Christmas in Pine Island: A small town holiday romance

by Christina Benjamin

  “Yeah. It was awesome,” Morgan says. “But the thing I looked forward to each year was building snowmen. My mom and I did it every Christmas! Except they weren’t just any snowmen. They were snow fashionistas. We’d dress them up like the models we saw in magazines.”

  “That’s my girl,” Eric chuckles beside Morgan.

  Jake laughs too, but he’s still lost in his memories. “If I could, I’d move out of the city in a heartbeat,” he murmurs. “Especially with a baby on the way. Life is just better out there.”

  I choke on air, my heart lurching in my chest as Jake’s admission catches me off guard. I take a sharp breath, which only Chloe seems to notice, though I pretend it’s just heartburn. I wave away her worried look before sinking slightly back against my seat.

  Jake has never mentioned moving out of the city! The Big Apple is my home. It’s where we met. It’s where we work. It’s where my friends are.

  My heart is in this city.

  I swallow hard. This baby is about to change everything, isn’t it?

  I know we’re going to have to consider things that never would’ve occurred to me before, but I’m not ready yet. Everything is happening so fast!

  I take a deep, calming breath and remind myself I want to meet this little one growing inside of me more than anything. I want to provide my baby with the best life possible, but every day I seem to uncover something that makes me feel even more overwhelmed when it comes to the prospect of motherhood. It suddenly feels like I’m no longer in the driver’s seat of my life.

  When did this baby take control?

  “Well?” Eric asks.

  I hear his voice distantly, but it doesn’t register. A moment later, Jake gently squeezes my arm. I lift my chin, bewildered, to find everyone staring at me.

  Oh no. Has Eric been talking to me?

  “W-well?” I echo, stammering.

  “Whose side are you on?” Morgan asks. She grins at me, clearly expecting me to side with her. “Team Morgan or Team Donovan?”

  Seeing my confusion, Jake clarifies. “What kind of Christmas do you want: country or city?”

  Morgan wiggles her eyebrows pointedly when Jake says the word, ‘country’, plainly making her stance known.

  I clear my throat, eyes darting nervously around the cluster of the people I love most. There’s no way I'm picking a side. But I might have one little suggestion that could prove useful.

  “Actually . . . the other day I was researching fun field trip locations for my students and I came across this cozy Christmas tree farm upstate. I'm not sure whose team I'm on, but the place looked beautiful. It’s in Pine Island. Maybe it could be a compromise?”

  Morgan May

  “Pine Island,” Donovan frowns. “Never heard of it.

  I hate to agree with him, but my mind is still caught on the word ‘farm.’ I may have been raised in Kansas, but it’s been a long time since I’ve roughed it.

  “A Christmas tree farm?” I repeat, uncertainly. “Would we be, like, bunking in a barn or something?”

  Stacy shakes her head. “No. There’s a lodge to stay at. It’s seriously beautiful. Look it up online. It’s called Everett’s Christmas Lodge & Tree Farm. I really think it might be the best of both worlds with what you guys are looking for—sort of an upscale country Christmas.”

  Donovan scoffs. “Upscale and country shouldn’t exist in the same sentence.”

  I roll my eyes at him, already typing the name of the place into my phone so I can prove him wrong. When the images from the website fill my screen, I gasp. I shake my head slowly back and forth, not sure why I'm surprised that Stacy pulled the perfect solution out of nowhere. That girl’s prepared for anything!

  “What do ya think?” Stacy asks.

  “I think you’ve already got this whole mom thing down, don’t you?” I note with a laugh.

  Stacy’s eyes widen. “What do you mean?”

  I laugh. “Just that you’re already a pro at shelling out a compromise. Even the Grinch of our group can’t deny you found the perfect solution.” I shove my phone in Donovan’s face and cross my arms, smirking smugly as I wait for his argument.

  I look back at Stacy conspiratorially, expecting to share a victorious grin with her, but she looks like she’s seen a ghost. I ran through my last words worried I’d said something offensive.

  Nope, nothing but compliments that should’ve made my bestie preen. Instead, her smile vanishes like a light switch flicking off.

  It’s weird, but then again, she’s probably just not used to being referred to as a mom. It must take a while for that to sink in. Knowing Stacy, she’ll take to it in no time. That girl’s a trooper, through and through. She needs to be, not only look after first graders every day, but our crew of unruly friends, too.

  Movement whirls around the table as everyone begins to whip out their phones, scrolling through pages of beautiful photographs of the Pine Island paradise.

  I rest my chin on Eric’s shoulder for a casual glance and laugh when I see him do a double take. “Since when is a place like this called a farm? It looks more like a resort! It’s gorgeous!”

  Chloe’s eyes get big as she nods in hurried agreement. “Gorgeous is an understatement! I can almost smell those Christmas trees from here.”

  “You weren’t kidding, Stacy. It actually looks nice,” Donovan admits, with only a trace of reluctance.

  Chloe smiles buoyantly at him, the biggest grin I’ve seen from her tonight, but the moment comes to a swift halt when Donovan quietly adds, “I wonder who does their marketing?”

  Eric dramatically rolls his eyes and cuffs Donovan’s shoulder. “Can’t you think about anything but work for a second? Damn Chloe, I hope he’s not all business in the bedroom, too!”

  “I manage to distract him for a few minutes here and there,” she quips back with a wink, earning raucous laughter from the group.

  But after the joke, she falls back into her somber silence yet again.

  Something is going through that head of hers, and I make a mental note to check in with Chloe when I get a spare second. Whatever it is, we can work through it together. After living the way we did in that admittedly crappy apartment, we can make it through anything.

  “Well? Are we doing this?” I ask, excitedly. “Christmas in Pine Island?”

  “We’d have to pack up pretty quick if we want to go,” Eric adds, “but it’s not impossible. What does everyone think?”

  Stacy absently nods, chewing the corner of her fingernail as she mentally deliberates the pros and cons of the journey. “A trip might be nice. I’d enjoy some space to clear my head.”

  Jake’s head tilts. “What do you need to clear your head for?”

  She clears her throat hard before shrugging. “Oh, you know, I just meant metaphorically. I’m sure we could all use a getaway.”

  “That would be amazing,” Chloe adds, deliberately attempting to lock eyes with Donovan, though he’s still researching everything Pine Island has to offer on his phone and doesn’t seem to notice.

  “I agree.” Jake nods his head firmly, a slow grin spreading across his face. “It seems perfect. Even though it’s beautiful, it looks really remote, too. No paparazzi to worry about. Just holiday memories to be made.”

  “Is this what you want, babe?” Eric whispers in my ear.

  He takes my chin in his hand, turning my face toward his so I can gaze right into those dark, silver speckled irises of his. Those eyes make me melt every time I see them.

  A cozy country Christmas. It’s just what Eric and I need after traveling so much lately. It’ll be a great time for us to reconnect and forget about the fact that our fame demands we belong to the world as much as we belong to each other. Also, any time spent with our best friends is a great time. This Christmas is about to go down in history as the best one ever—or at least the best one since I lost my mom.

  I nod faintly, pressing my lips to Eric’s for a brief moment before he whirls around toward Don
ovan. “Sorry, man! You’ve been outvoted,” he announces enthusiastically, earning happy cries from Jake, myself, and Chloe.

  I cheer. “Country Christmas it is!”

  Eric signals for the waitress to bring our check, his grin growing. “Leave all the travel arrangements to me, I’ve got Christmas covered this year. You all just head home to pack. We’ll leave bright and early tomorrow morning!”

  Eric King

  “Good grief, woman! How much do you have to pack for a short getaway?” I tease, looping my arms around Morgan and kissing her cheek.

  On our bed, half a dozen suitcases are crammed with makeup, clothes, and other things she’s generously labeled as her ‘necessities’.

  The beautiful blonde pressed against my chest laughs and spins around so that she can loop her arms around my neck and brush the tip of her nose against mine.

  She nods over her shoulder at the suitcases. “You never know, maybe I’ll do a photoshoot while I'm there! I mean, did you see those photos of the lodge? It’s beyond beautiful. I could redo my whole portfolio. And . . . there’s always the chance that you’ll get called away to some last-minute gig. Who knows where we’ll end up? I need options. A model must always be prepared,” she adds in her best Tim Gunn impersonation.

  I shake my head hard. “Nope. Not a chance. No work over the holidays. This trip is just about you and me, babe.”

  She giggles and arches an eyebrow. “Just you and me and our closest friends.”

  “Naturally.” I wink. “Would you have it any other way?”

  “Nope,” Morgan answers easily, not a hint of hesitation in her silky voice. “I think this is going to be the perfect holiday for us. I hope it’s the perfect one for them, too.”

  “It will be if I have anything to do with it.”

  As Morgan returns to her packing she says, “Speaking of our perfect friends, did you notice anything weird with them today?”

  “Actually, yeah!” I say. I’ve been so distracted making all our travel arrangements I almost forgot. “Donovan was extra prickly tonight.”

  Morgan huffs a laugh. “Donovan’s always extra prickly.”

  I cross my arms, waiting for Morgan to cut my oldest friend in the world some slack. Though the two often spar like a couple of Yankees and Mets fans, I know she loves the grumpy billionaire as much as I do.

  A smile softens Morgan’s already lovely face. “I noticed it, too. And they were both drinking like fish. What’s up with that?”

  “I was hoping you’d have a clue.”

  Morgan’s pale eyebrows draw together. “Me?”

  “Chloe didn’t say anything to you?”

  “No, but she definitely wasn’t her usual chipper self tonight.”

  I pull Morgan back into my arms. “Maybe they’re just arguing over mergers or something.”

  “Maybe . . .” she offers, but she doesn’t sound convinced.

  “I’m sure it’s nothing to worry about, babe. Everyone’s entitled to an off night.”

  “I guess. But even Stacy seemed a little tense. Are we missing something? I mean, we’ve been gone a lot. Do you think they’re mad at us? Or . . .” she gasps. “Are we out of the loop?”

  I shake my head, amused as always by her theatrics. “Possibly, but that’s why this trip is going to be perfect. We can all spend some quality time together and catch up.”

  Morgan bites her lower lip. “I hope you’re right. I feel like such a bad friend. We should know if something’s wrong with our best friends.”

  “Nothing’s wrong. Stacy and Jake are just adjusting to their big news, and Donovan and Chloe . . . Well, I guess the honeymoon doesn’t last forever,” I tease. “Except in our case.”

  I tighten my hold on Morgan, allowing my hands to roam over the curves of her body that I’ve come to appreciate so well.

  “You behave if you want me to finish packing,” she warns with a wink. “We only have a few hours before we have to head out! We’ve got to leave bright and early tomorrow if we want to have enough time to take in all the fun activities.”

  “I can think of a few fun activities we can do right now,” I say, kissing her thoroughly.

  Morgan sighs into me for a moment, completely distracted from her packing. I love that I can still do that to her—dazzle her with every kiss like it’s our first.

  Chuckling, I release her begrudgingly from my embrace.

  She playfully smacks my arm. “Tease.”

  “If you hurry, there’s more where that came from,” I taunt.

  Morgan whirls away, sorting through her things like the word ‘hurricane’ should precede her name. I’m not sure how she can cram even more clothing into her already stuffed luggage, but somehow she does.

  “I can’t wait to take you to the country!” she says over her shoulder. “Prepare to be blown away, city boy!”

  “I’m from the ‘burbs, babe. This won’t be my first white Christmas.”

  “Please . . .” Morgan scoffs. “Christmas in the suburbs has nothing on the wintery wonderland you’re whisking us off to. Towering pine trees, horse-drawn sleighs, miles of serene snowdrifts . . . it’s gonna knock your socks off. You’ll see.”

  I grin, loving the excitement in Morgan’s voice. It reaffirms going on this trip is the right decision, even if it is a bit last-minute.

  A few hours have passed since we decided to uproot tradition and flit off to the wintery wilderness lodge upstate. Pine Island may be a small town not used to hosting the likes of us, but with a team like mine, it doesn’t take much to put our plan in motion.

  The moment I left Club Thorn, I had my agent on the phone. A few minutes ago he sent me confirmation of booking. Our rooms were sorted out and I just finished finalizing our transportation while Morgan was packing.

  I sit down next to my neatly packed duffle bag and watch Hurricane Morgan continue to rain chaos upon our bedroom. Even though she’s moving at the speed of sound, watching her gives me a sense of peace. I’m just happy to be where she is for a change.

  Everything about this trip fills me with joy. Christmas cheer is really setting in now. Morgan is clearly over the moon about getting to revisit her country roots. I can’t wait to see yet another side of her. The girl is like my own personal wonderland. I just can’t get enough of her.

  I’m glad our friends agreed to such an impromptu holiday. They seem excited to check out Pine Island, too. I’m sure even Donovan will eventually come around once we get there.

  And the icing on the cake? For once, it’s me who gets to be the one taking care of everyone else.

  It feels great to do something nice for my friends. They were there for me when I hit rock bottom, and now I’m really happy to be getting the opportunity to thank them for not giving up on me. Isn’t that what this season is all about? Giving?

  There was a while there where I did a lot more taking than giving. I’m so grateful those days are behind me. And that my friends stuck by me through it all.

  Before I was selling out stadiums, they were there for me. Without any real family, I look at Morgan and the rest of the crew as my family instead. All I want for Christmas is to show them a great time so they know how much I appreciate them.

  For a few minutes, I just take it all in. How lucky I am to have this career, this woman by my side, a group of friends who’ve become my family. I came so close to losing it all not too long ago. It’s a scar I don’t wear lightly. It helps me appreciate everything that much more.

  Even now, I soak up the peace of our peaceful bedroom, still, aside from the rustling of Morgan and her clothes.

  “What do you think of Stacy and Jake’s news?” she asks idly as she packs.

  “It’s great . . . for them,” I respond hesitantly, not wanting to make her feel like I’m pushing her in a certain direction.

  She nods, though she’s facing away from me so I can’t see her expression. “Yeah, that’s what I thought, too. Anyway. You’re bringing Camilla along for the ride, right?�
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  I shoot a loving look at my red Fender Stratocaster that I picked up from a thrift shop in my high school days. It’s still the only guitar I play. Camilla has been there for me just as much as my friends. There’s no way I’d leave her behind. She deserves a Christmas vacay just like the rest of us.

  “You bet, babe.”

  “And how are we getting there?” Morgan asks. She holds up a pair of black leather leggings and then a leopard-print miniskirt. “I need to pick my travel outfit.”

  I smirk at her impractical choices, but I’m too excited about the surprise I’ve arranged for our transportation to tease her about them. I rub my palms together with excitement. Morgan slowly turns, her eyes squinting as she takes in my sly eagerness.

  “Eric . . .” she laughs. “What have you got up your sleeve? Remember, I said it doesn’t have to be over-the-top!”

  “I’m a rockstar! Over-the-top is what I do best, babe! Picture this: I’m sending towncars to pick each couple up and whisk us away to our rendezvous point at Teterboro airport.”

  Her hands find her hips as she surveys the clothes she’s piled on the bed. “Alright, alright. So we’re flying . . .”

  “Oh, we’re flying, babe. We’re flying on the luxury chopper I’ve chartered to take us straight to Everett Christmas Lodge and Tree Farm.”

  Morgan squeals with excitement, her hands flying to her face before she launches at me, leaping into my arms. I catch her and pull her close, gazing into her eyes.

  “You didn't have to do this, Eric,” she whispers, earnestly.

  “The point is that I wanted to,” I answer with just as much conviction.

  Morgan nestles against my chest, resting her head on my shoulder. Her breath is soft and warm against my neck. “I love you, Eric King. Whether near or far, home or abroad, I love you.” she murmurs softly, fingers stroking up and down my tattooed arms.

  “I love you, too,” I whisper back.

  Inwardly, I silently add, ‘And because I love you, Morgan, I'm going to go all out to make sure this Christmas is everything you imagined.’