by Danni Roan
danni Roan
Christmas Carol Clash
The Ornamental Match Maker
Danni Roan
Carol Evergreen loves Christmas. It is her favorite part of the year and her passion. Freshly out of business school, and with her family's backing, she is finally opening her everything Christmas store. Carol has found the perfect location at the local strip mall, and she’s ready to wow her new hometown with the best Christmas store in history. Ryan Troutman has worked hard to establish a business that serves his little town well. His love affair with all things Thanksgiving has given him inspiration and a booming business. His custom smoked turkeys and specialty sides, along with an abundance of festive fall decorations, takes all the stress out of Thanksgiving, so that folks can enjoy the food, family, and friends with no worries. When a Christmas crazy harpy moves her shop in and sets up the trappings of the most commercial of all holidays right next door, will he lose his mind or lose his heart? Find out in this fun holiday clash.
Contents
Prologue
Chapter 1
Chapter 2
Chapter 3
Chapter 4
Chapter 5
Chapter 6
Chapter 7
Chapter 8
Chapter 9
Chapter 10
Epilogue
Prologue
Carol raced into the house, waving the paper in her hand. “I got it! I got it!” she shouted, her blonde hair tangling in her face as she flounced to a stop in the living room of her parent’s home.
“What is it, dear?” Judy Evergreen asked, drying her hands on a dishtowel as she hurried around the large island that separated the kitchen from the living room.
“I got the lease!” Carol’s voice rose in a squeal of delight.
“You got it?” Her father, Bill, clicked off the television and spun his recliner to look at his youngest daughter. He ran a hand over his bald spot then smoothed the graying hair that ringed his head. “Congratulations.”
“Thanks, Daddy.” Carol’s grin grew even wider. “Now that I have the space, I can start getting it organized.” She turned, looking at the calendar pinned to the wall and scowling. It was nearly October and the prime shopping season was almost at hand.
“You know we’ll do everything we can to help.” Judy leaned over, squeezing her petite daughter tight. “I made chicken for dinner.”
Carol bit her lip, repressing a grin. Her mother showed love with food, and she had lots of both to give. It was a wonder the whole family didn’t weigh the equivalent of a small bus.
“Thanks, Mom.” Carol hugged her mom back. “I’m going to get changed, and then we can discuss the details over dinner. I know I couldn’t have done this without you.” A bright tear pooled in her brown eyes, and she quickly turned, heading down the hall to her bedroom.
Carol’s parents had retired to this small town when she started college, and it had since become home, but now it would genuinely be where she belonged.
After four years of college with a grueling double degree in business and home decorating, Carol was finally living her dream. She was opening a store in her new hometown that was about to blow the socks off of the Christmas Season.
As long as Carol could remember, she had loved Christmas. The cheery feeling, the bright lights, the decorations, it was pure magic and delight.
The Christmas season meant happy memories, love, laughter, and luscious food. Her mother had been big on decorating for the Holidays and always tried to make the time memorable for her brood of five.
Carol tossed herself down on the plush red and white poinsettia quilt that covered her double bed and gazed up at the ceiling fan. She had studied everything with care as she planned her holiday store, and she knew that it would be a smash hit in the town of Banesville. Christmas in Tennessee was special no matter what, but her dream of creating the perfect store for holiday shoppers would make it even better.
Smiling, Carol stripped out of her business suit and slipped into a faded blue T-shirt, the Christmas Minions barely visible in the washed-out shirt. A pair of soft old blue jeans came next, and she skipped toward her desk as she buttoned them.
Eyes bright with her dreams, Carol grabbed the big folder from the top of the scratched and battered wooden desk then plopped back down cross-legged on the bed.
Flipping the pages, the young woman scanned the clipped photos and carefully sketched items on each page. She could now factor in the layout of the space she had just acquired a lease on, and soon she would be pulling the store together. It would take time to sort through all of her ideas, coming up with the perfect displays for each category of Christmas item, but she was confident.
With her parents backing her by cosigning her loan, Carol knew that her dreams would soon be a reality for all to share. After all, the Joy of Christmas was something that everyone could enjoy, wasn’t it?
“Dinner’s ready,” Carol’s mom’s voice drifted through the house, making her grin.
Tucking the notebook under her arm, Carol headed to the dining room, practically floating on air. She had worked so hard on every aspect of building this store, and now the long hours of study, planning, and preparation were coming to fruition.
“When do you move in?” Mr. Evergreen asked, handing his daughter the mashed potatoes as they sat at the table, the warm, rich smell of roast chicken filling the air.
“I already have the key, and I thought I’d go in tomorrow and do some sketches, so I can figure out how I want everything laid out.”
“Tomorrow’s Saturday,” her mother scowled, passing the broccoli to her husband with a significant glance.
“Mom, you know I’ll have to work Saturdays. That’s when most shoppers have the time to get out and look at things.”
“I know,” Judy shook her head. “I just thought you might take a little break, have some fun, and maybe go out with friends.”
Carol poured melted cheese over her broccoli and grinned. Her mother was really saying that Carol had no social life, no boyfriend, and no hope for meeting one if all she ever did was work.
“I’ll have time for that later,” Carol said. “Right now, I need to get things ready for the biggest shopping day of the year.”
Bill Evergreen groaned. “Black Friday. I hate that day.”
Chapter 1
Ryan scratched Kooter behind the ears and smiled. It was his favorite time of year, and the deep purr emanating from his friendly feline filled him with a sense of cheer. The big gray cat sat, paws tucked under, gazing into a bright day.
“Things will be hopping soon,” the dusty haired man said, running a hand down the cat’s back. “I’ve already got orders for smoked turkey.” There was a nip in the air, and the smell of autumn leaves sparkled in a blue sky.
Ryan loved fall. He loved everything about it, the colder temperatures, the change from green to gold, orange, and red that swarmed the trees in his beloved hills of Tennessee, and pumpkin spice everything. A bright smile split the tall man’s face, and his pale blue eyes sparkled as he gazed around his shop. Thanksgiving, the most incredible holiday of the year, was right around the corner, and he knew that business would boom.
Ryan Troutman had always loved the autumnal holiday. The food, family, friends, and fellowship that graced the day made him happy. There were so many things in life to be thankful for if people would just slow down and look.
Perhaps having a Thanksgiving Day themed store didn’t seem to be the most practical of business situations. Still, Ryan had followed the feeling that people needed a break at this time of year and set up his Turkey Talk Table for all occasions. Not only did his Triple T shop cater to all things fall and Thanksgiving, but he also set up other v
enues such as weddings, birthday parties, and life events of all kinds.
Kooter leapt off the counter, making that odd cack-cack-cack sound that indicated he had seen something interesting, and Ryan followed the feline to the front door.
The shop was almost as full of fall color inside as the surrounding hills were outside, and Ryan smiled again, straightening a stack of newly arrived fall festive table wear.
“What are you looking at now?” the young man ran a hand through his sandy hair, straightening his glasses as he gazed out the door following Kooter’s intense scrutiny with interest. It was probably just a bird, but you never knew what might be arriving at the strip mall where the Triple T resided.
A large work van pulled up to the vacant shop next door, doors opening to a group of four workmen piling out and unlocking the shop door.
“It looks like we’re getting new neighbors,” Ryan grinned again as the cat made that noise once more. “It’ll be good to have the mall full. It keeps the rent down,” he chuckled. “Besides, the more shops to pull people in, the more holiday traffic we’ll get.”
“You talkin’ to yourself again?” A gruff voice made Ryan spin, and he shook his head as his father walked through the back of the shop. The gray-haired man’s blue eyes, so much like his son’s, twinkled with delight at sneaking up on him.
“No, I’m talking to Kooter. At least he listens and seldom sneaks into the room, trying to give me a heart attack.”
“If you suffer a heart attack at your age, I’ll disown ya,” the older man chuckled, easing the yellow suspenders over his dark blue and green flannel shirt. “You’re only twenty-five. You’re too young to worry about a heart attack. Now an attack on the heart, well that’d make your mother happy.”
Ryan rolled his eyes, fighting the groan that rose in his throat. His mother was convinced that he should be married with five children already. Since she had married her high school sweetheart only days after graduation, Marsha Troutman didn’t see why he was waiting. He was the last of her three boys and was still single, something she disapproved of heartily.
“What brings you to town, Dad?” Ryan asked, flipping the closed sign to open and striding toward his father.
“I’m checkin’ on the numbers.” The older man said. Bade Troutman was still fit for a man of fifty, his tall frame lean with only a little paunch around the middle.
“I haven’t gotten any more orders today, but I’m sure I will. How’s the crop of turkey’s going?”
“I’ve got a hundred coming on, and I’ll start smoking the first ones in about two weeks. The processor is ready. Your brother said he and the kids will come help this year so you can keep your nose to the grindstone here.”
Ryan smiled. “That sounds great.” He knew his father didn’t need much help with his part of the business, but it was a relief to know he wasn’t doing everything on his own. For the past four years, half of the town had ordered Triple T smoked turkeys for their holiday feast, and this year it looked like the other half would follow suit.
“I see you’re gettin’ a new neighbor,” Bade nodded toward the far wall where the sound of hammering could be heard. “I hope the noise won’t disturb your customers.”
“I wonder what kind of shop it will be,” Ryan followed his father’s gaze. “Either way, having the mall full for the holidays will be good for business. The more, the merrier as they say.”
“You need me to do anything else before I go?” Bade asked, looking around the shop. Not a single item was out of place, and oddly the displays were even more appealing than ever. “Your mother was in again, wasn’t she?” The older man’s blue eyes twinkled.
“You can see she was.” Ryan laughed. “She has an eye for how to set things up, and she loves rearranging displays on a regular basis.”
“Since you opened the shop, she doesn’t rearrange the house as often,” Bade grinned. “It saves on me running into my own furniture in the middle of the night. I think I’d cook turkeys for you just to keep her busy.”
Ryan clapped his hand on his father’s flannel-clad shoulder. “You’ve been great, Dad. You and Mom both. I could never have done this without you. Now with that new kitchen and mom doing extra items to sell here,” he shook his head, knowing how much he was blessed.
Bade smiled. “I’m just glad you’re doing well. This business is something new to all of us.”
The door behind them pushed open with a gentle beep, and Ryan turned to smile at his first customer of the day.
“I’ll see you at home,” Bade said. “Call me if I need more turkeys,” he waved a weathered hand at his son then traipsed out the back once more.
Ryan turned toward his first customer of the day, a broad smile on his handsome face that never flickered when the burly mail-man stepped through the door.
“Package for ya,” Mr. Ebbs said, handing Ryan a florid pink box that shimmered in the sunlight.
Ryan blinked, trying to remember ordering something that would arrive in such a package but couldn’t recall anything. “Are you sure that’s for me?” he asked, taking the box.
“Got your name right on it,” Ebbs said. Mr. Ebbs was an icon in Banesville, Tennessee. The dark-haired man had been delivering mail for thirty years, walking through town with a bright smile and a kind word no matter what the weather.
“Oh,” Ryan looked at the package again, still confused then wondered what Ebbs would think of him receiving a package so pink it made his eyes hurt. “Anything else?”
“Not today,” Ebbs grinned, adjusting his faded cap. “Looks like you’re getting a new neighbor.”
“Hm? Oh, yes.” Ryan grinned. “I’m glad the mall will be full again. It’s good for business and the town. You don’t know who it is, do you?”
Ebbs shook his head. “Nope.” He gave Ryan a wave then turned back to the door, pausing as he pushed it open with a ping. “Oh, the missus wants a turkey this year.” The man’s dark eyes twinkled. “Nothin’ too big, maybe twenty-five pounds.”
“Not too big.” Ryan’s eyebrows rose, but he nodded. “Right, I’ll tell Dad.”
“See you tomorrow,” Ebbs grinned, his eyes flickering back to the package in Ryan’s hand. “I hope it’s something nice.”
Ryan looked down at the package in his hand, feeling like he needed to get his sunglasses to be able to open it, but a moment later, he slid a turkey feather letter opener under a seam and popped it open.
For several seconds Ryan Troutman stared into the box, a crease furrowing the space between his brows.
Mustering the courage he needed, the young man pulled the little gold thread attached to the most garish pink Christmas tree ornament he had ever seen. It looked plastic, but the small tree was made of a lightweight ceramic painted pink and frosted with fake snow. Tiny holes with little lights glittered from each branch tip, somehow sparkling in the light.
Ryan gaped, still stunned by the odd package. First, he didn’t sell anything Christmas, and second, it wasn’t even Halloween yet. He felt his gut twist with disgust at the joke someone was having at his expense. Christmas did not get its turn until after the big T-Day. The young man shook his head of disheveled hair and plunked the ornament on the counter.
Every year it seemed that Christmas infringed more and more on the season, taking a bigger cut of the market and detracting from the fall festivities. It wasn’t even harvest festival yet, and here someone was sending Christmas bling.
“Kooter, it’s getting downright frustrating. You’d think Christmas was the only holiday that counted anymore. Why you hardly have time to buy Halloween candy, and folks are putting up lights.”
With its crass commercialism, blatant materialism, and lack of all things reverent, Christmas was Ryan’s least favorite holiday. He didn’t even like selling turkeys for the big day but did it because it made business sense. No, there had to be a mistake with thipresumptuous pink ornament.
Peeling back the box to replace the hideous item, Ryan spied a note
and pulled it out, reading it carefully.
Every season in its time. Love, Mrs. Claus.
“In its time,” Ryan growled then cringed as Kooter stretched up his leg, digging in his claws. “Well, it seems a bit early to me, don’t you think?” he asked his cat before shoving the ornament and note back into the box and tossing it under the counter. This was the season of falling leaves, frosted pumpkins, and delectable Thanksgiving treats. Christmas could just wait its turn.
***
Carol walked into the shop breathing in the essence of the space. Pausing, her eyes racing over the men setting up shelves and shifting displays, she imagined the glory that was about to be unleashed in this unique shop.
