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    The Piano
    The Piano
    The Piano
    Ebook43 pages41 minutes

    The Piano

    By Tina Boltinghouse

    ()

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    About this ebook

    The church needs a new piano.
    Matthew Carson has asked Santa for a new keyboard for his autistic twin brother.
    Can Ralph Greeley let go of his grief and fulfill both requests? The Piano is a tender tale about a department store Santa holding on to his grief over his daughter, and two boys who show him how to let go.

    LanguageEnglish
    PublisherTina Boltinghouse
    Release dateDec 6, 2012
    ISBN9781301208524
    The Piano
    Author

    Tina Boltinghouse

    I first started writing stories to entertain my younger sister who was battling scarlet fever. At the age of thirteen I informed my mother that I wanted to be a published author. Although I wrote off and on throughout junior high and high school, I didn’t get serious about my writing until after my two sons were grown and gone. Shortly after Hurricane Katrina, I wrote a short story centered on that event. My family and friends encouraged me to submit it for publication and I entered into a local writing contest. My dream of publication came true when my first place winning story was published in the local paper. In 2012 I submitted a novelette to Amazon for publication as an e-book. “The Piano”, a Christmas novella. It is not only available through Smashwords for virtually all e-readers. My husband and I live in northeast Missouri with a view of the Mississippi River. I live with two furry people of the canine variety and am active in our local theatre group. You can reach me through my website at tinaboltinghouse.com. I would love to hear from you.

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      Book preview

      The Piano - Tina Boltinghouse

      THE PIANO

      Tina Boltinghouse

      Copyright 2012 by Tina Boltinghouse

      Smashwords Edition

      Smashwords Edition, License Notes

      This book is protected under the copyright laws of the United States of America. Any reproduction or other unauthorized use of the material or artwork herein is prohibited.

      This ebook is licensed for your personal enjoyment only.  This ebook may not be re-sold or given away to other people.  If you would like to share this book with another person, please purchase an additional copy for each recipient.  If you’re reading this book and did not purchase it, or it was not purchased for your use only, then please return to Smashwords.com and purchase your own copy.  Thank you for respecting the hard work of this author.

      Disclaimer: The persons, places, things, and otherwise animate or inanimate objects mentioned in this novel are figments of the author’s imagination. Any resemblance to anything or anyone living (or dead) is unintentional.

      Table of Contents

      The piano

      about the author

      THE PIANO

      That’s it! I quit! the larger-than-life Santa exploded as he stomped in through the front door. Grace looked up from her knitting over her silver wire-rimmed frames at her husband of forty-five years. She shook her head. What happened this time?

      Ralph pulled off his fake eyebrows and laid them on the arm of the deacon's bench by the front door. What didn’t happen? Mrs. Polletti brought her four children in today. Daniel, the newest one, got scared and 'decorated' my suit. He pulled off his belt and a round feather pillow fell to the floor. After I cleaned that mess up, the Simpson boy decided to share his ice cream with me. Ralph eased himself down on the bench and started pulling off his boots. And if that wasn’t enough, he added, depositing his boots on the mat by the front door, Rachel Bingham wanted to know if my beard was real. I assured her it was, but she decided to see for herself.

      You don’t normally mind that too much. Ralph lifted his head and Grace could see bits of red and white candy stuck in his whiskers. Candy cane?

      Candy cane. Ralph stood and turned toward the hall mirror. He started plucking the pieces of sticky confection from his normally snow-white whiskers. Grace smiled and went back to her knitting.

      Ralph finished pulling the last bits of candy from his beard and slipped off his Santa coat. He laid it on the bench with his hat and put his size twelves into the slippers he found under the bench. Grace watched silently as Ralph rummaged through the refrigerator and brought out a pitcher of tea. He opened the cupboard next to the sink and pulled out a glass and filled it, then replaced the pitcher. He snagged a sugar cookie that was cooling on the counter and carried his glass into the living room where Grace was waiting.

      Grace shook her head and pointed a finger at her husband.Those cookies are for the church bazaar

      I’ll make a donation. Ralph bent down and planted a peck on her cheek. Grace set down her knitting.

      You’re not really going to quit, are you?

      I’m giving Mr. Barton my notice on Monday. Ralph leaned back in the recliner, stretching out his six foot four frame.

      Grace chuckled to herself. Monday would be the day after Christmas. She rose from

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