Miss Edna jerked her arm away from the grasp of a young man who looked to be in high school. “I don’t need any assistance. I’m not ready for my grave just yet, young man. Now get out of my way. I have some important business to take care of.”
The feisty old woman tottered to the switch and held up her hands for silence. The chatter gradually subsided with some shushing assistance from the crowd.
“Before I light this tree, I want to remind everyone that we’re going straight over to the train depot for the part as soon as I do this.” Miss Edna said in a surprisingly strong voice for such an old woman. “And I want everyone to know that I made plenty of my Christmas punch, so we won’t run out before the party’s over.”
A roar went up from the crowd.
Gage leaned close and whispered in her ear. “She’s definitely a feisty gal. I guess they grow them that way in this town.”
Holly Grace hid a giggle behind her hand. It wouldn’t do for Miss Edna to see her laughing and take offense.
“And now,” Miss Edna yelled. “Merry Christmas, everyone!” She flipped the switch and the thirty-foot-tall evergreen immediately glowed with twinkle lights in multiple color
The old woman tottered to the edge of the platform, stepped down and moved in the direction of the train depot with the crowd following behind. For all the world like an aged pied piper.
Holly Grace sighed, then felt Gage’s eyes on her. She looked up into his face.
“You love this, don’t you?” He asked, using his free hand to trace her cheekbone with his fingers.
She shivered. Not from cold, but from the gentle touch of his hand on her face.
“Yes.” She answered, not sure if she meant the tree or his hand touching her. And not sure she cared which way he took her answer.
His fingers slipped beneath her chin, tilting her face toward him. He leaned in and then hesitated as though waiting to see if she would pull away. She half closed her eyes, and within a moment his lips met hers in a gently exploratory kiss. She felt it all the way through her body. The rightness of it. She took a small step closer to him and he released the hand he had still been holding and circled his arm around her waist pulling her closer as he deepened the kiss.
Her arms slid up around his neck, tangling in his hair as she pulled his face closer to better enjoy the moment. Just as she rose to her tiptoes, a flash went off close by.
She and Gage broke apart like a couple of teenagers who’d been sneaking around. Holly Grace whirled around to find Piper hold her cellphone in position to snap another picture.
“Not funny, Piper.” She said.
“Come on, you two.” Piper answered. “Ian’s waiting for us at the train depot. We have to make sure Gage gets some of Miss Edna’s famous Christmas punch.”
