Amanda Hamm

Today is release day.  The Art of Proposing is now available.  Maybe it could even be a last minute Christmas present, if ebooks weren't hard to wrap.  This is only a very short preview of the last short story since no one has to wait to read the rest of it.  

Ryan’s Turn

 The town had already hung the wreaths on the lampposts.  The lights were off because it was the middle of the day, but Violet still smiled to see how pretty they looked.  It increased her already Christmasy mood on the way to help Ryan decorate the January Café.  He turned down a drab side street to park behind the restaurant.

Violet had been inside with him when it was closed at least a handful of times.  Watching him unlock the door and flip on the lights still made her feel special.  He didn’t let just anyone in.  He unlocked the office as well.

“You can start making a plan while I wrestle the tree,” he said.

She said, “Okay,” and went inside to the cabinet of decorations.  She identified the box with the tree ornaments – it was labeled so it wasn’t difficult – and picked it up intending to bring it out front near where the tree would go.  She’d only made it back to the office door when she heard the creaking of a stepladder unfolding.  She set the box down to investigate.

Ryan had placed it between two prep tables and was about to ascend.  He seemed to read on her face that she didn’t have a question.  “You want to watch me get it down?”

“I’m curious.”  She answered with a shrug.  “You were kind of mysterious about it last year.  Like, you wait here so you don’t see me getting the tree from its super-secret hiding place.”

He let out a short laugh, then talked as he moved up the ladder.  “I’m sure I never called it a super secret, but I was probably vague on purpose.”  

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To read the rest of the story, buy the 99-cent ebook:  Apple, Amazon, Barnes & Noble, Kobo.