Lisa navigated the busy city streets of Burlington through holiday traffic to the highway. Utility work had traffic in a snarl, and she was too far in to take an alternate route. It took fifteen minutes to go two miles, making getting out of the city for the holidays even more appealing.
Once she got out of the city limits, traffic cleared right up and the snowy mountains looked beautiful. She pressed the radio buttons until she found the Hallmark Sirius XM channel.
Light traffic, clear weather, and good old-fashioned Christmas carols. This drive had all the ingredients for a great road trip. She tapped to the tempo of the music on her steering wheel, singing along when she knew the words.
The curving mountain roads were clear, but snow piled along the sides of the road where the snowplows had done their duty to keep folks safe. The icy trees glistened as perfectly as if she’d done the decorating herself. Perfectly imperfect.
The closer she got to Evergreen, the heavier the snow. That added to her happiness. Maybe there would be a snow angel in her future. She hadn’t made one since… It had definitely been way too long.
She took the Evergreen exit from the highway, reducing her speed on the quaint country road while still belting out fa-la-la-la-las. Up ahead, a red truck with pine trees in the back stood at the stop sign. She pulled up behind it. After a moment, when the truck hadn’t budged, she rolled her window down and peered around it. That’s when she realized the hood of the truck was up.
Aw, man. She leaned her head out the window.
“Are you having trouble with your truck?”
“It’s not my truck,” a man’s voice said.
What kind of answer was that? “Is it stolen?”
A dark-haired man with what looked like a day’s worth of beard poked his head around the truck.
“No. It’s on loan from a friend,” he said with a smile. A very attractive smile, Lisa couldn’t help but notice.
The truck had to be an early ’50s model. Nice. She could’ve done without the gaudy wreath on the back, but it was a sweet ride. Who loaned that kind of vehicle to someone? They must’ve been a pretty good friend.
She didn’t know why she had the urge to tease him, but she gave in to it. “Ohhh,” she said with an exaggerated moan. “You broke your friend’s truck?”
That got a reaction out of the guy. He stepped out from the front of the truck, looking on the defensive. “I didn’t break it, it was already…”
Lisa almost grinned, nearly breaking the ruse, then frowned in an attempt to look serious. “Hey, it looks to me like it—”
He shook his wrench in her direction. “You’re just messing with me.” His smile registered in his eyes as he laughed.
Busted. “I am. I am.” She flung open her door and got out. “No. Seriously. Can I do something to help?”
He eyed her cautiously as he wiped his hands on a red shop rag. He was wearing an army green down jacket, and he didn’t seem the least bit worried about dirtying the off-white sweater beneath it. “How are you with old engines?”
“Astonishingly good,” she admitted. Years of hanging out with her grandfather every summer in his garage while he worked on his old cars had paid off.
The old truck looked to be in great shape. It had either been kept in a garage and treated with white gloves, or there’d been one heck of a restoration on it. The flame-red paint job was so perfect it looked like it had just come off the line. Live pine roping ran from down each side of the front quarter panels, much more alive than the truck at this moment.
He looked unsure whether to believe her. “Really?”
“Yeah. May I?” She took the wrench from his hand, noticing that his shiny red toolbox was from about the same era as the truck. Nice. “Thank you.” She leaned in to look under the hood. “All right. What have we got here?” She reached in and gave something a tap. “Have you tried this?”
“Yep.”
The motor was clean. Someone took superb care of this ride. The spark plugs didn’t appear corroded or oily, but she tapped on the spark plug wire just the same. “How about this?”
“Twice,” he said.
“Hmm. I bet you haven’t tried this.”
But before she could give the battery cable a good jiggle he said, “Yes. I tried that too.”
“Ah, but…” Lisa reached in to the engine and cranked the wrench against something that seemed a little stuck. “Let me just…” She got it to budge, then stood back. Handing the wrench to him, she asked, “Do you mind if I try to start it?”
“No, go for it.”
“This is a beautiful old truck.” She crossed in front of him, opened the driver’s door and climbed in.
“Yeah, isn’t it?”
She closed the door. On the seat of the truck was a clipboard with an employment application for Banford Logging, Inc., already filled out. The guy’s name was Kevin Miller. He looks like a Kevin. In the passenger’s seat, a wooden crate overflowed with fresh vegetables: collards, sweet potatoes, eggplant, carrots, zucchini and peppers. They made her a little hungry for a good stir-fry. “All right.” She leaned forward and twisted the key. The engine struggled.
“Hold on a second,” he said.
“Yep.” She took her hand from the key and put both of her hands in the air.
He did something under the hood, then stepped out where she could see him. “Okay. Try it again.”
She turned the key and the truck started right up.
“Hey! Look at that!” She rested her elbow out the window. “Teamwork.”
“Yeah.” He walked over to the driver’s side of the truck. “Although I contend that I did most of the work, and most of that before you got here.” He leaned against the front fender, just behind the cute little round side mirror.
“That is fair. However.” She raised a finger toward him. “Had I not come along, you’d still be standing here with your little feet in the snow.”
“Also fair.” His friendly smile sent a zing right through her that could’ve melted that snow.
He opened the door for her. “You headed into Evergreen?”
“Am I that obvious?” She stepped out of the truck. “Christmas tourist. Headed into town to see the famous snow globe.” She liked the easy banter with him, and she wondered what his story was. If he were a local to Evergreen himself, then he’d know she was just passing through.
“No. You’re not that obvious. It was a lucky guess. This is the only road in or out of town.”
“Oh. Well, yeah, there’s that, huh?”
“There’s that.” He leaned against the truck door with that drop-dead gorgeous smile.
Was he flirting with her?
“Well, um.” She almost didn’t want to leave, but she really had nothing else to say.
“Thanks.”
“You’re welcome,” she said. “Merry Christmas.”
“Merry Christmas, and all that. Welcome to Evergreen.” He slammed the door shut on the truck, but stood there as she walked back to her car.
“Thanks.” She was glad he couldn’t see the slight blush on her cheeks. She pulled around the truck, giving him a quick double-toot of her horn as she drove by.
Helping a stranger. Now, that was a great way to start a holiday.
Lisa waved as she passed Kevin standing next to the truck at the stop sign. Through the intersection, then just around the bend was the familiar “Welcome to Evergreen” sign. It still carried the picture of Santa on it.
Hello, Evergreen.
Her pulse quickened as she started through the red covered bridge that led to town. As she drove through, the tires echoed a thumpity-thump with each turn over the wooden beams. She used to lift her feet when Daddy drove through it, although back then she’d referred to it as a tunnel. It wasn’t nearly as big or long as it had once seemed, either.
Almost there.
A short drive brought to her to Main Street. Evergreen wasn’t disappointing her yet. Giant candy canes hung from every lamppost. Christmas trees in all different sizes decorated with shiny ornaments offered a dazzle of color against the snow-laden trees. Every store on the street was ready for the holiday, too. The town was as amped up for the season as she remembered—in a way that could put any other quaint New England town to shame.
She parked in front of the Chris Kringle Kitchen. It looked the same, with the jolly Santa with his bag slung over his shoulder on the sign. What was new were the half-dozen charming wrought iron bistro tables painted in alternating red and white. A young couple sat with their coffee at one of the small tables outside near one of the tall propane heaters.
Lisa got out of the car and tilted her chin to the sky. The fresh scent of pine, mixed with the savory smells of good home cooking, hung in the air.
She turned toward the Chris Kringle Kitchen and then paused, remembering. All those years ago, before they’d moved away, she’d stood right there in the cafe and shook the magical snow globe. She remembered the way the snow swooshed around the church in the glass dome. She’d wished she could stay in Evergreen forever.
Lisa turned and looked across the street. There sat Daisy’s Country Store…dark and quiet now. The top of the sign had slipped from its hold, leaving it off-kilter and not in a pretty way. In the door’s window, hanging on a string, a sign read, “Sorry, We’re Closed.” It looked as though it had been that way for a while.
Her mood dipped. Daisy’s Country Store had been the heartbeat of this town when she was a little girl.
Lisa lost herself in memories of the last time she’d been there.
In her mind it was the Nineties again. The sky faded to night, snow was falling, and the inside of the store was lit up, ready for customers. Back then, the store had been garnished in pine garland with tiny colorful twinkle lights. Glass balls hung in the storefront windows from shiny ribbons and an illuminated Santa welcomed customers at the front door.
She imagined it as clearly as if she were there right at that moment. The store was alive with the energy of customers, and Daisy herself was puttering around, as delightful as always, with her ever-present smile. Daisy had been dressed like she was ready for Sunday church, wearing sparkling gold jewelry and smelling of peppermint.
Lisa remembered being in the store to write out her final letter to Santa using the colored pencils Daisy kept by Santa’s mailbox. She’d been wearing her favorite purple Christmas cardigan that day.
Dear Santa,
This year for Christmas I would like…
Daisy leaned forward on the counter. “Did you put your truest Christmas wish in your letter?”
She wasn’t entirely sure. “Maybe.” She finished writing and then turned her letter to show Daisy.
Daisy looked surprised. “Are you sure I can read it?”
She’d nodded, secretly hoping maybe Daisy could help her wish come true.
Daisy read the letter. “I would like to have Christmas in Evergreen every year.” She held the letter in her hand and then turned it back toward Lisa. “Is that your truest wish?”
Lisa’s eyes filled with tears. She didn’t want to cry in front of everybody, but she didn’t want to leave Evergreen. “We’re moving away. And I’m excited. But I love Evergreen, so…”
Daisy patted her hand. “Lisa, what about this? What if instead of saying you’d like to have Christmas in Evergreen every year, you’d like to have Christmas like it is in Evergreen. That way, wherever you go, you can always feel the warmth of home. Every year.”
Lisa recalled the relief Daisy’s words had brought her. She had that kind of warmth about her. Always a kind word. Always a note of wisdom in everything she said.
Daisy had picked up a green colored pencil and fixed the letter, then folded it and placed in the fancy red mailbox with a loving tap. Lisa still pictured Daisy’s warm smile…she could almost feel its effect on her right now.
There were several people moving about Main Street this morning. Lisa pulled her purse up onto her shoulder and walked toward the Chris Kringle Kitchen.
A woman wearing jeans, a white shirt and a pretty burgundy cardigan placed the specials chalkboard on one of the cafe tables outside of the cafe. According to the sign, today’s special was roast beef. A funny reindeer smiled from the bottom of the sign.
“Excuse me,” Lisa said, approaching the woman. “Could you tell me what happened to Daisy’s store?”
“Oh. Uhm?” The woman gave a thoughtful tilt of her head. “It closed. A little over a year ago.”
“That’s a shame. I loved that place.”
“Truly! It was the anchor of town,” the woman said. “Made of joy, that place.”
“Yeah.” That was exactly the way she remembered it, too. She felt almost afraid to ask, but she did, anyway. “And Daisy?”
The woman’s eyes filled with sorrow. “Daisy…passed away this year.”
“Oh.” Heaviness held Lisa’s heart. “I’m sorry.” Not only for the woman, but herself and the whole town. Daisy was such a wonderful part of her memories here in Evergreen.
“Did you know her?” the woman asked.
“Only sort of.” Although in truth, Lisa felt like she’d known Daisy very well. “I was actually born here, but then we moved away when I was about seven.”
“You probably would have gone to kindergarten with my daughter Allie. She always had pigtails? Constantly chasing the animals?”
Surprisingly, she did remember a little girl like that from school. “Oddly enough, I do have a memory of that, yes. I’m Lisa Palmer.”
“Palmer?” The woman’s face registered recognition. “Were your parents…scientists? No, wait, they were military. Right?”
“Right on both accounts. Wow, you have a good memory.” And that’s how Evergreen had always seemed. Like it was a place where everyone knew you.
“I’m Carol.” A man came out of the Chris Kringle Kitchen and joined them. “And this is my husband, Joe. We own the Kringle Kitchen.”
“Hi,” Joe said.
“Nice to meet you. I love this place.” Through the window she noticed the cafe was packed, then she saw the familiar sight on the counter near the register. “And the snow globe is still here!”
Joe nodded. “It sure is. Granting wishes by the dozen. We get a lot of people from all over coming to our Christmas Eve Festival.”
She hadn’t even thought about the festival, although now that they’d mentioned it, she did remember the games and the whole town getting together on Christmas Eve.
“Ah! Kevin.” Joe pointed to a red truck pulling in front of the cafe.
Lisa recognized the truck right away.
Carol waved. Joe said, “My vegetables.” He hustled toward the truck. Lisa found herself pleased to see Kevin again.
“Sorry I’m late. I had to deliver a few more trees.” Kevin carried a crate of vegetables over to Joe. “I’ll take these in.”
As Kevin reached the sidewalk, Carol said, “Lisa, this is Kevin.”
He stopped, smiling with a little laugh. “We met on the road. She’s an astonishingly good mechanic.”
Carol looked as if she’d caught them kissing rather than just having met once before.
Lisa laughed. “I gave him a little help with the truck.”
“It was my dad’s,” Carol said. “Now it belongs to my daughter. She’s in Florida visiting her boyfriend’s family.”
“It’s a beautiful truck. A classic,” Lisa said.
“Thanks. Are you hungry?”
“I’d like to get checked in over at Barbara’s Country Inn.” Lisa checked the address on her phone. “Is that—”
“Straight out to the end of town, take a left on Sawmill,” Carol said.
“Thank you.”
“Come back for dinner,” Carol said.
“I will.” Lisa was glad Oliver had shamed her into finally coming for a visit. Christmas in Evergreen really was the best.
Kevin walked out of the Kringle Kitchen.
“We’re going to have to stop bumping into each other like this,” Lisa teased. “The townspeople will start to talk.”
“That’s what they do best.” He opened the door of the truck and stepped on the running board. “That and harmonizing the last three bars of any Christmas carol.”
Lisa smiled and got in her car. He had a great wit. Kevin. Nice name.