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I shook my head, frowning at the realization that maybe all those people I hung out with in school, who made me feel so popular and cool, weren’t really my friends at all. None of them had ever shown me the kindness June had.
“That card you gave me was the kindest thing I received during that time. What you said in your letter … Well, those words are probably the reason I fell in love with you.” It came off my tongue so casually, and she blinked in surprise before a pink blush grew up her neck and tinged her ears.
There was a long period of silence between us as I waited for her to say something—anything—but it never came. Instead, she cleared her throat and redirected.
“The mission?”
“Right,” I swallowed my fears and hurt, pushing on, “since it’s Ma’s last Christmas, my brothers wanted me to find the ‘perfect tree’ while I was out here and chop it down to bring home with me when I go back. Can you help me with that?”
She smiled as she nodded. “Of course, let’s go.”
We got dressed and headed outside. While I grabbed the chainsaw, June waited by the sled and looked it over like it was a hieroglyphic.
“There’s no brake. How do you brake?”
“Want me to teach you how to drive it?” I finished tucking the chainsaw into the small trailer we’d be towing before straightening and coming around to face her.
“Oh, I don’t know. I’m not sure that would be a good idea.”
“Why because you crashed your car?” I teased her with a grin before tapping her playfully on the ass, “climb on, I’ll sit behind you.”
She gave me a look but didn’t argue as she straddled the sled and waited for my next instruction. Climbing on behind her, I slid in close so she could hear me in her ear. “This is the accelerator,” I showed her, adjusting her grip on the handlebar so she could hold it. “And this is the brake here, like a bike.” I set her left hand on the other side and showed her.
“If you take your hand off the accelerator, the snowmobile will slow and eventually stop, but if you need to brake quickly, let go of the accelerator and then squeeze the brake. Otherwise, driving it is like driving a bike, only a bit wider, so account for that when you’re steering it through the brush. Got it?”
“Uh, no. But we’ll see, I suppose.”
I slid my arms around her waist and grinned to myself as I snuggled in against her. There was no doubting how much I loved the feel of her between my thighs. Even through my snow pants, she could feel my hard-on. Good. I wanted her to know how much she drove me wild.
Wrapping my hands around her stomach, I stole a cheeky squeeze of her breast before leaning in and whispering in her ear. “I love having so much to hold onto.”
She chuckled and then turned to look at me, “ready?” Before I even had the chance to say something, she revved the engine, and we took off in a jolt.
june
Those words echoedin my head for the entire drive.I love having so much to hold onto.
So much.I couldn’t un-hear that or make myself stop thinking about it. What did it mean? Was he a chubby chaser? Was it a dig? I couldn’t decide.
The snow crunched under my boots as we circled trees, looking for the ‘perfect’ one, but my mind wasn’t on Christmas. It was on the gorgeous man ahead of me who could, for all I know, but using this situation where I was forced next to him to set up the longest, most elaborate ruse that only ended in my getting hurt.
“How about this one?” I looked at the tree he was staring at, and I stepped closer. He was 6’4, and it was towering over him.
“How high are the ceilings at your mom’s because this is at least eight feet tall, maybe even nine.” Evan looked up, staring at the tip of the tree for a second. “And you have to account for whatever tree topper you have.”
“Angel,” he said absently, making me look back at him sharply.
“What’s that?”
“It’s an angel,” he smiled as he turned back to me, “it was my grandmother’s. I remember it from an early Christmas before she passed.”
“Oh, well, you’ll want to account for that too when you consider it. Otherwise,” I circled the tree, trying to assess it, but all I could hear were those words still.So much to hold onto. Fuck, was there a way to wash my brain?
“It’s nice and full, right? And straight too? I don’t think the height will be a problem, the homestead has massive floor-to-ceiling windows in the living room, and it’s like ten feet in there.” He came around the tree and smiled at me, sliding his hand through mine as he threaded our fingers together. “This is it, isn’t it? Do you think you’ll want to come over and help with the decorating?”
Turning from the tree to him, I took in his face trying to decide if this was all a game and I was falling for it hook, line, and sinker.
“It’s the one.” I agreed, but my voice sounded distant even to me. Not that Evan noticed. Squeezing my fingers, he released me to go and get the chainsaw. It felt like a movie as I watched him start it up, bringing the blade to the trunk, and carefully he began to cut it. He seemed to know what he was doing without asking me for help as he pulled out a bundle of twine from the sled and wrapped the tree before attaching it to the trailer.
