Wrapped Up In Christmas

Claudia and Maybelle’s attention returned to customers who were now ready to check out. Rosie stared at Bodie and Sarah expectantly.

“Maybe you’d like to visit the other booths now?” Bodie asked, knowing he’d like to do that. Or pretty much anything that got them out from under the watchful eyes of the Butterflies.

“Thanks for that,” Sarah told Bodie as soon as they were out of earshot of the church booth. Maybelle and the others had really laid it on thick.

And perhaps in Sarah’s desire to go on the sleigh ride, so had she.

Letting Harry’s leash out so the dog had a few feet of leeway, Bodie glanced at her. “For rescuing you from the Butterflies?”

“That, too, but I meant for agreeing to go on the sleigh ride.”

Guilt hit her. He really had been put on the spot. No wonder he’d agreed. He’d probably feared the Butterflies would serve him for Christmas dinner had he refused.

“We don’t have to go,” she said. “Not if you don’t want to. The others never have to know.”

Not that they wouldn’t. The Butterflies had eyes and ears everywhere. No doubt word would get back to them if Sarah and Bodie never showed for Ruby’s sleigh ride.

Still, she’d deal with them when the time arose if that was what Bodie needed from her.

Bodie gave a tug on Harry’s leash, and stopped walking. “Do you want to go on the sleigh ride, Sarah?”

She bit the inside of her lip, then nodded. “I do. A lot. I mean, I’ve really wanted to go, well, my whole life. Who doesn’t want to go on a Christmas sleigh ride? But last year…” How did she explain the fiasco of her relationship with Richard? “Well, it didn’t work out. So, yes, I would like to, but that doesn’t mean you and I have to go. There’s always next year.”

Watching her closely, he took a deep breath. “Like I said at the booth, if you want to go, we’ll go. It’s not a big deal. Let’s not make it into one.”

He sounded so matter-of-fact about it she could almost believe him.

Almost.

“I…” she hesitated, not sure what to say, then smiled. He was right. It wasn’t a big deal. She needed to quit acting as if it were. They were just two friends going on a free sleigh ride they’d been given. She needed to remember that. “Thank you, Bodie. From the bottom of my heart, thank you.”

At her words, Sarah swallowed back the knot forming in her throat.

Not from the bottom of her heart. Her heart was not involved in this. She was just feeling gratitude for the wonderful friend he was.

This year, she was going on a sleigh ride. With Bodie.

“Step right up, folks,” a teenaged boy called as they passed his booth. “You need to play to win because winning is what it’s all about.”

Surprising Sarah, Bodie walked over to see what the boy’s game involved.

“Buy a ticket for a chance to win the lady a stuffed Christmas toy.”

The booth was a throwing game. The contestant threw a red ping-pong-sized glowing ball into a small opening on a painted reindeer face. The opening appeared barely large enough for the ball to fit through.

“You want a stuffed Christmas toy?”

Not that she doubted Bodie’s abilities, but the hole was tiny. Sarah gave Bodie a skeptical look. “You think you can win?”

He glanced back at the game board, then nodded.

Cutting her gaze to the teenager, she asked, “How many chances does he get?”

“Each ticket buys three chances to win.”

“Three chances? How many does he have to get to win?”

“Just one.” The boy walked over and put the ball through the opening, showing that it did fit—with no margin of error. “Ready to try your hand?”