I could see the war in his eyes as he pursed his lips. “Actually, maybe let me finish. I don’t want you to get hurt when it falls.”
I’m not sure if it was the saw in my hand, but I decided I needed to cut down this tree. “Can you tell me how to do it safely?”
“Okay…here.” He held out his hand for me.
I reached up and put my hand in his.
“No, the saw.” He smirked.
Oh my gosh! Ugh, of course he wanted the saw. My entire body heated with embarrassment.
I grabbed the saw and handed it to him without making eye contact.
“Here.” I heard the smile in his voice, and his hand extended to me again.
Nope, not falling for that again. I looked around for anything else I could hand him.
I looked up at him and waited, unsure of what to do.
“It’s for you this time.” He chuckled.
My cheeks heated, but put my hand in his. He pulled me to my feet and right into his chest. I was so close to him my other hand rested on his stomach. I was at eye level with his throat, and his Adam’s apple bobbed. The chorus of Frosty drifted over to me, clearing me from Adam’s spell.
Shoot! Stupid daydream rule!I dropped my hand and stepped away.
“Okay,” Adam cleared his throat. “So now, um, push against the trunk.” He pointed partway up the trunk. “Right here, then step back.”
“Can I help?” Danny sat up in the snow.
Adam gestured him closer. “Sure, just be careful.”
Together with Danny, we pushed, and the tree cracked and fell into the snow.
“Yes! We did it!” I jumped up and down with Danny cheering. “I can’t believe I used a saw and cut down a tree.” I spun in a circle. My face burned, but I couldn’t stop smiling. “I can’t wait to tell Rose and Marissa.”
Adam wrapped the tree in a tarp and tied a rope around it. He glanced up at me, his eyes bright and proud. Warmth spread through my chest.
The sun had moved a lot since we started and was now almost behind the mountain. I checked my watch. We had been looking for trees for almost three hours, and we had only one tree to showfor it. We started down the hill to the four wheeler, Adam pulled the tarped tree, and Danny walked next to me. Danny reached over and grabbed my hand.
I tapped down my excitement that he initiated physical contact with me. I wanted to squeal and wrap this little guy up in a great big hug. I didn’t because I knew it would make him uncomfortable. This day was so magical. I wanted to freeze time and live in this moment forever.
“Did you know that there might be a manhole cover in space?” Danny kicked at the snow, sending a spray of it into the air.
If it wasn’t video games Danny was talking about, or snowmen, it was space. “I didn’t.”
“They were testing some weapon thingy underground, and the cover blew off so high they thought it went to space.” He let go of my hand and jumped up on a fallen log and walked along it.
“Seriously?” I turned to Adam.
He shrugged. “It’s a sound theory. It was during nuclear testing and was on a space video we saw before bed last week.”
“Well, if I ever go to space, I hope it’s not on a manhole cover,” I teased.
Danny looked up at me, eyebrows pinched down in concern. “Ms. Faith, if you were on a manhole cover when you left the atmosphere, you would die.”
I forgot, Danny didn’t always understand joking. “True. Good thing I don’t plan on going to space then.”
Danny relaxed and nodded. “I might one day, but if it’s too dangerous, I might be a cashier instead and get to use all the money.”
