The Christmas Children Read Online Free Page B

sleep.”
    â€œA good idea, but I’ll need some warmer clothes, and I hardly remember what I have. I haven’t been home during the winter for a long time.” Paul shoved clothing back and forth in the bedroom closet until he found a heavy coat with a hood that still fit him. He changed his light boots for insulated ones.
    Sunshine glistened on the newly-fallen snow as Paul and Carissa crossed the road and took the path around the lake. White-throated sparrows and Acadian chickadees darted into the trees, dislodging tufts of snow that settled on Paul’s and Carissa’s shoulders. They observed the ungainly flight of a pileatedwoodpecker, its red crest conspicuous in the sunlight. Small huts dotted the surface of the frozen lake, now covered with several inches of fresh snow.
    â€œThere’s a lot of ice fishing on this lake,” Paul commented. “The huts are rented to fishermen for protection from the wind while they wait for a bite.”
    â€œThere’s ice fishing on the lakes in Minnesota, too.”
    â€œI wonder if the lake is frozen enough for skating,” he said. “I learned to skate on Lake Mohawk. We used to have skating parties almost every night. I’ve kept up with skating as much as possible. Many Christmas holidays I’ve spent time in Germany, Austria or Switzerland so I could skate.” He stepped out on the surface of the lake. “Seems pretty solid. Do you skate?”
    â€œNot since I was a child. Skating isn’t a Florida pastime.”
    Their footsteps crunched rhythmically on the frozen snow as they walked. “Why did you leave Minnesota and move to Florida? Did your family transfer?” he asked.
    A somber expression quickly erased Carissa’s happy mood, but she answered readily enough. “I moved there by myself, soon after I graduated from high school. I never returned to Minnesota.”
    Believing he’d touched on a sensitive subject, Paul didn’t question her further.
    Carissa’s animation returned moments later when she said, “This is the first time I’ve seen snow foryears. It’s glorious.” She picked up a handful and ate it. “Grandma used to make ice cream out of snow. I’ll make some if I can remember how.”
    â€œMost of my visits back home have been in the summer,” he said, “and I’ve missed New York’s winters while I’ve been away. There were fabulous Christmas celebrations in Yuletide when we were children—lights all over the business section and most of the houses were decorated. Prizes were given for the most original ideas. We sometimes built snow palaces on the frozen lake and had them floodlighted. We had programs at the church—just a wonderful time.”
    â€œWhy did they stop? I came to Yuletide thinking I’d find Christmas the way it was when I was a child. I was really disappointed when I drove in last night and didn’t see any sign of Christmas.”
    Paul yawned. “Carissa, surely I’ve stayed awake long enough. I’ll tell you about the tragedy that took Christmas out of Yuletide, but not until after I sleep.”
    Carissa was a bit surprised that they’d slipped so easily to a first-name basis, but that pleased her. Mischievously, she picked up a handful of snow and, standing on tiptoes, she rubbed it in his face.
    â€œThat oughta keep you awake ’til we get back to the house.”
    â€œHey!” he spluttered, wiping the snow from his face with his mittened hand. “I’m an invalid and you’re supposed to be kind to me.” He scooped upsome snow and threw it at Carissa, but she sidestepped the attack and started toward the house on a run. Paul’s long-legged stride soon caught up with her.
    â€œI’ll get even with you,” he warned, a gleam in his brown eyes that belied his words. “I expected to be welcomed home as an honored guest, and what happens? I’m