AllFreeNovel
Share Us
“Guess what I just did?” Aidan asked, jumping up and down with excitement.
Sophie bent down and kissed his cheek. “I don’t know, buddy. Why don’t you tell me?” Aidan was Sophie’s little pal. He came into the café at least once a week, sometimes twice. He ordered so many reindeer burgers that Sophie had a running joke with him about turning into one.
“I got to pet a Siberian husky dog,” Aidan said, his face lit up with joy. “They’re the dogs who run in the Iditarod races.”
Noah high-fived the boy. “Whoa. That’s pretty cool. They’re beautiful, aren’t they?”
“We might be getting one,” Aidan said, his voice full of unbridled enthusiasm. “My mom trains search-and-rescue dogs.”
“That’s impressive,” Noah said, nodding at Ruby. “Those dogs are mighty heroic, and from what I understand, essential to rescue missions.”
“They’re invaluable,” Ruby concurred. “I’m just in the beginning stages, really. I used to be part of an emergency response team.” She looked over at Liam and smiled. “But I had an accident and retired from the job. I’m passionate about search-and-rescue, however, so I’m devoting myself to this endeavor and hoping to make a difference.”
Sophie felt so many emotions as she gazed at this beautiful family. They had been through so much, and yet here they stood, happy, healthy and united. God had blessed them in so many ways.
“How many Prescotts live in this town? I’m beginning to lose count,” Noah said in a loud whisper.
“Don’t bother trying to keep track,” Sophie teased. “The Prescott family keeps growing by leaps and bounds.”
“Big families are nice. I want one of my own. Six kids at least.”
Sophie sputtered. “Six? Your future wife might object to that.”
Noah looked at her with a twinkle in his eye. “Who knows? Maybe she’ll want seven.”
Sophie shook her head and chuckled. Noah really knew how to entertain her. She couldn’t remember the last time she’d laughed so hard. It felt nice to laugh with Noah rather than fret about her life being a ticking time bomb. For tonight she wasn’t going to worry about the cloud hanging over her head.
They walked on toward the food area with Ruby, Liam and Aidan, then settled down to eat at a table in one of the heated tents. More friends joined them, and before they knew it, their table was overflowing with people.
After they finished dinner, Noah made a beeline to the horse-and-carriage ride. When they had passed by earlier, the line had been daunting. Now, all of a sudden, it was nonexistent.
“How about a ride?” he asked with a smile.
“How can I say no to that?” Sophie answered.
Noah jumped up into the carriage, then turned to help her aboard. They bundled up under the blanket, and when his gloved hand reached for hers, she felt safe and warm and protected. Sophie had to remind herself that they were just friends.
Sophie wrinkled her nose. She remembered riding in a horse-drawn carriage with John. It should have been romantic and thrilling as they cantered through Central Park in the snow. John had complained the entire time about the smell of the horses and the biting cold winter’s night. He had ruined everything with his sour attitude. Sophie remembered wondering why he couldn’t just be happy for simple blessings.
“Are you warm enough?” Noah asked, pulling the blanket even tighter around her.
“I’m nice and toasty. Thank you for being my date tonight. I’ve had a lot of fun this evening.”
“Thank you for inviting me. Participating in this town celebration has made me feel like I’m part of the community.”
“Why, of course you are,” Sophie said. “I saw how the townsfolk treated you tonight. You’ve truly become a native son.”
“Something tells me I’m getting extra brownie points for cooking meals for them. The folks in this town sure like to eat.”
“Yes, they do, although I think the Moose Café appeals to the townsfolk on a social level, too. People seem to really enjoy gathering at the café and eating breakfast with their best friend or the town sheriff. Even the ones who sit by themselves end up talking to the person sitting at the next table, or asking someone to join them.”
“You really love what you do, don’t you?”
“I really do. For me it’s all about the people. Talking to them. Listening to them. Actually hearing what they have to say. Having them care about me as a person. How my day is going. Do my feet ache from standing all day?”
Noah nodded. “I get it. Frankly, I’m surprised at the way the townsfolk check in on me from time to time. They really seem to care about my well-being.”
“It’s genuine. I can vouch for that,” Sophie said. She looked up at the sky and let out a high-pitched squeal. “Noah! Please. Stop the carriage!”
