Christmas in Evergreen

by Nancy Naigle

  “Hey, everyone. I came to help out.”

  Allie spun around to see the newest addition to Evergreen heading their way. Barbara Rousseau, once an executive at one of the largest financial institutions in the nation, had bought the big turn-of-the-century home at the corner of Green Street and Pine Drive. Years ago, it had been a bed and breakfast, but it had gone into foreclosure and sat empty for years, falling into disrepair. Finally, a distant family member had put it on the market. The place had needed some serious TLC, but the widow had taken an early retirement and invested her money and her vision into the place, and it hadn’t taken her long to transform it. Folks anxiously awaited her grand opening on Valentine’s Day, but recent rumors had it that she’d be opening at the first of the year.

  The pretty redhead was all bundled up against the weather in a camel-colored coat and colorful infinity scarf, more corporate than small-town Evergreen.

  “Barbara! How’s the inn coming?” Allie asked.

  Her face lit up. “Oh, my goodness. So great! We’re opening in two weeks. I can’t believe it.”

  So, rumors were true. That was great news, because there wasn’t an inn or hotel within miles of Evergreen. Until now. Nice lodging in the area would help everyone.

  Ezra did that weird brow wiggle again. “It’s so nice to have someone move to Evergreen to open a business.”

  “Thanks,” Barbara said.

  He turned his gaze to Allie. “Instead of business owners moving away.”

  “Okay, meanie,” she said to Ezra. “Don’t make me tell them about the incident in second grade.”

  Ezra paused, then pasted a smile on his face and said, “Best of luck in your new job.”

  Allie and the girls exchanged a knowing glance. She’d put Ezra right in his place. Honestly, she wasn’t sure which thing he was so worried about her telling; there were so many. It could’ve been anything from the time he’d cut her left pigtail off at the shoulder when he’d sat behind her, to the time the teacher had asked him to “tell her more” and he’d broken out in the song from Grease, to the time he’d told everyone that his ancestors had come over on the cauliflower. He’d always been a funny kid with way too much energy, but he’d also been one of the brightest. As irritating as he could be, it was true that he’d probably do great things for Evergreen.

  “Michelle”—Ezra was clearly eager to change the subject—“since Doc Hadley retired and moved away, we need someone new to play Santa. I’m thinking we go against type: younger, handsome…” He stroked his hair, preening, in hopes for their approval.

  Michelle shut him down. “Too late. I already got a guy out of Burlington.”

  “I think I saw him,” Allie said. “He looks like Santa Claus even without the costume.”

  “Wait? He’s here already?” Michelle was surprised. “Must be getting ready for the role.”

  “Well, okay. If you want to be traditional,” Ezra said. “But what about the children’s choir? Can’t they do some newer Christmas songs?”

  The only somewhat-newer Christmas song Allie could think of off the top of her head was “Grandma Got Run Over By A Reindeer,” and she wasn’t so sure that was a good choice for the family event.

  Michelle shook her head, but Allie was pretty sure her friend would like to shake Ezra right about now. “Give me a break.” Michelle threw up her hands and walked away.

  Barbara and Allie tried to hold back their snickers as Ezra ran after Michelle, begging her to listen to more of his great ideas.

  Chapter Six

  As Ryan drove through scenic Vermont, the mountains towered above them on either side. Blanketed in snow, the evergreens rose, green with their branches dragging. The snow was coming down good. Blowing in big, blurry gusts in front of him. He was glad they were traveling during the day. This would be treacherous at night.

  “Silent Night” filled the car while he and Zoe played their favorite car trip game.

  “Okay,” he said, wondering why after playing this game with her for so many years that he didn’t have a list of words memorized already. His letter was F. What Christmas word starts with an F? “We’ve got…Angels, Blitzen, Candy Canes, Decorations, Elves… Fireplace!”

  He glanced at Zoe in his rearview mirror. She cocked her head. “Fireplace isn’t a Christmas word.”

  “It’s what Santa comes down.”

  “Santa comes down the chimney.” Zoe wasn’t as easily convinced now as she had been at five or six. Maybe it was just as well he didn’t remember the words he’d gotten away with back then.

  “Okay. Okay. Umm. How about…fruitcake.” Ryan glanced in the rearview mirror to see her reaction.

  “Pretty good,” Zoe admitted.

  “Pretty good?”

  “Okay,” she said with a giggle. “My turn. G.”

  “Okay,” Ryan urged her.

  “Angels, Blitzen, Candy Canes, Decorations, Elves, Fruitcake, and…Gingerbread.” Zoe smiled with that toothy grin he loved so much. It would no doubt set him back thousands of dollars in orthodontics not too far down the road, but for now, he adored that smile just the way it was.

  “Mmm. Mm. Mm,” Zoe said, clearly proud of the answer she’d come up with.

  “That’s a good one.”

  “Thanks. Except…now I’m hungry,” she said, hugging her tummy.

  “Okay. You know what?” He glanced at the clock on the dash. “I think we have time to stop. We just have to make it quick. We’ve got a flight to catch.”

  A couple of minutes later, Zoe pointed out a sign. “Evergreen! Let’s go there.”

  “Yeah, sure.” It was on the way. Who was he to argue? They’d grab a bite, top off the fuel, and be on their way. “Sounds good.” He slowed down and took the exit toward Evergreen.

  The speed limit was only thirty-five miles per hour. After being on the interstate for a while, it felt like they were creeping down the rural route. He was beginning to worry the town might be too far off the interstate and they might have to turn around, when he came upon a big green sign on the side of the road with an arrow to turn.

  The sign read Welcome to Evergreen and was decorated with a red-and-white picture of a jolly Santa Claus holding a candy cane above the town name.

  “We’re here, Dad!”

  They took the turn and drove through a red covered bridge that crossed over the semi-frozen creek they’d been driving alongside for miles.

  Ryan was kind of surprised he and Sarah had never happened across Evergreen. When he’d first started practicing medicine and times had been lean, they’d taken day trips in the car. They’d been to nearly every covered bridge in the area. How had they missed this one? There were plenty of them in this region, each unique and special in its own way. Somewhere, there was a scrapbook with pictures Sarah had taken on all of those trips.

  “It’s so pretty,” Zoe said.

  They drove out the other side of the bridge, and almost magically, the landscape opened up, revealing all the buildings and the town below in the valley. A pretty white church sat on the edge of town, its tall steeple reaching to the sky.

  It looked storybook perfect.

  Allie left town hall and drove over to Main Street, pulling into an empty parking spot in front of the post office across from her clinic.

  She’d worked so hard to open her veterinary practice in Evergreen. It had been her dream for so long. She’d done well, experiencing steady growth every year, but it was time to find her place in this big world. The job in DC was an awesome opportunity. She wouldn’t be handling large animals anymore; that group only handled domestic pets—cats and dogs—and a few exotics. No house calls, either.

  Being a vet in a big city practice was going to be quite a switch. No longer would she have to keep her medical bag at the ready for a
ny emergency that might arise day or night. Her truck wouldn’t be a second medical closet, and her wardrobe wouldn’t consist of muck boots and a heavy coat anymore. Not that she’d ever minded that.

  She picked up the FOR SALE sign from the seat next to her and got out of the truck. She walked across the street and hung it on the front of her building. She let out a long breath. Moving was feeling very real now. She placed a loving hand on the wooden frame that held her sign against the wall.

  EVERGREEN VETERINARIAN CARE

  Allie Shaw

  Doctor of Veterinarian Medicine

  Would another vet move in? That would be nice for her patients, but most likely, that wouldn’t happen. The only local student who’d gone to veterinarian school had decided to study abroad in England, and she hadn’t come back.

  In two months, this spot might be a nail salon, or yarn store. Although, she knew the town needed a dentist. Everyone had to travel at least forty miles for dental care. They were getting more and more artists moving to Evergreen. Maybe one of them would take the leap of faith and open a shop here.

  With the B&B opening, they might actually start getting enough overnight tourist traffic to help support something like that.

  The small storefront had been her first big purchase in Evergreen. She’d decided to take her parents up on the offer to live with them for a year to be able to buy it, putting her house hunting on hold after she’d come back from college. It had been a wise decision.

  It wasn’t likely anyone would inquire about the sale of the office space over the Christmas holiday, but it was time to start nailing down the final items on her checklist. This was one less thing to worry about when she got home.

  She stood on the porch, looking down Main Street, as she had done countless times in the past. There were so many memories here. The snow swirled around her, adding a festive sheen to the town and an extra glisten to the garland around every doorframe and window. Street signs and lampposts were done up in red and white ribbons, like giant candy cane treats. Christmas was her favorite time of the year in Evergreen, and this would be the first one she’d ever spent away. Even in her college days, when others went skiing or stayed back at the dorm, she’d always made the trip home. Was she homesick already? She hadn’t even left yet, and she already had that empty feeling in the pit of her stomach.

  DC will be pretty, too, she reminded herself.

  Ready to start her adventure, she crossed the street to where she’d parked between her parents’ diner and the post office. “Merry Christmas!” she called out to a neighbor coming out of the bakery. Her phone rang just as she reached her truck and she answered it. “Hey, Henry.” He spoke quickly, sounding panicked, and all she could make out was the word “Buttercup.” “What’s wrong?”

  “Doc. Buttercup is in labor. You have to come quick.”

  “Oh, no. No. No. She’s not due for—”

  “You’ve got to come. Something’s wrong,” he pleaded.

  “Oh, no. Henry, I’m on my way to the airport. Can’t you call Dr. Myers?”

  “I did. He’s over in Montpelier on another emergency.”

  A pang of anxiety hit her. “Oh.” She couldn’t leave Henry in a lurch. If something happened to that cow, she’d never forgive herself.

  “He’ll never make it in time,” Henry explained. “Plus, you know Buttercup. Please. You’ve got to come.”

  She checked her watch. She didn’t have much time. She still needed to stop and say goodbye to her parents, make the drive over to the airport, and get checked in for her flight. Who knew how long the security line would be this afternoon? But Henry had been one of her customers since day one. “Right. Okay. I’ll be there as soon as I can.”

  “Thank you, Doc. Thank you.”

  “Bye.” She hung up the phone.

  She couldn’t leave town in good conscience with Henry so upset—understandably so. He’d dumped a fortune in transferring prizewinning Holstein embryos into his old Jersey cows to carry them. He’d spent every last bit of the inheritance from his father on a huge new barn, which he hadn’t even put a pitchfork in yet, and those cows. His whole herd was counting on this upgrade.

  “Oh, man.” She let go of a heavy sigh as she got into the truck.

  She was in a hurry, but when she turned the key, it was clear that her truck wasn’t. Grandpa’s old ’56 Ford was as unpredictable as the Vermont weather in the springtime.

  The truck chug-chug-chugged and cranked, but didn’t start…again. Looking to heaven, she said, “Seriously? I know you don’t want me to leave, but this is getting ridiculous.” She’d never get to the airport at this rate.

  She waited a minute, pressing the gas pedal twice—once because it needed it, and once for good luck. It worked most of the time. She cranked the truck again, but it choked and stuttered like a dying rooster.

  She gave it another try, leaning into the steering wheel like that would help, when a knock on her passenger window startled her. She reached over, stretching to crank the window down. “Hi there?” She didn’t recognize the man or the little girl.

  “Hi. Do you need some help?” the man in the lightweight dress coat asked. He was handsome, with sandy brown hair and blue eyes. The little girl was bundled up in a gray coat with a fur-edged hood. She climbed up on the running board and leaned in the window with a grin.

  “Oh, no,” Allie said, trying to act nonchalant. “It’ll start.” She shrugged like it was no big deal. “Eventually.” Embarrassment rose in her cheeks. She hoped he hadn’t noticed. This wouldn’t normally faze her. All it took was a little patience, but today, she was in a hurry.

  The man crossed his fingers. “Wishing you luck.”

  She gave him a “thank you” smile. Frustrated, she twisted the key one more time. The truck started. “Oh!” She snapped her head toward him in surprise, and her jaw dropped. “Hey!” How lucky was that?

  They shared a look of surprise.

  The little girl was beaming, her eyes wide. “Did you do that, Dad?”

  “You know, when I tell the story later, I fully intend to take credit for it, so yes. Let’s say I did.”

  The little girl giggled, pushing her long brown hair over her shoulders.

  Allie loved the banter between father and daughter. “How can I ever thank both of you?”

  “You could direct us to a good place for lunch.”

  “The Chris Kringle Kitchen is right here. It’s the best diner in town, and I’m not just saying that because my folks run it.”

  He leaned further into the window. “Chris Kringle? Kitchen? My goodness. You guys really take Christmas seriously around here, don’t you?”

  “Yes, we sure do. Thanks a lot for your help. Couldn’t have done it without you,” Allie said.

  “Absolutely.” Their eyes connected for a long moment, then he stepped away from the truck. She liked the way his eyes crinkled when he smiled. A real smile.

  “Merry Christmas.” The young girl waved as she climbed down from the running board.

  Allie heart filled with joy from the little girl’s Christmas wish. “Merry Christmas.” That was so sweet of them to stop.

  She watched them walk down the sidewalk hand-in-hand. Through the open window, Allie heard the girl say, “See, Dad? This is what Christmas is supposed to look like.”

  He answered her with, “Florida will look like Christmas, too. Only with palm trees.”

  Allie laughed out loud. She was pretty sure the girl wasn’t going to buy that. Everyone knew Christmas was supposed to be snowy. Florida? Palm trees? No way.

  She piloted her truck away from the curb, passing them just as they walked into Chris Kringle Kitchen. She should’ve told them to try the fish and chips. Dad made the best around.

  At the stop sign, she notic
ed the Christmas Festival team had also hung the festival sign over the gazebo. She wished she’d told the strangers there’d be carolers there later this afternoon. That was always a fun part of the day. She hoped they didn’t miss it. Mom would probably mention it to them. She was great about things like that.

  They’re going to love Evergreen. Too bad they’re just passing through. They seem nice.

  Chapter Seven

  Allie drove to the outskirts of town to Henry’s farm. The sprawling acreage had been handed down over four generations of Holloways, and now Henry was grooming his boys to take over.

  Her tires crunched in the icy snow as she followed the ruts, like a train on rails, along the snow-covered dirt lane that led back to the barn. A couple of Henry’s goats had wandered off again, playing king of the mountain on a snowdrift.

  Her truck slid a little as she steered into the curve. At least if she got stuck in the snow here, Henry had plenty of equipment to get her out and on the road again.

  The two goats abandoned their game and began running and jumping alongside the truck as if they’d crowned themselves the welcoming committee. She hit her brakes, afraid she’d run over them. Crazy goats.

  The turn-of-the-century farmhouse sat up on the hill to the right, but this lane led to the equipment sheds, an old wooden-and-concrete dairy barn and the one that had just been built. The new barn only highlighted how faded the old red barn was, making it appear almost a muddy pink in comparison.

  Henry stood outside of the old barn, talking to one of his boys. A lazy rooster with long, dark red, sickle-like tail feathers pecked his way through the snow alongside Henry.

  Allie tooted the horn and leaned out her truck window. “Hey, Henry.” She pulled to a stop near the red gate at the old barn and rolled up her window.