Page 50 of Christmas Charms
“That dog is perfect,” Susan says as she slides into the seat beside me. “He’s like a canine Mary Poppins.”
“He’s pretty amazing.” I give her a quick squeeze. “It’s great to see you. How are things at the jewelry shop?”
“Good. The owner stopped by a few days ago on her way out of town for the holidays, and we started packing some things up. The day after Christmas is going to be our last hurrah. Too bad she couldn’t find a buyer. I thought she might because she lowered the sell price to rock bottom.” She pulls a plastic bag from her oversized purse and offers it to me. “These are all old pieces we’ve had on hand for years. Junk, essentially, but I thought you might be able to use some of them for your recycled jewelry designs?”
The bag is full of old silver pins with broken clasps, bracelets with missing links and rings darkened by tarnish, but beyond the obvious wear and tear, the items are quite lovely. At first glance, I spot a gorgeous vintage Art Deco-style women’s wristwatch. With just a little cleaning and repair work, I could probably convert it into a lapel pin for my mom for Christmas. “Are you kidding? There are treasures in here.”
Susan laughs. “I can promise you that you’re the only one who thinks so. Take it. It’s yours.”
“I don’t know what to say.” I clutch the bag to my heart. “Thank you, and thank your boss, too.”
She gives me a warm smile, then turns her attention to her brother, who’s staring down at his clipboard with a tiny furrow in his brow. He hasn’t met my eye since I arrived.
I try not to read too much into it. Aidan is technically on duty, after all. He’s probably just in action hero mode. I hope that’s the explanation for his contemplative mood, anyway, and that he’s not reacting to anything bad that’s happened. My dad saw some awful things back when he was a firefighter. Aidan isn’t really an action figure. He’s not indestructible, and he definitely has feelings. A heart. Being a real-life hero takes its toll.
He looks up from the clipboard to nod hello to his sister and casts a quick glance in my direction. The crease in his forehead disappears, the look in his eyes is warm. His words from a few nights ago ring in my head like a refrain from a Christmas carol.
There’s more to being brave than willingly walking into a burning building.
Maybe I shouldn’t be surprised at the radio silence since movie night.
“There’s a snowman out front,” Uncle Hugh says as he strolls into the station, coffee cup in hand.
“Yeah, it’s been there for a few days. Where did it come from?” Josh asks, then presses a kiss to the top of Susan’s head before scooping the twins into his lap and dropping into one of the recliners. Sophie and Olivia collapse into giggles as they burrow into his arms.
A paramedic sitting beside Aidan shrugs. “No clue. It just appeared overnight during my last shift.”
Aidan’s gaze flits toward mine again, and we share a secret smile.
Uncle Hugh shrugs. “They’re popping up all over town. It’s like Owl Lake has its own secret snowman bandit.”
It’s a struggle not to raise my hand.Snowman bandit, present and accounted for.
“Should we get the meeting started?” I ask brightly. Surely there’s something more important on Aidan’s clipboard that we should be discussing rather than my numerous failed attempts at bringing the snowman charm to life.
I can’t help it. I want to get to the ring charm. I know it’s silly, given my recent near miss with an engagement ring, but I’m only human. I’ve also possibly spent too much time working at a jewelry store where half of Manhattan’s brides-to-be get engaged. When I get back to the city, I’ll have to let the Windsor marketing team know that their ad campaign was a little too effective at getting me used to thinking of “Christmas time” right along with “engagement ring.”
“What’s on the agenda today, fearless leader?” Susan flashes Aidan an exaggerated wink.
“Funny you should ask,” he says, glancing down at his notes again. He picks up a pencil and strikes through the bullet point at the top of the page. “I’m officially stepping down as sole chairperson of the committee.”
Around the table, mouths drop. Hugh practically chokes on his coffee. Susan laughs as if what her brother has just said is a huge joke. I’m the only person in the room who doesn’t seem surprised.
Scratch that—I’m a little surprised, but mostly, I’m happy. And proud. Aidan is trying to change and get more balance in his life. It’s a baby step, but it’s still a step forward.
My heart skitters as our eyes meet for a brief second. I wonder what all of this means beyond the parade committee. Now that he’s moving toward living his life again, is Aidan ready to risk his heart?
Am I?
“So we don’t have a committee chair anymore? I don’t blame you for wanting to take it a little easier, man. You’re always the first to volunteer for anything and everything.” Josh says. “But the timing’s not great—the parade is just two days away.”
Aidan shakes his head. “I’ll still chair the committee, but I’d like to have someone step up as co-chair and share some of the responsibility going forward. Next year, that person could move into the role of head committee chair. The remainder of this year could be a training exercise of sorts.”
“I see.” Uncle Hugh nods. “I have to say, I think this is a wise decision. The bulk of the workload should be shared, and you’ve headed the committee every single year since you joined the department.”
“I agree.” Susan gives the table a gentle pound. “One hundred percent.”
Everyone nods, effectively confirming Aidan’s reputation as OLFD’s perpetual action figure. His coworkers are good people, though. The fire department is a family, just like it always has been. And like all good families, they want what’s truly best for their own.
