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Sophie reheated her coffee in the microwave and checked her phone again. It was midnight, she was in her apartment reviewing the millions of details for the parade. She’d come up with a solution to the war between the high school band and the middle school band that ensured Harry’s costume would be finished on time. Then she and Lotto had figured out the parade’s marching order. She’d even convinced the high school basketball team to decorate the tree outside Mosby House.
She was happy with her progress, but she was worried about Ben.
Lotto, Nana Ruthie, Lily, and even Clara had told her not to worry, but she hadn’t heard from him and it was now Christmas Eve. She’d tried calling him, but he’d not picked up. She’d tried calling Charlie Wallace, her FBI contact, but he’d gone silent as well.
She crawled into bed and turned off the lights, except for the tiny Christmas lights Ben had hung around her window. The apartment was small and basic, but it was in the back of the building and her bedroom had an enormous window overlooking the river rapids below and the forest beyond. With the snow falling, wind howling, and the rapids racing over rocks and fallen trees, the window offered a private, million-dollar view.
For weeks she’d dreamed of lying in this bed with Ben, curled around his naked body while staring out into the forest. But now that he wasn’t answering his phone, she felt cold and alone. She pulled up the covers, kept her phone near her heart and reminded herself that most people believed miracles happened on Christmas Eve. If that was the case, the only miracle she wanted was for Ben to come home safely.
7
Sophie missed the church bells. She’d not realized how much she counted on them to keep the time, but now that the parade was about to start she wished the bells would ring. Maybe they could take her mind off the fact she’d not heard from Ben. Her only consolation was that no one else in the town seemed worried.
It was almost nine o’clock at night, and she stood next to the huge tree at the end of Main Street, in front of Mosby House. The snow had stopped this morning, leaving a blanket of white over everything. But the snow had made driving difficult.
A lone trumpet began playing Silent Night, and the middle school band appeared from behind the church. The parade had begun, and she was alone. Except for the high school’s marching band which stood behind her, waiting for their turn to play.
She’d worked out a compromise between the two bands in exchange for Harry’s Santa costume. The deal was for the middle school band to lead the parade down Main Street, to the town’s Christmas tree. Then the high school band would have a short concert after Santa handed out his gifts.
“Sorry I’m late.” Clara appeared with her stroller. Tonight she wore a green wool coat with a green hat. As usual, she looked stylish and completely at peace. “The baby didn’t nap well.”
She straightened her black wool coat and peeked into the stroller to see a little blue bundle covered in blankets. “Does Georgie help you with the baby?” Georgie, Clara’s daughter from a previous marriage, was a lovely teenage girl with a mind of her own.
Clara chuckled. “Georgie spent most of the day helping the drama department make the Santa costume. Apparently there was some issue with the high school band. And then Gage got involved.” Clara waved a dismissive hand. “But Georgie told me it was fixed.”
Sophie frowned. She’d not heard about Gage’s involvement with anything. In fact, she hadn’t seen Gage since the night of the town meeting.
“Sophie, what did you decide to do about the Santa gifts?”
She shrugged. “There wasn’t time and the roads were closed most of the day. And of course there’s no money. So I worked with Tricia–”
“At the church thrift shop?”
“Yes. She helped me find gifts for younger kids and donated them. She and her shop’s volunteers even wrapped them for me.” Sophie grimaced. “It’s the teenagers I’m worried about. They’re all getting gift cards to the café for free lunches this winter. Looks like I’ll be making beef turnovers and cranberry pot roast tarts until Easter.”
Clara took Sophie’s arm and squeezed. “That was a wonderful idea.”
As they stood together, at the very top of Main Street in front of the lit Christmas Tree, the trumpet solo ended and a sudden blast of music sounded. The sounds of Joy to the World filled the dark night, and the parade marched toward them. Now that the middle school band had rounded the corner, the rest of the parade followed.
Clara pointed to the sidewalks along Main Street filled with people wearing colorful coats and hats and holding up their phones as flashlights. “I thought everyone was going to be in the parade so there’d be no spectators.”
“I had the same worries.”
The parade lasted for forty-five minutes. As each group reached the tree, they nodded to her and then moved behind the high school band. There were clubs like 4-H, chess, and French. Then there were the scouts and rangers followed by the high school cheer team.
As the groups and clubs marched along the street, the bands played and spectators cheered. The sounds of happy voices and off-tune Christmas music surrounded her, and for the first time since she’d offered to run the parade, she smiled. A genuine smile drawn from the happiness in her heart.
She’d helped facilitate this joy, and the town had responded in kind. The only thing that would make tonight perfect was if Ben were there to share it with her.
Suddenly, behind the VFW banner headed by Mr. Elmer, she saw a red pickup truck with Santa standing in the truck’s bed, waving to everyone who cheered as they slowly drove by. It wasn’t a sleigh, but it would do.
“Where did they get that shiny red truck?” She squinted to see the driver. “And who’s driving?”
“Kane is driving,” a female voice said from behind.
Sophie turned to find Eve, Kane’s wife, in a white coat and red hat. Eve had been one of the very first people Sophie had met after sneaking into town, and they’d become good friends.
After many hugs between the three women, and more peeks at the baby, Clara said, “Where did Kane get that truck?”
