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“I’d love to.” It would be so easy to love him. I just had to stop worrying about the what-ifs.
Twenty-Two
Heath
It didn’t bother me that she hadn’t said she loved me. After our talk in the cab, I think I knew what was going on. She was scared, but I was confident she wouldn’t run. At least not yet. I’d show her a good time this holiday season. I’d show her love and joy, and there was no way she could walk away from us.
She fit on the Monroe farm with me and my family. She had to see that. And it all started with decorating the tree in the cabin.
At home, I set the tree up in the family room, near the large window.
“Have you ever put up a tree before?”
“I have but not here. We usually put one at the main house, and that’s it. Knox and Emmett got one for the first time last year. But Mom had hopes for us, because she bought each of us a set of decorations for a tree, the mantle, and our porches. I just never used much of it before. If I have time, I’ll decorate the porch, but this year, I’ll do it for Addy and Ember. It would be fun to set up a carriage ride for them to see everyone’s porches. We should make it a contest.”
“Are you sure that’s a good idea? I have a feeling you boys get crazy competitive, and it ends in—”
“Fighting?”
“Yeah,” she said with a laugh.
I’d started the fire when we came home, and it illuminated Marley from behind, making her hair appear even redder than it was. She looked like an angel. One who didn’t know her worth but was just starting to believe in it.
I chuckled. “We can’t have be wrestling on the ground. We’ll keep it family-friendly.”
We went downstairs to find the carefully packed decorations. Each box was labeled, so it made it easy to get what we needed and stack them in the living room.
“We need music,” Marley said as she scrolled through her playlist until she found what she wanted. She hit play, and familiar holiday music filled the room.
We worked together, adding hooks to the ornaments and arranging them on the tree. I got the ones higher up, and she concentrated on the lower half. When we were finished, I pulled out the colorful star and put it on the top. I plugged in the lights, and we stood back to admire it.
I wrapped an arm around her shoulder and pulled her into my side. “Isn’t it beautiful?”
“It’s the best tree I’ve ever decorated.”
I glanced down at her. “Did you help Lila with the ones at the inn?”
Marley nodded. “She always had a different theme for each one. Blue or beach-themed. Red or just green. They were so elegant. I dreamed of having a place where I could do the same. But a Christmas tree against the backdrop of the ocean isn’t the same.”
“I can’t blame you, but while you’re here, it makes sense.” It made the room more festive. “It feels like Christmas now.”
Usually, I dreaded the start of the season because it meant more work for me. I had to juggle my construction business with the farm, and it left no time for me. This year, I was working on the inn, and I wasn’t in a rush to finish it. When it was completed, Marley would have to make a decision. Neither of us was ready for that.
“Want some hot chocolate?” I wasn’t ready for the evening to end. I wanted to gaze at the tree and let the magic of the season wrap around us.
“That would be nice.”
“Why don’t you sit on the couch and enjoy the lights. It’ll just take me a few minutes to warm the milk.” Mom bought us fancy hot chocolate last year, and I hadn’t had a chance to use it yet.
I waited until Marley moved out of my arms and sat on the couch. She curled her legs under her, and I pulled a throw blanket off the back of the couch to cover her.
When she smiled up at me, I braced a hand on the couch and leaned down to kiss her softly. I had more plans for tonight, but they could wait. I wanted to spread her out on the couch while the lights illuminated her naked skin.
I adjusted myself once I was in the kitchen. We were compatible in the bedroom. I wanted to show her how we could be in real life. That I’d always take care of her no matter how busy or crazy the farm got. She came first.
Excited that I had a plan, I pulled out the mugs while I waited for the milk to boil. Then I carefully scooped a few tablespoons of cocoa into the steaming milk.
I placed a candy cane in each one, along with a few mini marshmallows I kept on hand for Addy and Ember. Then I carried them into the room. “I didn’t have candy cane shavings.”
