Christmas Recipe for Romance novel · Chapter 17 of 24
Chapter 17: The Hall at Night
I caught up with Ansel at the mouth of the back lane, with Abel one stride behind me.
I had his scarf in my fist and no breath left to offer it.
"Grandpa, stop. Your hip."
"My hip's fine."
"It was broken in November!"
"It's December," said Ansel, and kept walking.
He did not hurry, and he did not wobble.
The lane between the diner and the Hall is two minutes long on a good day.
Tonight the snow squeaked under our boots, and the Hall rose at the end of it with its tall windows gold.
Ansel stopped at the foot of the back step.
It is only four stone treads and an iron rail, with a green door at the top and a bulb in a cage.
I had stood on it every Christmas Eve of my life at four in the morning, wondering who had come and gone.
The bulb flicked on over our heads, triggered by us.
He stood there a long time with the snow settling on his white hair.
The rest of this chapter is part of the paid portion of the series. Chapters 1–12 of Christmas Recipe for Romance are free to read — start from the beginning, then unlock the rest with coins in the app.
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