by Maddy Reeves
“This is still blowing my mind over here. The last time I talked to you, he was horrible to you. Now, you like him, like him. I wish I could meet him. What are you going to do?”
“I don’t know…what can I do? I don’t want to be unprofessional. I’m working for his parents, so getting involved with their son seems like a conflict of interest. Then again, I know Frankie and Ed wouldn’t care one bit if we started dating. Did I tell you that Frankie asked me to stay on and work for them at the farm?”
“Really? What are you going to do?”
“I haven’t given her an answer yet, but I’m leaning toward staying. I’m enjoying myself. I like the farm; the people are so nice.”
“You have a crush on Clay…”
“Yes, I do. Is it wrong of me to stay for him?”
“No. Do what makes you happy. You deserve to be happy. And if he doesn’t make you happy, and ends up hurting you instead, I’ll come back to Willowdale and kick his butt.”
“There it is! I was waiting for that to come up again.”
“You know what I mean. Be careful, Naomi. I don’t think Clay is like the other boys you’ve dated, and you’re so vulnerable right now.”
I promise Kendra that I’ll be careful before saying goodnight and suggesting she go to bed and sleep off the wine. Before I go to sleep, I decide to tell Frankie that I accept her offer and I’ll stay to work the farm as long as she needs my help.
Chapter 17
The busiest day of the season arrives, and the weather couldn’t be more perfect. There are still piles of snow as far as the eye can see, but the temperatures have risen just enough to bring everyone out. The small designated parking area is overflowing, and people are parking on the road. It’s everything I hoped for when I accepted this job.
It’s just before lunch when Clay walks into the cottage and pulls me away from my duties, replacing me with another staff member.
“Naomi, this is my friend Sam. We went to high school together back in the day and now he works with the local paper.”
“Paper, yes, but we have an even larger online presence now. It’s the way of the future.”
Sam and I shake hands and exchange pleasantries.
“We wanted to show you some of the improvements we’ve made,” I tell him. “We want to get the word out, bring in new customers.”
We walk around the farm together, Clay showing off all of the things his family farm has to offer. Sam takes photos, and jots notes. Everything is going as planned.
We’re by the barn, showing Sam the animals we’ve just added for the weekend, when Clay surprises me by hitting me with a snowball.
“What the heck?” I brush myself off, feigning annoyance, and then pick up my own clump of snow and toss it back at him.
He’s laughing until the snowball I throw hits him in the face. I run over and brush it off, apologizing profusely but unable to stop giggling.
“Don’t take a picture of this!” Sam is snapping away while I use the sleeve of my coat to dry his face.
“They’re actually really good,” Sam says. “It’s carefree and fun. It shows that the tree farm isn’t just for families, couples can have a good time here, too.”
We both fall into an awkward silence after being categorized as a couple. Thankfully it doesn’t last long, because Sam has everything he needs for the article and is ready to leave. Clay walks me back to the cottage where we go our separate ways. Of course, the only thing I can think about, even with the mad rush of business, is what it would be like if we really were a couple.
I’m counting the cash registers to close up for the day when Clay stops into the cottage.
“Today was such a great day. I don’t think we’ve ever been this busy.” He leans over the counter and watches me while I finish counting.
“It was awesome.”
“Do you need to head back right away? If not, I wanted to show you something.”
“Yeah? What did you want to show me?”
“It’s a surprise.”
“Hmmm, I’m intrigued. Let me lock up the money, and we’ll be good to go.”
Moments later, he leads me toward the barn, and I’m truly confused as to what it is he wants to show me. He pushes the door back and there’s a small two-person sleigh sitting just inside the doors with a beautiful horse harnessed in front.
“Oh my gosh! You guys have a sleigh? How did I not know this?”
“We never had a horse to pull it until today. Without the horse, it’d be difficult to get very far. Shall we?” He points to the seat at the same moment my mouth goes dry and I have a small rush of adrenaline.
“We’re going on a sleigh ride?” It’s impossible to hide my excitement.
As soon as he nods, I rush forward and sit in the seat, sliding over so Clay can join me. He tucks the blanket over our laps and flicks the reins. The horse jolts forward, and we’re sliding along the snow. He leads us around toward the trail the wagons take every day. White lights are hanging from tall poles, lighting our way as the sun sets.
“Are you warm enough?” Clay’s voice is quieter than usual, like he doesn’t want to speak at his normal volume in case it ruins the moment.
I snuggle closer to his side and nod, pulling the blanket tightly around us.
“This is a really great surprise. I had no idea what you had on your mind.” He looks pleased with himself…and relaxed. “Country life agrees with you.”
“I’ve missed being home. Now that I’m here, I feel like I need to make up for lost time. Hey, my Mom mentioned you decided to stay on until Christmas.”
I nod, opening my mouth to reply, but he beats me to it.
“I’m glad.”
“Me too.”
“I decided to stay longer too. Levi loves it here, and I forgot how much fun it is working the tree farm. Everyone’s in such a good mood, no one’s yelling about missing a deadline or screaming at me over the phone.”
“You’re right about that…it is a happy place.”
“I wanted to apologize for being so hard on you when you first got here.”
“Oh, that’s okay. It seems like a long time ago now.”
“Still. I’m embarrassed about it, looking back. My dad was right, I never would’ve acted like that before I left. And things have been stressing me out lately, but it wasn’t fair to take it out on you.”
“Your Dad tried to set you straight, huh?”
“Oh, he certainly did. They both did.”
“They love you, and you guys are lucky to have each other. Not to mention all of the great memories you’re making with the tree farm.”
We ride in a comfortable silence. My face is starting to get cold now that the sun is down, but there’s no way I’m going to suggest going back.
“I never got the chance to ask before,” Clay says, sounding almost nervous, “but there’s no boyfriend waiting back in Minnesota for you, is there?”
“No.” I shake my head, unable to stop myself from laughing.
He doesn’t say anything else about it, but I’m left feeling a bit breathless. After numerous cloudy days in a row, the sky is clear tonight, stars scattered across the sky as far as I can see.
“It’s a beautiful night.” I rest my head against the back of the sleigh as I look up into the sky.
“There’s something about the sky out here. Will you think less of my intelligence if I say I think the sky is more brilliant here than it is in New York?” he asks.
“No, I don’t think that’s crazy at all.”
He stops the horse, and points through a clearing in the trees. “Just over there is my favorite place on the whole farm.” I look closely but don’t see anything that distinguishes it from any other part of the farm.
“Is that where your dad and I found you? When you disappeared on the four-wheeler?”
He nods. “When you sit at the top of the incline, you can see for miles and miles. Time moves a little slower up there. I know, it sounds stupid, b
ut I feel this lightening inside, like nothing is really as bad as it seems.”
“I don’t think that’s stupid at all.” I take a deep breath, and gaze at Clay’s special place, touched that he’s chosen to share it with me. After a moment, I look at him with a smile, only to find he’s watching me closely…intently.
“You have the most beautiful eyes. When you look at me like that, I wonder if you can see me…who I really am.”
My breath catches in my throat, and I’m caught in his gaze.
He slowly pulls off his glove, then brushes his warm fingers against the cold of my cheek.
“You’re so cold,” he says, brushing his hand against my skin. But his words are meaningless. All I can think about are his full lips, leaning toward me. His eyes pull me in, his breath warm on my mouth. Just as I close my eyes and lean into the kiss, a horn sounds behind us, and I practically jump out of my skin.
“Clay!” Ed yells from his truck. “Gary’s here for the animals. You need to bring the horse back.”
Clay leans back against the sleigh, exhaling loudly.
“I’m so sorry about that,” he says, flicking the reigns to get the horse moving again. “Looks like we have to head back for tonight.”
I laugh in an effort to combat how fast my heart is pounding away in my chest. Ed couldn’t have had worse timing if he tried.
Chapter 18
The following night I’m back at the motel when there’s a knock on my door.
“What is this?” I pull open the door as Clay steps inside, carrying a small pine tree. The room immediately fills with the scent of pine as he leans it against the wall next to the TV.
“You mentioned you missed having a tree. I didn’t see why we couldn’t give you one.”
He steps back outside while I’m planted to the floor, shocked by his thoughtfulness. He’s back moments later with a brown box, a small tree stand balancing on the top.
“Do you think I’ll get in trouble with the motel?” It seems like a silly thing to worry about, but they’ve been really nice about letting me stay for an extended length of time. I would hate to do something that would make them think twice about their kindness.
“As long as you turn the lights off when you’re not here, I’d think it would be okay.” He looks around the room once everything is inside. “Where do you want it?”
“How about next to the TV?” After pointing to the spot, Clay places the tree stand on the floor before slipping the trunk inside.
I do my best to hold the top of the tree steady while Clay works his magic tightening the stand. It takes a little maneuvering before it’s in just right but once it is, we step back to admire it.
“You picked a nice tree.” In fact, it’s just what I would’ve picked if I had my choice. The needles are short but abundant on the branches. It’s also the perfect shape with a perfectly straight trunk.
“I like to think I have a lot of experience in that department. And this is my favorite kind. The needles stay on longer, and the tree looks fresher for longer.”
“This is your specialty so I’ll take your word for it.”
I open the box and pull out the strands of lights, untangling them and plugging in each strand to make sure it works before we put it on the tree. As soon as I begin wrapping the first strand around the bottom of the tree, Clay stands on the opposite side and helps. We get into a good routine of wrapping the lights around the branches before passing the rest of the strand off to the other person to finish the other side.
“When are your parents going to put up their tree? They seem like the type of people that would’ve had it up first thing in November.”
“We did it today, actually. Levi picked it out, a huge one that barely fits in the living room. We had to cut the top branches off to keep it from scraping against the ceiling. He had a blast decorating it, though. My dad brought in the step ladder so he could climb all the way to the top. He thought that was pretty cool. And he only dropped three ornaments. I’d say that’s a successful tree decorating with a four-year-old.”
“He’s the sweetest little boy. You’ve done such a good job with him.” I want to compliment him but I’m still unsure of what’s okay to say and what I should keep to myself. I don’t know what he’s interested in sharing with me even though he seems to be opening up more and more every day.
“He’s happy here, that’s for sure. I’m hopeful that he’ll have some great memories of Christmas at the farm.”
“My parents gave me a new ornament for our tree every year at Christmas. By the time I was ready for my own tree, I had a decent collection. I love the ones that play music or have characters that talk. They’re so fun, and creative.”
“Sorry to disappoint, but I don’t have anything that fancy for you. If you need more ornaments, though, I know a place you could shop.”
“Whatever you brought is going to be perfect. I still can’t believe you did this. It’s already looking much cozier in here.”
“You always seem a little down when you leave at the end of the day. I imagine it isn’t easy coming back to an empty motel room. I thought this might help.”
I’m strangely flattered that he’d notice the change in my mood. He’s right. I’m always a little down when it comes time to leave the farm. There’s nothing wrong with the motel, but it isn’t home and it will never feel like home. Honestly, I’m beginning to worry that it isn’t going to feel like home anymore when I go back to Minnesota, either. But these are all things I can deal with when it’s time.
“It is a little depressing.” We reach the top of the tree, wrapping the last of the lights. “But surprisingly, I really like Willowdale. Some small towns can be creepy. But I don’t get that vibe here. It’s cute and cozy. I can see it growing over time. There’s a lot of space for developments.”
“There you go again, thinking like the marketing expert that you are.”
After we string the lights, he helps me hang the ornaments. When it’s finished, we sit on the edge of the bed and admire our handy work. The tree is beautiful, and his thoughtfulness is overwhelming in this moment. But above all of that, I just enjoy having him here with me.
“First a sleigh ride, now this. What are you going to come up with next?” He looks almost shy when I sneak a peek at him. And honestly, I don’t know what has brought about the changes in him.
“I’ll think of something.”
“I like your confidence.”
Silence falls between us again. The air around us is fully charged with tension as my pulse races with the anticipation of the unknown of what comes next.
“I’ll tell you something else I’ve been thinking about.”
His words carry so much meaning. As soon as I turn my head to ask him what it is, his fingers brush over my cheek, his eyes so focused on mine it makes me dizzy. He silently asks my permission, and there’s nothing inside of me in this moment that could deny him. I lean forward just an inch and his mouth meets mine. Slow and soft. My senses are overwhelmed by the roughness of his fingers on my face and the silkiness of his lips against my own. The same scent from his T-shirt all those nights ago surrounds me as I lose myself in our kiss.
When he pulls away, my heart is racing so fast I worry I might pass out from the thrill of it all. My cheeks are pink, my eyes glassy as I smile shyly at him.
“Better than I imagined it would be,” he says.
I want to agree with him, but I can’t find the words. My mind is too jumbled to organize my thoughts into what I want to say.
“I should get back. I told Levi I’d be home to tuck him into bed.”
I struggle to ground myself back to this hotel room and remember my surroundings as I stand up to walk him to the door.
“I’ll see you tomorrow?”
“See you tomorrow.” He slips out of the door where I stand and watch him. He’s almost shut the door when I remember myself again. “Thank you for the tree!”
In response, he waves. I watch him
from the doorway until the taillights have disappeared. This time, when I close the door and find myself alone again…it doesn’t feel quite so empty. Not with the colorful lights and ornaments here to keep me company. It’s difficult to believe this is the same man I ran into in the airport all those weeks ago.
He’s changed. Being home has smoothed out his sharp edges.
But it doesn’t take me long to remember Kendra’s warning. He isn’t like any man I’ve ever met before, and he still has a lot of baggage that I know nothing about. But for tonight, I let myself relax and enjoy every moment of our first kiss.
Chapter 19
I arrive at the farm the next day full of nerves after such a significant night for Clay and me. If there’s anything I’ve come to expect from Clay, it’s quickly changing moods that leave me scrambling to catch up. I’m under the counter, pulling merchandise out of boxes to refill the shelves when the little bell above the door dings. My arms are full of merchandise, and I’m surprised to see Clay standing at the counter with a smile on his handsome face.
“This is an unexpected surprise.” The surge of adrenaline inside of me from seeing Clay worries me because I know what it means. I’m getting swept up in the excitement of this new thing, even though I have no idea what’s really happening or if anything good can come of it. After I set everything on the counter, he takes my now empty hand.
“Did you remember to turn off the Christmas lights before you left this morning?” He smirks playfully, his calloused thumb rubbing over the back of my hand.
“Yes,” I say simply.
He takes a deep, relaxing breath. “Good. I didn’t want to get in trouble with the motel staff.”
His eyes shine a little brighter today, and my nerves instantly calm knowing he doesn’t seem to regret kissing me last night.