Page 109 of Deck the Fire Halls

“Really?”

“Yes. And it’s Clay’s dad. And let me tell you,” Braithe said with a pointed look. “Picture a silver fox lumberjack, and then put him in a sexy Santa suit.”

“Oh.”

Braithe laughed. “Yeah.”

“Gunter never told me that.”

He waved a hand at me. “He probably shouldn’t think of his father-in-law in that way.”

“True.”

Just then there was a knock at my door. I rushed to open it, hoping it was Soren. But no, it was Hamish.

“I come bearing gifts,” he said, holding a gift bag.

“Come in.”

He stepped inside. “Oh my god,” he said. “Your house is so lovely. It’s just the cutest thing.”

“Oh, thank you,” I said, a little embarrassed.

“I have your Kris Kringle gift, and I also brought some cookies,” Hamish said. “But I mean, I also want all the goss on the house fire. Please tell me no one was hurt.”

“No, thankfully,” I replied. “But the house was totally destroyed.”

Hamish put his hand to his heart. “Oh, those poor people. Especially just before Christmas. I’m sure Ren will help organize something for them. Everyone in this town will look after them.”

I waited for a punchline, given that Hamish was notoriously funny, but there wasn’t one. He was serious. This town would look after them, and I loved that.

“Anyone for coffee?”

“Yes, please,” Hamish said. “You need to open yourgift because you had Jayden as your Secret Santa and he makes the best stuff.”

“Oh, Hamish,” Braithe said, following us into the kitchen. “Did you not know about their surprise wedding?”

He gasped. “No! I can’t believe he kept that from me. I’m going out to his place after I leave here to catch up with his parents. Oh my god, as soon as I saw them, and then the minister, I just knew!” He shook his head. “I’m still not sure if I should be offended he didn’t tell me or impressed that he managed to keep it a secret from me.”

I chuckled at that. “Are they having a honeymoon? Or are they perpetually busy?”

Hamish put the gift bag on the kitchen counter. “They’ll be working through the holiday period, then having a short honeymoon in Australia with Jayden’s family.”

“How lovely,” Braithe said.

Hamish sniffed. “Well, I’m still mad that I didn’t know. I told him he’s making me lunch as penance. Though his real penance is me wearing that godawful sweater that I thought was funny, and it will now grace every wedding photo of his for all eternity.” He sniffed. “And now I will be wearing casual suit attire to every dinner we have in case anyone else wants to spring a surprise wedding on us.”

Braithe sighed. “It was so beautiful though.”

“It really was,” I agreed. “I was sorry to have to leave.”

Hamish dismissed it with a wave of his hand. “Everyone understands. After all, it’s to be expectedwhen we have one deputy, one firefighter, and a doctor in our midst.”

I smiled as he handed them both a coffee and made one for myself. Hamish took a container from the gift bag and opened it. Inside were Christmas sugar cookies in all shapes: stockings, trees, snowflakes.

“You made these?” I asked.

He nodded. “Every Christmas.”

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