I’ll stop by there tomorrow.
Her phone rang and wasn’t that perfect timing. Orene’s name displayed on the screen.
“Hello, Orene. I was just thinking about you.”
“Wonderful, because I have your room ready for you. I’m so delighted you’re going to come join us for the Christmas Tree Stroll this year.”
“It sounds like fun.”
“Oh, it is. You’ll never want to spend the holidays anywhere else,” Orene said. “Now, I had a couple of questions for you. What’s your favorite Christmas cookie?”
“I haven’t met a cookie I didn’t like, but if I had to pick a favorite, I’d say gingerbread. The thin crispy ones.”
“Perfect! I just so happen to make the best gingerbread around,” Orene bragged. “And what’s your favorite color?”
“That’s easy. Red.”
“Excellent, dear. I can’t wait to see you. It’ll be a little chaotic the first night with the Holiday Warmup in full swing, but I promise you a quiet stay the rest of the holiday. I hope you plan to relax while you’re here.”
“I do. I’ve got all my work covered here. I even ordered acouple of new Christmas novels to read. It’s going to be all Christmas, all the time, while I’m in Chestnut Ridge.”
“As it should be,” quipped Orene. “I can’t wait for you to arrive.”
“Thank you so much for letting me stay with you. I’ll see you soon.” Sheila hung up the phone, feeling like she’d just received a warm hug. It had been too long since she’d had one of those.
Chapter Three
Tucker parked his red Ford F-450 pickup in front of the firehouse. Tonight everyone, volunteer firefighters and his paid staff, would come together to celebrate a job well done, honor those they’d lost, and plan for the following year.
He walked around to the passenger side of the truck and opened the door. He slid a box to the edge of the seat and hoisted it out. It was heavy, and the thin cardboard sort of dipped under the weight of the contents. He slid one hand under the middle to support it, and headed through the parking lot filled with mostly pickup trucks and a few minivans.
The community had worked hard to raise the funds to move the fire station into this new building to position them for success.
Hickory smoke filled the air. The Newton brothers had been tending the barbecuing of the whole hog since the wee hours of the morning.
Lights glowed through the huge glass-panel doors, and friendly banter echoed out into the night. Pride coursed through him as he walked inside to the large group he considered his second family.
Good folks. All of them.
Tables set up earlier this afternoon were now filled end-to-end with casseroles, side dishes, fresh bread, and baked goods that would be enjoyed alongside the barbecued pork.
Tucker walked in and rang the bell that hung next to the front entrance door. “Hey now! How is everyone?”
Cheers and whistles were followed by the shuffle of people turning their attention to their fire chief as the room began to quiet a bit.
Refreshments filled the long table next to the microphone platform, which was mostly used for bingo nights to raise money, but tonight it was Tucker onstage. He set the box down, then grabbed a cup of sweet tea before walking up the steps to take the microphone. “Everyone ready to get this business taken care of so we can eat?”
“Yes!” Everyone gathered around.
“Thanks for coming out,” Tucker said. “To my full-timers, thank you all for keeping it safe for every one of us. It’s a team effort, and you are continually teaching and learning from each other.”
A whistle came from the back.
“We are fortunate to have such a strong group of volunteers,” Tucker said. “When I go to the state meeting, I’m really proud that we don’t have the problems that so many departments across this state are facing. They struggle to find people with this work in their heart. Our recruitment and training numbers have been outstanding. Give yourselves a round of applause.”
As everyone clapped, Tucker looked at the faces in front of him, feeling like a lucky man. “We made it through the year with no critical injuries, and I’m grateful for that.”
“What about when Sully burned off his eyebrows?” someone shouted from the back.
