Wrapped Up in Christmas Joy - Janice Lynn Page 0,50

mom had gone through too much with Sophie’s dad, apparently, to risk loving again. The two were friendly, as you’d expect from two people in the same social circle in a small town, but there had never been anything more than friendship.

Sophie glanced at where William Smith sat talking with Uncle George. Yeah, it really was too bad the two had never noticed each other romantically as she’d applaud that union.

“What about you, Bodie? You and Harry headed to William’s?” Maybelle asked, her brow quirked high as she regarded him with great affection. It had taken Maybelle awhile to warm to Bodie, but ever since she had, she’d begun treating him as a favored son.

Petting his dog, Bodie shook his head. “Not this year. Sarah and I decided Thanksgiving night was a tradition we were going to keep just between her and her dad, at least for the time being. Down the road, after the wedding, we may relook at it.”

Maybelle nodded her approval, apparently pleased that Bodie encouraged Sarah to maintain her special bond with her father.

“Besides, you’ve seen the Christmas trees at Hamilton House. I’ve done more than my share of decorating.” He sent an indulgent glance toward Sarah. “Guess I’ll be doing lots more over the years to come, though.”

Sophie needed to get with it on decorating her own tree. Isabelle and her mother enjoyed the holidays, but not like Sophie. Sophie loved Christmas: the bright lights, the music, the parties, the On-the-Square festival and parade. And the tree lighting. She liked that, too.

She was excited to put up and decorate a tree, but she just hadn’t gotten around to it yet. She’d been busy working on her latest quilt; making Petdanas as they’d seen a spike in orders, probably due to the holidays; getting things ready for her Quilts of Valor Foundation booth at the Christmas festival; and planning for the Make Your Own Christmas Stockings class she’d be teaching the following Tuesday evening. And every day for the past week, she’d been putting in extra-long hours at the shop to help others stock supplies for all of their own projects.

Tomorrow, they’d open earlier than their usual nine, having their annual The Threaded Needle Black Friday sale from eight until six, and then another big “shop local” sale on Saturday before they closed at noon for the On-the-Square Christmas Festival, tree lighting, and Christmas parade later that night.

Sophie might not have her tree up at home, yet, but the shop looked amazing. She’d stayed late several nights putting up more decorations for the town’s biggest Christmas event. For their window display, she’d done a red pillows-and-fabric fireplace display by pushing two thin shelves together and running a board across the top where she’d placed a row of brown and gray fabric bolts turned on their sides to look like layered bricks as a mantle on which she’d hung several of the stockings she’d made for her class. Next to it, as a tree, she’d created a Christmas-fabric-and-pillows display that she’d placed on a tall tiered triangular-shaped shelf that had the shape of a tree. She’d even put a giant bow on top and draped it downward. A Christmas quilt was draped over a wooden rocking chair in front of the “fireplace.” She’d been quite pleased with the overall look.

She loved how every business on the square decorated. The overall effect was a Christmas-card-worthy square that she was proud to be a part of.

As for their personal, family tree, she’d recruit her mother and Isabelle to help, and they’d get their tree up at home soon.

“You’re lost in thought. Wouldn’t be thinking of a certain firefighter, would you?” Sarah interrupted her thoughts.

Sophie felt heat rush to her face, then shook her head. “I was thinking about the shop and the parade and tree lighting this weekend. I hope I’ve done enough decorating. It’s important for every business to show our support for such a great community event.”

“Are you kidding me? I was in there yesterday buying fabric and was blown away by the window display that Isabelle told me you’d designed. Girl, it looks amazing and should be on a magazine cover.”

Sophie beamed. “Thank you. I love coming up with different ways to display our fabrics and sewn goods for sale.”

“Do you need me to do anything to help with the booth Saturday night?”

Sophie shook her head. “You’re already volunteering with the ornament hunt for the kids and the snowflake sale for the church. The last thing