Page 10 of Wrapped Up in Christmas Hope
“Oh, I meant to ask you,” Sophie said to Morgan. “How did Greyson like Santa visiting his class yesterday?”
“He was certainly a big hit with the kids,” Morgan said. “But Greyson was more excited over meeting real-life firefighters.” She shot an apologetic look Sophie’s way. “Don’t tell Cole.”
“My grandson is a firefighter,” Ruby said proudly. “He is such a joy. I don’t know what I’d do without him. He’s always swinging by to help Charlie and me with things around the house. Or maybe it’s just to grab some home-cooked dinner.” Ruby laughed. “Andrew was working yesterday, so he didn’t come by, but called to check on us.” She beamed with pride. “He mentioned that he’d been at the school with Cole and Ben.”
Andrew was Ruby’s grandson? That must be why he’d seemed vaguely familiar. No doubt their paths had crossed at some point during one of her holiday visits. She wasn’t surprised that he hadn’t remembered, either. He wouldn’t have taken notice of a kid several years younger than him.
“Did Greyson get to meet Andrew?” Ruby asked.
Trying to keep her expression nonchalant, Morgan nodded. “He did. Andrew was giving out plastic fire helmets and was a big hit with the kids, especially Greyson.” And her, unfortunately, based upon how much she’d thought about him since. Ugh. She didn’t want him in her head messing with her new positive and happy life. “It was all I could do to convince Greyson to take his helmet off when I put him to bed last night, and he insisted upon wearing it right up until the point he got out of the car at school this morning.”
“He looked adorable. You should have let him keep it on,” Grammy said. “He was so excited to show me and his Grampy his helmet and firefighter goodies.”
“Sounds just like Andrew when he was a kid,” Ruby mused, smiling with nostalgia. “I think I still have the plastic helmet he used to wear around my house. I certainly have numerous photos of him wearing them in my scrapbooks.”
“It’s hard to picture Andrew as a little boy,” Morgan said, then—realizing what she’d done—shut her mouth and hoped the Butterflies had missed her slip.
No such luck.
“Oh?” Maybelle looked at Morgan over her reading glasses. “Why is that?”
She gulped. “Um, well, just he’s so...grown up now.”
Yeah, she wasn’t fooling anyone. But it was the best excuse she could come up with since five sets of eyes were trained on her. As the only one who hadn’t caught Morgan’s blush, Ruby saved her.
“I understand. I have the opposite problem. It’s hard for me to remember he’s a grown man, now, rather than that sweet little boy running around my house and always getting into something. Those were the days.”
Grammy eyed Morgan curiously. “Did you ever met Andrew when you visited before?”
“I don’t recall meeting him.” See, she sounded as if he wasn’t memorable to her. Maybe that would throw the women off the scent. While she trusted their good intentions, she didn’t welcome the idea of interference when she wasn’t sure what was going on in her head in the first place.
She doubted she’d be able to get them to back down, though. According to what Sophie and her new friend Sarah had told her, Butterflies were like hound dogs when it came to the possibility of romantic interest.
“Mom and dad were stationed overseas during my teen years,” she went on to say. “So I spent my school holidays exploring Europe rather than returning stateside during those years. If I did meet him, it would have been when we were small.”
“I was so glad when you decided to come back to the states for college,” Grammy admitted. “We sure missed seeing you during the holidays.”
Guilt hit Morgan that she’d rarely made it to Pine Hill during college or in the years after. She’d met Trey and had been all caught up in life with him. She’d only visited her grandparents a couple of times, and those had been rushed holiday visits of no more than a day, giving her little chance to socialize with others in town.
“Andrew’s a few years older than you, so you might not remember if you met when you were younger,” Ruby pointed out, still seeming oblivious to the others’ curiosity. “I’ll have to ask him if he recalls meeting you.”
Morgan’s face heated. Ready to escape, she glanced at her watch. “Sorry, ladies, but I need to pick Greyson up from school. I’ll see you soon to help with wedding plans or making ornaments or whatever y’all need me for.” She went to her grandmother and kissed her cheek. “I’ll see you at home this evening, Grammy. Love you.”
And I’m so sorry I didn’t come home more. She’d make up for that.
Chapter Three
“Thanks for driving us to the fire hall, Sophie,” Morgan said. ““I know it’s not easy for you to sneak away from the quilt shop on a Saturday morning”
She smiled at the battery-operated Christmas light necklace her cousin wore over a red sweater dress she’d matched up with green tights and black boots. Her dark ponytail was tied with a red and green ribbon, and she looked as if she could be one of Santa’s elves.
Morgan glanced down at her own jeans and boring fuzzy blue sweater. If she wanted to give Greyson the best Christmas of his life, she was going to have to get her Christmas on and dress the part.
“No need to thank me.” Sophie practically bubbled with an excitement brighter than her outfit. “You know I love any excuse to see Cole.”
The couple had been dating for about a year and Sophie admitted to being hopelessly in love with the Marine turned firefighter. She’d even referred to him more than once as her “real-life hero.” From what she’d seen when she’d met Cole at Grammy’s, Morgan was convinced the feeling was mutual.
“You should have seen him in his Santa suit,” Morgan whispered, glancing at a headphoned Greyson to make sure he wouldn’t overhear. “He was adorable with his ho-ho-hos and trying to make his fake belly shake like a bowl full of jelly. He was so convincing that I wouldn’t have known it was him had I not recognized his eyes.”
