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My heart clenched. I hoped I could say the same, and soon. Because I was so ready to let go of the regrets and what-ifs.
Heath clasped my shoulder. “Good luck with Holly. I hope you get what you need.”
I shrugged him off. “Get out of here; some of us need to work.”
“That’s the brother I know and love.” Heath made his way to the door and paused in the doorway. “Although if you decided to be a little less grumpy, I’d be all for it.”
I cleared my throat. “Let’s not get our hopes up just yet.”
“I’m rooting for you.”
The thought of me and Holly rekindling our relationship seemed almost too good to be true. Just in case, I wanted to make a move while I was still fresh in her mind.
Can you get away from your work for the afternoon? We have a tree to cut.
Holly sent an image of the ornaments in various stages of progress and a caption.
I’d love to.
Great. See you soon.
It felt good to play hooky from work. This thing with Holly felt good on every level.
I let myself get lost in my work again, and when I felt someone’s gaze, I lifted my safety goggles and sucked in a breath at the image of Holly at the door. She dressed for a hike in cold weather in jeans, boots, and a puffy jacket, but she’d never looked more beautiful to me.
Her cheeks were flushed from the cold, and her hair was mussed as if it was windy outside.
“How long have you been standing there?” I asked, gripping the edge of my table so I wouldn’t cross the room and pull her into my arms.
She moved across the room toward me, her gaze drifting to the table. “Not long. You looked so intense. What are you working on?”
“It’s a personal project.” I’d only just begun forming the metal I’d need to create her ornament stand, and I hoped she wouldn’t recognize it for what it was.
Her brow raised. “You’re making something for yourself?”
I sighed and ran a hand through my hair. “It’s for someone in the family.”
“Ah.”
“I don’t usually have time to make anything for myself.”
I wondered what she thought of my space. I had everything I needed to work with metal, the largest being the forge and the anvil. The tools were hung neatly on the wall.
“You don’t have those amazing lighting fixtures in your house?”
“When Heath built the house, he wanted me to pick something from a store, and I couldn’t do it. All the lighting is custom.”
“Can I see it?” Holly asked, excitement filling her voice. “I didn’t get a good look when I was there this morning.”
“Of course.” I put down my equipment and made sure everything was turned off before I turned out the lights and closed the door.
As we made our way across the worn path between the shed and my cabin, I asked, “I didn’t interrupt your work, did I? I hate when my siblings show up unannounced.”
“My back was starting to ache. I needed to take a break,” Holly said as she opened the door to the cabin.
Then she moved past the kitchen and into the living room where I had large windows showcasing a field of Christmas trees. She moved in a circle as if taking everything in, the stonework on the fireplace, the wood beams, and the rustic features. “This is amazing.”
“I can’t take any credit for it. This is all Heath. He said he knew what I’d like, and he was mostly right.”
