Trapped Under the Christmas Tree (Christmas Tree, PA Sweet Romcom #1)

Chapter 1

Jake

I’m not sure how it happened, but I somehow got roped into decorating the town Christmas tree. This wouldn’t be such a bad thing, if I didn’t live in the town of Christmas Tree, PA. We take our town Christmas tree seriously.

Unfortunately, the day I am supposed to start decorating, there is an accident on I80, which is not far from our town. All of our firemen, first responders, and...basically the entire town rushed off to that emergency, because we’re a small town, and neighbors help neighbors, even if they’re strangers who just so happen to be on the interstate that neighbors our town.

Regardless, I’m left alone on a cold Monday evening, a giant Christmas tree in front of me, and tons of decorations, ladders, tinsel, lights, and everything that a person would need to decorate a tree, except help.

But I am nothing if not resourceful, and I decide that even if it takes me all night, I will have this tree decorated come morning.

Sometimes I’m not very smart.

This thought occurs to me as I move one of those super tall ladders over to the side of the tree and climb up. First of all, the ladder can only get so close to the bottom of the tree, but the tree tapers, so by the time you get to the top of the ladder, you’re much farther from the top of the tree than you are from the bottom. Second, it would almost take two or three people on ladders to string the lights around the tree.

But my mother always said I was stubborn. I suppose she’s right, although I always like to think of it as determined. I have the ability to persevere. To overcome obstacles. To not quit.

You know, I’m all the positive spin you can put on something like stubbornness.

But Mom was right. I am stubborn.

That’s how I end up leaning away from my ladder toward the tree trying to put the string of lights as far around as I can so I can set up another ladder, grab the lights, and continue stringing them.

It’s been a hot minute since I was on a ladder, and as I’m focusing on trying to get the lights exactly where I want them, my ladder tilts, I jerk up to try to right it, overcorrect, which isn’t surprising, and the ladder starts to tilt the other way.

I, again, overcorrect and dive toward the Christmas tree.

The ladder continues to fall away, going right out from underneath me while I fall into the Christmas tree.

I know it was stable. I helped put it into the stand that our town uses every year to keep our large Christmas tree upright.

But I suppose a one hundred eighty-pound man wasn’t supposed to crash into the tree, either.

Because the tree and I go tumbling down.

I don’t really get hurt as I fall to the ground, but somehow I end up underneath the tree. I can push myself out from under the branches, except one foot is stuck. There are pine needles all around me, and the scent of pine fills the air. Normally I enjoy that scent, and normally I would enjoy a peaceful evening hanging out in my hometown. I love this place. It’s small enough to be cozy but large enough to have everything you need so you don’t ever have to leave, including a grocery store, a dollar store, and a downtown that hasn’t been decimated by a bypass.

The town square is the most beautiful place you can imagine, and it’s very romantic if I do say so myself. I’ve taken more than a couple of dates to this very spot.

But the stone underneath my back is freezing cold, and I’m reminded that the weather forecast was on the verge of whether we are going to have rain, or whether it is going to end up as sleet or freezing rain. That’s typical for this time of year in PA, and I didn’t really think too much about it when I heard. It isn’t supposed to start until after midnight, and by that time I figured I would be long done with decorating this thing.

But I hadn’t counted on the emergency in the next town over, all of my help leaving me, and me doing something stupid like deciding to decorate the tree anyway.

All that adds up to the perfect storm, where I’m now lying on the cold, romantic stones, in the middle of Christmas Tree’s town square, trapped under the Christmas tree that I was supposed to be decorating.

I can’t even call anyone, because when I fell, my phone must have fallen out of my pocket, since I can see it lying on the stones, at least ten feet away from me, right beside the splayed-out ladder.

The town is deserted. Everyone has been advised to stay inside because of the potential ice storm.

I close my eyes and shake my head.

I know I’m supposed to be grateful that I’m not hurt. Because I’m not, which is a small miracle in itself. But I can’t get my foot out from underneath the tree.

I try again, tugging and pulling and twisting, thankful that I had the foresight to wear my work boots.

I own the reindeer farm just north of town. Of course, we have horses and beef cattle on it too, which are our main moneymakers, but I also provide the reindeer for the Christmas tree farm and for the various displays that the town has throughout the year, because when your town name is Christmas Tree, you don’t just celebrate Christmas at Christmastime. It’s a year-round adventure.

Anyway, my work boots probably prevented my ankle from being broken, but even if I could slip my foot out of my boot, I don’t think I could get it out from underneath the tree.

I’m frustrated. What in the world am I going to do? I can’t hardly yell for help. There probably are people who would come, but there’s no one who could actually help me. None of the old ladies or elderly couples who live within yelling distance would be able to do more than stand and stare at me, and while I don’t mind being the center of attention, I don’t particularly want to be the center of attention where everyone is just staring at me and can’t help.

There is the possibility that they would be able to call someone, but all of our rescue equipment has gone to the accident in the next town, including Bob Turner’s truss truck, the vehicle he uses to lift cars and trucks out of desperate positions after they’ve been in an accident, and he also uses it to put trusses on buildings. Talk about a good side gig.

Anyway, Bob and I are good friends, and that’s kind of what I feel like I’m going to need right now. Bob’s crane to get this tree off of me.

There is the possibility that someone could use a chainsaw, but I know how much the town paid for this tree, and I don’t want it to be ruined. It’s quite probable that the tree can be set back up and used, unless they destroy it trying to rescue me.

I’m used to being the strong one. I’m not used to being the one who needs to be rescued. It’s an uncomfortable position.