Read Online The Mill River Redemption by Darcie Chan - Free Book Online Page B
Authors: Darcie Chan
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was written “Welcome home, Josie.”
Josie sat straight down on the floor. She was trembling andcrying, trying to make sense of it all.
Who could possibly do something like this? Who would?
She wondered whether Tony had somehow managed to do this from wherever he was now. If it wasn’t Tony’s doing, it was staggering to think that a stranger could show her such benevolence.
At that moment, the front door opened and Ivy came in with Rose and Emily in tow.
“Mommy!” Rose said, as they all rushed over to her.
“Josie, are you all right?” Ivy asked. She leaned forward with her hands on her knees while Rose and Emily jumped into Josie’s cross-legged lap.
“I’m fine,” Josie choked. “Just a little overwhelmed, that’s all.”
“Well, it’s happened again, I guess,” Ivy said, shaking her head.
“What’s happened again?” Josie asked.
Ivy straightened up. “The secret gift thing that happens every so often in Mill River. It seems like just when folks in town really need something, it just appears. Or sometimes, it’s given to ’em, anonymously, like this.” Ivy smiled. “It’s happened for years, but nobody has figured out who’s behind it. Nowadays, most people just accept the random gifts as part of what normally happens here.”
Josie didn’t answer. Her mouth was having trouble forming words.
“This house has been on the market forever,” Ivy said. “I guess it was just waiting for you to get here.”
“Mommy, is this going to be our house?” Rose asked.
Josie squeezed a daughter in each of her arms and pulled them against her. She noticed a new feeling building in her very center, a small, reassuring spark of something. Hope? Optimism? Maybe even the beginnings of a realization that everything was going to be okay? Whatever it was, it started because of a stranger’s gift of shelter. She would draw on the spark, build on it to go on, to give hergirls a safe and happy life. And even after they were grown, even if someday she could afford to move to someplace bigger or newer, she promised herself that she would continue to live in this house as a humbling reminder of the miracle she had been given.
“Yes, baby,” Josie said with her face nestled in red and blond hair. She closed her eyes. “This is our house. This will always be our house.”
CHAPTER 7
E ARLY IN THE AFTERNOON ON J ULY 1 , T HE B OOKSTOP HAD a flurry of customers. The date was not lost on Ivy, and she had been keeping an eye on the houses across the street to see whether Rose and Emily would show up. When she finally had a spare minute, she fixed herself a glass of iced tea, plopped down in her porch swing, and hung her cane over the armrest. It felt wonderful to slip her feet out of her sandals. She was still there, holding her empty glass, dozing and humming to herself, when a male voice spoke to her.
“Hey there, Ivy, how are you?”
She opened her eyes to see Kyle Hansen, his daughter Rowen, and Claudia Simon coming up to the porch.
“You look comfortable,” Claudia said with a smile.
“I’m good, and I am,” she said. “Anything I can help you all find?”
“Well, I guess we’re not sure yet,” Kyle said. “Rowen’s birthday was last week, and she wanted to come by and see what’s new.”
“Dad and Cla—I mean, Miss Simon, gave me twenty dollars!” Rowen said. “Ten dollars each, because I turned ten years old.”
“And it’s been burning a hole in her pocket,” Kyle added with a laugh.
“Well, the most recent book in the Greek demigod series you love just came out,” Ivy said. “I’ve still got a few copies left. Andthere are some other good titles, too. Have a look, and holler if you need anything.”
“Awesome!” Rowen said as she pulled open the front door.
Claudia followed close behind and turned to Kyle. “You coming in?”
“Nah,” Kyle said. He sat down in the swing next to Ivy. “But take your time. I’ll wait here for you and keep Ivy company.” Once
Josie sat straight down on the floor. She was trembling andcrying, trying to make sense of it all.
Who could possibly do something like this? Who would?
She wondered whether Tony had somehow managed to do this from wherever he was now. If it wasn’t Tony’s doing, it was staggering to think that a stranger could show her such benevolence.
At that moment, the front door opened and Ivy came in with Rose and Emily in tow.
“Mommy!” Rose said, as they all rushed over to her.
“Josie, are you all right?” Ivy asked. She leaned forward with her hands on her knees while Rose and Emily jumped into Josie’s cross-legged lap.
“I’m fine,” Josie choked. “Just a little overwhelmed, that’s all.”
“Well, it’s happened again, I guess,” Ivy said, shaking her head.
“What’s happened again?” Josie asked.
Ivy straightened up. “The secret gift thing that happens every so often in Mill River. It seems like just when folks in town really need something, it just appears. Or sometimes, it’s given to ’em, anonymously, like this.” Ivy smiled. “It’s happened for years, but nobody has figured out who’s behind it. Nowadays, most people just accept the random gifts as part of what normally happens here.”
Josie didn’t answer. Her mouth was having trouble forming words.
“This house has been on the market forever,” Ivy said. “I guess it was just waiting for you to get here.”
“Mommy, is this going to be our house?” Rose asked.
Josie squeezed a daughter in each of her arms and pulled them against her. She noticed a new feeling building in her very center, a small, reassuring spark of something. Hope? Optimism? Maybe even the beginnings of a realization that everything was going to be okay? Whatever it was, it started because of a stranger’s gift of shelter. She would draw on the spark, build on it to go on, to give hergirls a safe and happy life. And even after they were grown, even if someday she could afford to move to someplace bigger or newer, she promised herself that she would continue to live in this house as a humbling reminder of the miracle she had been given.
“Yes, baby,” Josie said with her face nestled in red and blond hair. She closed her eyes. “This is our house. This will always be our house.”
CHAPTER 7
E ARLY IN THE AFTERNOON ON J ULY 1 , T HE B OOKSTOP HAD a flurry of customers. The date was not lost on Ivy, and she had been keeping an eye on the houses across the street to see whether Rose and Emily would show up. When she finally had a spare minute, she fixed herself a glass of iced tea, plopped down in her porch swing, and hung her cane over the armrest. It felt wonderful to slip her feet out of her sandals. She was still there, holding her empty glass, dozing and humming to herself, when a male voice spoke to her.
“Hey there, Ivy, how are you?”
She opened her eyes to see Kyle Hansen, his daughter Rowen, and Claudia Simon coming up to the porch.
“You look comfortable,” Claudia said with a smile.
“I’m good, and I am,” she said. “Anything I can help you all find?”
“Well, I guess we’re not sure yet,” Kyle said. “Rowen’s birthday was last week, and she wanted to come by and see what’s new.”
“Dad and Cla—I mean, Miss Simon, gave me twenty dollars!” Rowen said. “Ten dollars each, because I turned ten years old.”
“And it’s been burning a hole in her pocket,” Kyle added with a laugh.
“Well, the most recent book in the Greek demigod series you love just came out,” Ivy said. “I’ve still got a few copies left. Andthere are some other good titles, too. Have a look, and holler if you need anything.”
“Awesome!” Rowen said as she pulled open the front door.
Claudia followed close behind and turned to Kyle. “You coming in?”
“Nah,” Kyle said. He sat down in the swing next to Ivy. “But take your time. I’ll wait here for you and keep Ivy company.” Once
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