Page 84 of Wrapped Up in Christmas Hope
Andrew’s throat constricted. This was why he had to leave, had to let Greyson and Morgan move on without him standing in their way. If he’d needed a reminder, there it was.
“There were some people hurt, but they’re going to be just fine,” he said, not wanting Greyson to worry. “No matter what happens, I never want you or your mom sad, bud.”
“Mommy says it’s okay to be sad when something bad happens.” Greyson’s face scrunched up, but he took a deep breath, then bravely said, “I’m glad you get to be a smokejumper, but it does make me sad.”
“I understand,” he admitted. He felt the same. Overjoyed to be starting wildland fire fighting training. Sad at the thought of leaving Pine Hill, his grandparents, his friends, Greyson, and Morgan.
He hugged the boy to him, held him close, smelling his kiddie shampoo, and searing the moment to his memory. Yeah, he was going to miss Greyson a lot.
“I need you to promise me something else, bud.”
Greyson nodded.
“I need you to take care of your mom.” Andrew swallowed and pressed forward. “I won’t be here, so I need you to always make sure she’s loved and taken care of. She’s special, so it’s important that I’m able to count on you. Can you do that for me?”
Nodding, Greyson held up his pinky. “I pinky promise.”
“I knew I could count on you.” Andrew locked his pinky with Greyson’s much smaller one and fought the emotion clogging his throat. He’d known this wasn’t going to be easy, but he hadn’t realized how gutted telling Greyson was going to leave him.
“Okay, enough of this mushy stuff,” he said, straightening, and reminding himself this was the right thing to do. For him. For Greyson. For Morgan. “Let’s get you to Rosie’s Reindeer Games. I saw a pretty little elf named Brynne head that way a while ago.”
Chapter Fifteen
“Do you see what I see?”
Morgan nodded at her cousin’s question. She saw and was filled with so many different emotions as she watched Andrew kneel down to talk with Greyson. She was sure Andrew was telling him of his decision to leave Pine Hill.
And no doubt her son was telling him that he didn’t want him to go.
I don’t want him to go, either, she thought again.
“He’s so good with Greyson,” Sophie continued, her words coming out as a sigh.
“Sophie, leave Morgan alone,” Cole said, coming to her defense. “She knows Andrew is great with Greyson. She also knows he is leaving in two weeks.”
Two weeks, and then he’d be gone for Lord only knew how long. Even when he came back, it would likely only be for short visits with his family.
Sophie frowned at Cole. “A lot can happen in two weeks. There’s always hope.”
Hope. Morgan swallowed. Andrew hoped she’d be happy, that she’d live the life she wanted to live, that she and Greyson would get all the good things they deserved. She hoped he’d be happy fighting fires in wide open spaces. And safe. Lord, she hoped he’d always be safe.
Staring at where he hugged her son, she bit her lower lip. John was right. It didn’t matter where Andrew was or whether they were a couple, she’d always be praying for his safety.
“She just needs to tell him how she feels,” Sophie insisted to Cole as if Morgan wasn’t sitting within hearing distance.
“Not everyone responds to your ‘bulldoze them with love’ technique, Sophie,” Isabelle spoke up, casting a worried look Morgan’s way.
“I think it was those cookies Sophie made him that had Cole falling head over heels,” Ben said from the opposite side of the table. “Those were great.”
“You like cookies? My mom’s recipe for chocolate oatmeal cookies are a-mazing,” Lisa said, launching the couple into a discussion about different types of cookies.
“Was that it?” Isabelle asked Cole. “Was it my sister’s cookies that won you over?”
His eyes sparkling with humor, Cole’s gaze skimmed over Sophie as if trying to recall what it had been, then he grinned. “Nah, she knows what it was that sealed the deal.”
Sophie’s smile was bright enough to light up the room. “It was my joy.”
Morgan was pretty sure she was missing an inside joke as Isabelle rolled her eyes and Sophie kissed Cole’s cheek. She’d also missed when Andrew and her son had headed to the Rosie’s Reindeer Games area and was startled when Andrew returned to their table. Without a word, he sat down and took a long sip from the cup he’d left earlier.
