A Family Under the Christmas Tree

by Terri Reed

  “Don’t you look nice,” Grandma said, sliding a cup of coffee across the counter to Sophie. “That peach color is perfect for your complexion and makes your eyes even bluer.”

  “Between the base layer beneath my weatherproof walking pants, this sweater, and all the good food we’ve been eating”—­Sophie put her arms out to her sides—“I feel like the little boy in A Christmas Story who can’t put his arms down.”

  “Nonsense; you’re beautiful.” Grandma chuckled. “Well, maybe I can see it a little. Only you’re taller than Ralph. We should watch that movie tonight. Troy will love it.”

  Would David think she was beautiful?

  Oh, bother. Where did that thought come from? She needed to think about something other than David. “Are you happy that Simon is coming with us today?”

  Grandma leaned on the crutches. Her smile was dreamy and made Sophie grin.

  “Yes,” Grandma admitted. “I really like him.”

  “And it’s obvious he likes you.” Sophie buttered the toast, set them on plates, and took them to the dining room table.

  “But at our age?” Grandma hobbled to a chair and sat.

  “Yes, at your age.” Sophie took her hand. “You deserve to be happy, Grams. There is nothing wrong with you finding love.”

  Grandma patted her hand. “Maybe. We’ll see.”

  Just as they finished their toast, the doorbell rang. Sophie wiped her mouth to make sure there were no crumbs and hurried to open the door. Simon stood there with two bouquets of flowers: red roses and Gerbera daisies. He was dressed for the outdoors with a rain hat, a shearling-lined jacket, and heavy-duty pants tucked into rain boots.

  “Hello. Come in,” Sophie said, moving back so he could enter.

  “Good morning.” He held out the bouquet of brightly colored Gerbera daisies to her. “For you.”

  She took the flowers. “They’re beautiful. Thank you.”

  He nodded to Sophie, but he was already heading to Grandma with the bouquet of red roses.

  Sophie ached with joy as she watched the delight lighting up Grandma’s face. Simon bent and kissed her cheek in greeting.

  “Are those for us?” a deep voice said behind Sophie. Startled, she whipped around to the still-open door and found David and Troy standing there looking so handsome and sweet that her heart sighed with its own special kind of joy. They both had on jeans and warm sweaters beneath their rain gear.

  She laughed. “These are from Simon.” Gathering herself, she gestured for them to come in. “We’ll be ready to leave in a moment.”

  While they all greeted each other, she took the two bouquets of flowers and put them in vases, then set them on the dining room table.

  “You’re prettier than the flowers,” David said as he joined her in the dining room.

  A blush worked its way up her neck and settled in her cheeks. “Thank you.”

  Troy ran into the room. “Can we go now?”

  David ruffled his hair. “Yep. Time to go.”

  Sophie grabbed Riggs’s leash and attached it to his collar, grabbed her camera, and followed everyone outside.

  They ended up taking two cars—Simon and Grandma in Simon’s sedan, while Sophie and Riggs joined David and Troy in David’s truck.

  When they arrived at the farm, they met up at the front gate. Sleigh Bells Christmas tree farm was north of Bellevue on ninety acres. The sea of green trees was a beautiful contrast to the urban high-rise skyline in the distance. The air was heavy with the scent of pine. Hidden speakers played cheery Christmas music.

  Simon pushed Grandma’s wheelchair, since she’d elected to leave the crutches in the car. Riggs’s attention was divided between smelling the ground, trees, and bushes and watching over her. He would trot to the end of the leash and then back to Grandma’s side, which meant Sophie stayed close to Grandma.

  Grams took the brochure the gate attendant handed her. “Where to first?”

  “The animals.” Troy pulled at David’s hand. “There they are.” He pointed toward a fenced pen beneath a tented roof. The petting zoo had goats, sheep, and a baby llama.

  “Okay, buddy, hold on,” David told him. “Let’s see what everyone else would like to do.”

  They all looked up as they heard the jingle of the wagon drawn by two beautiful roans coming down the dirt lane through the rows of Christmas trees. Riggs barked at the strange sight. Sophie put her hand on his head to calm him. The horses didn’t seem to care about the dog, and the wagon drew to a halt near the front gate.

  “That looks like my speed,” Grandma quipped. “A nice hay ride.”

  Simon put his hand on Grandma’s shoulder. “Shall we?”

  “Please.” Grandma looked to Sophie. “You don’t mind picking out the tree without us, do you?”

  Sophie laughed, glad to see Grandma enjoying herself. “Not at all. We’ll meet you back here for donuts and coffee a little later.”

  Simon wheeled Grandma toward the sleigh. Riggs followed, but Sophie reined him in. “You’re staying with me, boy.”

  “I guess it’s just the four of us,” David said softly, drawing her focus to him.

  The four of them. For now. She felt a pang because she’d be leaving soon. That was what she wanted, right?

  Yes, it was. She wanted the job in the Alps and what it could mean for her career. But until she left she’d enjoy this time with David and Troy. She smiled brightly. “Looks like it.”

  “Can we please go see the animals now?” Impatience threaded through Troy’s voice.

  Sophie and David shared a laugh and hurried with Troy to the petting zoo. Sophie tightened her hold on the leash, expecting Riggs to raise a fuss at the other creatures, but he was content to sniff the ground, totally ignoring the cry of the goats and the bleating of the sheep.

  She and David leaned against the railing of the pen as Troy went inside to pet the animals. He was tentative at first but then he grew more comfortable. One of the farm’s workers handed him a brush, and Troy used it on a cute black lamb that seemed to like the attention.

  “How tall of a tree do you want?” David asked. He had the brochure out and was looking at the map of where the various types of trees the farm grew were located.

  “Not quite ceiling height,” she answered, picturing how a tree would look in Grandma’s living room.

  “That’s what I was thinking, too. What type? They have a dozen different varieties.”

  “Hmmm. Normal type?” Her parents put up the same kind of tree every year in their entryway. The tree towered above them at nearly twelve feet tall. Though the tree always looked lovely, Sophie had never felt much excitement at the prospect of a Christmas tree.

  Probably because her parents hired someone else to decorate it. It had never been a family event. But this year, Sophie and Grandma would decorate the tree together, and that was worthy of Sophie’s excitement.

  Glancing up, he said, “Well, do you like fuller limbs, or do you like the kind that looks like layers of limbs?”

  “Fuller.”

  “Me, too. I prefer the Douglas fir. But the spruce is popular, too.”

  “I’m fine with Douglas.” Not that she knew the difference.

  “Great.” He pointed to a section on the map near the back of the farm. “It says these Douglas fir trees are under seven feet but over five feet. That’s where we should head.”

  “Sounds good.” Sophie had to admit she was content just being here with David, watching the delight on Troy’s face.

  “All the trees are numbered, so once we decide on the trees we want, we give them the number and they will send someone out to cut it down.” He was reading from the paper they’d given him when they came in. “They will wrap it up and load it on the truck,” he said, sounding relieved.

  “You’re not going to cut it down yourself?” she teased.

  He lifted his gaze. His eyes widened. “I could. They give you that option. Would you rather I do it?”

  He looked so str
icken by the idea she giggled. “No. I think having them do the dirty work, so to speak, is the way to go.”

  He grinned. “I was hoping you’d say that.”

  When Troy had his fill of the animals, they left the petting zoo and stopped at the small wooden structure that housed the bathroom so Troy could wash his hands before making the trek to the back of the farm. The smell of pine in the air thickened. Clouds rolled across the sky. Though the rain held off, the ground was muddy and slippery.

  “Okay, these are the trees we should choose from,” David said, stopping at a crop of trees with red tags.

  David and Troy inspected each tree while Sophie and Riggs walked around several, looking at the shape and color of the different trees. Every so often, she’d glance over to find David watching her. He’d smile, then look away. It became a game of sorts. She’d step behind a tree for a moment, then step around it to find David looking in her direction. After several times, she came around a tree but David and Troy were gone.

  She frowned and searched for them but couldn’t see them anywhere. Had they left her and Riggs? A sinking feeling in the pit of her stomach made her shoulders bunch with tension. Her heart raced. She hadn’t felt this sensation in a very long time.

  Not since the days when her brothers would ditch her for sport. She didn’t like this feeling, or the fact that she’d allowed David to have this kind of power over her. She didn’t let anyone get close enough to ditch her. Not like this. Not so that it hurt.

  Realization pounded through her, trapping her breath in her lungs. She’d been dumped before—more than a couple times, in fact—but she’d never really been hurt. Not the deep, down, torn-up-heart kind of hurt. What did that say about her?

  She felt a tap on her shoulder and spun around to find David and Troy behind her. How had they snuck up on her like that? She sent Riggs a sharp glance. The traitorous dog hadn’t warned her they were there.

  “Did you pick out a tree?” David asked.

  She blinked. A tree? Oh, right. “Yes.” She pointed to the closest one. “This one.”

  He took the tag off the tree’s limb. “We found ours, too. Shall we head back for some hot cocoa and donuts while we wait for the trees to be brought to the truck?”

  “Yippeee! Donuts!” Troy shouted.

  Riggs barked, clearly wondering what was so exciting.

  Sophie’s pulse slowed, coming closer to normal. She was in so much trouble. She was well on her way to falling for David and she didn’t know how to stop it. Did she want to stop it? But what would that mean? How would falling for David affect her future? Her career?

  They were silly questions that had no answer. Because it didn’t matter if she fell head over heels in love with the man. He wasn’t a part of her plan. She needed to keep focused on the goal.

  Which was? a tiny voice inside her head whispered.

  To win her parents’ and siblings’ respect by becoming the most sought-after, prestigious photographer possible.

  Why did that leave her feeling so cold inside? It never had before.

  It had to be the weather chilling her bones.

  “You okay?” David peered at her with concern.

  She forced a smile. “Yes. Fine. Donuts, here we come.”

  David grabbed a napkin to wipe powdered sugar off Troy’s face. They sat with Sophie, Simon, and Louise in the warming hut, holding cups of hot chocolate and a few dozen freshly made donuts. Ever since they’d returned from picking out their trees, Sophie had been strangely quiet. Had he done something again to offend her?

  “What are your plans for this evening?” Simon asked.

  David glanced at the other man and realized his question was for all of them.

  “No plans,” Louise said. She turned to Sophie. “Do we?”

  Sophie seemed to be lost in thought, staring into her cocoa.

  “Soph?” Louise touched her hand. “Earth to Sophie.”

  Sophie lifted her gaze. “Hmm? Oh, tonight. No plans.”

  “David, are you and Troy available?” Simon asked.

  “Sure. What do you have in mind?”

  “I’d like you all to join me for dinner at Ferralla’s restaurant,” Simon said. “We could watch the Snowflake parade.”

  “Yes, the parade. Can we?” Troy piped up.

  Pleased by the invitation, David nodded. “We’d like that.”

  “Ladies?” Simon’s hopeful expression was all for Louise.

  Louise touched his hand. “That’s so thoughtful of you to offer. I’d love to. Sophie?”

  “Yes,” she said distractedly. “That’d be great.” She tilted her head. “Wait. A parade?”

  “The Snowflake parade runs through downtown Bellevue nightly through the Christmas season,” Simon explained.

  Sophie turned to David. “Did you know this?”

  He chuckled. “I used to live on the route, remember? Troy and I hit the parade the first night it opened but we’d love to see it again. Right, buddy?”

  “Yep. I want to see Olaf again,” Troy said. “He’s funny.”

  “Olaf is an animated character from a children’s movie,” David told Sophie.

  She arched an eyebrow but there was a twinkle in her blue eyes. “I know who Olaf is, silly. He’s a bear, right?”

  “Nooo,” Troy said. “He’s a snowman.”

  “A snowman?” Sophie peered at Troy. “Are you sure Olaf isn’t a dinosaur?”

  Troy exploded with laughter. “You’re thinking of Barney.”

  “Ah.” Sophie laughed. “I can’t wait to see Olaf then.”

  “Have you never seen Frozen?” Troy asked, his little face so stunned that David had to chuckle.

  “Hmmm.” Sophie put her index finger on her chin. “Can’t say that I have.”

  “Uncle David, we have to show Sophie Frozen.”

  “A definite must,” David agreed and held her gaze. “For another night.”

  “Another night,” she whispered.

  And he took that as a promise.

  “David?” a familiar female voice spoke from behind him.

  Tensing, David swiveled in his chair to find a tall, pretty redhead smiling at him. “Libby. Hello. What are you doing here?”

  Her curious green-eyed gaze swept over the group, pausing slightly on Sophie and Troy before swinging back to him. “Getting a Christmas tree.” She gave a laugh, but it sounded forced. “Is this your family?”

  He cringed at the slight hint of hurt in her tone. They’d dated a few years earlier, right after he’d started his company. She’d wanted more out of the relationship than he was willing to give, so it had ended pretty soon after it started.

  He put his hand on Troy’s shoulder. “This is my nephew, and these are our neighbors.” David made the introductions. “This is Libby Hall.”

  Libby placed her manicured hand on his shoulder. The pale pink tips of her nails were a sharp contrast to his dark coat. “We’re old friends.” She smiled at him and leaned closer. “I’ve missed you.”

  David’s jaw tightened with embarrassment. He had no response to her proclamation.

  “Did you find a Christmas tree?” Sophie asked politely.

  Libby darted a look in Sophie’s direction. “Yes.” She sized up Sophie and then immediately turned her gaze back to David.

  “We should get together. Catch up,” she said. Her hand lingered on his shoulder.

  “Maybe we should sometime.” He moved so her hand wasn’t on him. “It’s good to see you, Libby.” David hoped she’d get the hint and leave.

  She squeezed his shoulder. “You, too. I have the same number. Give me a call. I’d love to see you again.”

  He didn’t have her number any longer and had no intention of calling. “Are you here alone?” That didn’t seem like her at all.

  She laughed, a throaty sound that grated on David’s nerves. “No. I should get back to my date.” She turned her gaze to the others. “It was nice meeting you.”

  “Likewis
e,” Simon said.

  Libby’s hand touched his shoulder again. “David.”

  “ ’Bye, Libby.”

  She walked away and David turned back to the table. He met Sophie’s cool gaze.

  “She seems nice,” Sophie said.

  “She is, I suppose. We dated for a short time. Nothing serious.” At least for him it hadn’t been.

  “How about a visit to Santa?” Louise asked the group.

  “Santa!” Troy clapped his hands. “Can we, Uncle David?”

  Dragging his gaze away from Sophie, David smiled. “Of course. We can’t go Christmas tree shopping without a stop by the man in the red suit’s house.”

  “It’s not his real house, Uncle David,” Troy chided. “The real Santa lives at the North Pole.”

  “Good to know.” David rose and held out his hand to Sophie. “Will you come with us?”

  She hesitated a moment before slipping her hand into his and allowed him to draw her to her feet. “I don’t want to miss Santa either.”

  He held onto her hand a moment, wondering if meeting Libby had given Sophie the wrong idea. He had no intentions of pursuing anything with Libby, but now was not the time to address that with Sophie.

  After clearing away their cups and napkins, David tousled Troy’s hair. “Let’s wash your hands so you don’t get cinnamon sugar in Santa’s beard.”

  Troy stared at his hands, then dusted them off on his jeans. “They’re clean.”

  “Now they are.” Sophie’s chuckle warmed David’s heart. He met her gaze with a shrug. “Good enough?”

  She nodded. “I’m sure Santa’s used to sticky hands.”

  “All righty, then. Off to Santa’s.” David consulted the Christmas tree farm’s brochure. “Santa’s house is near the front gate, which will work out perfectly.” A nice way to end the day.

  Simon pushed Louise’s wheelchair and David captured Troy’s hand and held Riggs’s leash in the other as they made their way from the warm concessions tent. Sophie jogged ahead a few feet and turned to take pictures.