His father frowned, glanced into the flames dancing in the fireplace. “I know that but would they test for this if it wasn’t causing you any problems? For my peace of mind, Adam, please go and get it sorted.”
“I will. But…”
“What is it with men in this family?” His mother pointed a finger at him, then his father. “You, Tommy are just as bad as your son. If you’d gone to the doctor when I told you and had a complete health check they may have found this but no. ‘I don’t have time.’ Or ‘I feel fine, stop fussing.’ You’re both cut from the same cloth and it’s so annoying. If it’s something with my health, you can’t race me to the clinic fast enough. Frustrating, the pair of you.”
“That’s not true, darling. This family would fall apart if anything happened to you.” Adam got a sheepish look from his father.
“And just how do you think we’d cope if we lost you?”
“On that note, I’d better get going if I’m going to be there to support Dakota and Mari when the ballot is called out. I’ll leave you two to sort out your differences.”
He leaned over and kissed his mother’s cheek.
She held his hand. “Is there something going on here that I don’t know about?”
“Whatever gives you that idea?” Surely his mother couldn’t see what he was thinking.
“You’re different, Adam. Content and then unsettled. Which generally means something is going on and I have a suspicious feeling it has something to do with Dakota. Your face lights up when you talk about her.”
Really, was he that easy to read? “Wishful thinking on your part, Mom. I’ll see you both tomorrow.”
He hurried out the door, trying to tell himself he was as keen to find out who got the trees as everyone else in town. That was all there was to it, wasn’t it? He couldn’t help it if his mother read more into the event than was there.
The competition had been brisk. Just about everyone had put their name in for a chance at a tree. It had been a wise decision to limit them. It would drive the bidding up. He could imagine the Lake Hotel would be packed as they drew the six winners. More than a few people would go home disappointed but that all added to the anticipation on gala night.
Thinking about the ballot made him excited, overriding the anxiousness that had been dogging him for the last few days. Perhaps this is what he needed, regardless of the outcome of his test results. To be where his heart was, where he felt the most loved and comfortable. Home at Cherry Lake.
By the time he got back to town, Adam had to park outside his office and walk to the hotel. The amount of people out tonight was insane and parking was at a premium. He walked in the door of the partially refurbished hotel and followed the excited chatter to the bar. It was packed to capacity and it took him quite a while to make his way to the front of the room where he could see the mayor and one of his past school teachers, Clover White, talking to Dakota and Mari.
*
“Adam. I wasn’t sure you’d make it.” Clover took his arm and gave him an affectionate hug.
“Wouldn’t miss it, Clover. Mari, Dakota. How are you?”
Dakota smiled and leaned forward to kiss him on the cheek. He wrapped an arm around her shoulders and pulled her close, whispering in her ear, “I missed you.”
Not as much as she missed him. She had to settle her heart rate which had skyrocketed at his words. “Glad to hear it. Now I think it’s time to get this ballot underway. Can you please calm everyone down and start the evening?”
He gave her a lopsided smile, the shadows still hovering and she wondered what troubled him. He was trying hard to override it, she could tell. “Sure. But can we talk later?”
Her heart flipped with anticipation. “Looking forward to it.”
Adam turned to the crowd and put his fingers in his mouth. A loud high-pitched whistle pierced the chatter. Silence filled the room almost immediately. “Thanks for coming tonight, everyone. As you know, we’re all very excited to see who gets the trees to decorate. It has been a vigorous competition and I know my father will be eternally grateful to you all for putting your hands up. Saving the Grange is important to him as it is to a lot of you. Let me give you an update before our esteemed mayor makes six people very happy. Bill has informed me that the trees will be delivered from the Christmas tree farm in two weeks this coming Saturday and delivered here. So the fifth of December, they will be put up in the hotel and our contestants will have access to view them but,” he held up his hand to quiet the crowd, “we have decided that they will only have three days to decorate the trees. That will give the judges time to appraise each one before the gala night.”
“Sounds fair enough.” Clover looked over the crowd. “Everyone happy with that?” A loud murmur of approval rippled over the bar. “Right, then. Let’s get on with it.” She turned to the bar where Mari had set up a revolving barrel with all of the entry forms inside. Clover spun it, watched the entries tumble until it came to a halt. She lifted the latch and pushed her hand into the middle of the barrel, pulled out a piece of paper, making sure she wasn’t looking.
“First tree goes to……Rachel Smyth. Congratulations Rachel.”
The crowd cheered at the delighted squeal from the gift shop owner.
The process was repeated. “The second tree goes to…the Maple family. Congratulations Paula and Rowan.”
“Third tree goes
