Total pages in book: 64
Estimated words: 57897 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 289(@200wpm)___ 232(@250wpm)___ 193(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 57897 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 289(@200wpm)___ 232(@250wpm)___ 193(@300wpm)
“And when I went inside, there was still a ton of belongings from my great-aunts. They used to live there, then when only Maisie was left, she ended up moving to the trailer because she didn’t want to be in the house without her sister. A lot of the really personal stuff was moved into the trailer with her, which is why it’s so cluttered in there, but the house is still full of furniture and decorations and even some clothes and things. It’s like a time capsule.
“One of the best parts about it is the porch. It wraps all the way around the house and has an incredible view of the Christmas tree farm from the back. I can see what it used to be like and how amazing it really was. Do you want to see it?”
Jason nodded, and we continued toward the tree fields. He casually reached over and took my hand, intertwining our fingers and squeezing with just enough pressure that I knew he was there. We walked down into one of the old fields and looked at the trees that were never harvested.
“These are really overgrown,” he said. “And they weren’t groomed and maintained.”
I nodded, running my hand along one of the boughs. “I know. The pictures of this place all show absolutely perfect trees. They worked so hard to take care of this land and keep the trees at their best. They took so much pride in what they produced and how much the families of Ashford loved coming up here to cut trees every year. I found brochures that show pictures of the trees and how nicely the fields were kept.
“And in that clear area up toward the front of the farm, they had a little concession stand where they served cocoa and doughnuts. And a big fire pit. They did sleigh rides. I’m sure there were other events and activities too. This place was wonderful, and so much a part of people’s holidays.”
“You sound like you’ve really gotten attached to this place,” Jason said.
I nodded. “I have.”
“I didn’t think you would take Carter’s offer that easily,” he said. “I didn’t want to tell him that, but I had a feeling you weren’t just going to sell it off.” I looked at him for a second. “What are you thinking? What do you want with this land? It’s your choice. You can do whatever you want.”
That made my belly and my chest flutter. I smiled. “I want to start it up again.”
“You do?” Jason asked.
“Yes. I want to get the Christmas tree farm running again. This isn’t just land. It was something so much more, and yes, it’s been years, but I think it could really be amazing again. If I can get it going again for this coming season, I might be able to make the money to keep it. I know it’s going to be a lot of hard work, but I don’t want to throw away my family legacy just because it would be hard to work for it. This is something that really means a lot to me.” I sighed, some of the excitement leaving as I realized the barriers were still there.
“But I have no idea how to go about any of it. And it’s going to cost a lot to do the work around the farm that’s going to be necessary just to get it going again. Not to mention the massive sales bill Aunt Maisie left me with.”
Jason’s eyes brightened, and he looked like he had an idea.
“Let us help you,” he said.
“Help?” I asked.
“Yes. Like I said, this is your land. You don’t have to do anything you don’t want to. You can do whatever with it that suits you. But if you want to start up the Christmas tree farm again, it’s going to take a lot of work. There are a lot of trees and shrubs that need to be removed, not to mention all the old trees that will need to be cut down. The logging company can buy the lumber from a portion of the land and help you to clear it. You can use that as seed money to restart the business,” Jason said.
It sounded like a fantastic solution, but I wasn’t sure it would actually work.
“Would it be enough, though?” I asked. He gave me a quote, and I couldn’t believe what I heard. “For just part of the lumber?”
“Yes,” Jason said. “There’s good lumber here, and it’s just in your way for what you want to do. You need it gone, and Carter’s company wants it. They’re willing to do the work and pay you for the lumber. Then you can use that for whatever else you need to get started.”
I could barely contain myself to wait until he was finished speaking to answer him.