Mr. Miracle by Debbie Macomber

that seemed appropriate. But she was unsure he would welcome her company so soon, so she waited a few seconds before moving into the living room.
    “Morning,” he said, and avoided eye contact.
    That said a great deal. He, too, was at odds over all the time they’d spent together in the last couple days. She was fairly certain he was as uncomfortable about this shift in their relationship as she was.
    “I made your breakfast,” she said, stating the obvious, with the glass in her hand.
    “I appreciate it.”
    She brought it over and set it down on the side table with a straw, and then stepped back awkwardly.
    She waited, unsure what to do or say next, if anything.
    The silence felt both heavy and bleak.
    “Did you sleep well?” she asked, hoping to make polite conversation.
    He glanced up and nodded. “Better than the night before. How about you?”
    “Okay.” Actually, she’d had a difficult time falling asleep, and when she did, her dreams had been filled with nightmares. She’d even dreamed of that time from her childhood when Erich handed her a dead worm and insisted she eat it if she wanted access to the fort he’d built with Jerry and Karl.
    Silence again.
    “Can I get you anything more?” she asked, eager now to be on her way.
    “No. I’ll be fine.”
    “Okay.” There didn’t seem to be anything else to say. Clearly, they were both uncomfortable with each other now, uncertain and hesitant. Although they’d lived next door to each other nearly all their lives, she realized that basically they were still little more than strangers.
    His phone buzzed, indicating he had received a text. He read it and then glanced up at Addie. “Do you remember Carrie Hoffert?”
    “Of course.” They’d attended high school together. Carrie had been a homecoming princess and the leader of cheer squad.
    “She’s Carrie Welsh now. She heard about the car crash and wants to stop by.”
    Earlier, Erich had made it clear he wasn’t in the mood for visitors. “How do you feel about that?”
    He shrugged. “Okay, I guess. Carrie and I attended the University of Washington at the same time. Her husband and I work together at Boeing.”
    In other words, Carrie probably knew Ashley. That might prove interesting.
    After chatting a few minutes more, Addie returned to the house and settled down to finish her reading assignment. To her surprise, the pages of Dickens’s Christmas tale went rather quickly. It wasn’t as if Addie didn’t knowwhat to expect in the story line; it was probably the most well known and loved of Dickens’s novels. But even knowing the plot, she still found herself caught up in the characters and turning pages as eagerly as she would have if she hadn’t known what would happen next. She looked forward to the classroom discussion and to hearing the reactions of her fellow classmates, especially Danny. He seemed to have a unique view of life in general.
    The sound of a car door closing alerted Addie to a visitor. This was about the time the visiting nurse usually arrived, but it could be Carrie, too. Standing, Addie looked out the dining room window, which offered her the best view of the Simmonses’ house.
    Only it wasn’t the visiting nurse, and it wasn’t Carrie, either. The tall, thin, fashionably dressed woman in skinny jeans could only be the beautiful Ashley. She walked up the path to the front door as if she owned the street. She paused only long enough to flip her long, blond, perfectly styled hair off one shoulder before she rang the doorbell.
    Unable to look away, Addie watched as Ashley let herself into the house. Addie wasn’t sure how long she remained at the window. Her chest started to hurt, and after a moment she realized she’d been holding her breath.
    Apparently, Erich and Ashley were enjoying a lengthy conversation, because Ashley stayed inside the house for agood long while. Addie checked her watch and could have sworn far more than only ten minutes had passed. It felt