Stuff My Stocking

by Blythe Reid

  Table of Contents

  Chapter 1

  Chapter 2

  Chapter 3

  Chapter 4

  Chapter 5

  Chapter 6

  Chapter 7

  Chapter 8

  Chapter 9

  Chapter 10

  Chapter 11

  Chapter 12

  Chapter 13

  Chapter 14

  Chapter 15

  Chapter 16

  Chapter 17

  Chapter 18

  Chapter 19

  Epilogue

  Table of Contents

  Stuff My Stocking

  Introduction

  Description

  Chapter 1

  Chapter 2

  Chapter 3

  Chapter 4

  Chapter 5

  Chapter 6

  Chapter 7

  Chapter 8

  Chapter 9

  Chapter 10

  Chapter 11

  Chapter 12

  Chapter 13

  Chapter 14

  Chapter 15

  Chapter 16

  Chapter 17

  Chapter 18

  Chapter 19

  Epilogue

  Want More?

  About the Author

  Copyright

  Stuff My Stocking

  By

  Blythe Reid

  Introduction

  Checkout the other 12 Days of Christmas Novellas

  Find them all HERE

  Description

  Set in Pennsylvania — He runs an event center with his twin sister, and they need a special type of Christmas tree, which requires a trip. He leaves and runs into the owner of the tree farm, a cute woman that sweeps him off his feet. His thoughts of building an empire are all but gone. He’s far more interested in settling down and loving on his newest obsession.

  Chapter 1

  Tyler

  Rebecca hung up the phone and spun around as I entered her office. “Where in hell have you been, Tyler? I tried to call you all night!”

  I put my hands up defensively. “I lost my phone at the campsite and had to go back to get it.”

  “Campsite? Why are you camping out when I need you here? This place isn’t going to run itself, and usually, I don’t mind if you slack off because I know this was never your dream to take over the business, but this is our busiest season.”

  Rebecca’s cheeks were stained red with anger, and she had the same fire in her eyes that my father had during the holidays. There was never a dull moment running one of the largest event centers in New York City. My father had started out with a simple catering company and grown it into an empire he’d named Premier Palace. And even though I was the only son, my twin sister was the one who’d wanted to follow in my father’s footsteps. Strangely enough, I’d been the one who inherited my mother’s gypsy soul.

  I plopped down in the chair near the window across the room from her desk. “I’m here. Christ, you act like you’re in this alone. Just because you know more than me and had father’s training, doesn’t mean I don’t do my fair share. I’m simply doing the only part you, and he, left me with.”

  I’d often felt like I’d gotten the leftovers; whatever stray remnants of my father’s attention were left as he focused on my sister and trained her to take over. Our few camping trips, as I learned later, were my mother’s idea.

  Gretchen, our secretary, stuck her head in the door behind me. “Mrs. Dobson is here to see you.”

  “Shit,” Rebecca cursed under her breath. “I hoped I had more time before she came in. Send her in.”

  Even though I didn’t know as much about the business as my sister, I knew that Mrs. Eloise Dobson was not only our most faithful client, but she was also one of the wealthiest repeat customers that we’d come to rely on. Rebecca looked shaken.

  “Aren’t we ready for her?” I asked. It wasn’t like my sister to not have things done on time.

  “No, Tyler. We’re not ready. The tree I ordered for the front room of the gala entrance didn’t show up, and there are still fall flowers out along the banister. She’s going to want to see how the place looks this year, and she’s not going to appreciate us not being at the top of our game.”

  “Why didn’t it show up?” I asked.

  Before Rebecca could answer, Eloise Dobson walked in with her head held high and her nose in a twist.

  “Rebecca. Tyler.” She addressed us each with a nod. The woman was draped in white silk, fur, and diamonds, and she was as icy as a villainous queen. She had been the same since we were children. “I wanted to discuss this year’s gala, but I’m afraid there’s a problem.”

  “A problem?” Rebecca leaned in closer as if Mrs. Dobson had her attention, but if I knew Rebecca, she was busy listening to her internal voices battle it out over not having everything perfect for the woman’s arrival.

  She lowered herself into the chair beside me. “Yes, you know I like to see the decorations and make my plans from there, but there doesn’t seem to be the usual feel of Christmas. I noticed you don’t even have the tree in the front entrance. It was very disappointing to walk in and see you’re behind schedule.”

  Rebecca nodded and gave the woman her best apologetic look. “We had a little setback on the tree delivery, but one is on the way, and we’ll have it up by the end of the week. I know you never book before that, but I’d hoped our long-standing relationship would prevail.”

  “I see.” The woman shifted her handbag to the other arm. “Please don’t take this the wrong way, Ms. Bates, but my long-term relationship was with your father, not you and your brother, and while I can respect you for trying to carry on his legacy, I can’t help but wonder if you can truly pull it off. You’re the only business in town who isn’t decorated for Christmas, and Thanksgiving passed a week ago.”

  “Yes, ma’am, and as I said, the problem with the tree was not our fault, the supplier—”

  “I’m sorry,” Mrs. Dobson said. “I’m really not trying to be difficult, but let me stop you there. If you think I’m going to trust my yearly Christmas gala to someone who is going to pass the buck when things aren’t the way I want them, then you’re sorely mistaken.”

  It was time for me to speak up. “With all due respect, Mrs. Dobson, we ran the gala for you last year. I’m aware my father was still a figurehead in the business until his death, but my sister was running things for him then, and your gala was a huge success. You have no reason to worry, I assure you.”

  The woman looked down her nose at me. “You smell like smoke.”

  Silence hung in the air for one of the longest and most awkward moments of my life.

  Rebecca cleared her throat. “Are you willing to at least give us until next week to get a tree up? Perhaps if you come in on Monday?”

  My eyes widened. Monday? Was she out of her mind? I wanted to reach out and shake her so she’d wake up. Finding a tree in a week’s time might not be terrible if we were talking about a seven-foot-tall artificial thing from the storage closet, but our usual trees were more like twenty to thirty feet tall.

  “I’ll be back in a week, and I expect to see this place sparkling with Christmas cheer,” Mrs. Dobson said. “If not, then I’m afraid we’ll have to renegotiate next year’s booking. And for the future, remember that one of the only reasons I use this venue is for the pre-decorated option. So, if this place isn’t decorated to your normal standards, I’m going to consider that a breach of contract.”

  “Yes, ma’am,” my sister said. “I’m terribly sorry, and as I said, I already have a team on it.”

  My sister cut me a pointed look, and after we’d said our part
ing words to the old woman and she’d gone, Rebecca let loose a long-held breath.

  “It’s going to be okay, Bex. We’ll get this sorted, but I can’t believe you promised a week! You know the tree is going to take me a while to find.”

  “Yes, and wait—what?” She shook her head. “No way! You’re going to have to stay here and help me!”

  “Do you know anyone else who can drive out and scout for trees? Besides, you know this kind of thing is right up my alley. I used to go get our family tree with Dad every year.”

  “That’s true, and you do smell like smoke, by the way. Couldn’t you have taken a shower before you came by here?” She shook her head. “As much as it pains me, we’re in our thirties now, brother, and you need to find your focus in life. You can’t keep up this wandering off shit. You’re not a hobo.”

  “I fell asleep on the ground next to the fire. I was coming home early this morning and had to turn around, so I just said fuck it and stayed until daylight.”

  “You slept on the ground?” My sister could never understand my spirit or how all of my journeys were as much about me holding on to the memories of my father as keeping the business running was for her.

  “I had a sleeping bag and shelter, Bex. It’s not like no one’s ever done it.” My father would take me camping and hiking now and then, and that had always been our only bonding time. I’d been camping solo for years, once I got old enough.

  “Yeah, well, you need to grow up.” She let loose a sigh. “I want around twenty-three to twenty-five feet. You know thirty is our limit with the ceiling, and I’ll need you to let me arrange the truck pickup.”

  “Awesome!” My smile spread so wide, my cheeks hurt, but she shook her head like I was getting ahead of myself.

  “Tyler, I know this is going to be fun, but please take into consideration that everything is riding on this tree. If we lose her booking for next year and she takes part of this year’s fee back, we’re going to lose the business. She’s our top client.”

  I got to my feet, and she came around to join me as I stepped to the door. “You can trust me.”

  “I hope so. And don’t screw this up and get sidetracked like you did the last time I sent you out on a mission. I’m all for you having a nice girl in your life, but letting some chick tag along for the ride is not going to fly this time.”

  I let out a grumble. She wasn’t going to ever let me live that down. The one and only time I had really screwed up, I’d brought my girlfriend Mia along with me. Rebecca had sent me out to pick up a new statuary, and because the girl had gotten food poisoning and had to be rushed to the ER, I’d missed the pick-up appointment.

  “I couldn’t just leave Mia to suffer,” I said. “Besides, she was sick in my car. I had to have it detailed before the smell permeated the entire thing.” My car was my baby. I’d gotten the convertible black Porsche 911 on my sixteenth birthday, and we’d had a kinship since. I even bought an old Jeep to go camping.

  “I’m just saying. Don’t bring along any baggage, and don’t get sidetracked. This is too big of a deal.”

  “Fine, I won’t bring anyone,” I said. “I hadn’t planned on it anyway.”

  “Good. Now go home and pack.” She stopped and turned to give me a tired look. “Oh, and take a shower. You stink.”

  I stepped closer and gave her a hug. “I love you too, Sis. I got this.” I wasn’t worried in the slightest. What the hell could go wrong?

  Chapter 2

  Mattie

  My stomach twisted into knots, and I thought for sure that before the man was done snooping around, I would lose my breakfast on his shoes. It would surely serve him right. Every time he came around, he put me on edge. My heart beat so fast I could hear the blood pumping in my veins.

  “As I’ve said Ms. Simon, I’ve given you plenty of chances. I’m afraid if you don’t find a way to pay what’s owed, I’ll have no choice but to foreclose and seize the farm. The only reason I haven’t already is because your grandpa and me went way back.”

  “I know, and I appreciate that. I promised him I’d never sell the place, so I was hoping there was another way.”

  “I’m afraid this will be my final extension,” he said. “Come the new year, I’m going to have to take everything. Business is business, Mattie. I know you didn’t create the debt, but you did inherit it.”

  Tears stung my eyes, and he turned and hurried back to his truck as if he couldn’t bear to watch me tear up.

  As soon as he was gone, Hunter walked up behind me, and I felt the brotherly comfort of his embrace as I pressed my face against his coat.

  “I’m sorry, Mattie,” he said. “I wish there was some way I could help.”

  “What are you doing here? Did you know he was coming?” There was no way to tell when Mr. Cobble was going to show up, but I felt like Hunter’s instincts were always dead on. I pulled away and headed to the little portable building we used for an office.

  “No, I didn’t. I got off a little early to come help out. The shop was slow, and Clara said you were having trouble with the saw again?”

  “Yeah, it needs to be sharpened. Do you think you could do that? I know I need another one, but I hate to replace it. It belonged to Gramps.” Somedays, it felt like everything was falling apart.

  “Maybe it’s time we hang that thing over the mantle and buy a new one. I know it means something to you, but you can’t keep everything based on sentimentality. You’ve got a business to run.”

  “I do, but you didn’t have to leave the work to come out here,” I said. “Things have been slow, and my biggest day last week flopped.”

  Thanksgiving weekend was the slowest ever in Winter Land Tree Farm history.

  “It wasn’t that big of a flop,” he said. “You did decent, and you still have a few weeks to go. I do think things would be easier if I could get you married off to some handsome man.” He gave me a sideward glance and waggled his brows, but not in a flirty way. No, he was the closest thing to a brother I had, and the girl who had stolen his heart was my very own best friend, Clara.

  “You’re as bad as Clara. You know there haven’t been any men around, and the two of you will be married and too busy working on your own family to worry about me or the farm.”

  “This is as much my home as it is yours, and Willie might have been your grandfather, but he was like a father to me, too. I don’t want to see it go to some strangers.”

  “I know.” I poured a cup of coffee and held it with both hands, letting the rich aroma and steam hit my nose. “I have a family out in the field now, but they are taking their time.”

  No sooner than I said that, I saw the family walking toward the shop, which my grandfather had refaced to look like a little gingerbread house.

  “We found it, we found it!” The couple’s younger son jumped up and down as they entered the office. “We found a big, fat tree.” He held his hands out wide, and I had to smile at how cute he was.

  I wished I could be young again and not have all of the problems that adulthood brought. Twenty-six was too young to be running a farm alone. I should be dating and traveling, but that just wasn’t in my cards.

  Hunter cheered for the little boy and gave him a high-five. “Yay! Awesome, little man. You want to show me where it is so I can cut it for you?” The little boy took his hand and the two, joined by the father, headed out to cut the tree. The mother stayed behind with me.

  She walked to the window and stared off into the direction of the house. “This is a beautiful place. The house is so big; you must have a large family. And if you don’t mind me saying, your husband is so handsome.”

  I couldn’t help but laugh. Hunter was handsome, but I’d grown up with him.

  “Oh, I’m not married,” I said. “He’s practically my brother, and I live in the house alone.”

  Hunter lived out in the barn house, but I didn’t think she needed to know that.

  “Wow, how do you manage?” she asked.

 
“Mr. Handsome helps, and my best friend, who he’s dating. It’s a lot of hard work, but we manage.” I longed for the day we’d be too busy to manage.

  “If it ever gets too much, let me know,” she said. “Something like this would make a great business opportunity.”

  “Well, the tree business isn’t all it’s cracked up to be. It’s been a slow year, actually.”

  “I was thinking about the house. It needs a little work, but with the right investment, this could be a gorgeous retreat.”

  It would indeed, and in fact, my grandparents had originally used the house for boarding, but it would take more money than I could ever save to fix it up. But maybe if someone else could see a dream in it, then the right thing might be to sell it. “I promised my grandfather I’d never sell this place.”

  “Oh, I see. Well, I can understand that.” The woman opened her handbag and rustled around before finally pulling out a small rectangle of paper. “Here’s my card if you ever change your mind.”

  Well, what do you know; she just happens to be a realtor. I gritted my teeth and wondered if Mr. Cobble had sent the family, but I didn’t want to accuse my customers of anything. I took the card and forced a smile.

  “Thank you so much. I’ll keep it in mind, but like I said, I promised him. That means something to me.”

  The lady held up her hand and gave a nod. “I understand.”

  Finally, after the lady told me all about her antique collecting, which I took as trying to find out just what kind of things I had in the house instead of really wanting to share, Hunter and the rest of the family returned. I collected their money while he tied the thing to their car.

  Hunter came back inside, and as they drove away, I let out a frustrated sound that was so alarming, Hunter looked at me with widened eyes. “What is that all about?”

  I passed him the card. “I have a feeling that last customer was a plant.”

  “At least they bought something.” He crinkled his nose and the business card and then tossed it across the room toward the garbage can, missing his shot. The little scrap fell behind the can in the corner, and neither of us moved a muscle to get it.