The Christmas Wife

The Christmas Wife Read Free Page B

Book: The Christmas Wife Read Free
Author: Elizabeth Kelly
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okay?”
    “Okay, mama,” Hattie called from the bedroom they shared.
    * * *
     
    Deacon stood in the hallway and stared in disgust at the man
sprawled out on the floor of the hallway.  The smell of stale beer wafted from
him and he snored loudly, drool slipping from between his lips to puddle on the
floor.
    The entire building was a dump and Deacon knocked firmly on
the apartment door as he shifted the brown paper bag he held into his left hand. 
    After a moment, he knocked again and Hattie said, “Who is
it?”
    “It’s Deacon Stone.”
    There was silence and he said impatiently, “Do you remember
me, Hattie?”
    “The toymaker,” she said through the door.
    “Yes, may I come in?”
    “Mama says I’m not allowed to let strangers into the house.”
    “I’m not a stranger, Hattie,” he said.  “We met yesterday.”
    The door opened and Hattie stared up at him.  Today she was
wearing a Hulk t-shirt with her jeans.  “What do you want?”
    “I need to speak to your mother.  May I come in?”  He asked.
    She peered into the hallway.  “What did you do to Terry?”
    “I didn’t do anything to him,” he said.  “He was like this
when I came in.”
    “Terry!”  Hattie nudged him with her foot.  “Wake up,
Terry!”
    The man muttered in his sleep and rolled over.  Hattie
sighed.  “He’s always falling asleep in the hallway.  Mama says he’s got a
disease called,” she frowned in thought, “alcoholics, I think, and it makes him
really sleepy.”
    She stepped back and he followed her into the apartment.  It
was a bit dismal looking and ridiculously bare.  There was a couch in the
living room and a bookcase shoved full of brightly coloured children’s book and
that was it for furniture.  A chest with toys piled in it sat against the wall
and he followed Hattie to the couch.
    “Won’t you please sit down, Mr. Stone.  Mama’s in the shower
right now,” she said politely. 
    He sat on the couch, it was lumpy and the fabric was faded. 
A tear in the arm had been repaired with bright pink duct tape and he smiled
stiffly at Hattie as she climbed up beside him.
    “What’s in the bag?”  She asked.
    “It’s a present for you.”
    “Really?”  Her face lit up and he nodded and handed her the
bag.
    She opened it eagerly and pulled out the large doll with
curly blonde hair and blue eyes.  A look of disappointment crossed her face. 
“It’s a doll.”
    “Yes.  It’s brand new on the market.  You’ve probably seen
the commercials for it on TV,” he said.  “If you press the button on her back
she talks to you.”
    “We don’t have a TV.”  She poked at the doll’s fabric body. 
“Mama sold it.”
    She set the doll on the couch beside her.  “Thank you for
the doll, Mr. Stone.”
    “You’re welcome.  Why did your mama sell the television?”
    She shrugged.  “Because we’re poor.”
    She gave him a cautious look.  “Don’t tell mama I said
that.  She thinks I don’t know.”
    “I won’t,” he promised.
    “I miss TV,” she sighed.  “We didn’t have cable but I used
to watch my DVD’s.”  She paused.  “Mama sold those to the man at the pawn shop
too.  But she said she would buy me new ones when she bought a new TV.”
    She touched the doll’s fake hair for a moment before smiling
at him.  “Would you like something to drink, Mr. Stone?”
    “Sure.”
    She jumped off the couch and walked to the tiny kitchen. 
There was no table or chairs, just a couple of white, plastic TV trays pushed
against the wall, and she opened the fridge and peered into it.  “We have milk
or water.”
    “I’ll have a glass of water.”
    “You’ll have to get the water jug out for me.  It’s too
heavy and mama says I might break it.”
    He joined her at the fridge, frowning at how empty it was. 
There was a carton of milk, a large glass jug of water, a bag of carrots, some
containers of yogurt, and a package of ground chicken. 
    “It’s right there.”

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