A Christmas for Katie Read online

  When they left, Jayne grinned at him. “I’m so happy everything went well for Ella.”

  “Me too.” He was about to say more when his phone beeped, just as his partner, Trey, wandered inside. “Connor, I thought that was your truck outside. Come on, if you can. We got problems.”

  He was already reaching into his pocket and pulling out his billfold. “What happened?”

  “It’s that darn nativity again.”

  Surely Trey hadn’t come to get him because another plastic figure had been stolen? “What happened?”

  “Well . . . it seems that another piece has gone missing . . . and was found on the property of Mrs. Jensen.”

  “Isn’t she the woman who was injured?” Jayne asked.

  “Yep,” Trey answered. “And this little story gets even worse.”

  With a sinking feeling, Connor waited for the details. “What happened?”

  “Someone came forward and told us that he’d actually seen Mrs. Jensen steal some of the nativity pieces. When we went to her house to ask her about it, she became a little argumentative, which made Jackson decide to walk her inside her home and out of the neighbors’ sight, and that’s when we entered the fun house.” He sighed. “Connor, Sheriff Jackson discovered all kinds of stuff. She’s some kind of kleptomaniac.”

  “A klepto?”

  “A Christmas klepto. Jackson called me, and we discovered all the pieces. And then some. I guess she’s been stealing Christmas decorations and whatnot for years. Turns out she’s kind of a Christmas hoarder.”

  The idea sounded sad and strange and just a bit outlandish, too. “I’ve never heard of such a thing,” Jayne murmured.

  “That would be two of us,” Connor added.

  Trey shook his head. “Guys, you should have seen her place. It would even put Santa Claus on medication. Her living room looks like a Christmas tree junkyard. I’m surprised she can even walk through the place.”

  “What about the figurines? Are they evidence? I’d kind of like them back,” Jayne asked.

  “I reckon we’ll be able to give them to you without a problem. But I have to tell you, they’re a little worse for wear.” He wrinkled his nose. “She’s got cats, too. Lots and lots of cats.”

  “Oh brother. I’ve got to do something. All I’ve got now is a painted crèche that’s practically empty.”

  “You’ve got more than that,” Connor reminded her. “Remember, everyone signed up to participate on Christmas Eve.”

  “Jayne, I’m sorry, but I’ve got to steal Connor from you. Currently, Mrs. Jensen is either yelling at our boss or crying. The neighbors have started to gather.”

  “I’ll be right there, as soon as I take Jayne home.”

  “I’m ready. You’ve got police work to do.”

  Five minutes later, when they were in his car, she couldn’t resist teasing him. “I tell you what, Connor. I can now see why that girl you were dating was so upset. You’ve got dangerous Christmas hoarders on the loose.”

  For a full thirty seconds he tried not to smile. Then he let go and began laughing. Loud and proud. “It’s not pretty, but I guess someone has to deal with this craziness. Is my job scaring you, Jayne?”

  “I should be able to handle things . . . but only if you kiss me good night again . . . and promise to call me later and tell me what happened.”

  “I can do both of those things! I promise, your kiss is going to be the best part of the day. And I wouldn’t want to share this story with anyone else.”

  Epilogue

  Christmas Eve

  NO ONE REALLY knew how hard it was to be Katie Weaver. Not Miss Donovan, who looked so in love that she hardly stopped making googly eyes at Deputy Fields.

  Not Deputy Fields, ’cause even though he’d found all the nativity pieces, he hadn’t found them in time to do much of anything besides deliver them to Miss D. And now they kind of smelled.

  Mamm and Ella and Lucy and Mattie and her brothers seemed determined to be interested in only one thing: baby Katherine.

  Which meant that making sure that Jacob’s Crossing’s first real live nativity was a success was all up to her.

  Luckily, lots of people had volunteered to help her out. Onkle John had brought his wife’s goat. Another farmer brought his donkey. And Mr. Miller had lent them two sheep, He’d even dressed up his kids like shepherds so the sheep didn’t get too out of hand.

  “Katie. Where do you want us?” Charlie asked, all dressed up in a white sheet.

  “Angels in the back.” She pointed to three other Englishers. “You three kings, come on through and stand over by the goat.”

  And so it continued. Old people, young people, animals, and kids all had shown up in various costumes and were willing to listen to her tell them where to go.

  Then finally it was all perfect, except for Mary and Jesus. “Where’s the baby?” she asked, bracing herself to see the plastic baby Jesus who’d been sitting in storage forever.

  “Here,” she heard a voice behind her.

  Ella stood there with her arms outstretched, baby Katherine in her arms.

  “Ella, Mamm said you couldn’t come outside! And especially not the baby.”

  Ella carefully lifted up Katherine’s covering. “Loyal and I figured the cool air wouldn’t hurt her if we didn’t stay out too long.”

  “So, you’ll be Mary and Jesus?”

  “Yep.” Ella turned and carefully went to the chair that Loyal had set up next to the manger. Katie watched Loyal help Ella sit down.

  Then, Katie stood back. Looking at the pretty picture they’d created. Everyone looked a little silly, dressed up in mismatched costumes, and chattering away to one another.

  And her uncle’s goat seemed unable to resist chewing on a wiseman’s flowered bedsheet.

  Snow had fallen in the morning, and now a faint breeze lifted the air. Ella and Baby Katherine looked wonderful—even if the baby was a girl and not a boy like Jesus.

  A little burst of happiness began to flow through Katie.

  All the sudden, a couple of kids gathered in the watching crowd started singing “Silent Night.” Then a couple more joined them. Pretty soon, everyone who was standing around was singing, people young and old, Amish and English.

  Except for those in the crèche.

  They simply stood. Looking perfect.

  Katie’s heart swelled.

  Miss D. walked to her side, tears in her eyes. “You did it, Katie. You got everyone together, and we have a beautiful, beautiful nativity. It’s the most wonderful nativity I’ve ever seen.”

  With a critical eye, Katie realized that Miss D. was right. Even though most people were only wearing towels and sheets, they looked just right. Even though there were folks of all ages, and some, like Ella, were wearing a kapp, they all fit together.

  But what was really the best was that they were all there together. “I think it’s the best, too,” she said, feeling like God was smiling down on them.

  “Hey, look!” someone shouted, pointing to the sky.

  And sure enough, somehow the breeze had encouraged a couple of clouds to part. Stars had come out. And more than a few looked especially bright.

  So bright that they could lead other people to Jacob’s Crossing, maybe.

  Feeling like everything was about as perfect as it could be, Katie realized, suddenly, that being Katie Weaver was actually a very good thing.

  “Merry Christmas!” Katie Weaver called out. “Merry Christmas, everyone!”

  Standing next to her, her mother hugged her close. “Merry Christmas to you, Katie,” she whispered. “And may God bless you. May God bless us all.”

  Sour Cream Cutout Cookies Recipe

  Ingredients for cookies:

  1 cup shortening or oleo

  1 cup brown sugar

  2 eggs

  1 tsp. vanilla

  1 cup sour cream

  5½ cups flour

  2 tsp. baking powder

  1 tsp. baking soda
<
br />   1 tsp. salt

  Ingredients for icing:

  1 cup powdered sugar

  ¼ cup milk

  1 tsp. vanilla

  Directions: Cream shortening and sugar together. Add eggs, vanilla, and sour cream and mix. Add dry ingredients and mix well. Chill for several hours. Roll out and cut with your favorite cookie cutters.

  Bake at 350 degrees Fahrenheit for about 8 minutes, or until set and lightly browned on the edges. Cool.

  For icing, combine powdered sugar and milk. Mix until the icing is smooth and easy to spread. Add vanilla.

  Make 3 – 4 dozen cookies, depending on the size of the cutouts.

  About the Author

  SHELLEY SHEPARD GRAY is the New York Times and USA Today bestselling author of the Families of Honor, Seasons of Sugarcreek, Sisters of the Heart, and Secrets of Crittenden County series. She lives with her family in southern Ohio, where she writes full-time. Her next series, Days of Redemption, launches in early 2013 with Daybreak.

  www.shelleyshepardgray.com

  www.facebook.com/ShelleyShepardGray

  Visit www.AuthorTracker.com for exclusive information on your favorite HarperCollins authors.

  By Shelley Shepard Gray

  Sisters of the Heart series

  Hidden

  Wanted

  Forgiven

  Grace

  Seasons of Sugarcreek series

  Winter’s Awakening

  Spring’s Renewal

  Autumn’s Promise

  Christmas in Sugarcreek

  Families of Honor

  The Caregiver

  The Protector

  The Survivor

  A Christmas for Katie (novella)

  The Secrets of Crittenden County

  Missing

  The Search

  Found

  Copyright

  This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, and incidents are products of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously and are not to be construed as real. Any resemblance to actual events, locales, organizations, or persons, living or dead, is entirely coincidental.

  A CHRISTMAS FOR KATIE. Copyright © 2012 by Shelley Shepard Gray. All rights reserved under International and Pan-American Copyright Conventions. By payment of the required fees, you have been granted the nonexclusive, nontransferable right to access and read the text of this e-book on screen. No part of this text may be reproduced, transmitted, decompiled, reverse-engineered, or stored in or introduced into any information storage and retrieval system, in any form or by any means, whether electronic or mechanical, now known or hereinafter invented, without the express written permission of HarperCollins e-books.

  EPub Edition DECEMBER 2012 ISBN: 9780062242549

  Print Edition ISBN: 9780062242563

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