The Christmas Rental

by Hendricks, Savannah

  Lorelei paused and pointed. “What about that one?”

  While it was hard to see exactly what the trees looked like under the snow, the fact that she was freezing meant the sooner they picked out two, the sooner they could be back inside the warmth of Tyler’s truck.

  “Do you use the saw to mark it? Like a claim notch?” Lorelei followed behind as they went deeper into the forest of trees. With each step, Mary Ann seemed to grow heavier.

  The sound of his chuckle drifted around them. “No, we have to cut it down and haul it back to the truck.”

  Lorelei glanced over her shoulder in the direction of the truck. “But I need two trees.”

  “And I have two hands. We got this.” Tyler used the saw to point. “This one?”

  Lorelei leaned toward it. “Yes, I think so.”

  Tyler reached through the tree’s branches and grasped its trunk, giving it a firm shake. The snow fell from it, exposing its beauty.

  “Yes, it’s perfect indeed.”

  “Do you want to cut it down?” Tyler hoisted the saw in Lorelei’s direction.

  Her eyes grew in surprise and a little bit of fear, too. “I can’t. I’m holding the baby. Darn.” She overly frowned, the dramatic expression endorsing her faux disappointment.

  “No problem”—he reached out for Mary Ann, who kicked her legs in excitement—“I’ll hold her for you.” He grinned.

  Lorelei raised an eyebrow and swapped her baby for the saw. She wiggled her shoulders and flexed her muscles under the bulky coat. Tyler smiled impressively. Once she brushed the snow away from the bottom of the tree, she put the saw’s teeth against the base of the trunk and started to move it back and forth. It was hard to keep her squat form, but she would surely freeze more than she already was if she went to her knees.

  With each sawing motion forward and back, her feet began to tingle from lack of blood flow. By the time the tree was halfway sawed, she leaned forward and toppled backward into the snow.

  “I’d help you out, but I’m holding the baby.” Tyler chuckled. “Darn.”

  She returned to her squatting position and brushed the snow from her coat. “I can now say purchasing a Christmas tree in a parking lot, precut, is the way to go.”

  “Your daughter can hear you,” he whispered, pretending to cover one of her ears.

  “And she can see me struggling, too. Mary Ann is observant. She’ll remember this. Someday, when she’s an adult and someone tries to convince her to cut her own Christmas tree down, she can say no thank you.”

  The tree started to lean. “Should you be holding this?”

  Tyler made his way over to Lorelei and the tree. Reaching his hand inside, he grabbed ahold of the trunk. “You’re good. Keep sawing all the way through. And you can’t assume your daughter won’t love the wilderness. She might want to live in a Christmas tree forest, maybe even own one.”

  Lorelei blew a strand of hair from her eye and continued to saw. The workout with the saw helped warm her upper body, but her hands had started to cramp and her knees grew weaker.

  “You can cut down the next one, right?” she whined.

  “Yes, I just want you to experience this adventure.”

  “I think you mean you want me to experience freezing and a workout at the same time. Something I never thought was a possibility. Almost an oxymoron.”

  While she wouldn’t admit it, Lorelei was starting to enjoy this lumber-woman stuff. It wasn’t as bad as she made it seem. Heck, she was cutting down a tree. A tree that she and her daughter could enjoy for the rest of their stay in Oakvale. A tree that Santa’s gifts would sit under. A tree which she’d hang her daughter’s first Christmas ornament on. As these visions filled her head, a rush of adrenaline kicked in and doubled the saw action. She powered through until the tree was detached from the earth in which it grew. Lorelei pumped her fist in the air as she leaped up to standing.

  “Are you sure you won’t be cutting down the next tree?” Tyler held the Christmas tree upright in one hand and Mary Ann in the other.

  “I’m sure.” Lorelei slouched. “I’m freezing, and my arms are already sore.”

  He handed back Mary Ann to her, and she held tight to the saw. If she dropped it, it’d be lost in the deep powder below.

  “Hello there!” a deep voice called from the edge of the path.

  Tyler gave the tree a good shake, allowing the last of the snow to fall off, and hoisted it up. “Paul, hi, how have you been?”

  Paul stood at least six feet tall, clad in ski pants and boots with an oversize hunter-green jacket and matching ski hat. His beard, a silver-gray, nearly hid his entire face. His name fit him well; he very possibly could be a descendant of Paul Bunyan. Does he have an ox back at his house?

  “Who do you have with you?” His voice rumbled, nearly causing the land to tremble.

  Lorelei stepped forward, Tyler directly behind her. “Hi, I’m Lorelei. This is my daughter, Mary Ann.” She motioned to reach out and shake Paul’s hand but realized she had her hands full.

  “Nice to meet you. I’m Paul. Thanks for coming to my farm.”

  Tyler set the fir down in the thick snow. “Lorelei’s staying in Oakvale at the Norths’ place for December.”

  “Ah, nice. Welcome. Tyler, can I take that for you? Wrap it up?”

  “Of course. We’ll be getting a second tree, too.” Tyler handed the evergreen off as though it didn’t weigh much.

  “I’ll get this wrapped and loaded.” Paul carried the tree back toward the entrance as though it were a miniature toy.

  Lorelei handed the saw back to Tyler as they continued farther down the path. Above, the clouds started to part, and wisps of blue streaked across the sky. She thought about the last time she’d taken the time to observe the sky. The answer she knew, months at least. She tried to think of the last time she went to a park or explored something in the city away from work. Every question sent her mind shuffling through a blank calendar. The answer was lost in a busy career. Lorelei realized she didn’t have her cell phone in hand; her mind didn’t race with a list of chores. Breathing in deeply, she paused her steps and closed her eyes for a second before continuing.

  “It’s beautiful out here,” Tyler mentioned.

  “Did you come here as a child?”

  “For as long as I can remember. I used to run between the trees with my dad playing hide-and-seek while my mom took her time finding the perfect tree.”

  “It sounds heavenly. What about as a teenager?”

  “Oh, I still came out here, but less hide-and-seek.” Tyler glanced at her.

  Lorelei giggled. “Have you ever noticed this Christmas tree forest is your bookstore? The real estate business is your parking lot Christmas tree stand.”

  Tyler reached out his gloved hand, and Lorelei placed her matching one in his without hesitation. “We both have a large leap to take with our parents, and regardless of the result, we’ll support each other.”

  She glanced down at their hands woven together and then back up at Tyler.

  “We got this, one step at a time.” He squeezed her hand, and together they continued on the path.

  After another minute of walking, still, hand in hand, she spotted a tree to her left. “What about that one?” She reluctantly slid her hand from his and pointed.

  “I think it’ll be a nice contrast. The first one was short and round, and this one’s tall and slender.” He followed her direction and reached the tree. Kneeling, he pushed the snow away from the base and started to saw. Within only a few minutes, the tree was nearly cut.

  “Would you please hold the tree up? It’s about ready to fall.” Tyler paused in his sawing motion.

  “On it.” She stepped deeper into the snow and reached past the limbs to the center. “This has been fun. I’m glad Mary Ann was able to experience this. Thank you.” She wouldn’t forget this little adventure and would hold it tight in her memory regardless of her plans.

  “It’s not over yet.”
r />   “What do you mean, is the saw stuck?” Lorelei tried to peer around the tree.

  “No, I wanted to make wreaths with you, but we’ll need to take the supplies to go. Since we have to get started on the rest of the feast preparations, there is not enough time.”

  “Do we have time to make another stop?” She took the saw from him as he lifted the tree.

  “No, Paul has everything we’ll need. Usually, we’d stay here and make them, but he can box them up for us. Christmas isn’t only about trees. Everyone needs a wreath.”

  “Is that in the rental agreement, too?” Lorelei switched Mary Ann to her other hip and laughed.

  “Nope, I triple-checked this time. It’s in the Christmas contract, the general one. The one Santa wrote.”

  “Right, the one Santa wrote.” Lorelei’s eyes narrowed.

  “He’s the most important guy in December.” He wrapped his arms around the tree.

  “I’m pretty sure Mrs. Claus is the most important person in December.” Lorelei hustled her steps to catch up. Even carrying a tree, he walked faster than her.

  “How so?” His head pivoted back over his shoulder.

  Finally, falling into stride with him, they walked side by side toward the truck, their bodies nearly close enough to bump into each other. Tyler held the tree against his right hip, and Lorelei held Mary Ann on her left hip.

  “We all know Mrs. Claus is doing the laundry, washing his suits, making the meals.”

  “This is not the nineteen fifties. I’m sure Santa does his own laundry,” Tyler declared.

  “Okay then, the elves, they’re the most important part of December. Without them, the toys wouldn’t be made.”

  Tyler halted to a stop and pivoted toward her. “I think we discovered the most critical component of December, and it’s not Santa.”

  “And it’s not Mrs. Claus.”

  “The elves,” they repeated in unison, laughing.

  “Of course, this only works if we’re not counting Christmas cookies. I mean, those are high on the list in importance, maybe even equal to the presents.” Lorelei placed her hand on her hip.

  “Christmas cookies! Sharon makes the best.”

  “I can’t wait to try them.”

  Before they continued, an old-school ringtone, muffled from the inside of Tyler’s pocket, sounded. He rested the tree against his side and removed his cell phone.

  “Hi, Mom. Is everything all right? … Yes, I’m with Lorelei and Mary Ann. We picked out two trees and are heading back into town soon. … No, that should be fine. … Yes, the turkey. A pound per hour. … Great, then we can pull it from the freezer and preheat the oven.” Tyler’s face went whiter than the snow around them. “What? No, no, we didn’t know that. Need to go, Mom, thanks, bye.”

  “What’s wrong?” She moved in front of him.

  “The turkey. We were supposed to thaw it.”

  “It’s not like frozen pizza?” Lorelei’s forehead creased, and her breathing halted.

  Tyler shook his head no. “It’s nothing like a pizza.”

  They pivoted and ran as fast as possible with a baby and tree in tow.

  Chapter 17

  “Do you think it’ll fit in the microwave?” Tyler tightened a bolt on the tree stand.

  “I may not know anything about cooking a turkey, but I know it doesn’t go in the microwave, under any circumstances.” Lorelei removed Mary Ann’s layers of warmth and set her next to a few pillows on the living room floor with her toys and board books. “What about a water bath?”

  “I think thawing it would be risky. There’s a whole danger zone with the water being too warm or too cold. Let me call my mom again. She’ll know.” Tyler stood up and examined the tree in the living room. It appeared straight. As he made his way down the hall to the front door, he pulled his cell from his jacket pocket before hanging on the coat rack. By the time he removed the twine from the second Christmas tree resting against the wall, his mom had picked up.

  “Mom, how do we cook a frozen turkey?”

  Lorelei leaned back from the stack of ornament boxes, and he gave her a thumbs-up and nodded.

  “Thanks, Mom. Great. See you tonight.” He disconnected and slid his phone back into his jeans pocket.

  “Good news! We can cook the turkey from frozen, but we’ll need to add fifty percent more time. Based on our turkey’s weight, normally we would cook for four to five hours, so seven to eight hours.”

  He counted in his head. “It will be ready at 6 p.m.”

  “When does everyone start arriving?”

  Tyler winced. He knew it was just past 10 a.m. right now. “Five thirty.”

  With confidence, Lorelei lifted her head and declared, “I work in the emergency department. I’ve seen and handled things you would never want to imagine. I can most certainly handle a turkey and a few guests.”

  “There should be about forty.”

  She kept her head high. “All right, more than a few guests.”

  Tyler chuckled, which turned into full-on laughter. Oh, she absolutely has this. How can she not? She was determined, beautiful, and strong. He bet, if left to her own devices, she could have easily pulled off this feast without him. Regardless, he wanted to help.

  He took the tree into the library off the entryway and wiggled the trunk into the stand as he thought of Lorelei and all she had accomplished to get where she was today. She clearly loved her daughter, being a mom, and being a doctor. Yet, everything was not as perfect as it seemed. The same went for him. He loved his life in Oakvale and his family and friends, but the bookstore was the missing element. He thought he’d already come to terms with not following the bookstore dream, opting to travel instead. If only he had enough money for both. After spending time with Lorelei on the tree lighting night, he noticed an ache in his chest whenever she wasn’t around. Maybe it was more than the bookstore. Maybe his life was missing something.

  As he screwed the last bolt of the stand into the tree, a loud thud came from the kitchen. Heading in the direction of the noise, he found Lorelei kneeling on the floor with the still wrapped twenty-plus-pound turkey.

  “These frozen guys are slippery. I’m glad it’s wrapped.” She hoisted it off the floor and back onto the counter before he stepped in and help.

  “I’m glad Cider isn’t here or she might’ve been fighting you for it.” Tyler chuckled.

  “Good point. I should have bought two turkeys. Not only is this a beast, but I don’t think it will feed forty people.”

  “That’s where the sides come in. Everyone will take a small slice of turkey and fill their plates with sides.”

  “Did I buy enough sides?” Her eyes widened, and her brow rose.

  Tyler went to her and reached his hand out, placing it on her arm. “It’s okay. This is not a contest where Oakvale residents will judge if they like you. They already do. The judging comes during the reindeer contest.”

  “For a small town, a lot is going on.” Lorelei prepared the roasting pan and cut the turkey free from the wrapper. After flopping it onto the pan, she stood back. “Now, is that all I do?”

  “There’s a bag inside, that much I know, it has to come out.” Tyler leaned around the counter and peeked at the turkey as though he was looking in a cave.

  Lorelei tilted her head, following his glance. “Oh, okay.” She reached inside and removed it like the doctor she was.

  Tyler lifted the roasting pan into the oven while Lorelei scrubbed up.

  “You’re doing a wonderful thing by hosting this feast,” Tyler said. “Don’t cha know the town will appreciate the get-together? And it’s a chance to get everyone even more into the holiday spirit. Not everyone has family here, and I think being a part of the activities helps. The fact that your parents are coming to town is causing a small commotion.”

  “Really?” She finished drying her hands on a dish towel.

  “Of course, no one comes here for the holidays. We don’t have a ski resort or shopping m
all to entice people. In a way, it’s nice.”

  “It keeps it cozy and familiar, like a small town should be.” Lorelei set the timer on the oven.

  “Your parents’ visit will provide the town with an opportunity to show off. The usual types of renters who stay at the Norths' house hide out. I think people come here to get away for a while.”

  “I know I sure did. Okay, ready to decorate the trees?” Lorelei asked.

  “Yes, but first”—he held up a finger—“I have something in the truck.” Tyler disappeared out the front door, and when he returned, he found Lorelei stringing colored lights onto the living room tree as the baby watched from her spot on the rug.

  “This is for you, or Mary Ann. However you want to look at it.” Tyler handed her a small rectangular box wrapped in snowman paper, and she tore it open, revealing a Hallmark Keepsake ornament box. Tyler’s heart rate sped up; he’d never gifted someone something as meaningful as this.

  Lorelei opened the box and pulled out a porcelain snowflake. Inscribed across the bottom in gold lettering read: Baby’s First Christmas and the year. The middle of the snowflake allowed for a photo.

  “It’s perfect. Thank you.” Lorelei delighted in the treasure and covered it tightly in her hand. “We need to find a photo to put in it.” She leaned in and wrapped her arms around him.

  His heart stuttered then raced faster, her hug completed him. Lorelei smelled like Christmas morning, joyful and sweet. When she let go, he wanted to pull her back in and keep hugging her.

  “I think I have an idea for that.” Tyler glanced at Mary Ann, who had gotten onto all fours in a crawl position on the floor. “For now, let’s finish up these trees.”

  They wrapped the lights around the trees, then Lorelei finished stringing the colored strands in the living room, and Tyler added clear lights to the tree in the library. Next, they decorated the trees. Opting to divide and conquer, she handled the living room tree while he tackled the library one. As he grabbed another ornament from the box, he went to the edge of the doorway and observed Lorelei paused before the tree, finding a perfect spot for each ornament.