Oh, yes, he’d seen them.He just wanted to spark some involvement from her.
When they walked a little bit, he said, “Here’s a tree.And it’s short.”
She looked at it, and her head tilted to the left side.“It’s crooked.The trunk leans to the left.”
“Good thing you caught it.”He hid a little smile.
“You’re obviously not good at this.So…” She walked over to a tree, looked at it, and then moved on to another tree.“What about this one?”
He tried to hide his surprise that she pointed out a blue spruce that was just north of six feet.He resisted the urge to smile.Instead, he strolled over to look at it.
“I don’t know…” He liked the tree, but he didn’t want to look too enthusiastic, because he didn’t want her to change her mind.
She frowned at him.“What don’t you know about?The tree is perfect.”
“Isn’t that a hole?”He pointed to a random place on the tree.There wasn’t a hole, but he knew the more he was in opposition to it, the more she would fight for the tree.
She walked over and squinted at the tree.“What hole?There isn’t one.”
“Are you sure?”
“Yes.I’m positive.This is the tree.”
As though to finalize the decision, Tater Tot barked.
“I guess that’s two against one,” Colin said.“You win.We’ll get this one.”
Before she had a chance to change her mind, he picked up the tree and carried it over to pay one of the attendants.Holly insisted on paying.On the way to his pickup, he finally let the smile emerge.
“What are you smiling about?”she asked.
“Nothing.Absolutely nothing.”He placed the tree in the back of the pickup.It didn’t completely fit, so a little bit hung over the tailgate.
“Well, don’t look so pleased with yourself.Now you have to help me decorate the tree.”
“I do, huh?”
“Yes.It’s non-negotiable.”
They got into the pickup and headed back to her place.Tater Tot was getting wiggly.She let him loose, and the next thing Colin knew, Tater Tot stood up against his shoulder and licked his cheek.
Colin slowed the pickup at a stop sign.“What kind of decorations are you thinking for the tree?”
“I don’t know.I guess the only decorations I have.If we can find them.”
He stepped on the accelerator.Her apartment was just a few buildings up the road.“We’ll find them…”
“What in the world?”Surprise rang out in her voice.
“What’s wrong?”
“All of the lights are on in my place.I know I turned them off and locked up when we went to leave.Colin, I think someone broke in?”
He slowed down and stared up at the lights glowing in the windows.“But this is Kringle Falls.Nothing ever happens here.”He watched as one by one the lights were turned off.“Don’t worry.It’ll be okay.”
“No, it won’t.”
Chapter Eleven
