Christmas with Book Club by Woodhaven Heather

Author:Woodhaven, Heather [Woodhaven, Heather]
Language: eng
Format: mobi
Publisher: Blue Azalea Press
Published: 2015-11-19T08:00:00+00:00

13

Jeanine

Her throat burned from chugging the frigid air. While her nose and skin froze, she’d grown too toasty underneath her coat. She squatted behind a dumpster on the backside of a grocery store. The employee exit door swung open to reveal a concerned teenager wearing an apron and carrying a box of damaged produce.

“Uh...looking for cardboard boxes,” Jeanine said. Though why she was squatted like she was hiding she couldn’t explain.

“Oh. Just got a good one.” The boy stepped inside but kept the door open. A few seconds later, he reappeared and handed her an empty box.

Jeanine accepted. “Okay, uh, thanks.” She walked away unsure of where to go. The shoe store next door was closed. Wouldn’t it seem even more suspicious to go over there? She walked to the corner, still carrying the cumbersome empty box. She pulled out her phone and called Kate.

“Hello?” Kate breathed hard. “Jeanine? Did everyone get away in time? Where are you?”

“Was going to ask you the same thing.”

“Gas station. Looking at gum,” Kate answered. “Oh my phone is buzzing.”

Jeanine’s phone also vibrated with a message from Paula:

Come back. Unless you’ve already made it to Canada.

Jeanine exhaled. She peeked around the corner to confirm there were no more flashing lights. Across the parking lot, she spotted Kate’s blonde hair sticking out of her pulled up hood. She waved at her, and they met in the middle. “Think Paula’s mad at us?” Jeanine asked.

“Oh, yeah. But my anger at Violet for putting us in this situation has to be greater. What was she thinking? I’m an elementary school teacher! I can’t get arrested.” She glanced down at Jeanine’s box with a frown. “Aren’t you a little young to need adult diapers?”

Jeanine held up the box to see the brand name and groaned. “Don’t ask.”

“First, inviting the neighborhood into my house while I’m gone. Second, getting Grayson all riled up about Christmas traditions. Then bringing poinsettias into my house. Did you know it was National Poinsettia Day?”

“No. You don’t like them?” Jeanine asked. She wished her budget could allow them all over her house during the holidays.

“I’m allergic to them. Pretty common for people who are allergic to latex.”

“Oh no.”

“Then trying to get us arrested.”

“Have you talked to her? Or Grayson?”

Kate sighed. “No. She makes Grayson happy, and it’s only for a short while. Relatively speaking. Honestly I want to get to know her, but she’s a contagious force of nature. I mean look at Anne and Paula. They’ve gone full bore with this Christmas challenge. I think I must be immune. I’m just so tired.”

Jeanine wanted to tell her how she wasn’t the only one, but they’d reached the beat up Chevy Van. The ladies weren’t anywhere around. “Think they already put the money inside?” Jeanine leaned forward to peek into the windows. Red and blue lights flashed once, silently. Jeanine jerked backwards. “Was this a setup?”

Paula ran forward from the police car two rows ahead. “He’s still a little skittish. Come on.” She grabbed Jeanine’s arm and pulled her forward to the cop car.

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