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

robot was his absolute favorite.
    His dad handed a coil of yellow extension cord to him and a plastic tub full of twinkle lights to Samantha. “All right, you two.
    You know the drill.”
    “Yes, sir, Uncle Matt.” Sam toted the bin toward the front yard. Johnny looped the cord around his shoulder and followed.
    Johnny had made three trips between the shed and the front yard when another pickup rolled to the curb and parked. The doors opened. Two men climbed out. Both wore jeans and flannel shirts and looked so much alike that, as usual, Johnny had trouble telling them apart.
    The truck was Uncle Luke’s so he guessed that the driver, wearing the blue shirt, must be him. The uncle in the red shirt waved and said, “Hey, Chip. What’s with the empty yard? I thought you were going to have all the work done before we got here.”
    Now, Johnny was sure which uncle was which. Uncle Mark was the one who liked to call him Chip (as in chip off the old block). “You know what Dad says, Uncle Mark. That’s what you get for thinking.”
    “Where’s your cousin?” Uncle Luke held up a purple TCU
    Horned Frogs windbreaker. “Her mom sent a jacket for her.”
    “Here I am, Daddy.” Samantha came around the corner of the house with another box of lights. “I don’t need a jacket.”
    He tossed her the windbreaker. “Put it on anyway so I don’t get into trouble.”
    With his uncles’ arrival, work began in earnest. Soon the Old Woman in the Shoe display had joined the Bubble Robot, along with the Gingerbread House and Snow White and the Seven Dwarves. When the Christmas shed was empty, Johnny’s dad made a phone call and within minutes the work crew from Brazos Bend Electric arrived. Next, the big truck from Brazos Bend Storage showed up. It held the displays that were too big to fit in the Christmas shed.
    While the crew unloaded the truck and the head electrician directed the installation, Dad and Uncle Luke went to work stringing lights on Grandpa Branch’s house. The kids helped Uncle Mark place the lights on the bushes. With the setting of every spotlight, the connection of each new string of lights, Johnny’s excitement grew. It was hard but exciting work. Within hours they’d turned Callahan House into the familiar–and magical– Callahan Christmas Wonderland.
    Johnny was so proud he’d been born a Callahan.
    “What time is the Christmas play rehearsal at church supposed to be over?” he asked Samantha as they ate peanut butter sandwiches for lunch.
    “Not until 1:00,” she replied, swiping at a smear of grape jam with the back of her hand. “I’m so glad Mom isn’t making me do that this year. I always had to be a shepherd.”
    Johnny wasn’t in the play this year, either. Being on stage made him feel like throwing up, so Dad said he didn’t have to do it anymore. He glanced at the clock. “I hope they get here pretty soon. I heard my mom tell your mom that we’d better have everything done before Grandpa Branch comes home.”
    At 1:20, Johnny’s mother and aunts arrived with more of his cousins–Catherine, their little sister Savannah, and Uncle Mark’s kids, Emma and Tanner. Uncle Mark’s son Chris was grown up and he’d taken Grandpa Branch to the Dallas Cowboy football game, which was why the family had been able to assemble the Wonderland without interference.
    They put the finishing touches on the Wonderland, and the family gathered around when Samantha put Santa’s feet in the bucket. Everyone cheered, then headed inside where the women took charge of decorating. Aunt Maddie hung the Christmas stockings, Aunt Annabelle put up the wreaths, and Johnny’s Mom wrapped a fresh evergreen garland around the banister of the staircase. Callahan House began to smell like Christmas. Then it was time to tackle the tree.
    Johnny heard his mother tell Uncle Luke, “No telling what we’re going to find in the library. I almost wish Mark wasn’t so handy picking locks.”
    “Hey now,” Luke