Mrs. Scrooge by Barbara Bretton

Author:Barbara Bretton [Bretton, Barbara]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Tags: Fiction, Contemporary Romance, Harlequin American Romance, AcM
ISBN: 9781940665023
Amazon: B00FEXXSCA
Barnesnoble: B00FEXXSCA
Goodreads: 21763308
Publisher: Barbara Bretton
Published: 1989-10-31T16:00:00+00:00

* * *

PATTY COULDN'T EXPLAIN how she knew, but the moment she woke up on Thursday morning she would have bet her iPad Mini that something had changed.

Her mom had been real quiet last night, not at all her usual chatty self. It wasn't that her mom was unhappy exactly; it was more like she had something on her mind and couldn't stop thinking about whatever it was.

And now, at eight o'clock on a snowy morning, her mom was singing in the kitchen. It wasn't just that she was singing, it was what she was singing. Patty leaped out of bed and pulled on her slippers and robe. She eased her door open and slipped down the hallway toward the kitchen. Her I-hate-Christmas mom was singing Jingle Bells:

Patty stood in the doorway, transfixed with wonder. Murphy O'Rourke. It just had to be. . . .

"Are you going to stand there all morning, kiddo, or would you like some breakfast?"'

Patty started as she realized her mom was talking to her.

"You were singing Christmas carols," said Patty, staring at Sam as if she were an apparition.

"I don't think so, honey." Sam flipped the pancakes one-two.

"You were," Patty persisted. "I heard you with my own ears."

Sam shrugged and reached for a breakfast plate. "And what if I was? That's all you hear on the radio these days."

Patty poured herself a glass of orange juice and helped herself to a Flintstone vitamin. "Am I going to school today?"

"Look outside. School's closed."

Patty walked over to the window and peered through the yellow and orange curtains. "Wow!" Her breath left a moist circle on the glass. "Can I go sledding with Susan?"

"And be home sick another two days? Not very likely."

"Maa-a-a." Patty sank into a kitchen chair. "I'm getting bored being stuck in the house." She'd already finished volumes one through five of the remaindered encyclopedia her mom had found at the book store.

"Who said anything about staying in the house?" Sam deposited a stack of pancakes on the plate in front of Patty. "I thought you could come with me to the store."

"Yuk." Patty poured maple syrup on her pancakes. "There's nothing to do there."

"Oh, really?" Her mother sat down opposite her and frowned at the river of syrup pooling on Patty's plate. "I thought you could help me paint."

What a boring day! Patty couldn't remember why she'd ever thought something special might happen. She'd just as soon work on her mathematical equation that proved the existence of the Star of Bethlehem than paint walls. No television or radio or—

"Did you hear what I said, Patty?"

"We're going to paint the store," she said, sounding as glum as she felt.

"I asked if you wanted to stop at O'Rourke's with me when I drop off the food trays." Her mother took a sip of coffee. "I could use some help."

Patty wanted to jump on the table and dance with delight but Aunt Caroline's words sounded inside her head. Be cool, Patricia. If Samantha figures out what we're up to, it's all over.

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