Cozy Hometown Christmas, page 7
Ida came over and selected one set of needles then unwound the yarn and looped one end around one of the needles. Dorothy watched as she deftly completed a few stitches.
“See, you just push the needle through the stitch, wrap the yarn around, and pull under. It’s easy.” Ida handed the needles back to Dorothy.
“Yes, I remember now. It’s like riding a bike. You never forget!” Dorothy started to repeat the stitches, slowly at first but then gaining a nice rhythm.
Ida sat back down and picked up her own knitting, which appeared to be a hat in pale-pink yarn. “So how are things going, Dorothy? You must love Kristen being home.”
Dorothy smiled. “Yes, it’s so nice to have her around. And she’s being so helpful with the business.”
Ida nodded. “Yes, just like Julie. We’re so lucky to have them.”
A fluffy white cat streaked into the room, stopped short at the pink ball of yarn at Ida’s feet, and whacked it across the room.
“Oh, I see you have one of these mischievous little buggers too,” Dorothy said.
“That’s Kringle. Julie got him. He is quite a little devil.” Ida looked at the cat fondly. “I remember Myrtle saying that you adopted a cat from her.”
“George. He’s a little devil too.” Dorothy’s heart warmed at the thought of the furry cat. She actually hadn’t been sure if things would work out with him, but now she couldn’t imagine living without him. “Where is Myrtle?”
“She went for the sleigh ride tonight.”
“The sleigh ride?” Marsha looked up from her knitting. “I used to love going on that, but now I leave that for the younger folks. Too cold.”
“Myrtle usually does too. However, she has some kittens that might need to be fostered, and I think she’s hoping to foist them off on someone, since a lot of the townspeople will be there.” Ida laughed.
“Oh, boy, I hope Derek doesn’t come home with them,” said Naomi, who appeared to be making a rainbow-colored afghan.
“Maybe she’ll be able to talk the new guy into taking them.” Ida glanced at Dorothy. “You know, the one that lives across from you. Kent, I think his name is.”
“The guy who owns that new Christmas tree store?” Marsha asked. Then she turned to Delores. “Dorothy here owns the Christmas tree farm in town. It’s a mainstay of our Christmas season. Their family has operated it for generations. Now, a new guy has come to town and opened a Christmas store with artificial trees, and his house is right across the street from her!”
“I do hope he hasn’t stocked too many of those artificial trees. Everyone loves Dorothy’s balsam firs.” Naomi looked at Dorothy as if to show her support then looked back at her knitting. “He does have some nice ornaments though.”
“I haven’t seen Ethan putting any trees out in the lot. Aren’t they usually out by now?” Marsha asked.
Dorothy’s stomach fluttered. “Usually, we put them out a couple of weeks before Christmas. We don’t have a set date,” she said vaguely. She hadn’t thought people would’ve noticed.
“I can’t wait to pick mine out. We’ve already gotten some wreaths from you,” Marsha said.
Thank goodness the trees from which we got the evergreen boughs for the wreaths were fairly healthy, Dorothy thought.
“I suppose it’s been busy with Kristen coming back. We have to remember to give Dorothy time to get everything set up and running. This is still fairly new to her, and they need to get a process going,” Ida said sympathetically.
“Yes, don’t worry.” Dorothy frowned down at her project, which appeared to be coming out a little lopsided. “We’re just working things out, but we’ll have the trees out in plenty of time for everyone to get one.”
Kristen had her father’s plans for the skating pond laid out on the kitchen table and was taking pictures of them with her cell phone when her mother arrived home from the knitting club.
“Are you home from the sleigh ride already? I thought maybe you might go out with Ivy and Julie afterward.” Dorothy put down the tote bag.
A jumbled knitted mess spilled out of the top. What was that? A sock? A sweater? Hopefully just a practice piece.
“Did you have a good time?” Dorothy asked.
Kristen had had a good time, but when the sleigh had gone past the skating pond, she’d realized that, even though she could see her father’s plans on paper, she wanted to actually go to the site and visualize how her design would look in person.
Of course, she’d seen the skating pond after he’d decorated it many times. In fact, she’d even helped him, but having a visual and putting it together would help her figure out how many trees she wanted and where to place them as well as get an idea of the number of lights she might need.
“I did have a really good time. But Ivy has Malcolm and Julie has Nolan, and it just felt weird. I didn’t really want to be a fifth wheel.” She didn’t mention that she actually wouldn’t have been a fifth wheel had she gone out with them because Mason had been there. She hadn’t wanted to get stuck on a pseudo-date with him.
“I’m glad you had a good time. I get the fifth-wheel thing, but you just had a big breakup, and over time, that feeling will go away.”
George came running out, and Dorothy picked him up and cuddled him like a baby. He purred in her arms, snaking out one paw to touch her chin gently.
“How was the knitting circle?” Kristen nodded toward the bag.
Dorothy put the cat down and took the knitted thing out of the bag.
“Look, I started a scarf!”
Her mother’s face was lit up with excitement, and Kristen didn’t have the heart to point out that it was crooked and had holes in it. Hopefully, her skills would improve before she knitted anything that she would expect Kristen to wear.
“Oh, that looks great. It’s a nice start.”
“I think so.”
George ran over to his dish and meowed, and Dorothy hurried to the cabinet to get some cat food and feed him.
“I’m going to head out to the skating pond.” Kristen gestured toward the plans. “I’ve taken some pictures of Dad’s plans, and I want to go refresh my memory about where everything is situated.”
“That’s a good idea. I saw people have been skating on it already, but it’s going to look much nicer with your decorations up.” Dorothy spoke as if Kristen had already won the competition.
Kristen didn’t remind her that the winner had yet to be decided. Mason had all but admitted that he hadn’t even done any planning toward the decorations, and their plans were due in three days, so there was a pretty good chance she would win.
She shrugged on her warm puffer jacket, pulled a hat onto her head, and put on thermal gloves. “I won’t be long.”
“Okay, dear. I might be in bed when you get home.”
Kristen let herself out. She couldn’t help but glance across the street, but the lights were all out in Mason’s house. She wondered if he was home or if he’d gone out with the others after the sleigh ride. When they’d invited him, he’d seemed just as hesitant as she had been.
As she drove away, she felt happy. She was glad her mom had joined the knitting club and was obviously quite pleased with her creation. Her mom was getting back to a productive life, and that was a good thing. Now she just needed to ensure this Christmas season was a success for the tree farm, and everything would be perfect.
Chapter 14
By the time Kristen got to the skating pond, most of the skaters had left. There was one couple twirling in the middle and a roaring fire in one of the firepits. Someone was sitting in front of the fire, and Kristen’s heart jolted when she realized it was Mason.
Her knee-jerk reaction was to run in the opposite direction, but her feet didn’t comply. Besides, she had come here to check out the area for her plans, and she intended to do just that.
As she stood there wavering, he looked up, and their eyes met. He smiled, the fire casting warm shadows on his face and highlighting the crinkles at the corners of his eyes.
“Fancy meeting you here.” He stood and gestured toward one of the chairs around the fire. “Have a seat. The fire’s nice.”
Kristen ventured farther and held her hands out to the fire. It was cold out, and during the short walk from the car to the skating pond, her fingertips had almost frozen. But even with the chilly air, the night was fantastic. She loved these nights. The stars seemed much brighter in a dark winter sky, and the blanket of snow made everything much cozier.
“What brings you here?” Kristen nodded toward the pond. “Do you skate?”
Mason laughed. “No. You wouldn’t want to see that unless you like to see someone fall down.” He sat back in his chair. “I just wanted to come and see the area in person. When we rode by it on the sleigh ride, I realized I should probably come and get a sense for the scale of what I’m going to be trying to decorate.”
Interesting. So they’d come for the same reason.
Kristen took a seat. Mason threw another log on the fire, causing sparks to fly up like winter fireflies. She should’ve been nervous, maybe even a bit standoffish, since he was her competitor, but she didn’t feel that way at all. Maybe it was the way her mother had said Kent wasn’t so bad or how Mason had helped Myrtle at the wreath making or how he’d given her the blanket on the sleigh ride even though she could tell he was cold. Either way, she was starting to think that maybe he wasn’t so bad either.
“What brings you here?” Mason asked.
“Same as you.” Kristen surveyed the area. “Scoping out the pond and the surrounding area. I have my father’s drawings, but there’s nothing like seeing things in person.”
“Yeah, it does make a difference. I didn’t realize it was that big an area.”
Kristen took a stick and poked at the fire, causing new sparks to fly out. “So your dad really wants the advertising sign from winning this contest, doesn’t he?”
Mason sat back and thought about that. “I guess so. Honestly, it’s the first thing I’ve seen him get excited about since Mom left.”
Kristen glanced up at him. His mom had left? She knew the big hole her dad passing away had left in their family, and she imagined it might be similar for his dad. “Oh, I’m sorry. My dad died two years ago, and I know it’s unsettling when both your parents aren’t together.”
Mason shrugged. “She left my dad a few years ago, and he’s been in a funk since then. Tinseltown is the first thing that’s picked up his spirits, so I want to help give him every opportunity to succeed.”
“That makes sense.”
She tossed the stick into the fire and sat back. So Mason and his father weren’t money-grubbing corporate types trying to steal business from the Woodwards. They were just a family trying to survive, just like hers. Maybe it wouldn’t be so bad if she didn’t win the contest. But then thoughts of her mother and her brother popped up. Her first loyalty was to them, and with a potential problem with the trees, they needed every edge they could get.
“So what are your plans for decorating the area?” Kristen wondered if he would tell her. She wasn’t expecting him to spill any secrets, but it might be nice to get a general idea to see if she had to up her game.
Mason laughed. “What are your plans?”
Kristen’s gaze narrowed. Was he trying to get her secret plans? But his expression was more amused than anything. It wouldn’t hurt to tell him a few vague details. “Some years, my dad went all out with tons of lights and decorations. Other times, he put up lots of extras like snowmen and blow-up Santas. I’m going to use a simple design with all-white lights. Along with the evergreens, I’m going to really play up the beauty of the oaks and maples.” Especially if there aren’t many evergreens to bring in.
“That sounds nice,” Mason said. “I want to show off Dad’s inventory, but I was thinking about going big on the color. Kind of like our front porch. I mean, I know my dad’s gone overboard there, but I feel like I want to utilize lots of ornaments and garland and lights because that’s what he sells in the store. Of course, I’ll set up a lot of his trees.”
Kristen’s stomach tightened at the mention of the trees, but she pushed away her worries. Of course she would have real trees to decorate the pond with. Ethan would see to it. “That sounds interesting.”
Kristen actually thought it sounded a little too busy. If it came out like their porch, it might be a bit over the top. Would Irene like that better than Kristen’s more subtle approach?
Mason studied Kristen’s face in the firelight. The flames made her blue eyes seem even brighter, and reflected in them, he could see a hint of concern. This contest was important to her, and he sensed she wasn’t sure how much she should tell him about her ideas for the pond design.
He was enjoying talking to her and didn’t want her to leave, so he changed the subject. “Ivy mentioned that you just recently moved back to town. How do you like it?”
“I love it,” Kristen said, her face lighting up. “It’s been really great to be back home and reconnecting with old friends. Even though the winters can be tough, there’s something special about a small-town Christmas.”
Mason nodded in agreement. The holiday season in Pinecone Falls was very different from in the city. In fact, it was different from most other towns he’d lived in. These people took festive to another level, but somehow, it wasn’t over the top—with the exception of his father’s porch. It was enchanting.
“I live in Philly usually. In the city. This is a nice break. I might be kind of sad to leave after the holiday.” Mason was surprised to find it was true. “Where did you live?”
“Chicago. I was a manager at a high-tech company. But my family needed me back here, and I’m glad to be back.”
Mason could get on board with the loyalty to her family. He felt the same about helping his father, though he wasn’t sure he’d actually move here. Kristen must have sacrificed her career, he thought. No wonder winning the skating decorating contest was so important to her.
He also sensed something else in her tone. Was it a hint of worry? Her family had been running the tree farm for generations. It was well established, unlike his father’s business. So what would they have to worry about?
There had been dry pine needles at the wreath-making contest, but he didn’t know if that was normal. He’d heard a few snatches of conversations around town in which people had been wondering when the Woodwards were going to put trees up for sale, but it was still a few weeks before Christmas, so he figured that was normal. But maybe something really was wrong. Then again, her father had just died a few years ago, and she was probably just worried about how things would work without him. Whatever it was, Mason was sympathetic.
“The tree farm must be a lot of work to keep up. My dad’s business is small, but it’s a lot for him to handle on his own.”
“It is,” Kristen said with a sigh. “But our family has been running it for so long I think I have sap in my blood.”
Mason laughed. Things couldn’t be too bad at the farm if she was joking about it. He added another log to the fire. It was getting late, but he didn’t want the conversation to end.
“Hopefully, when we get back, there won’t be any new additions on our porches.” Mason glanced over, hoping that Kristen was as amused as he was about the little contest their parents appeared to be having.
“I don’t know,” Kristen said with a twinkle in her eye. “Your dad seems pretty creative. I wouldn’t put it past him to add a few more things.”
Mason groaned. “Please tell me you’re kidding.”
Kristen laughed. “I am. But I have to admit, it’s been kind of fun seeing how far he’ll go.”
Mason shook his head. His father could be frustrating at times, but he loved him. “He does know how to put on a show.”
“I do owe him some thanks though.”
“You do?”
“Yep. It’s given my mom something to get involved in, and I like that. It’s been hard for her since Dad died, but I feel like she’s turning a corner.”
“I think it might be helping my father too. He’s been in a funk since Mom left. I know it’s nothing compared to losing a spouse, but I’m still glad to see his spirits lifted.”
“Oh, I think a spouse leaving is pretty traumatic too. Especially if you have been married a long time and raised a family together.” Kristen gestured toward Mason. “I don’t think what your dad went through should be minimized, and I’m glad he’s feeling better. I’m sure it was traumatic for you too. Even as adults, we still need our parents, and it’s scary when they split up.”
“Yeah, it was difficult having to support both of them. My mom was in the wrong, but I still love her. It’s been hard trying to get on board with her new boyfriend, and I was angry on my dad’s behalf.”
Kristen reached out and touched his arm, the sympathy in her eyes melting his heart. “I can imagine. Must have been awful.”
He was a bit surprised that Kristen was so sympathetic to his parents’ breakup. Maybe she had experienced a breakup like that herself.
He hadn’t asked Malcom or Ivy about her past even though he’d wanted to. He only knew that she didn’t have a boyfriend now. But a woman that beautiful, smart, and nice surely must have had plenty of them. Did part of the reason for her move back to Pinecone Falls have to do with a bad breakup? If so, the guy had been a total dunce to let Kristen go.
Mason put another log on, hoping that she’d stay just a little longer.
Chapter 15
The next morning, Dorothy stood at the kitchen counter, a steaming mug of coffee and two dozen sprigs of holly in front of her. She planned to hang the holly sprigs around the eaves of the porch. Their bright-red berries would add a pop of color.
George was in the corner, trying to knock her knitting bag over. He loved to play with the yarn, especially when she was actually trying to knit something. After discovering her new project in the middle of the floor with George trying to unravel it a few times, she’d learned that she would have to zip the bag shut if she wanted to keep her creations intact.
