Read Love Finds You in Frost Minnesota for Free Online

it couldn’t be; that would simply be too much of a coincidence. “What is this mystery woman’s name?” she ventured anyway.
    “Bernice, I think.”
    That counted Hildy out, Merry mused. Besides, there were tons of Olsons in Minnesota. It would be like finding the proverbial needle in the haystack.
    * * * * *
    After school Merry saw many cars lined up in front of the shop. Since Abby had opened again today, she probably needed a break.
    When she entered the shop, the scents of evergreen and cinnamon assaulted her nostrils. Some of the ladies were shopping, their arms full of stuffed toys or woven throws, and a few were seated in the living room having tea and dainty cookies. Merry had even decorated each and every sugar lump with a bit of red and green to amp up the spirit of the holiday.
    Abby was at the till ringing up sales and looked frazzled.
    “Welcome! Merry Christmas!” Merry recognized several of the ladies from past years.
    “Could you make some of these for me?” One of the women pointed toward the sugar lumps. “They’d be darling on my table.” The others cooed in agreement.
    “Ah . . . sure. How many?” She really didn’t need any more fussing, but special orders were her best moneymakers. She took the orders and headed for the till.
    Abby caught Merry’s sleeve as she was ringing up the order. “Can I sit down for a couple minutes? My feet are killing me!”
    “Absolutely. Has it been busy?”
    “They were standing at the front door waiting to get in when I arrived.” Abby grinned. “Of course, everybody loves Christmas.”
    Not quite , Merry thought. She was harboring Ebenezer Scrooge right here, right under her own roof.
    Ebenezer . . . er . . . Jack arrived for dinner at seven. He looked tired, Merry noted, and worried. Something weighed heavily on him.
    She served roasted chicken with mounds of vegetables, creamy white mashed potatoes, and hot rolls. Merry waited until he’d made his way through the first plate and was on to seconds before she asked, “Bad day?”
    The weariness in his eyes made them look somber and intense.
    She felt a pang of sympathy for him, Scrooge or not.
    “For one thing, I’ve discovered that my great-grandfather was not the businessman we thought he was. In fact, he was careless and a terrible record keeper. I feel like I’m trying to unravel a skein of tangled yarn.”
    “So it will take awhile, then?”
    “Much longer than I’d planned. Fortunately, this is our slow time of year at my plant. Between Thanksgiving and Christmas we usually see business drop off.”
    “What do you make?”
    “Medical devices. Pacemakers, for example. I have a good staff, which means I can stay here until things are sorted out.”
    “Things like titles and deeds and who owns what?”
    “Exactly. Every single piece of land in town and the rural area has to be sorted through. Houses, cropland, pastures, you name it. I have two first cousins, both women who have small children. Although I inherited this from my father, I want to make sure my cousins and their children get what they need too.”
    “What do you plan to do with the land—and Frost?” She spooned more mashed potatoes onto her plate and reached for the gravy.
    “Sell it all, probably. There’s nothing for me here.”
    “Your family founded this town. The entire town is named after your ancestors, and you don’t care in the least?”
    “I’ve been dogged by my name all my life, Merry. I’ve kept it because someone I loved always called me Jack, but jokes about Jack Frost, references to freezing leaves off the trees, stupid movies that make fun of Jack Frost the buffoon . . . It’s all getting old. People enjoy ribbing a real, live Jack Frost. I have to admit I’ll be glad to be rid of the town with my name on it.”
    “Sentimental soul,” Merry murmured under her breath. Then she looked up and saw his eyes. “I’m sorry. I shouldn’t have said that.”
    “Apology accepted,” he said.
    “By