Read Online Christmas in the Air by Irene Brand - Free Book Online Page A

Livia scattered the seed in several piles. Companionably, they stood shoulder to shoulder and watched the chickadees, cardinals, woodpeckers and sparrows hungrily dive into the black seeds.
    â€œThis is something else we share,” Quinn said. “We have several bird feeders on our farm, and apparently you do also.”
    The more she was around Quinn, Livia realized that they did have a lot in common—their rural background being one of the most important.
    â€œYes, we feed the birds year-round, and we always have flocks of them.”
    When they returned to the building, Eric was questioning Les about the architecture of the church.
    â€œThere’s a steeple on the church, so it must have had a bell at one time,” Eric commented.
    Les motioned toward a small square door in the ceiling. “It’s still up there, but there ain’t been a rope on it for a long time. It was a pretty-soundin’ bell.”
    â€œToo bad we can’t ring it,” Eric said. “It would be a nice addition to our worship service tonight. Also, if we ring the bell, people living in the area might hear it and come to help us.”
    â€œThat’s a possibility, Eric,” Quinn said. “I’ve got a twenty-foot rope in my pickup. And didn’t I see a ladder in the woodshed, Les?”
    â€œYeah. It’s kinda old and rickety, but I think we can use it.”
    With Les standing on the steps watching him, Quinn made another trip to his truck for the rope. Allen volunteered to climb the ladder and attach the rope. Whenhe opened the trapdoor and stepped out on the timbers of the balcony, he shouted down to the others, “Let’s hurry this up. It feels like the North Pole up here. We don’t want to let a lot of cold air into the building.”
    Quinn tossed the rope up to him. Following Les’s instructions on where to attach the rope to the bell, Allen soon dropped the rope through the small hole cut in the ceiling for that purpose. He closed the door and clambered down the ladder.
    Handing the end of the rope to Les, Quinn said, “You do the honors, Les.”
    Holding the rope in his hand, Les hesitated. “I’ve been having second thoughts about ringing the bell. I should have told you to check the wooden structure, Allen. That bell weighs about a thousand pounds, and the timbers that hold it are old. I’m not sure how strong they are. If they give way and the bell falls through the ceiling, we’ll not have a roof over our head. As the old sayin’ goes, ‘We’d be up the creek without a paddle.’ We’re gonna need all the protection we can get tonight.”
    â€œDon’t ring it then, if that’s the case,” Eric said.
    â€œI hate to throw cold water on the idea,” Les said.
    â€œI can go up and check out the timbers,” Quinn said. “I should be able to tell if they’re stable.”
    â€œThat would be wise,” Les agreed. “My old legs are too unsteady to climb the ladder, or I’d go. You’re a muscular guy, Quinn, so watch where you step.”
    Fearful for Quinn, Livia said, “If it’s so dangerous, maybe we shouldn’t ring the bell.”
    He glanced her way. “It’ll be all right,” he assured her. “I’ve climbed around in barn lofts since I was a kid. This won’t be much different.”
    Quinn’s stomach was flat and his hips slender, but his shoulders were brawny. While his muscular physique stood him in good stead professionally when handling horses, cows and other large animals, Livia wondered if his shoulders were too wide to crawl through the trapdoor.
    He set his right foot on the first rung. The old wooden ladder creaked under his weight, as it had under Allen’s. Livia held her breath until Quinn climbed the ten feet and squeezed through the small opening. She heard his steps as he moved from rafter to rafter circling the bell