Free Calendar Girl 12 - December by Audrey Carlan

the date and time of the airport pick up.
    Then I went in search of my sanity—in the form of a movie-making surfer turned mountain cabin guy. I found him in the kitchen making breakfast.
    “What do you want to do today?” Wes asked while flipping pancakes onto a nearby plate.
    “Let’s hit the slopes,” I suggested, needing to feel the air rushing through my hair, the chill on my face, and the speed of the slopes reminding me I was alive. That this too would pass.
    My family was on their way, and together, we’d deal with the one woman who had broken each of us in a way that could never be mended or forgotten.

Chapter Six
    “ A re you going to tell me what we’re doing tromping through the woods around the cabin in the snow?” I said, tugging my beanie farther down over my ears. My hair was tied at the nape and hanging over one side. Otherwise, the beanie would have already fallen off. Hair like mine didn’t appreciate an attempt at being tamed.
    Wes grinned and grabbed my hand, pulling me through the crunching snow. In his other hand, he was dragging a sled that carried a brown zip-up duffle. “What time did you say Max and Madison will be here?” he asked, dodging the question.
    I followed him over a log from a long-forgotten fallen tree. “This evening, around six or so. Why?”
    “Well, if they are coming to celebrate Christmas, don’t you think we should have a proper Christmas tree?” His breath was labored as he let go of my hand and the sled and jogged up a small hill.
    A tree. A real Christmas tree. I hadn’t had one of those in as far back as I could remember. I wasn’t sure Maddy had ever had one. It’s not something a family strapped for cash worried about having. Due to the circumstances, we never bothered to push the issue. We were more concerned about eating dinner than having a tree. Hell, I had to break it to Maddy at five years old that Santa Claus was indeed a ruse. There would be no presents under our non-existent tree from a magical jolly fat man. Maddy and I had taken to making each other homemade presents. When we got older, we’d do a little more. Exchange a gift or two, but nothing extravagant.
    “Why are you looking at me like that?” Wes asked, his head tilted and his expression concerned.
    I shrugged. “I’ve never had a tree before.”
    “You’ve never had a Christmas tree?” The shock was evident in the way his mouth hung open, the frosty puffs of air billowing around him. He nodded curtly. “Remind me to punch your father in the face when he’s up and walking around,” he said on an exasperated growl.
    Then he quickstepped down the hill, grabbed my hand, helped me up, and pointed off in the distance. “See those? They would be perfect for a Christmas tree.”
    Beyond the clearing was a section of smaller pine trees. Almost as if they had their own personal Christmas tree farm up here. “And how do you propose we get it out of the ground?”
    Wes chuckled. “We cut it, sweetheart. Now, come on.” He picked up the rope for the sled, and together we went down the hill to get a better look at the trees. Each tree was at least seven feet tall and enormous.
    “I don’t know about this. Killing a tree for decoration doesn’t seem right. Maybe we should buy an artificial one?”
    Wes scoffed. “Nonsense. This is our first Christmas together. Your first with your brother and my family as well. Together, we’re going to make it special. And to do that, we need a proper tree. So pick one out.” He held his hands out wide.
    Wes had a solid point. I’d never had a tree before, or at least one that I could recall. We were making amazing memories and traditions as a couple along with our extended family. The excitement about creating new memories wiggled its way into my subconscious, destroying any future concern over the environment and the loss of a single tree in a forest of thousands.
    For several minutes, I circled around each tree. After I’d discarded a good