Page 61 of Wrapped Up in Christmas Hope
“That’s okay. He said it was a surprise. Anyone who wants theirs back can pick them up after the fire department’s Christmas open house where the winners will be announced, so you don’t have to go to any trouble.”
“No trouble. I can’t wait to see his ‘surprise’ ornament design.”
“Think it’ll be fire trucks and ladders?” she teased as they walked back into the hallway to go into another room.
Andrew laughed. “Maybe. Whatever he chose, it’ll be awesome.”
“Thank you for that.”
He gave her a questioning look. “What?”
“Always being so positive where Greyson is concerned.”
“That’s not hard to do, Morgan. He’s a great kid. You should be proud.”
“I am.”
He gestured for her to go through an open doorway.
“This is another suite guests can book to get into the holiday spirit. It has all the quaintness of the past, and”—he pushed the bathroom door open to reveal a gorgeous bathroom with walk-in shower and a claw foot tub—“modern conveniences.”
“Nice.” It was, but she couldn’t resist looking at him rather than the furnishings. “You sound like one of those guys from a remodel show.”
“Think I have a future career in television?”
Turning toward him, Morgan smiled. “I think you have a future doing anything you want to do, Andrew. The sky’s the limit.”
The laughter that had been on the tip of Andrew’s tongue disappeared at Morgan’s comment. A future doing anything he wanted to do.
He wanted to be a smokejumper. The need burned in his blood.
“Now it’s my turn to say thank you to you,” he mused. More and more he’d been considering pulling the trigger on sending in that application. If he just knew for sure that his grandparents would be okay without him...
Her brow rose. “Surely, you didn’t need me to tell you that?”
“It’s never a bad thing to hear someone say they believe in you.”
“It would be difficult for me not to,” she said, not quite meeting his eyes as she moved toward the doorway.
Her comment intrigued him and he asked, “Why is that?”
Reaching the door, she turned toward him, stared up into his eyes with her gorgeous green ones, then to his surprise her gaze lowered to his mouth. Hello. Andrew’s heart drummed against his ribcage.
She swallowed, then her gaze returned to his and she rocked his world by saying, “We’re here, aren’t we? Friends when I certainly didn’t believe we would be.”
“Friends,” he said, letting the word roll off his tongue. It’s what he’d wanted, to be her and Greyson’s friend and to make their world a better place. “I’m glad.”
And yet...had he been hoping for more?
“Surprisingly, me, too.” With that, she ducked into the hallway and went toward the stairs.
“Hey, Morgan, wait up!” he called, going after her and just catching sight of her ducking into a room. He was about to follow when another voice called out.
“Andrew? Is that you I hear, dear boy?”
His grandma was here? Andrew sighed. So much for showing Morgan the rest of the house and continuing their conversation.
“Hey, Grandma,” he said, turning with a smile on his face. He paused as he saw four women standing at the bottom of the stairs. “And Claudia, and Maybelle, and Rosie. Hello, ladies.”
