Merry's Christmas: Two Book Set (Amish) by Susan Rohrer Page B

Merry, you’ve already put your fingerprints all over us.”
    The faintest kind of hope broke through Merry’s tears. “I have?”
    Joan nodded. “We’ve needed you, Merry. We still need you. Whether my blind-as-a-bat son can see it or not.”
     
    Later that afternoon, Tara and Ollie led a blindfolded Merry up the attic stairs.
    “Are you taking me where I think you’re taking me?” Merry inquired.
    Ollie replied in his deepest belly-shaking voice. “Ho, ho, ho! Might be someplace secret!”
    Tara whipped around to her brother. “Shhh! Hayden will hear.”
    Feeling her way toward the landing at the top, Merry tripped, and then righted herself.
    Ceremoniously, Tara reached to untie Merry’s blindfold. “And now, the moment we’ve all been waiting for,” Tara announced with a signal to Ollie. “Cue the silent drum roll.”
    Ollie beat his leg like an imaginary drum, then hit an air cymbal. “Ching!”
    Tara adopted a dramatic air, “Presenting...” Then she ripped off Merry’s blindfold and flicked on the lights.
    Merry scanned the completely redecorated attic, agape. Tara had done absolute wonders. “It’s like...a Christmas miracle!” Merry exclaimed.
    Tara shrugged with wry confidence. “Not exactly my taste, but I think the cave-dweller will like it.”
    That evening, the Bells served up dinner off the stove as Merry gathered her things to head to the diner for a couple of hours work.
    Joan ladled a hearty chili into the family’s waiting bowls. “You sure you can’t stay, Merry?”
    “Gramma made brownies for dessert,” Ollie enthused.
    “Come on, Merry. Stay,” Tara coaxed. “Why not?”
    Daniel picked up an extra bowl and offered it to Merry. “Please. There’s plenty.”
    Merry put up a polite hand of refusal. Staying for dinner would be too hard for her on this particular night. “Thanks, but Friday nights are busy at the diner and I promised Arthur—”
    “Ooh, Arthur,” Hayden teased. “Who is this Arthur?”
    Merry shook her head, “Oh, no. No, no. He’s...”
    Merry could feel Daniel watching as she exchanged an awkward glance with Joan. Tara gave Ollie an “ I dunno ” shrug.
    Daniel smiled inquisitively, “Merry, have you been keeping something from us? Mom, what do you know?”
    Feigning sincerity, Hayden pretended to swoon. “Is he super-duper dreamy?”
    “No, really,” Merry defended. “He’s just my other boss.”
    “Oooh...workplace romance,” Hayden toyed. “Scandalous!”
    “Guys!” Merry blurted. “I’m not interested in Arthur.”
    A hopeful look crossed Ollie’s face. “So, who are you interested in?”
    Suddenly, the teasing stopped as everyone waited for an answer to Ollie’s question. Merry shot a panicky look at Joan as Tara smacked Ollie upside the head.
    Joan grabbed some tongs, “Ollie, dear, don’t you want some salad?”
    Grateful for the reprieve, Merry backed toward the door. “You know what? I’m just going to go. But I will see you all bright and early, dressed and ready for a little hunting expedition. You, too, Daniel. Remember, this is a whole family deal.”
    “Wouldn’t miss it,” Daniel replied. “I invited Catherine, too. I hope that’s okay.”
    Merry polled the family’s faces. Hayden rolled her eyes. Tara grimaced. Ollie gagged. Even Joan’s expression was lackluster. With everything she had, Merry willed herself to muster support. “As they say, the more the merrier.”
    Daniel turned to his kids. “I know you’re all just getting to know Catherine, but give it a little time,” he assured. “She’ll fit right in.”
    When it had rained overnight, Merry had been a little concerned about the outing she’d planned, but the showers had given way to the brightest of blue skies by Saturday morning. How long it had been since the family had gone anywhere together, Merry didn’t know, but from the sounds of things, it seemed as if it’d been a very long while. At any rate, there was no shortage of animated