Read Online Their First Noel by Annie Jones - Free Book Online Page A
Authors: Annie Jones
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of the room in the inn where he had been bunking down the last two months.
Nothing. Not a sound. No movement.
He groaned and pulled the blanket up over the T-shirt and sweatpants he slept in just in case he had to get up to take care of Greer or a problem in the building. He must have imagined hearing his name. He hoped that was the case because he hadnât gotten nearly enough sleep yet. Not after spending most of the early evening trying to find Corrie at the Christmas lighting party and wondering why she had left so early.
After the gathering broke up, he had taken Greer back to the inn but when they pulled into the drive and heâd seen sheâd fallen asleep, he decided to turn around and drive back to Hadleyville. Corrieâs car was at the Maple Leaf Manor all right. That didnât tell him whyshe had crept away from the festivities without so much as a goodbye.
Had he done something to hurt her? To embarrass her? Was she angry with him? Just as he had a few short hours ago, Andy began to drift off to sleep with these questions colliding in his mind.
âAndy!â He heard his name through his musings. Louder this time, but still hushed and hurried.
âWhat?â He opened both eyes and looked directly out the open door of the room, into the empty hallway. The light from his alarm clock stung his darkness-adjusted eyes as he checked the time. âItâs five-thirty in the morning. If Iâm imagining this, I want it to stop. If not, well, I still want it to stop. Do you hear meâ¦â
âAndy!â This time a face appeared in the doorway. Two faces, actually, if you counted the sock monkey, Buddy, that Greer held clutched to her chest as she poked her head around the side of the doorway.
âGreer. Itâs Saturday. I donât have to get to work around here for a few more hours. Let me get some more sleep and I promise when I get up Iâll make you the biggest bowl of sugary cereal you have ever seen.â
âIn a couple hours it will be too late.â She disappeared into the hallway, leaving her sock monkeyâs limbs swinging against the door frame as the only evidence she had ever been there.
âToo late for what?â He scrunched his eyes shut and yawned.
âToo late to catch whoever is downstairs,â she whispered as she peered in again.
âGreer, I have told you a hundred times that nobodyââ
Clang. The sound of metal ringing against something hard rose from somewhere below, followed by a thump and a thud, a crash then a bump. Then silence.
Andy was out of bed so fast he dragged half the covers with him. They fell into a pile on the floor. He had to disentangle himself as he told his sister, âGet in here. Lock the door behind you. Get in the closet with my cell phone and if I donât give you an all-clear in three minutes, call the sheriff. You remember how to do that, right?â
His sister nodded solemnly and did as she was told.
Andy hesitated for only a moment, wondering if he should bother with putting on shoes. He decided against it. He wasnât actually afraid so much as concerned. More than likely, it was nothing, a bit of equipment not put away properly that had fallen. Maybe one of the workers had come in early to try to finish up a job. That happened sometimes since the guys didnât get paid until they had completed each weekâs assignment.
Or it could be an animal, a raccoon or even a stray dog that found a way in and began foraging for food. Still, he said a quick prayer that he wasnât about to surprise thieves rummaging through the place in hopes of stripping out the copper pipes, hauling off the appliances or making away with anything from the doors to the light bulbs.
As his bare feet hit the icy unfinished concrete floor in the lobby, he said a silent prayer that all would go well, then looked around for a length of pipe or a board to use as a weapon if it came to that.
A noise
Nothing. Not a sound. No movement.
He groaned and pulled the blanket up over the T-shirt and sweatpants he slept in just in case he had to get up to take care of Greer or a problem in the building. He must have imagined hearing his name. He hoped that was the case because he hadnât gotten nearly enough sleep yet. Not after spending most of the early evening trying to find Corrie at the Christmas lighting party and wondering why she had left so early.
After the gathering broke up, he had taken Greer back to the inn but when they pulled into the drive and heâd seen sheâd fallen asleep, he decided to turn around and drive back to Hadleyville. Corrieâs car was at the Maple Leaf Manor all right. That didnât tell him whyshe had crept away from the festivities without so much as a goodbye.
Had he done something to hurt her? To embarrass her? Was she angry with him? Just as he had a few short hours ago, Andy began to drift off to sleep with these questions colliding in his mind.
âAndy!â He heard his name through his musings. Louder this time, but still hushed and hurried.
âWhat?â He opened both eyes and looked directly out the open door of the room, into the empty hallway. The light from his alarm clock stung his darkness-adjusted eyes as he checked the time. âItâs five-thirty in the morning. If Iâm imagining this, I want it to stop. If not, well, I still want it to stop. Do you hear meâ¦â
âAndy!â This time a face appeared in the doorway. Two faces, actually, if you counted the sock monkey, Buddy, that Greer held clutched to her chest as she poked her head around the side of the doorway.
âGreer. Itâs Saturday. I donât have to get to work around here for a few more hours. Let me get some more sleep and I promise when I get up Iâll make you the biggest bowl of sugary cereal you have ever seen.â
âIn a couple hours it will be too late.â She disappeared into the hallway, leaving her sock monkeyâs limbs swinging against the door frame as the only evidence she had ever been there.
âToo late for what?â He scrunched his eyes shut and yawned.
âToo late to catch whoever is downstairs,â she whispered as she peered in again.
âGreer, I have told you a hundred times that nobodyââ
Clang. The sound of metal ringing against something hard rose from somewhere below, followed by a thump and a thud, a crash then a bump. Then silence.
Andy was out of bed so fast he dragged half the covers with him. They fell into a pile on the floor. He had to disentangle himself as he told his sister, âGet in here. Lock the door behind you. Get in the closet with my cell phone and if I donât give you an all-clear in three minutes, call the sheriff. You remember how to do that, right?â
His sister nodded solemnly and did as she was told.
Andy hesitated for only a moment, wondering if he should bother with putting on shoes. He decided against it. He wasnât actually afraid so much as concerned. More than likely, it was nothing, a bit of equipment not put away properly that had fallen. Maybe one of the workers had come in early to try to finish up a job. That happened sometimes since the guys didnât get paid until they had completed each weekâs assignment.
Or it could be an animal, a raccoon or even a stray dog that found a way in and began foraging for food. Still, he said a quick prayer that he wasnât about to surprise thieves rummaging through the place in hopes of stripping out the copper pipes, hauling off the appliances or making away with anything from the doors to the light bulbs.
As his bare feet hit the icy unfinished concrete floor in the lobby, he said a silent prayer that all would go well, then looked around for a length of pipe or a board to use as a weapon if it came to that.
A noise
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