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I wade into the crowd. "I understand your concerns. The tourists' favorite view is this tree with a pristine expanse of snow in front of it. But the tourists are still going to come into town and shop, even if they can't get a clear picture of their family in front of the hill and the tree."
"Half of my business comes from people hiring Dani to take a photo of them or getting a print or holiday cards made." Mrs. Ellerby spreads her arms wide to encompass the crowd and snowy hill. "And who knows when a snowy day might send tourists off the slopes again?"
"It's not a good look." Hailey Beerbaum, owner of the Christmas Eve Diner, speaks in a quiet, but serious tone. "We want our guests to have the full, magical Yuletide experience." She gestures at the kids flying down the hill on sleds. "Nothing about this is magical or welcoming."
Several folks have suggested renting sleds to tourists and letting them enjoy the hill too, but there's some insurance or liability nonsense that makes that idea unwieldy.
Personally, I don't understand the problem. It's not like tourists see sledders on the hill and turn around to go home. They complain sometimes, but Fir Tree hill has the best sledding in the whole county. I sledded here as a kid. It's not fair to ban local kids.
It's a never-ending issue in a town that depends so heavily on tourism for its very existence. Where do we draw the line for locals so we can give tourists the magical Christmas experience that keeps them coming back year after year?
As a teenager, I believed the locals should be able to live however we chose, but as an adult dependent on tourism myself, I understand the need to give tourists a holly, jolly experience.
"The kids are only barred from the sledding hill during school and weekend shop hours." I do my best to sound authoritative, even though I'd rather be anywhere but here. "That's the rule we all agreed on and I can't change it just because we got an unexpectedly good day for tourists the same day the kids are out of school." The rule's too strict, but the shops don't open until eleven on the weekends, giving the kids time to sled in the morning. We get most of our tourist traffic on weekdays, as most out-of-towners travel on the weekends.
"There should be a contingency plan for this very reason," Martin Jafferty, co-owner of Santa's Workshop toy store, says. Martin was a year behind me in school and is an obsequious charmer. Everyone loves the guy, because he's got charisma for miles, but he's a total jerk. All he cares about is his bottom line. He's got the soul and drive of a corporate raider stuck in the body of a fifth generation toy store owner.
Contingency plans rely too much on opinion. The masses are better served by hard and fast rules. At least, according to Landon, and Landon knows best. "I'm not here to debate the rules we all agreed upon. I'm here to remind you that the kids are within their rights to sled and you all need to go back to work."
"At least make them stay off the hill until later in the afternoon." Mrs. Ellerby pops her hands on her hips and bobs her head to the words like it's already decided. "Noon to three is our busiest time, and the light's best in the early afternoon."
"That's not a bad idea," Sheriff Ned says. "But I can't enforce a law or a rule that's not on the books. Bring it up at the next town meeting."
The other problem with a small town is that too many of the folks in this crowd have known both me and Sheriff Ned since we were in diapers. We don't scare them. So I add a bit of a growl to my tone and say, "But Sheriff Ned can arrest folks for disturbing the peace if you're harassing anyone out here sledding."
Mrs. Ellerby snorts. "Ned won't arrest me. He's married to my niece, and Gracie won't put up with him mistreating her auntie."
Ah, the joy of life in a small town. "He might not arrest you, but I'll sure as heckfire bar you from the next three town hall meetings and suggest the business association revoke your membership."
She gasps and puts a hand to her chest, but there's fury in her eyes. "You can be sure I'll tell your mother about this, Xavier Shaw."
"That goes for the rest of you," I say. "Leave these kids alone or I'm making a note of everyone out here disturbing the peace."
"And I'm not afraid to arrest anyone." Ned narrows his eyes at Mrs. Ellerby. "Even you, Aunt Maureen."
The crowd complains a bit more, but eventually disperses. Mrs. Ellerby is the last to go.
"Pretty sure I won't be getting an extra slice of pecan pie at the next holiday dinner." The sheriff pats his belly, looking glum.
"She'll probably be over it by then. Mrs. Ellerby's not one to hold a grudge for more than a week or two." Unfortunately, I know this from experience.
"Thanks for coming out. I could have forced them to move on, but they just wanted another authority figure to remind them of the agreement."
I shudder. "I cannot wait until I'm not an authority figure anymore. It doesn't suit me."
He shakes his head, sending snow sliding off his hat. "I don't know. You handled that group pretty well today. If Landon decides not to come back to work, I'll vote for you."
My glare should burn the side of his face, but Ned's used to my bluster. "You're going to give me nightmares." I shudder.
Ned laughs all the way down the hill.
CHAPTER FIVE
Cherry
Even with cars swishing by and people walking the sidewalks and chatting, the falling snow muffles everything, makes it softer. It's like walking through a snow globe, the bright Christmas lights making everything cheery.
I might appreciate it more if I could get warm. Though my sweater dress and knee-high boots are adorable under my cute puffer jacket, they aren't keeping my body temperature at a healthy level. I shove my hands deeper in my coat pockets and glance at my reflection in a storefront as I pass. I didn't wear a hat because my hair was fire this morning, but the snow and the wind during my ten-block walk is making me look more like a wet Golden Retriever than a Christmas fashion queen.
