As the two of them headed away from the crowd and the kids running underfoot for a bit, Noelle and Jack took Rachel’s hot chocolate to her.
Her mom came over at the same time and said, “Rachel, we’re so glad to have you here! And if you’re feeling up to it and don’t have other plans, you should join us for Christmas Eve dinner. It’s Noelle’s birthday, too, so we always have a big celebration. We would love to have you.”
Rachel looked like she was touched to be invited and said she would attend if it was at all possible, and it looked like she really meant it. Jack looked happy to be asked, too. This might end up being her favorite birthday / Christmas Eve ever.
Her mom motioned to the truck that had two flatbed trailers connected to it like a train. Both had hay bales arranged in a rectangle, with bales stacked two high in the middle for backrests so that people could sit on all four sides on each trailer. They had already laid blankets across all of them so they wouldn’t be itchy. “I want to make sure you’re in the spot that’s going to be most comfortable. I know that chemo can make youreally nauseous; which spot do you think will be best for keeping that at bay?”
“Oh, um, probably facing the direction we are driving. Maybe on the second trailer?”
Her mom winked. “I’ll get it ready for you.”
Then they all headed toward the trailers and found seats. Noelle’s mom had put extra padding in the spot where Rachel would be sitting, and her dad told all the little kids they couldn’t jump around on that trailer. Rachel seemed to love having Noelle’s parents fawn over her. She glanced at Jack. He was watching Rachel, too, seeming to love seeing her love it.
“Okay, how this works,” Noelle said as she leaned over Jack, who was sitting by Rachel, “is that we drive around and look at all the lights. But every once in a while, we’ll stop at a house, jump off the trailer, then all go up to sing Christmas carols.”
Then her mom turned on the Christmas music and her dad, who was sitting in the driver’s seat of the truck, pulled it gently away from the curb. They started heading down the street, the chill in the slight wind causing all of them to pull their hats on a little tighter and to reach for the extra blankets piled on the top of the middle hay bales. Jack stood up and grabbed one of the blankets and placed it over Rachel and Aiden, tucking it in at their sides. Then he grabbed a second one, sat down, and wrapped it around himself and Noelle.
Was it wrong to snuggle into him? Because it was so cold, and he was so warm, and the blanket was kind of pulling them together a bit. Plus, he smelled divine. She took in another deep breath just to smell the sweet pine scent again, even though the cold burned her nose.
His hand was on his leg, but his pinky rested up against her thigh. As they drove past all the beautiful lights people had used to decorate their houses and yards, his finger moved, hesitantlyat first, brushing so slightly against her jeans, sending thrills up her spine. It was the slightest touch, but it felt monumental.
She hesitated a very long moment, then decided to just take a gamble and reached for his hand. She heard him suck in a breath like she had surprised him, but then he entwined his fingers in hers as the music played and the lights sparkled, and a light snow drifted down from the sky.
“Hey, Aiden,” Katie said as she took a seat next to him and Bailey. “Are you going to dress this cute dog of yours up for the pet costume parade?”
Aiden looked to Noelle. So she nodded and said, “You bet we are. My gran-gran and I used to dress up her dog Daisy every year—it’s so much fun.”
He grinned and turned back to Katie, so she said, “Can I interview you for the video I’m putting together to watch on Christmas Eve?”
“Yes!” Aiden said, pumping a fist. “I was hoping I’d get to be in it!”
With her phone aimed at Aiden, Katie said, “What’s your favorite part about Christmas?”
“Being with my mom.” He paused for a moment, then he added, “And making decorations, like the snowflakes that are hanging from our ceiling. And doing all of the activities with Uncle Jack and Noelle.”
“You’re new to this hayride,” Katie said. “Tell us about how you’re joining us this year, so when we watch this when we’re old and gray, we’ll remember why.”
“Well,” Aiden said, settling against the hay bale at his back, his voice ringing out loud and clear, “I heard my mom telling Uncle Jack that she wanted me to do fun Christmas things, and he got Noelle to help. At first, my mom wasn’t all the way happy about that, but only because we hadn’t met Noelle yet.
“ButMrs. Sowards brought us over a meal one night. They thought I was in my room, but I was actually sitting under the kitchen table. And I heard Mom tell Mrs. Sowards that she was glad that Jack asked Noelle for help because Jack has been more smiley since he started hanging out with Noelle.
“And,” Aiden said in a whisper loud enough that everyone on both trailers heard—and probably her dad, too, since he had his window rolled down, “she thinks he’s pretty much in love with her. You know, the kind of love where there’s kissing and marriage and sneaking food off each other’s plates.”
Noelle felt Jack stiffen.
Rachel gasped. “Aiden!”
“What? I whispered it, so they didn’t hear.”
Then Rachel turned to her and Jack. “I am so sorry. And I didn’t say anything about the kissing and plates and marriage thing. That was all him.”
There was an uncomfortable, awkward silence. But also, it came with a feeling of hope.
Her dad must’ve either heard Aiden or sensed the tension because he pulled over to the side of the road, giving everyone something else to think about.
“Hop off for a caroling stop!” her mom called out, and everyone threw off their blankets and got off of the trailer, the two dogs included.
“Are you coming?” Noelle asked Jack.
