“During the meeting?”

“Yes.”

“What the heck, Terrance?” Ted felt for an instant, the first instant in his life, that he didn’t know his brother. Until now he’d felt like they were the same person, a slight variation on the same soul. Maybe he’d been wrong in thinking he could never have hurt Lindy Cox. Maybe Terrance was capable of all kinds of things Ted couldn’t fathom. “How could you, Terr? Did someone dare you? Or pay you? Did someone pay you?”

“It was Thomas.”

“Thomas isn’t real.”

“I was just kidding, Ted.”

“Don’t kid.”

“Ever?”

“Now. Don’t kid now.”

“I used Dad’s saw.”

“You got it out of the toolshed to cut down the town Christmas tree?”

“I’m a responsible carpenter, Ted. You are too. We’re both responsible carpenters.”

“That was not exactly being a responsible carpenter, Terrance! I don’t think Dad would have been too happy about that! I think . . . I think he might have revoked your privileges.”

It was a mean thing to say, a knife to the gut—but hadn’t Terrance stabbed him in the back by cutting down the tree? Terrance had cut down the tree?!

“Why, Terr?” Ted’s tone was harsh. He could hear it, but he couldn’t help it.

Terrance’s eyes brimmed. “Nick Cox decorated it, and you hate him. And trees grow, right, Ted? The town can plant a new one. Right? I did it for you. For brothers. Right, Ted?”

Ted put his head in his hands.

“Are you okay, Teddy?”

Ted reached out a hand and patted his brother’s shoulder. Another well-meaning gesture gone wrong. It was the story of their lives. “Oh, Terrance.”

“It’s okay, right, Ted?”

“Yeah. It’s okay. It’s okay.”

Terrance shuddered the way Jillian used to when she was little, when she’d just completed a long crying jag and was coming into herself again.

Ted would buy a new tree, and plant it, one that was already a good height, ten to twelve feet—make amends that way. The way Cox should have. It would be kind of embarrassing, but Ted could stand it for Terrance’s sake. And it was just one tree. Cox was to blame for the bulk of the damage in town. He’d been the one to inspire Terrance. Terrance never would have thought of cutting down a tree if Cox hadn’t been cutting down all the little ones. He was still the real culprit. Ted would catch him yet.

Meanwhile, there were more pressing matters at hand. “You didn’t hurt anyone?”

He shook his head. “I was careful.”

“I mean, that’s all you did?”

Terrance shook his head no.

Ted sighed. “What else did you do?”

“I pulled up some little trees when I was mad,” Terrance said.