Page 23 of Evergreen Christmas

“I mean it,” Carol Belle stated firmly.

Holly, standing beside Eve, cleared her throat and made her way to the microphone, edging Carol Belle back a few steps. “Well . . .” She clapped her hands and smiled. “Now that we’ve gotten the rules out of the way, let’s get to the fun stuff!”

The crowd cheered again, and Roxie tugged on Nate’s shirtsleeve and grinned up at him, her expression filled with delight.

“Kandy,” Holly prompted, sweeping an arm toward the other side of the stage, “please begin the drawing to determine the order of this year’s contests.”

Kandy, who stood beside an oversized snow globe with folded pieces of paper fluttering around inside like snowflakes, lifted the top off the snow globe, reached in and withdrew one piece of paper. She unfolded it, smiled, then announced, “The first competition will be Snowman Fight at First Snow.”

A collective squeal and laughter erupted from the crowd.

Kandy reached back into the snow globe and withdrew another folded piece of paper, then announced, “Our second contest will be Candy Cane Fishing.”

The drawing continued, Kandy reaching into the large snow globe and withdrawing folded pieces of paper in succession until she collected twelve. Each contest was announced as it was drawn and Carol Belle announced the final contest lineup once the drawing was completed.

“Here it is in order: Snowman Fight at First Snow, Candy Cane Fishing, Terrible Tinsel Triathlon, Christmas Cookie Crumble, Sexy Santa’s Eggnog Nod—which I’ll remind you counts as two contests and is solely for adult participants—Gingerbread Architect, Christmas Karaoke, Christmas Dance Craze, Ugly Sweater Wrapping Pretty, Christmas Light Delight, and Noel’s Christmas tree contest.”

The four Nanas arranged themselves into a neat line again, looped their arms with one another and shouted out in unison to the cheering crowd, “At first snow, let the Christmas competition commence!”

Chapter Five

Two days later, the first snow of the holiday season fell on Noel. Jordyn stood in the open entrance of Chestnut Ridge’s stable, admiring the white landscape and feeling as giddy as a kid as big, fluffy snowflakes fell in a thick blanket around her.

“Wow!” She stuck her hands out, palms cupped, tilted her head back and smiled as she savored the burst of snowy winter wind across her face. “Does it snow like this often?”

Kandy, who stood next to her, shivering, glanced up at the sky with a worried expression. “More than most people would expect. Noel is at the highest elevation east of the Mississippi—even higher than Boone. Heavy and light snowfalls hit us sporadically. One day it can be in the fifties and the next it could be in the low twenties. Snow’s a guessing game around here in terms of when it’ll hit, but we get at least a few feet several times each year. Some of our best tourist business happens in the ski resorts around us, and the owners rely on snowfalls like this one.”

“Well, light or heavy—I love it!” Jordyn stuck out her tongue, catching a snowflake, then grinned. “Most of my foster homes were in the Deep South and we never got anything like this. Most we ever got was a few flurries— maybe a couple inches at most—one or two days a year and that’d be enough to make everything shut down. But this!” She stuck out her tongue again but it felt slightly frozen, so she pulled it back into her mouth and shivered with cold and excitement. “This is truly magnificent!”

As though in agreement, Star, snug and warm inside her stable, neighed gently. She looked especially beautiful today, draped in a thick, red Christmas blanket, her mane and hide freshly brushed.

Jordyn walked over to her stall, touched her forehead to Star’s broad nose and whispered, “I won’t be gone too terribly long, my beauty. From what Kandy has told me, the Snowman Fight doesn’t last very long, and I’ll be home right after to tell you all about it while we watch the snow fall this evening.” She stroked Star’s neck with a gentle hand, a shiver of delight running through her at the thought of her and Star having their very own land. “I bet you’re just as eager as I am to enjoy the view of those glorious mountains covered in snow.”

“Jordyn.” Kandy, her pink hair dotted with melting snowflakes, beckoned for Jordyn to join her outside the stable. “The contest is set to start at noon and”—she glanced at the festive snowman watch on her wrist—“it’s almost that now. We really should get going.”

Jordyn kissed Star’s forehead and gave her one last pet before joining Kandy. “So, the point of today’s contest is to build a great-looking snowman as fast as I can—when time is called, the snowmen will be judged and the winner announced, right?”

Kandy’s boots crunched in the snow as they walked across the grounds to Jordyn’s truck. “Partially. But there’s quite a bit more to it than that.”

Jordyn, preoccupied with the snow around her boots, giggled. “Oh, isn’t this wonderful? Will it snow like this on Christmas Day? I hope it does. I’ve never experienced a white Christmas before and with those peaks”—she waved an arm toward the mountain range in the distance—“I can’t imagine the view being more spectacular!”

“Well, every year, we have about a sixty percent chance of snow on Christmas Day,” Kandy said. “Some of the locals make a habit of betting on it, but I don’t partake in that. When I gamble, I lose my money more often than I win, so I’ve learned not to take the chance.”

“Well, I’d be okay with it.” Jordyn pulled her keys from her pocket, unlocked her truck, and they both climbed in, settling into the front seats and rubbing their hands together as the engine warmed. “How many people place a bet? Is it a big jackpot?”

Kandy held up her gloved hand, a worried look in her eyes. “Look, we can discuss the snow bet later, but right now, as your mentor, my job is to prepare you for the first contest. If I don’t do a good job, Carol Belle is going to have my hide. So could you please focus on what I’m telling you for the time being?”

“Oh, boy. I’m in trouble, aren’t I?” Wincing, Jordyn turned up the heat, settled back against her seat and gave Kandy her full attention. “You’re absolutely right, Kandy. It’s just that I’m so excited to be a part of an actual community Christmas celebration that I can hardly sit still, much less listen to rules. But for you, I’m all ears. And I did do something you asked me to do already to prepare for this contest. I had the best night’s sleep in my life last night! And that’s thanks to you and the other Nanas. Thank you for helping me pick out the perfect bed frame and mattress for my bedroom.”

Kandy smiled and shrugged. “It was nothing. I love to shop anyway.”

“It was much more than nothing for me.” Jordyn reached out, took Kandy’s hands in hers and squeezed gently. “I can’t tell you how much I’ve appreciated your welcome and your help getting settled. I doubt too many people would’ve gone to as much trouble as you and the other Nanas have to make me feel at home.”

Over the past two days, the four women had escorted Jordyn to almost every store in downtown Noel, helping her shop for every little thing she needed to spruce up her new log cabin and feel at home. Kandy had helped her pick out a bed frame and soft mattress while pillows, sheets, and a comforter had been carefully chosen by Holly to suit Jordyn’s taste.

Eve, thrifty and practical, had listened carefully to Jordyn’s wishes regarding living room furniture and had found a living room set consisting of a sofa, recliner, coffee table, and one end table at a better bargain price than Jordyn could’ve imagined. She’d measured every piece of furniture carefully, ensuring the entire set fit into the living room of Jordyn’s log cabin as though it’d been built into place right along with the rest of the cabin.

Kandy had taken on the task of choosing dishes, silverware, pots, pans, and cups for the kitchen. And Carol Belle had focused her efforts on adding a decorative and inviting touch, by choosing handcrafted rocking chairs for the front porch, garland over the mantel piece, a fresh poinsettia plant on either side of the front porch steps, and strings of white Christmas lights along the banisters. She’d even installed new bulbs in the old-fashioned porch lanterns by the front door, giving the cabin a warm, welcoming glow.

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