Hi, everyone! You might recognize a character here from chapter 3 in Autumn in Beallsville - I thought it might be nice if he made another appearance for Christmas. Thanks for reading as we get closer and closer to the holiday!


Lights


Mac was thoroughly enjoying her stroll through the Beallsville Festival of Lights. There was an enormous Christmas tree and a beautiful display of candles, but it was actually more of a market where the local vendors gathered in the town square to sell a variety of Christmas goods and sweets.

When Harm and his grandmother weren't looking, Mac couldn't resist picking up one of the sweet jelly rolls dipped in powdered sugar. She slipped the vendor a couple of dollars and nibbled happily on her treat.

"Perhaps the pretty lady would like a glass of wine to wash down the sweet roll tonight?"

Mac smiled politely at the old man sitting in the next booth. "Oh, no, thank you, sir."

"All homegrown and homemade. Sammy makes Beallsville's wine right here in town."

"Oh, that's right," Mac said. "The grapes come from Sarah Rabb's farm."

Sammy squinted at her with a critical eye. "Oh, Sammy knows who you are," he said in a wheedling tone.

He reached out and shook her hand heartily, but Mac looked at him quizzically.

"Sarah," she stated, shaking his hand, "but you can call me Mac."

"Oh, Sammy knows your name." The old man's eyes twinkled. "And Sammy also knows that you are Harmon Rabb, Junior's intended."

Mac blushed. "Well…I don't know about that, Sammy."

"Oh, Sammy knows just by the way he looks at you. It's the same look his father used to give Miss Patricia."

Suddenly, Sammy held up a finger as if a light bulb were going off inside his head, and he turned away from Mac to rummage through some of the other boxes in his booth.

"Aha!" Sammy triumphantly pulled a dark blue bottle out of one of the boxes. "Vintage sparkling mineral water," he said, offering the bottle to Mac with a smile. "No alcohol at all. Sammy swears."

Mac tilted her head to regard him curiously. "How did you know?"

"Sammy always knows," he replied proudly. "And Sammy wishes you a very Merry Christmas."