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“You have to taste it,” Addy said pointedly, and Knox dutifully lifted the mug to take a sip.
“Mmm. It’s delicious.”
“Mommy always makes the real kind. Not instant.”
“It’s good,” Knox said with a wink in my direction, which heated my entire body.
I shrugged off the cardigan I wore and filled a glass with ice water. I needed to cool down fast.
Addy frowned. “You don’t want hot chocolate?”
“I’m just really thirsty.”
Thankfully, Addy accepted my explanation.
I avoided Knox’s gaze. He was young and most likely single, or at least not looking for a relationship with a single mother. I worked from home and, in general, felt frumpy. I wasn’t old, but I didn’t go out to the bars or hang out with girlfriends. I was more concerned about homework and soccer practice than going out and meeting anyone.
Addy stirred her hot chocolate with a spoon and drank from the mug. The liquid spilled onto the table and her shirt.
Before I could move, Knox grabbed a paper towel from the roll on the counter and mopped up the mess. “Don’t want you to get it on your sleeve.”
“Thanks, Knox,” Addy said to him, and Knox’s entire body relaxed. His lips stretched into a smile. “You’re welcome.”
I’d never seen another man interact with Addy like this. No one besides my father. It was heartwarming.
“Would you help me with a puzzle?” Addy scrambled off the bench and headed toward the living room without waiting for Knox.
“If you need to go…” I said quietly.
Knox winked at me. “Let me see what this puzzle looks like.” Then he followed Addy into the living room, where we’d set up a card table and chairs. We enjoyed working on puzzles all winter.
I used to do them with my grandmother and passed the tradition on to my daughter. This puzzle was a silly one of a snowy mountain. There was a ski lodge, a lift, skiers, people drinking hot chocolate, and a group of people decorating trees. Each time we sat down to do it, we discovered a new scene. It was so busy it took some time to take it all in.
“Wow. This is a big one,” Knox said as he sat in the chair.
Addy chewed on her lip as she searched for the piece she wanted.
I turned on my holiday music playlist. “Is this okay?”
“It’s perfect,” Knox said.
“You don’t get sick of the holiday stuff after working at a tree farm and decorating the entire neighborhood?”
Knox sighed. “Mom pumps the holiday music in the shop and by the tree lot. I work in the fields, so it’s not too bad.”
“You get to cut the trees down?” Addy asked, sliding her piece into the spot.
“Sometimes. Or I assist with securing the trees on the tops of the cars. I go wherever I’m needed. My brother, Emmett, doesn’t like the crowds, so we let him work the fields.”
“Is he the one who had the girlfriend?” I asked him, curious to know more about his brothers.
Knox chuckled. “You’re never going to believe this, but Ireland was supposed to get married on the farm on Thanksgiving weekend.”
“To your brother?” I asked, a little confused.
Knox shook his head. “She was engaged to someone else. She discovered he was cheating on her right before she walked down the aisle. She ran through the fields, hoping to have a quiet place to think, and ran into Emmett. He hung out with her for a while, and then they got snowed in at his cabin for a few days.”
“Are you saying their relationship formed after she ran from her own wedding?” I asked carefully.
