Page 19 of The Mountain that Saved Christmas

“Do you think it's goin' to be enough?” George asks as we all stand around looking at what we've uncovered.

“Absolutely,” Miss Aggie exclaims, her eyes already alight with ideas.

“Look what I found,” Toby pipes up, huffing and puffing as he carries a huge chair out from the back of the shed. A huge cloud of dust follows behind him as he sets it down in the middle of the group.

“A chair from Christmas past?” Landry teases.

“A throne from Aragon?” Dee suggests.

“It almost looks like a chamber pot chair from yesteryear,” Ruthie snickers.

But George's eyes widen before a knowing smile curves his gray-haired lips. “That chair used to be put in a makeshift Santa's grotto my granddaddy would create every holiday season for the kids in town. The night before Christmas, he'd dress up in a homemade Santa suit that my Nan had sewn by hand, and they'd fill a sack full of juicy red apples. Then, for every Christmas wish a child would tell him, they'd get an apple.”

I swear all of the women in the group sigh as George tells his story.

Cora steps forward, her eyes sparkling with excitement. “Let's do it. We can set up Santa's grotto in the bandstand in the middle of the town square. The one right at the end of Main Street. I'm not sure if the kids would want apples but we could get some and give them with all the gifts we brought with us.”

George nods. “We could take photos too. The kids, Santa?—”

“That's still me, right?” Toby asks.

“Yes, Tobes. You're the only one who wants to be Santa,” Dottie replies, patting his arm placatingly.

“I bought my Polaroid camera from home. We can use that for the Santa photos,” Dee offers.

“That's a brilliant idea!” Miss Aggie says, clapping her hands together. “This is all comin' together brilliantly.

George nods, a nostalgic smile on his face. “It would be a wonderful way to carry on the tradition my granddaddy started.”

“Is that why you told me about your Christmas wish?” Gramma Ruthie asks.

George nods, a small smile appearing.

“Gosh darn it,” Miss Aggie says. “Just when I think we're exactly where we're meant to be and doin' what we're meant to do, you go and prove it all over again.”

Everyone murmurs their agreement. “Here, here,” Red adds.

“Sounds like we've got the start of a plan. That chair definitely needs some TLC.” I look it over. “How about we start cleanin' everythin' up then we'll know if there's still things we need or if we've got enough. Is that OK with you guys?” I ask George and the Arrys.

George seems so overwhelmed that all he can do is nod. I think I would be too if I was so close to getting the Christmas I've always wanted. Lucky for me, since Cora came into my life, everydayis like Christmas for me.

“While y'all are doin' that, Austin and I have a date with a tree,” Harry announces, looking over at my brother. “You still want to come out and get it with me, right?” The man looks so damn hopeful I know there's no way Austin will turn him down.

“For sure,” my brother answers.

“And by the time y'all bring it back into town, we might even have somewhere to put it,” Charlie says. “Then we can all decorate it.”

Harry's expression turns thoughtful. “We might need a few more hands though. The tree I've got in mind ain't small.”

“We will,” Frankie and Dorothy say in unison, almost as if they'd planned it. When all eyes—including mine—snap their way, they both grin like Cheshire cats.

Harry and Austin's mouths open and close a few times before they look to each other for guidance.

Thankfully, Mags enters the fray. “I have another mission for you Sallys.”Thatgets all of their attention.

“Youdo?” Frankie asks.

“Yep. You could even call it a mission,” Mags replies with a twinkle in her eye that tells me she knows she's got them hook, line, and sinker. The Sallys can do many things at their advanced age but traipsing through the woods to fell a giant pine tree isnotone of them.

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