Page 5 of Cabin Fever Baby
“Minus the frozen moment without a saw, I hope.” I cupped both my hands around my cup. The cold temperatures around here were far different than the city.
He laughed. “Think we can arrange that.” He waved to a tall blond man in a Yankees cap as well as a beefier one with a backwards hat. Then he snagged a small chainsaw that looked like a Lego in Kane’s huge mitt of a hand.
“We’ve got Douglas Firs and the Balsam. Both great trees and our current ones are about seven feet.”
“Bigger.”
He looked down at me. “You sure?”
“According to the specs on the cabin, it has twelve-foot ceilings in the main part of the house.”
“You haven’t seen it yet?”
“I just got here, actually. I kinda got lost in the shops in the orchard.”
“Laverne get you?”
I laughed. “Let’s just say between the pie and pastries and the gift shop I should be getting a VIP award.”
“Let’s see if we can get you all set up then. Is it just you or do you have help?”
“That’s a very good question. Just me. My family is coming in a few days.”
“Then we will get you set up with a tree base too. We’ve got some in the workshop. Then you just gotta get it inside and put some water in it. Sound good?”
“Too good to be true.”
He gave a hearty chuckle and tucked his bag into the crook of his arm, then he dug out a donut. “Fortification first.”
I held up my croissant for a pastry bump. “Cheers.”
We ate our delicious treats as Kane led me through the impressively full rows of trees. There was a fair amount of them already cut down, leaving holes in the forest of pines. Some were precut and tied to stakes for what seemed like a quick turnover.
Families were walking around hunting for trees, so I didn’t feel unsafe on my own with the large man. He was well over a foot taller than my own 5’3.
“Are you looking for a classic tree with areas for big ornaments, or do you want a big beefy dude?”
“Well, I have a fair bit of filler ornaments, but not a bunch of like kid kinds, if that’s what you’re asking.”
“That helps. My wife wanted a purple tree. We don’t have kids yet, so she wanted one crazy artsy tree before we go traditional-style full of kid ornaments.”
“They make purple trees?”
He laughed. “No. But we bought out every purple ornament possible.”
“Oh, sorry.” I laughed and popped the last bit of my croissant in my mouth.
“It’s impressive.” He dug out his phone. “Like this.”
“Wow.”
“I know. Cool, right? This is a Townes Tree.”
“I want that. Minus the purple, though it is very cool. How did you find purple feathered garland?”
“My wife is a wonder.”
“She sure sounds it.”