Chapter Twenty-Two
The day had been warm, but as the sun set, the temperature dropped dramatically, and now a few snowflakes were floating in the air.
What was more perfect for the tree lighting ceremony in Bells Pass than snow?
Was I surprised? Given the autumn we’d had, yes, but it was fitting for the weather to turn on tonight of all nights.
That said, nerves filled my belly, and the idea of walking up there to flip the switch on the tree made me regret the cookies and cocoa I’d partaken in by the fire pit with Major.
Thankfully, my concussion hadn’t caused any problems, and when I woke on Monday, still wrapped in his arms, the headache was minimal.
Much to his disagreement, I decided to keep the meeting with Ivy and Cameron.
After giving me orders on what signs to watch for should it worsen, he dropped me at the diner before going to the hospital.
Since I couldn’t drive for two days, Ivy had promised to give me a ride to the farm and back again, assuring Major that I wouldn’t get behind the wheel and she would keep the meeting short.
The meeting hadn’t been short, but it had been productive.
By the time I returned to the cottage, I was exhausted, and while I had hoped to spend the night in his bed, it hadn’t worked out that way.
Sadly, I haven’t been back there since Sunday night.
We’d both been so busy that we hadn’t seen much of each other until yesterday at the community dinner.
Even that had been in passing as we all tried to pick up the slack from Audrey's absence.
Only she wasn’t absent, at least not entirely.
She had dropped by for dinner while her daughter stayed with Alan.
We had teased her that she just had to be sure we hadn’t burned the place down, but everyone was happy to see her.
We sat her down with a plate of food and let her recharge her batteries by visiting with everyone.
There was nothing Audrey loved more than people, so while some may have thought it was an odd choice for her when she could have gone home for a few hours, it was precisely what she’d needed.
Confident that we had everything in hand, she’d taken meals back to the hospital for Alan and her daughter.
Major had plans for us to share Thanksgiving evening at his house, but the hospital had other ideas when they needed his expertise in the operating room.
At least he had a loaner knee that stayed charged now, so he didn’t have to worry about that while they worked to get him a new one.
His old one was done for, but Corbyn had assured him it wouldn’t take long to get a new one in since he didn’t need a new socket.
“There you are,” he said, coming up behind me. “I’ve been looking all over for you. This place is a madhouse.”
“Welcome to the Bells Pass tree lighting,” I said with a chuckle. “This is the reason I always work the concession stands. Keeps me out of the fray. Did you shake lots of hands and hold lots of babies?”
“No, but I heard a rumor that someone is having a baby as we speak, and her name is Hazel.”
“What!” I exclaimed, turning to grab his lapels. “Where did you hear that?”
His laughter was contagious as he leaned in to kiss my lips in the darkness. “I have to say, that was so worth the reaction. I begged Ivy to let me be the one to tell you. Irving texted her about fifteen minutes ago that the doctors thought the baby would be here in a matter of hours.”
“We have to hurry up and light this tree so we can go to the hospital!” I was jumping around, doing fake stadium cheering while he laughed.
“Or maybe we can just give the new family a few hours together before we invade?”
“What fun is that, Debbie Downer?” I asked, raising one side of my nose in disdain, but he knew I was teasing him.
“Okay, fine. We’ll wait until tomorrow. Now I’m glad they’re livestreaming the tree lighting this year.
At least they can watch it after the baby is born and introduce the newest Bells Pass resident to our oldest tradition! ”
“And to think you get to be the one who flips the switch on the first livestream.”
Moaning, I dropped my head back, letting the cold snowflakes land on my cheeks. “Did you have to say that? I think I’m going to be sick.”
“Hey,” he said, taking my face in his hands and planting a kiss on my nose. “You’ve got this. There’s nothing to worry about. Just remember, practically everyone you know has done this at some point in their lives, and they all survived. So will you.”
“Hmm, that was strangely calming,” I admitted.
“Ready?” Mayor Tottle asked, walking toward us from the side of the gazebo. “We’re up as soon as the next song ends.
“As ready as I’ll ever be,” I said with a smile that I hoped didn’t resemble Bozo the Clown. “Lead the way.”
The madrigals started singing Jingle Bell Rock, and I grabbed Major's hand, dragging him up the ramp until we stood in the shadows behind Mayor Tottle, who stood near the podium.
“You got this. I’ll meet you behind the gazebo when you’re done,” he said, but I held tightly to his hand.
“You’re not going anywhere, buster. I may need a doctor if I vomit.”
"You're not going to vomit. You've got this, angel,” he whispered.
Angel. Why did that sound so incredibly sexy coming from his lips? He never struck me as the kind who tossed out terms of endearment casually, which also told me that his use of them meant something to him. Rather than respond with words, I squeezed his hand while the madrigals finished their song.
Mayor Tottle walked to the podium as the clapping for the madrigals died down, only to earn a resounding cheer and applause as he took his place near the microphone.
There was a reason Jack had been mayor of Bells Pass for over a dozen years.
It was hard to find anyone who didn’t like the man.
“Welcome to the annual Bells Pass tree lighting!” he exclaimed, bringing about another round of hooting and applause that he allowed to go on for a bit longer before motioning for everyone to settle.
Once they had, he started his annual speech about the state of Bells Pass, which left him with very little to say that wasn’t good, but then, who would expect anything else at the holidays?
Nerves filled my belly until I glanced out into the audience to see most of the girl gang near the front of the gazebo. Ivy gave me a thumbs-up and a smile. That settled my nerves a bit and brought Major’s words back to me. They’d all flipped the switch and all survived, so I would too.
Check and check.
“I want to give a shout-out to the Bells Pass media team, including Dawson Knight and Cameron Robbins, for getting the livestream up and running on short notice. I hope it’s enjoyed by those who can’t make it to the park.
Now, it’s time to introduce tonight’s honorary tree lighter!
” Mayor Tottle said with great enthusiasm, which earned him another round of cheering.
“You all know Jaelyn Riba, but many of you don’t know she’s our newest business owner for the year.
Her business, Little Bird on the Moon, features children’s books that she both writes and illustrates.
The books introduce your child to different traditions from around the world by making them the main character.
I see some of you nodding your heads as though you’ve seen them, and I have to say, they are delightfully engaging.
Along with producing special-order books, she single-handedly turned Bells Pass’s first food truck into an overnight success! ”
This time, the hooting turned into chants of Rooster!
Rooster! which was embarrassing until Major squeezed my hand again, reminding me he was with me, and I was okay.
While they were chanting, Jack motioned me toward him and stepped away from the microphone.
As everyone quieted, I walked to the podium, dragging Major along with me.
I turned and hit him with a pair of doe eyes, but all he did was smile.
It was a smile that said, ‘You got yourself into this, I’m just along for the ride. ’
Turning back, I fixed my gaze over the top of the crowd rather than on it.
“Thank you for the warm welcome,” I began, my voice a bit hesitant.
“I felt it was only right to share the spotlight with our newest doctor at Bells Pass Hospital, not to mention celebrity chef of The Bird’s Nest, Dr. Major Warren!
” I motioned at him the way Vanna White does when revealing a letter.
He smiled and waved to the crowd's applause, so I encouraged him to say something. After shooting me a look that told me I was going to pay for this little stunt later, he leaned into the microphone. “You’ve all been so welcoming, and I can’t thank you enough.
Coming from a big city, I wasn’t sure what to expect from a small town.
What’s transpired over the last few months was not at all what I had pictured.
You’ve all shown me what it means to belong somewhere, and for that, I’ll always be grateful.
The woman who has led the charge on that committee is standing beside me, so I’ll turn it over to her after saying one more thing to all the little ones out there. Santa says to wear your helmet!”
The crowd burst out laughing and applauding as he shoulder-bumped me with a grin.