The Christmas Tree Wars: A Merryvale Christmas, #1

By Genia Avers

All's fair in love and decorating…

 

Suzette Forrester didn't want to enter the town's Christmas Tree Contest, but after her BFF forges her entry, Suzette's competitive spirit revs up. Beating the town's high-profile socialite, Katarina Snodgrass becomes priority one. Until Suzette discovers architect Spence James has returned to Merryvale.

Spence can't reconcile the geeky girl from high school with the hot babe ordering antique ornaments at his father's store, but there's no denying the chemistry. He joins Suzette's decorating team and their sizzle rages into an inferno, threatening to put them on Santa's naughty list. Too bad Spence's NYC girlfriend, Darlene, arrives unannounced—and pregnant.

Suzette's holiday promise goes from tinsel bright to a lump of coal, but she's determined to ignore her broken heart and beat Katarina. Even if it means collaborating with a man who now seems more like Santa's nemesis than a Christmas angel.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Robin Weaver
• Release date: Oct 9, 2022
• ISBN: 9798215983430

Genia Avers

Genia Avers is a Christmas tree enthusiast who spends far too much time on personalized decorations and measuring tinsel. The award-winning author of the Merryvale Christmas novellas is a regular blogger with Romancing the Genres.(www.RomancingtheGenres.blogspot.com). She teaches workshops on point of view and pacing. As part the London Avers team, she also writes comedy and women’s fiction. When not creating blueprints for next year’s tree, you’ll find her searching for Santa in hopes of getting a new plotline.

Book preview

Chapter One

O Little Town of Bets

S urprise!

Bits of red and green confetti floated and spiraled toward the coffee shop floor. After all the fuss, how could Suzette Forrester tell her friends she didn’t want to enter the contest. She stared at the contestant pass she’d pulled from a gift bag, party horns blaring in her ears. Her spirits plummeted with the falling tissue.

Thanks, guys, but I can’t... You shouldn’t have paid my entry fee.

If only she could turn the clock back seventy-two hours and be completely honest. She’d told her friends she couldn’t afford the enter the competition. Why in the name of Bethlehem hadn’t she come up with a better excuse for not entering the Tree Decorating Contest?

Maybe if she appealed to the contest promoters, they’d refund the five thousand dollars. Her friends couldn’t afford to play Santa—not when the stocking needed stuffing with that much cash. Bob’s IT services might be in high demand, but Kaley’s Brew Mistress had a serious setback after a plugged sink flooded her shop and insurance wouldn’t cover the damage. Poor Lydia might be in worse shape. Psychic Visions hadn’t turned a profit in two quarters—primarily because Lydia tended to donate merchandise to charity.

No big deal, Suze. Kaley’s hug constricted Suzette’s air supply. We all pitched in. You just kick Katerina’s butt.

More likely, Katerina Snodgrass would chop her to shreds and use her for tinsel. When they were in high school, they’d competed in the junior division. Katerina had won every year.

You have to enter, Suze. Lydia clasped her hands together, her eyes sparkling. "The winner gets to have dinner with Tripp Anthony. I can’t believe he agreed to come back and play the lead in A Christmas Carol. He’s sooooo dreamy."

Ditto. Bob’s grin probably meant he agreed with Tripp’s dreaminess, not her contest entry.

Still, didn’t matter what soap opera star wined and dined the winner. Or who covered the entry fee. She simply couldn’t stomach losing to Katerina again, and she couldn’t beat her. The woman had probably been working on her tree design since she won the contest last year.

Besides, Suzette didn’t have time. Her grandmother’s store had finally generated a profit—a first since she’d taken ownership of the business a year ago. Now that the shop was profitable, she planned to sell Forrester Florals. Getting the business ready for the commercial real estate market required a lot of effort.

Time to fess up. Admit she couldn’t—make that wouldn’t—enter the Christmas Tree Contest. Taking a tiny sip of her latte for fortification, she groped for words.

The bell on the door of the Brew Mistress jingled, and a blast of wintery air sent a new mass of chills running over her body. Gads, she missed Florida.

All yakking and noisemaker tooting stopped. You could hear a coffee bean drop. What could possibly silence her rowdy friends?

Suzette whirled. And stared directly into the face of her confidence-zapping nightmare.

Katerina Snodgrass.

Suzette. Katerina stashed her ginormous purse on the counter and crossed her arms over her perfect chest—no doubt, courtesy of Dr. Artful Boobs. You lied to me?

The smugness in her nemesis’s expression invalidated both Suzette’s Master’s degree and her carefully crafted sophistication. She took a quick sip of the coffee, wincing when the too-hot liquid scorched her throat. What she wouldn’t give for a cup of ice.

I... She morphed into a high school Junior, again afraid of the tall redhead. She gave her crazy curls a quick pat to ensure her hair wasn’t sticking out and straightened her shoulders. When we talked, I didn’t plan to enter the contest.

Katerina’s sneer made Suzette feel like the ghost of Christmas Past. She really didn’t want to enter the contest, but maybe she would. She couldn’t let the woman banish her to Scroogeville.

Kaley wiped her hands on her Brew Mistress apron. Her BFF glared at Katerina—a Wild West showdown, diva style. You want to order, Katerina? Because if you’re here just to give Suze a hard time, I have customers waiting.

Suzette expected transformers to blow.

Katerina ignored Kaley and propped her hands on her hips, no newcomer to diva standoffs. So that’s why you entered. You let Kaley pressure you?

What difference does it make? Kaley mimicked Katerina’s hands-on-hips stance. "Are you scared?"

Of course, I’m not scared. Katerina snorted. I just don’t want to be responsible.

Suzette willed Kaley to remain silent. She’d have better luck un-burning her tongue.

Responsible for what? her friend barked.

Destroying her grandmother’s legacy. Katerina turned her gaze to Suzette, burning a hole in her holiday spirit. Forrester Floral never once lost the Christmas Tree Contest when Mamie Forrester competed. You really want to risk spoiling your granny’s streak, Suzie?

Suzette swallowed, determined to stay cool. Nana had won the contest five years in a row—then the cancer came. Her grandmother managed to keep the store open during the three years she’d battled the disease but didn’t have the strength for much else. Forrester Florals hadn’t participated in the Christmas Tree contest since before the big C. And Katerina had claimed the grand champion’s trophy every year her grandmother hadn’t competed.

Kaley snorted. "If you care that much, Katty, why don’t you just drop out? You should be worried about your winning streak."

Katerina seemed to grow even taller. "My streak is not in jeopardy."

Want to put your money where your collagen-overloaded lips are?

Please, Kaley, just shut up. Suzette took a deep breath. Bad enough she’d be kicked in the Christmas ornaments—she didn’t want her best friend to throw bad money after a wasted entrance fee.

Sure. Katerina smiled, a cat watching a mouse. Deadly claws were only a scratch away. The redhead waved a limp wrist, sending her floral scent swirling through the store. Shall we say five-hundred bucks? For charity of course.

Suzette tried to laugh. She doesn’t really want to make a bet, Katerina. Kaley’s just pulling your Christmas stocking.

No, I’m not, Kaley declared, steel in her voice. You’re on, Snodgrass.

Sugarplums. Suzette wished her friend didn’t have such huge girl balls. Kaley couldn’t afford to waste another five-hundred dollars. Somehow, she’d pay her friend back. Another reason Suzette should sell her grandmother’s flower shop as soon as possible.

Katerina walked closer, bending down to grin at Suzette. Just remember, you brought this on yourself, Short-Stuff. Don’t blame me when Forrester Florals loses for the first time. Ever.

Suze won’t lose, Kaley shot back. Now that the bet’s settled, what can I get you, Katerina?

Suzette’s head wouldn’t stop spinning. She’d have to enter the contest now. Her world tilted but the tall diva acted as if the little bet had never happened. Must be nice to have throwaway money.

Katerina turned toward the pastry case. I’ll have a latte and two of those yummy cinnamon rolls.

Skinny latte? Kaley asked.

Heavens no. The titian-haired beauty touched her hand to her chest. Give me the works. Whipped cream, too.

Suzette’s mouth dropped open. Two cinnamon buns? She gained weight just thinking about them. Even at five foot ten inches, Katerina could probably fit into a size zero on her bloated days. Perhaps the redhead ordered for someone else—her man of the week? Although with Katerina, could be man of the hour.

The slender socialite grabbed a hunk of confectionary heaven and took a large bite. Suzette could hate her for being able to eat like that and stay skinny, if for no other reason.

Since you’re foolish enough to enter, Suze, please don’t embarrass the town with a lame tree design. Even though I’ll beat you, we local girls need to do well. Let me know if you need some help.

Talk