Mistletoe Madness

Kylie loves everything about Christmas. The lights, the carols, the snow-covered streets and, most of all, the smiles on the faces of everyone she meets. Well, almost everyone. When her friends ask her to organize the biggest fundraising Christmas party Sapphire Bay has ever seen, the florist inside of her is itching to get started. But that means talking to Ben Thompson, the closest thing to the Christmas Grinch she’s ever met.

Ben owns the only Christmas tree farm in Sapphire Bay, but that doesn’t mean he’s full of the Christmas spirit. He came to Montana searching for peace and quiet. But pesky Kylie Bryant, with her addiction to all things Christmassy, is driving him insane.

When Kylie helps him save his business, everything about her begins to make sense. She’s getting under Ben’s skin and making him feel alive. But a letter from his lawyer changes everything. Will a secret from his past tear them apart or will they finally get everything they’ve ever wanted?

Kylie hurried across the parking lot and stepped inside The Welcome Center. With a quick wave at the receptionist, she headed toward Pastor John’s office. 

She was late. Again.

It wasn’t as if this was one of the fundraising group’s usual catch-up meetings. She had an emergency and only her friends could help her.

With a quick knock, she opened the office door. John, Emma, and Bailey sat around the desk with spreadsheets, laptops, and cups of coffee in front of them. 

“Sorry I’m late.”

“Don’t worry.” Emma’s smile did nothing to calm Kylie’s nerves. “Bailey was telling us about the Christmas carol competition.”

For the last three months, they’d been organizing events to raise money for Sapphire Bay’s tiny home village. As well as adding some early Christmas cheer to the community, the events were bringing more tourists to the small Montana town. Last weekend they’d held the Main Street Santa Claus Parade and the Night Market. Both events were a huge success—which made her news even harder to share.

Pastor John handed her a cup of coffee. “Have a seat. You looked stressed.”

“I am.” Kylie took off her jacket and sat beside Emma. “I’m sorry I called an emergency meeting, but I didn’t know what else to do.”

Bailey leaned forward. “What’s happened?”

“We can’t use the community center for the Christmas party. The water pipes burst and no one can use any of the rooms for at least four weeks.”

Emma’s eyes widened. “When did that happen?”

“Last night. I’ve called all the venues that can seat two hundred guests, but they’re booked for weddings and other events.”

Kylie loved living in the small town but, sometimes, when you needed something at the last minute, your choices were severely limited. Like now. If she were still living in San Francisco, she could have easily found a hotel or conference facility. But this wasn’t California. This was a small town on the edge of Flathead Lake.

“Have you asked the McGraw’s?” Emma asked. “Jack and I were looking at wedding venues last weekend and their barn is amazing.”

“It’s booked. I even called the Cozy Inn, but their conference room’s too small.” Kylie pulled a list out of her bag. “These are the places I’ve tried. If you can think of another venue, I’d really appreciate it.”

John studied the sheet of paper. “Do the caterers need a commercial kitchen?”

“Probably not. They have a mobile kitchen they can use to keep the food hot. Have you thought of somewhere we could use?”

“Maybe. I’d have to talk to the foreman, but what about the old steamboat museum? We’d have to move the half-finished tiny homes into the yard, and our tools and supplies would need to be stored somewhere else, but it could work.”

The old steamboat museum was on the outskirts of town. When John was looking for somewhere to build relocatable tiny homes, he saw the abandoned building’s potential. With its incredibly high ceilings, arched windows, and large foyer, it could also be a stunning venue for a Christmas party.

Emma tapped her pen against her chin. “It could work. The kitchen’s too small, but if the catering company can bring a mobile kitchen, it won’t matter.”

Bailey frowned. “The main hall is enormous. Do we have the time and the budget to make it look amazing?”

“Maybe not.” Kylie pulled another file from her bag. “The flood damaged most of the decorations we were going to use. Renting more decorations will be expensive. And with our limited budget, buying new ones isn’t an option, either.”

Emma wrote something down on a piece of paper. “I’m heading into town tonight to speak to the Business Association about last weekend’s events. I’ll ask them if they know anyone who could help.”

“That would be great.”

“What about Ben? Has he decided to donate the Christmas trees?”

Kylie sighed. “Not yet, but he’s still happy to provide the mistletoe.” Of all the people who lived in Sapphire Bay, Ben was the hardest to figure out. “He’s stopped answering my phone calls. I don’t know what his problem is. Anyone would think he doesn’t like Christmas.”

“We all have issues we’re dealing with,” John said softly. “If you tell him about the community center, he might be more willing to help.”

“I don’t think that will make a difference.” Over the last few weeks, she’d tried everything she could think of to show Ben how important the trees were to their events. She’d even resorted to bribery. But no amount of gingerbread men, Christmas cookies, or shortbread made a difference. For someone who owned a Christmas tree farm, he was the most “unchristmassy” person she knew.

“As a last resort, we could use the artificial trees on Main Street,” Emma suggested. “The store owners won’t mind if they aren’t there for a few days.”

Kylie shook her head. “The whole point of having our events start a few months before Christmas was to encourage tourists to come here. If we take away the trees, Main Street won’t look the same.”

“Kylie’s right,” Bailey said. “Try Ben one more time. You never know—he might change his mind when he hears what’s happened.”

Kylie looked around the table. “Regardless of what he says, I don’t think we have any choice but to use the old museum. The profit we make from the Christmas party will pay for at least one tiny home. I don’t want to give that up.”

“I agree,” Emma said. “Apart from not being able to build another tiny home, we’ll have two hundred disappointed ticket holders calling us.”

“I’ll talk to the foreman at the museum,” Kylie said quickly before John could offer. He already worked long hours in the church and didn’t need the added pressure of organizing the venue for the party. “If there are any issues, I’ll send everyone an email.”

“Are you sure?” John asked. “I don’t mind—”

“I’m sure.”

When Emma asked about the music for the party, Kylie had good news. “Willow can perform with her band. Her wedding’s the following weekend, so the timing’s perfect.”

Bailey rubbed Kylie’s arm. “At least that’s one less thing to organize. If you need someone to help in your flower shop, I have Wednesdays available.”

“And our youth employment program’s always looking for job opportunities,” John said. “There are a couple of students who would be more than capable of helping in your store.”

“Thank you.” Kylie appreciated her friends’ support. Juggling the Christmas events, their Christmas wish program, and her business was becoming more difficult. 

If one more thing went wrong, Ben wouldn’t be the only person in Sapphire Bay who wasn’t looking forward to Christmas.

* * *

On his way through town, Ben stopped at the traffic lights and glanced at Blooming Lovely, the flower shop Kylie Bryant owned. His eyes narrowed as he took in the fairy lights decorating the front window, the Christmas tree standing outside, and the baskets of red and white flowers filling the veranda with color. 

Blooming Lovely wasn’t the only store to break out the tinsel and bring the holiday season forward three months. The sleepy little Montana town had caught a serious case of “Christmasitis”. And, judging by the amount of traffic on the road, it was increasing the number of people coming into town. 

He just hoped the Christmas program raised enough money to build more tiny homes. He knew better than most how hard it was to start over, especially for the most vulnerable in a community.

Two years ago, he’d arrived in Sapphire Bay to begin a new life. Unlike most of the people who came here, he had savings and skills he could put to good use. Even so, he wondered what he’d been thinking. What did a builder know about growing Christmas trees? 

His family and friends thought he was crazy. He’d never owned a garden. Even the indoor plants his mom insisted on bringing him wilted on the windowsill. But through sheer stubbornness, his business was making a small profit. It wouldn’t make him rich, but it kept food in the pantry and gave him an excuse to work outside.

The traffic lights turned green and he joined the vehicles cruising down Main Street. 

He hoped Kylie wasn’t anywhere near The Welcome Center. The tree he’d loaded into the back of his truck might give her the wrong impression. If she saw it, she’d think all her prayers had been answered, but this was a special gift for the church. One tree he could donate. Twenty was out of the question.

He might not be an expert at growing Christmas trees, but he knew about budgeting. The modest salary he earned would disappear if twenty of his best trees ended up decorating a party—even if it was for a good cause. He had bills to pay and a mortgage that would keep him in Montana for a few more years. 

Turning right, he headed toward the church. The sooner he saw Pastor John, the sooner he could return to the farm. And the sooner he would be away from the Christmas cheer that made his stomach churn.