In the morning, Ryan opened a notebook and wrote in it. He turned on his tablet and typed the words in an app. He added graphics to it and printed it out.
---
Ryan handed Ms. Wentworth a plate of brownies decorated with red and green candies at the door.
"Merry Christmas," he said.
"Merry Christmas," she said. "Your coat's on the rack, sweetie."
"Thank you." Ryan sat on the love seat near the Christmas tree.
"Merry Christmas. Faith made you some treats," said Mr. Ross. "But she's expecting Ryan home soon. We're going to see his grandma."
"We're happy you came by," said Ms. Wentworth. "We have family coming too. Help yourselves to the buffet on the table. Skyler made some appetizers. Would you both like a gingerbread latte? Sigourney's mastered them."
"Sure," said Mr. Ross with a big smile, going to the dining room, table.
Shantel wore a pink blouse and a black skirt and sat beside Ryan. He handed her a white envelope with a red bow on it.
"Merry Christmas. It's not much, but I got more," he said.
"Thanks. Merry Christmas," said Shantel. "You can open your gift."
Ryan took the wrapped box and removed a red envelope taped to it. The card inside had a picture of an angel ornament on the front with the words "Christmas Blessings".
He read:
Wishing you and your
Family a blessed
Christmas now and
Many more to come
Shantel signed it with:
Love,
Shantel
Sigourney placed a red mug next to Ryan. She sat beside Skyler on the couch.
"We're glad everything worked out at Delilah's," said Sigourney.
"What happened?" asked Mr. Ross, carrying a paper plate filled with cheesy, potato skins and scallops wrapped in bacon. He sat in a chair.
"Mick Lyons, the producer for Dar Tenian came to watch me perform," said Shantel. "I talked to him in the hallway."
"Really?" said Mr. Ross.
"Yeah. It was nice of him," said Sigourney.
"It was pretty cool," said Skyler.
"It sure was, girls," said Ms. Wentworth, raising her eyebrows.
"Ryan got so excited, he left his coat in the car," said Shantel.
"No one told me about Mick Lyons," said Mr. Ross.
"Shantel wanted to tell you," said Ryan.
"Oh . . . okay," he said, sipping the latte.
Ryan ripped the Christmas paper off of his gift and opened a flat, white, cardboard box. He pulled green, tissue paper off a picture of him and Shantel in a wooden frame, sitting in the sun room together at Thanksgiving.
"Thank you," he said. "But I don't remember anyone taking our picture."
"Sigourney has her ways," said Shantel. "She used her phone."
"Open my gift," said Ryan.
Shantel opened the white envelope and pulled out a paper card with a picture of an angel on the front.
YOU ARE READING
Sing Today Die Tomorrow
Mystery / ThrillerSomething wants him to die. Something else wants him to misbehave and another something wants him to hear lies. And he just turned thirteen. Ryan Ross doesn't understand what on earth is haunting him until a mysterious stranger leads him to a secret...
