“No, the sound system isn’t working.” She stopped to catch her breath. “I tried calling our church and Abundant Life Church, but neither has a sound system we could dismantle and set up in time.”
Why was everything going wrong? First the missing nativity set, now this? He drew a long breath and pushed out his frustration on the exhale. “We’ll make it work. Do you know anyone who has a karaoke machine?”
“Alyssa does,” Vanna volunteered.
“Would she let us borrow it?” It wasn’t ideal, but they’d have a microphone at least.
“I can ask.” Without waiting, Vanna grabbed the cordless phone from beside the register and called her baby sister. She hung up a minute later with a smile on her face. “Alyssa will have it to you within the hour.”
“Awesome.” Brenna’s face relaxed.
He checked his watch, saw the seconds and minutes ticking away. “We should go. There’s still a lot to take care of.”
Brenna waved him away. “Go ahead, and I’ll meet you there in five minutes.”
“See you soon. Thanks again, Vanna.”
He ran out the door, right into a man on the older side of middle-age. The man wore a thin coat that had several holes in the sleeves. Narrowing down an approximate age would be hard due to the man’s weathered appearance. He wore no hat or scarf. His cheeks, nose, and fingers had turned bright red. The stench emanating from him suggested he hadn’t bathed in several days, nor had he shaved in double that time, if not triple. He had a faded camouflage backpack strapped to his back.
“I’m sorry.” Derek’s apology for bumping into him didn’t seem sufficient. That still, small voice in his conscience whispered to slow down and speak with the man, find out his needs.
“No problem.” The words were barely intelligible through the man’s shivering.
Vanna approached and handed the man a cup with steam leaking through the lid. “You look like you could use them.”
The man cast his eyes toward the ground. “Can’t afford no fancy drinks.”
“It’s on the house.” Vanna sent Derek and Brenna a questioning expressing over the man’s head when he bent his neck to take a drink, and she mouthed, “We have to do something.”
“Mind if I sit?” The man’s shaky voice caused alarm.
“Go ahead.” Derek sat at the table across from him. “I’m Derek Thomas, the town’s mayor.”
“Sam Houston,” the man offered as he slipped off his bag and clumsily lowered himself to a chair.
Suuuuureeee.Derek doubted the man told the full truth about his name, but it wasn’t outside the realm of possibilities. People often named their children after historical figures. “Nice to meet you, Sam. I haven’t seen you around these parts.”
“Just passing through.” Sam gulped the remaining hot chocolate, an indication he hadn’t eaten in some time.
Derek caught Brenna and Vanna having a silent conversation with their eyes. He picked up on sufficient body language to know Brenna had asked Vanna to bring Sam a plate of food, and Vanna had readily agreed.
“Do you have any family in the area?” Derek tried to find the balance between prying but gaining pertinent information in order to help the man without being intrusive.
“Nope. No family left anywhere.”
“Where are you from?”
Sam grinned, showing off a surprising level of white teeth. “Here, there, everywhere.”
This wasn’t going as planned. He had a feeling Sam wouldn’t give any straight answers. “If you’re staying through tonight, join us outside of City Hall. The town’s gathering to sing Christmas carols and celebrate the birth of Jesus.”
“Wish I could, but I gotta move on.”
Vanna laid a plate of pastries and bread in front of him. “For you, also on the house.”
“Thank you, ma’am. Much obliged.” Sam scarfed down the food in less than two minutes.
“Be careful traveling out there. I heard they’re calling for six inches of snow by morning.” He glanced outside for any sign of an unfamiliar car, but he saw none. “The roads could get dangerous.”
