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“That’s when everyone else is gearing up for the big day,” I said, surprised.
“It’s different when you live the season.”
I sat back in the chair. “I wondered if that’s how the inn would be if I chose to run it.”
“I don’t think so because it’s open year-round. You’d have other holidays, like Valentine’s Day and the Fourth of July, where people are looking for an experience. You wouldn’t be limited like we are. Although we’ve been looking for ways to expand.”
“You want to be open year-round?”
“I don’t think Emmett would ever allow it. We like the quiet, but Mom and Ireland want to keep the shop open and sell more seasonal items. Valentine’s décor in February, Easter in March and April, and so on.”
“You could have limited events, like an Easter egg hunt.” I didn’t say it particularly loud, but everyone got quiet the exact moment I spoke.
Ireland leaned over the table. “An Easter egg hunt? That would be awesome. The eggs could be in the Christmas tree fields.”
“I don’t know about that—” Emmett began just as Knox said, “Did you mean just for Ember and Addy, or were you thinking of inviting the community, maybe making it a paid event?”
“We’d get more visitors to the store if we scheduled events around the holidays,” Ireland said, her words rushed with excitement.
“I don’t think it’s a good idea,” Emmett tried again, and Ireland placed a hand on his arm as if to stop him from speaking. ”I can’t believe I never thought of something like this before.”
Emmett scowled at Knox, but he just shrugged, as if it was no big deal. “It would be one day. Maybe two. Max. You have to admit, it’s a great idea.”
“If you don’t want to be involved, go on vacation that weekend,” Heath said.
Emmett’s jaw tightened. “I thought we’d discuss any changes as a family.”
“It wasn’t planned. I was just talking to Marley about our ideas for the farm, and she offered it up,” Heath said.
My cheeks hot, I said, “I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to cause any trouble.”
Lori waved a hand in my direction. “You didn’t. Emmett just doesn’t like when people are on the grounds. He’d prefer to confine the business to November and December.
“Why do we have to sell trees at all?” Emmett asked, clearly irritated with everyone ganging up on him.
“You know Mom loves Christmas, and this is what we’ve always done,” Heath said to Emmett as he smiled at me.
It made me feel warm all over. I wondered if anyone else noticed that he’d interacted solely with me.
Ireland waved a hand. “We’re already past Easter. We can’t do it until next year.”
“Thank God for that,” Emmett grumbled, and Ireland leaned closer to whisper something into his ear. He shook his head, but his lips twitched.
I couldn’t have known that everyone would hear my comment and get excited about my idea. Emmett was reluctant to make any changes or invite more people to the farm, but Ireland seemed to have some pull with him. I wondered if the brothers ran into trouble making any decisions on the farm with so many people and personalities involved.
“But we could carry that idea forward with flags on Memorial Day and music and fireworks on the Fourth of July. The Monroe Christmas Tree Farm will become the place families look to celebrate all their holidays,” Lori said with a grin on her face.
Emmett dropped his head into his hands. “You can’t be serious.”
Ireland laughed. “You have to see how amazing this could be. We could sell food and other items in the shop. Maybe even draw in more Christmas clients, people who’ve never heard of us or who wouldn’t have otherwise made the drive from Annapolis.
“What about serving pizza? There’s a brewery by us that does something similar. It’s super low-key: drinks, pizza, games, and picnic tables. Other than trash receptacles and bathrooms, there’s almost no cleanup,” I said, remembering how much fun I had when I went there with a few friends.
Heath shifted in his seat. “That’s a big project, and none of us has a brewery.”
“What about a movie night? We could project a movie onto the side of the barn and sell popcorn and other snacks.”
“Yes!” Ireland cried as she pulled out her phone and jotted notes on it. “I love these ideas. I have to thank you for coming tonight, Marley. We’ve been brainstorming for months, and none of us has come up with anything like this.”
