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“That’s such a wonderful family tradition. When we were little, we used to buy one from a lot, then we switched to a fake tree.”
Knox covered his ears. “Don’t tell me about fake trees.”
Addy giggled. “You’re silly.”
“Are you going to help me cut down your tree?” Knox asked Addy.
Addy nodded seriously. “Uh-huh.”
“I’ll use the saw, and you just need to hold it so it doesn’t fall.” He showed her where to place her hands in the middle.
“I can do that.”
“Sarah, can you help her?” I moved into position, then he got down on the ground to cut the base. As he cut, the tree swayed, and our job got harder. “That’s it.”
The tree’s weight shifted toward us, but Knox hopped up to grab it. “I got it. I’ll tag it, and we’ll take it down to the barn later.”
“Should I pay for it at the shop?” I saw a sign that mentioned paying for all trees inside the barn.
Knox’s face screwed up. “Don’t worry about it. I told you this was my treat.”
“I can’t—”
He silenced me with a finger to my lips. “Let me.”
I’d let him do anything he wanted to me if he had that look on his face. His eyes turned dark with desire before he reluctantly pulled his finger away. “Friends, remember?”
I wasn’t sure how I could repay him. How did one return the favor of a Christmas tree? “Maybe we could make you cookies as a thank-you.”
Knox grinned, and I saw a dimple on his right cheek I’d never seen before. “I won’t turn down cookies. My mom makes them for the shop, so we’re not allowed to snack on them anymore.”
“Can I have some?” Addy asked.
“My mom sells them in the red barn. She won’t bring them out until later, though,” Knox said, regret filling his voice.
I smiled at him. “We’ll make some for you when you get to our place tonight. It’s the least we can do.”
Knox nodded. “I’m looking forward to it.”
He dragged the tree to the side and placed a tag around the top to indicate it was ours. “Let me take you to your car. The gates will open soon, and you’ll want to leave before the crowds arrive. There will be a line down the street since it’s Saturday.”
“I didn’t realize how popular tree cutting was,” I said as we returned to the golf cart.
Addy ran ahead of us.
“It’s good for business. The only problem is our busy season is only seven weeks, depending on when Thanksgiving falls. We’re looking for ways to expand the business. It’s tough because so many of my brothers and I don’t like having crowds of people on the property. It’s our quiet place, you know?”
“I live in town, but I’d love to have more property. We don’t have a lot of privacy or room to play.”
“I like to sit on my deck in the morning and drink my coffee. It’s high up, so it feels like I’m in a tree house. I can go for a hike whenever I want to. I love being so close to nature. But during the holidays, it’s like the place isn’t ours. I can’t relax until the gates are closed each night.”
“How will you expand the business without inviting more people onto the property?” I asked.
“Ireland has some ideas. She’s helping my mom in the shop in her spare time, and she’s the one who suggested selling the cookies. She’s actively working with local artists to consign their work at the shop. They’re hoping to have the store open year-round with holiday-specific items for sale. Sebastian’s worried that it’s not enough.”
“Could you grow apples or pumpkins and expand into the fall market?” I asked him.
“As much as we want more income streams, I don’t think we want to become a fall farm. It would be too much. We offered to host a few weddings, but we’re limiting it to no more than five a year. We’ll see how that goes.”
