“That’s very sweet, Mr. Smyth. Let me know if she didn’t and I’ll make sure you get one.”
Bill’s cheeks pinked up and he puffed out his chest. “Well, that’s right kind of you. Let’s get these trees out and see what you think.” He pulled down the tailgate and reached in for the first tree.
Chapter Eighteen
Once the trees were set up in their stands, Dakota brushed the pine needles off her hands, sighed over the sticky sap and stood back looking at what they’d accomplished.
“Bill, you’re a legend. These trees are beautiful.” The pungent smell of pine filled the small ballroom, making the impending approach of Christmas seem even closer. Excitement built in her chest and she had a hard time keeping the smile off her face. If she closed her eyes she could almost see her tree decorated.
Warm breath fanned over the back of her neck. “Ready to take this on?” Adam rested his chin on her shoulder and she shuddered under his touch. Even though he claimed he didn’t want a relationship, he seemed to be easing into it.
Breathing in and out for calm, she shook her head. “I’m excited but I might have taken on more than I can handle to be honest.” Now the trees were in front of her, the real fear of not having enough decorations loomed.
“I promised to help you string your tree and I will. You have me for two days and then I have to leave, go back to Seattle and take care of things.”
Panic rose in her chest and she turned her head to look at him. “You’re going to get tested?”
“Yes. You’ve given me the confidence to go ahead. I have to sort it out once and for all.”
“I’m proud of you and you know I have my fingers and toes crossed that everything will be fine.” She blinked, emotional tears filling her eyes.
“Hey, what’s wrong?”
How could she tell him that she was terrified? Not only about how the test results would go but if they didn’t find anything wrong, did that mean he was going back to his life? Either way her world would change. Again. She couldn’t tell him. It wouldn’t be fair when he was so worried himself. “I’m scared.” She looked at the trees, anything to avoid falling apart in front of him.
He tilted his head until they were facing each other, noses touching. He gripped her by the shoulders. “You can do this, okay? Don’t start doubting yourself now.”
“But…” He thought she was scared about decorating her tree.
“No, Dakota. Even I can see you’ve been putting on a brave face ever since you moved to Cherry Lake. You’re trying to prove to yourself that you’re good enough. After all you’ve been through I get that. Even with all the psycho-babble talks you’ve given me, I figured most of it was also still relevant to you.” He kissed her softly on the lips, his subtle aftershave overriding the smell of pine, if only for a second.
Breath stole from her lungs, her heart pounded, pushing the blood racing through her veins giving her a swoon-worthy head rush.
As fast as it had started, the kiss stopped. Her brain screamed out for more but she was too stunned to react. She opened her mouth to speak but the words stuck in her throat.
“I’m sorry. I shouldn’t have done that, not while everything is so up in the air. It’s not fair to either of us but I couldn’t help myself.” Adam pulled her against his chest, his breathing ragged.
Dakota rested her head on his shoulder as his arms wrapped around her. He was almost right. It wasn’t her accident or the losses she’d suffered business-wise that made her feel sick to her stomach. It was her feelings for this man that were getting out of control. If he left her and went back to his previous life, how would she cope? In such a short time he’d become too important to her and that was what ate away at her gut. Being tired didn’t help her nerves at all, in fact it only amplified her fears.
She lifted her head enough to answer him. “I’m terrified I’m going to make an idiot of myself. Just getting the decorations made has been much harder than I thought it would be.”
“But you did it. You have them all done now.”
She frowned at the trees, looked from the base to the tip almost kissing the high ceiling. “Maybe. They’re bigger than I thought they’d be.” Much bigger in real life compared to looking at a measuring stick.
“I told you around ten feet.”
“Yes but you never said they’d be so…so full and wide like.” She flapped her arms and gave up when they didn’t come close to the width of the tree.
Adam burst out laughing, and let her go. Bill ambled in and Adam sent an apologetic glance in his direction. “Have you ever been told your trees are too fat, Bill?”
He chortled and shook his head. “Always thought that was a good thing, myself.”
Dakota dropped her arms. “It is. Don’t listen to me. I’m having a mild panic attack here looking at what I’ve taken on.”
Mari walked out of a storeroom with a box of white curtains she’d ordered to hang between the trees. “Dakota, you can stop worrying. You’ve amazing talent and if your tree fails miserably, which I highly doubt, I’ll buy it at auction myself.”
Adam reached for Dakota’s hand, gave it a reassuring squeeze. “I think you might have a fight to win that battle, Mari.”
Dakota’s heart pounded. He was making it hard to not fall in love with him when he acted like this. How she wished he’d made that kiss last longer.
*
“Thanks, Son. I appreciate it.” His mother passed him a cup of coffee. “I know if you don’t get up and clean out the gutters and trim back those trees, your father will do it and that’s the last thing we need him doing. He was making noises about it yesterday, that’s why I called you.” She folded a tea towel over her hand, opened the oven door and pulled out a tray of cookies.
The aroma of warm oatmeal and raisin made Adam’s mouth water. “As if I’d let him anywhere near a ladder ever again.” He leaned over and snatched a hot cookie, bouncing it from one hand to the other before taking a quick bite. “Still the best cook ever.”
“Away with you.” She blushed and put another tray into the oven.
“Anything else you want me to do before Dad gets it in his mind to do himself, tell me now.”
“Would you mind checking the woodpile too? I know he did a load a month or so ago but I’ve been keeping the fire on because it’s getting so cold. You know your father won’t let me get anyone to come over and help out. Stubborn old fool that he is.” She poured herself a coffee and leaned against the counter. “Have you given any more thought to your future?”
“I’ve decided to go to Seattle to get tested and then I’ll make up my mind.”
She pulled out a chair and sat down beside him. “Please don’t think I’m being negative here, Adam, but you’re getting older. How many injuries have you had, serious injuries?”
He frowned and looked away. “Two.”
“I bet you haven’t told us half of it either.” She pursed her lips. “I know you probably think I’m being a downer and I apologize if that’s how I come over.”
“You don’t, Mom.”
“But I want what’s best for you and to me, staying in the game until they carry you out on a stretcher isn’t good enough. It’s foolhardy and such a waste of a life. You don’t need the money anymore, Adam.” Her hand covered his.
He looked at her, the cookie now a lump of concrete in his gut. “Everything you say, I’ve said to myself. Many times too. Dad’s heart attack brought it all home and I’ve tossed over so many ideas in my head I no longer know what I want. I need to hear what the doctor says before I make a decision.”
“What about Dakota?”
He looked away again.
“I may be old but I’m not blind or deaf. You’ve looked happier than I’ve seen you since you got home and I’ve heard the whispers about her. She’s very pretty and smart too. I hear you two have been seen together quite a lot. Of course people are going to talk. It’s a small town.”
“Mom, we’re friends
, nothing more.” As much as he would like that to change. He drained his coffee cup and got up. “Let me get on with the jobs or I won’t be able to go and do my bit at the hotel setting up tomorrow before I leave. I don’t want anything left for Dad to do outside.”
“You’re a good man, Adam, even if you won’t tell your mother what’s going on in that head of yours.”
Chapter Nineteen
Adam brought another box into the hotel and placed it on the table within Dakota’s reach. For the last hour she’d stood focused on unwrapping her decorations, lining them up, ready to place on the tree. Her nerves were churning in the pit of her stomach, her head almost exploding with tension. This was where she would find out if she had failed or won in the attempt to recreate her business. Early figures were positive but she’d never done anything on this scale before.
Sure, the locals had fallen in love with her ornaments but that didn’t equate into enough of a demand to keep her financially afloat yet. It would come soon though, of that she was certain. But what she was hoping for was the chance to fix the chandeliers and get herself a name doing repairs on heritage objects that would take up the slack in the remainder of the year. She could use all of her training, her skills without resorting to the finer work she used to do.
Mari had people coming for the gala, important people. People that could make or break her depending on how they viewed her end work. People that had seen what she was capable of before and probably expected her to reach new heights. One bad review in the press could wreck a small online business before it took flight. She’d put herself out there in the most public way and was now having second thoughts.
All because she wanted to belong and make a new life for herself without her parents looking over her shoulder.
“What can I do?” Adam rested a hand on her back and she jumped, so lost in her own train of thought that he’d scared her half to death.
“Sorry. Miles away.” She scrunched up the tissue paper and threw it under the table in a box.
Adam grabbed her shoulders, turned her around and peered into her face. “Hey, calm down. This is just a tree decorating contest, not the end of the world.” He leaned in and she turned her lips up to meet his. He moved back before the kiss could turn into a full-on session. It hurt but not as much as it should. There were other things going on in her head.
Little did he know how her mind worked. She’d put on a brave face, said it didn’t matter to her if she couldn’t do the finer jewelry work anymore. Truth was, it did. It’d taken her months to figure it out but it mattered more than she could say. Because if she couldn’t be who she was before, who did that make her now? And would she ever be happy in the skin of the new her and would Adam think she was worthy if she failed in her new venture? There was so much riding on this gala event for her personally to say nothing of what else cast a shadow over her.
He pulled her to his chest again and mumbled sweet platitudes as if she was a terrified child. The smell of him soothed her jagged nerves and she relaxed under his touch. “It’ll be okay, you’ll see.”
“I know. I’m just a bundle of nerves.”
Adam pushed her back, looked into her eyes. “I think it’s time we started hanging these, don’t you think?”
“You’re right. The others are probably half done by now.”
A voice came from behind the curtain in the designated area next to them. “Dakota, if you think any of us are finding this easy, think again.” A roar of frustration came from Rach as she dropped a glass ornament, the shards scattering everywhere.
“I’ll grab the broom.” Adam kissed the tip of her nose and rolled his eyes before he hurried away to help.
“Sorry, Rach. I’m not usually so insecure.” Dakota chose the box with the light threads that had only just arrived and opened it, determined to get on with the job. She only had two days with Adam helping her and she would need him for as much time as he was willing to give.
The curtain wavered and Rach poked her head through. “Not peeking, promise. Anything I can do to help?”
“Crisis of the heart. Merely doubting myself and my abilities. Nothing to lose sleep over.”
Rach grinned. “Oh girl, you have no idea how good your tree will look. With that array of glass right there on the table, I can see you’ve done something incredible.” She swaggered over and picked up an angel. “I wish I had half as much talent as you do.” Her finger trailed down the gossamer wings. “When this is all over, we might catch up for coffee. I have some ideas for things I’d like to see on the market but sadly not an artistic bone in my body.”
Interesting. “I’d love to.” Her heart settled and Dakota chided herself for the burst of nerves. It was so unlike her to worry over her work. She put it down to the new line and living in Cherry Lake. A good impression, a steadfast career built on confidence and fitting in was what she wanted to give. Dakota straightened her shoulders. “Yes, I’d love that, Rach. As soon as Christmas is done, you and I will have some quiet time and see what we can come up with.”
Rachel closed her eyes and let out a sigh of relief. She must have been sweating on speaking out. “Great. Right then, back to it.” She disappeared behind the curtain and Dakota could hear her humming as she worked.
Adam walked back with the broom. “You’re very kind. With so much on your plate, you’ve still got time to listen to other people.”
His words warmed her heart. “I don’t see the point of being any different. Kindness is easy to give and it doesn’t cost anything. Besides, Rachel has more creativity in her than she thinks. Look at how she decorates her shop.” She whipped out a handful of light strands. “Now, I need help with these if you don’t mind.”
“Sure, let me clean up the mess first.” He took one and looked at it. “What are they?”
“Someone I know is very clever when it comes to lighting. He’s asked me to test these and see how they work. It could mean a massive coup for me or a massive fail depending on how much work he put into them and if he got it right.” Dakota picked up an angel and slid the filament up through the center of the ornament. “I would have done this at home but they only arrived last night and I couldn’t face it.”
“Are you going to show me how they work?” He turned the filament over and over looking for a way to turn it on.
Dakota didn’t want to give away the secret just yet. She wanted to keep it for the big reveal on gala night. “No, sorry.” She had to bite her lip to stop the grin spreading on her face. “I would if I could but it would ruin the reveal. I want this to be a big surprise for everyone and that includes you. I hope you don’t mind.”
A confused grin on his face, he lifted the curtain and took the broom into the next section to clean up the glass.
*
Adam watched her trying to keep a straight face. The way her eyes lit up with glee and anticipation melted his heart. She was such a beautiful person, inside and out. He crossed his fingers for a good outcome with his tests and swept up the broken ornament.
When he came back, she was almost finished threading the angels with the light fittings. “I guess we’d better get started hanging these decorations.” He pulled the stepladder to the tree and rubbed his hands. “Let me get up and you can pass me the decorations and tell me where you want them, okay?”
“Sure. But I want to leave the tree topper for last.”
“Are you tall enough to reach though?”
The curtain rippled and Rach poked her head through. “Dad can do it if she can’t. He towers over you Adam and will be helping me tomorrow. Does that work for you, Dakota?”
“If that’s okay with him, certainly does. I didn’t even bring it today because I have to make a subtle change now that my lights are here.”
Rach rolled her eyes. “I can see this going very bad for me.”
“Oh please. You ladies kill me. I know you’ll be a close finish and I can say that because I’ve seen what you can both do.”
“
Keep talking those sweet words, Adam.” Rach disappeared behind the curtain again and Adam climbed up the ladder. “Let’s get this tree dressed for the gala.”
Dakota chose an angel and handed it up to him. “About twelve inches below the tip please and work your way around in a spiral.”
“Yes, ma’am.” He climbed higher and attached the glass object, leaned back to make sure it was hung facing out.
“Perfect.” Dakota handed him another one.
When they stopped for a break, he caught her flexing her fingers. “Okay?”
She smiled and dropped her hands behind her back. “Fine. Nothing a little massage won’t fix.” Dakota glanced at her tree. “It’s so beautiful, Adam. I can’t believe I made those angels.”
“You’ve found your niche, I can tell.” He slipped his hand through her arm and walked her outside. “Let’s go and grab a bite to eat.”
“I don’t think so.”
“We have to eat and this is easier than bringing it back. You need a break and the walk will do you good.”
She blushed and let him lead her out of the hotel. They strolled down the street toward the café, his stomach rumbling with more than hunger. Now that he’d made the decision to go and see the doctors, his nerves were taught with anxiety. Would he get a clean bill of health? If so, did he want to give the game away now as the team doctor suggested? And if he did, would Dakota want to explore a relationship between them? Because if he took a contract with a network, he’d be away half the week for soccer season. Flying in and out so he could spend time at home didn’t worry him. He wondered how she’d cope with that kind of lifestyle. Suddenly he wanted to find out.
“Tell me, Adam. What did you your mother think of the icicle and glass ball I gave you?” She picked up the menu and scanned it.
“Uh, I have a confession to make.”
The Moore Sisters of Montana: The Complete Series Box Set: Books 1-4 Page 13