Slay Bells - Hildie McQueen Page 0,26

the snowmobile.

Gabriela let out a breath and sat on the bed, too shaken to move. Something like this had never happened to her in the city.

When in college, she’d had to report a guy who had tried to force himself on her. She’d reported him and for weeks, the guy had harassed and tried to intimidate her. Another time a friend had been mugged while they shopped together. It was horrible and scary, but that was the extent of her experience with crime. Now, personally being part of a crime investigation was terrifying.

As expected, there were knocks on her front door a moment later and she shuffled to the front door peeking out before opening it.

“You okay?” Jeremy asked as the dogs hurried past her and began to sniff. “The dogs heard someone sneaking around.”

“Did you catch him? Whoever it was tried the doorknob, but didn’t seem too intent on breaking in.”

“No, they had a car parked nearby. I got the make and model. It was Mark Rutledge. Called it in, waiting to hear if they pulled him over.”

Gabriela motioned for him to come in and closed the door. “I suppose you’re going to tell me to move into the big house.”

When he leaned closer and pressed a kiss to her lips, she couldn’t help relaxing against him. The man was an amazing kisser. “Up to you. This time Mark will be locked up longer.”

“I’m packing.”

Chapter Nine

It was the first night of the five day Winter Festival. Many man-hours of work and preparation were about to pay off by the line of cars pulling into the parking areas.

Gabriela, along with Natalie and Natalie’s sister Rita stood at the front porch of the main house watching the parking attendants guiding traffic.

Soon the Hawkins’ along with Gabriela would climb onto a huge sleigh and be pulled by a team of enormous plow horses to the festival. The team of four horses pranced in place, seeming excited at wearing collars decorated with lights and huge bells. The harness was also lit up with lights and garland, as was the sleigh.

Although it was not her event, tingles of excitement and goose bumps traveled up and down Gabriela’s arms and spine.

“How can you be so calm? I’m about to pass out from excitement. People are going to flip out when they see how beautiful everything is,” Gabriela exclaimed.

Natalie held a shaky hand out. “I’m not calm.”

Unlike her sister, Rita was shorter with curly short hair. She drank from a thermos that Gabriela suspected wasn’t hot chocolate. “I bet they will buy out all the ornaments before the night is out. Those little Broken Creek post boxes are so cute. I put several aside for myself.”

“I agree,” Gabriela said. She’d already purchased some for herself, her mother, her Nana, and Mila. Natalie had told her, she didn’t have to pay for them, but she’d insisted.

“It’s time,” Rick came out of the house and helped them onto the sleigh. The short ride was something she’d never forget.

An hour later, welcome speeches were completed. Rick and Natalie announced it would be their last year hosting the event, which sent the crowd into a tizzy. Finally, it was announced the festival would continue, but the new coordinators were yet to be finalized. The second announcement seemed to mollify the crowd somewhat.

Even with the huge light displays, sleigh rides and crafts fair in full affect, the souvenir table was mobbed and as Rita predicted, every single ornament was sold within hours.

“Goodness, I ordered five hundred of them. Now I won’t have any for the next week.” Natalie frowned. “I’ll order more and see if they can get them here before Christmas. I can always have any leftovers sold at local businesses.”

Gabriela caught sight of Jeremy here and there. Throughout the night, both he and his father were constantly rushing around answering questions and helping with things.

Later that night, Natalie invited Gabriela to go on a sleigh ride. Along with Jeremy’s sister, Molly, who Gabriela had met several times. Molly was a younger replica of Natalie. Pretty, witty and very pregnant.

They settled into cushy seats and were given thick blankets to cover up with. As the horses pulled the sleigh along the path, there was a chill in the air that added to the magic of the bells ringing, the thousands of lights strung overhead and the soft Christmas music that floated from hidden speakers.

“I am going to miss you being with us,” Natalie said to Gabriela. “I can’t wait to