Haley watched Jeff jump out of the truck, but was in no hurry to follow him. Even after he came around and opened her door, she just sat there staring at him.
“Is this really where we’re getting a Christmas tree?” she asked, looking around, noticing they were in the middle of nowhere.
“It is! Come on, let’s go. We’re already running late.” He waited as Haley got out, then closed the door and happily grabbed a saw out of the back of the pickup.
Haley’s jaw dropped. “We’re seriously cutting down our own tree?”
“Is there any other way?”
“Uh, yeah, how about buying one that’s already been cut down. That’s what most people do,” Haley answered.
“Where’s the fun in that?” When Jeff started walking toward the trailhead, she rushed to catch up to him.
“Let me guess, this is one of your Christmas traditions?”
“Yup, every year we cut down our own tree. This was one of my favorite parts of Christmas when I was little.”
“And now?”
He grinned back at her with childlike enthusiasm. “Still a favorite part. You’ll see. Everyone at Christmas Camp loves it.”
“So, everyone else is meeting us here?”
“No, they’re actually about twenty miles farther up the road, but since we’re running behind, this spot will have to do.”
“So, wait, they’re getting another tree? Why do we need two?”
Jeff laughed. “Two? You’re all getting your own tree.”
“What? That’s crazy,” Haley said. “Why does everyone need their own tree?”
“For our next activity: decorating.”
“We couldn’t all just share one tree?”
Jeff shook his head. “This way everyone can decorate their trees the way they want and have them in their room. Then, when you leave at the end of the week, my dad always donates the trees to our local community center for people who need a little extra help and can’t afford to buy their own.”
Haley looked surprised and impressed. “That’s really nice. I’m sure the families really appreciate that.”
“They do, and they look forward to getting our trees, so let’s go find you a good one!” As he started down the trail, he slipped a little and instantly checked behind him to make sure Haley was okay. “Watch it right here. It’s a little slippery.”
Haley treaded carefully. “Thanks for the heads-up. Now I see why you loaned me these boots. How far do we have to go?”
“Not that far at all.”
Ten minutes later she stopped to catch her breath. “How much farther do we have to go?”
“You okay?” When Jeff turned around to check on her, he found her standing with both hands on her hips, but she wasn’t doing her superhero pose; she was doubled over catching her breath.
“Apparently, I need to ramp up my cardio,” she said.
“I’ve been walking pretty fast. I can slow down. My legs are a lot longer than yours.”
Haley stood up straight again. “I’m good. I just needed a second. I’m not used to hiking in the snow.”
“But it’s beautiful out here, isn’t it? And the smell, that’s my favorite part.” He inhaled deeply.
Haley followed his lead and inhaled as well. “It smells like . . .”
He held his arms up to the sky. “Christmas. It smells like Christmas.”
She laughed. “Yeah, I guess it does. These are fir trees, right?”
Jeff nodded. “Most of the ones you see here are Fraser firs. There are also some Douglas firs.”
“Which one’s better?” Haley asked.
“It’s not a matter of one being better than the other,” he answered. “They’re just different, but both make great Christmas trees. A Fraser fir is, botanically, a true fir tree, whereas a Douglas fir is more of a fir-tree cousin.”
Haley laughed. “How do you know this?”
Jeff smiled. “I worked for the Forest Service during college.” He walked over to a Fraser fir. “Here, let me show you something.”
Haley joined him by the tree.
“Take off your glove and feel how soft the needles are.” Jeff took off his own glove and lightly ran his fingers over a group of needles. Haley took off her glove and did the same.
“It is soft,” she said. She ran her fingers over it again and was surprised.
“This is a Fraser fir. See how the pinecones are sitting upright on the branches?”
Haley nodded.
“That’s one of the ways you know it’s a Fraser fir.” Jeff motioned for her to follow him as he walked past several trees and stopped in front of one. “See the pinecones on this tree, how they’re different?”
Haley leaned in for a closer look. “They’re facing down, not up.”
“Exactly.” He smiled. “And that’s one of the ways you know that this one is a Douglas fir. You can also tell by the way the needles are shaped and how they grow on all sides of the branches. Our Fraser fir over there has two-toned needles that are dark green on the top and almost silver underneath, and the branches are really sturdy, so they’re great for heavier ornaments. They both make great Christmas trees, because they can handle the heat inside a house.”
“For how long?”
“Sometimes up to a month if you make sure to keep giving them fresh water.”
Haley looked impressed. “Wow, you’re like a Christmas-tree guru! I had no idea about any of this.”
Jeff started walking off, looking around. “And I haven’t even told you about the balsam fir or the blue spruce or—”
Haley caught up to him and grabbed his arm. “Stop! I’m having a Christmas-tree overload here.”
They both laughed.
“Then we better get going so you can pick out your tree,” Jeff said as he continued walking toward a group of trees up ahead.
Haley follow him. “Wait, did you say I have to pick out a tree?”
“Of course. It’s your tree. So which one speaks to you?”
She looked at him like he was crazy. “If any of these trees start speaking to me, I’m outta here!”
“Okay, then do it your way. Pick however you like, but you’ll need this.” When he tried to hand her the saw, she backed away fast.
“I don’t know how to cut down a tree. Do I look like a lumberjack?”
When Jeff studied her from head to toe, Haley tried not to squirm.
“You look more like a lumber jill. Now here, take the saw.”
She stubbornly shook her head. “You know the activity list said we were getting a tree, it didn’t say anything about cutting down a tree.”
“Surprise!”
Haley wanted to hit him over the head with the saw.
“But, hey, if you can’t handle it, that’s fine,” he said. “You just won’t get to mark this activity off your list.”
Haley’s mouth dropped open. “And that would mean I wouldn’t get my certificate . . .”
Jeff shrugged, clearly enjoying himself.
Haley was not amused. She grabbed the saw out of his hands and marched off. When she was just a few feet ahead of him, she looked around. “Okay, what one do you want me to cut down?”
Jeff chuckled. “Oh no, this is all you. Your tree, you decide.”
“Seriously, I don’t care. Just pick one.” She was running out of patience fast.
“That’s not how it works.”
They stood staring at each other for several seconds. Neither of them was backing down. “Look, you’re making this harder than it has to be,” Jeff said. “Just pick any of the trees right here. Pick the one that reminds you of Christmas. They’re all perfect.”
Haley looked around and frowned. “That’s the problem,” she said. “They’re all too perfect.” When she started zigzagging around a bunch of trees, Jeff followed her. Finally, she spotted a little tree tucked away in between two larger ones, and her eyes lit up. “That one! That’s the one I want!”
Jeff walked over to a beautiful six-foot Douglas fir. “She’s a beauty all right.”
“No, not that one. That one!” Haley pointed to the funny-looking Charlie Brown Christmas tree that was right next to it. It was only about three feet high and had a crooked trunk, and there were fewer than a dozen branches that stuck out every which way. As far as Christmas trees go, it was one hot mess.
Jeff laughed and gave her an incredulous look. “This is the tree you want? This isn’t a Christmas tree. It’s just something that’s popped up here.”
Haley stubbornly marched over to the funny little tree. “You said all the trees here are Christmas trees and that I could pick any one I want.”
“I know but—”
“Well, this is the one I want.” When she locked eyes with him, he just shrugged.
“Okay, it’s your choice. Have at it.”
When Haley realized he meant for her to start sawing the little tree down, her confidence faded, but she refused to let him see she was nervous. So she got down on her hands and knees, sinking in the snow, and was fighting to lift up some branches so she could get the saw to the tree trunk when Jeff started helping by holding up some branches.
“Here, does this help?” he asked.
She nodded and crawled closer to the tree. She was getting covered in snow, but she didn’t care. She was determined to complete this activity so she could mark it off her list. She wasn’t about to let some Christmas tree stand in the way of her promotion. But when she finally got the saw to the little tree trunk, she had trouble making the saw glide back and forth.
“Here, let me show you how to do it,” Jeff offered.
Part of Haley, the stubborn part, wanted to cut down the tree without his help, but the other part of her, the part that was getting numb from the cold, gave in and handed him the saw.
“You need to grab the handle of the saw like this.” He showed her. “And keep your index finger right here, along the top of the handle, because it will help you guide where you want the saw to go. Here, you try it.”
When he handed her back the saw, she eagerly tried to do what he said but still had a hard time until he helped position her hand correctly. When their eyes met she gave him a grateful look, and for that moment she didn’t feel cold anymore as a rush of heat filled her body.
“Okay, I think I’ve got it,” she said, and quickly turned her attention back to the tree. She held the saw like Jeff had showed her and tried again, and this time it worked. A smile lit up her face as she looked back at him. “I’m doing it! I’m sawing down a tree. Whooo-hoo!”
“Great job! Keep at it, you’ve got a long way to go,” Jeff said in an encouraging voice.
“But I’m doing it!”
“You’re doing it.” He laughed.
When the tree started to get a little wobbly, Jeff came over and held it upright. “Keep going, I’ve got it. I won’t let it fall down.”
“You better not! I’m almost there, I think.” Haley, excited, picked up her speed. “Okay, are you ready?”
“Ready!”
“Done!” Haley said as she made the last cut.
“Got it!” Jeff held the little tree up in the air.
“We did it.” Haley grinned.
“You did it.” Jeff smiled back. “Nice job.” He handed her the tree. “Here you go!”
Haley proudly took it. It didn’t weigh very much, because it was so scrawny, but to Haley, in that moment, it was the best Christmas tree she’d ever had.