Read The Present for Free Online Page A

I wait until Christmas to find out what's in that box?"

    He shook his head at her and said in such a disapproving tone that she was reminded of the old Warren who never laughed or smiled, "I would expect such behavior from the children, not from their mother."

    She tsked at him, not even a little daunted. "Aren't you the least bit curious?"

    "Certainly, but I can wait until—"

    "But I can't wait," she cut in passionately. "Come with me, Warren.  I'll be careful with it. And if it's nothing more'n a simple gift, albeit a mysterious one, then I'll have the box wrapped up again perfectly, so no one will know we tampered with it."

    "You're serious about this?" he asked. "You're actually going to sneak downstairs in the middle of the night like an errant schoolgirl—"

    "No, no, we are, like two perfectly sensible adults making a reasonable effort to solve a mystery that has been around far too long."

    He chuckled at that point, used to his wife's strange logic, and used to her ignoring any of his attempts at sternness. But then that was the magic of Amy. She was unlike any other woman he'd ever known.

    He gave in gracefully with a smile. "Very well, fetch our robes and some shoes. I would imagine the fire has been banked in the parlor, so it will be a mite chilly."

    It wasn't long before they were standing next to The Present, Warren merely curious, Amy finding it hard to contain her excitement, considering what she expected to find beneath the pretty cloth wrapping. The parlor wasn't chilly at all, since whoever had left the room last had closed the doors to contain the earlier warmth, and Warren had closed them again before he lit several of the lamps.

    But the doors opened once more, giving Amy quite a start since she was just reaching for The Present when it happened, and Jeremy said as he entered the room, "Caught in the act, eh? Amy, for shame."

    Amy, noticeably embarrassed despite the fact that Jeremy wasn't just her cousin, but one of her closest friends, said stiffly, "And what, pray tell, are you doing down here at this hour?"

    He winked at her and said dryly, "Same thing you are, I would imagine."

    She chuckled then. "Scamp. Close the door while you're at it."

    He started to, but stepped out of the way instead as Reggie sauntered in, barefoot and still in the process of tying her bed robe. When everyone else there just stared at her, she huffed indignantly, "I did not come down here to open The Present—well, maybe I did, but I would have chickened out before actually doing so."

    "What a whopper, Reggie," Derek said as he came in right behind her. "Nice try, though. Mind if I borrow that lame excuse? Better than having none a'tall."

    And Kelsey, close on his heels, said, "You amaze me, Derek. You said we'd be lucky if we were the first to open it, and goodness, you couldn't have been more right."

    "Not a'tall, m'dear." He grinned at his wife. "Just know my cousins very well."

    He did indeed, because next to arrive were Amy's brothers, Travis and Marshall, shoving their way through the doorway, or trying to, at the same time. So it took a moment for them to realize they weren't alone.

    But one look at the crowd already present had Travis grumbling to his older brother, "Told you this wasn't a good idea."

    "On the contrary, looks like we ain't the only ones who had it," Marshall replied cheerfully.

    "Hell's bells, does the whole family think alike?" Jeremy asked with a chuckle.

    "Hardly," Amy answered. "You don't see Uncle Jason and my father here, do you? Nor Uncle James and Tony. Not that those latter two don't think alike, they just don't think like the rest of us."

    But there was a cough out in the hall that had Amy rolling her eyes, then grinning when she heard Anthony say, "Now, why do I get the feeling the younguns think we're too old to be up this time of night?"

    "Harping about our ages again, dear boy?" James shot back. "You might be getting senile, but I'll have you know I'm in my