Chapter 18
“Line up for the final event of the evening. The gaudy sweater competition is about to begin.” Mack lowered the microphone and stepped out of the way of the crowd that rushed forward.
Turnout at the annual firefighter Christmas party was unusually high, considering it was the first week of December and the rest of the month was overfilled with school pageants, family events, and of course, the official first event at the new community hall.
To his right, Brad moved the final of the judges into position. He knelt beside the wheelchair and shook the elderly man’s hand. “Good to go?”
His silver-white hair neatly combed to one side, Jenson Radway looked as if Santa himself had shown up. He rubbed his hands together eagerly. “My voting pencil is ready and willing.”
“Have fun.” But Brad’s lips twitched in amusement as he stood and rejoined Mack at the side of the room.
“You’re thinking dirty thoughts,” Mack accused his friend.
Brad held out his hands in surrender. “I mean, come on. What else can possibly jump to mind?”
This year, the guest judges were all from the Heart Falls Seniors’ Lodge, and from the looks on their faces, this event was the highlight of their year so far.
Festive music piped through the upper room of the fire hall, the scent of ginger and cinnamon on the air.
The line of laughing firefighters and their families entering the contest snaked around the edge of the room.
Bright colours flashed everywhere, like a box of neon crayons had been tossed skyward and attached themselves to every surface possible.
“It’s become quite the annual event,” Mack said.
“The gaudy sweater contest?” Brad nodded, pointing a finger across the room at where Ryan danced with Madison, their two youngest holding hands and twirling at their side. “The originators for the chaos seem to have no regrets.”
Their entire family—including their teenage daughter on the opposite side of the room with the other teens—wore red and white this year. Not only red, but reddish-orange red, pinkish-red, blood-red with white polka dots. And all the white bits somehow…glowed.
Mack blinked and lifted a hand to shield his eyes. “They’re a menace, but I’m glad they’re ours.”
“Maddy especially keeps things interesting around here.” Brad waved back at one of the volunteers. “It’s hard to believe that the Tacky Threads Throwdown is in its final days of ugly glory.”
“It raised enough money for the new playground and to top up the newcomers fund.” Mack nudged Brad in the side as he handed over the microphone. “Time to work.”
A moment later they were ready.
“Welcome, all. When the music starts, it’ll be time for you to shine in your most gaudy way possible,” Brad announced.
“Our esteemed judges will take notes on the best, the loudest, and the most themed entries, so dance, walk, or hop past them slowly so they get a chance to truly appreciate every twinkling bit of the wonder that is you.”
The background music flipped to something from the nutcracker, and a cheer went up. The circle of shuffling people was built of every colour in the rainbow. Furry vests and jingle bells. Artificial Christmas tree limbs and a truly dizzying mix of patterns.
Mack couldn’t keep his eyes off the most important part, though.
Above the chaos of what they were wearing, the faces of the people he’d worked with all year shone with happiness.
It was partly about the fun of coming up with the wild outfits, but it was more about the coming together. A time to celebrate all they’d accomplished and the lives they’d helped along the way.
The team they’d built.
Hours later, when the last of the partiers had headed out the door, Mack took the stairs two at a time back up to where their core group was still gathered.
Cleaning up the ribbons and wrapping paper, wiping down tables, chatting with the volunteers who’d drawn the short straw and were on duty for the night.
Mack pulled out the chair next to Brooke and leaned in close, wrapping an arm around her shoulders as he kissed her cheek. “Have fun tonight?”
“Yup.” She smiled back at him. “My dad texted to say he got the kids home and into bed no problem. Leia didn’t even wake up when he transferred her from the car seat to her crib.”
“Good.”
Across the table, Maddy held Ryan’s hand as she talked to Yvette. Alex on the other side was chatting with Ashton, the two of them leaning over a stack of what looked like duty rosters.
A cup of something hot and steamy landed on the table in front of Mack.
Sonora leaned over farther and put one down for Brooke, as well. “A hot toddy for a job well done,” she told them. “It was a great evening, but you both worked too hard.”
“Having fun,” Mack pointed out. “That’s not really work.”
Sonora shrugged. “You also took the time to really talk to the volunteers. It wasn’t only about tonight—it never really is—so good for you. Give yourself a pat on the back.”
Mack dipped his chin. It was true. Like he’d been thinking earlier, it was about more than filling slots on a volunteer chart. They were a team, starting with the crew in front of him.
Maddy clapped her hands together. “So.”
Brooke raised a brow. “So…what?”
“I was thinking—”
“You were told not to do that anymore,” Yvette teased.
Maddy pressed both hands to her face and pretended to scream.
Mack snorted, and he wasn’t the only one. “Nice Home Alone moment. Now spill… What terrifyingly wonderful idea have you come up with now?”
She shrugged. “We spend a lot of time together over the year. I thought maybe we could finish up with something a little more formal and yet fun.” She glanced around the table at the ten of them gathered there. “As long as no one is dying to go home right this minute.”
As Brad had said earlier, Maddy kept things rolling.
Mack gestured his approval. “We’re good to stay.”
“Curiosity at your latest mischief would keep me up all night if we left now,” Alex teased.
“Good. I figured you’d say that.” Maddy laid a small cloth bag on the table. “Pull out a rock and share something with the group based on your prompt. Don’t think too hard—it’ll all make sense as soon as we start.”
“I’ll go first, since I already know what’s going on and approve,” Ryan offered, reaching into the bag and pulling out a thumb-sized stone.
He held it up so everyone could see the word etched on the surface said SUCCESS.
Ryan hummed as he curled his fingers tightly around the rock.
“Success, huh? For this past year, I’d have to say I’m very proud at how successfully we’ve managed to increase the size of the volunteer crew.
Heart Falls is growing. The services we offer need to be able to keep up, yet I’m grateful that not only do we have more bodies in the room but committed team members who want to make a difference.
” He met the gazes of the men at the table.
“That’s because of you. Especially Alex and Ashton, who’ve been in charge of training all year. Well done.”
“Hear, hear,” Maddy offered, and her applause was joined by the rest of the ladies.
Ryan passed the bag to his left. Ashton pulled out a stone and held it in the palm of his hand.
DREAM.
He nodded. “Good one for me.” He lifted his chin and smiled around the table.
“I’ve had one great job for many years—foreman at Silver Stone.
When I added the volunteer work, I thought I was branching out a little to give to my community.
I never dreamed what the fire hall would give back to me. ” He paused and cleared his throat.
Sonora laid a hand over his and squeezed.
He nodded at her. “There’ve been a lot of new things for this old guy in the past few years.
But I can honestly say dream is a big word.
I wish I’d heard it sooner, and I hope you all hear it now.
Don’t wait to dream until you’re in your sixties.
Dream now, and dream often, because damn, life is good when those dreams start coming true. ”
Alex patted a hand on Ashton’s shoulder, and Ryan nodded. Every expression turned serious as they considered his advice.
Mack lifted his cup in the air. “True words. Thanks for that, Ashton.”
Ashton nodded then pushed the bag at Sonora. “Ladies as well. You’re stuck with us, which means you’re stuck listening to us bitch about what goes wrong and cheer about what goes right. You’ve got things to say too.”
There were only a few stones in the bag, so a few got repeated. What they shared was different from everyone, though.
When it was Mack’s turn, he pulled out the stone labeled JOY.
Well now.
He stared at it for a moment. “That’s a huge idea in very few letters.”
“Right?” Brooke leaned into his side.
He hesitated, considered, then nodded. “Have to admit, my first thought when I hear joy is Christmas. That’s when the word gets bandied about a lot.
Joy to the world, sing a joyful song, things like that.
But that’s not really enough. Joy isn’t only a December thing.
Not when I think of this past year, or my time with the fire crew, or my family, or even Heart Falls. ”
Everyone’s eyes were on him, with smiling expressions and heads dipping in approval.
“Joy is being in the moment and seeing the new thing. Learning together and then celebrating, and we do that all year long. I’m grateful for all the hours we’ve spent together.
For all the sharing and caring and being there for each other.
” Mack sat back in his chair and grinned. “You all give me great joy.”
Another cheer went up, and everyone was on their feet. Hugs all around, back slaps when appropriate.
An extra squeeze for Maddy. “You’re a treasure,” Mack whispered to her as he hugged her tight.
“Glad you all think so.” Maddy returned to Ryan’s side and he curled his arm around her waist. “Because you know, I did have another idea—”
Ryan picked her up and whirled her in a circle until she was laughing too hard to speak.