Tucker merged the Tesla into traffic on the highway. “You know,” he said, “they’re having a cookie sale in front of GG’s Mountainside Gardens & Gifts tomorrow on Main Street to raise money for the Jacob family. Can I talk you into helping me bake cookies first thing in the morning?”
“I can help. What kind are you baking?”
“My tradition.” He glanced over and caught the look in her eye. “Honestly, I buy the slice-and-bake rolls, but I press red and green chocolate covered candies into them. People think they’re great. Don’t you tell anyone they aren’t made from scratch.”
She zipped her lips, and pretended to toss the key over her shoulder. “I’d never, but I make really good pecan snowball cookies. I know the recipe by heart. It was Mom’s favorite.”
“Those sound great. Can we do both? I mean people are expecting my traditional cookies.”
“Sounds like a plan.”
“Well, little miss I-know-my-recipe-by-heart, can you make a shopping list? We’ll stop and pick up everything we need on the way back. It’ll give us a chance to stretch our legs too.”
“Absolutely.” She pulled a small notepad from her purse and started the list. “If I triple the recipe how many would that be?” She pressed the pen to her lips as she calculated. “Let’s see, each batch makes about three dozen, so that’s about a hundred cookies.”
“Minus the ones we eat?”
“Oh no, sir. There’ll be none of that. This is a fundraiser.” She playfully smacked his arm.
“I can promise you there will be,” he said unapologetically.
“You’ll pay double for each one you eat then,” she said matter-of-factly, and moved on. “Do you have cookie sheets, or should I pick up some tinfoil ones at the store?”
“I have some and double ovens, so we should be able to make short work of it,” Tucker said. “Maybe we should quadruple your recipe. You know, so we have plenty for us too.”
“We can do that, but you’re not getting free cookies.” She wagged her pen in his direction. “You have to buy every one you eat.”
“You are a serious fundraiser.”
“It’s for the Jacobs, Cookie Monster.” She swatted his arm playfully. “What’s wrong with you?”
“Fine. Definitely quadruple or quintuple it. I’ll buy all you can bake.”
“You’re helping me. That’s a lot of little balls to roll out.”
“I’m not afraid of spending time in the kitchen with you.” In fact, he was looking forward to it.
They stopped in the last large town on the way home and got everything on the shopping list. She was a good sport when he made her toss things in the cart as he whizzed by. He liked that about her.
And when he grabbed extra paper towels and hurled them in her direction following a quick spin shouting, “Heads up!,” she actually caught them like a wide receiver.
Back in the car, with everything they’d need to bake cookies in the morning, she fell asleep, and didn’t wake up until he pulled up in front of Orene’s house.
Tucker touched her shoulder softly. “Hey, sleepyhead. We’re back.”
Her lashes batted as she awoke and sat up in the seat. “I’m sorry. I didn’t even realize I’d fallen asleep.”
“Well, not everyone can keep up with my grocery-store aerobics program.”
She laughed. “That was fun.”
He handed her the keys to her car. “Call me when you get up so we can get going on the cookies early. I’m sure I’ll already be up.”
“Okay. I’ll call you.” She opened the car door. “Thanks for a really perfect day.”
“I thought so too. Sweet dreams.” They both got out of the car.
He walked over to his truck and waited until she went inside and her bedroom light came on before getting in his truck to leave.
Sunday morning, the sun was shining, and the temperature was forecast to be in the fifties later in the day. It would be a great day for last-minute shopping, and he had no doubt the cookie sale would be a big hit.
He’d already set out all the baking ingredients and baggies for the cookies. If he’d only thought to ask Sheila for the recipe, he could have gotten started without her. He went to work on his slice-and-bakes, though, and was putting the first ones in the oven when she called.
He answered with a hearty hello.
“Good morning to you, too,” she said. “I slept like a rock. Did you sleep well?”
“I did,” he said, although the truth was he’d woken up several times with her on his mind. “Are you on your way over?”
“Yes. I’m already walking. I’ll be there in a couple of minutes. Can you take the butter out? We’ll need it softened to get started.”
“Already done.”
“You really are a mind-reader. See you in a minute.”
He found himself pacing and peeking out the window, waiting for her. Why am I this excited? I just spent the whole day with her.
He looked out the window again and saw her coming up the sidewalk, huddled in a navy-blue peacoat and white toboggan like the ones Orene knitted with the big pom-pom on top.
He hung in the kitchen trying to act nonchalant so she wouldn’t think he was anxious, but he abandoned that plan before she even got to the porch.
“Welcome, cookie-recipe princess.” He motioned her inside. “Ready to commence baking?”
“Sure.” She unwrapped herself from the hat, coat, and gloves. “It’s supposed to be nice this afternoon, but it’s still cold this morning.”
Her nose was pink. Tucker stepped up and wrapped her in his arms. “I’ll warm you up.”
She giggled, and that warmed him up too.
They got straight to work. The recipe wasn’t complicated, and she was right: rolling all those little balls out of the thick shortbread-like dough was the biggest job of all.
It only took a half hour for them to get the first sheets in the oven, and then it was a constant flurry of action. Putting them in, taking them out, the sugar dip, cool, dip them again, and set aside.
Between each batch of her recipe, he sliced and baked the sugar cookies with the candies in them, which actually looked pretty all piled up on his counter.
That wasn’t the only flurry in that kitchen that morning.
Along about the sixth baking sheet full of cookies, they were rushing trying to keep up, and during the dip-into-confectioners’-sugar phase, he dabbed a smudge of it on her nose.
She retaliated by tossing some in the air, which dotted the front of his red long-sleeved T-shirt. And then it was on.
They were both wearing copious amounts of the white powder on their clothes, hair, and faces when the oven timer buzzed and they finally called a truce.
“Last batch,” Sheila announced.
“Thank goodness. That’s a lot of cookies.”
“And I’ve got a bill for you for all the ones you ate.”
He dipped his hand into his pocket and took out a twenty. “Here, let’s just call it even.”
“Excellent. That and twenty-five baggies of cookies at two dollars a pop will put another fifty dollars plus this twenty into the fundraising pot. Not bad.” Sheila took another twenty out of her purse. “Let’s call this the corporate-match program.”
“I like the way you think.” He plopped down in a kitchen chair.
She joined him at the table. “I don’t think I’ve done that much baking ever.”
“We didn’t even burn a batch,” he said. “I call that a good day.”
“A victory, for sure.”
“You know, it’s been really nice getting to know so many sides of you this week.”
“You too.” She leaned forward playfully. “I only hope we can still be friends after our Christmas tree wins.”
“It’s anybody’s game. We’ll have to wait until they announce the winners tonight to find out, but I’ll be dressed for success.” He picked up a box from the kitchen table and started setting the bagged cookies into it.
“Oh, really?”
“Yeah, can’t claim the big trophy in confectioners’-sugar-and-butter-stained clothes. There will be pictures in the paper.”
She started stacking cookies in the box too. “Don’t be so cocky. I think our tree has a very good chance of winning.”
“We’ll see.”
“And if you lose, am I still invited tomorrow night for our all-nighter putting together the food boxes at the fire station?”
“I already locked in your offer to help. There are no backouts.”
“I wouldn’t dream of it.”
He picked up one of the boxes of cookies. “What do you say we walk these down to the bake sale, and then I’ll see you tonight at the Christmas Tree Stroll?”
“That sounds good, because I’m definitely going to take a nap.”
“I may be doing the same. I had no idea baking that many cookies would be so tiring.”
They dropped off the cookies and Greta set them out on a pretty tray. “These will go in a flash. It’s a good thing you showed up when you did. We were running so low I thought we were about done,” Greta said. “We’ve brought in some good money. This was a great idea.”
“Can’t go wrong with cookies,” Tucker said.
“Maybe I should’ve gone into cookies instead of flowers.” Greta wrinkled her nose. “No. I like my plants.”
“You’re in the right business,” Tucker said. “The flowers you put together for me were a big hit. Thanks for making me look so good.”
Sheila raised her hand. “My mother adored that corsage.”
“I’m so glad. It’s nice to meet you. I’d heard from Orene that you were going to be in town.”
Tucker hoped that was all Greta was going to say, but Gary gave him a look that told him that he’d heard a thing or too as well. Acting fast, before Gary and Greta could embarrass him in front of Sheila, he ushered her toward the door. “Well, we’re going to get out of here. Have a good day, and thank you.”
“I’m going to walk back to Orene’s. I really enjoyed today,” Sheila said. “I’ll see you tonight?”
“Definitely.”
At four o’clock, Tucker walked up to the high school football stadium, looking forward to seeing Sheila again.
He’d tried to take a nap, but ended up daydreaming about how nice it might’ve been had Sheila come to his place for that nap she’d mentioned, and that ended up keeping him awake.
Across the way, he saw Sheila walking with the rest of her team. “Hey,” he shouted, and broke out into a jog to catch up to them.
Natalie was the first to turn around. “Hey, Tucker!”
The cute swivel of Sheila’s hips as she turned to wave wasn’t lost on him, and left him a little breathless.
“It’s the big day.” Tucker stopped between Sheila and Natalie. “Mind if I join you?”
He was talking directly to Sheila, but Natalie answered. “The more the merrier. We’re going to do a quick walk-through to see all the competition now that everything is set up.”
No one said much of anything as they walked through admiring the competition.
“There are so many trees, and they’re all so different,” Sheila said. “It would be hard to pick even ten favorites out of all these.”
“It’s like comparing apples to oranges.” They stopped at the last aisle. “I’d hate to be a judge,” Natalie admitted.
“You and me both.” Sheila paused. “I do think we have a shot. Our tree holds up, but the competition is stiff. One of my favorites was the snowflake-themed tree with the white fur tree skirt. All the silver, white, and mirrored snowflake ornaments were simple, but I just couldn’t take my eyes off of it.”
“Yeah, I’m not even sure what kind of lights they were using. They were tiny like fairy lights but they were more twinkly. That one is definitely a front-runner,” Amanda agreed.
“And the Woods Brothers racing team tree with the checkered flags and how they have those cars racing on those tracks all up that tree and not going off the track is a mystery,” Tucker said. “It defies gravity. And their tree skirt with the drivers’ names lit up was pretty cool.”
“I was here when the judges came by this morning,” Natalie told them. “They had clipboards and looked all serious, making notes the whole time.”
“Did they seem to like what we’ve done?” Sheila asked.
“It was hard to tell. They seemed to spend more time at our tree than the others, but I don’t know if that’s good or bad. That could have totally been my imagination. I heard one of them say something about the handmade ornaments, and touching the golden tassels to see if they were real pine needles. I hope we didn’t break a rule or something.”
“I don’t think so,” Amanda said. “We should be proud of it no matter what.”
Tucker squeezed Natalie’s arm and pointed toward a judge walking down the aisle. “Look, they are starting to hand out the envelopes.” The judge stopped at each tree, talking to the team and handing each an envelope.
“My hands are sweating.” Natalie wiped them on her pants. “I’m so nervous.”
“Don’t freak out,” Tucker said. “They personally thank every team when they provide the scores. They’ll announce the winners from the stage after everyone has their individual results. Good luck. I’m going to go over with my team.”
“See you later. Good luck,” Sheila called after him.
“I see that look in your eye. You really like him,” Natalie said. “I’ve been poking fun, but there really could be something here, couldn’t it?”
“I don’t know. I think I’m just super emotional. It’s Christmas.”
“I know this is a hard time of year for you. Ever since your mom’s diagnosis and the big falling-out with Cassie over it.”
“Cassie and I are in a better place now,” Sheila admitted. “The visit with her was nice. I feel horrible for giving her such a hard time.”
“Sheila, you were just trying to do what you thought was best. It’s not an easy situation.”
“I made it worse for all of us.” A tear slipped down her cheek. “I regret that.”
“No regrets. No, ma’am. Apologize, put it behind you, and make every next day the best you can.”
“I’ve done a lot of wrong things.”
“Like what?” Natalie looked confused.
“Like trying to hold you back in Richmond with me when you needed to move on,” Sheila admitted.
“You didn’t hold me back. You comforted me when I was suffering. You’re the best friend I could ever ask for. Don’t ever doubt that.”
Sheila hugged her. “You’re the best. I’m just going to try to be as good as you are.”
Amanda walked over, breaking up the moment. “There’s still some time before they announce the winners. Relax,” she said, and blew out a long slow breath. She looked like she might need the reminder to relax more than any of them. “Are y’all okay? Sheila, are you crying?”
“I’m just excited. Aren’t we all?”
Natalie hugged her from the side. “We are!”
A tall woman in all red walked up to Natalie. “Well done. We are excited to have new teams this year. Thank you for joining us. Here is your scorecard. You’re welcome to open it, but please do not discuss your results with anyone until after the announcements.” The judge handed Natalie the envelope and moved to the next tree.
“Yes, ma’am.” Natalie stood there clinging to that envelope with the name of their tree written on the front.
As soon as the judge was out of sight, the team gathered around Natalie, who opened the envelope in hushed squeals of anticipation.
“We put our heart and soul into every detail of this tree,” Natalie said. “I wouldn’t change a thing.” Natalie wiggled in excitement. “Let’s hope it was enough to win.”
“What’s it say?” Sheila peered over her shoulder.
“Do we even know what a winning score is?” Randy asked.
Amanda shook her head. “Not really. The highest score possible is one hundred. So you know, it depends on how the judges score, but if you think of it like getting an A plus, then that’s a pretty good chance.”
Natalie closed her eyes, then opened the card and read the score. Her eyes flashed up.
“What? Is it good?”
“Very.” She turned the card around. “Shhh.”
“Oh my gosh. We’ve got a great chance of winning.”
“I think so too.”
“I’m dying to find out.” Natalie nudged Sheila when she noticed the people across the way watching them. “We better be quiet about this. No sharing. You heard what she said. I’d hate to lose from a forfeit for breaking the rules.”
“No kidding.” Sheila turned and looked toward the top of the stadium as jingle bells sounded. “What is that?”
“Look!” Amanda pointed to a section of the bleachers on the far right. One at a time, colored lights began to come on between the jingle of sleigh bells, and then all at once it was the outline of a Christmas tree, and then like a choir of angels the children holding the lights began to sing, and the lights in their hands swayed with the melody.
With the final note from that song, across on the visitors’ side, another group formed the shape of a bell out of white lights as they began singing “Silver Bells.”
And one right after the other, they volleyed carol after carol from side to side. Ten songs in all.
“That was fantastic.” Natalie clapped, and Randy stood behind her with his arms around her, clapping too. “But I’m going to die of anticipation if they don’t announce the winners soon.”
The stadium lights came back on, and the kids filed out of the stands like little soldiers marching through the Christmas Tree Stroll lanes singing “A Holly Jolly Christmas.”
Everyone joined in the festive moment.
Bringing up the rear, none other than Santa himself, with a procession of elves handing out candy canes.
“This is an amazing night.” Sheila turned, expecting to see Natalie, but instead Tucker was there. “Oops. When did you get back?”
He claimed her arms and squeezed her shoulders sweetly. “I didn’t want to miss you seeing all of this for the first time. I see it every year, but to see it all through your eyes for the first time is really exciting.”
“No one could have prepared me for this. I can’t even explain it after seeing it myself.” She turned back. “And I think you make it even more special.”
“I think you’re pretty special.”
Santa’s voice rose from the PA speakers throughout the stadium. “Ho-ho-ho. Merry Christmas! The time has come for us to announce the Annual Christmas Tree Stroll winners.”
The entire place roused into a roaring cheer.
“Is that all the noise you can make? Give me one big ‘Merry Christmas.’”
“Merry Christmas!”
“Ah, yes, we could blow fog across the nation with all that hot air. I wouldn’t even need Rudolph’s shiny nose with your help. Now, are you ready to hear the official Christmas Tree Stroll winning entries?”
The mayor took the mic. “I’ve been announcing the winners of this event for the last four years, and I came to every stroll for at least twenty years before I ever became mayor. I have to say, this year y’all brought amazing innovation, beauty, and generosity to the mix. It’s the best year, but then maybe I say that every year.”
Tucker reached for Sheila’s hand and gave it a squeeze.
Sheila looked over at Randy and Natalie, and Eli and Amanda. The other two couples stood arm-to-arm too. Everyone was on pins and needles waiting for the big announcement, and at that moment she knew she’d already gained the best prize. She leaned into Tucker, placing her other hand on his biceps.
The mayor paused until the crowd settled down. “The categories of winners this year, in no particular order, are: Storyline or Theme; Unique Design and Creative Use of Lights and Decorations; and Display and Placement of Decorations. We have such great representation in all of them. Of those three winners, the grand prize of bragging rights for the year and this eye-catching banner with their name on it hung in the school will be presented for the best overall presentation. Is everyone ready for this?”
A resounding “Yes” lifted from the stands.
“Here we go.” The mayor shuffled big red-and-green Christmas envelopes, and then opened the first one. “This year’s winner in the Unique Design and Creative Use of Lights and Decorations category, cited for its use of alternative energy and all-upcycled ornaments, is Solar Spruce, designed and decorated by the senior class of Chestnut Ridge High, for their six-foot Norway spruce. A hidden solar-energy panel on the top of the tree is providing the energy for all the lighting and the colorful spinning Moravian star on top. Ornaments are made from aluminum cans, paper plates, and old magazines. Now, that’s innovation.”
The team, wearing matching high school jerseys, bounced arm in arm in celebration. Their excitement was contagious.
“Next, the winner of the Display and Placement of Decorations category.” The mayor chuckled. “They seem to make it into the top every year.”
Tucker looked at Natalie. “That’s got to be my guys.”
“The Chestnut Ridge Fire Department for their Ninety-Nine Ways to Get Home for Christmas. They have generously decorated this twenty-two-footer full of bikes, trucks, skateboards, skates, horses, you name it, and every decoration is a toy that will be distributed in our county. I, the mayor of Chestnut Ridge, can speak for Santa when we give this team a hearty thank-you for their generosity.”
Santa danced across the stage, ho-ho-ho’ing. “And I didn’t even have to ask. Thank you. You are truly ho-ho-ho-heroes in every way! I believe there are enough shiny handlebar bells on that tree to put one on every bicycle in the county. Maybe in every car! Well done.”
Sheila threw her arms around Tucker’s neck. “Congratulations! That’s wonderful. You’re wonderful.”
He looked down into her eyes, her face just inches from his. “You make me want to be.”
The mayor took the mic from Santa and shuffled him off the stage. “You’d think that guy got enough attention this time of year. This is my minute in the spotlight, Santa.” The mayor summed up the winners of all of the categories and special mentions, and then it was time for the big announcement of the evening.
Sheila and Tucker pulled themselves together and focused their attention back on the mayor and the final envelope. “And now the winner of the Christmas Tree Stroll. Drumroll, please.”
Everyone in the place slapped their hands to their legs, and in the stands the kids were pounding their feet until the whole place rocked like a concert. “Our winner of the Storyline or Theme category is Feathered Friends Home for the Holidays.”
Natalie and Sheila both leapt so high that Sheila bumped Tucker right in the nose.
“I’m sorry,” Sheila squealed the apology, but then bounced toward Amanda and Natalie.
Tucker rubbed his nose.
“I can’t believe it. I’m so proud of us!” Natalie hugged Randy. “Thank you for your help, babe. Y’all are all amazing. I can’t believe it!”
“This team decorated a six-foot Fraser fir and somehow they hand-painted the tips of every branch with iridescent paint, making them appear as if ice has crystallized on them. The use of real pine needles painted to appear like golden tassels was ingenious, and the birdhouses on this tree are nothing short of artworthy. And I’ve been informed that some of the birdhouses will go to the senior center. Be sure to head over and congratulate them on a job well done.”
Tucker turned to Sheila. “I’d like to be the first. Job well done.” He dropped a kiss on her forehead. “And a lot more fun than usual with you around.”
Following the celebratory hugs and high fives, Natalie said, “Come on. Lets everyone go to Orene’s and celebrate.” She looked up at the tree with appreciation. “Someone is going to really enjoy this tree.”
Randy looked surprised. “Natalie, wait. I wanted you to have that tree topper. I made it special. For you. Won’t you keep that birdhouse?”
She clasped her hand over her mouth. “Yes. Of course. I’m sorry. Yes! I have to keep that one. Take it down.” Natalie shot Sheila a look who nudged Tucker to help Randy reclaim the gift.
“Thanks.” Randy seemed flustered. “We’re all going to Orene’s. Tucker, you’ve got to come with us.”
“Sounds good.” Tucker pointed to the tree and gave Randy an encouraging nod. “How about I grab that tree topper for you?”
“That would be great,” Randy said.
Tucker reached up and got the topper, and Sheila and Natalie and Amanda selected three birdhouses to take down to the senior center. They shifted the rest of the ornaments around, and then moved the bird nest to the place where the topper had sat just a moment ago to fill the gap.
“That looks pretty good,” Sheila said to Natalie under her breath.
“It does. We might have to backpocket that idea for another year.”
“I agree.”
“Are y’all coming?” Randy called to them.
“I don’t know why he’s so antsy tonight,” Natalie said. “We’re coming.”
They all drove back to Orene’s in the separate cars they came to the event in. They were all tired, but enjoying reliving the excitement of the evening.
“That smells like Orene’s fresh baked cookies,” Tucker said.
Randy sucked in a breath. “This town just gets better and better.”
They filed inside, where they were greeted with fresh-baked cookies in the shape of birdhouses arranged on a large white platter, and a punch bowl of eggnog waiting on them.
“How did you do that so fast,” Natalie remarked.
“I had a gut feeling you were going to win,” Orene told Natalie. “I knew it as soon as I saw your tree, so I got a head start. Let’s celebrate.” She waved her hands in the air; it looked more like jazz hands than celebration, but it was so Orene.
“You think of everything, Orene.” Natalie hugged her. “You’re the best family we could have.”
“I second that,” Sheila said. “You just don’t know how much being here with you has meant, especially with my mom … well…” Sheila’s eyes glassed over. “It’s just been so comforting to be here with you. My mom would’ve loved you too.”
“Well, if I could’ve handpicked a bunch of kids to call my own, I’d have adopted you all!” Orene’s smile was sweet, and her eyes were misty. “Seriously, you bring this old woman so much joy.” She picked up a cup of eggnog. “Get a cup.”
Everyone picked up a cup of eggnog.
“Here’s a toast to making a big splash at your very first Christmas Tree Stroll.” Orene raised her cup high in the air, and the others followed. “Chestnut Ridge is better for having you all become a part of our community. Our family. Cheers.”
Everyone took a sip, and Randy swung his other arm around Natalie’s waist. “And we are so happy to be here.”
“I wouldn’t want to be anyplace else tonight,” said Sheila. “With all of you.”
“I want to go on record”—Tucker shot a playful stink eye in Natalie’s direction—“that I have every intention of trying to woo your secret weapon over to my team next year.”
There was a collective murmur of interest from everyone.
“Didn’t I tell you I can’t be bought?” Sheila said with a sassy lilt.
“You did, but it won’t keep me from trying. I need to win back my Christmas Tree Stroll title next year.”
“Oh my gosh, I’m supposed to help you decorate your tree at your house,” Sheila said. “I totally forgot.”
“Well, we’ve been busy.”
“True, but I don’t want to break the Christmas tree picker primary rule. You pick it, you decorate it.” Sheila looked back at Tucker. “That is what you said, isn’t it?”
“That is not a rule,” Orene said.
“I might have made it up to spend more time with you,” he admitted.
“I might have known that when I agreed,” she said, tucking up close against him.