He’d leaned out the train window that summer day and gripped her hand. “I will be back. The war won’t last long after we get there.” As the train steamed away, their entwined fingers parted. He grinned at her and waved, happy to be leaving her for the glory of rescuing Europe.
He'd come back, as promised. Just not alive.
Candles in windows of houses she passed reminded her that Christmas was almost here. She needed to move past her dark thoughts. Purposefully, she thought over the evening’s play. The smiles she’d seen that night would be her Christmas joy.
She hurried along the dark street to the rooming house. By this time, the front door would be locked. Mr. Klaussen was careful that way. What a sweet couple! With their rosy cheeks and snow-white hair, the short couple made the perfect picture of grandparents.
“Funny, but I’ve never asked them if they have grandchildren.” She spoke aloud in the dark night as she fumbled with the key. It didn’t matter since the night was not silent. A dog barked in the distance. From the Jacksons’ home, a few doors away, she could faintly make out the notes of “God Rest Ye Merry Gentlemen” playing on that family’s Victrola.
Once she stepped inside, Josephine unbuttoned her worn velvet coat, careful not to pull on the loose buttons. Hanging it in her customary spot on the hall tree, a small, square package with her name on it caught her eye. It sat on a shelf situated below the coat rack’s mirror, the silver bow reflecting merrily back at her in the yellow light of the wall sconces.
Picking it up, she decided to wait until Christmas to open it. She hadn’t received a Christmas present in years—not since that last December with her parents.
Clutching the bright red gift to her heart, she moved toward the stairs. With her foot raised on the first step, a loud bang caused her heart to race.
Cautiously, she peeked out one of the windows to the side of the front door. No silhouette stood there. She watched for movement and saw only a figure hurrying down the street. The person stopped and looked back. Strangely, at that moment, Josephine was sure she knew the woman. At least she seemed familiar.
With shaking fingers, she opened the door. Craning her head past the doorjamb, she looked for something that might have fallen against it to cause the noise.
Through swirling snowflakes, she saw it. A wooden box filled with stained towels sat on the stoop. At that moment, a wicked blast of Atlantic air whistled past her. As a shiver raced through Josephine, she decided to ignore the box and shut the door against the cold.
As she pulled back into the house, the towels suddenly moved. A squeak from the box tilted Josephine’s world.
A Snowy Delivery for Christmas is Available on Amazon.
Books by Marisa Masterson
Find these titles at https://www.amazon.com//e/B07PRCNS49.
Belles of Wyoming:
Grace for a Drifter
The Teacher’s Star
Lockets and Lace: Ginger Snap
North and South:
The Massachusetts Bride
The Proxy Brides: A Bride for Darrell
A Bride for Bode
Secrets in Idyll Wood Series:
Hart’s Longing
Manny’s Triumph
A Farmer for Christmas (Spinster Mail-Order Brides series)
A Keeper for Christmas (Spinster Mail-Order Brides series)
Wistful in Wisconsin (Yours Truly: The Lovelorn)
Spinster Mail-Order Brides:
A Shadowed Groom for Christmas
A Farmer for Christmas
A Keeper for Christmas
A Teacher for Christmas (coming Dec., 2020)
Westward Home and Hearts Series:
Ruby’s Risk
Yours Truly: The Lovelorn
Wistful in Wisconsin
Nursing the Heart
A Nurse for Niall
Ornamental Match Maker
A Snowy Delivery for Christmas
Aloha My Love: Christmas in July
About Marisa Masterson
Marisa Masterson and her husband of thirty-one years reside in Saginaw, Michigan. They have two grown children, one son-in-law, a precious granddaughter, and one old and lazy dog.
She is a retired high school English teacher and oversaw a high school writing center in partnership with the local university. In addition, she is a National Writing Project fellow and a regular contributor to the Sweet Americana Sweethearts and Sweethearts of the West blogs. You’ll find her hanging out in the Sweet Wild West Reads group on Facebook.
Focusing on her home state of Wisconsin, she writes sweet historical romance. Growing up, she loved hearing stories about her family pioneering in that state. Those stories, in part, are what inspired her to begin writing.
If you like this book, please take a few minutes to leave a review now! Marisa appreciates it and you may help a reader find their next favorite book!
