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We finish our refreshments and make our way back outside. Sela leads us across the street and down a couple of blocks to an unassuming building nestled amid bustling Main Street businesses.
Keller Harris Design Studiois stenciled on the door.
“Keller Harris—isn’t that Willa’s husband?” I ask.
“He is.”
“We met at the inn last night,” I say.
“This is the shop he and my brother own. Keller is a master craftsman who makes hand-carved furniture, and my brother is an artist who does the custom carvings or paintings that their customers request. He also creates wood and metal sculptures and hand-made snow globes. They happen to be working on something extra special at the moment. I thought we could take a peek,” she says as she opens the door.
A bell chimes as we walk into a large showroom.
“Wow, these are amazing,” I muse as I take in the variety of sample furniture on display.
“Right? They can take any of these and create unique designs to a customer’s specifications. People who visit Lake Mistletoe fall in love and place orders that ship all over the country.” Sela beams.
“She’s biased,” a deep voice booms, and we turn to see a dark-haired man with the same steel-blue eyes as Sela coming through a pair of swinging doors.
“Doesn’t make it any less true,” she quips.
The man comes to a stop in front of her, and she steps in and wraps him in a warm embrace.
“Hi, sis,” he says as he taps a kiss to her forehead.
She releases him and introduces us. “This is Isaac Ralston and his daughter, Cobie. Isaac, this is my brother, Brannigan Prince.”
He extends his hand. “You can call me Bran.”
I shake his offered hand as Sela continues, “Isaac is a photographer who is in town to take pictures for a story the travel magazine he works for is doing on Lake Mistletoe.”
“Yeah, Keller mentioned that,” Bran says.
“Hoyt asked me to show them around today, and I thought we could start here. Anyway, can we get a sneak peek at the project you guys are working on?” she asks, her eyes pleading.
“I don’t know. It’s a top-secret project that Santa himself ordered. Can you guys be trusted?” he asks, bringing his gaze to Cobie and raising a questioning brow.
Cobie’s eyes go wide, and she looks up at Sela.
“Absolutely. I can vouch for her,” Sela says.
“Okay, follow me.”
He leads us into the back to what looks like a workshop.
“We don’t let just anyone see behind the curtain. Only the very special people,” he teases.
In the center of the room stands a large structure, covered with a massive brown tarp.
Bran takes one of the corners and pulls the covering free to expose what lies beneath.
A hand-carved, life-sized Santa sleigh.
Cobie squeals at the sight.
The sleigh is expertly carved from sturdy wood with every curve and contour meticulously shaped to perfection. The wood glows with a rich, warm finish, highlighting the natural grains and textures. Intricate detailing adorns the entire surface of the sleigh, including playful elves, prancing reindeer, and snow-covered pine trees. Each carving is done with precision and care, bringing the entire sleigh to life.
I raise my camera. “May I?” I ask Bran.
