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He inhaled a crisp shot of winter air and hummed Little Drummer Boy, a smile planted firmly on his face. Always a favorite, the song made him feel like a kid again. Even though the cold penetrated to the bone, and the wind had picked up something fierce, there was a buzz in the air. An excitement that had been building for days.
He knew more than anyone that Betty Jo Barker and her fiancé Beau Simon were the reason. Their not-so-secret wedding was the talk of the town, and if the influx of visitors to New Waterford was any indication, it was going to get more than a little crazy.
He shook his head. In his mind there were a lot more important things to do than to try and catch a glimpse of a celebrity. The whole thing was silly. Beau Simon and the rest of his clan were no different than normal folks. Other than real estate of course—no one he knew owned million dollar mansions. Oh, and the Hollywood thing. But still. He didn’t understand the fanaticism of some of the townsfolk. Even old Mrs. Jensen, the tailor, couldn’t stop talking about Beau when he’d picked up his suit the day before.
“Oh my goodness, that Beau Simon is just so blessed handsome.”
“Yes, I suppose he is.”
“Do you think he’s as handsome in person?”
“I don’t rightly know.”
“Well didn’t you meet him when he was here for the charity ball game?”
“I guess I did.”
“Well?
“Well what?”
“Honestly, you men are infuriating. Never paying attention to detail.”
The entire conversation had been exasperating.
“Good morning, Mr. Holbrook.”
Taking off his hat, he glanced over to his assistant surprised. “I thought you were off today, Mrs. Hodges.” Goodness. Had he forgotten to tell her to take the day for herself and her family?
“Oh I was,” the woman said with a chuckle. “But I thought you’d need me for at least a few hours.”
“Oh? Why is that?”
“Well, I’ve been on the phone with the Sheriff’s offi
ce trying to rustle up some more officers for traffic duty. The overtime will be steep, but heavens, Pastor Vickers was nearly rear-ended this morning.”
“I see,” Mayor Holbrook replied, rubbing his temples.
“Even with the extra security hired by Betty Jo and the Simon family, things are getting a little out of hand.” The woman frowned. “I’ve heard rumors that the wedding’s been moved from the church out to White Haven. Do you know anything about that?”
Of course he did, but Mayor Holbrook wasn’t about to share that information with anyone.
“Not to my knowledge,” he replied, glancing away quickly. He might be somewhat of a politician, but the Mayor was a crappy liar.
The phone rang just then and Mrs. Hodges paused before answering. “I guess it’s just a rumor then. But it’s exciting all the same.” The woman was practically trembling. “Just imagine, Beau Simon and his brothers in town for Christmas. Oh and that rascal Cooper Simon, I wonder if he’ll be here? And that Betty Jo. She always does something scandalous. I can’t wait to see her dress. It’s going to be a Christmas Eve this town will never forget.”
Mayor Holbrook tweaked his mustache and sighed. “Mrs. Hodges, you have no idea.”
It was a Barker affair. What else was new?
By the time Billie reached White Haven, she’d gone from mild concern to growing unease. Traffic through town had been brutal. There was a large number of residents milling about the streets, and a number of faces that Billie didn’t recognize.
Some of them pointed at her vehicle as she drove by. Some of them even started running after her (until they realized she was the wrong triplet), and some had just snapped away as if they had every right to take her picture.
She may or may not have flipped her middle finger. She may or may not have done it more than once. Seriously. She’d almost run over one of them.
Billie pulled up to the gate leading to Shane’s estate, maneuvering past several groups of photographers lining the road. Guess they’d figured out the wedding was going to take place at Shane’s. A tall man she didn’t recognize approached her vehicle and she rolled down the window, grimacing at the blast of cold air.
