Page 17 of If You Give a Grump a Christmas Tree Farm
He tastes it and grimaces. “Maybe it's stale.”
“Probably.”
“Guess we need to get some supplies.”
I slide a chair out at the dining table and sit, pulling out my phone. “I already started a list.”
“Good.”
At the sound of drawers opening, I turn. “What are you searching for?”
“Gramps used to have a list of companies. I think we’re going to need to have someone come out and check the furnace. I can’t get it working.”
“What do you think that’s going to cost?”
“No clue, but I don’t think we’ve got a choice. It’s going to get cold before we know it.” When he comes up empty, he sets his mug down, frowning. “I’ll be right back.”
He’s gone for a few minutes, then returns.
“Well, I think I found our heating problem.”
“What’s that?”
“The propane tank is empty. We’ll have to have someone come out and fill it.”
“Who do we call?”
He moves to the refrigerator and finds an old magnet on the side. “Here’s the place he used.”
He pulls his phone out and calls them.
I return to my list, tapping out items.
JJ walks to the front of the house and peers out the window. He’s on the call for a few minutes, then returns. “Well, even with a rush job, the quickest they can get out here is three days from now.”
“At least we’ve still got the fireplace. We should be okay, right? I saw a stack of wood against the cabin.”
“The loft holds the heat, but if it gets cold, that bedroom might not be very warm, even with the fire going.”
“I’ll sleep on the couch. I’ll be fine.”
I’ve got a pad of paper and a pen beside me, and JJ steps over and picks it up, scanning my notes.
“What’s this?”
“Some ideas I had for the place.” I watch his expression, wondering what he thinks of them.
“Free coffee, hot cocoa, and cider. Free popcorn ball or Christmas cookies. Santa on the weekends. Wreath making class. Gift shop,” he recites. “So, you’re giving stuff away?”
“We want to be inviting. We’ve got to get people up here.”
He scans the rest of the list. “Instagram spot. What’s that?”
“We need a cute area that people will want to take a photo in front of, and we want a sign with our name and logo in the picture. If we can get folks to share it on social media, we’ll get free publicity. We could offer them a $2 discount or something like a free ornament or sleigh bell or frame to put a picture inside. All they have to do is show us they shared the photo.”
“A logo? You mean that old sign? It’s just the name with holly leaves around it.”
“I was thinking we could come up with something fresh.”
