Wrapped Up In Christmas

The words came out automatically, as something she would have said to any customer. With Bodie, she found them to be desperately true. She did hope he’d be back next year.

They both knew he wouldn’t be.

“Did you sell Bodie an ornament?” Claudia asked, coming over from where she’d been helping another customer to see what Sarah was doing.

“She did, and if she can sell an ornament to the likes of me, your booth will sell out tonight.”

“Oh, I hope so!” Claudia said, clasping her gloved hands in glee. “That would be wonderful. The money helps fund so many wonderful projects throughout the year.”

Bodie nodded, then put the paper sack inside his jacket’s pocket.

“You off to Lou’s booth?” she asked, wondering if how much she wanted him to stay showed on her face.

“You can’t go,” Ruby told him as she joined them in the booth. “You haven’t gotten to say hi to my Charlie yet. He’s dropping by in a few minutes. Being around that man of mine is a privilege not to be missed.”

Claudia rolled her eyes. Sarah stifled a smile. Bodie looked hesitant.

“The tree lighting is at seven. You could stay until then,” Sarah suggested.

“I planned to go back to the house and put the hardware on the bathroom vanities.”

“That’s one of the finishing touches, isn’t it? You’re that close to having the bathrooms completed?” Claudia asked, sounding impressed.

Sarah nodded. “He’s done a great job making sure we’re ready by Christmas.”

“Sarah!” Ruby scolded, clicking her tongue. “I know you want to get Hamilton House open, but give the man a break and let him enjoy the festival.”

Sarah opened her mouth, set to defend herself, but, eyes twinkling, Bodie spoke first.

“Yeah, Sarah, don’t be such a Scrooge. Let me enjoy the Christmas festival.”

Shocked at his public teasing, her jaw dropped a little.

“You stay here and enjoy the festival, Bodie. Sarah will get over you taking one night off to enjoy the second-best night of the year,” Ruby assured him, giving Bodie’s arm a motherly pat. “Just you wait until the sun sets and all the booths and businesses have their Christmas lights going. And then, when they light the tree,” Ruby sounded almost as enthusiastic as Sarah as she spoke of the event, “it’s pure magic.”

“Can’t say as I’ve ever experienced magic.”

“Stick around and you will before the night’s over,” Ruby promised, patting Sarah’s hand this time. “Now, I’m taking my place over on the other side of the tent to sell baked goods and hot cocoa. You enjoy the festival.”

When Ruby left to work the other booth, Claudia greeted a customer she knew as she showed her an ornament.

With Bodie standing a few feet from her, Sarah waited for him to say what he was doing one way or the other. Stay, she mentally whispered. Maybe she would be able to leave the booth, find him prior to the tree lighting, and they could experience it together.

How wonderful would it be to share that with Bodie?

“Is Ruby’s best night of the year the same as yours? Christmas?”

Her eyes searching his, Sarah shook her head.

His brows lifted and he teased, “What day could possibly be better than Christmas?”

“I know, right?” Sarah asked with a smile. “To me? None,” she assured. “To Ruby, it’s her and Charlie’s anniversary.”

“That makes sense.” Bodie looked impressed. “Where are the other Bees?”

“Butterflies,” Sarah corrected, glancing toward Claudia to see if she was eavesdropping. As one of the woman’s daughters was now visiting the booth, Claudia was too busy oohing and aahing over her grandson to have noticed anything else.

“Rosie is over at Lou’s food booth, plying him with her grandmother’s cinnamon bread,” Sarah told Bodie. “Apparently, Alberta Jennings invited him to go on a sleigh ride later tonight.”