Page 14 of Christmas at Pine Ridge Inn
While her coffee brewed, they chatted about the previous evening’s game of charades and how hilarious Tom had been trying to act out the Grinch. He’d looked more like a bear attacking a campsite at first, but Ali had finally guessed it when he made a heart with his hands and showed it growing twice in size.
“Are you joining us for the tree hunt today?” Sarah asked as Lila settled in next to her.
“No, I think I’ll sit this one out,” Lila said as she scanned the tree line for the deer. “I’m not much for hiking around in the snow.”
“It’s so much fun looking for the right tree that you forget how cold it is,” Sarah assured her. “People tend to get a little competitive as they try to be the first to spot the perfect one.”
“I bet,” Lila said. “I didn’t really plan on joining in any of the holiday activities this trip. The cookies were fun yesterday, but I think I might just do some quiet reading today.”
Sarah reached over to pat Lila’s arm. “I don’t know what your story is—and you don’t have to tell me—but I understand how difficult the holidays can be. I lost someone I loved right around Christmas a long time ago, but it was actually this place that helped me heal.”
Lila’s chest tightened. “I’m sorry for your loss.”
“It was a long time ago but thank you.” Sarah sipped her coffee, her eyes distant. “I spent several Christmases hiding away, trying to pretend the holiday didn’t exist. But I learned that sometimes the best way through grief is to let yourself be part of something larger than your sadness.”
The words hit closer to home than Lila cared to admit. “Did it help?”
“Eventually. Not right away, but gradually.” Sarah’s smile was soft. “There’s something about being in the woods on a crisp winter morning, breathing fresh air and working with other people toward a common goal. It reminds you that life continues and that there’s still beauty to be found.”
Lila found herself reconsidering. She’d come to Pine Ridge for answers about her past, but maybe Sarah was right about needing to be part of something larger than her search. Her parents had always bought their tree from their local plant nursery, so it wasn’t like she had any memories that would be dredged up on this trek into the woods for a tree. Besides, therewasn’t anything she could do until she heard back from Cynthia anyway.
“You know what, you’re right,” Lila said. “Maybe some fresh air would be nice.”
Two hours later, after a big breakfast with the group, everyone gathered on the front porch. Lila was bundled in her warmest coat and the hiking boots she’d thrown into her suitcase at the last minute. Brady was explaining the plan, his breath visible in the cold air as he pointed toward the wooded area behind the inn.
“The Hendersons, who own the land, have given us permission to cut a tree from the designated area,” he was saying. “It’s about a fifteen-minute walk through some beautiful terrain. Nothing too difficult, and we can stop as often as we need to.”
Lila studied the group assembled around Brady. Eight guests, plus Carol, Tom, and Brady, made eleven people to coordinate through the woods. Her consultant mind immediately began calculating logistics.
“Would it make more sense to split into smaller groups?” she asked. “We could cover different quadrants of the area so we can find the tree much faster.”
“We could do that,” Brady said in a tone that indicated he wasn’t considering it as a viable option, “but half the fun is wandering together as a group, discovering trees, debating their merits. It’s about the journey as much as the destination.”
“But if we’re more efficient, we could spend our extra time back at the inn enjoying hot cocoa by the fire,” Lila pressed. “Divide into teams of three or four, each take a section, and whoever finds the best tree calls the others over.”
“Lila,” Brady said, and she could tell by the way he said her name that it was a battle to not lose his patience with her, “not everything needs to be optimized. This is an honored tradition here, and it’s one our guests look forward to.”
Her face flushed with embarrassment as she caught the rest of the group watching the exchange with interest.
“Of course,” Lila said quickly. “I didn’t mean to try and take over. You all do this every year. I’m sure you know what you’re doing.”
Brady gave her a curt nod and then gestured for the group to follow him. So much for the momentary connection they’d had the night before.
Ali jumped in cheerfully as they walked toward the neighboring property. “I’m excited to see what kind of trees grow up here. The only place to get a tree in Miami is under a tent in the corner of a shopping center parking lot.”
“The terrain is beautiful,” added Tom. “Even if we don’t find the perfect tree, the hike itself is worth it.”
As they set off on the path through the woods, Lila found herself walking beside Brady, who carried the tools they’d need for cutting and securing the tree. The snow crunched beneath their boots, and she tried to find the words that could get them back to the truce they seemed to have found the night before.
“I’m sorry,” she said quietly. “As you know, I have a tendency to try to solve problems that aren’t actually problems.”
“Maybe just remember that efficiency doesn’t always have to be the goal. Let yourself live in the moment while you’re here.”
They walked in comfortable silence for a few minutes, following a worn path through the trees. Ahead of them, Miles pointed out different birds they spotted, while the sisters debated whether the snow was the right consistency to make snowballs.
“See what I mean?” Brady said. “If we’d split up, Miles wouldn’t be teaching everyone about Steller’s jays, and Kimberly and Kendall wouldn’t be planning a snowball fight tournament for this afternoon.”
Lila looked around at the group with new eyes. Sarah was walking with Carol; their heads bent together in quiet conversation. Tom was helping Sophie navigate a particularly icy patch of trail. Even though they’d only known each other for two days, they were starting to feel like their own little community.
