Chapter Twenty-Four
The next week was idyllic, full of decorating and denial. Cait refused to go down the mountain and into town to call the insurance adjustor, and Brian refused to leave her alone.
Instead, they turned the cabin into a Christmas workshop, assembling ornaments, wreaths, and yard decorations.
Brian would cut pieces of plywood into animal shapes with the coping saw, and Cait wood-burned eyes, noses, and features into them, making bobcats, rabbits, bears, squirrels, deer, birds, and other woodland creatures.
Every day, they’d visit their tree and put up a new set of ornaments. Cait also filled pine cones with suet and rolled them in birdseed to feed their animal friends, and she renewed the popcorn garlands daily.
Brian chopped wood and filled the woodpile, while Cait gathered twigs. She tied them together with ribbons to make stars and dusted them with colorful glitter.
In the evenings, they’d take long, slow walks together, holding hands, accompanied by Sierra and Melia. Brian had seemingly forgotten about Glen, and Cait was content to while the hours away in silence, not feeling like she had to fill up their time together with constant chatter.
Instead, she gathered materials to make Christmas wreaths and garlands: pinecones, acorns, spruce branches, and look for the toyon bushes laden with bright red berries and dark green leaves.
Their nights were spent in bed, making love and holding each other. She’d ditched her neck brace after three days, and even though her neck was stiff, it was no longer painful. She’d never slept so closely entwined with another person, and even though her ribs still ached, she was always able to find a comfortable position, wrapped in Brian’s arms.
“We still have to put up a star,” Cait said, dusting the glitter off her hands. “Then our tree will be done.”
“I don’t think we have a ladder that reaches that high,” Brian said.
“Too bad you don’t have the fire truck.”
“Hey, that’s an idea. I can call the Colson’s Corner fire station and ask them to borrow it.” Brian’s eyes lit up.
“Anytime.” Cait waved a silver star she constructed out of aluminum baking pans. “Or you can be a man and climb the tree.”
“I’m too heavy for the upper branches.” Brian took the star from her. “Nice work.”
“Thanks. I’m a pro with Christmas decorations.” She picked up a row of popcorn garlands. “Shall we put up the finishing touches?”
“Yeah, I want to take some pictures.” He grabbed the last batch of ornaments from the kitchen table. “When we get back, I’ll put up the lights around the cabin.”
“It’s going to be so beautiful.” Cait clapped her hands. “Our very own Christmas cabin in the woods.”
“I aim to please.” Brian grinned as he kicked open the door with his foot and carried the box out to the porch.
“Come on, Sierra, Melia,” Cait called. “Time to visit our tree.”
“Feels cold enough to snow,” Brian said, looking at the clear sky. “They’re forecasting a storm a few days before Christmas.”
“Brrr…” Cait slipped on her gloves. “That’s great. I’ve always wanted a white Christmas.”
The air was nippy, and a chilly breeze blew through the forest. The tips of Cait’s ears and her nose prickled from the cold. They hiked through the woods and over the creek, arriving at their tree.
The dogs barked and circled the tree, chasing any remaining squirrels up high.
“Too bad we can’t get one of the squirrels to put up the star,” Cait said.
“We’ll think of something. I can try with the rake.”
“That’s a good idea.” Cait walked around the tree stringing it with yet another popcorn garland while birds chirped and flitted back and forth in the upper branches.
Brian looped colorful ribbons up and down the tree, and together they scattered all of the wood-burned ornaments up to the branches they could reach.
“Time for the star,” Brian said, hooking the loop Cait had glued to the back of the star with the rake.
He raised it up toward the top of the tree and shook the rake, trying to position the star at the tip top where the wind blew the branches back and forth.
