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

Chapter Thirteen

Mackenzie led Seth into her father’s workshop, where all the farm machinery was maintained. The space was meticulously organized, with tall red tool chests and nut and bolt storage systems neatly lining the walls. Reels of cable, wire, and hose were stored on sturdy steel racks in one corner. Worktables were cluttered with spare parts, each piece waiting for its turn in a repair. The air was thick with the smell of oil and gasoline, the floor stained with dark spots from years of use. Sawdust had been scattered in places to absorb spills, adding to the workshop’s rugged, well-used feel.

“Did I happen to mention that my brothers were working on the snowmobiles before they got the call and headed out of town?” She grinned a bit sheepishly.

Rubbing the stubble on his chin, Seth scanned the six snowmobiles in various states of disassembly, none of which seemed ready to hit the trail. “No, that little detail hadn’t come up in conversation,” he replied, a slight smile playing at the corner of his mouth. Tucking a stray hair behind her ear, he added, “Don’t worry, as long as they aren’t broken beyond repair, I can get one of them going in no time. It looks like that one only needs the track replaced. If I’m right, I’ll be over to the barn in no time. Go feed the animals. If I don’t meet you over there, whip up some sandwiches for dinner so we won’t be working hungry back in the village.”

Impulsively, Mack hugged him, whispering, “Good luck,” before dashing off to the calf barn to begin her feeding duties.

Seth turned his attention back to the snowmobiles, quickly deciding that the one missing the track was the most promising candidate. Childhood memories of working on similar machines with his brothers surfaced as he set to work. Within a short time, he had the track replaced, the lift lowered, and was taking the snowmobile on a quick test drive. Satisfied, he returned to the shop to tackle the real challenge—finding a replacement hose for the tractor. The shop was well organized, so it didn’t take long to determine that Mack’s dad was out of the long hoses needed for the big tractor. Undeterred, he used the spare parts on hand and a reel of hose to fashion a temporary fix. The process took longer than he had hoped, but Mack was still in the process of packing dinner when he walked in, holding up the new hose like a championship trophy.

“It isn’t an official part, but it will do until your dad can order a new one. Are you ready to head back?”

Throwing a thermos in the small cooler and snapping the lid closed, Mack nodded. “Lead the way, time’s a wastin’.”

Seth secured the cooler in the small yard trailer he had attached to Nick’s snow sled, and Mack climbed on behind him, wrapping her arms tightly around his middle. “Thank you for remembering the heaters. They had completely slipped my mind, but we’ll need them to finish setting up tonight.”

He squeezed her hands where they clasped at his waist. “You’re welcome. Hold on.”

With a practiced ease, Seth navigated the snowmobile down the trail, his confidence evident in the way he maneuvered the machine. Before long, they were back at the reindeer barn.

While Mack set up the heaters and lit them, Seth got to work fixing the tractor. Fifteen minutes later, the hydraulic fluid was topped off, and the tractor was pulling out of the barn, leaving the aisle clear for the tables.

“Before putting the tables together, we need to string the garland and lights from the chandeliers,” Mack instructed, pointing to a rope wrapped around pegs on the far wall. “Untie that and slowly lower it down so we can reach it. I’ll do this side.”

Once the massive antler chandeliers were within reach, Mack demonstrated how to hook the decorations around the loop attached at the bottom and raise them back into place a few feet from the rafters.

“I’ll grab the ladder, and we can go around lifting this end of the garland and lights onto the hooks attached to all the stall posts,” she said, pausing as a thought struck her. “Oh, man! I forgot to check the lights. I hope they work, or we’ll have to do this all over again after replacing the bulbs. Be right back.”

When she returned, Seth was jumping down from a tall overturned crate. The job was already finished, and the lights overhead were glowing warmly, not a single bulb was blown.

“Tinsel was definitely the right name for you,” Mack said, her eyes twinkling with amusement. “I am so glad God sent me a tall, handsome stranger instead of a short one. You are making things go much faster. Now, let’s test those muscles. This part usually takes four strong men.”

Opening a large door that held an assortment of decorations and stacked folding chairs, she gestured to large slabs of wood. “These are the tables we need to assemble in two rows down the center aisle.”

Lifting one end of the table, Seth groaned. “Your family does realize that they make these in a lightweight composite material that lasts forever and folds for easy storage… right?”

Mack simply shrugged, heading to the other end. “It’s all part of the show. These tables are over a hundred years old and will last another hundred or so. They look great for rustic weddings, are sturdy enough to be danced on during the summer barn dances, and store well once they’re taken apart. Stop whining and let’s go. My muscles are big enough… are yours, pretty boy?”

With a firm grip on both the top and bottom, Seth walked backward out of the room. “I bet you got your brothers into a lot of trouble with your taunting. Did you ever play Annie Oakley in Annie Get Your Gun ? That part seems made for you. I can totally picture you on stage, belting out, ‘Anything you can do, I can do better. I can do anything better than you.’”

“Very funny. Theater was never my thing, but you’re right; I did challenge my brothers often. Lean this tabletop against the stall wall, and we’ll get the rest. Two more sections on this side and three on that side. Oh, and then we have all the leg uprights.”

By the time they pulled out all the pieces to the enormous tables and hammered the wooden pegs into place, darkness had fallen outside, and a hush had settled over the forest as snow continued to drift gently down.

“Mind if we eat dinner now? I need a bit of a break after lugging those table pieces around. You could be the poster image for ‘small but mighty.’”

“Yeah, of course. I could use a little rest, too. I have honestly never put the tables together before. That was my brother’s job. By the end, it was definitely mind over matter.” Mack flexed her arm, showing off her bicep. “Feel that? My muscles are so tired they’re twitching.”

They sat down to eat their sandwiches. The barn door was left slightly ajar so they could watch the snowflakes flutter to the ground outside.

“I know we’ll be more comfortable if we close the door, but it’s so much fun to watch the snow when it falls like this,” Mack mused, her voice soft with a mix of exhaustion and contentment.

“I agree,” Seth said, glancing at the heaters, “but we’re closing them as soon as you finish your last bite; I can’t feel my nose, and running out of gas for those heaters before we finish will not be fun.”

Mack laughed softly and nodded, closing the door after they finished eating. Together, they spread the red and green plaid tablecloths on the tables, followed by bright red runners down the center. Mack set the first place at the table, modeling the correct order for Seth.

“Charger, dinner plate, salad plate, napkin. Knife tucks under the edge of the plate, followed by the spoon. Two forks—smallest to biggest—on the left. When I finish with the decorations, I’ll help roll the napkins. Water goblet over the spoon. Any questions?”

Tapping his fingernails on the back of one of the plates, Seth asked, “Are these plastic?”

“Yes. It’s called Chinet. It’s very thick and made to look like china but lasts much longer when used with children. The water goblets are also plastic, but you wouldn’t know it by looking at them.”

Christmas carols played on hidden speakers as they each set to work on their given tasks. She meticulously arranged pine bough garland down the middle, tucking pinecones, red ribbon, red poinsettias, and silver bells throughout the display. Tall pillar candles on rustic wooden stands, with the bark still intact, were staggered systematically down the table.

Next, she set up and decorated the serving and dessert tables, which Seth noticed were modern-day folding tables. He was almost at the end of his table-setting duties when she began setting out the folding chairs and draping them in red and green covers.

“Here, let me finish that while you work on the napkins. This seems like more of a no-brainer task.”

“Sure, okay,” Mackenzie agreed easily, and Seth could see her energy was waning.

“After this, what’s left, boss?”

“Um…” Looking around the space, Mack shook her head. “I think that will do it. I’m sure I’ve forgotten something, but it will come to me in the night or tomorrow morning. The caterers let me know they’ll be here bright and early, so they’ll tell me if I forgot something vital. They do all of Mom and Dad’s events, so almost anything they can take care of since this is a second home to them.”

Resuming their work, Seth asked, “So your family hosts events throughout the year, then?”

“Oh yeah. This place is a very popular wedding venue. Holly took over most of the event planning when she joined the family, and things have gone very smoothly under her watchful eye. The caterer is actually her sisters’ company, so they’ll feel right at home fixing things when they arrive tomorrow.”

They worked in comfortable silence, the only sounds being the soft Christmas music and the occasional scrape of a chair leg. Finally, everything was in place, and the barn looked festive and welcoming.

Seth glanced at Mackenzie, who was looking around the space with satisfaction. “Looks like we’re ready for tomorrow,” he said softly.

She nodded, her eyes tired but content. “Yeah, I think we are. Thank you for all your help, Seth. I couldn’t have done this without you.”

“You’re welcome. Let’s get some rest. Tomorrow’s going to be a big day.”

Mackenzie smiled, and together, they shut off the heaters, turned out the lights, and headed back to the house, ready to rest up for the challenges they would face the next day.