The Cowboy's Christmas Surprise by Marie Ferrarella

Author:Marie Ferrarella
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Harlequin
Published: 2013-11-09T05:00:00+00:00

Chapter Ten

Because the crew Miss Joan had brought with her to select this year’s Christmas tree had found the one they wanted to put up in the town square rather quickly, they wound up returning to Forever well before dusk.

Word spread fast, and the town’s citizens hurried over to the square to pass their own judgment on the Scotch pine.

As if she was leading a wagon train into the Wild West, Miss Joan brought her own truck to a stop in the center of town, jumped out of the cab and called for a halt of the other vehicles.

“We got another beauty,” she announced to the sea of faces that surrounded her. A chorus of agreement met her statement.

Rather than just leave the tree where it was until the following day, Miss Joan decreed that there was enough daylight—and certainly enough willing hands—to get the tree off the flatbed truck and upright in the town square.

“You picked another winner,” Harry proudly told his bride, planting a quick kiss on her cheek.

“Save that for later, Harry,” she told him. “Right now, I need harnesses and winches. You know the drill,” she told her husband.

“Got ’em waiting right behind Mick’s garage,” Harry told her. He summoned a few men to come with him so that they could bring back the required equipment that would help the process of getting the tree upright and secured in the desired position.

Miss Joan relinquished control of this portion of the operation, allowing her husband to oversee it. Harry happily went to work, employing Cash and a number of the other younger men to get the job done. They worked in harmony, having either done this before or watched it being done year after year.

Ninety minutes after rolling into town with the giant Scotch pine, this year’s Christmas tree was up, stable and secure—and ready to be decorated.

Everyone who wanted to, regardless of age, took part in this phase of the event. The only rule was to wait until the lights were put up, which they were in amazingly short order, thanks to the practically military precision instituted by Harry. Beyond that, once the lights were operational, there were no rules to follow other than to have fun.

There was no end to the number of people who wanted to be part of this segment of the ceremony—because it was such a beloved tradition.

Looking around the town square, Ray saw not just his father—who happen to be Harry’s best friend and might have been in town for reasons other than the tree decorating ceremony—but his brothers and sister, as well. Granted Alma and Gabe both worked in town, but standing around in the square, waiting to be able to take their turn at adorning the Christmas tree, was not part of their normal job description.

Just as it wasn’t part of Olivia Santiago’s job description. Besides being the sheriff’s wife, she was also one of the town’s two lawyers, having formed a partnership with Alma’s husband, Cash.

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