Page 42 of A Gift for her Festive Firefighter

“Do we decorate the garage windows?” Cade asked, an idea forming in his head. “Can I decorate the windows? Does anyone mind if I do?”

“Can I help?” Jude’s face broke into a huge smile. “I guess we better get started planning because you’ve only got a few weeks until Christmas is here…”

“I want it to be special,” Cade warned. “I need her to feel precious because I can’t imagine life without her.”

Holly would never again feel like Cinderella if he could help it. His beloved princess might get grungy, filthy, or be up to her elbows in debris – but it was honest, hard work, and to him, there was nothing wrong with that in the slightest. If anything, it raised his level of respect for her. He was going to make sure that her life with him began with a Happily Ever After… and never ended.

“Got it bad, huh?” Mayberry chortled, his ruddy face beaming with understanding and amusement.

“Oh, you all have no idea,” Cade chuckled, not bothering to hide it.

Chapter 16

HOLLY

Are you sure you want to do this?

Why wouldn’t we?

We’re supposed to get an inch of snow tonight. Do you know how cold it’s going to be outside – or how weird that is for South Texas? Two years in a row, we’ve got a dusting.

Global warming – or Hell is freezing over?

You can decide later tonight which it is.

Holly stared at the string of text messages from Cade and pursed her lips. He was so insistent that they do the whole ‘Christmas-thing’ to celebrate the holidays and had talked about it non-stop. Each time they had dinner, chatted via text or called each other, he mentioned the different holiday things that were supposed to be happening in the town square. Maybe he was just more excited about Christmas – or perhaps she was numb to such a celebration because she saw it all the time but seeing it through his eyes was different.

Cade was almost childlike in his enthusiasm – to the point that she felt a little neglected. He’d actually volunteered to help finish decorating the windows at the fire station this year instead of them going to the square together.

See ya soon! I love you

Love you too

Sighing heavily, Holly checked the weather again – deciding to dress in layers so she was warm. If it was going to snow, then she couldn’t imagine something more romantic than having some hot apple cider, twinkling lights, Christmas carols, and being with Cade.

Yanking a red festive sweater over her head, she pulled out some jeans and a pair of boots. She had her old heavy coat that would work just fine to keep the breeze from cutting through her. Looking outside, she grabbed a knit cap from the back of the closet and smirked. She hadn’t worn one in years, and this was the second time it was going to see the light of day. Last year had been a very unexpected surprise when they got several inches of snow, so maybe there was something to all these weather changes.

“And now we’re going to go brave it,” she chuckled easily, gathering her keys and glancing at her watch again. It would be dark out soon, and the lights would be illuminated in the town square at dusk.

She decided to walk into town because she knew parking would be at a premium. Cade’s truck would be at the station, and she could get a ride home with him later. Pulling her coat around her tightly, she waved politely to others who were also making the trek toward the square and smiled as she saw the scene unfolding before her.

The Santa’s Village was setup and in full force. A pen of reindeer had a flock of children around them begging for attention. The trees had lights on them, and some had ribbons or ornaments hanging from the branches. She could hear laughter, see the smiles, and smell all the festive scents wafting through the air. The windows along the square were illuminated with various displays. She saw sweet gingerbread houses nestled within fluffy cotton candy ‘snow drifts’ and spotted ‘snow globes’ made with spun sugar and sprinkled with crystals to create the illusion of snowflakes. Everything felt like something out of a grand fantasy or dream.

“Hey, Beary…”

“Oh hi, Beary…”

“Merry Christmas, Beary!”

“Happy holidays…”

She smiled, waved, and wished everyone a Merry Christmas as she passed them, treasuring the sweetness of living in a small town. There was nothing quite like the ambiance. Sure, it was annoying when you were the center of the gossip train. It was frustrating to have everyone know every iota of what was happening in your life. Moments like this made it all worthwhile, though, and she was fully aware of what a gift this was.

The fifteen-foot-tall Christmas tree in the center of town was lit up, and families were standing around it, hanging ornaments and looking at her. Holly’s steps slowed as she saw others turning toward her. A very uneasy shiver ran up her spine at that moment as she realized that there were sixty to seventy people facing her – focused on her.

Her.

It was like something out of a Stephen King novel. Everyone was waiting, watching, looking at her and before her very eyes, they all raised their hands, giving her ‘The Shining’ vibes – and clapped twice.

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