For a long moment, Chase said nothing. He cleared his throat roughly and nodded once. “All right. Let’s do it.”
Chapter 36
Chase
While Cam,Mac, Trey, and I had spent most of last night hammering out a detailed plan—what had to be done, in what order, and with what equipment, because of the limited space—Cam and Anna took over the communication front. I wasn’t entirely sure what strings they were pulling, only that their phones pinged and rang nonstop with messages and phone calls. Whatever they were organizing, I trusted them. No stone would be left unturned with them in charge.
By the time Anna and I finally fell into bed, we were too exhausted to do anything but tangle up together and pass out the second our heads hit the pillows. But as dawn cracked the night sky, the farm came to life.
Down by the fields past the bunkhouse, the usual rhythm of morning work buzzed through the air. My crews had shown up early to knock out their day’s work so they could volunteer afterward. Bodie took charge, directing them as they loaded pallets with azaleas, viburnum, dwarf hollies, and other flowering shrubs—each tagged and sortedby order. Trees for the newest shipment were still being dug up and their root balls wrapped for delivery.
Cam was posted at the road, clipboard in hand, barking out instructions like a general, as she flagged people down. Family. Friends. Neighbors. Some came ready to work, others dropped off food, tools, or supplies. She directed the bigger trucks—construction crews with equipment, trailers of compactors and grading tools—to continue toward the damaged tree fields.
From the bunkhouse, I heard laughter cutting through the clatter of pans and the slamming of oven doors. I caught a glimpse of Mama Rae and Anna in the kitchen. The aroma of bacon and sausage filled the air. And to my astonishment, Beverly Seymour was working right alongside them. Anna looked up as I passed. Her hair was pulled back in a messy twist, a streak of flour across one cheek, but her eyes met mine with a steady, warm smile. That smile alone was enough to push me forward.
Bodie intercepted me near the main greenhouse, wiping his hands on his pants. “Morning orders are handled,” he said. “We’ve got this covered down here. You go take care of the trees.”
I clapped his shoulder. “Appreciate it,” I said, and meant it more than he probably realized. I owed that man, and the others, a bonus.
As I crossed the yard toward the trucks staging up to head up the mountain, I heard footsteps catching up behind me.
“Hey—where do you want me?” Jordan asked, tugging on a pair of work gloves that were still a little too big. He fell into step beside me, his tone casual, but there was a spark in his eyes he couldn’t hide. The kind of excitement you try to play cool when you don’t want to seem like a kid.
I slowed and turned to face him.
He wasn’t fidgeting. Wasn’t bouncing. He stood a little taller, met my eyes without flinching, his chin tipped up a bit like he wanted to earn his place, not be given it.
The pride that hit me was sharp and quiet. Unexpected in the best way.
I nodded once. “How about by my side?”
His smile came quickly but contained—and he gave a sharp nod. “Yeah. Okay.”
“All right, partner. Let’s get to it.”
By mid-morning, the trucks had stopped rolling in, and the air in the Christmas tree fields buzzed with movement. The mountain of dirt that had been dumped last night was already a fraction of its size as front loaders carried piles of it to some locations, while wheelbarrows rolled it to smaller places.
I spotted Cam up ahead, standing on the flatbed of a trailer in her pink construction boots like it was a stage, directing volunteers with quick gestures.
“Are you in charge now?” I asked when I walked by.
Cam shot a smirk over her shoulder. “Was I ever not?”
I laughed. “Fair enough. It’s definitely more like a construction zone. You’re definitely in your element here. Gramps would be so proud of you.”
Her face grew a little wistful at the memory of the man who’d mentored her. “Gotta say, moving at this speed, I’m having flashbacks of my time onRenovation Station.”
“Hopefully, we have a winner at the end of this.”
She stuck her tongue out at me. “Hey, Mac and I came out all right in the end. But I get what you’re saying. If they don’t pick your tree, I’m gonna cut it down myself and shove it up someone’s?—”
“Okay, then,” I stopped her. “No need to get violent. Ifwe win, great. If not, that’s okay. This has still turned into something special.”
“Yeah, yeah. Okay. But still, maybe a little stick up Marcus’s ass is still called for.”
“You are frightening sometimes,” I mumbled.
She stared at me. “Get back to work. No special treatment just because you own the place.” She attempted to glare at me, but the sparkle in her eye gave her away.
