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Watching the tree lighting wasn’t nearly as interesting as watching Sarah’s face as Pine Hill’s mayor spoke, read a short Bible passage, then called on Sarah’s father to come up to say a prayer for their community and to bless their holiday season.
“I don’t know why, but I always get nervous when he speaks in public like this,” Sarah whispered to Bodie, reaching out to take his hand as her father took the microphone and she bowed her head.
When the prayer ended, Sarah didn’t let go, just whispered, “Amen,” and kept her eyes on the unlit tree as the ceremony proceeded.
Her gloved hand inside his was warm, her grip firm, as if she had no intention of letting him let go.
On the count of three, the tree lights came on, lighting up the twenty-plus-foot-high live Fraser fir tree like a Christmas beacon on the courthouse yard.
“Wow,” Sarah breathed, turning to look at him with excitement in her eyes. “It’s not as magical as our tree at Hamilton House, but isn’t she gorgeous?”
Our tree. She should have said her tree. But he didn’t correct her, not wanting to take anything away from her happiness.
“She?”
Looking very serious, Sarah nodded. “Oh, yeah. This tree is female.”
“You know that how?”
“She was planted when I was ten years old. Since then we’ve had a few talks over the years.”
“You talk to trees?”
“Only ones that get decked out in Christmas lights.”
Bodie laughed, then glanced around. People were milling around, sharing their appreciation of the tree’s beauty, taking photos of the tree and of others standing in front of the tree. Some had headed back off to various booths or to shop the open businesses.
“Let’s!”
Bodie looked at Sarah, not sure what she meant.
Pulling out her phone, she gestured to the tree. “Take a selfie with me?”
Why anyone, let alone Sarah, would want a picture with him was beyond Bodie, but if that’s what Sarah wanted, that’s what he’d do.
Turning so their backs were to the tree, Sarah held up her phone, then frowned at the image. “You’re too far away. Move closer.”
Bodie moved closer, not surprised when Sarah wrapped an arm around his waist and smiled up at where she held her phone as high as she could reach with her other arm.
“Smile and say ‘cheese,’” she ordered, moving her thumb to snap the picture. “Ack, this is harder than people make it look. I need one of those stick things.”
“Here, my arms are longer,” Bodie offered, taking her phone. He hugged her close and then, making sure he had the tree behind them, he took their picture.
“Thank you,” she said, taking the phone from him and checking the image. “Look, you got Harry’s face in it, too, but just barely. Okay, now a funny one.”
“A what?”
“Come on. Make a funny face.” Sarah leaned in close to him, held her phone out in front of them, stuck her tongue out at the corner of her mouth, looked upward and clicked the phone again.
Glancing down at the photo on her phone, she laughed. “That’s your funny face?”
He glanced at the photo. He was looking at her rather than at the phone camera. “Looks funny to me.”
“O-kay.” She laughed again, then moved away from him and aimed her phone in his direction. “Let me take one of you and Harry.”
“Why?” Bodie frowned. He wasn’t much for pictures. Never had been. Which was just as well, as he’d never wanted his image to end up on social media. When one worked in the shadows, one didn’t post pictures.
Not that he was working in the shadows anymore. Not yet, anyway.
