Page 34
Story: Wrapped Up In Christmas
“I mean, of course, you going with me would make me happy, Maybelle. But I was talking to Bodie. He just came into the kitchen and—”
“Bodie going with you to get a Christmas tree would make you happy?” Maybelle interrupted, her voice full of curiosity.
Sarah could feel Maybelle’s matchmaking instinct going into full-fledged overdrive from over the phone line. Not good. She’d been fighting tooth and nail to keep the Butterflies away from Hamilton House so Bodie could work in peace. So far, she’d succeeded. Any more slip-ups like that one and they’d be camped out on her doorstep wanting to know more.
“No,” she insisted. Then, wondering if Bodie could hear what Maybelle had asked, she met his gaze and corrected her answer. “Yes.”
His expression was wary, guarded, and she didn’t like it.
“Look, Maybelle. I have to go. Thanks for being willing to go to Harvey’s Farm with me, but I’m going to pass. Love you.” She hung up the phone before Maybelle could say anything further, then addressed Bodie. “Not sure how much of that you could hear.”
“Enough.”
“Then you know I would love for you to go with me to get a Christmas tree.”
He glanced behind him as if looking for a reason to say no. “I need to finish hooking up the plumbing to the tub. Plus, now that I have it here, I’m going put in the vanity.”
She did want him to finish with the bathroom plumbing and the vanity. But at the moment, what she wanted most was for him to go with her to get a tree. The work at the house was important, but so was a tree, she reasoned. After all, how could she have an open house on Christmas Day without a tree?
“How long will that take? I can wait,” she offered, then clasped her hands. “Or, better yet, I’ll help you if you’ll tell me what to do.”
“Like you did with the painting?”
“Hey, I helped,” she reminded, smiling, and grateful that his tense expression had eased.
“Helped make a mess,” he reminded her.
“Yeah, yeah, but painting was a lot more fun with me helping. Admit it.”
“Not going to happen.” He took a step back in what she could only label as a retreat. “Take my truck and get what you need. I have a lot to do today.”
“It’s almost lunchtime, Bodie. We can get something to eat, then go to Harvey’s Farm. Or better yet, we can eat there.”
Why hadn’t she thought of that earlier? Bodie would love Harvey Farms. Or at least, she’d love showing it to him.
“You have to see it to believe it. Christmas trees for miles and miles. Plus, all kinds of Christmas goodies.” She sighed at the memory of going with Aunt Jean year after year. Some years, her dad had gone with them. Some years, he hadn’t been able to due to his pastoring work. The life of a minister wasn’t a nine-to-five weekday one. Aunt Jean had always been there. Sarah had loved going to pick a tree with her each year.
“Go with me to get a Christmas tree and you can put the vanity in while I decorate the tree this evening,” she suggested, wanting Bodie to go with her for so many reasons.
Rather than agree, he just eyed her skeptically. “You didn’t get enough decorating this morning?”
“Nor last night,” she confessed. If it were up to her, she’d have every inch of Hamilton House draped in garland and in the holiday spirit.
And Bodie Lewis in the holiday spirit, too.
“Thank you for helping me carry everything down, by the way. I never would have gotten so much done had you not been here.”
He didn’t quite meet her eyes, but said, “You’re welcome.”
She gave him a hopeful look. “So, you’ll go with me to get a tree?”
“You don’t need me to go. You have my truck key,” he reminded. “Go find your tree. There will be someone to help you load it and I’ll unload when you get back here. Problem solved.”
He was right. She could do that. But…
“You might not get another chance to see Harvey Farms before you leave Pine Hill. It would be a shame to miss out on seeing something so magical.”
“I’ve seen farms before, Sarah. Not a one of them was magical.”
Table of Contents
- Page 1
- Page 2
- Page 3
- Page 4
- Page 5
- Page 6
- Page 7
- Page 8
- Page 9
- Page 10
- Page 11
- Page 12
- Page 13
- Page 14
- Page 15
- Page 16
- Page 17
- Page 18
- Page 19
- Page 20
- Page 21
- Page 22
- Page 23
- Page 24
- Page 25
- Page 26
- Page 27
- Page 28
- Page 29
- Page 30
- Page 31
- Page 32
- Page 33
- Page 34 (Reading here)
- Page 35
- Page 36
- Page 37
- Page 38
- Page 39
- Page 40
- Page 41
- Page 42
- Page 43
- Page 44
- Page 45
- Page 46
- Page 47
- Page 48
- Page 49
- Page 50
- Page 51
- Page 52
- Page 53
- Page 54
- Page 55
- Page 56
- Page 57
- Page 58
- Page 59
- Page 60
- Page 61
- Page 62
- Page 63
- Page 64
- Page 65
- Page 66
- Page 67
- Page 68
- Page 69
- Page 70
- Page 71
- Page 72
- Page 73
- Page 74
- Page 75
- Page 76
- Page 77
- Page 78
- Page 79
- Page 80
- Page 81
- Page 82
- Page 83
- Page 84
- Page 85
- Page 86
- Page 87
- Page 88
- Page 89
- Page 90
- Page 91
- Page 92
- Page 93
- Page 94
- Page 95
- Page 96
- Page 97
- Page 98
- Page 99
- Page 100
- Page 101
- Page 102
- Page 103
- Page 104
- Page 105
- Page 106
- Page 107
- Page 108
- Page 109