It was a winter wonderland, I realized as we drove through the archway at the entrance to the tree farm. Along the fence that faced the highway were swag lights that twinkled, and flashing rope lights were twisted around the archway. I looked around the farm as Frank parked alongside several other cars. “Wow.”

“Yeah,” he said as we got out of the van and looked around. There were two sleighs painted red and green and hitched to horses – one a solid black, the other a dapple gray. Both were stomping their hoofs and snorting in the cold air.

Several people were wandering among the fir and spruce trees so we headed down a path. “Let’s see if we can find the perfect tree,” I said.

“Joe, it’ll take all morning...unless we split up.”

I gave him a look. “How do I know you’ll find the right tree?”

Frank rolled his eyes. “We look, we compare...we find the right tree. Deal?”

I thought about it for all of a half a second. “Deal.” I waved and headed off down a different path. For me the perfect tree had to be seven feet tall and full – I didn’t like wimpy trees.

The tree farm didn’t have the trees in straight rows but in bunches, making it look more like a snow-covered park than a place that sold Christmas trees. I wandered among the trees and started feeling as if someone were watching me.

My first thought was Frank was being careful, making sure nothing happened. He’s the big brother and tends to do that more than he really needs to. I don’t really go searching for trouble all the time. Really I don’t.

But when I looked around, I didn’t see him anywhere near me. I did see a tall, swarthy looking man standing beside a tall tree. He had on a leather jacket and a knit cap. Something about him bothered me and I headed in a direction away from him.

I found myself near the back of the farm where they had wooden rocking chairs on the porch and were serving hot chocolate. Another man who could have been the first one’s twin was seated in a rocker. He looked straight at me and started to get up.

I don’t know if I’d seen either of the guys before but they were starting to creep me out. So I veered through the trees, not running but walking fast. I wanted to find Frank. There was safety in numbers after all.

I found him near the fence facing the highway, staring up at a huge tree. It formed a perfect triangle and was beautiful. Almost too pretty to cut.

I watched him move closer until he had to look straight up to the sky just to see the tip of the tree. It was huge, had to be at least twelve or fourteen feet high. As I got closer, my eyes traveled past the tip of the tree up to the pale blue sky and I shivered, suddenly reminded of what the holiday was all about.

“Now there’s a perfect tree.”

I glanced over my shoulder. “It wouldn’t fit, it’s too tall.”

“You okay?”

“I think someone’s following me.” I considered it for a second and added, “Two someones. One’s at the porch, and one’s around somewhere.”

Frank studied me for a second. “You sure you’re not flashing back to being at that park?”

I frowned and shook my head. “I don’t even remember being at that park. I’m not imagining things.”

“Okay.” Frank went back with me to the porch but the guy wasn’t there. And although we tried to search the entire area, we didn’t find anyone else that looked like the two men I saw.

“Joe, we need to get our tree and go.”

“I’m not imagining things.”

“I didn’t say you were. Have you found your tree yet?”

I took a deep breath, saw one that was nice and around seven feet tall. “That one.”

Frank nodded and we cut it down, paid for it and lashed it to the top of the van. Still unsettled, I didn’t want to get any hot chocolate, so we headed home. It took some effort but we finally got it off the van and into the house.

We dusted off the snow and set it up in the living room in front of the large window. Once it was in its stand and Mom added water, we started adding strings of lights.

“Hey, Mom, where’s the rest of the lights?” I began searching through another box of decorations.

She looked over at me and then at the boxes scattered around the floor. “I bought lights last year after Christmas...” She spotted a large white bag. “They might be in there.”

I nodded and went to look. “Got ‘em.” I pulled out five boxes of lights, some fifty count, some a hundred count and tossed a large box to Frank. “We have three strings of colored. Some clear ones would be nice too.”

“Who made you king of the hill?” asked Frank, good-naturedly.

I spared a glance outside and wondered if those two guys might be out there. I wasn’t sure why they bothered me but I couldn’t shake the feeling they were bad news. I just wished I could remember what happened at the mall. I tore my gaze away from the window and tossed an empty box at him. “I’m the youngest, remember.”

“Yeah, right.” Frank grinned at me and I made myself smile back. I had a bad feeling about all this.

*****

Frank tried not to notice that his brother was antsy. He hoped his mom didn’t notice it either. He saw his mother carefully unwrap a small ornament. “What’s that, Mom?”

“It’s your first ornament that Joe ever bought you.” Laura shot her youngest son an indulgent look. “He was barely a year old.”

Joe beamed at her and continued unboxing the light strings. He stuck his tongue out at Frank. Frank rolled his eyes and walked over, even though he knew what ornament she was talking about. Technically it hadn’t been his favorite character on Sesame Street but Joe’s – Big Bird. Frank had always found the big yellow bird creepy. Joe had liked him because he was yellow.

“Fenton, it’s probably a good idea to get out the outdoor decorations and the ladder,” said Laura as she carefully unwrapped family ornaments. She smiled as she heard her husband sigh and head back up to the attic. Since that first year of marriage, it had become customary to buy ornaments for each other. Granted, that first Christmas she and Fenton shared, they’d had only enough money for ornaments, no elaborate gifts.

She unwrapped the small fireplace ornament with its drape of garland across the front and a tiny fire. Fenton had bought her that one since the small apartment in Manhattan hadn’t had a real fireplace. She pulled out the next ornament, the one she’d given him. It was wooden and heavy but she knew the small ornament had been worth it. She still remembered the old black man who could carve anything out a scrap of wood – including a police badge.

“Laura, do you know where the candles for the Advent wreath are?”

“I just bought some new ones. They may still be in the pantry.”

Gertrude gave a sharp nod and bustled out as quickly as she had come in. Frank sighed. “So who gets to light the center candle this year?” he asked, knowing it would rile his brother.

Joe began draping the lights around the tree. “I do. I always do.” He made a face at Frank and nodded to the box of ornaments. “Think you can do better this year?”

Frank knew what his brother meant. He’d bought Joe a sports ornament, Mark McGwire, but Joe had said he’d wanted Sammy Sosa. “Only if you do,” he said, silently reminding Joe what he’d bought Frank.

“There’s absolutely nothing wrong with Harry Potter. Probably could find one from the last movie.” Joe’s grin widened. “Or would you prefer Hermione?”

Laura held back a laugh. “Boys.”

Joe gave an innocent shrug. “He started it.”

A thump came from upstairs and Laura looked up at the ceiling. “Frank, why don’t you go help your father?”

“Okay, Mom.” He pointed a finger at Joe. “No more anything of Harry Potter.”

Joe smirked. “I’ll try,” he called out as Frank left the room. And then his smirk turned into a wicked grin. “Can’t promise anything though.”

Frank decided there was ample time for him to get back at his brother for that last remark. He hurried up to the attic. “Dad?”

“Over here,” his father whispered.

Puzzled as to why his father was whispering, Frank moved further into the attic to find his father sprawled in an old rocker, the newspaper in one hand and a mug of coffee in the other. “Dad? What...what are you doing?”

“Taking a breather. Your mother woke up with the sun today and decided the house had to be decorated – inside and out. I’d wager she woke you two up on purpose to make certain you’d get a tree today.”

Frank bit back a grin. “Dad...you’re not...hiding, are you?”

Fenton grunted. “Call it what you will, son, but I haven’t even gotten past the first page of the paper yet and it’s nearly lunchtime.” He held up a mug of coffee. “Haven’t even finished my first cup of coffee.”

Frank didn’t quite laugh. “I’ll get the outside decorations. And I’ll tell Mom you’re searching for more Christmas stuff.”

Fenton studied the paper for a moment and gave Frank a wink. “Thank you. I’ll make the occasional noise to convince her.”

Frank headed downstairs with the box of decorations. Joe looked up as Frank entered the living room. “Where’s Dad?”

Frank set the box down. “Still digging up in the attic.” He turned to open the box of outside decorations and caught his brother watching him. He started to ask why when Joe shook his head ever so slightly.

Joe stepped back from the tree. It was wound with multicolored and clear mini-lights as well as gold and red tinsel. “What do you think, Mom?”

“It looks wonderful. Now we’ll add the ornaments.”

Joe made a show of checking outside. “It’ll be dark before we know it and it takes awhile to string up the lights outside, Mom. Why don’t we go work on that and you and Aunt Gertrude do the ornaments. If there’s any of ‘em you want toward the top, we’ll hang ‘em later.”

Laura gave her sons a curious look but nodded. “Very well. Go get started.”

Joe grinned and started for the door. He clapped Frank on the back. “Grab the box, bro. I’ll get the ladder."

Frank stared after him and sighed. What was his brother up to now?