by Joy Avery
“Don’t tell me that after all we’ve been through, you don’t trust me. That would really hurt my feelings,” he said, giving her the most pitiful puppy-dog eyes he could muster.
Sienna laughed. “Fine. Just let me change.”
“I’ll wait for you out front. Dress warm.”
“Dress warm? Where are we going?”
He smirked. “If I told you, it would ruin the surprise.”
Ten minutes later, Jake led Sienna to his vehicle.
“Is that your personal vehicle?” Sienna asked.
“Yes,” he said. Instead of the work truck he usually drove to jobs, he’d opted to drive his personal vehicle—a burgundy four-door GMC Sierra 1500–because he’d been hopeful Sienna would venture out with him. This truck was far more comfortable than the other.
Once Sienna was settled in the passenger’s seat, he closed the door, made his way to the driver’s side and slid behind the wheel. “We need some mood music.”
When he increased the volume of the radio, Candi Staton’s “Christmas in My Heart” poured through the speakers. It gave him pause. The sound of his mother’s angelic voice filtered into his head, singing her rendition of the song. “This song brings back memories,” he said.
Sienna smiled. “Good ones, I hope.”
“The best. This was one of my mother’s favorite songs.”
Sienna reached forward and increased the volume even more. “Then we should remember your mother out loud.”
Jake eyed her a moment. When she flashed him a delicate look, it caressed him like gentle fingers. In a way similar to how her fingers had slid across his chest earlier. The sensation still lingered on his skin, along with the desire to taste every inch of her.
Chapter Seven
Sienna wasn’t sure where Jake was taking her, but it had been close to forty-five minutes, and they were still driving. However, she wasn’t complaining. In fact, she was enjoying herself. They’d talked, laughed, sang—or, in her case, attempted to sing—and talked some more.
She just couldn’t wrap her head around how easy it was with Jake. Conversation always flowed so smoothly with him. It was refreshing. Even during their short stints of silence, they seemed to still vibe. Like now, when they were each lost in their own thoughts.
Sienna wondered if he was thinking about the same thing she was thinking about. Their moment in her craft room. God, she’d wanted him to kiss her so bad it’d made her lightheaded. Why hadn’t he?
“We’re here,” Jake said, cutting into her thoughts.
Sienna swept her eyes from left to right. Christmas trees—vibrantly green, tall and plump—as far as the eye could see. Her gaze narrowed on the oversized, rustic wooden sign stenciled in gold lettering. “What…?” She whipped toward Jake. “You own a Christmas tree farm?” she asked as if the Hollidae Christmas Tree Farm sign hadn’t been a dead giveaway.
“I’m serious about Christmas.”
Clearly. She caught sight of a red and white barn-like structure with a green roof. A whitewashed sign affixed above the entrance had The Hollidae Tree House scribed in red and green letters.
“Are you ready to pick your perfect Christmas tree?” Jake asked.
Her brows furrowed. “Huh?”
“Come on now. You can’t have amazing Christmas lights without an equally amazing Christmas tree.”
Well, she didn’t actually know how amazing her lights were since it was still light and she hadn’t been able to see them. Jake exited before she could object. What would she do with a Christmas tree? She didn’t need, nor want, a tree. What would be the point of having one? It wasn’t like she had anyone in the house to appreciate it. Regardless of what Jake said, she would absolutely not pick out a tree.
Jake opened her door, and the scent of his cologne scrambled her brain.
“Who’s ready to go on a tree hunt?”
Well, maybe she could look at a few before breaking the news to him. They had ventured all this way. Bringing her here had been a thoughtful gesture. There was no need to appear ungrateful.
When they entered the Tree House, Jake introduced her to several employees, then chatted with them as she explored. Turned out, the Tree House was actually a small store that sold apple cider, hot chocolate, roasted peanuts, kettle corn and an array of other traditional and not-so-traditional Christmas goodies—like jellybeans and truffle chocolates. It also offered keepsakes such as North Carolina-themed ornaments, postcards, magnets, snow globes, alongside other items such as door wreaths and customizable stockings.
Venturing to the back of the store, she froze. A large room filled to the brim with Christmas tree decoration. Bulbs, ornaments, tinsel, garland and anything else you could imagine, want or need to adorn a tree was there. Every shade. Every color. Every size. The room snagged her full attention, her eyes widening at the scene in front of her. “Wow.”
It had been a long time since she’ decorated a tree. In the past, it had been one of her favorite things to do. Greeting the handful of folks there, she browsed the extensive selection. Though she wouldn’t admit it aloud—and ruin her Grinch-like view of Christmas—she felt a ping of excitement swelling inside her.
“I hope you see something you like.”
When Sienna faced Jake, he dangled a handcart.
“Can’t have a bare tree. Come on, let’s shop,” he said.
After a bit of arm pulling, Sienna settled on a color theme: teal, apple green, silver and white. Ten minutes in, she overflowed with Christmas cheer, whipping around the room like a child who’d consumed too much sugar. It had been a long time since something so simple had brought her so much joy.
Clearly, Jake was only there for support, because he stood back and watched her go, giving his opinion only when asked. He also served as her handcart holder.
Instead of simply taking the items, at the register, Jake gave the cashier his personal credit card to satisfy the near two-hundred-dollar bill Sienna had amassed. She guessed even the boss had to account for inventory, too. When she’d tried to pay, Jake refused to let her.
“This place is…amazing.” Sienna said, as they moved toward Jake’s vehicle to place the bags inside. “A Christmas tree farm. There are a lot of layers to you, Jake Hollidae.”
“Just wait ’til you get to my core,” he said.
A tempting proposition, she had to admit.
A short time later, they entered the tangle of trees. The surprises kept coming. In the middle of the property—or what felt like the middle, she couldn’t know for sure—sat a concession stand fashioned to look like a gingerbread house. The outfit offered many of the same items as the tree house.
“You strike me as a hot chocolate drinker,” Jake said.
“Guilty. As long as it has plenty of marshmallows in it.”
“I think I can accommodate that request.”
With beverages in hand, they started on their way again. Sienna wasn’t sure where Jake was leading her because they’d passed countless suitable trees. In fact, she hadn’t seen a mediocre tree yet. “What’s in your cup?” she asked, noting the difference in them.
“Homemade apple cider. The best in five counties.”
“You wouldn’t just be saying that because you know the owner, would you?”
“Don’t take my word for it. Try it for yourself.”
Jake passed her his cup. Sienna held no qualms about drinking after him. Heck, had they continued at her place earlier, she was sure her mouth would have been on far more risqué things of Jake’s than his cup lid. She took a sip, another one, then a third, savoring the perfect balance of sweet and tart with just the right amount of cinnamon. Jake hadn’t exaggerated. The cider was delicious.
“Was I wrong?” Jake asked.
“Oh my God. Who makes this stuff?”
“Mrs. Ida Jane Rogers. The first time it hit my lips at a fundraiser a couple of years ago, I knew we had to offer it. So, I hired her to do nothing but make apple cider.”
“That was an astute
business decision.” She took another swig from Jake’s cup.
“So, I should probably just trade my cider for your hot chocolate,” Jake said.
This was a difficult decision because the hot chocolate was equally divine. But since confiscating Jake’s beverage didn’t seem fair, she took one last sip, then passed it back to him. Well, she guessed drinking most of it wasn’t fair either. He didn’t seem to mind she’d returned a half-empty cup to him. Or maybe he was an optimist and viewed the cup as half-full.
“You should probably go ahead and admit it,” Jake said.
“That the cider is amazing?”
“That, too. But I was referring to the fact that you’re excited to be here, tree hunting.”
Sienna eyed him as they leisurely strolled along a gravel path. “And what would make you think that?”
“Because there’s this beautiful twinkle in your eyes I don’t recall seeing before. I think Christmas is growing on you.”
You’re what’s growing on me. Of course, she kept that ludicrous confession to herself. “Okay, so maybe you’ve revived a teeny bit more of my Christmas cheer. Congratulations. I officially no longer believe Christmas is sucky.”
“Sometimes all you need is to dilute the bad with some good. When I’m done with you, Sienna Turner, you’re going to love Christmas so much that you’ll be caroling in the streets.”
She tossed her head back in laughter. Sobering, she said, “How much would you like to wager—er, lose—on that gamble?”
“Luckily for you, Ms. Turner, I’m not a gambling man. But if I were, you should know I only gamble on sure things.”
“That’s good to know.”
One of those comfortable bouts of silence descended on them as they seemed to journey without a destination in mind. While they’d admired several trees, they hadn’t put any serious effort toward choosing one. But Jake kept walking and she kept following.
“I have a confession,” Sienna said.
Jake eyed her with an arched brow. “Don’t leave me in suspense.”
“When we first arrived, I wanted no parts of a Christmas tree.”
“And now?”
“Now…” Her words trailed. “Now I’m really glad we’re here.”
“Good.”
“Shouldn’t we actually, you know, pick a tree?”
“Patience, butterfly.”
“Okay, okay,” Sienna said.
The sun began to set, turning the horizon a colorful array of red, purple and orange. She tightened her coat around her. If she had to guess, it was a little after five. By the time they returned to her place, it would be dark. Which meant the light reveal. God, she hoped Jake had erred on the side of less is more. All she needed was her neighbors complaining about gaudy Christmas decorations.
“And we’re here,” Jake said. “Welcome to Sleighville.”
Sienna’s jaw dropped at the sight of the horse-drawn carriage fashioned to look like Santa’s sleigh. An older gentleman in a black suit and top hat waited next to the most gorgeous pure white horse she’d ever seen. Draped in red fabric and donning bells, the creature looked majestic.
“Is he waiting for us?” Sienna asked.
“Of course. How would it look if I brought you to Sleighville and not offer you a ride?”
Sienna ground her teeth, her excitement soaring. This had to be the best non-date of her life.
Settled inside, Jake draped a velvety red blanket over their legs. How many people had actually used this blanket tonight?
“Don’t worry, the blankets are replaced after each guest,” Jake said.
Had he read her mind?
As they rolled away, a large tractor-pulled tram wagon lined with straw arrived, hauling a dozen or so people. The side was marked hayrides.
“I’m sure you know this already, but this place is…mind-blowing.”
“Thank you. I took a gamble. It paid off.”
“Didn’t we establish earlier that you’re not a gambler.”
“Yes, but if I were—”
“You only gamble on a sure thing,” she said, completing his sentence.
“Exactly.” His expression grew stern. “Have you ever had a feeling that you were supposed to do something?”
Sienna nodded. “Yes.” Starting her card-making business.
“That’s how I felt about this place. Something kept gnawing at me and gnawing at me until I finally took the plunge. This place is over ten years in the making and wasn’t easy. I remember when we first opened, we barely sold twenty trees. Now, we ship trees all over the country.” He glanced around. “I’m proud of it.”
“You should be.”
Their sleigh ride took them all around the thirty-eight-acre farm. In one area, people congregated around lit barrels, warming their hands. In another area, visitors made s’mores over fire pits. They ventured past several themed sections: Elves Village, where tiny trees were offered as porch decorations or for any other small space. Candy Cane Lane, a play area for kids with an oversized mailbox marked Letters to Santa. Reindeer Alley, which housed half a dozen local food truck vendors. Lastly, Wonderland Forest.
Sienna wasn’t sure whether or not she was hallucinating. Up until now, all the trees she’d seen here had been traditionally green, but the ones in Wonderland were in shades of purple, blue, teal and pink. Jake directed their driver, Mr. Charlie, to stop. Helping her from the sleigh, he gave her a tour.
“How did you do this?” she asked, mesmerized by the colorful trees.
“It’s a fireproof, latex-based paint, specially formulated for Christmas trees.”
Sienna touched one of the branches of a pink tree. “I’ve never seen anything like this before. My niece would love this.”
“Is this the one you want?” Jake asked.
“I don’t think a pink tree would go very well with my décor.”
“Not overly daring, huh?”
“You say that like it’s a bad thing.”
“Not at all. Just…sometimes it’s fun to color outside the lines.”
“How often do you color outside the lines?” she asked, because he stayed well within them when it came to kissing her.
“Not as often as I should,” he said. “Come on, we should probably find you a tree. It’ll be dark and much colder soon.”
It was good and dark by the time Sienna settled on a tree. Just like inside the tree house, Jake had merely been there for support, leaving the tree picking wholly up to her. Because he wanted her to have the tree of her dreams, not his, he’d said.
On the drive to her place, Sienna absently made tiny circles on the back of her hand as she replayed her time with Jake in her head. Not just today, but all the time they’d spent together over the past several days. Baking pies, the shelter, Pancake Palace. But she focused mostly on today and how kind he’d been to her. So kind, in fact, that she couldn’t help but wonder if he’d been put up to it.
While she didn’t think Evelyn would go to such an extreme, Sienna couldn’t rule it out. Her sister had been so guilt-ridden about traveling to California and leaving her to spend Thanksgiving alone. Maybe this was her way of making up for it. Sienna laughed at herself. She was being ridiculous. Or was she?
“Jake…?” She paused a second or two. “Did my sister put you up to this?”
Jake faced her. “Put me up to what?”
“Today? It’s okay if she did. She feels unnecessarily guilty about me spending Thanksgiving alone. We’re normally together. It’s—”
“You spent Thanksgiving alone?” Jake asked, cutting her off.
“Not entirely alone. There was the shelter. Then the Pancake Palace.” He didn’t appear to buy it.
“You should have said something. I would have invited you to come with me.”
Sure you would have. “That would have been a little awkward, don’t you think?”
“How so?”
“Weren’t you on a date?”
Jake gave a sexy chuckle. “You
are determined to marry me off, aren’t you?”
Sienna shrugged. “Like I said before, you two make a cute couple.”
“Looking good together is not a determining factor for entering a relationship. At least, not for me.”
Her either. “You never answered my question.”
Jake activated the blinker and made a right-hand turn onto her street. When she saw all the brake lights, she groaned. “Oh, no.” The last time this many vehicles congregated on her street, her neighbors had thrown a graduation party for their son. She’d spent an hour the following morning collecting all the litter that had been left behind. If it happened this time, she’d pay them a visit.
“My neighbor must be having a party.” When Jake snickered, she eyed him curiously. A millisecond later, she bolted forward in her seat. “No. No way. Jake Hollidae, please tell me my house is not the reason for this traffic jam.”
Chapter Eight
Since the sun had still been high in the sky when they’d left for the farm earlier, Sienna hadn’t gotten a chance to critique Jake’s work. Plus, he’d convinced her a nighttime reveal would be far more thrilling. Standing on her lawn, eyeing the scene in front of her, she was speechless.
Clear lights outlined the frame of her house. A family of three lighted reindeer grazed in the yard. Her gaze slid to the old oak in her yard, the first thing she’d seen when they’d finally made it into her driveway. Clear lights climbed the trunk of the tree, up to the branches that were draped in strings of lights. The motion effect resembled a meteor shower.
Sienna cupped her hands over her mouth and tears welled in her eyes.
“Hey,” Jake said, moving closer to her. “You hate it. We can scale it back, tone it down.”
Unable to speak, she shook her head, then finally mustered a muffled, “No. I love it. It’s beautiful. Absolutely beautiful.” A tear slid down her cheek.
Jake stood directly in front of her. “So, why are you crying?”
“Because for the first time in a long time, Christmas feels real to me again.” More tears spilled down her face. “God, you must think I’m crazy,” she said.