“Yes, I think so,” Madison replied, with a smile .
“So, we’ve got Blue firs, Omorika firs, Fraser firs and Norwegian spruces,” he said, leading them around. “They’ve got different attributes and drawbacks –”
As he explained what each of the features were, Madison glanced at him surreptitiously. Brock Fletcher. She knew exactly who he was. She’d only been pretending that she couldn’t remember him too well. And he hadn’t gotten any less hot over the years. In fact, adulthood had made him even more handsome. In high school, she’d admired him from afar. He was one of a group of bear shifters. They’d always kept to themselves and been unofficially out of bounds. As in, girls weren’t banned from dating them, but they never seemed interested, and it was always assumed that humans would date humans and shifters would date shifters. But he’d still been the subject of many of her teenage fantasies. Even when he was 15, he’d been more manly than the human boys in her class, and she’d often wondered what it would be like to date a shifter .
“So, what’s it to be?” Brock said, and Madison realized that he was looking directly at her, with those glowing hazel eyes. She jolted back to reality, flushing. She’d been drifting away on daydreams, listening to the sound of his voice – which was deep, gravelly and resonant – instead of his words .
“Auntie Madison?” Abbey said, patting her arm .
“Sorry! I was a little overwhelmed,” she said trying to recover fast .
“I reckon the Blue fir’s the best, with that lovely blue tinge,” Karen jumped in .
“Yes, I agree,” Madison said, trying to sound like the smart, decisive woman she was, rather than a dizzy schoolgirl .
“Great. That would be my choice too,” Brock said, giving her a smile that sent a shiver all the way through her body. “And what height are you looking for ?”
“Uh, well I have high ceilings – maybe 11 feet high. So, I guess quite a tall one ?”
“Maybe nine foot then. Like this one?” He pointed to a beautiful specimen with lovely, dense foliage. It was perfect. Madison clasped her hands together .
“Yes, that’s the one!” she said .
“Great. We can deliver if you like?” She wanted to say yes, just to give herself an excuse to see him again .
“Oh, that’s ok, my sister has a truck,” she found herself saying instead. For a fleeting moment, she thought he looked disappointed, before she told herself to stop being so silly. He has the looks of a god, and he probably has a bear shifter wife, who’s lovely and slender, and nothing like me at all , she told herself sternly .
“So, that’ll be $75,” he said. She gave him cash and he handed back some change, taking it out of a tool belt he wore around his waist. He’s so rough and ready, and masculine , she thought. Exactly how a guy should be, rather than the preening, backstabbing career-freaks I’ve been working with for the past ten years .
“Ok, we’re good to go. Which one’s your truck ?”
“This one.” She expected him to call one of the guys over to help him, but instead, he heaved the massive tree onto his shoulder and carried it over to the truck, laying it down casually, as if it weighed nothing .
“Thanks!” she said .
“All part of the service, ma’am,” he said with a jokey salute. “Here’s our number.” He handed her a business card. “Just give me a call after Christmas when you want the tree to be collected. Try to water it every day to give it the best chance of survival.” She nodded .
“I will .”
“And, if I don’t see you again, Merry Christmas to you all,” he said .
“Merry Christmas,” they all replied. He waved, and then he was gone, already talking to other customers .
“Somebody’s got a cru-ush!” Karen sang as they drove back up the mountainside .
“Stop!” Madison said, laughing. Then her cheeks warmed for the second time that day. “But, uh, was it that obvious?” Karen cackled .
“Only because I’m your sister. To the outside world, you looked like the model of a dignified lawyer .”
“Do Brock and his family live in Misty Hollow ?”
“I don’t think so. I actually never see them outside of their Christmas-tree business. I’ve got a feeling they live near the store but maybe I’m making that up .”
“And they’re all shifters, right ?”
“Yeah, I think so .”
“Interesting,” Madison said, worrying at her lip. Karen slid her a sly look .
“It is,” she said. “How long has it been since you and Digby divorced ?”
“Eight months .”
“And how long has it been since you and Digby, you know –?” She clicked her tongue .
“Maybe a year .”
“And how long has it been since you and anybody else –?” She clicked her tongue again .
“Uh, see previous answer.” Karen sighed .
“Sis, we’ve gotta fix that soon!” she said .
“I could say the same thing to you !”
“Yeah, but I’ve got other distractions.” Karen tilted her head towards Abbey, who was plugged into her phone. “You’ve got no excuse. And I know for a fact that right now, you’re wondering what it would be like to take a walk on the wild side, and get hot and heavy with a half-bear.” Madison giggled .
“Maybe,” she admitted. “He is good looking, isn’t he ?”
“Yup. Pretty much the best looking guy I’ve seen in the flesh. I mean, looks like that should be on the big screen. They’re wasted on Misty Hollow and a few old Christmas trees.” Madison sighed .
“What would he see in me ?”
“Errr a sexy lady with a sharp mind, a tender heart and a wicked sense of humor .”
“Or a dumpy, embittered woman with a failed marriage .”
“Please, you’re not dumpy. You’ve got a much better figure than me .”
“Nuh-uh,” Madison said, casting a critical eye over herself. She was wearing a mint green sweater that looked unstructured, but was actually tailored to be loose over her large bust and nipped in at the waist, and finished just above her thighs. She’d teamed it with some black skinny jeans and tan knee-high boots to make the most of her 5’7’’ frame. It was fine for going to the supermarket, but she wished she’d chosen something a little sexier. In the past, she’d employed a personal style consultant to help her choose clothes that made her look a little less curvy than she was, but she always had been, and would always be a big girl .
“And anyway,” Karen continued. “I’ve heard a rumor that they have a preference for curvy girls like you and me .”
“Shifters, you mean ?”
“Yup.” Madison was quiet while she reflected on Karen’s words .
“But why?” she said at last .
“Maybe because they’re so big, they like a woman with meat on her bones,” Karen replied, with a glint in her eye .
“Has anyone you know ever dated a shifter ?”
“Nope. So I only know this very anecdotally .”
“I’m sure he’s married anyway .”
“Mated.”
“Huh?”
“Bear shifters have mates.” Madison shuddered .
“Ooh, that’s – that’s –” she fanned herself with her hand .
“It is, right?” Karen agreed .
“I like that man. I think he’s really nice and handsome,” Abbey piped up .
“Who?”
“The one you’re talking about of course.” Karen groaned .
“You weren’t supposed to be listening, kiddo !”
“You were talking right in front of me .”
“But I thought you were absorbed in your game .”
“I can multi-task you know!” Abbey said, her big blue eyes wide open, and the two sisters collapsed into giggles .
“I think you should date that man. But if he’s got a wife already, then you should date someone else, so you can get pregnant and have a baby for me to play with .”
“And I think that’s an excellent idea,” Karen said, and Madison raised an eyebrow at her .
I t had begun to snow again and the tree had a light dusting of snowflakes on it by the time they were home. It took all three of them to lift it out of the truck and haul it inside. At last, it was standing in the center of Madison’s living room, lending a quiet beauty and grace to its surroundings. Madison gazed at it, thinking about Brock and his amazing strength. About the way he’d been so at ease around the trees, as if he was connected with the natural world in a way that had been lost to humans long ago .
“Oh, it’s beautiful!” Elsbeth exclaimed. She was sitting in front of the open fire, snuggled in a blanket .
“Were you okay by yourself, mom?” Karen said .
“Absolutely, darling. You know what a snuggly bug I am in the winter. I’ve just been reading a nice Christmas romance on my eReader and watching the snow .”
“Let’s decorate the tree!” Abbey butted in .
“Let’s have some mulled wine!” Karen said .
“I think these are both excellent ideas,” Madison said .
“Great! I’ve got a pan-full at home. I’ll just go pick it up,” Karen said, already running out the door .
Abbey took all of the decorations out of the cardboard box and spread them on the floor .
“Wow, you bought fairy lights too!” Madison unwound a long string of lights and wrapped them around the tree, standing on a chair to attach them to the highest branches. She plugged them into the mains and the tree was instantly illuminated with all the colors of the rainbow. Madison’s heart gave a little jump. She hadn’t felt at all Christmassy this year, since it was the first one she’d be spending without her husband, but now she was starting to feel a little tingle of Christmas magic .
Karen burst through the door, carrying what looked like a cauldron. She took it through to the kitchen and put it on the heat. Five minutes later, she was ladling out three mugs of delicious-smelling wine .
“Happy new Christmas tree!” she said, bumping mugs with her mom and sister. Madison grinned at her, loving the way that she was always ready to celebrate something. “Okay, let’s decorate this sucker !”
A lot of decorating later, and the tree was ready, heavily laden with lights, tinsel, baubles, and other knick-knacks that had been collected over the years .
T hey had more wine and ate dinner together, before Karen went home with Abbey and Madison helped her mom get ready for bed .
Things had changed so much in the past year, but maybe change wasn’t such a bad thing, especially if it brought her closer to her family, Madison thought, as she climbed under a soft comforter in her big, new bed. She sighed as she made herself cozy in the center of the bed. She didn’t miss Digby; all romance and intimacy had long been drained out of their marriage through years of late nights at work and failed attempts to get pregnant. But she missed being with a man. Independent as she was, she yearned for a big strong man who could wrap her in his arms and take care of her. As she stretched out in bed, her thoughts turned to Brock again. His big, muscular body, his strong, gentle way, those intense hazel eyes – like pools you could fall into and get lost forever. He had to be married – or mated. There was no way a guy like that, in his 30s, would be without a lady-bear. But a girl could dream .
2
B rock Fletcher’s thoughts had been in a jumble for the past couple of days. His uncle Grayson and cousin Riley kept asking him what was wrong, why he kept giving customers the wrong trees. The truth was, he still couldn’t process what had just happened. The woman he’d dreamed about, yearned for for so many years, ever since he first saw her at high school, had walked into his store and bought a Christmas tree. And told him that she’d just moved back to Misty Hollow .
He replayed their conversation again and again. Madison was even more beautiful than she’d been in her teens, when he’d admired her from afar. She’d grown into a stunning, curvy goddess, so poised and elegant that he’d been practically incapable of speaking to her. Had he been acting weird? He’d thought of her so often, imagined running into her so many times, but when it had actually happened, he’d been so surprised that he’d acted like a moron. All the things he’d dreamed of saying to her, and he’d ended up selling her a tree and letting her walk away again. He thought his ability to speak to women had improved a lot since he was some pimply kid. Women liked him – shifter women anyway – but he hadn’t found a mate. And deep down he’d always known that it was because he couldn’t forget Madison .
She’d been this sweet, lively girl in the year below him at high school. She was always surrounded by her group of giggly friends, but he’d sensed that she was a little different from them – more ambitious and driven. He’d often hung around the library, hoping to catch a glimpse of her, and more often than not, she was there, poring over a stack of textbooks. It was no surprise to him that she’d gone to a good school. And then he heard on the grapevine that she’d gone to law school, and married another lawyer. After that, he knew that he had to forget about her, and he tried his best to put her to the back of his mind. But as the years passed and he failed to find his mate, she’d continued to intrude into his thoughts. Seeing her in the store had been like seeing a ghost, but a beautiful, charming one .
She’d come to the store to buy a big, heavy tree with her sister and a child. Did that mean that she didn’t have a husband any longer? He hardly dared to believe that could be the case. Maybe it just meant that her husband was busy with work. All he knew was that if she was his mate, there was no way he’d ever leave her alone like that .
He tried to ask Grayson and Riley casual questions about the Armstrong family, but came up with nothing. In recent years, the bear shifter community had become increasingly separated from the human one, especially now that they lived on the other side of the mountain, a half hour drive away from Misty Hollow .
Brock had one reason for excitement though – that afternoon it was the town’s annual Christmas parade, where all the local kids dressed up in costumes and walked through the town. He hoped that he’d catch a glimpse of Madison there, or even find an opportunity to speak to her again. Every year he attended the parade hoping to see her, and every year that hope was thwarted. He promised himself that if she was there today, and she wasn’t with her husband, he’d be brave and speak to her, try to find out if she was single, and not allow more years to slip through his fingers. Even if she wasn’t available or interested, at least he’d have closure, and not waste the rest of his life dreaming about something that couldn’t happen .
When Brock arrived at work, he groaned at the list of deliveries for the day. Their business was growing fast, and they now delivered trees to homes all over their mountainous county. There were thirty deliveries for the day, and it had snowed heavily overnight, making the roads slow and treacherous. He and Riley would have to be very efficient to get everything finished in time for the parade .
“O nly three stops left for the day, and all in Mayo,” Riley said cheerfully just after 3pm, as they were returning from a drop-off in Oakton .
“Great, and then we can head to Misty Hollow for the Christmas celebration,” Brock replied. Riley frowned over the satnav .
“Dude, I think we’re going to have to forgo that trip. It’s far away from Mayo, and there’s more snow forecast later tonight .”
“But –” Brock faltered. He hadn’t told anyone about his pathetic crush on Madison. “Isn’t there some way we can make it? I really want to go.” Riley stared at him, startled. The procession was for kids, and their proud families .
“Uh, I don’t know, dude? It’s going to be tight, timing-wise.” Brock took a deep breath .
“There’s just someone that I really want to catch up with there.” Riley looked at him sideways .
“Would that somebody be a lady?” he asked. Brock hoped that the sudden heat in his chest wouldn’t reach all the way to his face .
“
Maybe.” Riley’s face brightened with delight .
“Why didn’t you say so? That’s awesome, bro. It’s about time you got yourself a mate.” Brock blew out a long breath .
“Look, I don’t even know if she’s single. I just – need to find out .”
“Who is she ?”
“She’s a human .”
“Cool.” Brock watched Riley’s face. It wasn’t forbidden to have human mates, but in his clan it was exceptionally rare. “And? Have I seen her before ?”
“Um, she was at the store a couple of days ago .”
“The classy, curly-haired brunette in the boots ?”
“Yup. But how did you know ?”
“Um, because you were acting weird when you came back from putting the tree in their truck !”
“I was? Shit.” Brock rubbed the back of his head. In that case, he’d probably been acting weird around Madison as well. Fantastic. Just fantastic .
“Her sister’s a real knockout .”
“Yeah?”
“Yup. Great curvy figure, and that long, wild hair you just want to play with.” Brock was aware that he couldn’t have described the sister at all. He’d been so taken with Madison that everything else had melted into insignificance. “You think these girls are single?” Riley continued .
“Well, last I heard, Madison had a husband, and the kid is the daughter of her sister, so you do the math .”
“And yet they were lugging that big ol’ tree by themselves. Nope. They’re single. If I was the mate of either one of them, I’d be out helping them .”
“I’ve heard that humans aren’t as protective as bears .”
“Still, if Madison was yours, would you want her out of your sight?” Brock laughed .
“Madison’s a lawyer. I reckon that makes her a pretty independent woman .”
“All the more reason she’ll love being protected when she’s off the clock !”
“You’ve got all the answers, Riley .”
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