Christmas at Harrington's by Melody Carlson

Her stomach rumbled as the bus left the lights of Indianapolis behind. Scooting next to the window, she clutched her handbag in her lap with trembling hands. “Grab a seat – now.” He jerked his thumb backward.Īs the bus lurched forward, Lena found an empty pair of seats near the back and quickly ducked in. “Thanks,” she gasped breathlessly as she handed him her wrinkled ticket. “Hurry up, lady, I’ve got a schedule to keep.” “You were cutting that mighty close,” he told her as he opened the door for her. She waved her arms, calling frantically to the bus driver. Instead, she was running down the sidewalk with the icy wind in her face and her purple parka flapping wildly behind her like a parachute. If not for the librarian’s nudge, since the library closed at six, Lena would probably still be sleeping. While reading a recipe for cranberry cake in the December issue of Better Homes and Gardens, Lena had dozed off, lulled by the warmth, the flickering fluorescent lights, and the sweet, musty smell of books. But with two hours to spare, she had ducked into the public library to use the restroom and escape the elements, then found a comfy easy chair. “The bus leaves promptly at 5:15 and there won’t be another until tomorrow morning.” The slate-colored sky matched Lena’s spirits as she sprinted toward the bus stop. Any resemblance to actual events, locales, or persons, living or dead, is coincidental. Names, characters, places, and incidents are the product of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously.

Material in chapter 13 taken from ’Twas the Night: The Nativity Story by Melody Carlson, copyright © 2004 by B&H Publishing Group, Nashville, Tennessee. Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data is on file at the Library of Congress, Washington, DC.

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Christmas at Harrington's by Melody Carlson