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“Yes,” I say, drawing it out. She seemed quick to change subjects. Am I missing something huge with Nick? Some secret that everyone in this town knows but me.
“Should I be worried? You two seem bewildered that Nick wants anything to do with Christmas. Honestly, it’s a fun challenge for me. I’ve never had to convince anyone of the magic of Christmas before.”
Both of them nod slowly in unison but don’t respond.
“I could offer another match if you’d like,” Juliet finally says. “If Nick becomes too much of a Scrooge.”
I’m not sure I know what they mean. Sure Nick seems a little grumpy about the holiday, but I’ve been around plenty of real-life Scrooges before and they’re far more vocal than he’s been.
Maybe…
A few thoughts pop into my mind but I shake them off for now. If he hates Christmas as much as Quinn and Juliet believe, then he’d never suffer through the festivities I’m about to put him through. Not even for me. And I wouldn’t want him to.
I shake my head. “No. I think I’d break Dasher’s heart if I kicked Nick out. I’ve never seen him so smitten with anyone before.”
Dasher spins around beneath my legs as soon as I say Nick. He’shooked. But then again… I might be too.
I never thought I’d like someone who doesn’t like Christmas. I’ll spend the rest of my time trying to bring him over to the light side. We’ve got gingerbread, hot chocolate, and most importantly, mistletoe.
* * *
Nerves swellin my chest the whole way up the mountain. I’m not sure what to expect but I’m excited to see what Nick has planned for me. I’ve never looked for trees with anyone other than my family.
I hope he’s able to keep up because I know exactly the kind of tree I’m after, and I’ll sort through as many stacks of them as I need to in order to find the perfect one. Usually, the Christmas tree would already be up by now—backups on standby—but I’m a little out of my element this year.
It’s not until I pull up to the cabin and find Nick standing outside dressed in full-flannel, including a trapper hat that I realize just how far out of my element I am.
He’s holding an axe, shouldering some rope, and there’s a small sled next to him. Or maybe it looks small because he’s so big.
“We’re not cutting down a tree are we?” I ask when I get out of my car.
Nick just stares at me with the widest smile I’ve ever seen.
“Are we?” I ask again even though I already know the answer.
What did I get myself into?
Chapter5
Nick
I wasfourteen the last time I cut down a Christmas tree. Once I was able to handle an axe, my dad and I would roam the mountain on one of his friends’ properties until we found the perfect tree. We’d be at it most of the day, trekking through snow and fighting off the cold with a few thermos’ filled with my mother’s stew. Another one filled with hot chocolate.
My mom always tried to convince my dad to pick one up at a tree lot, but he’d never budge. And after a few Christmas excursions with him, neither would I. It was our tradition, after all.
It’s a different experience, braving the wilderness to find the perfect tree. Sometimes we’d run into mountain men hunting or fishing or collecting firewood. We never talked much during the excursions, but sometimes he’d share a story about my grandpa I hadn’t heard, or some strange fact about Christmas I never knew.
I looked forward to this all year. Much like he did with his father. I always thought I’d carry on the tradition with my son or daughter, but I guess life had a different path for me.
But maybe I can start it with Eva.
I glance at her over my shoulder. Her cheeks and nose are a pale pink from the cold—the only parts of her exposed to the wintry air. Even though the sun’s hiding behind a blanket of gray sky, she looks radiant—as gorgeous bundled up as she does naked.
Whew.That’s a sight I won’t forget any time soon. Every inch of her body was imprinted on my mind in an instant.
“We’ll take a break up here,” I say.
“Finally going to show me what’s in that big red sack?”
