Christmas in Pine Island: A small town holiday romance

by Christina Benjamin

  “Are you okay?” Stacy asks.

  “Yes. I’m more than okay. I just get a little weepy at the holidays. One of the perks of motherhood,” I joke. “Sometimes it feels like Ava is six going on sixteen.” I gaze out to where my precious little girl is giggling with Ryan. “It’s like they grow up every time you blink.”

  Stacy and Chloe both have teary eyes now too, and for some reason that makes us all erupt into laughter.

  “Okay, okay,” I say waving away the cloud of estrogen threatening to turn us into sobbing messes. “Back to the cookies.”

  Chloe composes herself first and gestures at the bowl in front of me. “That smells heavenly!”

  “I noticed you haven’t even measured anything,” Stacy says, inspecting the dough. “Do you have the recipe memorized?”

  I nod, happily. “Yep! This is the Price family recipe. We make it together every year . . . though this is the first time we’re making it without Mom around to help and Dad sneaking the cookie dough when he thinks we’re not looking. It’s kind of strange.” I smile sincerely at our guests. “I’m really glad you guys came. The lodge would’ve felt so empty if you weren’t here.”

  “I’m glad we came, too,” Stacy says, sweetly squeezing my hand when she sees my emotions starting to get the best of me again.

  “You should put some dough in the freezer for your parents,” Chloe pipes up, straightening a little in her seat. “You guys could still bake cookies together when they get back.”

  I smile at her, startled by her genuine kindness. She reminds me a lot of my sister, actually. Besides having a first name in common, they’re both business-minded, smart and generous.

  I wave my cookie dough spatula at her. “That's brilliant. Thanks for the idea!”

  Chloe nods. “So you guys do this every year? You must have all sorts of fun Christmas traditions.”

  I chuckle and roll my eyes. “Oh, believe me, we do. We’ve got too many, and I feel like we add more every year. But I suppose that’s what keeps the Christmas spirit alive even when you’ve outgrown it a bit. It makes the holidays just . . .”

  “Special,” Stacy says, softly.

  “Exactly.” I grin. “You know, I get it now. When I was younger, it used to get old, having our lives revolve around Christmas all year long. Co-Co and I couldn’t wait to get away from it. And look at us now!” I laugh. “I guess it was actually a pretty great way to grow up and I really want Ava to get to experience all the fun traditions like me and Co-Co have.”

  Stacy nods. “Those special activities you get to do with your family are something to look forward to. I can’t wait to make some fun traditions of our own.”

  She rests her hand on her belly, fingers softly stroking over her pretty red sweater. I’d had a hunch she was pregnant when she turned down Co-Co’s amazing spiked cocoa, but now I’m sure. All those questions about babies in the city and the glow of her rosy cheeks.

  Joy about bursts from me as I envisioned how amazing life is about to get for Stacy and her hunky Hartbreak Kid. But I also know how precious this news is and I don’t want to intrude if Stacy isn’t ready to share it yet.

  “You’ll have so many traditions you can hardly keep up,” I promise her with a wink.

  She giggles and nods. “I never really thought about why traditions mean as much as they do, but they connect the past and the present all at once. When you play an old song that your great-grandma loved to bake cookies to, it takes you right back there.”

  “Do you think every couple has traditions?” Chloe asks, quietly. She’s been listlessly stirring her hot cocoa again, simply watching Stacy and I talk.

  I lay down my spatula, walking around the counter toward the dark-haired beauty. She bites her lip, watching my approach, and when I gather her hands in mine, her head tilts to the side. Nearby, Stacy looks on while doling out the cookies onto baking sheets.

  “Every couple has traditions,” I answer, gently.

  I don’t know what answer Chloe needs to hear right now, but I have to offer her comfort in some way. She looks so worried, and Christmas is a time for joy, not stress! I say that to my sister enough as it is.

  There must be something with the name Chloe that breeds worry.

  I give Chloe another gentle squeeze. “Sometimes it takes a little time to find the traditions that fit. Don’t rush it. It’ll happen naturally and before you know it, you’ll be rolling your eyes over all the ridiculous things you’re trying to fit in each year.”

  Chloe bites her lip. “I hope you’re right.”

  “Girl, I grew up on a Christmas tree farm. I’m the closest thing you’re gonna find to an actual Christmas elf. There’s no way you leave this place without at least one tradition.”

  Finally, I get a laugh out of the uptight girl. Chloe squeezes my hands back and I pull her into a hug.

  “Me too! Me too!” Stacy yells, rushing over to join us.

  Before we know it, we’re laughing and eating cookie dough while we reminisce about our favorite holiday traditions.

  We might have just met, but it already feels like we’re family and suddenly I wish this could be a tradition that sticks.

  Chloe Martin

  As Stacy and Margot step back from our last fit of laughter and hugging, I swiftly drag the back of my hand against my cheek so that neither one of them can see the shimmer of tears in my eyes.

  Being with these lovely ladies is just what I need to help ease my heart a little. Try as I might to shelve my concerns with Donovan, I just can’t seem to keep them from bubbling up.

  This is especially the case when I’m around Margot and Stacy. It’s just so evident how in love and happy they are. I don’t begrudge them their joy one bit. I mean, how can I? Stacy is one of my best friends, and Margot is treating me with such genuine warmth even though she hardly knows me.

  I don’t think it’s just Ava and Ryan who feel like they’ve known each other forever, it’s all of us.

  There’s some real Christmas magic going on in this place. It makes me happy that I pushed Donovan to take some time off to make this trip happen.

  Maybe that magic will rub off on us, too. It felt like it was starting to when we were snuggling in our suite.

  “Mrs. Go-Go?” Ryan says, suddenly. His gaze shifts uncertainly to Margot while resting his hand on Stacy’s leg.

  Margot giggles. “You can call me Go-Go. What’s up, little man? Need more books?”

  He shakes his head and looks at Ava, who’s beside him. Ava beams brightly and turns toward Margot. My breath lodges in my throat as I watch the women interact with their sweet children. They all have such love in their eyes.

  Will a child look at me like that one day?

  Will that child be Donovan’s?

  How can I love someone so much and be so uncertain about what the future has to offer?

  “Mommy, we were just reading a book about Christmas trees,” Ava explains. She takes her time speaking, looking up at Margot as though she expected her mother to read her mind.

  “Mmm-hmm . . .” Margot answers. “That sounds fun.”

  Ryan clears his throat and laces his fingers nervously with Stacy’s. The comfort he finds in Stacy even though they don’t share any biology is so sweet.

  “It made me start thinking about my own Christmas tree,” Ryan says.

  Though color has begun to drain out of Stacy’s face, curiosity lights in Margot’s eyes. “Is your tree beautiful?”

  With a very morose expression, Ryan shakes his head back and forth. He looks so sad it almost makes my own heart break. Stacy gently cuddles him against her. She kisses the top of Ryan’s head. “We didn't have a chance to decorate a tree this year,” she says, quietly.

  “No Christmas tree?” Margot gasps. “That certainly won’t do, will it?”

  Ryan eagerly shakes his head. “No!”

  “See,” Ava says, proudly. “I told you my mommy could fix it.”

  Ryan beams. “Do you have any orname
nts that me and Ava could put up?”

  Tapping her chin thoughtfully, Margot gazes around the kitchen. She smiles brightly at Ryan. “You know what? I think we might have a few extras somewhere!”

  She flits off to a supply closet nearby. The sound of boxes being pushed back and forth punctuates the Christmas tunes playing cheerfully. Suddenly, she pops back into the kitchen again, holding out a box. It’s not very big and there aren’t many things in it, but it’s just the right size for two young children.

  “Here you are! Go wild!” she says.

  “I would hesitate to tell an Eckhart to go wild,” Stacy muses, earning loud laughter from both Margot and me.

  “Eh,” Margot waves off Stacy’s concern. “They can’t do any worse than Co-Co and I did as kids. Besides, every kid should get to decorate a Christmas tree.”

  “I agree,” I say, firmly.

  “What about you, Chloe?” Margot asks, nudging me gently. “What traditions did you love as a kid?”

  “I'm with Ryan; decorating the tree was always the best. Tinsel was my favorite. I would toss it at the tree, watching it drift between the ornaments and branches.”

  “Awe . . .” Margot muses. “Do you still go wild with the tinsel?”

  I shake my head, sadly. “Donovan and I don’t really do the whole decorating thing. We’re both so busy with work all the time.”

  “Quality time with the one you love is still important though,” Margot says, softly. “For instance, we have a very special Price tradition with our Christmas trees. We have a wish tree.”

  “A wish tree?” Stacy echoes, arching an eyebrow. “What’s that?”

  Margot’s hazel eyes gleam. “It’s exactly what it sounds like. You write a wish and hang it on the tree. I dub you all honorary Prices. Want to give it a go?”

  “Yes!” I say, the word slipping from my lips before I have a chance to think twice about it. When Margot and Stacy both look at me curiously, I shrug. “What can I say? Sometimes a girl needs a Christmas wish.”

  Stacy Davis

  I stare at the small piece of paper in front of me, biting the end of my pencil. While Chloe had a wish ready to go, I'm a little less certain about what I want to write down. After all, I only get one Christmas wish, and I want to make it count.

  Eventually, smiling to myself, I press the tip of my pencil against the paper, leaving swirly, swooping letters perfectly aligned from my experience writing on whiteboards.

  When I'm done, I inspect it one last time.

  Please let me be a good parent.

  PS - don’t let my baby have Jake’s giant NFL genes!

  I’d finished the wish with a desperate, oversized exclamation just so that Santa or whoever checks these wishes knows how important it is. If Jake wants me birthing a whole football team, I was gonna need all the help I could get.

  Chloe, who’d retreated to a nearby coffee table to write her wish, moves past me toward the wish tree where she delicately hangs her ornament. She stands for a moment, staring at it as though she could imbue it with extra power. As I glance over my shoulder, watching her, I suddenly feel very silly about my own wish.

  I came out here to focus on anything but my pregnancy and the fears of the future, but I still haven’t been able to shake them—especially when Jake is suddenly talking about having lots more babies. I know he was joking about having enough kids to have our own football team—or at least, I hope he was joking—but it’s terrifying, nonetheless.

  I still can’t believe he’s thinking about more kids. We’d never even talked about having one, let alone more than that. And if one baby is making him want to move out of the city, what’s a football team of little rascals going to mean? Moving to Ohio?

  I take a deep breath and close my eyes until this little spell of dizziness dissipates. Panicking accomplishes nothing, I remind myself. I feel calmer after some deep breaths. I guess it’s a good thing this pregnancy just happened, or I have a feeling I never would’ve been ready to take the leap.

  Like Margot implied, there’s never a good time to have a baby, but that doesn’t mean they won’t be a much-loved surprise.

  I guess I just kind of assumed between Ryan and this new baby we’d be done.

  Having one NFL-sized baby is scary enough—let alone multiples!

  But it’s too late to worry about that now, I suppose.

  I take one last deep breath and finally roll up my wish, slipping the paper into a clear ornament. As I head toward the wish tree, I catch sight of Ryan and Ava standing back to admire the decorations they’d added to the already dazzling trees. Ryan is smiling, though looking a little sad now that all the ornaments have been put up.

  Poor kid. I didn't realize not decorating a tree would be so rough on him. I’ll have to talk to Jake about it. How hadn't we realized that would mean something to him? Ugh, is this foreshadowing our future parenting?

  Leaning forward to hang my wish, my eyes catch on familiar handwriting on a wish just below the spot I’d been eyeing.

  It’s Chloe’s handwriting. I recognize the small, meticulous print. Intrigued, and maybe a bit nosy, I lean closer to get a peek at it. Maybe I can help Santa make my best friend’s wish come true if I know what it is.

  However, what I see makes my whole body tense.

  I wish to set a wedding date.

  The writing is simple and flat. And she hasn’t even bothered to coil up her paper. It’s like she wants me to see it. Or maybe she wants Donovan to see it.

  But what does she mean?

  She and Donovan are already engaged. Obviously they’re getting married at some point, right?

  Biting the inside of my cheek, I hang my own wish in place and glance over my shoulder at Chloe. She’s chatting with Margot in the lobby as they wait for the cookies to come out of the oven.

  The whole lodge smells wonderful thanks to our baking, but suddenly I'm entirely disinterested in the cookies. I think back to Chloe’s strange behavior since we caught up at Club Thorn. Her wish explains so much!

  I hadn't realized Chloe was even stressing about her wedding, but there’s no doubt in my mind that it’s Donovan holding up the show—not that he probably realizes it.

  He’s usually more focused on the immediate future than Chloe tends to be.

  I’ll have to talk to Morgan about it. Maybe somehow, she and I can come up with a plan to get through Donovan’s thick business-focused head.

  Besides, helping my friend’s love life will be just the thing to keep me from stressing about birthing a football team for the love of my life.

  Laughter drifts in from outside the lodge, pulling my attention toward the front door just before it’s thrown open.

  “Greet your snowmobile Christmas queen!” Morgan announces, enthusiastically. She inhales deeply. “Are those cookies I smell?”

  I stealthily tiptoe over and link arms with her. “Yep,” I whisper. “But first, we need to talk.”

  Morgan shakes her head, giggling. “It’s gonna have to wait.” She leans closer, whispering now, too. “Jake has a little surprise for Ryan first!”

  Ethan Hall

  Owen and I walk behind the chatty group as everyone eagerly enters the inviting warmth of the lodge.

  “You go on ahead,” Owen says, nodding his head toward the doorway. “I’ll put the snowmobiles away.”

  “You sure you don’t want help?”

  My brother waves me off. “Nah. You can make up for it by having one of your fiancée’s famous spiked hot cocoa’s waiting for me.”

  “Done!” I quickly agree, knowing full well Owen is just itching for a chance to spend more time on the snowmobiles. He never could resist the grown-up toys. “Besides, you need the practice if you’re ever gonna beat me,” I call over my shoulder, earning an appalled expression from my older brother.

  Owen snorts a laugh. “You know I let you win, right?”

  “Is that how you’re going to soothe your ego from losing that race?”

  �
��A big brother’s gotta do what a big brother’s gotta do!”

  Rolling my eyes, I head inside as Owen leaps back onto one of the snowmobiles and speeds off toward the barn. I turn back toward the lodge, my stomach already growling with anticipation as I think about the Christmas cookies waiting for us inside.

  Ahead of me, Jake has hefted a small tree over his broad shoulder. He holds it easily in place as he steps in through the doorway of the lodge. I can’t wait to see the look on Ryan’s face when he sees Jake’s thoughtful gift.

  I pick up my pace and help Jake with the door, managing to slip inside just in time to hear everyone inside gasp.

  “That’s a Christmas tree!” Ryan shrieks, excitedly. “Stacy! Stacy!” he yells. “Look! It’s a special big brother Christmas tree! Right, Jake?”

  “You bet, buddy!” Jake sets the tree down and gives it a twirl. Snow sprays off it like tiny diamonds melting in the warm air. Ryan claps his hands and runs in circles around the glistening limbs, checking out the mini tree in all its green glory.

  “It’s our own special tree for you to decorate!” Jake says. “Uncle Eric mentioned you missed not having one and Ethan was nice enough to let me cut this one down.”

  Ryan’s eyes fill with wonder as he stares up at Jake like he might just be a real lumberjack. “Whoa! You cut this tree down for me? All by yourself?”

  My heart swells with sudden and overwhelming pride, watching this scene unfold through the little boy’s eyes. He’s staring up at Jake like he’s looking at his hero!

  This . . . This is what our lodge is all about. You can’t put a price on precious moments like these.

  I quickly glance around for Donovan, hoping he’s watching. This is what I’d been wanting him to experience, so he’d know what’s most important to us. Now that Chloe and I are in charge of the lodge, I’m interested in taking things to the next level, but not at the expense of losing the magic her family has created here.