Free A Callahan Carol by Geralyn Dawson, Emily March Page A

grandfather’s house as he waited for his father to open the built-in tool box on his truck.
    Johnny’s cousin, nine-year-old Samantha, put her hands on her hips and frowned at the facade of Callahan House. “Grandpa Branch is sad. My mama says he’s lost his belief in miracles because no one has been able to find Uncle John. Christmas is all about miracles.”
    Johnny spied a big black beetle crossing the driveway. He ran to it and squashed it with his tennis shoe. “My mom says he’ll be really mad when he gets home and sees that we’ve decorated and put up the Wonderland.”
    “My mom says the same thing.” Samantha tucked a strand of curly red hair behind her ear as she stood patiently beside the truck.
    “Your mothers are brilliant women.” Johnny’s dad, Matt Callahan, handed child-sized leather tool belts to his son and niece.
    “So...why are we trying to make Grandpa mad?” Johnny asked as he buckled the belt around his waist.
    Matt gazed out over the lawn. “We’re not trying to make him angry, but the fact is, he can’t cancel Christmas. Not the Callahan Wonderland display, anyway. It’s a tradition in this town.
    It’s important to our friends and neighbors.”
    Samantha’s freckled nose bobbed up and down as she nodded. “Mrs. Branson told my mom that for her family, it wouldn’t be Christmas without a visit to the Wonderland.”
    “I know I would miss it.” Johnny followed his father’s gaze out over the huge, empty lawn at Cavanaugh House and imagined how it would look at the end of the day. “Did you love the Wonderland when you were a boy, Dad?”
    “Absolutely. I still love it.”
    “Me, too!” Samantha said.
    “Me, three!” Johnny agreed, then added, “I wonder if Stinkweed will love it four.”
    “Better not let your mom hear you calling your sister that again, Johnny,” Matt Callahan cautioned. The toddler’s real name was Daisy. Johnny’s parents had adopted her last fall after the girl’s parents died in a plane crash.
    “She calls her Buttercup,” Johnny protested.
    His dad shook his head, then asked, “You ready to get to work?”
    Samantha nodded and Johnny called out, “I’m ready!”
    To illustrate, he pulled the kid-sized hammer out of its loop and smashed a pecan lying at the edge of the driveway, then he kicked it into the grass in just about the spot where they would put Santa’s workshop. “Dibs on putting Santa’s feet in the bucket.”
    Samantha folded her arms and scowled. “Hey, no fair! You did it last year.”
    Matt frowned at Johnny over the top of his sunglasses. “It’s Samantha’s turn.”
    Johnny sighed. Darn. He’d hoped they wouldn’t think of that. Putting Santa’s feet in the bucket was the final step in decorating his grandpa’s house for Christmas, sorta like putting the star on the top of the Christmas tree. It was special.
    Oh, well. The whole day was special. Excitement added a skip to Johnny’s step as he followed his dad toward the storage building in the backyard.
    The Callahan Christmas Wonderland yard decorations were the oldest and the biggest and the best in Brazos Bend. Johnny’s great-grandmother had begun the collection back in the 1930's and his grandmother had continued the tradition and added to it. Now the displays filled the entire yard, and Grandpa Branch’s yard was humongous.
    People drove from all over the county to see the Wonderland at Callahan House at Christmas. Samantha’s twin sister Catherine said that people even drove over from Fort Worth to see the show. Johnny didn’t know if he believed that–Catherine told stories a lot–but cars did line up for blocks.
    The hinges on the Christmas storage shed squeaked loudly as his dad opened the door. Johnny peeked inside, then gasped with delight at his first sight of the bubble robot. Next to the last decoration in the display--Santa’s workshop where a tired Santa sits in a rocker and soaks his feet on Christmas morning– the bubble-blowing