Page 60 of Evergreen Christmas

Deliberately breaking her own gingerbread house had been worth it just to see the sheer delight on Roxie’s face.

“It wasn’t that big a deal,” Jordyn said. “I knew how nervous Roxie was and how much she wanted to do well in the contest. Her success was more important than winning a few more points.”

The Nanas blinked, staring up at her silently.

“What?” Jordyn asked. “What is it? You’re looking at me like I sprouted another head.”

“What we’re thinking of,” Carol Belle said softly, “has nothing to do with your head and everything to do with your heart . . . and Nate.”

Face heating, Jordyn looked down at the string of Christmas lights in her hands and turned her attention to straightening them, putting more effort into untangling the strands than the task necessitated. “Yes, well, not a whole lot matters where my heart is concerned, seeing as how Nate’s heart is unavailable.”

“Oh, Jordyn.” Kandy stepped forward, placing her hand gently on a low branch of the tree as she gazed up at Jordyn. “Did he say that? Did he really say he wasn’t interested in you at all?”

“Not really,” Jordyn said. “But he does have reservations. Ones that have everything to do with Roxie’s happiness and well-being, and I completely understand.”

“But you’re so wonderful with Roxie,” Eve said. “We all saw how well you two got on together at the gingerbread contest. The two of you were having a great time and no one can doubt that you care about her. You can say what you did was a little thing, but your sacrifice meant the world to that little girl.”

Jordyn smiled. “I guess it did. And I’m glad I could help her.” She bit her lip, hesitating. “But I got to thinking this past week that Nate might be right about a lot of things. And that he might be especially right about protecting Roxie’s heart.” She looked down at the Nanas then, her chest aching at the memory of the grief in Roxie’s tone the night she’d spoken of Macy in the kitchen at Frosted Firs. “Roxie has already suffered the loss of one mother. She should never be put into a position where she might end up losing another parent she loves.”

“But who says she’s going to lose if you and Nate commit to each other?” Carol Belle asked, stepping forward and joining Kandy at the base of the tree. “You enjoy spending time with Roxie and she with you—you told us so yourself. And Nate has really broken out of his shell since you arrived in town. I mean, he’s taken part in the Christmas competition for a decade now, but in all those years, he never entered the Sexy Santa contest. He did that for you because he wanted to spend time with you.” Her mouth firmed. “Having you in their lives would be good for both of them.”

“If it worked out,” Jordyn said softly. “But I’m not sure it would, long term.” She issued a sound of self-derision. “Well, I know it would work for me, considering the way I feel about Nate. But he told me himself that he didn’t think he was ready for a relationship. And that he wasn’t sure he would ever be ready to let Macy go.” She sighed. “That doesn’t bode well for a new romance, and the last thing I’d ever want to do would be to enter Roxie’s life just to turn around and leave again.” She shook her head, her stomach dropping as she voiced the words she knew she should accept. “If Nate isn’t ready for a romantic relationship, I don’t know that I want to take the risk of ruining any friendship we might have. I just can’t see pursuing a relationship with him unless he’s truly ready to move on from Macy.”

“But there must be a chance that he’ll change his mind.” Holly gazed up at her with wide, pleading eyes. “I mean, he could change his mind. Men do that occasionally. Women, too! Sometimes I think if Don could ever get over the grudge he has against me and catch me at the right time, I might be willing to change my mind about commitment, too. Please don’t give up on Nate yet.”

Smiling, Jordyn nodded. “I’m still holding on to a little hope that he will change his mind. But I’d have to see some sign that he was ready and that he truly wanted to move forward. Otherwise, I just don’t think it’s worth the risk to his or my heart—and, most especially, to Roxie’s.”

The Nanas fell silent, continuing to stare up at her with concerned expressions.

“Anyway,” Jordyn said, summoning a bright smile. “As you said, Nate may very well change his mind. So, if it will please you, I’ll continue holding on to my last bit of hope for the rest of the week. Christmas is one of the most romantic seasons of the year,” she said softly as she gazed at the beautiful Fraser fir in front of her. “So, there’s still a chance that Nate will come around. But in the meantime, Fabio Fraser needs our attention. After all, we have a Christmas tree contest to win!”

Standing in the back lot of Chestnut Ridge among the crowd of townsfolk, Nate hugged Roxie closer to his side, rubbing her arms briskly as she shivered in the cold night air, waiting for Jordyn to introduce her perfect Fraser fir to the trio of judges. At half past seven in the evening, it was dark outside, but the distant glow of lights from Frosted Firs Ranch and the starry sky overhead brightened the shadowy figures that comprised the crowd of onlookers.

But despite the darkness and the frigid temperatures, it was a gorgeous night for judging a Christmas tree contest as the snow-capped mountain ranges, velvet sky, and sparkling stars overhead lent a festive atmosphere to the event.

“I can’t wait to see Ms. Jordyn’s tree,” Roxie said, bouncing against him with excitement. “I bet she has the most beautiful tree in the world! When will she turn the lights on so we can see?”

“Soon, sweetheart. Any minute now, she’ll flip the power and that tree will come to life for the judges.”

And the moment couldn’t come too soon.

For over two hours, Nate, Roxie, Tucker, and a large group of Noel’s residents, including the trio of judges, had toured Noel’s town square, admiring the Christmas lights and enjoying hot cocoa and warm apple cider. Then they’d piled into their cars and driven in a Christmas convoy of sorts to view the Stone family’s entry in the tree competition.

The Stones, currently ranked third in Noel’s Christmas competition, had done well for their entry. Their tree was a fifteen-foot Leyland cypress with full branches and a rich green hue. They’d decorated their tree with red and gold poinsettias of all different sizes and had topped it off with a beautiful bouquet of poinsettia blooms woven together with red and green Christmas lights that sparkled brightly against the night sky above.

The crowd, clearly impressed, had oohed and aahed, strolling around the large tree, taking group pictures, posing for selfies, and getting a closer look at the bountiful poinsettia blooms decorating each limb.

Drake Stone and his family had gathered beside the tree, explaining as they introduced their entry that the theme they’d chosen for their tree was meant to reflect the poinsettia blooms that lined the streets of downtown Noel. He explained that his family wanted to capture a bit of the Christmas magic of the town square and bring it home to enjoy as they celebrated the holidays as a family.

The three judges in attendance had smiled during the introduction, then circled the tree multiple times, jotting down notes on the notepads they held in their hands.

Then it was time to move on to the next contestant’s entry, Jordyn’s famous Fraser fir.

With her name listed in second place on the Tree Scoreboard, Jordyn had a great shot at winning the Christmas Crown, but her potential win all hinged on this one contest.

Nate glanced around him, noting the eager and excited expressions on other people’s faces as they squinted into the darkness, straining for a better glimpse of the unlit tree that loomed over them in the empty lot.

“Boy,” Tucker said as he stood beside Nate. “She’s pulling out all the stops, isn’t she? It’s real theatrical—and smart—of her to give the tree a grand entrance.” He shoved his hands in his pockets and shivered. “Only thing is, she could’ve taken into consideration that we’d have to freeze our butts off waiting for her to turn the lights on.”

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