Page 38 of The Christmas Cottage
When he pulled up into the parking lot of the Christmas tree farm, Vanessa shot him a confused look.
He grinned. “I promise I’ll tell you what we’re doing in just a minute. But first—” He reached behind the passenger’s seat of the truck and pulled out a large bag. “I got you a surprise. I didn’t want to say too much about what you should wear, to avoid spoiling the surprise. So just in case, I got you some things to keep you cozy.”
“That’s so sweet.” Vanessa reached for the bag, eyes wide. “And so thoughtful.”
“I’m glad I did, since you didn’t bring a scarf.” He chuckles. “Look inside.”
Vanessa nodded, opening the bag and peeking inside. The first thing she pulled out was the scarf that Jackson had bought her—long and cozy, made out of soft wool in a blue and green tartan pattern.
“Oh my gosh,” she breathed as she unwrapped it, tugging her gloves off and tossing them on the dashboard before running her hands over the soft wool. “This is lovely. I have a couple of light scarves for the chilly rainy days in San Francisco, but nothing like this. This is absolutely beautiful.”
Jackson grinned. “It’s local wool,” he explained. “Handmade. Even if you don’t have a bunch of opportunities to wear it away from Fir Tree Grove—” he felt his throat inexplicably tighten at saying it out loud, “it’s still a lovely piece to just have.”
“It is,” Vanessa agreed. She peeked back into the bag, and gasped. “And gloves!” She took the gloves out, turning them this way and that. She had been wearing a pair when he’d picked her up, made out of thin, sleek leather, but the ones Jackson had gotten her were deerskin, with a rabbit fur lining.
“They’re probably more rustic than what you’d normally wear. As is the other gift,” he said, clearing his throat. “But you’ll see why.”
“They are… but they’re still beautiful. And so soft.” She ran her fingertips over them. “What else—oh! Boots?”
She took the box out of the large bag, setting it on her lap. When she opened it, she found a pair of heavy brown leather boots, with sturdy laces and a sheepskin lining. “You were right, these are rustic. But Mabel has been on me about my footwear,” she admitted with a laugh. “Even these new ones that I got didn’t quite pass muster, according to her.”
Jackson chuckled, looking down at the suede and fur boots she was wearing. “Well, those are nice. And just fine for walking around town. But out where we’re going, they’d probably get ruined, and I wouldn’t want that.”
“Where are we going?” Vanessa looked at him curiously—and a bit nervously, he thought—as she tugged off her current boots and slipped her new ones on. “And how did you know what size shoe I wear?”
Jackson cleared his throat. “Well, I might have asked your grandmother.”
“And of course she told you.” Vanessa rolled her eyes, but it was playful, and she laughed. Jackson felt relieved. He’d been a little worried that she might be shocked by the gifts, or upset at Mabel for helping him to get something that would fit her, but it was clear that she was amused and pleased by all of it.
“She did.” He grinned. “And as for the date, we’re going to go hunt down a Christmas tree.”
“We are?” Vanessa blinked. “Did George keep the place open just for you?” She looked around the empty parking lot.
“No, but he did give me permission to bring you back here after it was closed. We have the place all to ourselves. And it isn’t every day that someone gets a private, after-dark tour of George’s Christmas tree farm,” Jackson added with a grin.
“Are we getting a tree for your place?” Vanessa asked curiously. “There are two at the diner already. I know, I’ve seen them.”
“You’ll see.” Jackson flashed her another grin, before turning off the truck and hopping out to come around and open her door. He helped her down, before taking her hand in his and leading her toward the entryway to the Christmas tree farm.
It was a perfect night. The snow was still lightly falling, just enough to add ambience but not enough to make the walk uncomfortable or make him worried about the drive back to Hearthside B&B. George had left the string lights on around the shop and along the rows of trees, so they twinkled brightly in the darkness, lighting up the snow and leaving the trees in shadow. It was magical, and from the soft sigh that Vanessa let out next to him as they started to walk, he thought she felt the same.
“Picking just the right tree is important.” His voice was conspiratorial as he leaned in, his fingers intertwining with hers. “It’s a feeling. You’ll know when you see the right one. Buteveryone has their preferences. I like the shorter, fluffy ones. Some people like tall, majestic trees. Or ones with lots of space between the branches for big ornaments.”
Vanessa laughed, her fingers tightening a little around his. “You make it sound almost mystical.”
“Maybe it is.” The snow crunched under their boots as they walked between the twinkling rows, the sky clear and bright above them, with the three-quarters moon adding a little more light and the stars as bright and twinkling as the Christmas lights around them. “There’s always something magical about this time of year,” Jackson added.
“I never felt that way until I came back here,” Vanessa confessed. “But this Christmashasfelt different. Like the way I think Christmas is supposed to feel. It’s been special.”
He felt his heart warm at that, happiness flooding him until he didn’t feel the cold at all, just her hand wrapped around his and the sound of her voice, lighter and more full of joy than he’d ever heard it before. It was a perfect night, he thought, and it was made even more perfect when Vanessa came to a halt, tugging on his hand as she pointed toward a small, fluffy round tree.
“What about that one? I know it’s small, but…”
“Well, my plan was to take it back to Hearthside and set it up in your room there,” Jackson said with a grin. “So you’d have a tree of your own. So a small one is perfect. I just wanted to see what struck your fancy.”
“It’s a little big for my room.” Vanessa laughed. “But I have a balcony. So that will be just perfect.” She looked at him, her smile turning a little shy. “Thank you. I wouldn’t have thought of doing this, but it’s perfect. So thank you.”
“Believe me, it’s my pleasure.” Jackson squeezed her hand, before going to retrieve an ax to chop down the tree. “Want to help? Or just watch?”
