Total pages in book: 76
Estimated words: 73330 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 367(@200wpm)___ 293(@250wpm)___ 244(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 73330 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 367(@200wpm)___ 293(@250wpm)___ 244(@300wpm)
“Don’t let her fool you. She has a bossy side,” he taunts.
“I find that hard to believe.”
“C’mon, let’s go show you around.” Levi grabs my hand, leading me around the shop before we stop for hot cocoa.
“Whipped cream?” he asks.
I nod, and he hands me a mug. “Wow.” I take a sip.
“It’s made with sweet chocolate and fresh milk. The whip is handmade too, none of that store-bought stuff.”
“You should try one of our gingerbread snaps. They’re kind of a big deal in the area.”
The woman running the small concession just pulled a tray out of the oven, and I don’t think I can say no even though I might pay for it later.
I’m handed one wrapped in a candy cane-striped napkin. It’s still warm.
It smells like pure molasses, and I take a small bite. The flavors of sugar and spice explode in my mouth. To say I’m impressed by how delicious it is is an understatement. “Incredible. Really,” I tell him, covering my mouth while I finish chewing.
“Is this me winning you over…one cookie at a time?” Levi waggles his brows, and I roll my eyes.
“Keep dreaming.”
Once we finish the shop tour and I’ve downed my drink, Levi guides me toward the gift-wrapping area with a line to the door.
“Lucy,” Levi calls, and I see a woman who looks just like him but with softer features. She’s beautiful with dark-red lips and curly brown hair. “This is Fallon, the journalist.”
“Oh, hi,” she says, brushing loose strands of hair behind her ear. “Nice to meet you. I’m his twin sister—also known as the cool one.”
“Twins? Well, now I have a lot of questions,” I say.
“Don’t worry, I’ll spill all his secrets later when we hang out.” Lucy’s lips curve up into a smirk just as Levi’s smile fades.
He places his arm on my shoulders and pretends to lead me away. “And now it’s time to go.”
“But it was just getting good!” I say. Levi moves his hand and turns back toward his sister. “I know you’re really busy. We’ll plan something and meet up later, for real, so you guys can chat.”
“Oh, I know,” she tells him. “Have fun, you two.” She waggles her brow like she knows something I don’t.
I give her a smile as Levi leads me down a long hallway. He opens a door, and Dasher wakes up, rushing to greet us.
We take a side exit to avoid the crowd and use a sidewalk that leads to the tree farm’s entrance.
“So how’s it work?” I ask.
“Well, you can either chop down your own tree or have one of our workers help cut it with a chainsaw. Either way, one of our guys drives around on a four-wheeler and will come and tag it. Then you pick it up at the front once it’s been wrapped and ready to go. A lot of people just visit and stroll around because it’s a fun environment. They like to browse the shop and try the samples.”
“Wow. That sounds cool. Looks like you found your own way of making things more efficient.” Dasher runs around, playing. His tongue eats up the snow as Levi tells him to stop it.
“Yeah, but we still try to keep the tree-picking experience as authentic as possible, too. It’s why we offer axes for people who want to chop it manually. Makes it like it was back in the day when the farm first opened. I honestly think that’s why we’ve been so successful over the decades.”
I open the notepad app on my phone and jot down a few things. “I can quote you on whatever you say about this place, correct?”
He nods. “Absolutely.”
We make our way down a well-maintained trail until we arrive at a live tree section. I notice how many stumps there are—hundreds—just in this small area.
“Are there other farms like this around here?” I ask.
“Next one is about a hundred miles, but it’s not even close to our magnitude. Coming here has become a tradition for many families, and people drive from all around to visit. Apparently, it’s an influencer favorite too. My sister runs our social media. I’ll ask her what hashtags they’re using. I don’t pay much attention to it, and things are always changing.”
“If you could get that info for me, that would be great. I’ll have to do more research and see what I find.” I continue typing on my phone, noting to look that up.
Once we reach the end of the long row, a teenage girl on a four-wheeler passes us and waves. I’m actually shocked at how many people are out here, considering Christmas is in less than two weeks.
“Is it typical for trees to be purchased this late in the season?”
“Oh yeah. We stay open through December twenty-third, and we’ll be this busy until the minute we close. Then I have some time off and won’t work again until after the new year.”