Kylie hurried across the parking lot and stepped inside The Welcome Center. With a quick wave at the receptionist, she headed toward Pastor John’s office.
She was late. Again.
It wasn’t as if this was one of the fundraising group’s usual catch-up meetings. She had an emergency and only her friends could help her.
With a quick knock, she opened the office door. John, Emma, and Bailey sat around the desk with spreadsheets, laptops, and cups of coffee in front of them.
“Sorry I’m late.”
“Don’t worry.” Emma’s smile did nothing to calm Kylie’s nerves. “Bailey was telling us about the Christmas carol competition.”
For the last three months, they’d been organizing events to raise money for Sapphire Bay’s tiny home village. As well as adding some early Christmas cheer to the community, the events were bringing more tourists to the small Montana town. Last weekend they’d held the Main Street Santa Claus Parade and the Night Market. Both events were a huge success—which made her news even harder to share.
Pastor John handed her a cup of coffee. “Have a seat. You looked stressed.”
“I am.” Kylie took off her jacket and sat beside Emma. “I’m sorry I called an emergency meeting, but I didn’t know what else to do.”
Bailey leaned forward. “What’s happened?”
“We can’t use the community center for the Christmas party. The water pipes burst and no one can use any of the rooms for at least four weeks.”
Emma’s eyes widened. “When did that happen?”
“Last night. I’ve called all the venues that can seat two hundred guests, but they’re booked for weddings and other events.”
Kylie loved living in the small town but, sometimes, when you needed something at the last minute, your choices were severely limited. Like now. If she were still living in San Francisco, she could have easily found a hotel or conference facility. But this wasn’t California. This was a small town on the edge of Flathead Lake.
“Have you asked the McGraw’s?” Emma asked. “Jack and I were looking at wedding venues last weekend and their barn is amazing.”
“It’s booked. I even called the Cozy Inn, but their conference room is too small.” Kylie pulled a list out of her bag. “These are the places I’ve tried. If you can think of another venue, I’d really appreciate it.”
John studied the sheet of paper. “Do the caterers need a commercial kitchen?”
“Probably not. They have a mobile kitchen they can use to keep the food hot. Have you thought of somewhere we could use?”
“Maybe. I’d have to talk to the foreman, but what about the old steamboat museum? We’d have to move the half-finished tiny homes into the yard, and our tools and supplies would need to be stored somewhere else, but it could work.”
The old steamboat museum was on the outskirts of town. When John was looking for somewhere to build relocatable tiny homes, he saw the abandoned building’s potential. With its incredibly high ceilings, arched windows, and large foyer, it could also be a stunning venue for a Christmas party.
Emma tapped her pen against her chin. “It could work. The kitchen is too small, but if the catering company can bring a mobile kitchen, it won’t matter.”
Bailey frowned. “The main hall is huge. Do we have the time and the budget to make it look amazing?”
“Maybe not.” Kylie pulled another file from her bag. “Most of the Christmas decorations we were going to use were damaged in the flood. Renting more decorations would be expensive. And with our limited budget, buying new ones isn’t an option, either.”
Emma wrote something down on a piece of paper. “I’m heading into town tonight to speak to the Business Association about last weekend’s events. I’ll ask them if they know anyone who could help.”
“That would be great.”
“What about Ben? Has he decided to donate the Christmas trees?”
Kylie sighed. “Not yet, but he’s still happy to provide the mistletoe.” Of all the people who lived in Sapphire Bay, Ben was the hardest to figure out. “He’s stopped answering my phone calls. I don’t know what his problem is. Anyone would think he doesn’t like Christmas.”
“We all have issues we’re dealing with,” John said softly. “If you tell him about the community center, he might be more willing to help.”
“I don’t think that will make a difference.” Over the last few weeks, she’d tried everything she could think of to show Ben how important the trees were to their events. She’d even resorted to bribery. But no amount of gingerbread men, Christmas cookies, or shortbread made a difference. For someone who owned a Christmas tree farm, he was the most “unchristmassy” person she knew.
“As a last resort, we could use the artificial trees on Main Street,” Emma suggested. “The store owners won’t mind if they aren’t there for a couple of nights.”
Kylie shook her head. “The whole point of having our events start a few months before Christmas was to encourage tourists to come here. If we take away the trees, Main Street won’t look the same.”
“Kylie’s right,” Bailey said. “Try Ben one more time. You never know, he might change his mind when he hears what’s happened.”
Kylie looked around the table. “Regardless of what he says, I don’t think we have any choice but to use the old museum. The profit we make from the Christmas party will pay for at least one tiny home. I don’t want to give that up.”
“I agree,” Emma said. “Apart from not being able to build another tiny home, we’ll have two hundred disappointed ticket holders calling us.”
“I’ll talk to the foreman at the museum,” Kylie said quickly before John could offer. He already worked long hours in the church and didn’t need the added pressure of organizing the venue for the party. “If there are any issues, I’ll send everyone an email.”
“Are you sure?” John asked. “I don’t mind—”
“I’m sure.”
When Emma asked about the music for the party, Kylie had good news. “Willow can perform with her band. Her wedding is the following weekend, so the timing is perfect.”
Bailey rubbed Kylie’s arm. “At least that’s one less thing to organize. If you need someone to help in your flower shop, I have Wednesdays available.”
“And our youth employment program is always looking for job opportunities,” John said. “There are a couple of students who would be more than capable of helping in your store.”
“Thank you.” Kylie appreciated her friends’ support. Juggling the Christmas events, their Christmas wish program, and her business was becoming more difficult.
If one more thing went wrong, Ben wouldn’t be the only person in Sapphire Bay who wasn’t looking forward to Christmas.
On his way through town, Ben stopped at the traffic lights and glanced at Blooming Lovely, the flower shop Kylie Bryant owned. His eyes narrowed as he took in the fairy lights decorating the front window, the Christmas tree standing outside, and the baskets of red and white flowers filling the veranda with color.
Blooming Lovely wasn’t the only store to break out the tinsel and bring the holiday season forward three months. The sleepy little Montana town had caught a serious case of “Christmasitis”. And, judging by the amount of traffic on the road, it was increasing the number of people coming into town.
He just hoped the Christmas program raised enough money to build more tiny homes. He knew better than most how hard it was to start over, especially for the most vulnerable in a community.
Two years ago, he’d arrived in Sapphire Bay to begin a new life. Unlike most of the people who came here, he had savings and skills he could put to good use. Even so, he wondered what he’d been thinking. What did a builder know about growing Christmas trees?
His family and friends thought he was crazy. He’d never owned a garden. Even the indoor plants his mom insisted on bringing him wilted on the windowsill. But through sheer stubbornness, his business was making a small profit. It wouldn’t make him rich, but it kept food in the pantry and gave him an excuse to work outside.
The traffic lights turned green and he joined the vehicles cruising down Main Street.
He hoped Kylie wasn’t anywhere near The Welcome Center. The tree he’d loaded into the back of his truck might give her the wrong impression. If she saw it, she’d think all her prayers had been answered, but this was a special gift for the church. One tree he could donate. Twenty was out of the question.
He might not be an expert at growing Christmas trees, but he knew about budgeting. The modest salary he earned would disappear if twenty of his best trees ended up decorating a party—even if it was for a good cause. He had bills to pay and a mortgage that would keep him in Montana for a few more years.
Turning right, he headed toward the church. The sooner he saw Pastor John, the sooner he could return to the farm. And the sooner he would be away from the Christmas cheer that made his stomach churn.
John strode across the parking lot toward Ben. “You made it here in good time.”
“I’m glad I left when I did. It looks as though the Christmas events are bringing more people into Sapphire Bay.”
“They are. Quite a few newspapers have run stories about what we’re doing. Emma even gave an interview to a TV reporter yesterday.”
Ben opened the tailgate of his truck. “The fundraising committee must be happy.”
“They are. Thanks for bringing the tree into town.”
“You’re welcome. I can’t supply the trees the fundraising committee want, but I’m hoping this one will brighten someone’s day.”
John grabbed one side of the tree as Ben pulled it out of the truck. “I’m sure it will. Can you do me a favor?”
“Sure.”
“Next time you see Kylie, talk to her.”
“It won’t do any—” Ben followed John’s gaze. Coming out of The Welcome Center was the woman he’d been dodging for the last week.
John cleared his throat. “Just so you know, I didn’t plan this. Kylie called an emergency meeting.”
“Can pastors tell white lies?”
“Only if they’re very careful.”
Ben ignored John’s smile. His gaze traveled back to Kylie, absorbing everything about her in one earth-shattering sweep. She was, without a doubt, the most attractive woman he’d ever met.
She was also obsessed with everything Christmassy. Today, the fabric of her red knee-length dress had pictures of candy canes all over it. Her blond hair, normally caught in a ponytail, fell around her shoulders in soft, silky waves.
His eyes narrowed. She’d even dyed two wide strands of her hair, green. All she needed was pointy ears and she could have been one of Santa’s elves.
She stopped in the middle of the sidewalk and frowned. It didn’t look as though she wanted to see him, either. For someone who loved Christmas, it must be daunting to realize there was one person who didn’t share her enthusiasm.
“Hi, Ben. I didn’t expect to see you here.” Kylie’s gaze shifted to the tree. “Did you change your mind about supplying the Christmas trees for the party?”
Ben shook his head. The hopeful note in Kylie’s voice made him feel bad. He knew how much the trees meant to her, but there had to be other decorations she could use. “This one is for The Welcome Center’s living room.”
She sighed. “It will look beautiful.”
Ben gripped the string he’d wrapped around the branches. “I’m sorry I can’t supply the trees.”
Kylie walked toward him, the skirt of her dress swishing around her legs. “You’ve never told me why you can’t donate them.”
And he didn’t want to. Admitting his business was going through a difficult time was like telling his family and friends they were right. Everyone had expected his business to fail, but he was still here. Just.
John adjusted his hands on the tree. “I need to leave for another meeting soon. Would you mind if we took this inside?”
“I’ll help.” Kylie stood beside the tree, her hands gripping the string that held everything tight.
Ben glanced at John, hoping he’d intervene and tell Kylie they could manage without her.
“That would be great,” John said. “If you carry the top, we’ll hold the sides.”
Ben studied the innocent expression on John’s face. If you didn’t know him very well, you’d think he was being friendly. But John had an ulterior motive, and that motive involved Ben talking to Kylie.
With no excuse left, Ben repositioned his hands. When everyone was ready, they carefully carried the tree inside.
John nudged open the door to the living room. “We thought we’d put the tree between the piano and the sleigh.”
Ben looked around the room. Someone had moved the sofas and chairs, creating a large open space in front of the glossy black piano.
His eyes widened when he saw the ornate wooden sleigh. With its high back, curved sides, and plush velvet seat, it was the perfect size for most of the children who stayed at the center.
Ben smiled when Mr. Whiskers, The Welcome Center’s resident gray-haired cat, peeked his head out from under one of the runners. The children weren’t the only ones who were enjoying the new piece of furniture.
John moved toward a bright red Christmas tree stand. “Mabel made sure everything was ready. She even mixed some of Kylie’s special powder in the container beside the piano.”
Ben frowned at the old juice bottle sitting on the floor.
“It’s not illegal,” Kylie muttered.
She was scowling so hard that Ben almost smiled. “I didn’t think it would be.”
“It’s the same powder I use to keep my flowers fresh. I thought it might stop the tree from drying out too quickly.”
Ben lowered the trunk of the tree into the container. “If it drops too many needles, I’ll bring the center another one.”
When the tree was secure, Kylie stepped back and lifted her gaze to the ceiling. “It’s the perfect height for this room.”
“Let’s see what it looks like out of its wrapping.” Ben pulled out a knife and quickly cut through the string. As the branches fell into place, he walked around the ten-foot tree, making a few adjustments as he went. Thankfully, none of the branches had been damaged on the journey here.
“Oh, my,” Mabel said from the living room entrance. “That’s one of the prettiest trees I’ve ever seen.” As well as co-owning the town’s general store, Mabel Terry spent many hours volunteering at The Welcome Center.
Ben’s eyes widened. A red tinsel wreath sat on top of her hair and gold bells dangled from her ears. “You can thank the previous owners of the Christmas tree farm for that,” he said. “It was planted more than fourteen years ago.”
“Well, it sure is a beauty.” Mabel picked up a remote control and pointed it toward the far wall. “We need some music. It will make it feel more like Christmas if we play some carols.”
Stuffing the string into his pocket, Ben prepared to leave. After living with profound hearing loss in one ear, he knew when he was better off at home. The background noise would confuse his brain and make it impossible to hear what everyone said.
Kylie turned away and opened a box of decorations.
When she looked over her shoulder at him, he frowned. She was waiting for something, but he had no idea what it was.
“Kylie asked if you’re selling many Christmas trees at the moment,” John said.
Heat scorched Ben’s face. He should be used to missing parts of conversations. But he wasn’t, not by a long shot. He hated not being able to hear what everyone said. Hated feeling as though he was damaged. That he was different.
He glanced at Kylie, hoping she didn’t realize he was partially deaf. “It’s too early for most people to buy a Christmas tree. Sales don’t usually pick up until the end of November.”
“I must order one for us,” Mabel said with a smile. “Allan loves the smell of a real Christmas tree.”
Ben picked up his gloves and looked over Mabel’s shoulder. At least six children were walking into the room. “I’d better leave you to decorate the tree.”
John beckoned the children forward. “This will bring a lot of joy to our guests. Thank you.”
The children’s eyes were wide with excitement.
“That’s okay. With all the events happening around town, it would have been a shame not to make the center a little more festive.” His gaze connected with Kylie’s. She might think he was the Grinch, but be wanted everyone at the center to enjoy Christmas. “Good luck with the events you’re organizing.”
“Thanks. Would you mind if I walked back to your truck with you?”
That was the last thing he wanted. “I don’t—”
John cleared his throat.
“Fine,” Ben muttered. “But I have a lot of work to do.”
Kylie took a piece of tinsel out of the box of decorations. “It will only take a few minutes.”
And before he knew what she was doing, Kylie twisted the tinsel into a necklace and lifted it over his head. “Merry Christmas, Ben.”
Kylie knew Ben didn’t want to talk to her, but she needed his trees more than ever. Without them, the old steamboat museum would look bare and uninviting—the last thing their guests would expect at a Christmas party.
She glanced at Ben. He hadn’t said much since they’d left the living room. “How did you learn to grow Christmas trees?”
He opened the front doors and followed her into the parking lot. “When I was a teenager, I worked on a Christmas tree farm. The rest I’ve learned from the previous owners.”
“You must be proud of what you’ve achieved.”
Ben shrugged and Kylie sighed. Most of the time, when she tried talking to him, he either changed the subject or didn’t seem to hear her. He was one of the most frustrating people she knew, but that didn’t mean she was giving up.
“We have to find another venue for the Christmas party.”
Ben’s footsteps slowed. “Why aren’t you having it at the community center?”
“One of the water pipes burst. It will take a few weeks to fix everything.”
“Where will you go?”
“John suggested the old steamboat museum. It has the space we need and it’s close to town.”
“It’s also full of half-finished tiny homes and all the tools and building materials the construction crews need.”
“We don’t have a lot of choice. Everything else is booked.”
“There must be somewhere.”
“Not that I’ve found.” Kylie looked across the parking lot. The first stage of the tiny home village was well underway. Ten houses sat tall and proud on the large lot, each of them built by volunteers.
On the hardest days, when juggling her business and volunteering at The Welcome Center was too much, Kylie thought of the people waiting for a house. The tiny home village was their last chance to feel a sense of belonging, of being part of a community that cared about them. And for some people, it was the first time they’d had anywhere to call home.
Ben pulled up the zipper on his jacket. “The steamboat museum is huge. How are you going to decorate it?”
“We’ll have to rely on other organizations to help us. Emma is talking to the local business association tonight and Mabel will approach some of her suppliers. Hopefully, we’ll be able to borrow or buy enough decorations to make the museum look less like a spaceship.”
Ben grunted.
Did he just smile?
“You’ll need a cherry picker to reach the high ceilings.”
She’d need more than that to help fill the enormous space. “I spoke to Willow after my meeting with the fundraising committee. A friend of hers designs the lighting for her concerts. She thinks we can use some kind of laser system to create a holiday feel without spending thousands of dollars on decorations.”
“So you don’t need the Christmas trees?”
“We do. The trees will give a real Christmas feel to the party, especially if we don’t have a lot of other decorations.” Kylie bit her bottom lip. She was so excited when her friends had asked her to organize the Christmas fundraising party. She’d walked through the community center, imagined a winter wonderland, and begged and borrowed what she could to make the dream a reality.
But most of that was gone.
She took a deep breath. “I know you said you can’t donate the trees. Would you change your mind if I helped recover the cost of them?”
“Each tree sells for seventy-five dollars. Multiply that by twenty and you have a whole lot of money I can’t find anywhere else.”
Kylie looked into his serious brown eyes. “I looked at your website. It needs a little work.”
Ben frowned. “I’m not a web designer.”
“You don’t need to be,” she said quickly. The last thing she wanted to do was offend him, but this was important. “I can’t pay for the trees, but I can do something even better.”
Kylie crossed her fingers, hoping Ben could see the benefit in what she was about to say. “I talked to my friend, Emma. She can update your website using mine as a template. All we need to do is take different photos and replace the text.”
“That won’t pay for the trees.”
“No, but it will make it easier for customers to place online orders for your trees. I had some other ideas, too. What about selling a range of Christmas products? You could have wreaths, garlands, table centerpieces, and lots of other Christmas accessories for your customers to buy.”
Ben’s frown turned into a scowl. “I have no idea how to make any of those things and I can’t afford to buy them. And even if I could, I don’t have the staff to organize everything.”
Kylie held onto Ben’s arm. “I know it could work. No one else in Sapphire Bay sells Christmas trees, let alone locally made decorations. With all the visitors arriving for our events, it’s the perfect opportunity to capture another market.”
Ben’s gaze focused on her fingers clutching his jacket.
She dropped her hand. “Sorry. I get carried away where Christmas is concerned.”
“I hadn’t noticed.”
A sinking feeling hit Kylie’s chest. She’d said too much, tried too hard to make Ben see other ways he could earn money. “I need to get back to work. Thanks for listening to me.” She had been so sure Ben would jump at the chance to have a new website and sell decorations, but she was wrong. Imagining the Christmas party without twenty glittering trees was difficult, but what choice did she have?
With a heavy heart, she opened the door to her truck. If she were lucky, Mabel might know someone who could—
“Do you know how to make wreaths and garlands?”
Kylie turned around. Ben was standing where she’d left him, scowling so hard that the end of the world could have been coming. “I do.”
“Could you bring some samples out to the farm?”
Kylie’s mouth dropped open. “Okay.”
“Call me first. If I’m working outside, I won’t hear you arrive.”
And before she said anything, Ben turned around and walked across the parking lot.
“Thank you!” she yelled.
He kept his head bowed, acting for all the world as if he hadn’t heard her.
Kylie sighed. At least he was open to selling different products to make up for the cost of the trees.
And maybe, if she tried really hard to forget all the other times she’d talked to him, he wasn’t so bad after all.
