It’s just a fun day with some friends,she reminded herself.
The veteran’s center was helping to throw a huge holiday event up at the Trinity Community Market. And she was tagging along with Ransom and the kids.
She knew Ransom had helped out with it some, but she hadn’t even had a chance to look into what the event was all about or what would be happening.
Glancing down at her jeans and sweater, she hoped she was dressed properly. She had figured anything at the open-air market would be pretty casual.
“No time to worry about it now,” she said to herself, heading over to the door.
By the time she had pulled on her boots and coat, Ransom’s truck was pulling up out front. She jogged down the steps, but he still got out and opened the door for her.
“Hey, Hailey,” he said, his voice gruff as their eyes met.
“Hi,” she said. “Thanks for picking me up here.”
He closed the door and headed to the driver’s side.
“Hi, Hailey,” the kids chorused from the back seat.
“Hi, guys,” she said, turning to see them. “Are you excited about today?”
“Yes,” Mae said right away. “There’s a train, a big toy train, and it really moves.”
“Wow,” Hailey said. “What about you, Travis?”
“I think my friends are there,” he said shyly.
“That’s so great,” she told him. “I used to run around at the Hometown Holiday celebration with my friends, but this event is a new thing for me.”
“It’s new for everyone,” Ransom said as he started the truck. “Valentina set it all up and at first I thought maybe it was beyond what we could pull off, but the whole town has really come together to pull it off, and I think it’s going to be spectacular.”
“We already missed some of it,” Mae said accusingly.
“Well, we have dogs to take care of,” Ransom reminded her. “They don’t take a day off.”
“Besides,” Travis said, “it’s going all day and at night too.”
Hailey smiled, figuring he was repeating something his dad had told him.
Mae frowned and turned her attention to the view outside the window.
“Look at the lights,” she chirped a moment later, pointing to a house that was lit up like the sun.
“They must really love Christmas,” Travis said.
“Do you guys wish we had outside lights?” Ransom asked them.
That suggestion was met with alotof enthusiasm and Ransom looked over to Hailey and winked.
She felt a happy little shiver go through her, just like she had back in high school when he winked at her.
Smiling back at him, she wondered if she was ever going to be able to spend time with him without thinking about what could have been.
Half an hour later,they were walking around the open-air market, and Hailey could hardly believe her eyes.
“The last time I was home this was just sort of a field,” she said in wonder to Ransom.
Now the area had been leveled and the open-air market was as big as the gym at the high school. A massive roof covered the concrete floor and there was a big wall along the back with bathrooms and a big kitchen. A small wooden stage had been set up near the back wall and there was a band on it playing some joyful holiday music. Everywhere she looked, there were booths of crafts and home-cooked treats decorated for the holiday.
