Share
Chapter 59
The bell that hung over the door had been ringing non-stop all morning, so much so that Ellie commented, “If it’s true that every time a bell rings an angel gets its wings, we’ve outfitted the Lord’s army today!”
Memory agreed, but at least the constant stream of customers had kept her busy so that she couldn’t think about what she was going to say to Dak when they visited her grandma’s house. He might not even like it. None of the other properties he’d looked at in the past two weeks would work. Maybe her house wouldn’t either.
A couple walked out carrying several bags worth of merchandise and leaving her and Ellie alone at last. Memory brushed her hair off of her forehead, happy to have a chance to breathe. It seemed odd she’d spent so much time worrying about Dak finding out about the house and wanting to buy it, and now she was going to offer it to him.
&l
Related chapters
Christmas Memory Chapter 60
Once he was behind the wheel, he asked, “Do you want to tell me where we’re headed?”“You’ll see,” she replied. “Just head north on Main Street.”He arched an eyebrow at her but pulled out of the spot without commenting. The street was busy with people walking and cars headed in both directions. Memory knew there were likely even more people in town now than in years past. The more houses that were transformed into hotels or B and Bs, the more crowded it would become.She gave him directions to the house, her stomach twisting the closer they got. Not only was she nervous about showing it to him, she was just as anxious about being there again. After the last time she’d come by, she’d spent the next few days missing her grandma more than usual.“Pull in here,” she said, pointing at the driveway.Dak’s forehe
Christmas Memory Chapter 61
Memory took his hand and led him up the stairs, noticing her bird friends were not on the window ledge. She unlocked the door, bracing herself against the musty smell that always hit her in the face. It didn’t smell like her grandma’s house, and she hated that.She let Dak take in the beauty of the foyer, the molding, the staircase, the flooring, and tried not to stare at the empty chair in the parlor. Once she was sure he’d had enough time to marvel over the entry, she took him to the ballroom.Pushing through the double doors, she stood aside and watched his face as he gasped at the beautiful space and the potential the room had to fulfill all of his dreams of creating a place where the older folks in town could gather and visit, hold get-togethers and parties, and find a warm meal on a cold day. She imagined there were lots of other groups of people who could use the space, too, and she couldn’t wait to hear w
Christmas Memory Chapter 62
Moonlight glinting off of the freshly fallen snow illuminated the house and gave it a soft glow that reflected even off the worn siding that desperately needed repainting. Helen stood in the yard for a moment, staring at the place she used to call home. She could’ve transported herself directly into the house, but she wanted to look at it again. Ever since she’d come back to Christmas Falls, she’d been avoiding visiting here, thinking it might be too painful. Now, standing outside, memories flooded her mind, most of them joyful ones.It needed some work, that was for certain. The blue tarps on the roof looked out of place and just wrong; that needed fixing quickly. But Helen realized all of this wear and tear hadn’t happened in the past year since she’d been gone. She simply must not have noticed before just how bad off the house was. Shaking her head, she muttered, “We’ll fix that,” and transported herself
Christmas Memory Chapter 63
It only took her a moment to spot the desk pushed up against a wall in the dining room. “There you are. Now, let’s see what secrets you hold.” She pulled open the middle desk drawer, surprised to find there were no papers in it at all. “Well, that’s odd.” All of the other drawers were empty as well. “I wonder....” Helen snapped her fingers and moved herself into her upstairs office.Stacks of papers sat on every surface, and she quickly realized her family had taken every piece of paper they’d found in the entire house and brought it here to look through. She glanced around and noticed old checkbook stubs, tax forms, car loans, and other important documents she would’ve had in her downstairs desk sitting on top of the desk in this room. This was where she kept papers for the store—personal papers had been kept downstairs, for the most part. Not that she never mixed things up.
Christmas Memory Chapter 64
Opening her eyes, Helen smiled at the pair of cardinals by the window. “I thought you two looked familiar. Hello, Joe. Hello, Ann. That was fast thinking at the snowball fight the other day. Oh, yes. Lorelei told me all about it.” She’d always thought cardinals visiting where angels from heaven—until she’d gotten to heaven and found out that wasn’t quite right. It was more like a visitor on behalf of a loved one who’d passed on. But this was different. These two little birdies were definitely her family. Happy for their help, she asked, “Now, what should I do about this paper?”The cardinals chirped and fluttered their wings, and even though Helen had never been able to understand them before, when she was still a human and not an angel, she gathered their meaning easily enough now. “Put it on the chair in the ballroom so Dak can find it tomorrow? But... what if he overlooks it? You’ll mak
Christmas Memory Chapter 65
Dak pulled his SUV into the drive of Memory’s Victorian home, glad to see Ralph’s work truck parked to the side, a ladder propped over the west wing. He imagined the roofer was already assessing the situation. Dak checked the time. It was already almost 1:30. He’d told Ralph his meetings might run long, but he had no idea he’d be almost an hour late. Frustrated, he pulled the keys out of the ignition and dropped them in his pocket, heading up the snow covered drive.At least he’d gotten the offer on the factory put together and sent off. His agent said she thought they wouldn’t hear anything until after the first of the year, but that was understandable. It was a solid offer, and he was confident even Corbin Beardly couldn’t compete with. When he’d run into him the night before at the diner, Corbin had mentioned having something up his sleeve, said he was onto something pretty special, something Dak would b
Christmas Memory Chapter 66
The ticking of the clock registered in Memory’s head even over the Christmas music as it drew closer to 2:00. That’s when Ellie would be leaving, and even though she’d made Memory promise not to try to talk her into staying again, she wasn’t sure she could keep that promise.They’d been busy most of the morning into the afternoon, which hadn’t given them much time to talk. Memory was dreading the moment her new friend had to say goodbye. Despite Ellie’s inability to commit to ever coming back or willingness to tell her exactly where she was going, Memory was hopeful they’d meet again soon.The last customer from the latest rush walked out the door, bags in hand, and Memory turned her attention to the clock. She didn’t like what she saw.“I’m sorry, dear.” Ellie came around the counter, already untying her apron. “But I have to go.”
Christmas Memory Chapter 67
Thankful for a moment to herself, Memory went behind the counter and pulled out a tissue, wiping at her eyes. She waved her hands in front of her face, willing the tears to stay away. After a couple of minutes, she thought she had control over herself, repeating that she hadn’t just lost her grandmother again—Ellie was just a friend.Remembering that her phone had been ringing, she pulled it out and saw she had a missed call from Dak. “Dang it,” she mumbled, wishing she’d had a chance to talk to him. She missed him already, even though she’d seen him earlier when he stopped by to pick up her key. Hopefully, he had good news about the roof. She clicked into her voicemail and listened to his message. Though she had no idea what he was talking about, he sure sounded excited, which made her laugh.She raised her thumb to click the button to call him back when the bell chimed. Trying to hide her disappoint
Latest chapter
