Christmas in Chestnut Ridge by Nancy Naigle (Excerpt)

Chapter One

Sheila Aldridge leaned back in her desk chair, considering how to answer. She glanced over at her empty desk calendar, although she already knew she didn’t have plans over the Christmas holiday, but the “what’s your calendar look like” question always made her freeze, feeling like a mouse getting ready to be pounced on by a cat. Real estate slowed this time of year, making it one of her least favorite seasons, especially since her divorce. But this wasn’t just anyone asking, it was Natalie. “My schedule is fairly flexible. What are you thinking?”

“I want you to come stay with me for the holidays. I miss my best friend,” Natalie said. “Please say yes. I promise it’ll be fun.”

Natalie had moved from Richmond to the tiny mountain town of Chestnut Ridge last year following a devastating loss. Sheila understood that Natalie needed to get back on her feet, even take time to lick her wounds, but she never thought she’d stay up there.

I’d have guessed she’d last three months. Tops.

“Why don’t you come here instead? We could do the lights at Lewis Ginter Botanical Garden. It’ll be like old times.” Sheila could never get Dan to go see them, so for six years running, it had been her and Natalie going together. Good riddance, Dan.

“You know I can’t. Randy is here, and it’s our first real Christmas together.”

“Which is probably why I shouldn’t be there. You don’t need a third wheel while you snuggle-bunny your way through the holidays.”

“Oh stop. You’re never a third wheel. Plus, the town has this huge festival called the Christmas Tree Stroll. It’ll be fun.”

“Exactly how huge? There aren’t but a couple thousand people in the whole town.” It came out a little snarkier than she’d intended.

“Everyone will be there. If it’s one thing about Chestnut Ridge I’ve learned, it’s that folks enjoy getting together. The Christmas Tree Stroll is supposed to be the party of the year,” Natalie explained.

Sheila had thought Natalie’s move into her late husband’s hunting cabin was a big mistake for a girl used to all the conveniences of living in the city. But the joy in Natalie’s voice was undeniable. She was making a new life for herself in the small town of Chestnut Ridge, and it warmed Sheila’s heart that Natalie sounded like her old self again.

Natalie was still rambling. “And it’s held on the high school football field,” she explained. “So, it might not be the lights and festivities at the Lewis Ginter Botanical Gardens, but rows and rows of Christmas trees will line the whole field, and each tree is decorated in a different theme. I’ve seen pictures and this year it’s going to be even more spectacular.”

“If you’ve never been to this Christmas Stroll, how do you know that it will be even more spectacular?”

“Because I just entered.” Natalie’s excitement was contagious.

Sheila grinned while shaking her head. “Of course you did. I knew there was more to this invite.”

“Go ahead, make fun,” Natalie said. “Not only do I want your help, but I’m also counting on the festival inspiring new ideas for next year’s card collection. Technically, it’s work and play, and that’s always more fun when you’re around. Come on. Please? You’re so good at decorating. I need you.”

“And you want to win.” This was the enthusiasm Sheila had missed since Natalie left town.

“I do, and with your help I know we can create something magical.”

“Mm-hmm. What are we going to win?”

“Bragging rights for next year and a banner.”

“A banner? High stakes. How can I say no?” Sheila couldn’t contain her amusement, but she didn’t want to disappoint her friend, either. “Okay, fine. What would I have to do?”

“Does it even matter?” Natalie’s voice bounced with excitement. “We’re decorating for Christmas. It’ll be festive. And festive is fun.”

“Fun for you, and your sweetheart. Everything is fun when you’re in love. That leaves me the third wheel, and that’s about as fun as a flat tire.” Sheila stared at her empty calendar.

“Again with the third wheel? Tricycles are cool. It’s better than being a unicycle sitting at home by yourself.”

That pinched. “You’ve got a point, but I do like to know what I’m being roped into. I have my limits. I refuse to dress up as an elf.”

“At the most, we might wear those cute light-up antlers, but even that’s negotiable. You can help me decide.”

“This better not end up like the time you tricked me into landscaping from dusk to dawn on a ninety-degree day for Habitat for Humanity.”

“You enjoyed that,” Natalie reminded her.

“Not the sweating part. I’d have at least dressed more appropriately if you’d told me I was going to be up to my armpits in dirt and compost.”

“You wouldn’t have come if I’d told you.”

It was true. She wouldn’t have. She’d never been the get-your-hands-dirty kind of gal, but it had been a rewarding experience. She’d volunteered again since then. “I had fun that day despite the heat and dirt. More to the point, I’d do anything with you.”

“So you’ll come?”

“Yes,” Sheila said with a sigh. “But I reserve the right to complain about it later.” She knew deep down that spending Christmas with Natalie, even in Chestnut Ridge as the third wheel, was going to be wonderful. Natalie’s beau, Randy, was a good guy, and now that things looked pretty serious, she was glad to be spending more time with them, always having Natalie’s best interests at heart.

“You won’t have any reason to complain. It’s going to be great.”

“I know it will. I miss you. Christmas wouldn’t be the same without you.” Sheila twisted her long ponytail in front of her shoulder. “I guess now that Randy has relocated up there, this move is a forever thing, isn’t it?”

“There are days I still can’t believe it, but here I am living in Chestnut Ridge and happier than I could have ever imagined. I love living here.”

“You love Randy,” Sheila said, and the joy in Natalie’s lively response made Sheila hopeful.

“I do. So much. He’s so good to me. I’d live in a tent to be with him,” Natalie said. “And you know how I feel about sleeping on the ground.”

“Okay, okay.” Sheila picked up the rose-gold pen with her company logo on it and poised it over her calendar. “When do you need me?”

Natalie clapped and squealed. “This is great.”

“Don’t act so surprised,” Sheila teased. “You know I can never say no to you.”

“But I’m not usually asking you to go out of town,” Natalie said.

“True.”

“Okay, so the festival kicks off with a Holiday Warmup that Orene hosts. I know she’d be thrilled if you could make it for that.”

“Absolutely. She’s incredibly sweet.”

“Good. So, that would mean being here by the evening of the thirteenth for the party—”

“You do realize that’s a Friday the thirteenth?”

“Oh stop! That’s a silly superstition, but if you want to come on the twelfth to be safe, that’s fine by me, and stay through the New Year, but if that’s too long, then at least stay through Christmas day.”

“Let’s take one holiday at a time. That’s two whole weeks.” She couldn’t even bring her hand to the calendar.

“Oh come on. You make your own schedule. Now that you have four real estate agents working under you, you can take time off. You need a break once in a while. Money isn’t everything.”

“It sure makes life easier, though.”

“You know better than that. You and Dan were rolling in the big bucks when you two split up.”

“I know. You’re right. I’m just playing. Okay, I’m blocking the dates, but on one condition.”

“Anything.”

“Let’s see if Orene will put me up while I’m down there so you and Randy can have your time together too. No arguments.”

“Fine.”

“And I do have to go to Virginia Beach to see Mom the weekend before Christmas. I’ll drive back to Richmond that night to check my mail, then come back for the Christmas Tree Stroll and spend Christmas with you.”

“Perfect!”

Sheila slid the broad-tip marker across the dates. “You’ll check with Orene for me?”

“I’ll talk to her today and give you a call back. We’re going to win that banner for sure with you on my team.”

Sheila’s thought flowed right out of her mouth. “I wonder how they’ll feel about an out-of-towner and the newest resident of their little town winning the coveted banner?”

“Hadn’t really considered that, but I guess that’s for us to find out,” said Natalie. “They’ll be fine. You’ll see.”

“Let me know what I can bring from the city to hedge our bets.”

“Oooh, excellent idea.” Natalie picked up a pen. “I’ll start a list.”

Sheila could almost hear the ideas pulsing through Natalie’s brain.

“I’ll send you the flyer from last year,” Natalie said. “It’s hard to explain over the phone. The short version is each team adopts a tree. Then, we have to pick a theme, and a name for our entry. If there’s something similar, they make you come up with another plan, so I want to get ours in early. Oh, and after the stroll awards are announced, they distribute the competition trees to families in need across two counties. Isn’t that awesome?”

“It is. Oh gosh, there are a million ideas already floating through my head.” Sheila jotted down a quick brainstorm of ideas, including snowflakes, antique toys, rose gold, stockings.

“Mine too. Orene has scrapbooks from every single year. I’m going to check them out this afternoon. I’ll send pictures so you can see.”

“Okay, yeah, I’ll think on it too.” But Sheila knew Natalie was off and running. “You’ve already been on Pinterest, haven’t you?”

“Maybe. A little. And Instagram, and TikTok, and you don’t even want to know all the time I’ve wasted researching this already,” Natalie admitted. “We need something original. Nothing much store-bought if possible.”

“Well, then I won’t bother with doing a bunch of shopping here,” Sheila said. “We’ll come up with something spectacular! I’ll bring my glue guns.”

“In the past, some winners based their tree designs on holiday movies or songs. The local seamstress did one that looked like a winter wedding gown last year. The garland was shimmering fabric with pearls and beads. It was drop-dead gorgeous.”

“I’ve seen those Christmas tree dresses. Do you need me to bring my big pre-lit tree. It’s a really nice one. It looks totally real?”

“No. The town purchases the trees from the Christmas tree farms here in the county. It’s part of the entry fee. We get to pick the height and type though.”

“I like the look of long needles, as long as they aren’t in my house,” Sheila said.

“True. The short-needled trees seem sturdier, though. Depending on what we decide to do, we might need that. We get the whole business week to decorate, not that it’ll take that long, but it gives us some flexibility to do other things while you’re here too.”

“Which is why you want me to come for two weeks.”

“Exactly. I’m going to warn you, this town grows on you fast,” she said, as if tempting her.

“You don’t have to worry about that. I’m a city girl from my salon-touched roots to my pedicured toes.” Sheila jotted a note to get her nails done before she went.

“I’ll let Orene know we’ll both help with the Holiday Warm- up,” Natalie said, “but everyone pitches in. That’s just how folks are around here.”

“Chestnut Ridge sounds like a fairy-tale town.”

“In the best possible way, and everyone is genuinely nice. If you’re lucky, it’ll snow. There’s nothing more breathtaking than these mountains blanketed in fresh snow.”

“It’s been a long time since I’ve seen a white Christmas. Do you want me to bring my tree for your cabin?”

“No one does fake trees up here.”

“If you spritz a little pine smell on it no one could tell the difference.”

“Christmas tree farms are how our neighbors make a living, and everyone supports the local businesses here. These tree farms make a production of picking out your Christmas tree. You’re going to love it.”

“We’ll see about that.” Unexpected excitement coursed through her. “I barely remember the last time I decorated a tree. I guess I’ll be getting my fill.” Sheila tapped her finger on her desk pad, where she’d been scribbling notes. “I have to ask. White lights or colored lights?”

“That entirely depends on the theme,” Natalie said, “but I’ll admit, I prefer the big colored lights.”

“Me too. It just seems more festive.”

“Get ready. These two weeks in Chestnut Ridge are my Christmas gift to you.”

“Thanks, Nat. I’m ready for a Christmas worth remembering.”



Chapter Two

The Sunday before Thanksgiving, Sheila gathered her things to set up for her last scheduled open house of the year. The Carrolton Estate was a stunning home in a sought-after neighborhood. Houses in this area didn’t come up for sale that often, and she’d sold this one to a newlywed couple just four years ago. Unfortunately, they’d already outgrown the house and were eager to find a new perfect place to call home.

She fussed with fresh flowers until they looked perfectly welcoming on the entry hall table. Luxury listings were what she was known for and, frankly, closing out the year with a commission of this size would be a wonderful way to wrap it up.

Humming Christmas carols as she arranged freshly baked cookies on a platter in the kitchen, she realized she was excited about her holiday plans in Chestnut Ridge.

Sheila was thankful for Natalie’s newfound happiness after the difficult path she’d traveled the last few years. First she’d lost her husband, Jeremy, and then, just as she was climbing out of the depths of grief, Marc Swindell popped into her life and conned her out of just about everything she owned. Then again, if that hadn’t happened, Natalie might not have met Randy. Who’s to say the right path to happiness is always a smooth one? Lord knows, I’ve had my rocky roads. Isn’t it time to bring on my joy yet?

Thank goodness Detective Randy Fellowes had been assigned to Natalie’s case when Swindell swindled Natalie. Not only for the justice that was finally served, but for the happiness Randy brought to her. A joy that Sheila hadn’t seen in Natalie’s eyes since Jeremy passed away.

We’ve both been through a lot over the past five years. I hope my happy days are ahead too.

She heard the front door open, and straightened, assuming her best friendly Realtor demeanor.

Not every visitor who came to an open house was a prospective buyer; she’d learned that a long time ago. But as she gave this couple the once-over, she saw that they had interested buyers written all over them.

“Welcome. Thanks for coming out today.” The opulent Richmond house would draw a lot of people, even on the busiest travel weekend of the year. There’d be lookie-loos, but she was certain she’d get at least one good offer today. It was just too special a property for the right buyer to pass up.

Sheila handed the couple a glossy booklet with all the details about the house. “Make yourselves at home. It just might be your next one. I’ll let you mill around.”

The husband looked impressed with the pricey marketing material. It was one of her secret weapons. These high-end properties deserved the extra touch, since the commissions were extra big.

The woman peered over her husband’s shoulder. “I’ve got to see that kitchen.”

Sheila had staged special pictures, opting to use different ones from the online listings, for the fancy booklet. Photos staged specifically for this showing, with an eye to the demographic right down to the artwork inserted into the picture frames. Photoshop was one incredible invention. Not that she knew how to use it, but she was smart enough to hire a whiz kid who did.

“Look, hon!” The woman’s blue eyes danced as she looked up from the brochure, and then she turned to Sheila. “I’ve always wanted a fancy spa bathroom.”

“Me too. It’s a beauty. When you walk in, the relaxation will practically lift you off your feet. Feel free to enjoy the champagne and strawberries.” Sheila had set them up in a shiny silver ice bucket and crystal flutes. Who could resist that?

“I can’t wait,” the woman gushed, and she hooked her arm through her husband’s, practically dragging him down the hall. “This way, right?”

“Yes, ma’am, but I’d start in the kitchen. Don’t miss the pantry. It’s definitely a chef-quality space.”

The husband’s eyebrows cocked in appreciation.

“And there’s an outdoor kitchen too.” Sheila knew how to pick up on the subtleties of body language to pitch the right perks.

A family came in right behind them with an adorable little girl with blond ringlets and wearing a powder-blue dress that matched her twinkling eyes.

“Welcome.” She offered a children’s version of the pamphlet to their daughter. One with a picture of a kitten on the ottoman and a puppy in the backyard. The little girl had adorable Shirley Temple dimples when she smiled.

“There are some fresh-baked cookies on the kitchen counter,” Sheila whispered to the parents as they accepted the brochure.

“We’ve been waiting for something in this neighborhood to come up for so long,” the woman said. “It’s honestly a stretch on our budget, but we couldn’t resist checking it out.”

Sheila dove in. “Well, interest rates are low right now. There are so many advantages. Walking distance to the academy, which makes this a highly sought-after neighborhood for families with school-age children.” Sheila noticed the way the wife shot a glance to her husband. That was clearly something they’d discussed before. “It’s a lot of house for the price point. Take a look around. The HOA is lower than other similar neighborhoods, which is a real plus because it keeps those monthly additional expenses down, and this house has one of the highest efficiency ratings I’ve seen,” Sheila added.

“That is helpful,” her husband said.

“I’ll answer any questions you might have,” Sheila said. “My card is in the booklet, and I have a wonderful team that can help you navigate any challenges. Home buying requires looking at the long term, especially when you’re raising children. We’re familiar with this area. We’re here to help you with this house, or find the perfect one in your price range.”

“Thank you so much.”

For a moment, Sheila’s mind wandered as she watched the little girl tug at her mom’s hand toward the kitchen.

She’d always thought she’d have children by now, but she and Dan had never been blessed that way. No matter how many times Dan swore it wasn’t the reason for their separation, the fact that he was married less than a year after their divorce to a new wife who was already pregnant left her aching.

She took comfort in helping families find the perfect home to raise their children. That would have to be enough.

She could so easily picture herself walking her children to school on pretty days. She’d cut back on the hours she worked in a heartbeat for something like that. If I had a daughter, I’d have snatched this house right up.

People came in a steady flow, giving her plenty of time to talk with each of them. It was really a perfect open house.

During a lull of activity, she checked her emails. Natalie had sent the details on the Christmas Tree Stroll. A photograph taken from above showed how many trees there were, and she couldn’t begin to count them.

Sheila recognized Orene in one of the pictures. Smiling broadly, she was standing with a woman holding a sign that read DUCK THE HALLS WITH A CHRISTMAS SONG THEME. Their team had decorated their long-needled pine with colorful decoys wearing festive wreaths, and a garland of shiny red and green shotgun casings and colorful feathers. A handwritten note below the picture said, “‘Deck the Halls’ performed on quacking duck calls played from the tree skirt.” Sheila had to admit that was innovative.

Copyright © 2024 by Nancy Naigle.