two....
"Guess we had better enjoy our last day of leisure and
quiet. From here on out it'll be hopping around here."
"Told you," whispered Rosa. "See how the snow comes
and everyone starts singing a new song?" She set a warm
cranberry scone in front of Maggie. "Compliments of the
house for hanging in there with all these cantankerous busi-
nesspeople."
Maggie smiled up at her friend. "Thanks. Yeah, I guess
you have to be tough to live in a small town."
Rosa patted her on the shoulder. "But it does have its
rewards."
On her way home from work, Maggie noticed Jed's red
pickup pulling out on Main Street ahead of her. Her heart
gave a small tug and then she quickly remembered that Leah
was using his truck while he was in Seattle with Michael.
The wheels spun out a little and the back end fishtailed
slightly, but then Leah seemed to regain control of the vehicle
and continued on without further problems. Still, Maggie
felt slightly concerned, and decided she would give Leah a
call just to make sure she'd made it safely home. Leah would
probably resent being checked on, but Maggie would do it
for Jed.
254Melody Carlson
She loved coming home to her festive-looking house, but
it looked especially charming with the Christmas lights
reflected in the newly fallen snow. When she opened the
4$,door, the smell of pine wafted toward her like a fragrant per-
fume, emanating both from the tall tree in the parlor and
from the evergreen garlands she and her mother had
wrapped around the banister all the way to the second floor.
Tonight, mingled with this aroma, came the smell of baking
and sweet vanilla, and after quickly removing her coat,
Maggie headed straight to the kitchen for a sample. There
she found Spencer and Daniel up to their elbows in mounds
of cutout sugar cookies, and both of them immersed in the
ptocess of decorating them with frosting and other confec-
tionery delights that Audrey must have set before them.
"Hey, you two look like a couple of overgrown elves,"
she said as she chose an undecorated reindeer from the pile.
-"Nice work, guys."
''Look at this one, Mom,'' said Spencer as he held up
what she suspected by the shape was supposed to be a Santa,
but instead of a jolly red suit, he was frosted in what
appeared to be a blue tank top and shorts with a yellow
number "thirty-two" piped right where his beard should be.
"What is it?" she asked.
"It's me in my basketball uniform. You know, next year;
when I make the JV team." He grinned at her as he proudly
Lset the cookie on the plate with the others.
"Very creative," she said somewhat skeptically. "Does