Sleighed by the Farmer’s Daughter (Sweet Christmas Kisses)

Chapter Ten

Mack’s feet could be heard running down the hall before she charged down the stairs and into the kitchen, where Seth was sitting enjoying a cup of coffee.

“I can’t believe I overslept. Of all the days to sleep in, this was not the right one. Why didn’t you wake me?” she complained testily, rushing to prepare a cup of coffee as she attempted to put on her coat.

“Mack, slow down before you hurt yourself. You were exhausted and needed sleep. Everything’s fine,” Seth assured her, pushing a covered plate of food across the table. “Have some breakfast.”

“I don’t have time for breakfast, Seth! The calves needed fed two hours ago, and we have the entire village to set up today and do all the farm chores. Not to mention clear the drive, parking, and forest paths of snow. Twenty-four hours may not be enough time to get all this done, but I definitely needed all the daylight hours I could get, and I just slept through three of them!” Tears threatened to spill over her lashes as the panic of two days ago returned.

Seth stood, taking her in his arms and holding her tightly to his chest as he stroked the curtain of blond hair down her back. “Relax. I couldn’t sleep, so I already took care of all the chores. Before you ask, yes, all the calves and reindeer are fed, the pens and stalls are mucked, and I shoveled the snow on the porch and front walk.”

Leaning back to gaze into his earnest green eyes, Mack asked, astonished, “You did all that by yourself? When?”

“I napped for about two hours and then decided, instead of tossing and turning, to just go do something productive. I started with the shovel since the porch light is pretty bright. When that didn’t wear me out, I decided to start mucking the pens. I did things a bit in reverse and may have thrown off the animal’s schedule a little bit, but hopefully, one day won’t do too much harm. Now, while you eat, we can make a list of everything that must get done and plan how to achieve it.”

“I know you aren’t a farm boy, so am I right in assuming you have no experience with tractors?” Mack inquired, trying to see where she could delegate some of the work.

“Actually, I have quite a bit of experience with them. I would feel confident doing just about any task you ask. You may need to explain the controls for the sake of time as each manufacturer is a little different, but its operation is within my purview.”

“Really, do tell how you came by such skills,” Mack challenged, surprised.

“I told you I grew up in Hickory Falls. If you want money in a logging town, you help with the logging operations. They don’t often use mules and chains to move logs anymore, so I spent many a summer and afterschool afternoon moving trees around with a tractor or forklift. Dropping one of those things can cause a lot of damage or kill someone, so you learn how to operate them safely and efficiently, or you don’t keep your job. That and when it comes to operating machinery, it just comes naturally,” Seth explained.

“Well, that takes a load off. You can clear the snow while I work on setting up the village. When you finish, you can come help me with what’s left. We will save the rest of the cookie prep for later tonight or tomorrow morning. I’m still praying my family makes it back before this thing kicks off. I don’t think I can run this event without them, even with the townspeople stepping up to help.”

Seth reached across the table and squeezed her fingers comfortingly where she fingered the edge of her paper pad. “It will be all right. We will prioritize and get as much done as we can. Whatever doesn’t get finished, the guests will understand. Your family’s Santa Village will happen; it just might be a little different this year. Stop worrying. Whatever it takes, we’re in this together. We’ve got this!”

A mischievous grin lit Mack’s beautiful face. “I hope you mean that because if my family doesn’t arrive on time, you’re in the hot seat to be Santa, which means… you get to drive the sleigh.”

The color drained from his face as understanding dawned. “You mean, with the reindeer that like snacking on me more than their grain? Can’t Santa arrive in a tractor this year?”

Her laughter rang out in the kitchen as she stood to put on her boots. “Not likely, and the reindeer don’t actually snack on you. They just nibble a bit. It’s playing to them. Besides, that is Dasher. I think she has a crush on you. Donner is the lead, and she is perfectly civilized. She has been doing this long enough not to need any help. You’ll be fine if it comes to that. Getting you to fit in my father’s Santa suit will be the biggest challenge. Come on, let’s get the village set up and then worry about how we’re going to pull this off nine people short.”

By 8:30, they had a solid plan and were seated in the heated cab of a monstrous John Deere tractor, plowing their way through nearly four feet of snow. They cleared a path down to each of the barns and down through the forest, pulling a farm trailer behind the tractor with shovels, a snow blower, a wheelbarrow, and anything else they thought would help them clean up Santa’s Village. When they finally arrived at the small village deep in the forest, Seth was blown away.

“It’s like a real tiny town! I was imagining painted plywood facades, but these are real buildings!”

“Wait till you see it without all the snow filling up the space. To be honest, there are a few fake facades, but by the time my nieces and nephew are grown, they will all be real buildings. Come help me clear this snow out so we can both get to work. We can’t waste a second today, or this won’t be ready when the townsfolk arrive tomorrow.”

Seth used the tractor’s front loader to scrape the majority of the snow off the top of the facades Mackenzie had laid down days earlier to keep them from breaking. They then worked to shovel the rest of the snow off and lift them into place, securing them with bracing hidden in the back. Working together, they had the town standing in less than an hour. Seth suggested Mack leave the snow to him and get to work on the inside since snow clearing was something he could do without instruction.

He made quick work of clearing the parking area and decided to create a large tubing hill with all the snow he had to move in case they needed an extra event the following day. He then used the blower to clear the small cobblestone village square and boardwalk. He took one pass around the outside of the buildings for good measure, taking in the town before getting started widening the sleigh trail, reindeer ride path, and driveways. Now that he could see the full view, the little North Pole was adorable. Seth could see why the town was so invested in this place. If he was a kid, he would love to visit here. For those with a less-than-spectacular Christmas at home, this would be a wonderful experience. He could imagine raising a family where, every Christmas, they made other kids’ dreams come true.

That thought startled him—raising a family? Seth shook his head, trying to push the idea away. He had never considered himself a family man. But here, surrounded by the warmth of Mackenzie’s world, he couldn’t help but wonder if he had been wrong about what he really wanted.