A Christmas Delight

11. Chapter Eleven

Chapter Eleven

Joel

R andall’s Pine Patch is buzzing tonight. It’s always full during the weekends, so I’m here helping Dad. He doesn’t ask me to do it. He knows talking to people isn’t my strong suit, but I do my best for him. He’s always so quick to attend to everyone’s needs that he tends to forget about himself, and his back is hurting. I may not be so good at selling and advising people, but tying their tree to the roof of their car is something I can do, and that way Dad gets a break.

“You should be home resting after your work week,” he says, slapping my shoulder.

“This is how I relax,” I say, finishing tying a tree to the roof of someone’s car, testing the rope to make sure it’s safe.

He chuckles, not believing me. He thinks I only do it to help him. I actually like being here with my dad and brother. I’m grateful for them every day. They’ve been my support system when I moved back here, broken and miserable.

As the sun sets, Brent goes around the tree farm and lights all the colorful garlands. Several Christmas signs are spread around the place, penguins or polar bears or Santas showing the way to the North Pole or the toy factory. In the four corners of the farm are bubble shooters fixed to the walls, which make little kids squeal in delight as they try to pop the bubbles. Maisie would love it all.

And here I am, thinking about her again. I keep picturing her standing behind her window, looking back at me. Even now it’s like I can hear her voice.

I’m about to head to my pick-up truck to get the trees I brought back from the mountain when four people step inside Randall’s Pine Patch. It’s Maisie, accompanied by Nina, her mother, and a man I’ve never seen before. So, it turns out I really did hear her voice. Glad to know I’m not insane yet.

The group instantly starts looking around. Maisie’s smile splits her face as she takes in the décor, and she goes from one tree to the next. Her expression makes me smile as well, and at this exact moment she turns her head and sees me. My heart skips a beat, and I look away. She must think I’m a psycho, standing there and looking at her. But still, she saunters in my direction, the pompom at the top of her beanie bouncing on her head.

“Hi, there,” she says. “This place is so cute, I love it.”

“I thought you would.”

“I guess you already know I’m a sucker for everything Christmas. I’m that annoying person who begins listening to Christmas music November first.”

If it had been anyone else, it would have been irritating the hell out of me, and I would have silently judged them. But I don’t do that with her.

“Maisie,” Dad says, coming up to us. “I’m glad you decided to come.”

“Me too,” she says, flashing a brilliant smile. “This place is wonderful.”

Nina stands next to Maisie, waving at the both of us.

“Will you be getting a tree too, Nina?” Dad asks.

“Ah, I’m afraid I already got my fake tree out of its box. Next year, maybe.”

He laughs, a sound that always seems to warm you up. “Well, feel free to look around, and let me know if you need any help.” Dad sees new customers coming in and nods at the two young women. “If you would excuse me.”

“Are we ready or what?” the man I’ve never seen says as he joins us. An unwelcome feeling of jealousy spikes in my gut. Who’s that now?

“Hi,” he says to me, and I find myself staring.

“Joel,” Maisie says, “this is my best friend, Andy. Andy, Nina, and I go way back.”

I make my muscles relax. They’re just friends, I’m sure. It’s none of my business anyway. Trying not to stare murderously at Andy, I offer my hand. “Nice to meet you.”

He shakes my hand. “Likewise.”

“Joel’s my neighbor,” Maisie says.

Andy nods. “Oh, cool.”

“I’ll leave you to it, I guess,” I tell them. “I have stuff to do.”

Maisie smiles. “Okay. Maybe I’ll see you around.”

“Sure.”

I go my way, only glancing back once to see Maisie and her friends disappear behind a line of trees.

“Excuse me,” a woman says, stopping me on my way. “Do you work here?”

I turn to face Maisie’s mother. I’m tempted to say no, a petty and insignificant way to get back at her for turning off Maisie’s Christmas lights, but my dad wouldn’t approve. “I do.”

“Oh, good. My daughter is here looking for a Christmas tree, you just talked to her.”

“Yes, we know each other, actually. I’m the neighbor.”

“Even better then. Maybe she’ll listen to you.”

I frown, not really understanding where this is going.

“It would be great if you could explain to her what it takes to care for a Christmas tree. She doesn’t seem to realize it.”

I look at her for a moment, my mouth agape. “Um—”

“See, she thinks it’s going to be easy. But I know her, and messy as she is, that tree will be dead and dry by the fifteenth. She is better off using her artificial tree, but she’s really stubborn.”

“How is it your business?”

Her eyes open a little wider, and her jaw drops. “Excuse me?”

In any other setting, I would have said ‘suck it up,’ but I’m in my dad’s shop, and I don’t want to give it a bad reputation. “I mean, I’m sure Maisie can make her own informed decision. You know, as a full-grown adult.”

“I would really appreciate it if you could relay the information. And then she’ll do what she wants.”

She turns away and searches for her daughter before I can answer. I begrudgingly follow her. She weaves between trees, craning her neck to locate Maisie. I spot her a little further away, smiling as she watches some kids running through the bubbles while the machine sings Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer.

Her mother heads toward her. Maisie’s alone this time, her friends having wandered off further away.

“Honey, this gentleman would like to explain to you how to care for a tree.”

Maisie raises her eyebrows at her mom, then at me. I give a sheepish smile, hoping she knows it wasn’t my idea.

“Hm,” she says. “Yeah, I’m sure he insisted on explaining that to me without you asking.”

“I just want you to make sure you understand what you’re getting yourself into.”

“You said the same thing for my business, except this time it’s just a tree. It’s not a big deal.”

Maisie’s mother turns to me. “Go ahead.”

Maisie lets out a long, irritated sigh, and it takes me a moment to speak.

“Um, you’ll have to water it,” I say.

The older woman looks expectantly at me, waiting for more.

I clear my throat. “You’ll need to get a stand adapted to the size of the trunk. We carry those here. It’s not really hard to install. Also, don’t put it next to a heater or a fireplace if you can avoid it. It’ll dry faster.”

Maisie turns to her mother. “Wow, this looks daunting. How will I ever manage that?”

But the woman doesn’t let this deter her. “You will have to think about watering it daily, and even like that, needles will fall every day, so you’ll have to sweep, and we both know how you’re not the perfect maid.”

“Who cares if there are some needles on the floor?”

“Not you, apparently. You could live in a pigsty and not bat an eye.”

A flash of hurt crosses Maisie’s face. “That’s not true. My house is clean. Just a bit messy.”

Her mother rolls her eyes and gives me a knowing look, a grin stretching the corner of her lips. “If you say so.” She chuckles, probably waiting for me to do the same, but my teeth are clenched tight.

“I have to go back to work,” I say.

Maisie nods, her cheeks pink as though she’s embarrassed. “Of course. Thanks for the info.”

I turn away and round the line of trees, walking down the next aisle. They’re right on the other side, and I stop when Maisie’s mother starts talking.

“Can we go now?” she says.

“I still want to look around.”

I know I shouldn’t eavesdrop, but my legs won’t move.

A loud sigh. “I wish we could spend more time just the two of us,” the mother says. “You have your friends, and you’re all young, and I’ve been feeling left out. I feel out of place.”

Several seconds of silence follow. “That wasn’t my intention. I just… I just wanted a tree.”

“We’ll find yours at home and put it up together, okay? It’s a nice tree.”

“I guess.”

“It’ll save you some money. Come on, let’s go. I’m cold.”

“Okay… I’m going to say bye to Randall,” Maisie says. “I’ll be there in a minute.”

Her mother walks down the aisle of trees. Once she’s out of sight, I round the aisle the other way. Maisie is looking up at the tree in front of her, touching the tip of a branch with delicate fingers. I can’t stand the sad expression on her face.

“Hey,” I say, walking up to her.

She turns to me, attempting a smile. “Hey yourself.”

“Is that the tree you want? I can help you with it. Tie it to the roof of your car or deliver it to your place.”

“Ah, well, I guess I’m not buying a tree today.”

It’s not my place to say what’s on my mind, and yet my stupid mouth opens before I can stop it. “Don’t let anyone bring you down, Maisie.”

She raises her eyebrows at me, then her expression softens a little. “That’s the thing, she’s not ‘anyone,’ is she? I wouldn’t care what a stranger would say, but… It’s always the people close to you that manage to push your buttons.”

“Yeah. I guess that’s true.”

“It’s okay. I don’t feel like buying a tree anymore, anyway.” She shrugs as though it’s no big deal, but it clearly is.

“I’m sorry,” I say. “It sucks.”

She looks up at me with those pretty green eyes of hers, and my heart quickens. “I just want a nice Christmas, you know? Nothing crazy. I just want to, well, do what I want to do. For myself. But apparently, what I want isn’t a priority.”

An idea is sprouting in my mind. It’s stupid. I shouldn’t. She’ll think I’m weird. She’ll most definitely say no.

But again, maybe she won’t? It’s not like I’ll be asking her on a date or something. It has nothing to do with it. I just want to help. “Well, to be completely honest with you, I guess buying a tree here is pretty cool, sure. But if you want the real Christmas experience, as you put it, I have a much better idea.”

Her smile seems more genuine this time, and she eyes me curiously. “What do you have in mind?”

“I wouldn’t want to ruin the surprise. Are you free tomorrow?"

“Oh, um, I’m not sure. I need to talk to Nina about—”

“Yes, she is!” Nina nearly shouts, her voice slithering between the trees that separate us. “I’ll hire Andy to help me.”

“Unbelievable,” Andy says. “I visit to give my support, and I’m ending up being a slave. Are you even gonna pay me?”

“Sure. In donuts and coffee.”

He waits a beat. “Fair.”

Maisie and I chuckle. I don’t know these people, but I’m grateful. “Turns out you’re free.”

Her cheeks, already pink with the cold, seem to redden a little more. “I guess I am.”

“I wish I could say I’ll pick you up, but…”

Maisie laughs. “Let’s meet halfway. Between your driveway and mine.”

“Is ten okay?”

The sadness has vanished from her face. Her skin glows, and her smile is actively trying to make me melt. “It’s perfect.”