She tucked her bare feet underneath her, resisting the urge to go check on the status of things.
“Good morning.” Anna pulled the belt of her fluffy robe around her as she came down the hall. “I love the smell of coffee in the morning.”
“Me too.” Vanessa jumped from her chair and made a cup for Anna, meeting her in the kitchen doorway with it. “Here you go.”
“Big day with the parade this afternoon. Buck said the tree lighting is at six at the hospital. I bet it’ll be beautiful.”
“We can do both.”
“We? You’ll be doing the parade with Mike.”
“It’s not a one-on-one date. Everyone in town will be attending that parade. Including you.” She scrunched her lips. “All I care about is spending time with you.”
“You should meet Mike for the parade without me. Just let go and enjoy all this town has to offer. We can do something tomorrow.”
“You need to come to the parade. It’ll be fun. Besides, I have to work tomorrow.”
“Actually, I was going to talk to you about that. Buck offered to take me to get a tree tomorrow. A live tree. We’re going to cut it down ourselves.” Anna gulped down the rest of her first cup of coffee. “Are you ready for more too? I’m a two-cup-a-morning gal.”
“What? When did that happen? You don’t just drop a headline like that and then offer to serve coffee.” Vanessa was stymied a bit, but also excited about this for Anna. “I want details.”
“As soon as I get us more coffee.” She disappeared into the kitchen, then came back in and sat on the couch next to Vanessa. “I went for a little walk yesterday. I met the nicest lady at the bakery. I think she was a friend of the owner of the place. Sheand I got to talking, and she recommended the best cupcake. Oh gosh. You missed out, but we’ll go back together and get one. Anyway, while I was there, Buck came in. I’d asked the shop owner about where we could buy a tree, and she was telling me where the local tree lots are. Buck overheard and insisted he take us to his friend’s tree farm. We’re going to pick out, and cut down, our own tree.”
“That’s going to be fun.” Vanessa rubbed her hands together at the thought of all that sticky sap getting on her hands. “I bet fresh-cut pine trees are sappy. I bet you’re as sticky as duct tape.”
Anna ticktocked a finger in the air. “I’m going to let that big strong man carry it! Chivalry is not dead, my dear.”
“Since when?”
“Sometimes you just have to remind men what they need to do. Trust me, it’s not hard, and I think they kind of like all that door opening and pampering when given the chance.”
“Clearly I’ve been doing this all wrong. I need a date coach.”
“Careful what you wish for, Vanessa. I do grant wishes.”
Anna always had been like a fairy godmother. “I was joking about the date coach. I’m not ready for all that, but I’m glad you have plans you’re so excited about. I don’t feel nearly as bad about working now.”
“I never want you to feel bad about working. I just wish you had better work and life balance. You do what you have to do tomorrow. Don’t you worry about me, but promise me we’ll make a plan to attend some of the festivities together too.”
“Deal. We can get them on my calendar and I can work around them.”
“We’d better get dressed,” Anna said, jumping to her feet.
“The parade isn’t until this afternoon. They are calling for snow, though. I wonder if they’ll still have it if it snows.”
“Oh, Edna said the parade is rain or shine.”
“Edna?”
“Yes. The lady I met at the bakery. Weren’t you listening?”
“You never mentioned her name. Edna Barkley?”
“Well, she never mentioned her surname. I don’t know.”
“Older woman, about your height with white hair and rosy round cheeks? Glasses?”
“That sounds like her. Isn’t she great?”
