“Excuse me, this is our tree.” I snap my hands to my hips.
A small child appears from nowhere, coming to stand beside the man crouching under the base of the pine. She’s bundled up, wearing a beanie and an oversized coat. A scarf covers most of her face, leaving her dark brown eyes that are now narrowing as she stares at me.
Shaking her head, she says, “Nope, we saw it first.”
“Ah, we have been standing here for, well, at least five minutes, this is our tree.”
The man shuffles backward, standing before brushing off his knees and then clapping his hands together. Blue eyes pierce right through me as his gaze alternates between the kid and me.
“Our tag is on. So, I guess it’s ours now.”
“No, no. We were standing right there.” I round the tree pointing to the snow-covered ground marred with our footprints, like a crazy person.
Brows lower over his blues. “Look, there’s like hundreds of other trees to pick from, just?—”
“Hold up!” I raise a hand, stepping closer. A huffy laugh of disbelief sends a cloud of breath from my lips. “You’re the guy from next door.”
He folds his arms over his chest, raising a lone eyebrow. “And?”
He obviously recognized me before I did him.Shit.
The little girl’s eyes are wide and pleading as she shakes her head at me for the second time in as many minutes. “Please, canwe keep the tree? We’ve been here for ages. You have no idea how fussy my daddy is.”
I narrow my gaze and lean down a little. “Did he make you look at every single one before you were allowed to pick?”
She rolls her eyes with a groan. “Yes.”
I snap up straight. “Seriously, every single one?”
“She’s exaggerating.” He tilts his head, giving the girl the side-eye, but his lips tilt up like he’s trying so damn hard to tamp down a smile.
“Fine, you keep the tree. This time.”
“Thank god for that,” the girl says, slapping a hand to her forehead dramatically.
I chuckle. I like her, she’s got a great sense of humor. She’d need one, having this guy for a dad.
I take a second glance at the man in front of me. He’s actually not that ba?—
“See, that wasn’t so hard, was it? Helping out a neighbor.” He gives me a smirk that lights up his stupid face.
You have got to be kidding me.
Urgh... Nope. I was right the first time.
What an ass.
“Hey, where did your daddy go?” the girl says, turning on the spot.
Oh shit.
I spin around, glancing through the rows where people wander, all bundled up and unidentifiable unless you’re looking right at them. I take off through the rows. “Hank?”
Dammit.
Pressure builds in my chest. I was supposed to be taking care of him. Keeping him close. The notes in the binder on outings has everything outlined. Stay close. Keep a visual on him at all times.
But no, I was too busy arguing over a stupid stinking tree...
