Private North Read Online Free Page A

minutes and then headed down to the toothbrushes. As I pondered yet another decision, the door on the emporium opened and shut. A squeal of joy followed, and I was fairly certain that it had come from the waitress in stripes.
    “Well, it’s about time you show up here, soldier,” the waitress exclaimed to whoever had just entered the store. “Jamie, come see who the storm blew in,” she yelled to someone. Curiosity got the best of me.
    I peeked around the corner of the aisle just as a girl, who I could only assume was Jamie, came screaming out of the kitchen. She flew into the newly arrived customer’s arms, and as he grabbed hold of her, a large walking stick fell and bounced off the tile floor. I startled, not from the sound of it, but from the realization that I was going to have relive the embarrassment and face my victim again. My only hope was that Jamie would keep him occupied long enough that I could make a clean get away.
    Both girls were fawning over him as if he were some kind of movie star. I scurried to the cash register at the end of the diner counter and a good twenty feet from where the two girls showered the guy with kisses, hugs and questions. I thought I might make it out unseen until I realized that, aside from a rather grizzly looking cook in the back, the two girls were the only ones running the place.
    The gruff cook smacked the bell to let them know that food was up. Both girls responded with a final hug before dashing off to their work, leaving me in clear view of my giant snow angel. I felt a bit like a rabbit caught in a hunter’s scope as I smiled nervously with my toothbrush and magazines.
    “I see you made it safely to the emporium.” He grabbed a diner stool for support and leaned down to pick up his walking stick.
    “And I see you managed to avoid crazy women drivers for the rest of your trek.”
    “Yep.” He limped over to the counter and climbed up on top of the stool. I held up my toothbrush so the girl in stripes could ring me up. Suddenly, getting out of Karl’s Emporium sounded like a good plan. I paid for my stuff. There was only one pathway out of the store, and it led right past the guy. I tucked my magazines under my arm, lowered my head, and scurried to the door. Without warning, his walking stick went across the narrow pathway and he blocked my progress.
    I lifted my face and looked at him. His light green gaze flustered me, and I nearly dropped my magazines. He stared at me like he had on the road. “Hey, Sugarplum, try not to kill anyone out there.”
    My face felt warm with shame. He lowered his stick, and I hurried out of Karl’s Emporium without looking back.

Chapter 4
    I drove with extreme caution the rest of the way and felt both relieved and somewhat nervous as I pulled past the two stone pillars Professor North had described as the entry point for his driveway. The house looked like an oversized cottage you might see in the English countryside only instead of vast green lawns, neatly trimmed boxwoods and a thatch roof, there was snow— lots and lots of it. I’d spent most winter holidays at home in perpetually sunny California, or the south of France. We’d even spent a few Christmases in Greece, but the turn-of-the-century house sitting alone with only the snow-capped evergreens as neighbors seemed like the perfect setting for a family holiday. Of course, the professor had made it clear that those quaint celebrations had vanished with the death of his wife.
    The tires crunched the icy path up to the house, and the navy blue front door swung open as I shut off the engine. My phone rang and I didn’t need to look at the screen to know it was my mom. My gloves made it almost impossible to answer, which would have been all right except I knew the woman would keep calling until I did.
    “August, we’re just about to board the plane. Why don’t you reconsider? We’ll have a great time in France.”
    “Mom, I’m fine and I can’t think of a more