Chapter 17

CHAPTER 17

CHARLOTTE

T he week leading up to Christmas was insanely busy. Everyone seemed to be in a panic about their last-minute to-do lists.

I’d added refreshments and freshly baked cookies as an option for customers. We usually ran out long before the evening rush. I needed to add more, but it wasn’t possible with everything else that needed to be done on the farm.

I’d asked several of the vendors at the holiday festival to set up tables in the evenings, so we had things to sell. I took a small table fee for them to be there, but their sales were so good; I didn’t worry that it was too much to ask.

Any business arrangement had to be beneficial for the farm. I was always looking out for what was best for the Calloways. I just hoped Al and Teddy saw that.

Teddy wasn’t questioning my every move anymore, but I was still worried that their family wouldn’t be pleased with the results. I wanted to deliver value. I wanted this to be a worthwhile experience for them. A referral would be great, but also, I wanted to do a good job.

Teddy stopped by most nights and kept me up late. Other times he said he had to help his brother with something. He didn’t say what that was or even which brother. That bugged me for some reason. But I couldn’t say anything, not when I hadn’t been honest with him about Rick.

When he spent the night, I nursed a headache from lack of sleep the next day. It was worth it though. I couldn’t help but think everything was going to change after the holidays.

Soon, Teddy would move home and fall into his old routines. He’d remember why he liked his space and might see me as an intrusion in his carefully constructed life. He might not have room for me.

My chest tightened. I shouldn’t be worrying about things that hadn’t happened yet, but I couldn’t help it.

I’d shared the results from the festival with Al and Teddy. The Santa photos were profitable, and we had a record sales day for trees. I suggested they make it an annual event. I was confident it would only grow in scope and reach.

I was thinking of more ideas that could help the farm over the year too. So far, I’d revamped the website, adding more information about the family’s history and a little bio about the brothers and how they helped on the farm.

I was confident that people would connect to the Calloways’ story. I wanted to add a bit about their mother dying, but I wasn’t sure the family would appreciate it. I thought it made their family so much more relatable. With their permission, I’d updated the images on the site with new photographs of the farm taken by Abby, and added pictures of the family from when the kids were little. They were adorable, and I knew customers would find it heartwarming.

They had this large barn space that was just begging to be filled with something. We could consign the vendors crafts and sell them inside. Expand the snack area. And even move the checkout counter inside to encourage more sales .

Excited to share my ideas with Teddy, I asked Al to meet us at the barn to discuss.

I waited inside where the Santa seat and boxes of decorations still sat. The barn was dim but we could hang more lights hanging from the rafters.

Teddy showed up first and drew me into his arms, kissing me.

I pushed him away. “Your dad could walk in at any time.”

He shrugged. “What did you want to talk about?”

I gestured around us. “This space.”

Teddy stiffened. “What about it?”

The barn door creaked open with a gust of cold air, and Al walked in. “Great numbers from the festival.”

“I thought so too. Even with a portion of the profits from the pictures going to Abby, there was a nice bit left for the farm,” I said excitedly.

“We sold a record number of trees too,” Al said.

“And if you continue to hold that event, it will only grow bigger. We can talk about other things to add, but I think that needs to be an annual thing going forward.”

“I liked seeing so many people enjoying a day on the farm. Not just buying a tree but staying to eat and get photos taken.” Al nodded. “It was nice to see.”

Teddy grimaced. “It’s a big event. Not so sure we can handle many more people.”

“We could open up another field for parking.” Al gestured in the direction of the parking lots.

Teddy frowned. “Do we want to do that though?”

It was Teddy’s first inclination to push back on any changes, but I thought we’d moved beyond that. “I think it’s a step in the right direction, right up there with the changes to the logo and website. You’re endearing your family to the community.”

Teddy’s nose wrinkled, and I knew he didn’t like that. “Is that necessary? We’re just trying to sell trees. ”

This was in my wheelhouse, excitement flowed through me. “You’re not though. You’re selling an experience. People don’t just want to buy a tree. They want to get a wreath, some garland, and drink hot chocolate while nibbling on cookies. And if there’re Santa photos, the parents can check off one more thing off their long to-do list. When they leave, their kids are happy and tired. They’ll remember that day they spent on the farm, and how much fun it was.”

“I have to agree. I liked it more than I thought I would. It brought the farm back to life. We haven’t had that many people since before your mother died.”

They’d talked about how the business slid a bit afterward, but I hadn’t realized how much.

“It was hard to see people at the holidays after all we’d lost,” Al continued. “But now, I think we’re ready for this.”

“I don’t know,” Teddy said.

“I’d suggest you decide soon. That way people will talk about it all year. We’re already fielding questions about next year on the social media pages,” I said.

Teddy’s head tipped to the side. “I didn’t realize we were active on social media. I thought we set those up so our hours were visible and we could communicate easily about closings.”

“It’s so much more than that.” I opened one app on my phone so I could share the photos of me drinking my coffee looking out over the Christmas tree fields, and in front of the fire. It was like a day on the farm kind of thing. I was careful to trim the images so it only showed my feet in fuzzy socks or the festive mug in my hand. Followers seemed to enjoy it. I’d even posted videos on other apps.

“Who’s going to take care of it when you’re gone?” Teddy asked, an edge to his voice.

“We haven’t discussed those details yet.” I hoped his father would keep me on for updating those things and for planning events for the year. I didn’t have to live on the property to consult.

“I think it’s important that any changes we make are easily maintainable when you’re gone,” Teddy went on.

“I’m happy to help, work in a consulting capacity. The end of the season doesn’t mean that I won’t be available.”

Teddy shook his head. “But the truth is we don’t know if that’s what will happen. You could get a job anywhere.”

My face flushed. This felt like a personal conversation, but I couldn’t say anything in front of Al because we hadn’t discussed telling his family now. It didn’t seem like the right time for that when he wasn’t with me.

Al held up his hands. “Let’s just take things one day at time. The turnout for the festival was encouraging, and I like the changes Charlotte made to the logo and the website. I’m not on social media, so I can’t speak to those accounts.”

“I share images of me working on the farm, which our followers love, but I think it would go further if everyone shared their own photos with a little information about what they’re doing during the day. Even you could do this, Al. It personalizes your family, and it’s relatable. I’d encourage you to do it during the off-season when you’re planting or tagging the trees. It builds interest and anticipation for the season.”

“I’m not a fan of social media,” Teddy said unnecessarily.

“If you send me the image and little text about what you were doing, I’ll add it to the site. It’s not a big deal.” It was better if it came directly from them, but it was workable.

“Everything she’s done so far has been positive. The whole point of this experiment was to go all in. We won’t know if it works if we don’t try,” Al said.

“This is important to you.” Teddy inclined his head toward Al.

“I want to see the farm business grow. I want to give you boys something to be proud of. Everyone has worked so hard for years. What if the additional money coming in could help not only the farm but all of you? It could lighten the load for Daphne and Cole. Maybe you could finally go on a vacation.”

“I think there’s huge potential,” I said. “I don’t think the Monroes have a monopoly in the market. This area is so busy in general; there’re enough customers for both of you, and you offer different things.”

“Is this what you wanted to talk about?” Teddy asked, his voice a little testy.

“I almost forgot. I wanted to talk about this space.” I walked around the perimeter. “You have this huge area that you aren’t using for anything.”

“We used it for the Santa photos.”

“But we could do so much more with it.”

Teddy crossed his arms over his chest. “The Monroes already have a shop.”

“But what if we do it differently? We could sell tables to vendors or consign the goods and give them a portion of the sales that we sell. But I think what could set us apart from the Monroes is having the craftsman on site. Customers can ask any questions they want. I think it’s easier to sell something when you know the person who made it is sitting in front of you.”

“That’s an interesting idea,” Al said as I continued to build steam.

“We could expand our snack offerings and move the checkout counter inside where it’s warmer. The fact is that customers buy more when they’re warm and comfortable.”

“I thought you said you wanted people to have the tree experience,” Teddy said. “To me, that’s cold weather, winter coats, and boots.”

I laughed. “Sure. But in reality, people also want to be warm. They want to come inside and grab a hot chocolate, peruse the goods, and leave feeling like they brought a piece of it home. Marketing is all about understanding human psychology. You have to know what people want, how they think, and give it to them.”

“I think we should do it, and I have to be honest. Everything Charlotte has done has been spot-on, so I’m fine with continuing to implement her ideas.”

Teddy let out a frustrated breath.

Was it too much to ask that he support me in public? I couldn’t believe that after everything we’d shared, he was against my ideas. Did he not trust my expertise? Or had he changed his mind about telling his family about us? I didn’t think he was capable of that, especially since he said he was going to tell his family on Christmas. Now, I wasn’t so sure. Maybe he’d changed his mind.

“Are we planning to do this now or next year?” Teddy asked tightly.

“I can’t get everything up and running before Christmas. But I want to set up the vendors inside and maybe the snacks.”

“That’s not a problem,” Al said.

“Do you think we could move the checkout counter too?” I asked, knowing it was a big request with Teddy being so reluctant.

“I don’t see why not,” Al said, looking at Teddy for support.

“I think that would be confusing for the customers. We’ve always had the counter outside.”

I drew in a deep breath, determined to alleviate his concerns. “I can stand in that area and direct people inside. We could make signs. I think people would appreciate taking a second to slip inside.”

I wanted to hang the lights, but I didn’t want to ask now. Not when Teddy was clearly in a mood. I hadn’t seen him like this in a while. I wondered what prompted it.

“Let’s start with the vendor tables and the snack table. Then we’ll see how it goes,” Al conceded .

“For now, people can pay at the snack checkout counter. Then eventually we’ll add a second checkout counter for the trees.”

“If it goes well,” Teddy said.

“Of course,” I said, even though I knew it was the best setup. It would encourage people to stay a little longer and linger over snacks while they browsed. The proof would be in the results, and I was confident the customers would love the change. “I’ll clean out the barn and get it ready.”

“Teddy, why don’t you ask Wes or Jameson if they can swing by and set up the tables.” Al checked his phone. “I have a dinner date. So I need to get going.”

There was a stunned silence as he walked out.

“A dinner date?” I asked, and Teddy turned away. “Is that why you’re upset? Is your Dad dating someone?”

“That’s what he said.” His voice was tight.

I wanted to touch him, but he was giving off all the signs that he didn’t want that connection. “Has he dated before?”

“Not that I’m aware of.”

“Well, I think it’s good. He needs to get out and socialize.”

His expression was strained. “I know I should be happy for him, but I don’t like it.”

This time, I rested a hand on his arm. “It’s hard when a parent moves on.”

“I’ve never thought of him with anyone other than mom. If he likes this woman, will she move into the house? Will she be part of this?”

I winced. “I wouldn’t think that far ahead. You don’t know what’s going to happen. But you might like her. She might be good for your dad. We just don’t know.”

“He asked me not to tell the others because it’s just a first date. He’s not sure it will go anywhere.”

“Then I wouldn’t worry about it too much.”

Teddy let out a breath. “It’s just a shock, you know? ”

“Yeah.” I never experienced anything similar with my parents, but I could imagine what it would be like to see your parent move on with someone who wasn’t your mother. “I was going to hang lights from the rafters. Want to help?” I asked, hoping it would keep his mind off his dad and his date.

Teddy set up a ladder, and I fed the lights to him. He grumbled about it the whole time.

“Why do we need lights again?” Teddy asked as I fed him the string.

“It gives the place ambiance,” I said patiently.

“It’s a barn.”

I chuckled. “We can make it warm and cozy, and it’s even better with holiday cheer.”

“If you say so.”

Teddy the grump was back in full force, and it was kind of amusing. He was acting like a petulant teenager who didn’t want his dad to date again. I could understand the feelings it brought up, but Al deserved to be happy.

Once we had two beams done, Wes and Jameson showed up, and we were able to move more quickly. They found more ladders. I fed the strings of lights to them as we moved down each rafter. We were done in no time.

Then we flipped on the lights. “It looks magical.”

“It looks like a barn with lights on the rafters,” Teddy said.

“You know we have overhead lights,” Wes added.

“What’s the fun in that?” I asked. “Besides, it’s so much better with these. You’ll see.”

While the guys set up the vendor tables and moved the snack counter inside the barn, I hung a few items I’d bought for decor, wreaths and signs, that would add to the rustic holiday feel.

There was a fireplace on one end with a stone facade. It looked like it hadn’t been used in ages, and I wasn’t even sure why a barn would have it.

Teddy appeared next to me .

“What are the odds that this thing works and it’s safe.”

“We have someone come out and inspect it every year along with the one inside the main house.”

“So it works?” I asked, getting more excited.

“We used it more when we were kids. We’d play in here on a rainy or snowy day. The fire would keep the place warm. It’s why we didn’t add heat when we ran electricity out here.

I clasped my hands together. “This is so exciting. Can we start a fire to test it now?”

Wes nodded. “Sure.”

Once the fire was crackling in the fireplace, we finished setting up the chairs, and items that we kept in the snack counter. The fire and the twinkling lights gave the space the ambiance I was looking for.

“This is going to be amazing,” I said as we took in the space. It needed a few more decor items, but we could use the vendors wares to advertise when customers milled about eating and drinking.

“We have speakers too, so you could play holiday music inside,” Jameson said.

“You’re speaking my language right now. Can we turn that on?” I asked him.

He nodded, then fiddled with something on his phone.

“I’m going to grab something from the main house. We should celebrate,” Wes said before disappearing through the sliding barn door with a gust of wind.

Jameson got the music playing on the speakers before Wes returned with a bottle of wine and glasses. “I couldn’t find champagne, so this will have to do.”

“What are we toasting to?” I asked as Wes poured wine into the glasses then handed them out.

Then he lifted his glass. “To the Calloway farm. May we continue to grow and expand. ”

I lifted mine. “And spread holiday joy to everyone who visits.”

Teddy tipped his head to the side as if he didn’t like my addition, but a smile spread over Jameson’s face. “Yes.”

“To the Calloways,” Teddy said, clinking glasses.

We all murmured, “To the Calloways,” then drank.

Wes grimaced. “Sorry, this is obviously cheap stuff.”

“It’s so dry,” I said smacking my lips. “Now, I need some water.”

Teddy grabbed bottled waters from a minifridge we’d placed behind the snack counter. That was the advantage of moving inside; we could offer more products.

Jameson moved the vendor chairs in a circle around the stone hearth, and we all sat, cradling our glasses.

Wes sat on a chair; his legs spread wide. “I tried to have a nice moment.”

“I don’t know why you bother,” Jameson said cheekily.

“You guys are real, and that’s why people enjoy coming here,” I observed, feeling like I was an outsider with these brothers. They had a close relationship, and I was sure it was their mother that had brought them together. Whether they realized it or not.

Wes dipped his chin. “As long as they keep coming.”

“Oh, they will. Everyone’s going to love the changes we’ve made. I’ll come by in the daytime and snap some pictures of this place for the social media pages and the website. Generate excitement. You might just get returning customers who want to see what you’ve done with the place.”

Teddy crossed his arms over his chest. “The problem with all these changes is that we’re just going to get more customers.”

“More customers equal more money,” Jameson said.

“We’re just busier,” Teddy said grimly. “I kind of wanted to start working less, not more.”