else, they were coated in grime. “This could be very nice,” Susanna told her, “with some work.” She studied the older woman, trying to gauge her age. Her hair was gray, but her face seemed young. “Do you think you’ll need someone to help you with it?”
“Yes, I expect I will.” Matilda opened a cabinet in the ancient-looking kitchen. “Do you know anyone?”
“Actually, my mother-in-law. She moved to Parrish Springs with me, and she might be interested. She told me she wants to find some work.”
Matilda looked curiously at Susanna. “I got the impression you were a single woman.”
Susanna nodded. “That’s right. I’m divorced.”
Matilda seemed somewhat amused. “You’re divorced, but your mother-in-law lives with you?”
Susanna forced a smile. “I know . . . it’s a bit odd. It’s partly due to my ten-year-old daughter. My mother-in-law, Rose, couldn’t bear the idea of being five hours away from Megan, so she asked if she could relocate here with us. Naturally, I said yes. Rose is such a part of our lives. The property I purchased came complete with a carriage house that someone transformed into a guesthouse, so we even get to have a little space between us. Not that she’s intrusive. To be honest, I don’t know what I’d do without Rose.”
“It s