Eggnog & Evergreen

24 • Flurries & Flakes

We reach town in just under 20 minutes.

It started flurrying innocently, but I can sense the build-up.

"First stop is the Harrolds," Nik says. "They ordered a second tree for their dining room."

"Sounds like my parents."

"Your parents have five trees," Nik laughs. "Rightfully so."

I roll my eyes.

"After that, we'll hit the McCutchens. They're right down the street."

"Do you have a list somewhere, or is it just all written down in your head?" I ask.

"Here," Nik says, pulling a folded piece of paper from his pocket.

I unfold it and start reading off the names.

"Harrolds -One Tree. McCutchens -One Wreath, One Garland. Hodgens -Two Garlands. Lane's -Three Trees." I scoff out loud. "THREE TREES?! Who on earth needs three trees? And four days before Christmas."

"Who knows, but it's good for business," Nik says, laughing.

The sleigh turns onto Main Street. We glide past the market and the park, where a queue of people waiting for the cider stand ogle us conspicuously. Three men erect a huge red and white flagpole. It looks like a giant candy cane poking out from the snow. A rippling banner hangs from the top: North Pole.

"Oh my god," I whisper.

"What?" Nik asks.

"Bit extra, don't you think?" I nod at the town square flag.

"It's for North Pole Day," Nik tells me.

"Of course, it is. You know an awful lot about this town, considering it's your first Christmas here." I tell him.

"It's good to be involved," he says, shrugging.

"Compulsory?" I tease.

"Something like that," he smiles.

"Why'd you move here anyway?" I finally ask.

"Ah," Nik sighs. "Let's save that for the ride back."

"So you have time to think up a good answer?"

"So we don't spoil the day," Nik answers, mysterious.

Now I must know.

Sycamore Street is one of my favorites in the whole town. It looks especially quaint now, decorated in lights and half-buried under the snow. I'll never admit it to Nik, though. We pull up behind a pick-up truck outlined with blinking Christmas lights.

"That is not street legal," I say.

"I don't think this sleigh is either," Nik says.

"Fair."

Nik unloads the first three stops by himself. I sit back and revel in my grinchness by not helping at all. When we reach the Lane's house, Nik pulls the sleigh around the side and stops under the arched trellis. He pulls one of the trees from the back and rests it against the sleigh. Then he pulls the second one. Then the third and-

"Nik!" I shout his name.

I hobble through the foot-deep snow around the back of the sleigh.

Both trees tumble sideways, crushing the potted poinsettias. 

"Nik!" I whisper shout, hoping the Lanes aren't home to witness his floral abuse.

"I got it. I got it," Nik says from somewhere under the branches. "This is what happens when you sit there and watch-"

"Hey!" I retort. "I got up, didn't I?"

"Just help me with this one, please." Nik says, pointing at the tiniest of the three trees.

"Ugh," I groan. "Forgot helping was part of our bet."

"I'll owe you," Nik says, smiling.

I roll my eyes but pick up the stubby trunk of the netted tree and start hauling it after Nik. He's carrying both trees, one in each arm, as is already at the back porch in three long strides. I'll just be here, snow up to my knees, gasping for breath.

"Noelle?" Nik's distant voice is muffled from swirling wind.

"Coming!" I shout.

I yank hard at the trunk and lose my footing, because why not? I stumble backward, prepared to fall flat on my butt, and grab onto Nik's outstretched arm. I pull him down with me and land flat on top of him -his rock-hard pecks to be exact.

"Oh my -Shit! I'm sorry," I wince.

"Third time's the charm," Nik laughs. This would make the third wipe-out in front of him. "Don't worry about it. Part of the job."

Nik grabs the tree and tosses it onto the back porch with the others.

I brush the snow from my legs and regret not wearing my old ski pants.

"Lucky for you, that's the last one," Nik says, climbing back into the sleigh beside me.

We pull off Sycamore and onto Dogwood, which dead ends into a long stretch of woods with a very shady trail.

"This will take us back to the farm. We'll come out on the far side." Nik says.

"You mean we are done?" I ask.

"Don't sound so excited," Nik says.

"I'm not -I mean, my butt is sort of soaked."

Nik laughs at me.

Cue buckets of snow emptying from the skies. The good thing is Trotter and Minka seem not to have noticed; they pull the sleigh like it's filled with feathers instead of a few hundred pounds of lumber.

"You got a roof on this thing?" I ask, squinting into the snow.

"Fortunately, not," Nik says.

I sigh hard and pull the blankets tighter around me.

"Ugh! I'm freezing!"

"You know," Nik says, looking down at me. He unfolds another blanket and stretches it across both our laps.

I look into his deep eyes and feel shiver that's got absolutely nothing to do with the snowfall.

"What?"

"I know a way to warm up-"

"Nik!" I slap my white mitten against his shoulder.

"No -No." He laughs, evidently realizing my assumption. "I have something to help you warm up."

"Don't say it-"

Nik pulls a silver thermos from the storage bin tucked under the front of the sleigh.

"Would you like some eggnog?"