Page 62 of Evergreen Christmas

As they stood there in the glow of the tree nearby, the crowd milling around them seemed to melt away and he leaned closer to her, longing to wrap his arms around her, hold her close and prolong the magic of the moment.

But . . . this wasn’t the right time.

“Well,” he said, clearing his throat and stepping back. “The tree certainly couldn’t be more perfect.”

His response disappointed her. Some of the joy faded from her smile and she stepped away as well, rubbing her hands together briskly to ward off the cold.

“You know . . .” he said softly. “I haven’t had the chance to thank you properly for what you did for Roxie.”

Her smile returned as she waved away his thanks. “It wasn’t a big deal. I just knew how hard she’d worked on her gingerbread house. Besides, a grown woman, competing against two little girls?” She shook her head and shrugged. “Well, it wasn’t exactly fair play, was it? Dropping out of the competition was the only right thing to do.”

“Maybe,” he said quietly. “But not everyone would do it.”

She shrugged again then looked away, her gaze straying to the crowd.

“Looks like the judges are done,” she said, gesturing at the trio of judges, who’d tucked their notepads back in their coats and had begun their walk across the back lot toward the white fence that bordered his ranch. “You should probably get going.” She met his eyes again, her smile sincere this time. “You don’t want to be late introducing your own tree, do you?”

“That’s a good point,” he said, backing away reluctantly but offering a teasing smile. “I have a contest to win. And, woman, perfect Fraser fir or not, you and your tree are in for some competition.”

She laughed as he walked way, calling after him, “Good luck with that!”

He glanced over his shoulder, his stomach dipping as the distance increased between them. “Thanks! After what I’ve seen here, I’m gonna need it.”

But twenty minutes later, as he stood with Roxie and Tucker beside the nineteen-foot Fraser fir in the front Christmas tree lot of his ranch, he had to admit that their tree was still in the running.

He, Roxie, and Tucker had worked hard over the past few days, adding lights and decorations to the tree during every minute of their spare time, hoping to put their best foot forward in tonight’s contest. Overall, he thought they’d done a good job. Their Fraser fir might not be as perfect as Jordyn’s, but the attention and care that had gone into the decorations were evident.

“Welcome to Frosted Firs Ranch,” Nate announced as the crowd, along with the three judges, gathered in front of the impressive tree.

Just beyond the first line of onlookers, he spotted Jordyn’s red hair and pretty features. She smiled up at him and he smiled back, then said, “I planned to introduce the entry for our team, but someone else wanted the honor.” He glanced down at Roxie, who stood beside him, smiling brightly. “My daughter, Roxanna—or Roxie, as we call her—has asked to explain the theme of our tree this year. It seems she’s had some recent practice at standing in front of a crowd, and after considering the advice of someone she admires very much, she wanted to give it another try.” He held out his arm in invitation. “Roxie, would you please introduce our tree?”

Smiling, Roxie followed his lead and moved to the front of the tree.

Nate stole another glance at Jordyn, who looked back at him, her eyebrows raised and surprise in her eyes as Roxie took his place in front of the tree. He winked at her, mouthing the same words he’d spoken to her the day she ensured Roxie would win the gingerbread contest:Thank you.

The two words were simple and small—not nearly expressive enough for the encouragement Jordyn had given Roxie—but he hoped she knew how much her gesture had meant to him.

Jordyn smiled, her eyes glistening as she mouthed back,You’re welcome.

A brief flash of fear moved through Roxie’s expression as she cleared her throat to speak, but she glanced over at Nate, then Jordyn, studied their encouraging smiles, took a deep breath and spoke. “This year, we decorated our Fraser fir tree in honor of my mama’s memory.”

A soft hush fell over the crowd. Many of the onlookers who’d known Macy smiled gently as Roxie moved closer to the tree and began her explanation.

“My mom was Macy Reed,” Roxie said. “And she loved Christmas. She liked white lights the best, so we used white Christmas lights to decorate our tree.”

Nate smiled. The white lights on the Fraser fir contrasted beautifully with the dark green branches. Macy, no doubt, would’ve been pleased with the sight.

“My Dad tied a big, white bow at the top of the tree,” Roxie continued, “and my uncle Tucker wound white ribbon around the tree all the way to the bottom. The bow and ribbons are made of white silk—the kind my dad said my mama’s wedding dress was made out of.”

Nate’s smile faltered, his throat closing at the memory of Macy, dressed in her wedding gown, walking down the aisle toward him.

The day they’d married, there’d been so much hope in her eyes. So much love. And so much certainty. Macy had been confident that they would have a long, happy life together.

Only things hadn’t turned out that way.

“And over here,” Roxie said, pointing to a small silver crown that hung from one branch, “there’s a crown hanging from one of the branches and eight others on other limbs. There’s nine in all. One for each year my mom or my dad has won Noel’s Christmas competition. If we win this year, we will be able to add the tenth, and that would make a whole decade of winning the Christmas Crown for my mom.” She turned and faced the crowd again, smiling brightly, a sheen of moisture glistening in her eyes as she spoke. “My dad said we would put the brightest lights on our tree so that Mama can see them from heaven and know we still love her.” Lips trembling, Roxie—his beautiful, brave girl—managed to smile. “Dad said he knows she can see it. And he knows she’d be proud of us, too.”

Nate studied Roxie, her gentle voice and long blond hair so reminiscent of Macy. An ache stirred in his chest as the crowd applauded and circled the tree, gazing up at the bright lights and sparkling Christmas Crowns that hung from the branches.

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