The Christmas Wishing Tree: An Eternity Springs Novel

by Emily March

  “You’re still planning to come over at Easter, aren’t you?” Devin asked.

  “We are,” Cam said. “I’d like to make a trip before then, but with your brother in kindergarten now that puts a hitch in our git-along. He’d never forgive us if we went to Australia without him.”

  Devin laughed. “When Mikey’s not happy, nobody’s happy.”

  “Tell me about it,” Cam said. “He and your mother are locked in a battle royal right now.”

  “Oh yeah? Over what?”

  “Cell phones. He thinks he needs one. Sarah isn’t having any of that.”

  “I should hope not. The kid lives in Eternity Springs. If he needs to get hold of you or Mom all he has to do is raise his voice.”

  “Well, he’s not getting what he wants, though he’s made the end-around play and asked Santa to bring him one.”

  Devin burst out laughing. “Why does this not surprise me?”

  “Well, I’m afraid the surprise is going to be on him. Santa might bring him a cell phone, but it won’t be a smart phone. No camera. Mrs. Claus is adamant about that.”

  “Good for her. By the way, this reminds me. Remember that phone I gave you when I was back in the States for Brick’s wedding?”

  “Celeste’s burner phone. Yeah.”

  “Don’t forget to turn it on.”

  “I already have.” Cam had been touched by the story Devin told him about playing along with a little boy’s Christmas Eve wrong number. “I charged it up and turned it on four days ago. Not a peep so far.”

  “I don’t expect it to ring,” Devin said. “The mom knows I moved, so I imagine she’ll have run interference. But, just in case . . .”

  “I’ll take care of it.”

  “Thanks, Dad.”

  They spoke a few more minutes, and then Sarah entered the room and shouldered Cam out of the way. Mother and son were still talking ten minutes later when Cam went upstairs to change his boots prior to departing for Angel’s Rest and his two-o’clock tree-cutting trip. Sitting in the easy chair in front of the bedroom suite’s fireplace, he bent over to tie his laces. Michael burst into the room and made a running leap onto the bed. “Hey, Daddy. You going somewhere?”

  “I have an appointment at Angel’s Rest.”

  “Can I go?”

  “Nope.”

  “Aw, Daddy.” Michael went up on his knees. “Please? I’m so bored.”

  “Then go do your homework.”

  “I don’t have homework. We’re on Christmas break. Let me go with you, Dad.”

  “Nope. This is work.”

  The boy bounced on the mattress.

  “You’d better hope your mom doesn’t catch you jumping on the bed. She’ll tan your hide.”

  “She’s downstairs talking to Devin. Dad, after you finish your work, will you take me to Forever Christmas?”

  Cam sensed a trap, but dang it, he couldn’t see what it was. “Why?”

  “It’s the Saturday before Christmas.”

  “Yep. What does that have to do with anything?”

  “Ms. Claire is going to have gingerbread cookies and hot apple cider, and Santa is going to be there!”

  Bingo.

  “You’ve already visited Santa.”

  “Yes, but I need to tell him something else.”

  “Nope, doesn’t work that way. You get one shot at Santa, boyo.”

  “But—”

  “Zip it. Tell you what. I’m taking a lady and her son to cut their Christmas tree. I think the boy is around your age. If you promise to behave and do exactly what I tell you to do when I tell you to do it, I’ll bring you along.”

  Michael’s eyes lit up. “I’ll behave! I promise.”

  “If you don’t, I’ll ask Mom to make liver and onions for supper.”

  “Ick. I’ll be good, Daddy.”

  “Go get your gear on and meet me downstairs.” The boy was off the bed like a rocket and almost ran down his mother, who had come to stand in the master bedroom doorway. Cam looked at Sarah and let out a weary sigh. “I’m too old to be raising a little kid.”

  “That sentiment is going on seven years too late.”

  “Just think. We still have the teen years to go through. Devin almost did me in, and I swear, for boys who aren’t blood related, those two couldn’t be more alike.”

  “Well, if Michael grows up and moves to Australia, I’ll be the one who goes Down Under.”

  “Excuse me?”

  “You’ll be burying me in a shallow grave. I won’t survive losing another son to Oz.” She gazed at Cam with watery violet eyes. “I miss Devin so much!”

  Cam opened his arms and Sarah walked into his embrace. His wife undid him. Devin had been a seventeen-year-old with an extra load of teenage baggage when he came into Sarah’s life. Sarah couldn’t love him any more if she’d given birth to him herself.

  Cam hugged her tight, then put his fingers beneath her chin and tilted her head up to meet his gaze. “No shallow grave for you, my love. I’ll dig you one nice and deep.”

  “You’re so good to me, Cam Murphy.”

  “Aren’t I though?”

  She snorted, and he playfully slapped her butt. “Actually, something tells me if we manage to survive Michael’s teenage years, we’ll be ready for our heavenly reward.”

  “Teens? I might not survive grade school.”

  “Like I said at the beginning of this conversation. I’m too old to be raising kids.”

  “It’s the school holidays that make it so hard. The ‘I’m bored’ complaint is getting old. Seriously, I don’t know what I’m going to do with him next summer.”

  “That’s easy.” Cam shot her a wicked grin. “We ship him off to Devin.”

  Sarah laughed. “Mr. No-Kids-for-Me? It would serve him right. I don’t know why he’s so adamant about not having children, anyway. He’s great with Michael.”

  “I don’t know why you’re worrying about that. Boy needs a wife first and from what I can tell, he likes having a harem too much to settle down.”

  “Men.” Sarah said it like a curse.

  “Hey, don’t paint me with that brush. I married my high school sweetheart.”

  “Eventually.”

  “Hey, better late than never. Am I right?” He swooped down and captured her mouth in a lusty kiss.

  From downstairs came the sound of their son’s impatient voice. “Daddy, let’s go!”

  Cam met Sarah’s gaze. “Military school is always an option.”

  He headed downstairs and was in the truck watching Michael buckle his seat belt when a rap sounded on the driver’s side window. He glanced up to see Sarah holding the Santa phone. Cam winced. That’s the second time he’d forgotten Devin’s phone.

  “What’s that, Daddy? Is that a phone? You already have a phone. Why do you have two phones? I don’t have any, and I need one!”

  Cam gave his son a sidelong look. “It’s the Santa hotline. I’m bringing it along in case you don’t behave and I need to report.”

  Michael’s eyes went round. He zipped his lips. Cam whistled “Santa Claus Is Coming to Town” all the way to Angel’s Rest.

  “Here it comes,” Reilly called down from the cottage’s loft bedroom. “I see the sleigh, Mom.”

  “Well, come on downstairs and get your hat and gloves.” “I’m gonna go pee first!”

  “Good idea.” Jenna took one last sip of hot tea, then decided to follow her son’s example and made a quick trip to the downstairs restroom.

  She was kneeling to help Reilly zip his coat when a rap sounded on their door. “Come in!” Reilly called loudly before Jenna could manage a word.

  The door opened, and Celeste Blessing was there carrying two ceramic mugs sporting the Angel’s Rest logo. “Merry Christmas!”

  “Merry Christmas, Celeste,” Jenna said. “Are you ready to go?”

  “We are.”

  “I hope you don’t mind if I tag along with you. I have an errand to do in that part of the
forest, and as much as I enjoy taking a snowmobile out for a spin, nothing beats a horse-drawn sleigh.”

  “We’re happy to have you join us.”

  “Wonderful.” Celeste smiled down at Reilly. “I’m thinking I might harvest one more tree for the main house if we find the perfect specimen. There’s a spot on the second floor landing that cries out for a tree. Reilly, do you like marshmallows in your hot chocolate?”

  “Yes, ma’am.”

  “Good. I had a feeling you might. I put a couple extra in yours.”

  Outside, Celeste introduced them to their driver, a handsome man with friendly, forest green eyes, and his young son Michael, who pinned a blue-eyed gaze on Reilly. “There’s a Reilly in my school. She’s a girl.”

  “Don’t be rude, Mike,” his father said. “Don’t forget I have the phone.”

  The boy appeared honestly insulted. “What’s rude about that? She is a girl!”

  Jenna quickly changed the subject by asking, “How old are you, Michael?”

  “I’m almost seven.”

  “I’m almost eight,” Reilly informed them in a superior tone.

  “Scoreboard,” Cam said to his son.

  Michael shrugged that off. He turned back to Reilly. “Do you have a cell phone?”

  “No. My mom won’t let me have one.”

  “Me either!”

  With that, the boys bonded.

  The sleigh was something right out of a Dickens novel, red with gold accents, seating for nine plus the driver, runners that curved on the front end, and jingling bells on the harnesses of the two sorrel horses hitched to it.

  Reilly accepted Cam’s invitation to sit up front with him and his son. Celeste topped off everyone’s hot chocolate from a thermos, then Cam took up the reins and, to the jingle of bells, the sleigh glided smoothly across the snow.

  Celeste pointed out valley landmarks as they crossed the main area of the resort. When they entered the forest and the winding trail began a gradual climb in elevation, she fell silent. Even the chattering boys spoke more softly. Snow frosted the branches of evergreens and

  sunshine dappled the ground. The fragrance of fir . . . of Christmas . . . drifted on the air. Jenna sipped her hot chocolate and enjoyed the peace of the snow-dusted afternoon.

  “It’s beautiful here,” she murmured.

  Celeste beamed at her. “We call it a little piece of heaven in the Colorado Rockies.”

  “I can see why. In some ways this forest reminds me of a cathedral.”

  “That’s a keen observation, Jenna. Many people find that communing with nature enables them to tap into spirituality. I like to say that while God is everywhere, in some places He’s a little more obvious.”

  Just then the sleigh rounded a bend to reveal a scene right out of a postcard. Majestic snowcapped mountains stood against a brilliant blue sky Jenna was suddenly so glad they weren’t on a Disney cruise. “It’s breathtaking.”

  Gently, Cam pulled up on the reins, slowing the horses. He gestured to the left. “Look, boys. Through the trees, just beyond that big boulder. See him?”

  “Him?” Instinctively, Reilly went stiff.

  Michael asked, “See who, Dad . . . oh. I see.” He tugged the sleeve of Reilly’s jacket. “Look, Reilly.”

  Jenna saw the animal at the same time Reilly did. The boy sat forward on his seat. “Wow. Is that a reindeer?”

  “He’s an elk,” Cam answered. “Majestic, isn’t he?”

  “Those are really big antlers.”

  “They’re called a rack,” Michael informed Reilly. “My brother Devin says guys really like big racks.”

  Jenna made a strangled noise in her throat. Michael continued, “I’ve seen lots of elk and deer and mountain goats. Once I saw a bear. I was spending the night with Mr. and Mrs. Callahan at Stardance Ranch and one of the campers didn’t put the lid on the trash can the right way and the bear got into it. He was licking a can of barbecue beans. He almost got his nose stuck in it. Have you ever seen a bear?”

  “No. I’d really like to see one.”

  “I want to see a shark. One time, my brother caught a great white shark. He lives in Australia.”

  Jenna pulled her attention away from the elk and focused on the boy. “Australia? That’s a long way from Eternity Springs.”

  Michael nodded. “I know. It makes me sad that he wants to live there. It’s so far away that I don’t ever get to see him. And you know what? It’s summer there now! On Christmas, he’s going to church on a beach and he’ll wear flip-flops.”

  “Wow.” Reilly’s brow furrowed in thought. “I don’t know if I’d like that. Seems like Christmas should have snow.”

  As Cam gave the reins a slap, the horses moved and the sleigh slid forward. Jenna watched the passing scenery, though her thoughts were turned inward. Could the world be that small? What were the chances that two men with younger brothers from Eternity Springs lived in Australia?

  Slim, she imagined. Very, very slim.

  She gave Cam Murphy a studied look. So, he was Reilly’s Santa Claus’s father. Michael was his brother.

  Reilly’s Santa Claus’s name was Devin Murphy.

  Celeste leaned toward her saying, “The Murphys are close. This will be the first Christmas holiday that Devin isn’t spending with his parents and siblings. They’re planning a nice long visit to Australia in late June, but that seems a lifetime away to Michael.”

  “Holidays make the absence of family members all the more acute,” Jenna said, her thoughts drifting back to the reason for Reilly’s original North Pole call. He’d wanted Santa to bring him a dad for Christmas.

  I tried, buddy. Joel had been a great father—for his own kids.

  “That’s true. Luckily, the Murphys have a large support system—the entire town.” Celeste patted Jenna’s leg. “One thing you’ll like about Eternity Springs is that we are family fluid.”

  “Family fluid?”

  “What defines a family but the family itself? Eternity Springs is welcoming and generous. You and Reilly are spending your holiday with us so this season, you are part of our family. Now, see this bridge up ahead? Once we cross it, we’re less than five minutes to the part of the forest where you can choose your tree. Do you know what kind your want? A Douglas fir? A lodgepole pine? A Colorado blue spruce?”

  Jenna was glad to change the subject to Christmas. “I don’t know. What do you think, Reilly?”

  “I want one that’s really tall!”

  “We can do tall,” Cam said. Less than ten minutes later, he pulled back on the reins and the sleigh slid to a stop. The boys scrambled down to the ground.

  “We have a tall tree,” Michael told Reilly. “You wanna come over and see it? Maybe you can come spend the night with me. Dad, can my new friend Reilly spend the night with me?”

  Reilly went still and his eyes went round. He looked from Jenna, to Cam, and back to Jenna. Cam shrugged. “It’s okay by me. We’ll have to check with Mom, but I image she’ll green light the idea. She won’t be home tonight.”

  “It’s Bunco night,” Celeste explained to Jenna. “Will you call her, Dad? Please?”

  Cam looked at Jenna, his brow arched in silent question. Jenna’s heart melted at the hope in her little boy’s eyes. She nodded. Moments later, Michael’s mom had given her blessing and the tree hunt began in earnest.

  Jenna thought cutting a Christmas tree might be anti-climactic.

  Celeste chose a five-foot spruce shortly after they stopped. While Cam removed a chain saw from a compartment beneath the driver’s seat, the boys ran like banshees through the forest. Jenna gave up her attempts to chase them down when Cam told her not to worry. “As long as we can hear them, they’re fine. That said, I didn’t mean for my boy to crash your family moment. I’ll make him sit—”

  “No,” Jenna was quick to say. “No. This is wonderful. It’s just what we needed. What Reilly needed.”

  “Good.” Cam braced his hands on his hips and slowly shook hi
s head. “It’s what I needed too, to be honest. Did you ever watch Bugs Bunny?” After she nodded he continued. “Remember the Tasmanian Devil? That’s our Mike. And this time of year with all the excitement of Christmas . . . it’s even worse. If your Reilly can drain some of his battery, I’ll be a grateful man.”

  Jenna followed the path of his gaze and saw the boys playing tag. Wistfulness overcame her. Once upon a time, her son had run at life in a similar manner. Once upon a time—before a Christmas Eve SWAT raid.

  The boys ended their game, and Reilly ran back to her. “Let’s pick a tree, Mom. We need to get it back and decorated before it’s time to go to Michael’s house.”

  “Hey, I’ve been the one waiting on you.”

  Cam saw to harvesting the tree for Celeste while Jenna, Reilly, and Michael searched for the Stockton family’s perfect tree. They narrowed it down to two trees, both fir, and Michael was running back and forth between them trying to make a final decision when he said, “What is Miss Celeste doing? Maybe she found a better tree for us.”

  He took off running toward the spot where Jenna could just see a speck of color that was Celeste’s gold coat. With a sigh, Jenna trekked after them. What she discovered when she drew closer put a smile of wonder on her face.

  It was a perfectly shaped noble fir that stood probably ten feet tall. In the middle of a forest in the middle of nowhere, it was trimmed like a Christmas tree, but with items made from natural elements. A garland of bright red berries encircled the tree. Carved wooden ornaments hung from the branches. Jenna spied twigs formed into stars and snowflakes, and acorn tops shaped into hearts. And at its top stood a most magnificent angel with a face carved from stone, a halo of silver, a gown of golden fur, and graceful wings of snow white feathers.

  “What is this?” Michael asked, awe in his voice. “It’s my Christmas wishing tree,” Celeste replied. Reilly said, “I’ve never heard of that.”

  The smile that Celeste showed him was warm enough to melt the snow. “The Christmas wishing tree is a generations-old tradition in my family.”

  “How does it work?” Michael asked. “Do you ask for presents like with Santa Claus?”