“Butterflies,” Sarah corrected, glancing toward Claudia to see if she was eavesdropping. As one of the woman’s daughters was now visiting the booth, Claudia was too busy oohing and aahing over her grandson to have noticed anything else.

“Rosie is over at Lou’s food booth, plying him with her grandmother’s cinnamon bread,” Sarah told Bodie. “Apparently, Alberta Jennings invited him to go on a sleigh ride later tonight.”

“I bet that didn’t sit well,” Bodie mused.

“You’d win that bet. Although she’s refused to settle down since her last husband died, Lou is special to Rosie.”

“Nice enough fellow,” Bodie agreed.

Sarah knew Bodie stopped by the diner early most mornings. Even if he hadn’t told her, the Butterflies kept her posted about his comings and goings around town.

She thought they’d quit following him eventually, but they refused to quit dropping his name every chance they got.

“Maybelle should be this way in a bit,” Claudia added, letting Sarah know the woman had been following the conversation after all. “She’s having coffee with your father and that sweet couple from over on Bell Street while entertaining herself by watching Rosie hem and haw over Lou.”

Sarah could see it unfolding exactly that way. Her father would be discussing the weather or his upcoming Sunday sermon with the couple. Pretending to listen, Maybelle would be calmly sipping her coffee while enjoying the show—because if Alberta was making moves on Lou, Rosie would be fit to be tied.

Another customer arrived and Sarah waited on the woman, smiling and selling her five ornaments. While she wrapped them in tissue paper, she chatted with the woman and watched Bodie squat to pet Harry from her peripheral vision.

“Sarah, I hate to leave you alone, but would you be okay for a few minutes if I go to watch my granddaughter in the Little Miss Pine Hill Christmas pageant? I totally forgot about it when I signed up for this time frame.”

“I’ll help in the booth while you’re gone.”

Both Sarah and Claudia looked at Bodie in surprise. The customer Sarah was waiting on did, too.

“Thank you,” Claudia told him, looking pleased. “I’ll be back as quickly as I can.” She paused. “Actually, if those judges have eyes and a brain, I may be a while as I won’t be back here as long as my sweet girl is still in the running.”

“We’ll be fine,” Sarah assured her, bagging up the five ornaments and handing them to her customer. Another two had stepped up and were looking at ornaments.

While they were looking, Sarah motioned for Bodie and Harry to come around the table. Apparently remembering his spot from earlier, Harry went back to lie beneath the table, but kept his head up to take in what they were doing.