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Every day he thought about calling the doctor back and making the appointment, Adam found an excuse not to pick up the phone. Showing houses and businesses for sale, wondering if it would be better to convince his father to sell the real estate office seemed to take more of his time than it should have. The idea of losing his father was too much to deal with. So was the thought of having the same disease. It would change everything. He didn’t want to face it.
There were days where he wanted to open his heart to Dakota but was scared to in case she gave him the sympathy he couldn’t stand. His life was on hold and he hated every single minute but felt paralyzed to deal with it. Easier to spend time with her pretending there was nothing lurking in the background than finding out the horrible truth.
To keep himself occupied, Adam decided to throw himself into the preparations for the upcoming gala and Christmas tree auction. Chances were he’d be home and able to attend, not that he would have chosen to miss it anyway. And every chance he got, he managed to see her. Casually running through town instead of sticking to the paths near his house because he knew she strolled every day by the lake and ended up in town. He even managed to take her out for a ‘casual dinner’ that week. Seeing the blush on her cheeks when he picked her up that night, he realized how much he was enjoying himself with her for company.
“This is getting to be a habit, Adam. Being friends with you is going to come back and bite me when you leave. I won’t know what to do with myself.”
“Let’s cross that bridge when we get to it. By then, if I leave, you’ll know just about everyone in town. Now, let me take you to this little restaurant overlooking the water. You’re going to get the best Flathead Lake trout you’ve ever tasted.” He tucked her arm under his and walked her out to the car, ignoring the plaintive look Tiny gave them through the window.
The following week, he attended the follow up at the Lake Hotel to see what Dakota had managed to organize. She handed out sheets of paper with her ideas written down for everyone to follow.
“Right, first off, let’s talk about the trees. I think we should cap it at six trees and have a ballot to see who gets them. That way I feel we’ll be able to auction them off for more money. I also propose a cost for each tree to begin with which will kick-start the fund. What do you think?”
“Great idea.” Adam stood up. “Any idea on how much we should charge?”
“I was hoping someone would have an idea. I’m open to suggestions.”
Dollar amounts were shouted out and it came down to a vote. Once that was sorted out, they talked through the planning of the tree decorations and where Mari wanted to put them, the timeframe each contestant would be allowed. They had to make a set of rules that would be fair to everyone and Dakota had researched what other organizations were doing and made a list.
“I was thinking of using the small ballroom for the trees. It’s not been renovated yet but for what you want, Dakota, that doesn’t matter. It has a high ceiling and plenty of space to section off for each tree so contestants can have privacy while they’re decorating. I want to use the great ballroom for the gala because I can open the doors in-between which will look fantastic at night. I think it will be quite spectacular when it’s all decorated and I want to make it as festive as we can. We can even put lights outside in the back courtyard if you think we need the room for dancing too. It’ll be cold out but that’s not a problem.”
“Sounds like you have it all under control, ladies.” Arabella gave them a winning smile. “When are you going to do the ballot for the trees, Dakota? I have a mind to put my name in for one myself.”
Percy groaned. “You already have enough on your plate, Arabella. Let the young ones do them and be content to watch. You can always bid on one when it’s done. Save us both a whole heck of trouble if you ask me.”
She pursed her lips and nodded her head. “I suppose you talk sense for an old man. I’d rather spend your money than have you climbing up a ladder helping me decorate anyways. Much more fun in my mind.”
Dakota laughed, glad everyone was keen. “Okay, I have entry forms printed. We can leave them here and at a couple of shops in town. Adam, can we leave some on your front desk?”
“Sure.”
“Great. I think cut off for submissions should be fourteen days from tomorrow. We don’t have a lot of time to play with. It’s going to be hectic getting everything organized but I know we can manage. Another thing while we have everyone’s attention. We need someone to do the auction and be MC on the night. Any ideas?”
“Clover White’s the mayor. Get her to do it. I’ll ask her if you like.”
“Good idea, Adam.” Percy nodded his approval.
Dakota made a note. “Fabulous. What do you say everyone, fourteen days for tree allocation forms to be in?”
“Sounds good to me.” Rachel Smyth who owned the gift shop, agreed. “Give me some too, Dakota. I’ll put some in my shop. I might even apply myself.”
“That’s great, thanks Rach and I promise I will get to you regarding putting my work in your shop.” She handed over a pile of printed forms.
“Sooner the better for me. I’m starting to unpack my new Christmas stock and I want to be able to give yours the space it deserves. Adam sung your praises before he brought you over to meet me yesterday and I know he has good taste. Looking forward to getting a look at your work.”
“That’s very sweet of you.”
“Maybe but for me it’s also about making wise business decisions. Don’t leave it too long, okay?”
Rachel sat back down and Dakota focused on the meeting. “Mari, did you want to go over what you’ve got planned for the gala night?”
Mari stood up, a folder in her hands and started talking. “We don’t have much time to pull this together as Dakota said but I can assure, I’m up to the task. I’ve organized huge weddings with much shorter notice so you don’t have to worry whether I have the ability to deliver. The bonus here for me is I only have to deal with you lovely people. No bridezilla in sight.” That comment brought a bout of chuckles as was her intention. She went on to present her vision of the gala night including an itemized menu and costings while Dakota took a seat close to Adam, leaning in toward him when he smiled at her. “You did well. I’m impressed with how much you’ve managed to put together in such a short time.”
“It’s been hectic but I love it.”
