Page 49 of Charlie Takes a Chance

CHAPTER 19

Charlie

The treethat we picked up at the Flying J is outrageous. It took both of us pulling with all of our might to get it inside the lodge.

Hubert had already picked one out and cut it down. Max and I unfortunately didn’t get to work out our frustration with the ax. But we were too busy being wowed by the giant tree that Hubert and his daughter Bliss had presented us with.

They understood the assignment when I told them I wanted a show-stopper tree. Bliss Jefferson, a few years younger than me, seemed really nice and admitted she had scouted out the tree and thought it would be perfect for the window wall in the lodge.

The tree had to be loaded in the back of the truck with a tractor. It was so long that we probably needed a CDL permit to be driving it down the road.

Nothing broke when we set it up in the house which really was a Christmas miracle.

I spent the night working on the house and got up early the next morning to work on the bathroom. I’m so close to getting the finishing touches on it.

I call Magnolia while I’m installing the new bathroom sink.

“Hello?” She always sounds surprised when she answers the phone and I can’t decide if that’s her hello voice or if she was surprised by the phone.

“Hey, just calling to let you know everything is on track for Christmas for Nash’s grandpa.”

“Are you serious?” She exclaims.

“Hey now, I don’t like the doubt I hear in your voice,” I tease.

“I didn’t doubt you. I was simply worried about the damage that the cousins did to the house.”

I grunt as I try to line up the hoses. I might not have measured correctly. That would be a tragedy. “Do you mean the fact that they let the pipes freeze and dumped a bag of concrete in the toilet out of spite? That part?”

“Yes, that part,” Magnolia says with a sigh.

“You’ll be happy to know everything is on track for you to come spend Christmas here.”

“Did you find a tree?”

“Yes, I’m pretty sure it’s a redwood. It’s so large, but one of the neighboring ranchers gave it to me for the house. I’ll have it all decorated in here for Nash’s grandpa.”

Magnolia sighs. “Charlie, this really means a lot to me that you took this on.”

“What are friends for?”

“But I feel bad, especially since you ended up having to share the bunkhouse with Max…” She trails off.

“It’s been fine. Nobody has been killed or maimed, and I’ve gotten to hang out with his cute dogs.”

“He’s pretty cute himself,” Magnolia adds in with a sly tone.

I drop the wrench. “Magnolia! Areyoumatchmaking? Is that what’s going on here?”

Magnolia laughs. “No, of course not. But I like Max. I wouldn’t be mad if you decided you liked him too.”

“Oh geez. Thanks. Well then, I better hurry and date him since my best friend likes him,” I say wryly as I pick up the wrench and try to focus on the task in front of me.

“Now that I think about it, the two of you could be good together.”

“I don’t see how.”

“Have you had to watch what you say around him?”

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