“Those are the best distractions, though.” He wouldn’t mind another one if duty didn’t call.
“I forgot to ask, Mom wants to know if you’ll join us for dinner before the candlelight service tonight.”
“What time?”
“Four-thirty.”
He sucked in a breath. “I’m here until five, but if no one stops by or needs anything I can leave early.”
“Come when you can. It’s nothing formal.”
“Should I bring anything?”
A mischievous grin appeared. “A pair of festive socks.”
His eyes widened. “A what?”
She laughed and pulled him toward the door. “When Beth and I were kids, we’d pick out a fun pair of socks as a gift for the other. As we got older, it became a Christmas Eve tradition to have a sock exchange and Mom and Dad got in on it.”
“Sounds…fun.”
“It is.” She descended the steps, and he guided her to miss the small patches of ice that refused to go away. “We haven’t played in years, but Mom decided we need to resurrect the tradition this year.”
“Where do I find a pair of these socks?”
“Haley’s Hobbies has some. That’s where I got mine.” She pulled her gloves from her pockets and tugged them over her hands. “You can pick up a pair when we drop off her card.”
“Okay, but you’ll have to wait outside.”
“Really? Why?”
“You can’t know which ones I choose.” He wagged his brows. “That would take away the fun.”
She rolled her eyes, but her smile denied annoyance. “I like the ones with aloe in them.”
“Is that a hint?” They crossed the street and began hand delivering their cards.
“I’m amazed at the difference in Noel from the time I came a month ago until now.” Brenna shifted her eyes to take in the whole of Main Street. “Noel had never looked so dreary, but it’s joy has returned.”
His gaze skimmed the evergreen boughs and red bows hanging from the streetlamps and eves. “I like the subdued effect. There are only a small fraction of the decorations as in years past, but it doesn’t feel like anything is missing.”
“That’s because there’s enough Christmas spirit infused in the air to cover the missing décor.”
“Maybe.” He pointed to a manger scene painted on a storefront. “Or maybe we’ve realized as a town that Christmas doesn’t need decorations or gifts. It only needs a remembrance of Emmanuel’s birth.”
She nudged his arm. “That’s what I mean, but you said it much more eloquently.”
They saved the bakery for last. Once inside, he handed Vanna her card and ordered a coffee and donut each for Brenna and him. He left with his coffee in one hand and a glazed maple donut with red and green sprinkles on top.
He stopped mid-step on the return walk to City Hall. It couldn’t be, but…
“Do you see that, Brenna?” He tapped her furiously on the shoulder with his wrist.
She peered forward. “See what?”
“The man at the fountain.” Shoving the last of the donut in his mouth, he kept his eyes on the man.
“Is that? But it couldn’t be.” Brenna stumbled over her words.
