After checking out the park, Savannah and Harlan walked up to the square. The businesses served food and drinks of all sorts. Lights were strung along the rooftops. Kelly Boots sponsored the lighted boot motifs hanging from each lamppost. Every business boasted decorations, some more than others. This year’s theme was cowboy boots. Along with the lampposts, all the shops and businesses on the square displayed a pair of Christmas cowboy boots, either in a window, inside, or even made up as a wreath hanging on the door. Every conceivable material was used, from papier-mâché, to wood to copper. Along with sculpture, every art medium was employed. There were oil paintings, watercolors, pencil drawings and acrylics as well as some mediums Savannah couldn’t even name.
There was food from hamburgers, hot dogs and corny dogs, to special hors d’oeuvres from Baron’s Steakhouse, to cotton candy and that Texas State Fair favorite, funnel cake.
Not to be outdone, Cookies and S’More(s), Rachel’s specialty bakery, offered free hot chocolate. Rachel had made a gingerbread house for each day of Christmas on the Square. Each day’s house resided on a table in the shop and all who wanted were invited to decorate it. Every night when she closed, Rachel moved the decorated house to the plate glass window of the storefront and brought out a new one to be decorated the following day.
Besides the fact that Rachel was her good friend, Savannah had a sweet tooth, so of course, she stopped by the shop. Katie, Rachel’s three-year-old daughter, was having the time of her life, with icing and sprinkles and whatnot smeared all over her face and clothes. Rachel’s landlady, Betty Claus, who kept Katie at times, was keeping an eye on the gingerbread house decorating. As the day and evening wore on, the kids grew rowdier and Rachel thought it a good idea to have supervision for the decorating.
Savannah stopped to speak to her. “Betty, you look like you have your hands full.”
The older lady laughed. “I’ve had to break up a few icing fights but so far the kids are being pretty good. And the adults have been too,” she added with a twinkle.
“My niece and nephew have been talking about Christmas on the Square for weeks, Laurel tells me,” Harlan said. “I can imagine how revved up they’ll be after decorating the gingerbread house. Something tells me not all of the decorations will go on the house.”
“All you have to do is look at Katie,” Mrs. Claus said, nodding her head. “Rachel has a real genius for finding fun things for people to do.”
All the stores offered some variety of cookies, candy, and other snacks. There was hot chocolate and soft drinks and the bars served a special Christmas hot toddy.
Fallen Angels Lingerie had a wreath on the door, fashioned out of pinecones, and sporting an angel in a cowboy hat and boots. Savannah made Harlan go in with her, laughing at seeing him amongst a plethora of lingerie.
Wild Horses art gallery showcased one of Gabe Walker’s creations in their window. Gabe was a local artist who was a metal sculptor. Gabe had made a Christmas scene. A bronze Christmas tree was the center of the scene, a tiny pair of cowboy boots, also made of bronze, beneath it. The tree was decorated with tiny ornaments made out of another substance Savannah couldn’t identify, some of them sparkling to mimic lights. In the background was a fireplace with a roaring fire.
“He does such beautiful work,” Savannah said. “The horse in the park is one of his sculptures.”
“That life-size horse made out of steel?”
“That’s the one.”
“That’s an amazing piece. You can almost see the horse breathing.” He stepped closer to the window to see the scene up close. “This is pretty amazing too. It looks like there’s an actual fire in the fireplace. I wonder how he does that?”
“I don’t know, but he’s very talented.”
“I wonder if I could commission a piece for the new airport terminal?”
“I’m sure you can. All it takes is money.”
“Fortunately, Levi Chapman has plenty of that. I’ll bring it up next time I see him, Travis, and Zack.” He turned to her and asked, “So, what do you want to do next?”
“Let’s go to the Kelly Boots store. The Kellys unveil this year’s Christmas boots tonight.”
“I don’t remember a boot unveiling. Have they always done that?”
“I don’t know,” she said, turning back the way they came to walk toward the Kelly Boots store. “They have for the last few years. I’m dying to see them.”
“You have a thing for boots, don’t you?”
“Yes, I do. Is that a problem?”
“No problem at all. I like your boots. Especially the thigh-high ones,” he said with a devilish grin.
“I kind of gathered that.” She smiled back. “But back to the Kelly Christmas boots. Every Christmas they make a special pair of men’s and women’s boots. They’re limited edition, only made at Christmas, and each year’s boots are unique to that year. Once they’re gone, they’re gone. If I don’t get there early I might not get a pair.”
“I think we’re early enough,” Harlan said when they walked into the store. “Hardly anyone is here. The Kellys aren’t even here.”
“So much the better. We’ll have a front row seat. Besides, it’s going to start filling up any time.”
Before long, people began to come in. Savannah saw Avery enter and waved her to come over.
“You’re the best!” she said, sitting in the chair beside Savannah. “Did you save this seat for me?”
