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slipped the doll’s dress into a drawer.
    “Mommy, Mommy, guess what?” Amy’s cheeks were rosy, and she was clearly out of breath.
    “What is it, sweetie?” Bev asked, bending down to help her daughter out of her wool coat.
    “No, I can’t take my coat off yet,” Amy said, thrusting out her lower lip.
    “Why not?”
    “ ’Cause it’s snowing, and I want to play in it!”
    Bev glanced out the front window. Sure enough, silvery flakes fell from the sky like twinkling diamonds. And here it was only the second week of November.
    “It’s beautiful,” she murmured.
    “Can we build a snowman?” Amy’s blue eyes glistened with excitement, as she wiggled from side to side.
    “Simmer down,” Bev said, giving her daughter a hug. “There’s not nearly enough snow yet to make a snowball, let alone a snowman. If we had a place to build one, that is.”
    “We can put it out on the sidewalk in front of the store. I’ll give it my hat and mittens to wear.” Amy reached up to remove her stocking cap, but Bev stopped her.
    “Whoa! You need your hat and mittens—you would get cold without them.”
    “What about the snowman? Won’t he get cold without anything on his head or hands?”
    Bev chuckled. “Oh Amy, I don’t think—”
    “What’s all this about a snowman?”
    Both Bev and Amy turned at the sound of Dan’s deep voice. Then Amy darted across the room and grabbed hold of his hand. “It’s snowing, Uncle Dan! Can we build a snowman?”
    “Amy, I just told you there’s not enough snow,” Bev reminded her. “Besides, Uncle Dan—I mean, Mr. Fisher—is busy and doesn’t have time to play in the snow.”
    Dan shook his head and gave Amy’s hand a squeeze. “Who says I’m too busy to have a little fun?”
    “Yippee!” Amy shouted.
    Bev took a few steps toward him. “Do you really have the time for this?”
    “For Amy and fun in the snow—absolutely!” His face sobered, and he bent down so he was eye level with the child. “There’s not enough snow to build a snowman, but we can run up and down the sidewalk and catch snowflakes on our tongue.” He glanced over at Bev and smiled. “How about it, Mommy? Why don’t you slip into your coat and join us?”
    She laughed self-consciously. “Oh, I couldn’t do that.”
    “Why not?”
    She made a sweeping gesture with her hand. “Who would mind the store?”
    Dan tweaked Amy’s nose and gave Bev a quick wink. “Let the store mind itself, because I think we all deserve some fun!”

    Dan couldn’t remember when he’d felt so exuberant or enjoyed himself so much. Certainly not since Darcy had taken ill.
    For the last half hour, the three of them had been running up and down the sidewalk, slipping and sliding in the icy snow, catching snowflakes on their tongues, and singing Christmas carols at the top of their lungs. Some folks who passed by joined in their song. Some merely smiled and kept on walking. A few unfriendly faces shook their heads and mumbled something about it not being Christmas yet. One elderly woman glared at Dan and said, “Some people never grow up.”
    Dan didn’t care what anyone thought. He’d been cooped up in his studio for several days and needed the fresh air. He drew in a deep breath, taking in a few snowflakes in the process.
If I had known this was going to feel so good, I would have done it sooner
.
    The sidewalk was covered with a good inch of snow now, and feeling like a mischievous boy, Dan bent down and scooped up a handful of the powdery stuff. He then trotted up the sidewalk, grabbed hold of Bev’s collar, and dropped the snow down the back of her coat.
    She shrieked and whirled around. “Hey! That was cold!”
    “Of course it’s cold. Snow’s always cold.” Dan winked at Amy, and she snickered.
    “Stop that, or I won’t invite you to join Amy and me for Thanksgiving.” Bev wrinkled her nose. “That is, if you have no other plans.”
    He grinned. “I have no plans, and I’d be happy to have