Their First Noel Read Free Page A

abandonedthem both before Corrie was actually born and she had been raised by her mom who had never married. The concept of parents was, well, just that, a concept to her. “They worked here twenty-four years ago. It’s where they met.”
    A lump rose in her throat to think of two sweethearts filled with hope and possibilities and love. They had been young. She knew that much. Right out of high school and they had planned to marry, promised each other they would be together for the rest of their lives. But things did not always go according to plans.
    If she let herself, she could become a stew pot of conflicting emotions. Years of heartache, of wanting to please her mom and longing to know her father could clash with romantic sentiment then throw in a dash of excitement over what she had come here hoping to accomplish. To combat that, Corrie did what she always did when she didn’t know what else to do. She got busy in the kitchen. “When I read online about this place reopening… I didn’t even tell my mom about it. I just felt like I had to come…and now…did you see the look on your brother’s face?”
    Corrie spotted what was clearly the pantry and in it found a tin of cocoa, a bag of sugar and a bottle of vanilla. “I’m beginning to wonder if it was such a good idea, my coming to Mt. Piney without making more definite arrangements. I don’t know why I did it, really.”
    She spun around to find Greer staring at her.
    The young girl had set the gallon of milk next to the gleaming new professional-style stove then tucked both of her hands behind her back.
    Practically bouncing up and down in place, she whispered, “I know why you’re here.”
    â€œYou do?” Corrie set the ingredients down, not sure what to make of that claim.
    â€œWell, I don’t.” The deep, masculine voice came from the doorway.
    Corrie startled but recovered quickly. Her years of training as a baker served her well. Food didn’t wait for you, you had to keep on task and moving smoothly. She didn’t miss a beat in the prep process, lining up the ingredients in the order they would be used. “Right now, I’m here to make hot chocolate. To do that I need…”
    She began opening and closing cabinet doors, looking for the perfect pan.
    â€œThis?” Suddenly, Andy McFarland stood over her, his arms raised as he retrieved the perfect sized blue-and-white enamel pan from an overhead cabinet.
    Corrie looked from the pan to Andy’s face. What a good face. Steady, thoughtful, no nonsense. Whereas, what she was about to ask him? Wobbly at best. Totally impulsive. Maybe even a little nutty.
    He lowered the pan slowly, circling her in his arms as he did. Just when he got into a position that was almost an embrace, he pushed the pan toward her, stepped back and cleared his throat. “You said something about needing me to find your father?”
    â€œActually, no.” Corrie slid the pan from his large hands then turned toward the stove and got to work. “I said I came to Vermont to find my father. However, that isn’t the only reason I came. The other reason I came, and why I came out to the inn tonight, that’s why I want to hire you.”
    She poured the milk into the pan, set it on the unlit burner then went to her bag on the counter. She couldn’t help playing up the drama a bit, so she paused long enough to give both Greer and Andy her best enigmatic look, which must have worked because they each leaned in with their eyes on her. She sank her teeth into her lower lip, took a breath and pulled out a box and from that, the only family heirloom she actually owned. “I want you to help me recreate this.”
    â€œWow!” Greer moved in to get a closer look at the old snow globe that Corrie held up. “Where’d you get that?”
    â€œMy father gave it to my mother when they worked here twenty-four years