“So did Lucy,” Gavin said eagerly. “Maybe you can encourage her too. I already asked, but she just rolled her eyes at me.” He looked wistfully at Madison as Lily went inside the trailer. “It’d be so great to have all our family members there for Christmas Eve.”

  “I know. I’ll try, but I’m not sure they’ll listen to me,” she confessed. “We don’t see eye to eye on a lot of things.”

  “Just do your best.” He kissed her on the cheek, sending a fresh rush of happy nerves through her. “And we’ll both pray about it, okay?”

  “Definitely.”

  After she got home and put things away, she went online to check the business account and grew even more perplexed. Something was really wrong here. Unable to keep her concerns to herself, she decided to just get this mess out in the open. After finding out from her mom that Addie was holed up in her office, Madison marched out of the house and knocked loudly on the door.

  “Leave me alone” was the curt answer.

  Madison flung open the door to find her sister in her cozy little haven, curled up on the sofa with the TV on. “Working hard?” Madison walked into the overly warm and stuffy space.

  “I came in here to be alone.” Addie muted the TV. “Can’t you take a hint?”

  Leaving the door ajar, Madison sat in the desk chair and gazed around. Not for the first time, she noticed this was a pretty posh little office. Money had been spent in here. “What’s going on with our business account, Addie?” she demanded. “I just saw the statement for the past six months. We are not in the red. In fact, we are very comfortably in the black.”

  “That should make you happy.” Addie’s lower lip protruded.

  “It makes me confused.” She threw her arms in the air. “How can we be doing that well?”

  Addie sighed with a defeated expression.

  “I want the truth, Baby Sister. Now.” Madison put on the same expression she’d used when babysitting Addie long ago.

  “I-I planned to tell you . . . when the time was right. When it was time to sell.”

  “Tell me what?”

  “Grandma’s life insurance policy,” she blurted out. “It was bigger than I let on. It was paid off to you and me last winter. You were out of reach, so the lawyer oversaw the deposit in our joint account.”

  Madison frowned. “You didn’t want me to know so I’d think we were going under and were forced to sell?”

  Addie slowly stood, her eyes brimming with tears. “I’m tired of trees. I’m done. I want out, Maddie.”

  Madison’s heart softened at the use of her old nickname. “I know you do.”

  “Selling is the only way I can get my share.” She sniffled.

  Madison considered this. “I don’t know the value of the property, but what if we made a deal? You could have most of what’s already in the business account. Consider my portion of our inheritance as your down payment. And I would guarantee you a percentage of profits down the line? Like a partial owner. It would be an investment in your future. Would that help?”

  She blinked. “Well, I was pretty strapped after I quit my job, you know, because of the divorce and everything. It’s the main reason I was so eager to come here. I’d been hoping for a way to start over. But as we know, I’m not really an outdoorsy kinda gal.”

  “I know.” Madison reached for her sister’s hand, squeezing it. “And that’s okay. You did what you could. And I appreciate how you held the farm together until I got home. Maybe this is your chance to really live your life now. Making this arrangement could make that possible, Addie. I could give you a fresh start.”

  “You’d really be willing to do this?” Addie’s eyes were misty. “I mean, after everything I’ve done?”

  “I’m more than willing. If it allows me to keep the farm. Of course, we’ll have to get the lawyer to write it all up and make it fair.”

  “Absolutely.” She beamed and then sighed. “I’d be free.”

  “With a nice nest egg to take with you.”

  Addie threw her arms around Madison, sobbing. “I’m sorry I’ve been so lousy to you, Madison. I’ve just been so frustrated. You were living overseas, chasing your dreams, traveling Europe. Then you come home like the hero—here to save the day. On top of everything else, Gavin likes you better than me. It’s like you keep winning, and I keep getting the shaft.”

  “I’m truly sorry things have been so hard on you. And I really am grateful you were here with Grandma after Dad died. And how you helped her keep the farm going. That made me able to do what I did. But you really deserve your freedom now.”

  Addie nodded. “Maybe I’ll go to Europe now.”

  “You should!”

  They both turned to the sound of the door squeaking open. “I want to go to Europe too,” Mom told them with a grin.

  “Mom! You heard all that?” Addie asked with wide eyes.

  “Madison looked so mad. I was afraid she might come out here and do you in,” Mom teased. “I’ve never seen my firstborn so furious before.”

  “Oh, Mom.” Madison frowned.

  “But when I heard how you tricked her, Addie”—Mom shook a forefinger at her baby—“well, I can understand her anger. That was despicable, Addie.”

  “I’m not proud,” she confessed.

  “I’m just glad to see you girls straightening it out.” Mom opened her arms. “Group hug?”

  “But we’re not a huggy family,” Madison reminded her as she embraced them both.

  “People change,” Mom told her. She stepped back, straightening her silky tunic shirt. “Just don’t expect miracles, okay?”

  Madison smiled. “Speaking of miracles. I want you two to come to church with Gavin and Lily and me for the Christmas Eve service. And I want you to encourage Lucy to come too. Her dad really hopes she will.”

  They agreed. Albeit reluctantly. But when the time came, they all piled into Gavin’s SUV and quietly, awkwardly rode to church together. They sat in the back and the service was simple and beautiful, and unless Madison was mistaken, everyone in the little country church felt blessed by it. The ride home was just as quiet as it had been going, but the atmosphere felt different. Madison might’ve been imagining it, but to her, it felt almost holy.

  21

  Something on the farm felt decidedly different on Christmas Day. Madison knew it wasn’t her imagination now. As the household went about holiday preparations, with a steady stream of Christmas music playing in the background, some of the women volunteered their help in the kitchen, quietly slipped wrapped gifts under the tree, or fished out leftover ornaments still nestled in boxes and hung them on the few empty branches. All the while, there was a palpable sense of calm in the house. Maybe even love. Madison was afraid to mention this phenomenon to anyone or do anything to rock the boat, lest the peace evaporate.

  “It’s so weird that your family doesn’t open gifts until after dinner on Christmas Day,” Lily said as they finished setting food on the big dining table.

  “It was just my grandparents’ way,” Madison explained for what felt like the tenth time. Poor Lily was so impatient to have gifts opened!

  “She already told you,” Lucy chided her younger sister.

  “I know,” Lily said with impatience. “It’s because they used to keep the tree farm open all day on Christmas Eve.”

  “You’d be surprised how many people waited that long to get their trees,” Madison told her. “My grandparents would close up just before dark, and then they’d be too tired to do much of anything. Not until after Christmas dinner the next day. It’s just how it was done.”

  “And still is,” Addie chimed in as she set a bowl of mashed potatoes on the table. “I kind of like it. Makes Christmas last longer.”

  Madison smiled gratefully at her. “Good point.”

  By the time they sat down for dinner, that feeling of holiday congeniality and peace left over from the night before was still present. And as Gavin said a blessing, they truly felt like one big family. Really, truly family. Madison actually felt misty-eyed as everyone said “amen.”

  After dinner, to Lily’s delight, they gathered around the tree for the gift exchange. Lily, playing elf, happily distributed the gifts. Madison could tell she was as excited about giving the presents she’d picked out as she was about opening her own gifts.

  They were nearly done with the exchange when Lily let out a happy shriek. “It’s snowing,” she cried out. They all went to look out the window where, indeed, a few snowflakes were fluttering down. Just lightly, but with promise of more.

  Gavin loved his antique barometer from Lily, and everyone else seemed pleased with both giving and receiving. Even Mom and Addie liked the handcrafted pieces Madison had found and carefully wrapped for them. And she had to admit that their more fashionable gifts might prove good assets to her rather meager and style-challenged wardrobe.

  “Now for the biggest gift under the tree.” Lily tugged out the heavy box. “Who could this be for?” She read the card. “‘To Gavin, from Santa.’ Hmm . . . you must’ve been a good boy, Dad.” She winked at Madison. “Although I don’t think Santa is the one behind this.” She scooted the big box in front of him, and everyone watched as he peeled off the paper.

  “A rubber raft!” he exclaimed. “Just what I’ve been wanting.” He looked at Madison. “You?”

  She just grinned.

  “You and I used to have some good times on my old raft. You remember?”

  “Oh, yeah.” She felt her cheeks warm to remember some of the afternoons they’d spent floating down calmer parts of the river. “I remember all right.”

  Gavin made an uncomfortable-sounding chuckle.

  “You’re blushing, Dad,” Lucy teased him. “Anything you’d like to share with the group?”

  “As a matter of fact.” He went over to Madison and tugged her to her feet. “I would like to share something.” He reached into his pocket. “We just had the biggest gift of the evening. Now we will have the smallest.”

  He produced a blue velvet box from his pocket, then got down on one knee. “Madison McDowell, I love you. I have loved you for a long while.” He opened the box to reveal a simple but lovely diamond ring. “Will you please do me the honor of becoming my wife?”

  Madison felt her jaw drop as she stared at the ring. Was this for real? Was she daydreaming? “Oh my!” she said in a hushed tone. Everyone in the room stared at them in stunned silence, expressions impossible to read. Did Gavin even realize the position he’d put everyone in? Feeling helpless and speechless and somewhat confused, she looked down at him, still balanced on one knee.

  “Don’t leave me hanging here,” he said a bit lightly. “What do you say, Madison? I know this might seem presumptuous, but believe me, I’ve given it lots of thought. Will you marry me? I’m asking in front of witnesses because we’re all part of this. Can you accept me and my two beautiful daughters? Can you accept us as part of your family?”

  Madison glanced at Lily, who was beaming joyfully. Next she nervously turned to Lucy. To her surprise, an amused smile played upon the pretty girl’s lips. Madison looked over at Mom and Addie, and although they still looked slightly shocked, they both nodded as if to give consent.

  Last, Madison’s gaze returned to Gavin. She caught her breath at the intensity of his dark blue eyes as he studied her. The poor guy looked even more nervous now! So she smiled down at him. “Yes, Gavin Thompson, I would love to become your wife.”

  Gavin’s whole face lit up as he stood, and right there, in front of God and everyone, they kissed—passionately!

  And everyone in the room clapped and cheered!

  MELODY CARLSON is the award-winning author of more than 250 books with sales of more than 7.5 million, including many bestselling Christmas novellas, young adult titles, and contemporary romances. She received a Romantic Times Career Achievement Award, her novel All Summer Long has been made into a Hallmark movie, and the movie based on her novel The Happy Camper premiered on UPtv in 2023. She and her husband live in central Oregon. Learn more at MelodyCarlson.com.

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  Table of Contents

  Cover

  Endorsements

  Half Title Page

  Books by Melody Carlson

  Title Page

  Copyright Page

  Contents

  Chapter 1

  Chapter 2

  Chapter 3

  Chapter 4

  Chapter 5

  Chapter 6

  Chapter 7

  Chapter 8

  Chapter 9

  Chapter 10

  Chapter 11

  Chapter 12

  Chapter 13

  Chapter 14

  Chapter 15

  Chapter 16

  Chapter 17

  Chapter 18

  Chapter 19

  Chapter 20

  Chapter 21

  About the Author

  Back Ads

  Cover Flaps

  Back Cover

  List of Pages

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  Melody Carlson, The Christmas Tree Farm

 

 

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