Page 4 of Evergreen Christmas
“Forget the contest wins.” The lady wearing the cashmere scarf stepped closer, held out her French-manicured hand and winked. “I’m much more interested in how many cowboys you’ve won over. I’m Holly Wyld, by the way.”
Jordyn shook her hand. “Nice to meet you Ms. Wyl—”
“Holly, please. We don’t stand on ceremony.” She shrugged. “Except for the Christmas Crowning, that is.”
“The Christmas Crowning?” Jordyn tilted her head and smiled. “That sounds intriguing. I’m Jordyn B—”
“Jordyn Banks,” Carol Belle stated matter-of-factly. “Twenty-five-year-old barrel racer. Bought Chestnut Ridge from Hal Sutton over Boom and you’ll be cohabiting with Fabio Fraser.”
Jordyn frowned. “You know quite a lot about me. Although. . . I’m not sure what Boom is or who Fabio Fr—?”
“She means Zoom.” The lady with the glasses stepped forward and held out her hand as well. “I’m Eve Knight. It’s a pleasure to meet you.”
Jordyn shook her hand, too. “Same here. And may I ask who Fabio Fraser is?”
“Oh, darling.” Holly stroked her cashmere scarf and smiled dreamily. “Fabio’s magnificent. He’s twenty-two-years-old, towers over you, smells divine, and were we to climb him, he’s so strong, he could easily accommodate all five of us women without even a quiver.”
Jordyn blinked, stepped back then frowned. “Are . . . we talking about a man here? Because I bought this place outright and Hal didn’t mention anything about me sharing with a tenant.”
“The detestableman,” Carol Belle said through gritted teeth, “is your new neighbor, Nate Reed.” She pointed to the left, toward ornate white fencing visible in the distance. “He owns Frosted Firs Ranch next door and has monopolized our Christmas Crown for nine years in a row now. We refuse to give him the tenth! Fabio is our best shot at success.” She ran a hand over her gray hair and inhaled. “Now, as Eve has graciously reminded me, Santa don’t like ugly. So we won’t impose on you any longer. We’ll get out of your hair to let you settle in. We just wanted to introduce ourselves and let you know that we’ll stop by tomorrow with a welcome basket and a proposition of utmost importance.”
Jordyn studied each of the women. They stared back at her, their expressions an odd mixture of curiosity, excitement and anxiety. It was the strangest thing, being scrutinized in the town square, followed to her property and swarmed by four women before she could even set foot inside her new home. But a good first impression was essential, and Jordyn knew from experience that good manners were critical for success in a small town. If she wanted to be embraced by the heart of Noel’s community, she’d do well to get into these women’s good graces.
“Well . . .” She shrugged and smiled. “Thank you, I guess?”
“You’re welcome.” Carol Belle spun on her heel and motioned for the other women to follow her. “Come on, ladies. We need to get back to the sign-up booth. And Jordyn? You might want to go ahead and get acquainted with Fabio, seeing as you’ve got to partner with him on an important mission.” She pointed toward the back of the log cabin. “He’s inches from the property line and Nate Reed is probably slinking around him again already. Guard Fabio with your very life.”
Eve, Kandy, and Holly looked at Jordyn, nodded in unison, then smiled, waved, and followed Carol Belle back to the Cadillac. Moments later, the engine rumbled and Carol Belle turned the car around and peeled out, the four women dashing off as quickly as they’d arrived.
Jordyn glanced at Star, who raised her broad nose, closed her eyes, and savored the chilly breeze sweeping over the foothills. “Well, that was an interesting welcome. Whatcha say, girl? You wanna go to the back of the lot and check out this Fabio thing?”
Star bobbed her head as though in agreement and Jordyn smiled, then led the way around the log house to the back field. The acres behind the house were even more impressive than the front yard. The wide field offered an unobstructed view of the impressive mountain range. But toward the left corner of the lot, a solitary tree—a Fraser fir, if Jordyn guessed correctly—stood well over eighteen feet, its full, healthy branches the richest shade of forest green she’d ever seen.
“Wow,” she whispered, leading Star across the field toward the lone tree. “You must be Fabio Fraser.”
A rich aromatic mix of pine and fresh mountain air drifted over her as she drew closer to the edge of the property line. She tipped her head back, taking in every inch of the beautiful fir—a living embodiment of the Christmas tree of her dreams. And it grew right here in the back lot of her brand-new home.
“Can you believe this is ours, Star?” Brisk mountain wind brought goose bumps to Jordyn’s skin, but her heart blazed warmer than ever as she admired the sight before her and smiled. “Our first, true Christmas tree.”
Chapter Two
“Incoming! The Cheek Pinchers are here!”
Nate Reed, owner of Frosted Firs Ranch, shut the cash register drawer, handed change to the customer in front of him, then frowned as his younger brother sprinted across the gift shop, nearly crashing into the young woman who stood on the other side of the checkout counter.
“Sorry about that.” Nate grabbed the customer’s elbow, steadying her as she swayed in Tucker’s wake. “Tucker is . . .” He smiled ruefully. “Well, you know Tucker.”
The young woman standing in front of him—Sandy Simmons, if he recalled correctly—blushed then giggled. “Oh, yeah. I know Tucker.” She smoothed her long blond hair behind her ears and grinned. “Everyone in Noel knows Tucker. He gets around more than any one man should in his life. You, on the other hand”—she winked—“are quite the mystery.”
Nate smiled politely but nudged the ornament—an ornate reindeer figurine he’d just gift wrapped for her—closer to her hands, hoping she’d get the hint and go on her way. “There’s no mystery to me,” he said. “I run this place, take care of my daughter, and stay out of trouble.”
Her smile fell into a pretty pout. “No drama, excitement, or romance for you then?”
Still holding his polite smile firmly in place, Nate shook his head. “I like things peaceful and predictable. Thank you for visiting Frosted Firs Ranch, Sandy. We appreciate your business and hope you visit us again soon.”
Sandy’s smile, which had briefly dimmed, brightened at his last comment. “Oh, I will.” She gathered up the bag in her arms and eyed him from head to toe, grinning wider. “I definitely will.”
Nate stifled a groan as she left, then rubbed his forehead. After nine years, he should’ve gotten the hang of letting women down gently and discouraging their interest in him. But no matter how many times he declined dates, a new woman would show up, poking around his ranch in an effort to catch his attention or entice his interest.
