Monday had dawned gloriously clear and very, very cold. So cold that it felt like she was inhaling shards of ice instead of air when Molly stepped out of the warm kitchen, and even Schrodinger bounded directly to the Jeep rather than exploring around. He still refused to wear the woolen boots that her mother had knit him, but Molly realized how very few steps it took him to get to the Jeep.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The cold persisted all day, and Molly refilled tea pots, not just cups, in between building the last few gingerbread houses she had. Thursday, the first day of winter break, was the day she planned to deliver them. Hopefully the deep freeze would break by then.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cI don\u2019t mind cold,\u201d she said to Lai, who had stopped in for lunch. \u201cBut this is ridiculous. I don\u2019t want to keep the kids out in the cold in this weather.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cIsn\u2019t Old Man Winter going to help you?\u201d Lai said, sipping from the mug in her hands.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cI think so. He\u2019s been out doing something else for the past week, but he adores it,\u201d Molly said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cMaybe that\u2019s why it\u2019s cold? Because he\u2019s been in the Cove?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Molly pondered that. \u201cNo one\u2019s seen him, though,\u201d she said finally. \u201cAnd it\u2019s not like he\u2019s not recognizable.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cNot necessarily,\u201d Lai said. \u201cHe\u2019s the personification of Winter, isn\u2019t he? He can probably pass completely unnoticed if he wanted to.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Molly had to concede the point. \u201cBut why?\u201d she said. \u201cWhy would he be sneaking around the Cove?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Lai turned and looked at the Advent calendar. \u201cMaybe he\u2019s still looking to see who took that?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
<><><\/p>\n\n\n\n
Old Man Winter was, in fact, in the Cove, but not to find out about who had taken the Advent calendar. Jade and Jack had decided that trying to find the culprit was a waste of time, especially as the Snow Queen\u2019s Ball was approaching. Left to his own devices, Old Man Winter had decided to see what else was going on.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
He\u2019d toyed with the idea of looking Pavel up, and taking the pirate out for a night of drinking, but when he\u2019d stopped by his house, Brynna told him that Pavel had headed out on a short sail, and wouldn\u2019t be back for a few days. She\u2019d offered him a hot toddy, but he\u2019d declined politely.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The children were still in school, and he decided against going and taking them on an adventure. While they would be thrilled, their parents would not be. And he didn\u2019t feel like tea, or coffee. So he found himself wandering through the streets, invisible, just soaking up the feelings in the town. Ever since Molly had freed him from the Eidolon who had taken him over, he\u2019d realized how much he liked Carter\u2019s Cove. It was a town that you could be yourself in, no matter who yourself really was. They were accepting like that.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Which is why the older man standing in the middle of the street and glowering at a new building was enough to halt his progress. And as Old Man Winter looked closer at him, he realized something else.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The man stared angrily – no, not angrily, Old Man Winter corrected himself. Hungrily. As if the shop held something he wanted so much that he would take the building apart at the seams to get it.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
He turned his attention from the man to the building. It was a large stone building, looking slightly like a barn and a business had had a child, and there was no sign on it yet. There was a spot for one, though. The building itself was shuttered up, but there was smoke coming from one of the chimneys. Forgetting the man, Old Man Winter walked forward, fully intending to go through the wall and snoop a bit. For him, it was normal.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Which is why when he hit the stone wall and bounced backwards onto his behind, he was more startled than hurt.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The front door opened while he was still sitting in the snowbank, and someone he hadn\u2019t seen in a very long time came out. Kris put her hands on her ample hips and glared down at him.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cSure, and what are you doing here?\u201d she demanded, obviously able to see him, even though he hadn\u2019t take off his invisibility. \u201cI\u2019ve no time for your foolishness, Old Man.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
He let the glamour drop. \u201cJust passing through,\u201d he said, getting up slowly. \u201cI\u2019d no idea you\u2019d come to the Cove.\u201d Old Man Winter held out his hand. \u201cYou staying?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Kris looked at him suspiciously. \u201cWhat is it to you?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cI\u2019m not the same as the last time you saw me, Kris,\u201d Old Man Winter said, knowing full well where her hostility came from. \u201cI promise you.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cPromises from you are worth less than the ice on your beard,\u201d she retorted. \u201cEspecially as you just tried to invade my new home.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cThat was a mistake,\u201d he admitted. \u201cI didn\u2019t realize it was yours. I just wanted to see who had moved in.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cYou haven\u2019t claimed this town,\u201d she said, but he could hear curiosity as well as anger in her voice. \u201cThis is neutral territory.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cYes,\u201d he said. \u201cI just got used to be one of the few beings who could wander where I wanted here. It\u2019s a bad habit.\u201d He smiled. \u201cCan I come in?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
She glowered a bit more, but then she relented. \u201cMight as well,\u201d she said, gesturing him through the door. \u201cI don\u2019t want to have this conversation in the street.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
<><><\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cMolly, it\u2019s so cold out!\u201d Kaylee said, as the children piled into the kitchen. \u201cWe need to warm up!\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cI\u2019ve got plenty of cocoa and tea for you!\u201d Molly promised. \u201cAnd hot sandwiches!\u201d She\u2019d made more cranberry walnut bread earlier in the day, and when she\u2019d heard Jack and Aurora barking, she\u2019d put ham and cheese between the slices of bread and toasted them in the oven. Now, she set out the sandwiches on a big plate and put it on the island, then she put out the tea and cocoa.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Once they were fed and warm, they clustered around the Advent calendar. The little cat was waiting for them in the music room, where he\u2019d been the day before, listening to records on the old gramaphone. Now, he jumped down from the sofa and padded out into a small room with easy chairs around a large, low table. There was a tea service gleaming silver on the wood, with holly berries and ivy leaves on the tray. There were little cakes that had sugared berries and leaves sculpted out of marzipan or fondant, Molly wasn\u2019t sure which. There was a window behind everything that looked out to a tree dripping with bird feeders.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cWow, that looks like a fun place!\u201d Zoey said wistfully. \u201cI wish we could go in.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The little cat jumped into a chair and then leaned out and nosed the top of the teapot off. The white smoke puffed up and formed the words \u201cIt\u2019s not just Christmas for you.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cWhat does that mean?\u201d Kaylee asked, looking at her companions.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
They all shrugged, confused. Then the smoke drifted out to them and wound around them, a silvery snake that became a thin thread, laying across their hands.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cWhat are we supposed to do with thread?\u201d Lily said, puzzled, as she started to wind it back up from the spool she\u2019d discovered in her hand. \u201cDid the Advent calendar break?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The little cat shook his head, as if he was astounded that they didn\u2019t understand. He turned and hooked his tail through the teapot\u2019s handle, lifted it up, and went to the window. He nosed up one of the window panes, and poured the contents of the pot into the snow. Birds flocked down to peck at popcorn kernels that had come from the teapot.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cOh, I get it! We\u2019re going to make popcorn strings for the birds!\u201d Lily and Kaylee said at the same time. \u201cMolly, do you have cranberries too?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cOf course I do,\u201d she said, pulling a large bowl of cranberries from the pantry. She handed it to Zoey, and then pulled a big bag of fluffy popcorn. \u201cAnd if you guys want to go near the wood stove to string these, Peter is coming from the Humane Society to put them on the trees near some of the farms. So make as many as you want!\u201d<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
Monday had dawned gloriously clear and very, very cold. So cold that it felt like she was inhaling shards of ice instead of air when Molly stepped out of the warm kitchen, and even Schrodinger bounded directly to the Jeep rather than exploring around. He still refused to wear the woolen boots that her mother …<\/p>\n