Page 17 of Finding Forever

Ben smiled. “It’s the least we can do after what you did to get the Christmas shop open.” He pointed to the four-wheelers. “Kylie’s idea,” he said, swinging a leg over the first one. “She says my knees don’t need to walk around the farm anymore.” He tossed a spare helmet toward Dave. “You can take the other one. Beth can ride behind you. It’s faster than hiking in this snow.”

Dave caught the helmet and glanced at Beth, who’d taken another helmet from Kylie. “Are you okay coming with me?”

Her grin told him he didn’t have to ask. “I promise to hang on tight.”

Beth waited until Dave was on the bike before climbing on behind him. She placed her hands around his waist as though she’d done it a hundred times before.

Dave started the engine, and if his pulse picked up faster than the four-wheeler did, he told himself it was only the cold.

The old barn sat well back from the shop, close enough to the tree line that snow had drifted up against one side of it. It leaned, just slightly, the way someone leans on a cane.

The soft spot in the roof where it had come down was easy enough to find. So was the reason for it. A section of ridge beam had given way under the weight of the snow, and half the rafters around it had come down, too. They were stacked in the snow just inside the doors like they’d been waiting for someone to want them.

“Watch your step,” Ben said. “I haven’t touched any of it since it fell.”

Dave crouched beside the pile and started working through it, timber by timber, the same way he’d worked through the rotted studs back in town. From what he could see, it was as close to a perfect match as they’d get. The wood in the center of the pile was dry enough, even after sitting under a hole in the roof.

“This is more than I’d hoped for,” Dave said, straightening. “Those two rafters alone could replace the header we lost. There’s enough good lumber here for most of what we need.”

“It’s that easy?” Beth asked.

“That easy.” With Ben’s help, Dave turned one of the beams over, checking the underside. “The snow did the hard part for us. I’ll still bring the engineer out to sign off on it, but I’d bet money this solves it.” Dave looked at Ben and Kylie. “Is it okay if I come back with Jamie Williams? He’s working at Finley Point for most of the morning, but he might be able make a detour here this afternoon.”

“Kylie will be here,” Ben assured them. “I’ll be planting trees, but you’re welcome to stay as long as you like.”

Kylie grinned at Beth. “Owen delivered his handblown glass ornaments yesterday. Do you want to see them before you go home?”

“I’d love to.” Beth glanced at Dave. “Do you want to come with us, or do you have something else you need to get back to?”

“Another half hour won’t make any difference,” Dave told her.

When they arrived at the Christmas Shop, Kylie opened the doors and flipped on the lights. “I was working in here earlier, so it’s nice and warm,” she told them. “We’re restocking the shelves as quickly as we can. Our online orders are still going strong, and by March, we’ll have the store open again.”

Dave took in the thick, pine garlands strung with fairy lights from the rafters, the vintage paintings filling the room with nostalgia, and the shelves of locally made ornaments. It was just as remarkable as the day Ben had come home and seen what Kylie and half the community had done.

Beth ran her hand over a quilt. “This is gorgeous.”

“It’s one of Shona’s,” Kylie told her. “I’m lucky to have any left. We usually have a list of people wanting them. Owen’s ornaments are over here.” Kylie walked across to a table where a set of glass ornaments sat nestled in tissue paper, each one swirled through with color, no two exactly alike.

Kylie held one up to the light. “Aren’t they lovely? I photographed them for our website after Owen left. I’ve got a feeling they’ll be sold before we re-open.”

Beth turned one over in her hands, careful with it the way she was careful with most things. “They’re beautiful.”

Kylie’s phone buzzed. She read the text with a small frown. “I’ll have to leave you. The propane company are early. If I don’t sign for the delivery, they’ll turn around and charge us for the trip anyway. Stay as long as you like, just close the doors after you.”

Beth returned the ornament to the table. “Thanks for letting us look around.”

Kylie grinned. “You’re welcome. I’ll see you next week at the Welcome Center, Beth. Bye, Dave.”

“Bye. I’ll see you this afternoon.”

Kylie smiled and slipped out the door, the bell over it still swinging in her wake.

Then it was only the two of them left, the low hum of the heater, and a barn full of Christmas decorations.

Beth wandered along the shelves while Dave stood near the glass ornaments, not quite ready to leave them yet. Further down the table sat a wooden crate, half-open, spilling over with older ornaments that didn’t match the polished new stock.

There was a sticker on the outside of the crate with an auction house label and a lot number.