As the trio discussed the details of their upcoming outing, Kristen felt a sense of contentment settle over her, despite the looming issue with the trees. She knew Ginger had identified a solution, and Ethan was gathering the ingredients. Hopefully, everything would work out.
Chapter17
Ginger pressed down on the marble pestle, grinding the eggshells in the mortar into a fine powder, her wheelchair parked in front of the kitchen counter. The cozy cabin was filled with the bubbling and hissing of beakers, their contents swirling and changing colors like magical potions. The air was thick with the comforting aroma of coffee and bananas, an odd combination that surprisingly worked.
“Look what I’ve got!” Dorothy announced as she came through the door with a small three-foot blue spruce Christmas tree. It was perfect—compact enough to fit in the cabin without taking up too much space but big enough to fill the room with festive cheer.
Ginger wheeled herself around to face Dorothy, nearly knocking over a precarious beaker in the process. “Oh, it’s beautiful! Thank you so much!” she gushed, her eyes sparkling with excitement.
The three orange kittens seemed to agree, scampering over to Dorothy as if the tree were a magnet for feline affection.
“You’re very welcome.” Dorothy beamed, setting the tree down on the floor. She scooped up one of the kittens and held it close to her chest. “How are these little guys doing?”
“They get into everything. But they are fun and good company.”
“It doesn’t get much better. George is grown up but still gets into things.” Dorothy laughed. “Let’s get this tree set up. I brought a stand and a tree skirt.”
With a final pat on the kitten’s head, she set it back down and began arranging the tree in front of the window. The sunlight streaming in cast a warm glow on the branches, making Ginger feel even more at home in the inviting cabin.
As Ginger helped Dorothy get the tree in place, she filled her in on her progress with the solution. “Ethan is going to come back later to get the finished solution and apply it to the trees. He dropped off the ingredients earlier, and I’m almost done. He seemed grumpy about the kittens, so he basically handed off the ingredients and ran out.” She chuckled at the memory. “I have a feeling he secretly likes them, though.”
Dorothy raised a knowing eyebrow as she tightened the screws on the stand to straighten the tree. “Oh, I don’t doubt that for a second. I’ve caught him patting George when he thinks no one’s looking.”
Ginger grinned. She understood why Ethan would be reluctant to open up even to cats. “Must’ve been hard on Ethan, losing his wife so young and then his dad.”
Dorothy paused and sighed, nodding in agreement. “Yes, it was. But maybe things are getting better now.” A mischievous glint flickered in her eyes, but before Ginger could probe further, Dorothy resumed her task, unfurling a festive tree skirt around the base of the small spruce.
Dorothy stepped back to admire their handiwork. “Needs ornaments. I’ll get some ornaments from the attic later.”
“I have something we can put on it now.” Ginger wheeled herself over to her knitting bag and pulled out two glittery white yarn snowflakes she’d crafted earlier. She carefully placed one on the tree and handed the other to Dorothy. “I made this one for you.”
Dorothy’s eyes lit up with delight as she accepted the snowflake. “Thank you. It’s beautiful.” She glanced down at Ginger’s knitting bag. “I’ve been knitting something for you too. A scarf, but it’s not quite done yet. It’s lavender, which I think will be beautiful with your coloring.”
Ginger had seen the scarves she’d made for the others. They were lopsided and riddled with holes. But it was a kind gesture, and she’d wear the scarf proudly. “That’s really nice of you.”
“Okay, well, I better let you get back to work.” Dorothy glanced over at the beakers, scooped up one of the kittens, and held it up to look it in the eye. “You be good for Ginger.”
She handed the kitten to Ginger and shrugged on her coat. Ginger wheeled over to the door to see her out. “Thanks for the tree.”
“You’re very welcome!” Dorothy called over her shoulder as she headed off through the woods.
Ginger petted the kitten as she watched Dorothy crunch through the snow. Despite Dorothy’s happy demeanor, Ginger had noticed the tight lines that had etched themselves onto Dorothy’s face when she’d glanced at the still-bubbling solution. A lot was riding on her success, for not only the balsam fir trees but also the entire Woodward family.
Ginger placed the kitten on the floor with the others and wheeled back to the counter. With one last deep breath, she gave the solution a final stir then leaned back in her chair, saying a silent prayer that her concoction would work.
Chapter18
The savory smell of home cooking drew Ethan toward the kitchen. He wondered what his mother was making for supper. It smelled like a chicken pot pie. He sure hoped it was.
But when he got to the kitchen, he stopped short. He’d expected to find the familiar sight of his mother bustling around the table, pots and pans bubbling away. Instead, his mother was standing by the kitchen table, her coat already on, busily packing a picnic basket.
On seeing him, she looked up and smiled. “Oh, there you are, dear. I’m late for the knitting club and was hoping you could take this down to Ginger.” She pointed to the picnic basket and an old cardboard box that sat next to it.
Ethan stood motionless as he tried to adjust to the new plan. He hadn’t intended to bring anything. That would involve going inside. He’d been sort of hoping he could just grab the tree solution from her and get to applying it as quickly as possible. But he supposed this was a small favor he could do for his mother since he was going to the cabin anyway.
“Okay, no problem.” Ethan glanced at George, who had been sitting in the corner, cleaning his tail. He swore the cat had a smirk on his face. “What’s in the box?”
“Some old ornaments. I brought Ginger a tree from the tree lot today, and it needs some ornaments, so I figured she could use these old ones.”
