Looking For You All My Life Part 162

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