Overdrawn by NJ Crosskey

Author:NJ Crosskey
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Legend Times Group

8

She’d never been to such a big house. It had a front garden. Not a patch of uniformly square lawn like the cabin-houses, but an actual garden with bushes and flowers. His gas-guzzler sat on the gravelled driveway that led to a large red door, upon which someone, probably his wife, had hung a holly wreath. Four windows were visible. Four. On one side of the house. How many did they have altogether?

No wonder Henry was upset that he couldn’t sell it; you could pump all manner of drugs into someone for twenty years or more with the money this place could fetch.

She felt extremely self-conscious walking up the driveway, clutching a small blue present in her hands. Why did she agree to this? Surely, it was going to be excruciating. But then, spending the day alone, or chatting to a comatose Jack, wouldn’t exactly fill her with festive cheer. There was something about Christmas that made loneliness unbearable. Even if you were generally the type of person who was quite content in their own company. Somehow, being alone on Christmas was the epitome of failure, and misery.

The chance to have a decent dinner had been quite high on her list of reasons for saying yes to Henry’s invite. She was supposed to be eating for two, but lately she’d barely eaten enough for one, and certainly nothing as enticing as the roast turkey and sweet potatoes Henry had promised.

She rang the bell, adjusting her position on the doorstep several times while she waited for it to be answered. Not too close, she didn’t want to seem overbearing. Were her shoes okay? She checked the bottom of them for mud, or would this be the kind of place where you had to take your shoes off? Shit. A wriggle of her toes confirmed her sock had a hole in the end.

The door opened and there stood Henry, smiling. “I’m glad you came,” he said, “I was worried you wouldn’t.”

His sincerity made her relax a little. “I almost didn’t,” she confessed.

“Well come in, come in. Don’t stand on ceremony. Chloe’s in the kitchen. She won’t let me anywhere near the dinner, apparently I’m a hindrance.”

“I brought her a present,” Kaitlyn said, feeling embarrassed at the shoddy wrapping, and the cheap contents within, as she held it out.

“That’s very sweet of you,” Henry replied. “You didn’t have to do that.”

“It’s not very good,” she blurted out. “I’m sorry.”

“Chloe will love it,” he said, taking Kaitlyn’s coat and hanging it on the bannister.

“How do you know that? You don’t know what it is.”

“I know Chloe.” Henry grinned. “You’ll see what I mean. Come through, make yourself at home.”

The house was light and airy. In the lounge, winter sun streamed through the bay windows, leaving square patches of light on the emerald green sofas. The enormous tree was next to the fireplace, where stockings were hung amidst a string of tiny silver bells. Beyond a wide, textured archway was the dining table – covered in a cloth of gold and white.

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