The farm was alive with the bustle of last-minute tree buyers. Lee and Max moved from family to family, helping load evergreens into trucks, tying ropes tight against the cold wind. The air smelled of pine and frost, and though exhaustion tugged at them, there was a quiet satisfaction in seeing Maple Creek’s families leave with smiles and fresh trees strapped to their cars.
At the bakery, Holly barely had time to breathe. Orders stacked high—gingerbread houses, trays of cookies, pies for Christmas Eve dinners. The warmth of the ovens was constant, and so was the ache in her heart. Every time she glanced at the clock, she thought of Lee. They had promised each other to make the most of these days before his deployment, but with Christmas only a week away, time seemed to slip through their
