Total pages in book: 66
Estimated words: 63004 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 315(@200wpm)___ 252(@250wpm)___ 210(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 63004 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 315(@200wpm)___ 252(@250wpm)___ 210(@300wpm)
“Seven.”
She turned toward me and grinned. “That’s a lot of trees.”
“Seven is my mother’s favorite number, so she uses it in weird ways. Like, seven trees. But she probably needs that many. Last Christmas, each tree was packed with gifts.”
“That’s really nice that the community gets together like they do for this event.”
I nodded. “Yeah. It was a good idea Mom had.”
Vivianne started to walk toward another tree waiting to be decorated. “And this one?” she asked, pointing at the boxes.
“This one is the horse-themed tree.”
Rubbing her hands together, she asked, “Shall we?”
“Let’s dive in.”
I opened a box, and Vivianne reached in and lifted out a smaller white box. She smiled. “This one gets special packaging, I see.”
Laughing, I replied, “You’ll see why. It’s not usually stored in this box.”
“How did it get in there then?” she asked.
“Dad probably got it out and put it in there. That’s probably why it was on top.”
She opened the box, then sucked in a breath as she took out a gold and white horse. “This is stunning.”
Smiling, I reached for it. “This was the very first ornament that was donated for this event. No one knows who sent it, but it’s from Tiffany and Co.”
Her eyes went wide. “Are you serious? Someone sent this anonymously? Why would they do that? It has to be worth a fortune.”
I shrugged. “Dad thinks maybe they thought we would sell it or something? My mother fell in love with it and said it would be on the Christmas tree every single year she hosted the event for the kids.”
“Do you put it on your tree afterward?”
“No. Dad packs it back up and takes it to the bank, and it stays in a safety deposit box there until next December.”
“Should we let your mother do the honor of hanging it?” Vivianne asked.
I handed the ornament back to her. “It usually goes on last, after all the other ornaments are put on, so it doesn’t get bumped or knocked off.”
“That’s a smart idea.”
Vivianne carefully put the ornament back into the box and set it aside. We worked in silence as we placed the decorations on the tree. One look around the barn showed nearly all the trees were decorated. I guess that was one good thing about the snowstorm—no one had anything else to do. Even the ranch hands were in here helping.
“It’s time for the last ornament to go on the tree,” my mother exclaimed as she made her way over to me and Vivianne. “Oh, the horse tree looks amazing!”
Smiling brightly, Vivianne replied, “It has nothing to do with us, but with the adorable ornaments on the tree.”
Mom picked up the box and took out the horse, handing it to Vivianne. “How about you do the honors of placing the last ornament, and the most precious one of all?”
“Are you sure?” Vivianne asked, glancing around to seek everyone’s approval.
My mother laughed. “Yes, I’m sure! Here you go. Place it front and center.”
Taking the ornament from my mother, Vivianne stared at the tree for a few moments before reaching out and carefully placing the ornament onto the Douglas fir.
When she stepped back, I took her hand in mine as she whispered, “It’s perfect.”
There was a moment of stillness and reflection in the barn as everyone took in the sight. Young kids who had nothing and no one would fill this barn on Christmas Day to get presents from strangers who’d cared enough to take the time out of their busy lives to shop for them, or to donate money. It was a beautiful thought.
I leaned in and spoke into Vivianne’s ear. “New Year’s Eve, these trees will get added to the bonfire that my father builds with the rest of the Christmas trees from the ranch. The ranch hands usually have a tree in their cabin, my grandmother has a tree up, and my mother puts up two trees at the main house. It’s a huge party here on the ranch, and my parents invite friends and family. All the ranch hands attend as well. That’s how they celebrate New Year’s Eve.”
Vivianne let out a soft breath. “I love that.”
Clapping her hands and cutting off the serene moment, my mother turned and faced everyone. “Thank you to everyone who came and helped decorate the trees. We still have lots of presents to wrap, so if you’d like to volunteer, you know where to go!”
“Does your mother know what sleeping in is?” Vivianne asked in a whispered breath.
“No, she doesn’t. No one does if you live and work on a ranch.”
She nodded her head.
“Derek, do you boys have plans for lunch?”
Derek nodded. “Yes, ma’am. I made a lasagna for us yesterday.”
My mother beamed at him. “Smart man. Since it’s storming, why don’t you boys take the rest of the day off?”