The last days before Christmas were packed with lots of last minute shopping, cooking and laughter. Sarah was happy for the last-minute holiday rush. It kept her aunt from prying into wounds that were too fresh to uncover just yet. Maybe in a year or ten, they’d be healed enough. Maybe.

By Christmas Eve morning Sarah was exhausted, but happily so. She had put the finishing touches on her gifts for Aunt Jo, Carl and Ellen, Davie, and Cody just this morning. She’d left them all under the tree, but she planned to head over to drop off her gifts for the Hayes family the day after Christmas. Except for Davie’s. She didn’t want Cody’s son to think she’d forgotten him at Christmas. She’d gotten him his own Stetson, a miniature version of the one his father wore. She would drop that off tonight after she and Aunt Jo were done in town.

“Sarah,” Aunt Jo called. “Grab those last three fruitcakes off the counter, and let’s get a move on. Dinner service is set for six.”

She turned and grabbed the fruitcakes then met her aunt at the front door. They were off to the church to serve up Christmas Eve dinner and hear the choir sing. On the way home, they would deliver meals to Aunt Jo’s homebound neighbors.

“I’ll put those in the back while you grab your coat,” Aunt Jo said.

“Alright,” Sarah said and handed over the sweets. She grabbed her coat off the hook by the door, slid it on, and walked outside, pulling the door closed behind her.

Aunt Jo slid behind the wheel of her vintage VW van, now loaded down with enough food to feed a small army. Sarah walked to the passenger’s side and got in, just as her aunt’s phone rang. That phone was the reason they were running behind. First, Sarah’s parents had called to wish them both a Merry Christmas, from Bangladesh. Then Mary, who closed her deal but didn’t make it to her Vail vacation, because the wilds of Montana were much more interesting. Then Cami. Then a dozen other friends.

“Hello,” Aunt Jo said. Followed by a lot of “uh-huhs” and “hmms.” Then, “We’ll be done by ten. Will that do?”

“Who was that?” Sarah asked once she’d hung up and started the van.

“Just one of the parishioners who can’t get out tonight. They asked me to drop something off for them.”

“Really?” Sarah asked. Because it seemed like more than that type of conversation.

But Aunt Jo remained mute as she drove towards Love’s town square and the little church that stood one corner. The church, when they arrived, was already wreathed in chaos and a cacophony of Christmas wishes. Sarah unloaded the van, rolled up her sleeves, and dove in.

If nothing else the chaos would keep her mind off the newly formed cracks in her heart.

* * *

“You said we weren’t going to see our Sarah again before Christmas,” Davie said as his father bundled him into a jacket then tried to get shoes on his feet. One thing Cody learned since having Davie with him is that it took for freaking ever to get out the door. There was no get up and just go when you had a child in tow.

“Well, I thought we’d surprise our Sarah and wish her Merry Christmas in person.” Cody looked up at his son when he realized what Davie had said, and what he had parroted back as he tied the laces on his son’s shoes. “Our Sarah?”

“Well she fits with you dad. And if your homestead is ours, then I figured your Sarah could be ours too.”

“Out of the mouth of babes,” Cody’s mother said. “Even your son can see she’s the women you were meant to put those roots down with.”

“I’m not a babe,” Davie said with indignation.

“No, you’re not,” Cody assured his son. “You are a very smart boy. Much smarter than your dad.” Cody turned to his mother and added, “And I already figured that out for myself. Depending on what happened tonight, I’d like to talk to you and dad about the homestead and some ideas I have that might keep the place in the family.”

Ellen Hayes smiled at her son even as tears filled her eyes. “You’re starting to see the possibilities, aren’t you son?”

“That and the value of roots. Now I just need to get her to agree to plant some with me.” Cody turned to his son and asked, “Ready to go?”

Davie nodded. Cody took his son’s hand in his and headed out the door.

“Good luck, son.” His parents’ voices followed them down the front steps to the graveled driveway.

He buckled Davie in the truck then got in. He started the truck and pulled out of the drive onto the road. Cody was amazed he didn’t get a ticket as he pushed the speed limit on every street until he reached the white steepled church at the center of town.

He squeezed into a parking spot a block away from the church then he got out of the truck and hauled Davie out after him. Holding his son’s hand, he broke into a walk-jog that had Davie trotting to keep up. But the pace didn’t seem to bother him. His son was as anxious to find Sarah as Cody was.

The last notes of Joy to World were ringing out as they got to the church. Cody, grabbed the door with his free hand and opened it as people began to spill outside. He pulled Davie close and watched for one particular blonde head in the crowd.

She bumped right into him as she stepped outside. He and Davie both reached forward to steady her. Cody smiled and said, “Sarah.”

A startled “Oh,” squeaked out then she threw her arms around both him and his son. “I’m so glad you’re here. Both of you. Can we go somewhere else?” she asked. “I’d like to discuss some of those possibilities we talked about.”

“I’d like to discuss those possibilities too. Starting with the possibility of you becoming Mrs. Cody Hayes.”

“What?” Sarah squeaked again.

“Will you marry me, help me learn to be a good father, and plant roots with me?”

Tears welling in her eyes, Sarah shouted, “Yes, yes and yes!” Then she wrapped her arms around his neck and kissed him full on the lips in front of half the population of Love, Texas. No mistletoe needed.

Cody returned the kiss tenfold until he felt a tug on his jacket and pulled himself away from Sarah’s deliciously tempting mouth.

“Why was our Sarah yelling at you? And why are you kissing her?” Davie asked.

Heart still pounding, Cody smiled down at his son and said, “Our Sarah just agreed to marry me and become a Hayes, too.”

“Awesome! Can we do the honeyed moon here?” Davie said.

“Sure, we can. I think Love is the perfect place for a wedding. And a honeyed moon.” Sarah smiled her magical smile at the little boy who, Cody suspected, already owned pieces of her heart and added, “In fact, I think Love just might be the perfect place to put down roots.”

And Cody heartily agreed.