“Since things didn’t work out with Lisa, maybe I should ask her to dinner,” Ben suggested as he caught up with him.
Pausing, Andrew frowned. “Not that I want to date her, but what makes you think you’d have any better luck than I did?”
“’Cause I’m a lot prettier than your ugly mug,” Ben countered, doing a little shimmy, as if to put himself on display.
“He has a point,” Cole agreed, looking amused.
“I need new friends,” Andrew huffed, not that either of them appeared worried.
“Nah. You’re stuck with us,” Cole told him, then waved at Bodie Lewis who’d just gotten out of his sheriff’s deputy SUV and was waiting for his dog Harry to jump down. Harry leaped onto the pavement and ran over to Cole, who immediately bent to give him a good scratching behind the ears. Harry, an Australian Sheppard and Blue Heeler mix, was the smartest dog Andrew had ever encountered and had played a huge role in helping Bodie deal with his PTSD from being the sole survivor of an enemy attack during his military days. Andrew suspected the dog had taken to Cole for similar reasons and vice versa. These days, both men seemed to be doing great.
“Sarah got you quilting today?” Andrew asked Bodie. The pastor’s daughter had donated several quilts to the Quilts of Valor Foundation over the years. One of them had been given to Bodie, who had come to Pine Hill to thank her. He’d ended up staying as Sarah’s handyman as she renovated her late aunt’s house to turn it into a bed and breakfast. The two had married last Christmas and were making a success of the B&B.
Bodie shook his head. “Sheriff Roscoe needed me on patrol duty today so I’m just here to drop off Harry. I mentioned that he seemed restless while I was on the phone with Sarah a bit ago and she asked me to bring him by. Lately, he doesn’t want to be away from her for more than a few minutes.” Bodie gave his dog a wry look. “I think it’s because she plies him with those special treats she gets at Carrie’s pet shop.”
“Harry is a great dog. Aren’t you, boy?” Cole asked, giving Harry another scratch behind the ears.
Seeming to understand, Harry gave a single bark answer that Andrew guessed was in agreement. Andrew reached over to pet Harry as well. He’d always loved dogs, but had never felt right about the idea of adopting one. Not when he planned to leave someday to fight wildland fires, and would be gone for weeks, possibly months at a time.
“You guys volunteering?” Bodie asked.
“I promised Sophie that we’d help with whatever she needed,” Cole answered.
“Sophie has him wrapped around her finger,” Ben accused, shaking his head.
“You’re just jealous you’re not wrapped around someone’s finger,” Andrew pointed out, earning a nod of agreement from Ben, who was more than ready to settle down.
Cole’s expression had turned serious, though. “Today isn’t about Sophie.”
While Andrew knew his friend would have come just because Sophie asked him to, this particular cause was also one that was near and dear to Cole’s heart. While he’d gotten better about accepting his past and coming to terms with the self-proclaimed ‘bad things’ he’d done prior to coming to Pine Hill, Cole was still committed to volunteering and helping others—especially other veterans. That was why Cole had taken a particular interest in the organization Sophie championed. She’d wrapped him in a Quilt of Valor, and Andrew knew how much both Bodie and Cole’s quilts welcoming them home meant.
Today’s sew-in was intended to create quilts to be presented to local veterans. Andrew was proud they were there and able to give back in a small way to those who had given so much for their country. Had firefighting not been so entrenched in his blood, he might have joined the Marines himself.
“I plan to sew,” he volunteered.
“Get out of here,” Ben said, his face showing that he was grudgingly impressed, while also a bit disbelieving.
“You think my grandma let me grow up without learning to sew?” He wouldn’t mention he’d been an eager student in more recent times for reasons of his own. “She insisted I know all the ‘basics of life,’ as she put it.”
Cole gave him a wry look. “Too bad she didn’t teach you to cook.”
“I can cook.” Cooking was definitely a Grandma Ruby ‘basics of life’ skill.
“Not like Grandma Ruby,” Cole pointed out.
“No one cooks like my grandma,” Andrew conceded. “She has a magic oven. Whatever she puts in comes out tasting like heaven.”
“That’s true,” all the men agreed.
Harry with them, the men entered the bustling church community room. There were about twenty or so people already there helping with any last minute set up needs. Morgan was putting out supplies with Sarah and Sophie. Wearing jeans and a red Christmas sweatshirt that looked as if it had come straight from her cousin’s closet, she was laughing at something the two women were saying. She looked relaxed and as if she’d been a part of Pine Hill forever.
Andrew glanced around, searching for Greyson, and was disappointed when he didn’t see him.
Spotting them, Sarah and Sophie ascended upon their group. Morgan reluctantly moved with them. Sarah and Sophie each smiled at their special men and kissed their cheeks.
Andrew’s gaze met Morgan’s and, hoping he’d at least get a smile, he gave her an expectant look and tilted his chin toward her. Making a little noise that was a mix of humor and surprise, she shook her head.
Chuckling, he asked, “Miss me?”
