.

Zack Fletcher regarded the corner of his grandmother’s lounge with a slack jaw. He closed his eyes for a moment and shook himself but when he reopened them, the room was still the same, still Nan’s house. Same plaster copy of Michelangelo’s statue of David taking pride of place in the little alcove next to the telly. Same shag pile rug beneath the coffee table. Same mantelpiece crowded with family photos, fake holly threaded between.

Yet the corner – the Christmas corner – remained wrong. In so many ways. No fresh pine scent. No bright green foliage. No tinsel.

No joy.

He checked the date on his phone. Yup, definitely December 23rd. So where the hell was their tree? Because that minimalist Nordic-looking timber thing currently usurping the proper tree’s position did not count as a tree. That was a stick with a few struts attached and a star on top.

He shuddered. So wrong.

‘Nan!’

She bustled in, tea towel in hand and fake innocence on her face. ‘Yes, darling?’

Zack gestured toward the corner. ‘There’s no tree.’

‘Yes, there is.’ She bustled closer to the stick. ‘It’s just little.’ She smiled brightly. ‘They’re all the rage, you know.’

Not in Zack’s world.

‘But we always have a proper tree.’ Zack winced at the little-boy whine in his voice. He was a grown man, for god’s sake, but it was Christmas. There should be a tree. They always had a tree. And though he might have missed the last couple of Christmases because of work and Covid, surely tradition hadn’t changed.

‘I know we do. But they’re a lot of fuss and heavy to move around, and with you being away…’ Nan averted her gaze and rolled her lips together, her hands wringing the tea towel.

Zack breathed out. God, he was stupid. Of course Nan wouldn’t be able to handle a tree by herself. She was nearly eighty years old.

‘I’m sorry.’ He reached to envelop her in a hug. She was so tiny now, her head barely reaching the bottom of his collarbone, her body thin and bent. When did that happen? ‘I should have realised.’ He kissed her silvery hair. ‘I’ll go get us one. We can spend tonight decorating it.’

She pulled back. ‘You’ve only just arrived!’

‘It won’t take long.’

Her brow wrinkled as she checked the clock. ‘It’s fifteen minutes to closing and the shops are insane. You’ll be lucky to get a park.’

‘I’m only going to Gerhardt’s.’ Gerhardt’s Hardware was only a few minutes’ drive away and where they bought their tree every year. At least, they had before he’d moved west. He held her shoulders and gave them a gentle shake. ‘Christmas isn’t Christmas without a proper tree, and I’m home now.’ For good, if everything panned out.

She pressed her palm to his cheek. ‘You always did love Christmas.’ She patted it. ‘Go on then. I’ll clear a space.’ Then she faced the stick and sighed, shaking her head. ‘I never did like that tree. Looks like a ruddy skeleton.’

Keys jangling in his hand, Zack closed the front door and headed for his dual cab ute, its metallic red finish glittering in the summer sun. There was a time when luxuries like shiny new cars had seemed an unreachable dream. Nan had made sure he’d grown up rich with love, but it had taken moving out on his own to fully understand the sacrifices she must have made to make ends meet. How she kept him fed all those years on a pension was a mystery. His stomach had been like a pit as a teenager.

She wouldn’t have to do without now. He’d make sure of that.

‘Zack!’

Zack looked up to see his old neighbour, Molly, waving at him from the adjacent driveway.

‘Molly,’ he said, delighted. They’d been great friends growing up. Maybe could have been more than friends if they’d allowed that one, unforgettable kiss when they were teens to go further. Some things weren’t meant to be, though. A year after Zack had finished his apprenticeship, he’d taken off for a lucrative boilermaker’s job at the massive Boddington gold mine in Western Australia, while Molly had scored a dental assistant’s position at a local clinic. No wonder. With her perfect teeth, Molly was a walking, talking advertisement for good dental hygiene.

She locked her car with a beep and hurried around the end fence. Zack watched her, amazed at how little she’d changed. Her hair, pulled back in a neat bun, was still a glorious shade of red and clashed wonderfully with her pristine white uniform. Though she wore light makeup, there was no covering the freckles that speckled her face and neckline. Despite Molly’s meticulous hat and sunscreen wearing, summer always brought them out. She’d hated them growing up. Zack had always thought they were cute.

‘Look at you!’ She beamed at Zack before wrapping soft arms around his neck and kissing his cheek. She smelled of antiseptic and mint. Clean and bright. She stood back, still beaming. ‘It’s good to see you, Zack. And you’re home for Christmas? Trish must be thrilled. She’s missed you these past couple of years.’

‘I’ve missed her. I’ve missed this whole place, to be honest.’

‘Don’t tell me gold mining in the middle of whoop-whoop isn’t all it’s cracked up to be?’

‘It’s okay.’ And the money was worth it. Or it had been. Lately, he’d begun to realise how the saying “there’s more to life than money” came about. But a bloke couldn’t live on nothing either.

She gave him a once-over and tugged on the front of his shirt. ‘You’re looking good.’

‘So are you.’

They stared at one another then looked aside.

‘So,’ said Zack, clearing his throat and gesturing toward next door. ‘You’re back living at home?’

‘Gawd no.’ Molly huffed the idea away. ‘Not permanently. I’m trying to renovate. Kitchen, bathroom, a new ensuite and one great flatpack mess. It was easier to move out than try and work around the chaos. I had great plans for it to be finished by Christmas.’ She sighed. ‘Turns out renovating isn’t as easy as it looks on the telly, even with Dad and Kurt’s help. It’s been a bit of a nightmare, to be honest. If it’s not product shortages, it’s me making yet another dumb mistake.’ She spread her arms and dropped them back to her sides. ‘Serves me right for buying such a dump but it was all I could afford. Its only saving grace is that it’s close to work and in a nice street.’

‘Location, location, location. Isn’t that what they say?’

‘I know, I know.’ Molly waved the knowledge off and sighed. ‘It’ll be worth it in the end. That doesn’t take away the pain right now. Being twenty-seven and living with your parents is so lame. I can hear dad go to the loo at night.’ She screwed her nose up. ‘Eww.’

Zack laughed. Molly had always been funny. He’d love to stay chatting with her but Zack was on a mission. He jangled his keys. ‘Hey, listen, we’ll catch up later, but I’ve got to make Gerhardt’s before they close and grab a fresh Christmas tree for Nan.’

‘Gerhardt’s? No good trying there. They sold out yesterday.’

‘Shit.’ Zack rubbed his hand over his head and gave it a scratch. ‘Guess I’ll have to try Lindner’s.’ He checked his phone and swore again. The garden centre was on the edge of town. He’d never make it in time. ‘Too late for there now.’

‘I’m pretty sure they’re running extended trading hours. There was an ad on the radio.’

‘Really? Cool.’ He tossed his keys up and down. ‘Better get onto it then. We’ll catch up for a drink tomorrow night maybe?’

‘Sure. But do you mind if I come with you? I wanted to pick up a couple of poinsettias for Gayle and Toni and it’ll save me a trip tomorrow.’

‘No probs.’ He waved at his car. ‘Be my guest.’

They chatted the entire journey. Zack asking more about Molly’s renovations and her job while Molly shared updates about mutual friends. Zack tried not to feel pleased when Molly mentioned she’d broken up with her boyfriend a few months before and had been in a man-drought since.

‘Been the same for me,’ said Zack.

‘What, a man drought? I thought mines were full of them. Good-looking bloke like you should have his pick.’

Zack laughed and shook his head. Molly knew very well which way he bent.

A woman was hauling a pine tree-laden trolley across the carpark when they pulled into Lindner’s.

‘Cool,’ said Zack, relieved at both snagging the last park in the lot and at the sight of the tree. Although the tree did look a bit raggedly limbed and brown around the tips. He hoped there were better ones on offer.

The locals were making the most of Lindner’s extended hours. The indoor plant and gardening supplies area were abuzz with people snapping up colourful potted plant gifts, gardening tool sets and citronella candles. Someone even had a trolley loaded with a robotic mower.

Molly hurried straight for the heavily denuded red-and-green poinsettia display. Zack stood out of the way beside a cheerful stand of impatiens and swept the space for Christmas trees, finding none. Perhaps they were outside. He’d have to search or ask.

He joined Molly, who was tutting over the remaining poinsettias. ‘Trees must be outside. I’ll be back in a tick.’

Except Zack couldn’t spot any Christmas trees outside either. A mild panic began to set in. What if he couldn’t get one?

‘No luck?’ asked Molly, a poinsettia in each hand.

‘No. This can’t be right.’ He scanned around for someone to ask and spotted a small blonde figure flitting between the stands of terracotta pots. ‘There’s Alice Lindner. She’ll know.’

‘I’m sorry,’ said Alice, her face pink and manner harried. ‘We sold the last one about ten minutes ago.’

‘Are you getting any more in?’ It was a big ask, with tomorrow being Christmas Eve, but Zack had to check.

‘We would if we could but there’s a severe shortage of trees this year. A lot of the major tree growers got flooded and all the good ones have gone to the cities.’ Alice pointed at a nearby grey-leafed tree. ‘You could always decorate an olive tree. Go the minimalist route. It’s very on-trend.’

Zach grimaced. From skeleton tree to ghost leafed? He didn’t think so. ‘Nan’s already tried that.’ He jammed his hands on his hips. What the hell was he going to do?

‘We’ve got some boxwood?’ Alice bit her bottom lip and frowned. ‘I think there might be some woolly bush left. They’re lovely. Very touchy-feely and they look quite Christmassy. If you squint a bit.’

Zack regarded Molly, who returned his look with a non-plussed expression and shrugged.

Nope. A woolly bush wouldn’t do either.

‘Thanks, Alice,’ said Zack. ‘I was hoping for a proper pine. Nan always has one.’

Although perhaps not this year.

When the poinsettias were safely in a box and paid for, Zack carried them to the car and settled them behind Molly’s passenger seat where they’d be less likely to tip over.

‘Maybe I should have bought one of those woolly bushes,’ he said, holding the door open for Molly, keeping half an eye on the stream of Lindner’s shoppers exiting with their Christmas presents and plants. If he left it too late there mightn’t be any substitute trees left either.

‘We haven’t tried Our Town Produce yet. It’s a long shot but they might have one.’

Figuring it had to be worth a try, Zach headed back across town to the produce store. A chain was fixed over the driveway and its big yellow roller door for drive-throughs was down. He stopped anyway, peering through the window at a hand-written poster taped to the office door.

“CHRISTMAS TREES ALL SOLD OUT”

‘Great,’ he said, knuckling his head.

Sunken-hearted, Zack stared through the windscreen. There was an agricultural supplier that might have a tree but if Lindner’s and others were sold out, he imagined they would be too.

Which meant no live tree for Christmas. Why did it matter so much? Zack wasn’t normally that much of a stickler for tradition, except this was his first Christmas home in what felt like ages and if his plans worked out, it would launch a new phase in his life. He wanted it to be special. For him as well as Nan.

‘There is another way…’

Zack looked at Molly.

She fingered the exposed V of her neck. ‘You mightn’t like it.’

‘Try me.’

‘Well, we could…’ She winced, her cheeks flushing prettily. ‘Steal one.’

Steal one? Zack opened his mouth, closed it. Steal? That wasn’t like Molly.

She bopped him on the arm. ‘Not like that! I’m not advocating stealing someone else’s tree. I mean we could nick one off the side of the road or one of the plantations. There is only a bazillion of them locally.’

Molly was right. They were surrounded by thousands of acres of pine forests. The industry was massive in the area, second only to agriculture. High rainfall combined with deep, well-draining soil made it perfect for growing pinus radiata. A species of pine that not only produced excellent softwood timber but the ideal Christmas tree.

She lifted a shoulder. ‘Just a thought.’

‘It’s a great thought.’ Zack grinned. ‘A really great thought. It’d only take a few hacks with an axe to get one down.’ He sobered. ‘I don’t think Nan has an axe though. I think there’s a tomahawk somewhere.’

‘Borrow Dad’s. He won’t mind.’

Zack nodded to himself, the dread of not scoring a tree fading as he warmed to the idea. ‘All right. I’ll do that.’ He put the ute into gear, indicated to pull back onto the road, then stopped as a thought struck. ‘It’s not illegal, is it?’

Molly gave another of her cute winces, her freckled nose screwing up. ‘I think… maybe?’

‘From a plantation it probably is but the side of the road?’

The wince didn’t fade. ‘I’m pretty sure it is. A council by-law or something.’

‘Shit.’ He blew out a breath. ‘I guess it’s a risk I’ll have to take.’

Molly blinked and then frowned. ‘What’s this I business? I’m in too.’

‘No, you’re not.’ He caught her expression. ‘Come on, Mol. There’s no way I can let you be involved if it’s illegal. Imagine if we got caught. Your parents would kill me.’

‘You’ll need someone to keep a lookout. May as well be me.’ When he hesitated, she pushed on. ‘Two’s always better than one, Zack.’

Molly was right but that didn’t mean he liked it or had to give in. ‘Nah, I’ll manage. You have better things to do.’

She folded her arms, expression mutinous. ‘Actually, I don’t. Not tonight. Anyway, it was my idea. I’m coming.’

Molly looked so pouty-cute Zack had a strange urge to kiss her. Which was inappropriate. What he should be calculating is how to argue some sense into her, but Zack had known Molly almost all his life and when she did her stubborn redhead thing, a smart man knew to suck it up. Besides, he wanted her to come. She was right about needing a lookout and Molly was fun.

Not to mention pretty and warm and sweet and he really shouldn’t be thinking about her like that.

Then again, it was Christmas, the season of love and joy. Zack may as well get with the spirit.

As agreed, they met again in Zack’s nan’s drive at eight o’clock. Zack hadn’t wanted to disappoint his grandmother by missing his first dinner home and the wait gave him a chance for the summer sun to drop low in the sky. Now it burned along the horizon, casting long shadows while leaving enough light to search by but darkness to hide in should they need. Which Zack hoped they wouldn’t.

He’d showered too and changed into dark jeans and a tee. Molly, he noticed appreciatively, had taken the same precaution with her clothes. Now, instead of smelling of antiseptic and mint, she wafted an exotic air of coconut and lime. Flavours so delicious he wanted to lick her like an icecream.

‘You sure you’re up for this?’ he asked, taking the axe from Molly and stowing it on the back seat.

‘Positive.’ She poked him in the arm as he closed the door. ‘It’ll be an adventure.’

‘An adventure? You, my friend,’ he said, pointing at her, ‘need to get out more.’

She stuck out her tongue and skipped around to the passenger side. Zach hid a smile and shook his head but didn’t miss the way her dark jeans wrapped tight around her bum.

‘How was dinner?’ Molly asked as she buckled up.

‘Good. Lamb chops and salad.’ Simple but tasty fare like his nan always made. ‘You?’

‘Tacos.’

‘Don’t mind a taco myself.’

‘From what I recall, you don’t mind any food.’

He laughed. ‘I don’t. So, where do you reckon first?’

‘I thought we could cruise the highway to the north, where the big plantations are. There’ll have to be trees at the edges of the breaks.’

It sounded like a solid idea but in practice it was hopeless. While there were plenty of young, self-sown trees lining the highway, there was also plenty of traffic. A red ute with Western Australian numberplates parked on the side of the road was bound to attract attention and they’d be easily spotted at work, even in the shadows.

Zack drove around some more, peering with ever-increasing desperation through the encroaching darkness for a small, lounge-sized pine. Either the breaks had been recently cleared in preparation for the fire season or no volunteer pines had grown in the last few years.

‘Ideas?’ asked Zack, rolling his hands around the steering wheel as they headed back towards town.

‘There’s that scrubby plantation to the north. The one on the other side of the racecourse.’

He eyed Molly across the cabin. ‘Lovers Lane?’

She laughed. ‘I don’t think it’s been that for years.’

‘Worth a try I guess.’

They were silent for a while as the ute rolled on. Then Zack gave her another glance. Her eyes were shiny in the dark.

‘Did you ever go there?’

‘Lover’s Lane? God, no. Did you?’

He shrugged. ‘Once or twice.’

‘Stud.’

‘Nah, just desperate for some time alone with a girl.’

‘Let me guess,’ said Molly, tapping a finger against her chin. ‘Chloe Smith.’

Zack didn’t respond. He’d really liked Chloe and he was damned if he was going to admit getting hot and heavy with her in a car in a pine plantation. Especially to Molly. Besides, good blokes don’t tell. His nan had taught him that.

Molly’s gaze bored into him, then she smiled. ‘You always were a nice boy.’

‘Nice?’ Zack faked a shudder. ‘Since when do girls like nice?’

He could feel her eye roll across the darkness. ‘Since always, you noob.’

Which gave Zack a chance. Which he’d only take if he scored the job he’d interviewed for. Molly deserved better than a Christmas fling. He breathed in. Tomorrow he’d know and then he could let out his secret. Well, assuming he got the job. If he didn’t it would stay a secret. No point in getting anyone’s hopes up only to let them down.

The plantation loomed darkly on his left. As Molly had implied, it was scraggy and neglected. Many of the trees were no longer straight, listing into their neighbours like drunks.

‘You’d reckon this would have been chopped down years ago,’ he said, flicking his indicator for the side road that would take them alongside the plantation where they could slip down a firebreak and disappear.

‘You’d think so. I’ve no idea why it’s still here. I know the council owns it though. Maybe the cost of cutting it down is too much. Who knows.’

Zack didn’t bother indicating for the firebreak turn. There were no other cars about and the less attention he drew the better. As soon as they were on the track, he killed the lights and steered by the filtered moonlight. After several hundred metres they emerged on the other side to another firebreak that separated the plantation from a small vineyard.

The track turned sandier. Zack concentrated on driving while Molly scanned for trees. It wasn’t easy without lights.

‘There!’ She pointed.

Zack braked and peered ahead. All he could see was an outline but even in the dark it appeared a perfect triangle. His heart leapt. He grinned at Molly, who grinned back.

‘Better get to work then.’

He brought the ute closer. Yep, this was definitely the tree. About seven feet tall, perfectly formed and with no browning at the edges that he could see. Even if there was, Zack was confident the pine was dense enough that trimming any dodgy bits wouldn’t make a huge difference.

He hopped out and grabbed the axe off the back seat and hurried to the tree. Molly walked to the centre of the track to keep watch.

Zack circled the tree, assessing it. Unlike plantation trees, which were regularly thinned, this had been left to its own devices. Instead of a bare trunk, it had branches to the ground. He’d need to hack off the lower limbs before he could gain access to the trunk. More time than he wanted to spend.

He cast around. The town lights glowed in the distance, but the night was quiet, the plantation dark. Not even a fleeing rabbit or kangaroo could be seen.

They’d be fine.

With a last look at Molly, Zack began to strip the lower branches.

It wasn’t as easy as it looked. By the time he’d cleared the trunk, Zack was sweating and itching like crazy from the pine needles that had snuck down his shirt. Still, he didn’t have much left to do. The trunk was lucky to be five inches across. A few solid whacks should do it.

Except the axe wasn’t the sharpest and a few solid whacks saw him only halfway through. Not to worry. He was nearly done. He hauled the axe back for another swing.

‘Zack,’ Molly loud-whispered.

He stopped and listened. At first, he could determine nothing, then he heard it. The slow crunch of a car crawling down a track.

‘Shit.’ He raced for the ute and tossed the axe in the back before climbing into the driver’s seat. Molly was close behind.

‘Okay?’ he asked when they were safely inside.

She nodded, chest heaving in panic.

Zack started the engine but as he was about to put the ute in gear a car emerged from the pine break.

A police car.

‘Oh no,’ said Molly, hand fluttering over her neckline.

Zack took her hand. ‘It’ll be fine. We’ll be fine.’

The police car pulled alongside them. The window rolled down and the officer behind indicated for Zack to do the same.

‘Any reason you’re parked here?’ said the officer.

Molly let out a low groan. Zack squeezed her fingers.

‘Call of nature,’ he said. ‘Sorry.’

The officer gave him a look that said he didn’t believe him for a moment. Zack had to admit it was a lame excuse but it was the first thing that came to mind. The officer’s gaze shifted to Molly who was staring fixedly ahead. His eyes bulged. ‘Molly?’

‘Hi, Campbell,’ she said, her voice strangled. ‘How are you?’

‘I’m fine but what are you doing here?’ His attention fixed back on Zack and his lip curled. ‘I see.’ He gave a tut of disgust. ‘Haven’t you got a house to go to?’

‘It’s being renovated,’ she said, then made a noise like a frightened mouse before moaning and whispering, ‘I can’t believe I said that.’

‘We just stopped for a loo break,’ said Zack, trying not to laugh as Molly continued to moan.

‘Yeah, right.’ Campbell glanced again at Molly and shook his head as though she’d let him down badly.

Zack’s temper flared. Judgemental arse. How dare he think badly of Molly. Besides, she was a grown woman and able to go parking – or tree stealing – with whoever she liked. ‘Anything else? Because I need to get Molly home.’

Campbell stared at Molly for a while longer and shook his head. ‘Just get out of here, and don’t let me catch you back.’

Zack didn’t need to be told twice. He started the engine and with a final glance at the officer, and his forsaken tree, he drove off.

Neither spoke until they reached the road, then Molly let out a long groan and flopped against the headrest.

‘I can’t believe I said my house was being renovated. Why couldn’t have I just gone with your loo thing? Why? I may as well have said we were here for sex!’

‘You were under pressure. We’re fine. Nothing to worry about now.’

‘Except we still don’t have a Christmas tree. And Campbell now thinks I’m the sort of woman who goes parking down Lover’s Lane.’

Zack changed up a gear. ‘Does it matter what he thinks?’

Molly rubbed an eyebrow. ‘I suppose not.’

Zack mulled on that for a moment. ‘You and Campbell…’

‘There is no me and Campbell. Never was, never will be.’

‘Good.’

Molly jerked her head towards Zack.

He shrugged. ‘He sounded like an arse.’

She laughed. ‘Probably because he is.’ She sighed and picked at something on the leg of her jeans. ‘He asked me out a couple of times. I said no.’

Which at least explained Campbell’s bitterness. Being knocked back by a girl like Molly would dent any man’s ego.

‘What are we going to do about the tree?’ Molly asked.

‘I don’t know. Sneak back early in the morning?’

‘Knowing Campbell, he’d probably stake the place out.’

‘Find another, I guess. There’s bound to be one somewhere.’ Although finding one in a place where they wouldn’t get caught chopping it down was the hard part.

‘We could keep searching.’

‘Haven’t you had enough excitement for one night?’

‘Probably, but you’re the one who said I need to get out more.’

Zack checked the dash for the time. It was nearing ten and tomorrow morning he was meeting with his potential new boss to discuss the job Zack was going for. He gripped the wheel harder. He was confident he had the job in the bag, but there were things to nut out. Salary being the biggest. He’d be taking a pay cut to come back, yet his heart was telling him this was the right move.

‘Better call it a night,’ he said. ‘You’ve got work tomorrow.’

‘No work for me. I’ve finished until New Year.’

‘Lucky. What are you up to then?’

‘Helping Mum. The whole gang’s coming for Christmas lunch so it’s going to be a busy one.’

‘I bet it will be.’ Molly had three brothers, all older and with partners and children. Molly was the only single. Zack wondered why. Maybe she still pined for him after that teenage kiss.

And maybe he was the world’s biggest bonehead for thinking such a thing.

‘What about you?’ she asked.

‘I’ve got a couple of matters to take care of in the morning then not much. Help Nan. Do a few chores around the house. There’ll be plenty that needs taking care of.’

He pulled into the drive and killed the engine but didn’t alight. Neither did Molly. The air thickened. Zack tried to think of something to say. Something that would let her know he was interested. That maybe, if all went well tomorrow, they could go on a proper date.

‘Thanks for tagging along,’ he said instead then could have clocked himself.

‘My pleasure.’ She smiled at him as she undid her seatbelt. ‘You sure know how to show a girl a good time.’

Zack opened his mouth to say, ‘you ain’t seen nothing yet, babe’ and thought better of it. No one likes a smartarse. He alighted and hauled out the axe. ‘Better not forget this.’

‘No.’ She hefted it onto her shoulder like a lumberjack. ‘You never know when it might come in handy.’ Then she stepped forward and kissed Zack on the cheek. ‘Night, Zack.’

‘Night, Molly,’ he said softly and watched her until she was safely inside, wishing he could follow.

‘Thanks, Brad.’ Zack shook his new boss’s hand and tried not to grin too hard as he exited the office.

His meeting couldn’t have gone better. Brad was a nice bloke and Hydromain part of a well-established, Australia-wide group specialising in irrigation services. Brad was also desperate for a boilermaker and willing to pay for the right one. Zack wouldn’t be as out of pocket as he thought and being part of a larger company, there was room for career advancement.

The main workshop was empty. Except for those on call – it was irrigation season after all – Brad had stood down his staff the day before and had only come in to tidy up paperwork and talk to Zack.

A pine Christmas tree wearing a perfunctory layer of gold tinsel and a few red baubles stood in a metal sand bucket beside a coffee station at the rear of the workshop. Zack eyed it for a moment. It was a little wilted and dusty but otherwise in servicable condition and would certainly make it through the next day and a half.

He hesitated. What sort of person would he look like if he asked to take his new boss’s tree? Probably a bit of a tool. Except…

He gestured at the pine. ‘You were lucky to score a tree. I spent yesterday afternoon trying to track one down for my nan. Turns out there’s a shortage and everywhere’s sold out.’

‘I heard that. We were lucky. One of the lads scored this one.’ Brad gave a wry smile. ‘Probably pinched it from the side of the road.’

‘Desperate times call for desperate measures.’

Brad eyed him. ‘Do you want it? We’re closed until Monday and it’ll only be chucked out.’

‘You sure?’

‘Yeah, go for it. Better keep the tinsel and things though. Anna – that’s our office lass – will probably want to them for next year.’

‘Thanks. I’ll take it.’

Such was his jubilation, Zack sang the opening verse – which was the only one he remembered – to ‘O, Christmas Tree’ most of the way home. Not only had he scored the job, he’d scored a proper tree for the Christmas corner, and now Christmas would feel like Christmas.

He parked his ute and glanced next door in the hope of spotting Molly but the yard was quiet. Not to worry, he’d catch her later. Eager to surprise his nan, Zack hurried to the back of the ute, dragged out the tree and with a few grunts and muttered oaths, manoeuvred it through the front door.

‘Nan!’ he yelled as he hefted it down the hall, leaving a trail of needles he’d have to sweep up later.

‘In here,’ his nan called from the lounge.

Zack grinned. Perfect. He hoisted the tree in front of himself to obscure his face and carried it into the room. ‘Surprise!’

Silence greeted him.

He set the tree down and peered around its edge.

Standing beside one another in the Christmas corner alongside a perky pine with raw hack marks up its trunk were his nan and Molly.

Nan put her hand over her mouth, her eyebrows raised in a ‘whoops’ way. Molly gave a wince of a smile.

Zack narrowed in on the tree again and the hack marks he was pretty sure he’d made. ‘Molly, you didn’t.’

‘Kurt loaned me his van. It didn’t take long.’

‘But you could have…’ Zack caught her rapid head shake. Ah. She hadn’t told Nan where she’d scored the tree. He cleared his throat. ‘Good job.’ Then he rattled his own tree, sending a cascade of needles to the floor. ‘Not sure what I’m going to do with this one though.’

‘Why don’t we put it out the back, near the barbeque,’ said Nan. ‘We’ll grill some sausages later. Have a little Christmas Eve party. Molly, you’ll come over, won’t you?’

Molly opened her mouth, closed it, then locked gazes with Zack and smiled and shrugged. ‘Sure.’

‘Good,’ said Nan, practically preening with pleasure, and she had still to hear Zack’s real news. ‘Why don’t you and Zack finish sorting the trees and I’ll make us a cuppa.’ She bustled across the room and tried to sidle past Zack’s tree.

‘What are you up to?’ murmured Zack as she passed.

‘Nothing, dear.’ Nan’s grin failed to match her response. She reached up to pat his cheek and gave a little titter. ‘Nothing at all. Just enjoying having you home.’ She glanced at Molly. ‘And the extra company.’

Zack shook his head and huffed. Matchmaking grandmothers. Not that he minded. Being matched with Molly would suit him just fine and after this morning he could do so without a qualm.

He waited until Nan was well into the kitchen before addressing Molly. ‘I can’t believe you went back. What if Campbell-arse had caught you?’

‘I was careful.’ She shrugged. ‘And I wanted you to have your tree. Seems like I needn’t have worried.’ Molly approached and inspected Zack’s pine, her freckled nose scrunching up cutely as she touched a few branches. Compared to the fresh specimen, it did look a bit scraggly and wilted. ‘Where did you get it from?’

Zack sucked in a breath. Here goes. ‘From Hydromain.’

She frowned. ‘What were you doing there?’

‘Sorting out my new job.’

Molly’s eyes widened, her lovely mouth doing the same. ‘New job?’

Zack nodded, his chest swelling with pride and anticipation. ‘Yeah. I’m moving home.’

‘Home?’ For a moment Molly could only stare, then she broke into an enormous grin and clapped her hands together, her body wiggling like a dog who couldn’t wag its tail enough. ‘But that’s wonderful. Congratulations.’

‘Thanks. It won’t be for a while though. I’ve got to work out my notice and won’t start until mid-Feb, but I’ve accepted so it’s a done deal.’

‘You’d better tell your nan.’

‘Yeah, I’d better.’ Zack went to turn away and stopped. ‘Thanks for the tree, Molly. You didn’t have to.’

‘I know but I wanted to. Anyway,’ she said, smiling at him from under lowered lashes, ‘…like I said before, two’s always better than one.’

She wasn’t referring to the trees.

‘Yeah,’ he said, reaching for the fake holly on the mantelpiece and sauntering back toward her with it held over his head. It wasn’t mistletoe but it’d do. And from the look she was giving him, Zack was certain Molly wouldn’t mind. ‘I think so too.’

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© Cathryn Hein 2022

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