Their First Noel by Annie Jones

that I told you his real first name was Wallace, he’d never speak to me again. Of course, right now he only speaks to me when he comes here for Christmas so I suppose I’m safe. Why do you ask?”
    â€œThat’s the big question, isn’t it? Why do I ask?” Clearly her mom didn’t think she’d find her father. Corrie had no idea what she would say or do if she did find him. “I guess that’s something I’m going to have to figure out if I ever hope to get any real answers.”

Chapter Six
    C orrie didn’t get any better answers at the chili supper. Nobody knew any family with the last name of Wallace. All the while she went around meeting people and trying to work that into the conversation, Andy pushed up his sweater sleeves and dove in, setting up tables, corralling kids, even taking out the trash.
    Corrie couldn’t understand this man. He seemed so determined to do everything himself when it came to restoring the inn but never hesitated to be of service to others. On the surface it looked like such an honorable trait, but Corrie’s experience told her that people who did not understand the importance of give and take could make life very hard on those who cared about them.
    In such a short time Andy McFarland had done so much for her, she thought as she waited by the door for him to get Greer ready to go out into the cold night air. If Corrie could get Andy to accept a little help, he’d be so much happier. That’s all she wanted to do, she justified, leave him a little happier when she went home to South Carolina. That’s how she would thank him for helpingher look for her dad and with the gingerbread inn. Yes, that’s what she would do.
    â€œGive and take.” She smiled to herself.
    â€œDid you say something?” Andy asked as he ushered Greer out the door past Corrie after they had eaten.
    â€œI was just…coming up with a new plan.”
    â€œAll right!” He held the door open for her. “Care to share it with me?”
    â€œI’m, uh, still working on it,” she said in all honesty as she walked outside and the cold air ruffled her hair and made the tip of her nose tingle. “Sometimes you have to see the way things might work together before you really know how to proceed, you know?”
    â€œThe way things work together?” He let the door fall shut with a thud.
    â€œOr maybe how they don’t work?” she ventured, knowing that wasn’t quite what she meant, either. She laced her gloved fingers together. “Look, you’re the big Mr. Fix it. Surely you’ve had to take a look at a project and come at it from a different angle from time to time. Take what you know works and what you think should work and compare it to what isn’t working and—”
    â€œI’m going to run ahead and get us a good spot,” Greer announced. “Here, will you hold this for me, Corrie?” She pushed her school backpack into Corrie’s hands even as she took off down the sidewalk.
    â€œWalk, Greer. Don’t push. Stay where I can see you,” he called out as the young girl made her way to the park not half a block away. “Sorry.” He turned to Corrie and motioned for her to walk with him. “She’s all worked up.”
    â€œThat’s okay.” She slung the backpack over one armalong with her purse. “I wasn’t saying anything important. Just thinking out loud.”
    â€œNo, no. You made a lot of sense in your own special way. I think I get it. You’re saying sometimes you have to figure out why something broke before you can restore it.” He spoke with enthusiasm as they walked along, as though energized by the concept. “And I think that might be what I need to do with the gingerbread inn.”
    â€œShh, you don’t want anyone to hear you talking about your working with me on my contest entry.” She put her finger to her