Their First Noel by Annie Jones Page B

took the microphone. She hushed the crowd with an upraised hand. “I’d like to welcome you all…”
    Corrie couldn’t concentrate on a single syllable, much less make sense of whole sentences with Andy moving in so close. A strand of her hair got swept up by the wooly softness of his coat’s lapel. The bulky buttons pressed through the thickness of her coat into her back.
    The mayor went on. “Fourteen years ago…”
    Andy raised his voice to make himself heard to her ears alone above the mayor’s speech. “Sure. I’m not disputing that God answers prayers. But not like that, right? You don’t just send up an order and suddenly there’s—”
    â€œCorrie Bennington!”
    People around them began to applaud.
    â€œCorrie?” Ellie Walker beckoned her toward the bandstand. “Come on up here and press the button that turns on the light display you organized.”
    â€œMe?” Corrie gripped the straps of her purse and Greer’s backpack.
    A smattering of applause began to build around her.
    â€œYes, you! You didn’t think I was praising the talent and good taste of my fellow committee folks, did you? Half of them didn’t even vote for me last election. How clever could they be?” She laughed at her own joke. “We wanted to thank you for all your help today and let you know that as far as we’re concerned you can stay here until—”
    â€œUntil it’s time to take the decorations down again,” a gruff old voice shouted out.
    â€œThat should come ’round March,” shouted a second voice from the crowd.
    More laughter.
    Only for once in her life Corrie didn’t feel like rushing in and joining the impromptu joking. She had just figured out what she wanted to do where Andy was concerned and that involved playing it low key so as not to embarrass him and make him shut down.
    â€œSurely there’s someone local who deserves it morethan I do.” She retreated a step and bumped into Andy’s broad chest.
    â€œYou’re welcome to bring Andy up here with you.” The mayor smiled like she was in on a secret as she motioned for both of them to come forward.
    â€œShe’s not my girlfriend.” Andy held his hands up as if he needed to prove he didn’t have any claim on her.
    â€œYou really do not have to keep saying that,” Corrie grumbled over her shoulder to him. Then she spoke up, intending for the mayor and everyone else to hear. “I just think that—”
    â€œI’ll do it!” Greer raised her hand and jumped up and down from one foot to the other.
    â€œGreat idea. Let Greer do it.” Corrie nudged the child front and center.
    No one would have the heart to say no to the adorable child whose mother was detained helping others create families. Off the hook. No more chances for anyone to make cracks about her being Andy’s girlfriend or for him to deny it. This was the best way to keep her distance from Andy.
    Greer rushed up the steps.
    The crowd showed their approval with a new round of applause, some murmuring and appreciative laughter.
    Greer soaked it up with a wave and a smile so bright Corrie forgot about the cold. Or maybe that was because Andy put his hand on her shoulder and leaned in to whisper, “Thank you for doing that. You can tell it means the world to her.”
    â€œAnd takes the focus off you and me,” she whispered back.
    â€œCorrie, I just wanted to—”
    â€œShh, everybody. This is it.” Greer stuck the tip of her tongue out and pressed the big red button on the extension cord.
    Every eye lifted to the wires and bulbs lining the gazebo.
    Nothing. Darkness.
    Greer tried it again and then again to no avail. “Hey, this thing doesn’t work.”
    Corrie let the backpack and purse slide to the sidewalk as she rushed up to the child. “Sweetie, I’ve found that if things won’t work the