Wrapped Up In Christmas

“Shush your mouth, woman,” Maybelle ordered. “Can’t you see we’re getting ready for a wedding here?” Maybelle turned back to Sarah and placed a velvet box into her hands. “Something new. These are from all of us, even from your something blue over there.”

Sarah eyed her bridesmaids, not a one of them under sixty-five, and fought getting too emotional.

She could not cry. She’d ruin her makeup and they didn’t have time to repair it. She had a very important date to meet her father in just a few minutes.

“I don’t know what I’d do without you,” she told them, opening the box.

“Let’s face it, neither does the rest of the world,” Rosie bragged. “Butterflies are essential.”

“Certainly, essential in my life.” Sarah laughed, then gasped as she saw what was in the box. Lifting her gaze, she met each woman’s eyes, seeing the pride and love shining there. “Really?”

They all nodded.

“Well, don’t just stand there. Put them on.”

With shaky fingers, Sarah removed the earrings from their box, sliding each one onto her earlobe, then walking to the mirror to admire her gift.

“I love them.”

The women beamed behind her.

“Of course, you do. What’s not to love about a butterfly?”

Sarah gave each woman a hug, then glanced at the clock on the wall.

“Still time to change your mind.”

“Bite your tongue, Rosie Matthews,” Ruby ordered.

“Oh, no, she can’t change her mind. Bodie is taking her out of the country for their honeymoon,” Claudia said matter-of-factly, then touched Sarah’s arm. “You’re going to love traveling, Sarah. When we went to Europe in the spring, it was so lovely.” Thanks to some Maybelle meddling, Claudia had been on three vacations that year. “I hope Bodie is taking you somewhere lovely for your honeymoon.”

“He’s still not told you where he’s taking you?” Rosie asked, sounding disappointed.

Sarah shook her head. “He says it’s a surprise.”

Maybelle tsked. “He should have at least told us.”

“And risk you showing up? He’s smarter than that,” Sarah teased, checking her reflection one last time. Where they went didn’t matter, not as long as she was with Bodie.

Ruby nodded. “Smart enough that he moved to Pine Hill and took a job with Sherriff Roscoe.”

That he had. Bodie was a full-time sheriff’s deputy, Hamilton House’s maintenance man, and Sarah’s best Christmas gift ever.

Music began playing over the intercom system.

“Oh!”

“That’s our cue.”

“Line up, ladies.”

The Butterflies gathered at the door, then slipped into the church hallway to make their way up the aisle to where Bodie, Lukas, and Harry waited.

When the Butterflies had taken their place at the front of the church, Sarah’s father held out his arm.

“You ready for this?”

From the moment Bodie had asked her to marry him, she’d been ready.