Page 50 of The Forever Christmas Tree

“Justin?”

“Just in Case,” Cassie replied.

Wendy laughed.

It pleased Cassie that Wendy got the joke. Not everyone did. It also pleased her that Wendy didn’t remark on her limp as they walked down the hall, or slow down as if Cassie couldn’t walk as fast as anyone else.

Cassie got another shock when she entered the big kitchen where there were even more people. A half-dozen men and women were arranging all kinds of cookies in foil pie tins, pulling plastic wrap up into big twists, which were then tied with red and green curly ribbon.

“Those are donations for the church bazaar,” Wendy explained. “I notice you’re wearing pink again today.”

“Uh-huh,” Cassie said, looking down at the pink fuzzy sweater she wore over white tights with her pink Uggs. “Pink was my mom’s favorite color. Once I even put her pink flannel nightgown over my pajamas to help me sleep.”

“I know exactly how you feel. I lost my mother when I was twelve years old, and I often wear her red coat. It makes me feel like she’s hugging me.”

Cassie was stunned that someone could explain exactly how she felt.

“You should wear blue sometimes, too, though. Like this color,” Wendy advised, pointing to the blue background on the Christmas tablecloth featuring silver bells and green holly. “The exact same color of your eyes. It would make you look even prettier than you already are.”

Wow! No one had ever told her that before.

Just then a bald man wearing red suspenders came in from the back door, followed by three dogs, a tiny Pekinese, a bulldog, and a big brown dog, all of whom headed immediately for Cassie.

She braced herself against the back of a chair as the dogs caught sight of her and came barreling toward her, immediately sniffing out the newcomer.

“Get those dogs out of here,” Aunt Mil ordered from the counter where she was preparing a tray.

The bald guy came over to Cassie and said, “Don’t be afraid, honey. Duke, and Prince, and Earline are saying hello. Dogs do that with their noses, you know.”

“I wasn’t afraid,” she said, leaning down to pet each of them, “but sometimes I lose my balance if I get jostled.”

“Me, too,” he said with a laugh. “Can’t tell you the times a dog knocked me to my bum and licked my face like a lollipop.”

“Do all these people live here?” Cassie asked once she and Wendy were seated in a little window nook at the other end of the kitchen.

“No. Just Aunt Mil and a couple of her friends, most of the time. I’ll only be here with my guests for the holidays.”

“You’ll be going away again, then?” she asked. That could be a problem for Cassie’s idea.

“Yes. My work is in California.” Cassie could tell that she wanted to say more, but Aunt Mil came then and handed out the tea, which was in pretty cups and saucers decorated with flowers. There was also a platter of cookies on a plate that matched the cups. Along with a bear squirt bottle of honey. Watching Wendy put two squirts of honey in her cup, Cassie did the same, stirred, then sipped. It was strange, but good, especially when she took a bite of cookie, too.

“Oh, you picked my favorite,” Wendy said. “Raspberry shortbread cookies. Now, before we go any further, you need to call your grandmother or father and tell them where you are.”

Cassie started to protest. She hadn’t even had a chance to bring up the reason for her visit. And she’d only taken one sip of tea and eaten half a cookie. “But—”

“They’ll be worried about you, sweetheart. I’ll just go see if Aunt Mil needs help loading these cookies into the car.”

Pulling her cell phone from her backpack, Cassie decided to call her father since he was the one who was supposed to pick her up. He answered on the first ring.

“Hello.”

“Dad?”

“Cassie, where are you?”

She gulped before revealing, “I’m at the Patterson house.”

“What?” he yelled.