Page 1 of Wrapped Up in Christmas Hope
Chapter One
AAndrew Scott watched with a grin as his good friend and fellow firefighter, Cole Aaron, raced down the school hallway toward him, both hands clutching at his oversized red velvet shirt. The wide black belt flapped loose on his friend’s waist, and his fake jolly ol’ belly sagged beneath it.
It was an entertaining sight, but not a particularly surprising one. In Pine Hill, Kentucky, Christmas was a three-hundred-and-sixty-five-days-a-year event. As soon as one December twenty-fifth came and went, the town started preparing for the next time Saint Nick made his appearance.
Which was today at Pine Hill Elementary. That was why his buddy was wearing the red suit, the wig, and all the other Santafication accessories. Cole’s girlfriend Sophie had done up his face with leftover Halloween makeup so he appeared to be a rosy-cheeked old man, but it had been up to Cole to get his Santa suit on. A task that had, apparently, been a bit too much for him.
“Sorry,” his friend called out. “Wardrobe issues.” Cole had stopped by the bathroom for another belly adjustment, but it didn’t seem to have worked very well. Andrew and Ben, another firefighter, exchanged an amused glance.
“Best slow it down,” Andrew said. “How would it look to the kids if Santa got sent to detention for running in the halls?”
“It wouldn’t be the first time I got sent to detention,” Cole muttered. “But we’ll keep that between us. I wouldn’t want the kids knowing Santa ever had to put himself on the naughty list.”
“Unlike you two, I was a good kid,” Ben said. He wore regular uniform pants and shirt topped by a baseball cap emblazoned with the fire hall’s emblem. Andrew had decked himself out in full firefighting gear. It wasn’t the most comfortable outfit to hang around in for hours, but kids liked that kind of thing. Firefighters and Santa. They couldn’t go wrong.
“Yeah? Look where all that goodness got you,” Andrew said. “Same place as us, only we had some fun along the way.”
Chuckling, Cole lifted his gloved hand and Andrew high-fived with his pal.
“I had fun,” Ben defended, adjusting the bag of fire safety goodies in his arms. “Just because I don’t rocket across town on Big Bertha like some motorcycle daredevil doesn’t mean I don’t have a good time.” He puffed out his chest beneath his uniform shirt. “After all, it was this great-looking Kentucky boy who had a fantastic date Saturday night.”
Andrew and Cole snorted at his boasting. But Andrew saw no need to mention that he’d spent his Saturday helping his grandparents put up outdoor Christmas lights, and had then stayed for dinner. Not exactly the kind of Saturday night that would win him bragging points with the guys. “For the record, you haven’t really lived until you’ve experienced the thrill of taking Big Bertha for a spin.”
“You and that motorcycle,” Ben accused, shaking his head. “No wonder you didn’t have a date this past weekend.”
“Or any other weekend,” Cole added, gaining a grin from Ben.
“What can I say? I don’t think a woman exists who could ever compete with Big Bertha,” Andrew said. So what if it had been a long time since he’d gone on a date? “She’s a beauty, dependable, gets me where I need to be. Dating is not a priority in this dude’s life.”
Fighting fires to save lives and property was. That and taking care of his grandparents. Ever since his grandfather had taken a tumble at the Christmas festival last year, he’d felt the need to keep a closer eye on them.
Andrew pointed toward the door, decorated with a Christmas tree covered in student-created ornaments. “Well, guys, this is our stop.”
He knocked on the classroom door, then entered the room crammed with all three kindergarten classes—about sixty kids and five adults. Andrew recognized one of the teachers as Suzie Winters, who had stopped by the station to talk to Chief about sending some of his crew to speak with the students. He vaguely recognized all the others except one, a petite blond.
She glanced up and their gazes didn’t just meet. They collided, held, left him struck with the sensation of deep recognition. He felt as if he should know her...but that was impossible. He wouldn’t have forgotten those big, Christmas- tree green eyes.
Those amazing eyes took on a leery expression, as if she didn’t trust him. That made no sense. Who was more trustworthy than a firefighter? Especially when that firefighter was delivering Santa Claus to a bunch of excited kids?
“Santa! Firefighters!” A posse of kids launched their little bodies toward them and wrapped their arms around his and his friends’ legs like stripes on a candy cane.
But it wasn’t the kids clinging to his legs that had his attention. It was the mysterious blonde who filled his belly with the same thrill he got when gearing up to go fight a fire. A feeling of adrenaline, anticipation, and extreme caution for the ever-present danger. But why would she trigger any of that? She stood at no more than five-two or three, and she looked harmless enough. Curious and unable to resist, he winked.
Shock registered on her face. She parted her lips as if to say something but instead she gave a little shake of her head and looked away, leaving Andrew feeling as if someone had just snatched away his favorite present on Christmas morning. Her attention focused on a boy standing near her.
“Okay, kids,” Suzie called out to the class. “It’s time for Santa and his firefighter friends to tell us about the Christmas coloring contest the fire department is hosting this year. They’re also going to talk to us about how to stay safe in case of a fire. My classroom, return to your seats. Miss Stevens and Miss Wilson’s classes, find a seat on the reading rug, please, and keep your hands to yourselves.”
The kids reluctantly released Andrew’s legs. He glanced again at the blonde, now crouching down and talking to the boy. No wedding ring on her left hand, he couldn’t help but notice. Andrew made his way up to join Suzie at the front of the room.
Was the blonde a teacher’s assistant or a parent volunteer? Andrew didn’t date single moms. It wouldn’t be fair to let a child get attached, since he planned to leave Pine Hill to follow his dream of becoming a smokejumper—a firefighter that parachuted in to combat wildfires. That was way too dangerous a profession for him to ever consider a serious relationship with any woman, much less one with kids.
“I’m so glad you wore your fire gear,” Suzie praised in her kindergarten-teacher voice. “The kids are so excited.”
Glancing toward the teacher, Andrew nodded. He needed to get his mind on fire safety and off the blonde.
“Aw look, she has a statue of you on the corner of her desk,” Andrew teased Cole as they passed by the Jolly Old St. Nick figurine. The whole room was already fully decked out for Christmas. Cut-out snowflakes, decorated Rudolph faces, tinsel over the dry erase boards. Pretty much the holiday works. “Looks as if you might have gained a little weight since that was made, though.”
Physically fit beneath his costume, Cole rolled his pale blue eyes, and then, smiling, waved at the class, and tossed out a few ho ho hos, doing a great imitation of the old guy himself.
