Read Online Chistmas Ever After by Elyse Douglas - Free Book Online Page B
Authors: Elyse Douglas
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over to Jennifer. “Hello, my dear.”
Jennifer let out a pent-up breath, suddenly agitated. “How did you know?”
Mrs. Wintergreen took off her sunglasses. “I heard about your shop, Jennifer. I’m sorry.”
“Isn’t that what you meant, when you said I was going to be tested? How did you know!?” she asked, aggressively.
Mrs. Wintergreen ignored her. “Have you changed your mind? Didn’t I just hear you say you’d go? That you’re ready for the gift, the adventure?”
Jennifer twisted her hands, caught between irritation and desperation. She looked away for a moment, shut her eyes, and then opened them. “I don’t know who you are… I don’t know what’s happening…”
“I don’t have all the answers, either, Jennifer, despite what you might think. Do you accept my gift?”
Jennifer tilted her head to one side, avoiding Mrs. Wintergreen’s eyes. She wanted to take a step back, but to where? She was afraid to hesitate and frightened to speak. There was a small part of her that believed Mrs. Wintergreen possessed some strange power, some extrasensory ability to fling her out into timeless oblivion, like a mad scientist shooting a home-made rocket into outer space toward an unknown destination. There was another part of her that was laughing wildly at the fact that she was even speaking to this crazy woman, who claimed to be some Christmas Spirit! How utterly and completely ridiculous!
“Well, Jennifer?” Mrs. Wintergreen said, staring patiently.
Jennifer winced, and then finally opened her mouth. “… All right…I accept your gift.”
Mrs. Wintergreen smiled, warmly. “That’s wonderful news, Jennifer.”
“What do I do now?” Jennifer asked, fretfully.
“You’ll find a ticket on your kitchen table for a flight to New York City that leaves at 2 o’clock today. Be on that plane!”
Jennifer’s face fell apart. “Today!? New York! I’ve never been to New York. I wouldn’t know where to stay, where to go! I don’t know anyone!”
“Don’t worry. There are wonderful people in New York City, just as there are wonderful people in Oneida, Tennessee and here, in Willowbury. You have a reservation at The Plaza Hotel on Fifth Avenue. After that, the adventure will find you.”
Jennifer was too stunned to speak. Mrs. Wintergreen took her hand and led her back to the gazebo.
“How long will I be there?” Jennifer asked.
“Time won’t matter, Jennifer. Like I said, the adventure will find you and will give you everything you need.”
Jennifer tensed up. “Will you be there? Will you be in New York if I need you?”
Mrs. Wintergreen held Jennifer’s hand firmly between her red woolen mittens. Jennifer’s cold hands immediately warmed. “You’ll be fine. Understand something, Jennifer. This gift, this adventure, will require courage.”
“Courage? What do you mean, courage? What’s going to happen to me?”
“Nothing that you can’t handle.” She paused. “No more questions, now. Experience is always better than words. You’d better go or you’ll miss that plane.”
Jennifer hesitated.
“Go!” Mrs. Wintergreen said, gently pushing her toward the path that led toward the road.
Reluctantly, Jennifer started walking away, turning haltingly, throwing glances back over her shoulder at an encouraging Mrs. Wintergreen. When Jennifer crested the hill that led to the highway, she looked back again, and Mrs. Wintergreen was gone.
CHAPTER 6
By the time the 727 taxied to the runway, Jennifer’s named and unnamed struggles were replaced by a larger, and more immediate, anticipation and doubt. In her haste to pack, dress and call for a taxi to take her to the airport, she’d surely forgotten things—maybe a toothbrush or deodorant. She’d had no idea what to pack for New York—didn’t have a clue what she should wear on “this adventure”, and knew from experience that whatever she brought would be all wrong anyway.
In case she needed something more formal
Jennifer let out a pent-up breath, suddenly agitated. “How did you know?”
Mrs. Wintergreen took off her sunglasses. “I heard about your shop, Jennifer. I’m sorry.”
“Isn’t that what you meant, when you said I was going to be tested? How did you know!?” she asked, aggressively.
Mrs. Wintergreen ignored her. “Have you changed your mind? Didn’t I just hear you say you’d go? That you’re ready for the gift, the adventure?”
Jennifer twisted her hands, caught between irritation and desperation. She looked away for a moment, shut her eyes, and then opened them. “I don’t know who you are… I don’t know what’s happening…”
“I don’t have all the answers, either, Jennifer, despite what you might think. Do you accept my gift?”
Jennifer tilted her head to one side, avoiding Mrs. Wintergreen’s eyes. She wanted to take a step back, but to where? She was afraid to hesitate and frightened to speak. There was a small part of her that believed Mrs. Wintergreen possessed some strange power, some extrasensory ability to fling her out into timeless oblivion, like a mad scientist shooting a home-made rocket into outer space toward an unknown destination. There was another part of her that was laughing wildly at the fact that she was even speaking to this crazy woman, who claimed to be some Christmas Spirit! How utterly and completely ridiculous!
“Well, Jennifer?” Mrs. Wintergreen said, staring patiently.
Jennifer winced, and then finally opened her mouth. “… All right…I accept your gift.”
Mrs. Wintergreen smiled, warmly. “That’s wonderful news, Jennifer.”
“What do I do now?” Jennifer asked, fretfully.
“You’ll find a ticket on your kitchen table for a flight to New York City that leaves at 2 o’clock today. Be on that plane!”
Jennifer’s face fell apart. “Today!? New York! I’ve never been to New York. I wouldn’t know where to stay, where to go! I don’t know anyone!”
“Don’t worry. There are wonderful people in New York City, just as there are wonderful people in Oneida, Tennessee and here, in Willowbury. You have a reservation at The Plaza Hotel on Fifth Avenue. After that, the adventure will find you.”
Jennifer was too stunned to speak. Mrs. Wintergreen took her hand and led her back to the gazebo.
“How long will I be there?” Jennifer asked.
“Time won’t matter, Jennifer. Like I said, the adventure will find you and will give you everything you need.”
Jennifer tensed up. “Will you be there? Will you be in New York if I need you?”
Mrs. Wintergreen held Jennifer’s hand firmly between her red woolen mittens. Jennifer’s cold hands immediately warmed. “You’ll be fine. Understand something, Jennifer. This gift, this adventure, will require courage.”
“Courage? What do you mean, courage? What’s going to happen to me?”
“Nothing that you can’t handle.” She paused. “No more questions, now. Experience is always better than words. You’d better go or you’ll miss that plane.”
Jennifer hesitated.
“Go!” Mrs. Wintergreen said, gently pushing her toward the path that led toward the road.
Reluctantly, Jennifer started walking away, turning haltingly, throwing glances back over her shoulder at an encouraging Mrs. Wintergreen. When Jennifer crested the hill that led to the highway, she looked back again, and Mrs. Wintergreen was gone.
CHAPTER 6
By the time the 727 taxied to the runway, Jennifer’s named and unnamed struggles were replaced by a larger, and more immediate, anticipation and doubt. In her haste to pack, dress and call for a taxi to take her to the airport, she’d surely forgotten things—maybe a toothbrush or deodorant. She’d had no idea what to pack for New York—didn’t have a clue what she should wear on “this adventure”, and knew from experience that whatever she brought would be all wrong anyway.
In case she needed something more formal
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