“Yeah. It’s just a thing. Silly. Come on.” He grabbed her hand and tugged her out from under the mistletoe. “But no sense taking a chance on ticking off the Mistletoe Adherence Committee.”
“We don’t have one of those where I come from.”
“You better stick close to me then.”
“You’re going to keep me safe?”
“Only if you stay very close.” He watched her swallow back whatever it was she was thinking. He hoped maybe she was thinking exactly what he was. That maybe it wouldn’t be so bad.
Not moving a muscle, he waited until she finally looked down at her watch. “I better get back to Natalie and Amanda. We intendto pull an all-nighter and get our tree done so we can free up our schedules for the rest of the week.”
“All night?”
“That’s allowed, isn’t it?”
“Sure. The night shifts from the plant and the hospital will be here. There won’t be too many people overnight, but sure it can be done.” He liked the way her lips curved up at the corners. “Mind if I check in on you before I leave for the night?”
She paused, and for a moment, he regretted asking. “I think I’d like that.”
Sheila turned and walked away.
He inhaled deeply and, just before his fist pumped in celebration, she turned and smiled, waving to him. Almost busted.
He jogged over toward the fire department tree and saved his celebration for when he was out of view.
His heart pounded as hard as that day he made the sixty-yard run to the winning touchdown. A rush like no other that left him a little lightheaded.
You couldn’t put this feeling on a Christmas list.
This might be the best Christmas ever, and the big day is still a week away.
Chapter Nineteen
Sheila could barely keep from running back to Natalie and Amanda.Was there something in that hot chocolate, or was Tucker really that easy to be with?Feeling giddy over it, she took an extra loop through another path of trees, trying to calm herself down before she reached Natalie, else they’d be teasing her like no tomorrow about him.
Walking through the maze of Fraser and Canaan firs, and white balsam, not to be confused with the eastern white pine, which had the long soft needles, as Tucker had explained, she smiled so wide her cheeks ached. She spotted a huge Norway spruce with the giant pine cones. Feeling like a winner onJeopardy!,she twirled in appreciative satisfaction for identifying each of the species now that Tucker had explained each of them.
I’m practically a Christmas tree aficionado now.
Most of the trees were still bare except for a paper sign with the sponsor’s name on it, but the ones that the teams were busy at work on were all pretty amazing. This event was a lot more impressive than she’d expected.
She finally came to the aisle where she’d left her friends, andwhen she got to their tree, she stopped. Completely unbiased, she could say the Feathered Friends Home for the Holidays tree had an enchanting way about it. The natural elements, birdhouses, and pine cones were dusted with the lightest strokes of sparkly iridescent paint, as if Jack Frost had just kissed them, which brought it all together in a resplendent way.
“Impressive!” It was honestly the best word to describe their tree. She clapped her hands together in a slow, methodical bravo. “Maybe I should let y’all finish without me.”
“She’s back!” Amanda set down the pot of glittery paint and her brush and rushed to Sheila’s side. “I was beginning to wonder if you ran off with Tucker.”
“Or ditched us,” teased Natalie. She walked straight up to Sheila. “Yep. I sense a certain sparkle in those eyes. One that’s been missing for way too long.”
Sheila squeezed her eyes shut and turned away from Natalie, pretending to fix an ornament on a tree. “Stop. It was just hot chocolate.”
“Oh, that is not a hot-chocolate-sugar-high smile,” Natalie said with a smirk. “And hot chocolate doesn’t take that long.”
“I took a couple calls from the office too.”
“At night? Over the holidays? You have got to cut those apron strings, Sheila. I thought you said they are capable.”
“They are.”
