Chapter 19

The drive to the closest Christmas tree place took about twenty minutes. Northlake Christmas Trees & Nursery didn’t look very busy, but then, how many people would be out in a snowstorm trying to find a Christmas tree?

I eased through the entrance. Snow and mud splashed up onto the windshield. I had the heater directed up through the vents on the dashboard at full blast to keep the windshield from freezing over. The snow melted right off, but the mud was a different story. I had to use the wipers and they didn’t want to do the job right.

I spotted a car and two trucks parked to my right. I parked next to them.

A man who looked old enough to be my grandfather came out into the snow. He wore a heavy lined coat, overalls, and an old trapper hat with the sides pulled down over his ears.

I got out of the car in my regular school clothes and a sweater. I was going to be lucky if I didn’t catch a cold. I really needed to get a coat soon. I stuffed my hands in my pockets, and shrugged my shoulders up around my neck. It was all I could do to stay warm.

“Last minute shopping?” he asked, smiling.

I smiled too. It felt good to do so regardless of the cold. “No choice. Since we’re going to be stuck inside, my family wants something fun to do.”

He nodded. “Sounds good. Any idea how tall you want?”

I didn’t ask Mom. She simply said to find a good one. “How about eight feet?”

He nodded. “Got several left. Over this way.” Then he stepped out onto the ground in galoshes. His foot sank to his ankle in muddy water under the snow. Wow, was I glad I thought of boots for myself. I quickly went to the trunk, swapped my shoes for Dad’s boots, which pinched my toes, and trotted to catch up to the old man.

We passed a few rows worth of trees. All of which were my height, six feet, or shorter. Then we passed several rows of taller trees. Finally, he turned down a row where the trees towered over the both of us. When I stopped next to him, he was looking up at the tops. He grinned at me and asked, “Do you have any rope?”

I stared at the top of the tree. It was huge! I nodded in answer to his question. “In the trunk of my car.”

“Good,” he said, and then squatted. He lifted several limbs with his lower arm, like pushing a blanket up to look under a bed. He pulled out a small handsaw and looked up at me. “Get a good grip on her while I cut her down.”

I nodded, shivering in the cold, and reached deep into the limbs to get a grip as close to the trunk as possible.

He slipped in under the limbs and I felt the vibration of his saw biting into the wood. After cutting for a minute, he said, “Lean her to your left.”

I nodded, even though he couldn’t see me, and pulled her to the left. The tree didn’t move far, but I could feel tiny snaps as he continued cutting. All at once, the tree released and I stood there holding it up.

He scooted out from under the tree and stood up. “Okay, now to tie her down so we can carry her.” He turned and waved someone over.

I looked back over my shoulder. A young woman dressed similarly to the old man tossed him one end of a rope. The two of them worked the rope around the tree a few times, raising the limbs up and tying them in place. By the time they were finished, I had an upper section of the tree resting on my shoulder.

The old man hefted the trunk, and turned us around so he would lead the way back to the store. The young woman tugged at the ropes. They held. Then she looked up at me with a smile. “Good choice, Seth.”

My heart leapt into my throat. It was Lisa Hartwell.

Her smile faded and she tilted her head to the side. “Are you okay?”

I nodded and shifted the weight on my shoulder. The needles were prickly.

“Get a good grip, we’re going to shake off the loose needles,” she said. Then she looked the other way, “Ready to shake, Ernie.”

Ernie, the old man, raised his end of the tree. He did something that let the tree fall without hitting the ground. At the abrupt stop, snow and needles showered the muddy ground. He did that twice more. Each time, fewer needles fell.

Lisa nodded and held out a thumbs-up.

Ernie tugged at the tree, and we were moving.

I followed him, still shocked to see Lisa here. I was even more surprised she didn’t tear out of there screaming. Everyone in town believed I had attempted to rape her, no matter how much I protested that I hadn’t. Yet, here she was, walking along with me as if I were no different from anyone else looking to buy a Christmas tree.

We reached the store and set the tree on a table on the other side of the store’s entrance. Ernie waved me inside. “Let’s get warm.”

I nodded, feeling a little out of place, as if he wasn’t really talking to me. Lisa looked me in the eyes again. “You don’t look well. Are you sure you’re okay?”

I shrugged both my shoulders and eyebrows.

She nodded toward the store. “C’mon in.”

I nodded again and followed her into the store.

They were right about the store being warm. I stomped mud off my boots just inside the door, as Lisa and Ernie had done, and then looked around. They had plenty of Christmas tree stands, skirts, and a few ornaments. Most of the rest of the store held shelves of seeds, small plants, plant food, and gardening tools.

Ernie walked over to a collection of stands. “Do you need a stand?” he asked.

I calmed myself enough to think straight. “I better get one. I don’t know if we’ve ever had an eight foot tree before.”

He nodded and pulled one out. “What about a skirt to catch the needles?”

I knew we had one, but wasn’t sure it would be wide enough to catch everything this bigger tree would drop. “Yes,” I said.

He pulled one out that was simple green with red and white stripes, as if someone had flattened a number of peppermint sticks on the green cloth. Then he headed to the register.

I glanced out the window toward the tree. Two men were holding it upright. I pointed. “What are they doing?”

Ernie held up the stand and pointed at it. “In the center of the stand, there’s a spike to help center the tree. Those two are drilling a hole in the trunk to accept the spike. It makes it easier to set it up when you get it home.”

I nodded and pulled out my wallet. Ernie rang everything up. I handed him my debit card. He pulled on a pair of glasses and looked the card over.

Lisa stepped up next to me. “So, how was college?”

I glanced at her, not certain I should even talk to her. “Um, okay.”

“What are you studying?”

“Er ... Architecture.”

She studied me for a moment. She looked like she wanted to ask another question, but she didn’t.

Ernie finished with my card and handed it back. He looked at me and said, “If I didn’t know better, I’d say you’re scared to death of her.” He turned to the register again and added, “Don’t blame ya. She’s a hand full.”

Lisa scoffed and reached over the counter to slap at his shoulder. “I’ll show you a handful!”

I blinked a lot in an attempt to keep a straight face. Standing as close to her as I was, I could tell the coat she wore wasn’t that bulky across her chest. Yet, she didn’t seem to catch the double meaning of her retort.

Then she looked at me. Her eyes narrowed, and she opened her mouth to say something when the door to the store opened, interrupting her.

The two men from outside came in. “Tree’s ready,” one of them said. Then he looked at me.

I recognized him and thought, “Not again.” It was another friend and fellow bully of Riley’s, Nigel Kemp.

Nigel stopped abruptly, recognition setting in. “You,” he said softly. “I should beat your ass,” he said with emphasis. He strode toward me, an aura of danger about him.

I stepped away from the counter with my arm out, guiding Lisa away from him.

“Get the fuck away from her!” He yelled.

I turned my head so I could see him and Lisa peripherally. She looked from him to me and asked, “What is going on?”

Nigel pointed at me and said, “He put Riley in the hospital.”

I stepped away from Lisa and shook my head. “No, Leo did that. He missed me and hit Riley instead.”

“Bullshit!” Nigel spat.

The sound of a shotgun being loaded caught everyone’s attention. I glanced Ernie’s way, but didn’t let Nigel out of my sight.

In a calm voice, Ernie said, “Now boys, we’re not going to have a problem, are we?” There was no room for misinterpretation with Ernie. His tone was solid and his meaning firm. There would be no fighting in his store.

“No, sir,” Nigel said instantly. “Unless this piece of shit wants to step outside with me.”

I shook my head. “It’s not worth it.”

Nigel coughed a laugh. “Right about that. You’re not worth the effort.” Then he turned and looked at Ernie. “Can’t believe you’d do business with trash like that.”