Chapter 8
Gramma Ruthie
“We’re gathered here today–”
“Are you marryin’ them or announcin’ a winner, Ruthie?” Aggie, one of my best friends and fellow Sallies member, calls out from the front of the group.
The Spring Haven Christmas Festival is slowly drawing to a close, and after handing out free hot cocoa and mini fruitcakes to everyone who wants them, I’m standing on the wooden platform where Santa’s sleigh currently sits.
Santa himself–our dear friend Gandalf from Bear Mountain–stands next to me, his tall stature making me look even shorter than my five-foot-nothing frame.
It probably doesn’t help that he’s in full Santa costume–with his own long gray beard–and I just happen to be wearing a Santa hat and Star’s elf costume she insisted I wear today. “The kids will love it, Gramma.’ she said.
Glancing over to where she stands with her husband and my great-grandchildren, a knowing glint in her eye. I suspect she planned it all along. Then again, what’s Christmas without festive costumes?
But since I was dressing up, I made the rest of the Sallies do it too. Aggie is wearing reindeer antlers and a red flowing nose. Frankie is in a Grinch costume of all things, and sweet Dottie is a Christmas tree, complete with flashing lights and an angel on top of her head.
“OK. Let me start again. Thank y’all for comin’ to the Spring Haven Christmas Festival today.
To all the residents of our proud town and those who have come to visit.
” I look over to where Red’s son Wyatt and his friends from Cooper Ranch in Timber Falls are all standing.
“Welcome to our town. We hope y’all enjoy our mountain hospitality. ”
I pause for a moment while the crowd claps and cheers.
“Before Santa gets ready to meet all of the kids–young and old–we’ve got a bit of business to take care of thanks to Bull Mountain Ranch,” I explain. “Can y’all come up here for a moment?”
They all exchange grins before Toby leads the way, bringing his family with him. Soon enough, the whole ranch family–kids and all–are standing on the platform in front of everyone.
“Y’all know my family from Bull Mountain Ranch.
They may not know it yet, but we Sallies adopted them all years ago.
What you may not know about them is that they love a good competition, and this Christmas is no different.
The men challenged each other to give their women the best Christmas date, to be judged by the Sunday School Sallies,” I say, looking over all of them.
“And though Toby will be very disappointed there’s no trophy for him to win this year–”
“I’ve learned that sometimes there are better things than a trophy,” Toby calls out, hugging his wife from behind and kissing her cheek.
“Good advice,” I reply before turning back to the crowd. “There can only be one winner, and after much deliberation between my fellow Sallies, we finally were able to decide on a winner of the romantic night away in Timber Falls.”
I fall silent and feel all eyes on me as I smile at all of the Bull Mountain couples who wait with bated breath to hear who reigned supreme and gave the best Christmas date to their One.
That’s when I shoot a wink at Santa.
“And the winner is….”