Page 26 of You Wish
“How long have your grandparents been growing Christmas trees?”
“The farm belonged to my dad’s grandfather. Then my meemaw and my grandpa took it over when they got married. That was fifty years ago.”
“Your grandpa is in his seventies and still working his land?” she asked.
“It would take an act of God to get him to retire.”
Jake took the last turn, and his childhood home came into view.
“Oh my God. It looks like Santa’s house. I’m expecting elves and talking reindeer to come out.”
“No elves, but he does have reindeer. He even uses animal-safe paint to make Rudolph’s nose red around the holidays. And just wait until you see the snow-blowing machines.”
“Snow?” He watched a smile blossom on her face, and it was like a helium balloon inflated in his chest. Then her gaze met his and all the air rushed out in a single breath.
Man, was she beautiful. And her smile? He forgot how soul-stirring it could be when on the receiving end.
“You can’t have a white Christmas without snow.”
As Jake slowly made his way up the road toward the cabin, they passed line after line of parked cars. It was the Christmas rush for people who waited until the last minute. In fact, the farm made most of its money in the week leading up to Christmas.
“What an amazing place to grow up.”
“It really was. I was lucky. My grandparents worked overtime to make up for my parents being MIA.”
Whoa, where had that last part come from? He rarely talked about his parents. But it just slipped out. He was afraid that if they spent any more time in the car more would slip out. Things he didn’t want her to know. At least not now.
“Look,” she said, pointing out the window to a man loading his truck. “That family found their tree.”
“Looks like it… Hold up.” Jake squinted through the windshield. “God dammit.” Without another word he pulled over, threw on his hazard lights, and hopped out of the car. “What the hell are you doing?” he hollered.
“Jakey,” said a man in a red and white velvet suit and gray beard. He looked like a Santa who’d traded the sleigh for a tour bus. The cracks in the man’s lips folded up into a jolly smile. “It’s about time y’all got here. Mrs. Claus was getting worried.” His southern accent was thick as molasses.
“I should be the one worried,” Jake said. “What the hell are you doing loading a tree into the bed of that truck?”
“What kind of Santa would I be if I left a fellow neighbor to load it himself?”
“One without strained back.” Jake smoothed his hand down his face like he was trying to reset it.
“Carey here is on the Nice List.”
“Great, then have Nelson do it. That’s why you hired him.”
“The man has been worked ragged, which is why I gave him the day off. His daughter is starring in a school Christmas play. What kind of employer would I be if I made him miss that. She’s playing the part of Dancer.”
“An employer who won’t end up at the ER in traction because his back gives out again.”
The old man’s gaze moved past Jake to someone behind him. Jake caught a whiff of lavender. “Well, this must be Georgia.”
Nic moved past Jake like he never existed and walked right up to lady of the hour.
“It’s nice to meet—Whoa, okay. You’re a hugger,” she said, her hands at her sides. It took her a second to catch on and eventually wrapped her arms around his big belly.
Jake watched her eyes shut and she let out a sigh. The only person who could hug better than Nic was his meemaw Joy. They literally could change someone’s whole world with just one embrace.
“Well, let’s stop lollygagging and get to the house. Grandma has lunch on the table, and you know how she gets when it goes cold.”
Jake sighed. “Let me repark my car.”
