Page 28 of A Christmas Duet

Ten

Nine

Hailey leaned toward Jay and asked, “Your mom gets the honor?”

“She’s the town’s mayor.”

Four

Three

Hailey vaguely remembered hearing someone mention that Thelma was the mayor; she must have forgotten.All at once, a boisterous cheer rose as the Christmas tree came alive with twinkling lights, brightening the entire area. The shout was followed by a loud burst of spontaneous applause.

“Come on,” Jay said, “let’s get something hot to drink.”

The temperature was below freezing. Caught up as she was in the excitement, Hailey had barely noticed the cold.

“Something warm sounds wonderful.”

Again, Jay held her hand as they walked to the western edge of the grounds.

Hailey remembered her promise. “Before I forget, I need to place my vote for the best decorated Christmas tree.” She explained how she’d met Elizabeth at Lovely Lather and pledged her vote. “It appears there’s stiff competition from an attorney in town who she believes cheated last year.” Hailey had found their conversation amusing. Small-town politics, she surmised.

“Oh yes, I heard all about Herbert Stephens from Mom,” Jay said. He seemed to have trouble holding back his amusement. “It was the scandal of the year. As the sitting mayor, Mom was bombarded with complaints. The city council was in an uproar. She certainly had her hands full. In the end, she made a decree that no business could win two years consecutively, thereby disqualifyingthe lawyer from entering this Christmas. The way she figured it, she wouldn’t be the mayor next year. She’d leave it to her replacement to deal with the issue.”

“What if she’s reelected?” Hailey asked.

“Knowing my mother, she’ll sort it out.”

Hailey didn’t doubt that for a second. While Jay stood in line at the booth selling hot chocolate, she wove her way through the throng of people to cast her ballot for the wig-topped Christmas tree at the Lovely Lather salon.

Jay met up with her, carrying two large paper cups of steaming cocoa. Hailey took one and savored her first sip of the sweet drink. It immediately warmed her insides.

“Are you game to try roasted chestnuts?” he asked.

“You mean to say there really is such a thing?”

“Find out for yourself.” They edged their way to another long line. Roasted chestnuts appeared to be a popular item.

A family stood in front of them with two youngsters around age five or six, both boys. The two looked to be twins. “Mom, Mom. I want to visit Santa.”

“We will, I promise,” the mother assured him. “As soon as he arrives.”

“When will he get here?” The young boy was jumping up and down with eagerness.

“Patience, Jaxon. You know as well as I do that Santa doesn’t arrive until after the songfest.”

Once the family had gotten their order, Jay explained, “For years, my parents wrapped up Christmas gifts for each of the children under ten years of age who attended the festival. Now that Dad’s gone, Mom continues the tradition. I imagine once she passes, my sister, Ruth, will take the baton.”

Hailey was amazed at the generosity of Jay’s family. “They do this every year?”

“Every year,” he returned, “for as long as I can remember.”

When Hailey had first met Thelma, she wasn’t sure what to think. She’d seemed intimidating and had insinuated that Hailey would run back to Portland at the earliest inconvenience. Sure, Hailey was a city girl, born and raised, but she wasn’t a quitter. As she got to know Thelma and heard more about her, she recognized Jay’s mother had a warm, generous heart.

The roasted chestnuts were indeed the real thing. Jay and Hailey shared a small bag. Because they were still hot, she bounced the first one between her hands until it cooled enough to peel away the outer shell. Popping it into her mouth, she found it to be surprisingly delicious.

“Who knew?” Hailey said, licking the salt from her fingertips. She helped herself to a second, and then a third, as they strolled around the park, taking in the sights and smells of Christmas.

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