by Mike Rich
That same sliver of hesitation he’d felt the night before had suddenly decided to return. Again, not as much as he’d felt twelve hours and more than a century ago, but it was there all the same.
Oh, c’mon! You’re better than this! You can do this! You did it!
Yeah, but what do you tell her?
I’ll tell you what you tell her. You tell her your cold’s gone. You tell her you’re feelin’ better, and yes, you’d like to go skating in the park. Soon as you finish with Gigi’s legendary Christmas morning breakfast, which, if Abigail hasn’t eaten yet and wouldn’t mind joining them . . .
Henry smiled.
Small things. Inconsequential. Just like Skavenger had said.
Time isn’t about time. Time’s about the moment. The moment that was right there on the other side of this door probably wondering why he hadn’t opened it yet.
“Go ahead, Henry,” he whispered to himself as his hand wrapped around the doorknob. “Don’t wait.”
He opened the heavy walnut door.
Woooosh.
And she was there on his grandparents’ doorstep, as stunning as ever.
New coat, brand-new winter hat, curly hair tumbling down over her shoulders. Standing there at the very moment that two straight days of New York snowfall had finally decided to stop for good.
Henry couldn’t say a word. And there was a very good reason for that.
It was because it wasn’t Abigail Kentworth standing right there on his grandparents’ doorstep.
It was Mattie McGillin.
She looked at Henry with a smile he’d pictured every night since France. A smile he thought he’d never see again.
She held a single sheet of water-streaked paper. And he could tell, without really even looking, that every word was still right there. Central Park, the telephone exchange in Hell’s Kitchen, the Vanderbilt Mansion.
And yes, even the address and the date he’d written to remind himself of the very place and time where he’d wanted to get back to . . . and where she now stood.
“Merry Christmas, Henry.”
Mattie’s smile was brighter than the glowing sun behind her. She held out the ledger sheet.
“I think you might have lost something in Paris.”
ACKNOWLEDGMENTS
Hey! You’re reading the acknowledgments—thanks!
To L. Frank Baum, C. S. Lewis, and Roald Dahl, thank you for the inspiration I first felt for this kind of story back at Rich and Judy Wandschneider’s “Book Loft” in my hometown of Enterprise, Oregon. Population two thousand then, population two thousand now.
To my high school English teacher, Sharon Forster, for teaching me where to put a period in a sentence. Better yet, what to put before that period.
To the many, many, many individuals at United Talent Agency who helped make not only this story a reality but also the screenplays I’ve had the good fortune of writing over the years. Special thanks to Charlie Ferraro, Aaron Kaplan, and Stewart Brookman. An extra tip of the hat to Charlie for the brainstorming strategy sessions at 301 North Canon Drive.
To Adam Gomolin, the greatest champion of Skavenger’s Hunt from start to finish, as well as the Inkshares team of Avalon Radys, Angela Melamud, Elena Stofle, and Thad Woodman, for their incredible support.
To Staton Rabin, Matt Harry, Pamela McElroy, Jessica Gardner, and Ryan Quinn, for letting me know which chapters, paragraphs, sentences, and words made sense, and which ones might need a second look.
To Will Staehle for his amazing cover design, and to Kevin Summers for his beautiful design work on everything inside.
To all of you for dropping a few hard-earned dollars and taking a leap of faith on a screenwriter who had never written a novel before.
To my children and grandchildren, who I often thought of while searching for the next elusive string of words during the snowy, icy, rainy, and flat-out cold Oregon winter of 2016–17. I couldn’t have done it without you.
And finally, to my wife.
Grace.
I gave your name to a key character in this story only because I, and everyone who is blessed to know you, realize that you are the very opposite. I figured it would get a smile and a laugh from family and friends alike.
Having you next to me is what I live for.
GRAND PATRONS
Aaron Kaplan
Adam Gomolin
Al and Marla Hanna
Amber Sagnotti
Angie Machado
Becki Saltzman
Ben and Simon Policy
Bess Adams
Beth Oliphant Hoover
Bob and Kathryn Rich
Bob and Katy Barman
Brad and Heidi Pihas
Brian Fee
Bryan and Kathryn Semke
Bryce and Angela Schroeder
Carly Moran
Charlie Ferraro
Cherian Lautermilch
Christy Shaver
College of Liberal Arts, Oregon State University
Craig and Janet Correll
Dan and Karen Peterson
Dan and Sharon Blickenstaff
Dan and Susan Kehler
Darrell and Denise Hovander
Dave and Sally Sullivan
David and Jennifer Arbanas
David and Kris McHone
David Digilio
Dean and Patty Cocchiarella
Dennis and Nancy Marley
Diane Hoffine
Dick and Karen Oldfield
Dirk Davis
Ed and Beth Irish
Ed Medak
Elmo L. Robinson Jr
Erica Smiley
Frank and Shelley Buhler
Fred and Lori Charley
Frosty and Vicki Comer
Gail Hjorth
Grace “Gigi” Rich
Grant Jones
Greg Robeson
Gretchen Sherwood
Guy and Tina Cowart
Harold Reynolds
Harry and Colleen Craig
Helen Sollinger
Jamie and Angela Kingery
Jamie and Mindy Franklin
Jeff Meader
Jeff and Tracy Powelson
Jim and Cathy Rudd
Jim Mendenhall
Jo Waidely
Joe Gaber
Joel, Jessica, Jack, and Hunter Steitzer
John and Jill Turville
John Springer
Jon and Jeanne Paul
Judy Strickler
Julie England
Justin and Andrea Rich
Karen Mason
Kim Bronson
Kristina McMorris
Kstorey Green
Linda Weston
Lisa Kellogg
Mark Auxier
Mary Coucher
Matt and Kris Spathas
Michael and Hilary LaTondre
Michael and Marietta Harrison
Michael Gallagher
Michael J. Rich
Michael Orth
Michelle Smithpeter
Mike and Amy Baltzell
Mike and Anne Goetze
Mike and Diana Newdall
Mike and Jan Bubalo
Nathan Hungate
Parker, Caitlin, and Harper Craig
Patricia Kellar
Patty Chapman
Peggy LaPoint
Peter Garrow
Peter Klemens
Phil and Angie Fogg
Ray Benson
Renée Price
Rick and Erika Miller
Roderick Cruickshank
Ruth Beyer
Ruth Johnson
Ryen Toft
Scott and Becky Robertson
Scott and Kathy Kiever
Scott and Mary Lee Alder
Scott Lynn
Shawn and Bevin Heilbron
Shawn Engelberg
Stein and Martha Nielsen
Stephen and Esther Abouaf
Stephen Feltz
Steve and Karen Preece
&nb
sp; Steve and Mary Frantz
Susan L. Kelpe
Taylor and Mandy Close Kavanaugh
Ted and Andrea Davis
Tim and Tracy Krevanko
Tod Perkins
Todd Stein
Tom Brian
Tom Soma and Susanne Olin
Tony and Kim Click
Willamette Valley Vineyards
Wyatt and Stefanie Webb
Zack Lassiter
INKSHARES
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