Read The Christmas Shoppe for Free Online

just be on my—”
    “You got that right.” Rose shook her sponge so hard that droplets of water splashed from it. “Unless you’re here to roll up your sleeves, you can just be on your way!”
    “I could lend a hand,” he offered.
    “Oh, I’ll just bet you could.” Rose shook her head.
    “Be nice, Abuela,” Megan scolded. “This is Tommy Thompson, and he owns the newspaper. If you’re mean to him, he might write a bad story about you in his paper.”
    “No, I wouldn’t do that. I just wanted to ask Ms. Honeycutt some questions,” Tommy explained, “when she has time.”
    “Perhaps this isn’t the best time,” Matilda told him. “We really do have a lot to do in order to open my shop next week.”
    “So it is a shop?” Tommy asked. “What sort of shop?”
    “A Christmas shop.” Matilda smiled mysteriously. “Please don’t tell anyone about it yet. I want it to be a surprise.”
    “A Christmas shop will be a wonderful addition to the downtown area,” Susanna told her. She could just imagine the spacious room below them filled with all sorts of lovely Christmassy merchandise, artificial trees, strings of lights, plush toys, and the works.
    “So that means you’ll carry things specifically for Christmas?” Tommy asked. “Like ornaments and such?”
    Matilda tilted her head to one side. “I suppose you’ll have to wait and see about that, now won’t you?”
    “That’s right,” Rose said sharply. “Don’t let the door hit you on your way out. And keep your dirty feet off of my wet floor!”
    “Rose!” Susanna frowned at her. “Really.”
    Rose switched over to Spanish, going on and on about how useless men were and how the world would be better off without them and how they were always in the way and taking, taking, taking—never giving back.
    Susanna pulled Megan into the apartment. “Help Abuela to tone it down,” she whispered. She nudged Tommy out the door and followed him into the corridor, then apologized. Even as she spoke, her mother-in-law’s voice could still be heard through the door. “She’s not usually that rude,” Susanna said. “I hope you can forgive her.”
    “It’s all right,” he told her. “I get the sense that she’s very protective of you and Megan. Maybe Matilda too.”
    “That’s probably true.” Susanna stepped away from the door, trying to distance herself from the tantrum that continued to rage in Matilda’s apartment. “I, uh, I hope you don’t speak Spanish.”
    “I took a few years of it.”
    “Oh.” She grimaced. “Did you understand much of that?”
    He gave a crooked smile. “Enough to know I should watch my step.”
    “Well, I apologize for subjecting you to that. I should’ve known better. Please forgive me.”
    “Forgiven.” He tipped his head politely. “If you’ll excuse me, I should be on my way.”
    She told him goodbye, then opened the door to the apartment and quietly slipped back inside. Rose seemed to have calmed down a little and was now putting her energies to good use as she vigorously scrubbed the windowsill. Her back was to Susanna now, but that wouldn’t last long.
    It hadn’t been Susanna’s plan to spend her holiday doing housework. She had simply stopped by because Megan asked to check on things, but Susanna knew if she lingered, she would have the option of either being yelled at or being put to work—or both.
    She tiptoed over to where Matilda was showing Megan something in the kitchen, then quietly told her daughter that she was going to leave. “You can come with me or stay here with Abuela,” she whispered. “If you stay here, you better plan to work.”
    Megan’s brow creased like she was trying to decide.
    “How are your artistic abilities?” Matilda asked Megan.
    “Megan is a good artist,” Susanna said.
    “And with a paintbrush?”
    “I love to paint.” Megan nodded.
    Matilda smiled. “I thought so.” She turned back to Susanna. “If it’s all right with you, I’d like to