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He tossed his empty bowl into a recycle bin and the two men prepared to walk around to look at the other booths. As part of their firefighter duties, they were required to stay at the festival, search for any fire code violations that might put others at risk, and mainly, just be close in case there were any issues.
They made it about halfway around the square before stopping.
“Hey, Cole! Andrew!” Sarah called from a festively decorated large tent. Garland with colorful Christmas lights and ribbon twisted around each support pole and across the front of the tent. One side of the tent boasted the church bake sale, where several men and women were waiting on customers. The other side was set up as an ornament booth where Sarah and Bodie sold snowflakes that they displayed by hanging them both on live Christmas trees and on a large painted pegboard-type tree that served as a partition between the bake sale and the ornament sale.
“Do you guys need a Butterfly-made snowflake?”
“No.”
Those Butterflies made him nervous. Probably because he suspected they were always up to something.
Besides, Cole hadn’t decorated the farmhouse and didn’t plan to. Why would he? It was only him there. Other than Andrew, Ben, and more recently, Bodie, he never had company. He’d found a few boxes of his uncle’s Christmas decorations in the attic when he’d been going through things, but he hadn’t pulled them out and had no intentions to anytime soon.
Hearing Cole’s voice, Harry came around from behind the booth partition.
Cole knelt to scratch the dog behind his ears. “Hey, buddy. You remember me?”
“Harry never forgets anyone,” Bodie said proudly. “He’s probably trying to butter you up for another invite to chase birds at your farm.”
“Like I told you, he’s welcome, anytime. He’s a great dog. Aren’t you, boy?”
Harry gave a bark, confirming that he was indeed a great boy.
With his work schedule, Cole hadn’t seriously considered getting an animal, but the more he was around Harry, the more he thought he might. If he ever did, he’d just have to make sure he could bring it to the firehall with him as he wouldn’t want to leave an animal at home alone during his long work shifts.
“How about you, Andrew?” Sarah turned her gaze on his friend. “Do you need a snowflake?”
“Need?” Andrew shook his head. “I’ve got dozens of the things. My grandma makes me one and puts it on my Christmas gift every year.” He wore a rather lost expression as if he wasn’t sure why she did that. “I don’t put up a tree, so I just keep tossing them in a drawer because I don’t know what to do with them.”
“I’d think that was obvious,” Sarah told him in a no-nonsense tone. “You need to get a tree and to put them on it. It’s why Ruby makes them for you. Shame on you for just tossing them in a drawer year after year.”
Not looking up from where he petted Harry, Cole smothered a laugh at Sarah’s scolding.
Andrew shook his head. “Not happening. Too busy to mess with all that fuss and bother. My man cave is just fine the way it is—womanless and treeless.”
Sarah’s mouth dropped open, then taking in Andrew’s expression, she let out an exaggerated sigh. “Men.”
Cole, Andrew, and Bodie looked at each other and grinned.
“At least you’re keeping the ones Ruby makes you,” Sarah pointed out, giving credit where credit was due. “That’s good. Someday, you’ll be glad you did. Still, you should buy a few of these to use on presents you give this year. It’s for a good cause and it’ll add a festive touch and make your gifts more meaningful.”
“I expect meaningful gifts,” Cole couldn’t resist saying.
Andrew’s gaze narrowed. “I’ll give you a meaningful gift.”
Cole laughed.
Bodie gave Sarah an indulgent smile. “It’s okay. Not everyone wants or needs a snowflake.”
Smiling back, with her mouth and her eyes, Sarah clicked her tongue at her fiancé. “Your sales pitch needs work, Bodie Lewis.”
“Guess you’ll have to help me practice,” he suggested.
“I could do that.” She batted her lashes at her soon-to-be husband.
Cole felt a pang of jealousy at the teasing looks and banter passing between the couple. When he’d been at the farm, Bodie had mentioned a little of his past, revealing that he’d been busted up during an IED explosion that had left him as the sole survivor of his unit. Afterward, he’d had to deal with a lot of survivor’s guilt.
Cole understood the survivor’s guilt. He hadn’t been the only one to survive the ambush, but he’d been the one in charge. He should have gotten his men out of there sooner.
