Page 53 of Hot Times in Heart Falls, Vignettes Vol 3

“It's a community gathering with a potluck and too many people shoved into the fire hall common area.”

“Mack will be there, plus Ryan, Alec, and Ashton. And their wives. Stakes couldn’t be higher when Madison Zhao and ugly sweaters are involved.”

Hanna’s amusement danced on the air, and Brad’s heart did that thing it always did when she laughed—that little flip that made him feel twenty and stupid and lucky all at once. He cleared his throat and pretended to focus on positioning the reindeer’s poofy tail correctly.

“Gitter,” Ethan declared, shaking another container with wild enthusiasm before anyone could stop him.

Brad was too late to shield his sweater but managed to scoop Ethan to a safe spot on the floor before his arm swung toward the counter where dinner was cooling. “Kiddo—maybe not in the lasagna.”

With a laugh, his youngest son climbed back onto the chair next to Brad. Ethan stared down at the sweater with delight. A mound of glitter clung to the place where Brad had put glue to help hold his feeble sewing attempts in place.

Ethan clapped his hands and shouted. “Sparky!”

Which meant that was the reindeer’s name forevermore.

Thirty minutes later, all the sweaters neared completion, and little fingers were ready to head to the bathroom to wash up for dinner. Hanna leaned into Brad’s side, resting her head on his arm. “You did great, Sparky’s dad.”

He kissed the top of her head then glanced toward the window.

Outside, snow fell in slow, lazy flakes, dusting the long driveway up to the ranch house. Somewhere down in town, the hall was being strung with lights, and he could already picture the welcome chaos of the annual firefighter’s party. His best friend Mack’s quiet steadiness, Ryan’s unending patience, Alex’s sly jokes that were now one hundred percent teasing with a positive purpose.

Ashton Stewart, their representative from the older section of the community, wearing a twinkle in his eyes far more often than years before. Married life suited him.

Not to mention all the other volunteers who’d put in tons of time and energy over the past year and were ready for a chance to celebrate each other and Heart Falls. Seemed to Brad there was always something extra going on in the corners of those parties. Quiet confessions. Big surprises.

All the kids high on candy canes and laughter.

That was what they had to look forward to in a few days.

Tonight? Tonight, up here at home, it was just his family with laughter and glitter and an unexpected reindeer butt.

Brad wouldn’t trade it for the world.

2

She would always have sweet memories of this time of year, Yvette Wright decided. So many good things had occurred in her life during December, a lot of them focused on the man currently pretending not to watch her.

The amused expression Alex was trying to hide was the only reason she wasn’t actively threatening him.

She opened another cupboard and glanced inside. Just the dishes that were supposed to be there.

Where was it?

Yvette stood in the middle of the room and did a slow pivot. Not in the kitchen, not in the living room. Nothing new had arrived in their cabin over the past week, other than the key. Which meant somewhere a lock waited for her to open.

She twirled the necklace around her finger, the small gold key at the end of it whirling with a low, whistling sound.

“I hear the ugly sweater contest is shaping up to be a doozy this year.” Alex said. “Mack warned me that his family’s theme is going to wow the judges.”

His attempt at distraction failed miserably. She kept looking around even as she answered. “They’re going as Sesame Street characters,” Yvette informed him even as she poked into another drawer.

Alex blinked in surprise. “Um. Really?”

“Gaudy ones to fit the master theme of the event, but yeah. I helped Brooke source a can to place over his sweater so they could turn little Landon into Oscar the Grouch.”

A loud snort echoed instantly as a wide smile bloomed. “Please tell me you suggested that a garbage can should be Mack’s costume.”

Too funny. Yvette turned to fully face Alex and offered her best straight face. “Well…”