Page 61 of Evergreen Christmas

Nate frowned. “Tucker, you—”

“That’s not nice, Uncle Tucker.” Roxie beat Nate to it, poking her head around Nate’s midsection and sticking her tongue out at Tucker. “Ms. Jordyn can have all the time she wants. Now, take it back.”

Tucker held up his hands, palms out, and grinned. “I know, kid. I’m well aware of how much you like Ms. Jordyn—I like her, too! And I know you want Ms. Jordyn to do well, so I’ll cheer her on . . . no matter how cold I get.” He made a face. “How about that? You forgive me?”

Roxie smiled. “Yeah. I forgive you.”

A flurry of movement near the back of Jordyn’s cabin caught Nate’s attention and he glanced over, peering into the darkness as Jordyn’s voice rang out across the clearing.

“Thank you for coming, everyone,” Jordyn called out through the darkness. “I’m sorry to have kept you waiting but I wanted to make sure everything was in order before I introduced you to my fabulous Fraser fir.” She fell silent for a moment, then, in a proud tone, announced, “Ladies and gentlemen of Noel, North Carolina, it’s my pleasure to introduce you to the spectacular Fabio Fraser fir!”

A click echoed across the clearing, an electrical buzz filled the frigid air, then a burst of multicolored light shined from the almost twenty-foot-tall tree, sending a festive glow across the back lot.

Every lush, emerald branch of the perfect Fraser fir was graced with lights and colorful round ornaments. And the brightest of the lights was saved for the very top of the tree, where a five-point star blazed bright white high above them, standing out among the blanket of stars that sparkled in the night sky.

A collective gasp arose from the crowd as the perfectly formed tree towered above them in dazzling holiday splendor, a mesmerizing glow of color, rising high before the snow-capped mountains in the distance.

“Please come closer.” Jordyn walked into the dazzling pool of light that emanated from the tree and waved everyone over, smiling brightly at their pleased expressions. “If you look closely at the ornaments, you’ll see that each one has a unique design that represents the things I love most about Noel.” She glanced up at the tree, her pretty features highlighted by the glow of the Christmas lights, her expression tender as she spoke. “You’ll find a red ornament etched with a glittery cupcake, which represents the delicious red velvet cupcakes Kringle’s Café bakes every year. They were my first treat when I arrived in Noel.”

“And on this side,” she continued, walking a few feet to the left, “there’s a blue ornament hanging from one of the branches that has a snowman painted on it to represent the Snowman Fight at First Snow.”

Leading the crowd of onlookers further around the impressive Fraser fir, she said, “You’ll find dozens of other ornaments with designs that represent all of Noel’s Christmas contests, each of the Christmas stores in Noel’s town square, and”—she continued walking around the tree, waiting as the crowd joined her for a better look—“over here, you’ll find a series of ornaments that bear the names of people I’ve met so far, all of whom have helped me in some way and brightened the season for everyone in Noel.”

Roxie, her eyes wide with delight, tugged Nate’s sleeve. “Come on, Daddy. Let’s look at the names. Do you think ours are on one of the ornaments?”

Nate smiled, his chest warming as he studied the tender smile on Jordyn’s face. “I don’t know, but we can take a look.”

He led Roxie closer to the tree and forged a path to the front of the crowd so Roxie could search the thick branches. She carefully studied the colorful ornaments, narrowing her eyes as she read the names painted in glitter on each one.

Jordyn, standing nearby, walked over, bent close to Roxie’s ear and whispered, “To your left, three branches down.”

Nate met Jordyn’s eyes over Roxie’s head. She smiled at him, her cheeks flushing, then turned away and walked to the other side of the tree.

“Here we are, Daddy!” Roxie tugged at his sleeve again. “Look! It’s all of our names. Yours, Uncle Tucker’s, and mine.” She looked up at him, grinning from ear to ear. “And she drew hearts underneath every one of them.”

Nate stilled as he studied the ornaments that bore his and Roxie’s names and the heart Jordyn had painted in glitter beneath each one. The gesture, though seemingly small to some, left a warm glow in his chest.

“Chestnut Ridge is the first real home I’ve ever known,” Jordyn told the crowd. “And this Fraser fir is my first true Christmas tree.” She smiled, the pretty blush deepening across her cheeks. “Whether my tree wins this contest or not, it’s perfect to me. Because every branch holds something—or a reminder of someone—that’s dear to me.” She looked up then, her eyes finding Nate’s. “And so”—her gaze left him as she refocused on the crowd and the judges—“even though I’ve only been here a few weeks, I couldn’t be prouder that I’ve chosen Noel as my new home.”

A collective sound of approval murmured through the crowd and applause followed. The judges, as meticulous as ever, strolled slowly around the tree, examining the ornaments closely, whispering to each other and making notes on their notepads.

Nate nudged Tucker, who stood beside him, with his elbow. “You mind staying here with Roxie for a minute while I speak with Jordyn?”

Tucker shook his head, still shivering. “No problem. But don’t interrupt the judges or anything. It’s cold out here and we still gotta trek over to the ranch and show them our tree.”

Nate chuckled. Tucker might be the most musclebound bull rider he’d ever come across, but his brother sure couldn’t handle the cold.

Nate weaved his way through the crowd and joined Jordyn on the other side of the tree. Up close, she was just as gorgeous as the Fraser fir, her beautiful green eyes sparkling in the glow of the Christmas lights.

“The tree turned out beautiful,” he said quietly. “It looks absolutely magnificent the way you’ve decorated it.”

“Magnificent?” She grinned and tapped her chin thoughtfully as she studied him. “I seem to recall hearing that word somewhere before . . .”

Nate ducked his head and laughed. “Oh, Lord. Let’s not relive that night at this moment. It’s too perfect to ruin.”

“You think so?” she asked softly, looking up at him. “You think the moment’s perfect?” Her gaze lowered to his mouth, her lips parting on a soft breath. “Perfect for what?”

He stood still as she searched his expression, an expectant look in her eyes. There was so much he wanted to say. So many things he wanted to share with her—including his gratitude for the concern she’d showed for Roxie’s feelings during the gingerbread contest.

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