She glances back in Haley’s direction, and her expression softens with affection. Then she pulls out her phone and snapsa picture. “This is probably the last year she’ll want to do this,” Angel explains. “I know it’s all a part of growing up. But…” She gives her head a little shake. “Once she’s done here, we’ll swing by the crafts station. If it’s anything like last year, there’ll be a spot for the adults to sit, with hot chocolate and coffee. Then we can hit the food trucks.”
“Sounds good to me.” I look over at the food trucks. “I’d definitely like to grab something at Bowls of Bliss. They have a great pizza mac and cheese. And Blissful Burgers does a slider flight. That might be fun to try.”
“You waiting to see Santa?”
A familiar voice has me turning around, and I grin as Alec approaches. He’s accompanied by Hazel, of course, and alongside them are Swede and Allie, two friends of ours from Montana.
“I could ask you the same thing,” I tell Alec. With a wink at Hazel, I add, “Checking to see if you’re on the naughty or nice list this year?”
Hazel laughs and kisses Alec on the cheek. “Alec’s definitely on the nice list this year.” Then she darts forward to give Angel a hug. “We were headed for the food trucks, actually. But then we saw you guys over here, so we thought we’d say hi.”
Alec claps my shoulder in greeting, then gives Angel a warm smile. “How’s it going?”
“Good,” she replies. “Haley wanted to say hi to Santa. Just to be polite, of course.” Her tone dips. “She’s not sure what she believes this year. So I think she’s trying to hedge her bets.”
Swede chuckles. “Smart idea.” He holds his hand out to Angel. “Axel Svenson. Although these guys call me Swede. And this is my lovely wife, Allie.”
Without thought, my hand comes to Angel’s back again. “Swede lives out in Montana,” I explain. “He works for a securitycompany out there. The Brotherhood Protectors. They’re kind of similar to GMG. Except a lot bigger.”
Turning my attention to Swede, I say, “I didn’t realize you were coming out for a visit. Did you just get here?”
“It was an impromptu decision,” Allie says. “With the holidays coming up, we got to talking about how nice we thought Vermont would be. With the whole New England charm right before Christmas, you know? Then Hazel mentioned something about this festival, and Axel and I thought, why not come out to see it for ourselves?”
“You’re always welcome,” Hazel tells her with a smile. And I can understand why. Back when Hazel was having all her troubles with that sick online game conspiracy, Swede stepped up to help us put an end to it. And ever since, the two couples have been close.
“Itisnice here around the holidays,” Angel agrees. “Although I suppose I might be biased. But Montana… I’ve never been, but I’ve seen photos. It looks beautiful.”
“You should come visit,” Allie enthuses. “We’ve got plenty of room.”
“Oh.” Angel glances at me, looking slightly uncertain. “Thanks. That would be… nice.”
I can tell she’s not sure how to react to the invitation. A trip across the country is something serious couples would do. Angel and I… I’m not sure where we land on the timeline. And I don’t think she knows, either.
In hopes of changing the subject, I ask, “How long are you staying? Anything special on the itinerary?”
“We’ll be here for three more days,” Swede replies. “We’re thinking of heading to Burlington for one night, and there are a couple of craft breweries we’d like to check out. Then we’ll drive down to New York City to catch a Broadway show. Spend a couple nights there before heading back.”
“I want to see the Rockettes,” Allie adds. “I’ve never been to their Christmas spectacular.”
“Oh, it’s great.” Angel’s expression relaxes. “I took Haley a couple of years ago. She absolutely loved it.”
Allie looks at Angel with interest. “Haley?”
Hazel answers for her. “Haley is Angel’s daughter.” She points at the line, where Haley’s made it two-thirds of the way to Santa. “With the blonde braid and bright blue coat.”
As if Haley can tell we’re talking about her, she turns in our direction. As soon as she spots us, she waves, then makes an emphaticcome over heregesture.
Angel laughs. “I guess she wasn’t quite as ready to stand in line by herself as she claimed she was.” In explanation, she says, “Haley claimed she wanted to do it by herself. That’s why we’re standing over here. But apparently…” She gives a good-natured shrug. “I’d better go.”
“I can go with you,” I offer.
“Oh, no.” She shakes her head. “That’s okay. Stay here. Catch up. This won’t take long.”
Part of me wants to insist on going with her. I’m not sure why. But I don’t. Instead, I just say, “Okay. But let me know if you need anything.”
“I will.” Angel casts a quick smile at Swede and Allie. “If I don’t see you… it was really nice meeting you.” To Hazel and Alec, she adds, “I’ll see you later.”
Then she reaches for my hand and gives it a little squeeze. Her eyes full of promise, she says, “I’ll be back soon.”
