Read Online A Down-Home Country Christmas by Nancy Herkness - Free Book Online Page B
Authors: Nancy Herkness
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Holly.
“What are you talking about, big sister?” Holly asked, taking the paper.
“Aunt Claire!” Kayleigh jumped out of the chair at the kitchen table where she was decorating a Christmas ornament. “Your dress is so pretty. I like the pink color.”
“I know it’s your favorite.” Claire kissed both her nieces. “Did your mama tell you about our sleepover on Saturday?”
“Yes, ma’am. But today’s only Thursday, so we have to wait a long time.” Kayleigh spun around with all the pent-up anticipation.
Claire laughed as Holly unfolded the Sanctuary Sentinel to find a photograph of the restored nativity scene. Grady was posed with his hand resting on the figure of Joseph, looking like a deer in headlights. “Poor man,” Holly breathed.
“May I see too, Mama?” Brianna peered over Holly’s arm.
She lowered the paper so her daughter could see it. “Just remember Mrs. Weikle likes to make things sound more dramatic than they really are,” she warned as she read the screaming headline: “Sacred Sanctuary tradition saved by school secretary.”
The rest of the article stuck mostly to the facts, although Bernie Weikle’s description of the torn and mangled wooden figures sounded more like a murder scene than some smashed-up pieces of plywood.
“Gosh, Mama, she says without you, the ‘sacred and cherished tradition would have been lost forever.’ She says you’re the ‘hero of the day’,” Brianna quoted, lifting shining eyes to her mother.
“And she’s right,” Claire said. She came over and wrapped her arms around Holly in a tight hug before pulling back to look her sister in the eye.
“You’re going to give me a swelled head.” Holly still didn’t feel like she’d done anything out of the ordinary. However, she thought she could use the occasion as a lesson for her children. She turned back to her girls. “Just remember how many people were there in the barn working with us. They took time out of their busy days when we needed them. When you need help, you should never hesitate to ask for it. That’s what Sanctuary is all about.”
It was a lesson she’d learned the hard way.
“Will you help me glue the sequins on my ornament?” Kayleigh smiled up at her aunt.
Claire laughed and slanted a look at her sister. “Sure,” she said, pulling out a chair. “It looks like fun.”
Once the ornaments were finished and the girls were in bed, Holly poured two glasses of wine and dragged Claire into her bedroom, closing and locking the door. “It was a bad idea to ask Robbie to take me flying. I should have just invited him over for dinner and left it at that,” she said, pacing across the floor while Claire stacked up the pillows, slipped off her boots, and settled herself on the bed.
Claire took a leisurely sip of wine. “Why?”
Holly stopped to stare at her sister. “Because I’ve never been in an airplane before.”
“You’ll be with Robbie. You trust him, don’t you?”
“He’s an experienced pilot.” Holly repeated his words with a slight smile. “But that doesn’t mean I won’t be nervous about being up so high. I cried on the chair lift when we went skiing at Snowshoe.”
“You were ten. And an airplane is enclosed.”
Holly took a swig of wine and started pacing again. “Robbie’s seen me being pathetic once. I don’t want it to happen again.”
“You were not pathetic. You were the victim of domestic violence.” Claire’s tone was harsh, but Holly knew her anger was directed at Frank.
Holly still felt shame at the fact that she’d stayed with her abusive ex-husband for so long. Even though Claire told her over and over again it wasn’t her fault, she didn’t believe that in her heart.
Claire must have seen something in her face, because her voice softened. “Holl, you know that being brave doesn’t mean not being scared, right? Courage is refusing to let fear control your actions. And you have more courage than anyone I know.”
“And
“What are you talking about, big sister?” Holly asked, taking the paper.
“Aunt Claire!” Kayleigh jumped out of the chair at the kitchen table where she was decorating a Christmas ornament. “Your dress is so pretty. I like the pink color.”
“I know it’s your favorite.” Claire kissed both her nieces. “Did your mama tell you about our sleepover on Saturday?”
“Yes, ma’am. But today’s only Thursday, so we have to wait a long time.” Kayleigh spun around with all the pent-up anticipation.
Claire laughed as Holly unfolded the Sanctuary Sentinel to find a photograph of the restored nativity scene. Grady was posed with his hand resting on the figure of Joseph, looking like a deer in headlights. “Poor man,” Holly breathed.
“May I see too, Mama?” Brianna peered over Holly’s arm.
She lowered the paper so her daughter could see it. “Just remember Mrs. Weikle likes to make things sound more dramatic than they really are,” she warned as she read the screaming headline: “Sacred Sanctuary tradition saved by school secretary.”
The rest of the article stuck mostly to the facts, although Bernie Weikle’s description of the torn and mangled wooden figures sounded more like a murder scene than some smashed-up pieces of plywood.
“Gosh, Mama, she says without you, the ‘sacred and cherished tradition would have been lost forever.’ She says you’re the ‘hero of the day’,” Brianna quoted, lifting shining eyes to her mother.
“And she’s right,” Claire said. She came over and wrapped her arms around Holly in a tight hug before pulling back to look her sister in the eye.
“You’re going to give me a swelled head.” Holly still didn’t feel like she’d done anything out of the ordinary. However, she thought she could use the occasion as a lesson for her children. She turned back to her girls. “Just remember how many people were there in the barn working with us. They took time out of their busy days when we needed them. When you need help, you should never hesitate to ask for it. That’s what Sanctuary is all about.”
It was a lesson she’d learned the hard way.
“Will you help me glue the sequins on my ornament?” Kayleigh smiled up at her aunt.
Claire laughed and slanted a look at her sister. “Sure,” she said, pulling out a chair. “It looks like fun.”
Once the ornaments were finished and the girls were in bed, Holly poured two glasses of wine and dragged Claire into her bedroom, closing and locking the door. “It was a bad idea to ask Robbie to take me flying. I should have just invited him over for dinner and left it at that,” she said, pacing across the floor while Claire stacked up the pillows, slipped off her boots, and settled herself on the bed.
Claire took a leisurely sip of wine. “Why?”
Holly stopped to stare at her sister. “Because I’ve never been in an airplane before.”
“You’ll be with Robbie. You trust him, don’t you?”
“He’s an experienced pilot.” Holly repeated his words with a slight smile. “But that doesn’t mean I won’t be nervous about being up so high. I cried on the chair lift when we went skiing at Snowshoe.”
“You were ten. And an airplane is enclosed.”
Holly took a swig of wine and started pacing again. “Robbie’s seen me being pathetic once. I don’t want it to happen again.”
“You were not pathetic. You were the victim of domestic violence.” Claire’s tone was harsh, but Holly knew her anger was directed at Frank.
Holly still felt shame at the fact that she’d stayed with her abusive ex-husband for so long. Even though Claire told her over and over again it wasn’t her fault, she didn’t believe that in her heart.
Claire must have seen something in her face, because her voice softened. “Holl, you know that being brave doesn’t mean not being scared, right? Courage is refusing to let fear control your actions. And you have more courage than anyone I know.”
“And
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