Page 43 of Wrapped Up in Christmas Hope
What was it about adrenaline junkies that affected her so much?
Greyson frowned. “How is he supposed to find us?”
“He’s a smart man. I think he’ll be able to find you.”
Giving her a quick look that said he wasn’t taking any chances, Greyson stood and turned toward the back, waving again, just to be sure.
“Someone sure is happy to see my grandson,” Ruby said, exchanging a look with Grammy. Both women turned smiling, expectant faces toward Morgan.
She wanted to set the Butterflies straight, but remembered Andrew’s comment from the night before about her protesting too much. Sometimes saying nothing at all was the wisest course of action.
Plus, anything she said could and would be held against her.
“Andrew!” Greyson said, looking toward the end of the pew.
He was there. He’d come to church because Greyson had invited him.
“Hey, buddy,” Andrew said.
Morgan couldn’t not look and when she did, he flashed the grin that set her insides off like a pinball machine. She’d always found him handsome in his firefighter uniform, had never seen him in anything else. But in dress pants and a button down with his leather jacket draped over his arm and his helmet in his hand... Wow.
Men like him were why firemen ended up on calendars.
His cheeks were pink from the cold. His hair was a little flattened from where he’d had his helmet on, and a little mussed from where he’d tried to fix it by running his fingers through it. The style should’ve detracted from his attractiveness, but it seemed to just add to his many charms. And his smile should be classified as a lethal weapon because it sure wreaked havoc on her insides.
“Good morning, Morgan.”
“Good morning,” she managed to reply, despite how her tongue seemed stuck to the roof of her mouth.
“Sit by me,” Greyson requested, motioning to where he had been sitting. “There’s plenty of room, isn’t there, Mommy?”
Morgan didn’t know about plenty, but as her grandfather had stood to let Andrew into the row and Grammy was telling Andrew how good it was to see him and Greyson was about to pop with excitement that Andrew was there, she didn’t really have a choice but to scoot over as close as she could to Maybelle.
Only Maybelle didn’t budge, so there was only so far Morgan could go to make room without climbing up into the woman’s lap. Which would serve her right, since Morgan had a sneaking suspicion on why Maybelle hadn’t moved.
Ugh. Butterflies!
Taking his cue from Greyson, Andrew sat down on the pew between him and Grammy, then turned toward her, looking as if he was about to say something else. But between them, Greyson held up the ornament he’d previously been showing his great-grandmother. His little face was so animated and full of excitement at Andrew’s arrival that despite her jitters, Morgan just smiled as she watched her son show off his wares.
“I made this in my class this morning. My big cousin Annabelle and Mrs. Sarah helped me. Annabelle sits with the high school kids,” Greyson barely took a breath as he continued, “My ornament is made from colored plastic wrap, but it looks like stained glass. See?”
Andrew took the ornament, turning to look at it from both sides. “That’s really cool. You did a great job.”
Greyson smiled. “Mrs. Sarah helped me. She’s a good teacher and nice. Plus, I love her dog. We should play Frisbee with Harry again. Sarah says we can anytime, because Harry likes playing Frisbee.” He gave a proud look as he added, “She said Harry loved playing with me, too.”
Harry was hard not to love. The dog made it difficult to not want to give in to Greyson’s pleas for a dog right away. Maybe soon they’d be out of her grandparents’ house and could start looking.
“You’re lucky to have Sarah teaching your class. That stern-looking woman to the other side of you was my Sunday school teacher when I was about your age,” Andrew said loudly enough Maybelle couldn’t help but overhear.
Morgan imagined that had he whispered, the four Butterflies would have still heard. She had no doubt that they were all tuned in to the conversation and most likely even Rosie, who sat on the opposite side of Maybelle, could recite every word that had been said from the moment Andrew had arrived.
“Had you behaved, I wouldn’t have had to be stern,” Maybelle retorted, leaning forward to cut her wise blue eyes toward Andrew. “Good thing you were cute when you were Greyson’s age, or you’d have stayed in the corner.”
“Aw, now, Maybelle, you know you think I’m cute now, too,” Andrew teased, giving the older woman his signature grin.
To Morgan’s surprise, Maybelle blushed. Apparently, Andrew had that effect on women of all ages.
“You’re not too old for me to send to the corner, young man,” Maybelle scolded, and Morgan had no trouble envisioning Maybelle taking Andrew by the shirt sleeve and marching him to the nearest corner for time out.
