Read Online The Snow Globe by Sheila Roberts - Free Book Online Page B

Thomas,” muttered Kiley, but she took them to her bedroom. Furina was now stretched out on her bed, happily getting little black cat hairs all over her comforter.
    Suzanne walked to where the snow globe sat on the dresser. “It is beautiful, I’ll say that. I have to admit, if I’d seen it before you I’d have bought it. It would have looked great on my mantel.” She picked it up and handed it to Kiley. “It’s show time. Let’s see it do its stuff.”
    Kiley made a face at her and took it. There was the Alpine village and the toyshop and the angel. Her heart sped up. What if, all of a sudden, it decided not to work?
    â€œCome on,” urged Allison. “I’m dying to see.”
    Kiley took a deep breath and gave it a jiggle. The snow swirled. And then settled. And there it was: Craig’s toyshop. He still stood in the doorway. And she was there, too, right next to him, smiling up at him. A thrill ran through her and she grinned.
    â€œDo it again,” suggested Allison. “Maybe it needs to, you know, get warmed up.”
    Kiley blinked. “What do you mean? Don’t you see it? There’s the toyshop, there’s Craig, there’s…”
    Both her friends were exchanging worried looks.
    Her heart sank. “You don’t see it?”

Seven
    An uncomfortable silence settled over the room. Kiley gave the snow globe another shake and all three women stared at it.
    â€œSorry, Kiles,” said Suzanne. “I’m still not seeing it.”
    Kiley looked hopefully to Allison, who shook her head slowly and said, “Maybe you’re the only one who can.”
    â€œOr you dreamed what you saw,” said Suzanne. “Didn’t you say it was the middle of the night?”
    â€œI saw it this morning, too, the same thing that’s there now,” Kiley insisted. “And I’m not imagining it.” She set the snow globe back on the dresser and left the room. “Maybe it doesn’t show itself to skeptics.”
    â€œI’m not a skeptic,” Allison protested, following her out.
    Suzanne fell in line behind them. “Okay, maybe it is there and I’m blind. And maybe you’ve found the perfect man and your future will be great. I mean, I hope you have. I just don’t want you to get hurt, that’s all. So don’t be mad at me.”
    Kiley sighed. How could she be mad at a friend who caredenough to worry about her? Suzanne was looking at her, defensive, hopeful, sympathetic. “I wish I could be.”
    Suzanne smiled and hugged Kiley. “Keep me posted on what happens with Toy Boy. If that snow globe works I may have to borrow it and ask it to show me where the buyers for the house on Eleventh Avenue are.”
    Leave it to Suz to want to turn the snow globe into an Aladdin’s lamp.
    Their friendship restored to an even keel, Suzanne pulled her coat from the closet. “I’ve gotta go. Allison, I’ll talk to you more next week about the food for the home tour,” she added. Then she was gone.
    Allison shook her head. “How did we ever wind up becoming friends with such an overachiever?”
    â€œYou’re a bit of an overachiever yourself, you know. Working full time and catering on the side.”
    â€œYeah, but the catering is fun,” Allison said with a grin. “Sometimes, when I’m in the kitchen, I can almost feel my grandma there with me.” It had been almost a year since her grandmother died, but Allison’s eyes still glistened with tears.
    â€œShe’d be proud of you,” said Kiley.
    â€œI hope so,” said Allison, and wiped at a corner of her eye.
    Kiley helped herself to another brownie. “So, do you think I’m nuts?” she asked, careful not to look at her friend.
    â€œAbsolutely not,” Allison said firmly. “Of course, I’m probably the wrong person to ask. I still put out cookies for