Chapter Six
In an odd twist of fate—or divine intervention—only baby Jesus could be found from Noel’s nativity set. After half a dozen phone calls, Derek found out the set had been stored in the city barn with all the maintenance equipment. When he went to retrieve them, however, Mary, Joseph, the shepherds, wise men, and angel were nowhere to be found.
He’d searched the loft, the multiple sheds, every corner. After two hours of scouring every inch of the grounds, he got on the phone and made more calls. Each person who might know the location of all the pieces gave the same answer—the entire set had been there last time they’d passed by it.
Finally, he accepted it was a God thing. While all of the others played a significant role in the Christmas story, Jesus was the true star. It wasHisbirthday the town would gather to celebrate tonight and honor through song and worship.
Derek set the manger with baby Jesus in it on a cement pad in front of city hall. It looked bare but fitting. He’d run to George Denison’s farm later this afternoon and pick up some hay to scatter in and around the manger . Then he’d stop by his parents to borrow the large, light-lined star they hung from their barn
Did he need to collect anything else to add to the scene? He put his grand ideas on hold and reminded his creative side of the event’s purpose. If ever there was a time to be a minimalist, this was it. The entire goal was to bring the focus of Christmas back to Christ, and remind the citizens of Noel that Christmas could, and should, be celebrated even when times were tough.
He jogged to the bakery—not for speed or exercise, but to stay warm. The forecast called for the temperature to drop as the evening progressed, possibly dipping into the low twenties before the event would end. He prayed that didn’t scare people from coming or give them an excuse to stay home.
Hank Martin came out of the bakery, carrying a box of donuts. Derek slipped through the door after him and blew on his hands. Too bad he didn’t have any hand warmers on him.
Vanna greeted him from behind the counter. “Ready for tonight?”
“Getting there.” He lowered his arms and stuck his hands in his coat pocket. “I wanted to check on the cookies, and make sure you’re still bringing them.”
“I had Brenna pick them up earlier. I had two special orders come through this morning, and I might be late getting to City Hall tonight.”
“Thank you for volunteering your time and products for this. I really appreciate it.” He smelled a fresh pot of coffee and ordered a cup.
Vanna held a cup under the carafe and pressed the nozzle, releasing a steady flow of coffee. “It was my honor. I’m thrilled you and Brenna put this together. To be honest, I don’t know why no one thought of it earlier.”
“But will it help?” As the time drew closer, he wrestled with doubt.
“I think so.” Vanna snapped a lid on the cup and handed it over. “I’ve heard lots of buzz about it since you all put the signs out.”
“If it returns hope to only one person, then I’ll deem it a success.” He drank a bit of coffee and smiled. “But hopefully we reach more than that.”
“You have faith in this town. So does Brenna.” Vanna sighed. “Maybe one day she’ll stop running and realize this is right where she belongs.”
A wry laugh slipped out unannounced. “She’s coming around.”
Vanna, always on the move, wiped down the counter with a dishrag. “Anyway, the two of you are just what this town needs. People need to see and know they haven’t been given up on, even though many of them have given up on themselves.”
“I’d like to say I’d do differently in their situation, but I don’t blame those who’ve thrown up their hands in defeat.” He cupped his drink in both hands, accidentally squeezed it too hard and sent coffee spilling out the spout. “My family has struggled lately, but we’ve been fortunate compared to most. Yet I’ve still asked God why quite often.”
Vanna met his gaze. “My grandmother always told me that someone always has it worse than me, and I think about that often. It doesn’t negate the pain and frustration of the moment, but it does help put the situation into perspective.”
“Your grandmother is a smart woman. She has words of wisdom for every situation.”
“True, although that wisdom doesn’t always make sense.” Vanna laughed. “Gama has some odd sayings. Sometimes I ask her to explain them, and other times I let it slide. One thing’s for sure, she always knows the right thing to say.”
“Gama is a character. I’ll never forget the times she substituted at school.”
“Oh my goodness, those were the best days.” Vanna stopped cleaning and looked up. “She was everyone’s favorite because she rarely stuck with the teacher’s plan.”
“Like the time she took us for a nature walk, and it started raining out of nowhere.” He wiped his forehead as though he’d been transported in time and had to clear the water from his face. “Is she coming tonight?”
“Last I heard. Mom is bringing her.”
“Great.” The church bells chimed three times, reminding him he had lots of work still to accomplish. “I’ll see you all there.”
The bell above the door rang, and Brenna walked in with taut facial features, and she was out of breath. “I’ve been trying to call you.”
“Is everything okay?”
