Back in the warm kitchen, Felix and his mother were chatting happily. Georgia envied them—life seemed so easy here on this little farm. She knew that wasn't exactly true, but she hadn't realized how nice and quiet these past few days had been until now.

Sue looked up, and her cheery smile slid away as she took in Georgia's expression. "Oh dear, what happened?" she asked, looking worried.

"Just real life reminding me it's still there," Georgia said with a sad smile. "My boss called to remind me about a project."

"That's a shame," Sue said, pulling herself up from the table. "But that reminds me, I'm dawdling. I've got my own work to do—the farm's got to get ready for opening."

"You're still opening?" Georgia said, surprised. "But the road is out—how will people get here?"

"Well, that'll cut some people off for sure," Sue replied, taking her mug to the sink. "but we get people from all over, so some people might still show up. Y'know, there's always some last minute shoppers."

"I see," Georgia said. Suddenly she wished that she could help sell Christmas trees rather than find properties to offer up to Hugo to bulldoze. "I'm kind of jealous."

"Jealous?" Sue echoed. "Of what?"

"Yeah," Georgia said. "Your job seems a lot more fun than mine."

"It is pretty fun. But it is also hectic, and more work than it looks, but... I wouldn't trade my days on the farm for anything." Sue got a dreamy look on her face as she leaned on the counter, and then it was like a dark cloud passed over it. She looked at her son, who was still focused on his computer. "Well, almost anything."

Felix glanced up for a second, then back to his computer, shaking his head.

"Anyway, I've got to hop to it." Sue pushed off the counter and then paused as if something had just come to her. She turned to Georgia. "Actually, dear, why don't you join me for today?"

"Me? Join you?"

"Yes! You look like you could use a bit of festive fun. I won't give you anything hard to do. You could help people tie up their trees, or hand out the saws—"

"Keep her away from the saws," Felix chimed in with a smirk. "Put her in the shop, let her sell the hot chocolate and take people's money." He turned to Georgia. "You can count, can't you?"

Georgia narrowed her eyes at him. "Yes, I can count."

Felix just chuckled and went back to his work.

"Well, then you'll be plenty of help," Sue said, eying them both with a smile and a single quirked eyebrow. "So, what do you think?"

Georgia chewed her lip. She didn't know about anything festive, but she would've loved to spend the day with Sue, doing something fun. Plus, helping out would be a good way to pay Sue back for her continued kindness...

But then Hugo's scowling face appeared in her mind.

She sighed. "I wish I could, but I have some very un-fun work to do."

Sue shrugged. "Alrighty, then. Let me know if you change your mind, or if you finish your work early."

"I will!"

Sue waved to them as she headed out of the kitchen to get ready.

"You don't need to do that, you know," Felix piped up.

Georgia turned to him. He speaks! "Do what?"

"Pretend to be interested in being free labor for my mother," Felix said.

"I'm not pretending," Georgia said. "It sounded fun."

"It's not," Felix said.

Georgia rolled her eyes. She was starting to think Hugo had competition for the title of Worst Scrooge. But then she thought back to their conversation last night, and her feelings towards Felix softened. She knew that the farm didn't hold the happiest memories for him... She wanted to say something, but then her gaze fell to the laptop he was tapping away at. Felix had said he was a web developer—so he must have the Internet. Internet that she needed.

"So, does this place have WiFi?" she asked.

"No, no WiFi."

"Then how...?"

Felix picked up his phone from the table, where it sat beside the laptop. "I'm tethering to my phone. Why do you think I'm working here?" He waved his arm at all the Christmas decor and scrunched up his nose. "This spot right here has got the reception in the house."

"Oh," Georgia sighed. She didn't know if she could get by on tethering to her phone. She couldn't afford a cell phone plan with much data, and even at two bars, she wasn't sure it would do much good. Especially not if it meant looking at lots and lots of real estate photos.

Felix seemed to have noticed her tense expression. "Do you want to use my tethered connection?"

Georgia blinked at him. "Really? You'd do that? For me?"

"Sure," Felix said, but for some reason, he averted his eyes, and his ears seemed pinker than usual. "If you need it."

"I do," she admitted.

"Then pull up a chair."

Georgia ran to her bags, still sitting by the stairs. She grabbed her laptop and plonked herself down across from Felix. He gave her a smile as she settled into work.

Maybe he wasn't such a Scrooge after all.

🎄

Georgia had been staring at her laptop screen all morning, and her eyes were beginning to go blurry. She had made good progress on her list, but after looking at property after property and they were all starting to blur together. And it made her kind of sad—every beautiful ranch, mansion, or farmhouse she saw only reminded her of what would happen to it if—when—Hugo got his hands on it. In her mind, she saw the beautiful wood and natural warmth all being stripped away, being replaced with cold white and gray, entombed in marble and chrome.

She rubbed her eyes hopelessly, but she couldn't get the image out of her head. It was starting to turn her stomach.

Spending these last few days at the Nissen farm in this beautiful rustic home made her realize how much was taken away from these properties when Hugo "renovated" them. Sure they had all the nicest modern amenities, but their history and their charm were lost forever. Thinking of it made her heart hurt. She wasn't sure she could do this anymore...

She snapped her laptop closed.

"Are you having a problem with the Internet?" Felix asked across from her. He'd been a good working buddy.

"No, I..." Georgia said, rubbing at her eyes. "I just need a break."

Felix seemed to sense that all was not well with her. He closed his own laptop. "I could use a break, too. Why don't I make us some more coffee?"

Georgia perked up. "With no peppermint?"

"No peppermint." Felix grinned as he got up from the table. "Promise."

Just as he went to put the kettle on the stove, Sue came bursting in from the mudroom, her face still rosy from the cold. She spotted her son with the kettle and smiled.

"Excellent timing!" Sue said. "I'm taking my break, too! Why don't I make us some lunch?"

"Great idea, Ma," Felix said, putting the kettle down to boil. "But let me handle the coffee." He gave Georgia a wink.

Sue warmed up last night's stew, and they all tucked in for a hearty lunch. Georgia ate it hungrily—now regretting not getting her fill yesterday—and then they all sat back to finish their coffee. As promised, Felix had made Georgia's without peppermint, and she was very grateful. The coffee really shone now, and it was delicious. She didn't understand how Sue muddled the stuff with cream and flavoured syrups.

"How's your work, Georgia?" Sue asked.

"Fine," Georgia lied. "But I think I'm done for the day."

"You are?" Felix jumped in, looking surprised.

Georgia looked at him, confused. "Yeah, why?"

"Oh, no reason, really," he said quickly, going a little red. "It was just... kind of nice having a work buddy."

"It is always easier having someone work next to you," his mom agreed. "Even if you're not working together. It's like moral support. Felix's dad and I used to do that all time, when we'd have to do something we didn't want to do... Like cleaning up the storage room." She sighed. "It's been a while since I got to that. It's harder to tackle that on your own." But then she looked at Georgia. "But now I get you to be my work buddy. Still up to help?"

Georgia nodded. "If you'll have me!"

🎄

What would your job be on a Christmas Tree Farm?