“A Christmas tree?” Vic asks, and Hailey gives himthe look.
“Obviously a Christmas tree.” She doesn’t roll her eyes, but it’s probably a close thing. “I would go cut one down myself, but...” She gestures to her very round belly. I wisely hold back a snort, because pregnancy aside, Hailey doesn’t look like she could swat a fly, let alone cut down a tree big enough for the inside of the pub.
I’m not as subtle as I think because her eyes narrow as she turns to me, head slightly tilted. “You think I’m not capable of wielding an axe?”
This time I keep my expression neutral. I know better than to piss off a heavily pregnant lady.
I catch Vic grinning broadly over her shoulder, obviously enjoying this.
“I never said that. I’m sure you’d have no problem cutting down a tree.”
Mollified, she nods. “Better.”
“So you want me to go cut down a Christmas tree for you?” I can do that. There’s a farm about ten minutes up the road. It won’t take long at all.
“I want you both to go,” she says, surprising me. “Vic always picks great trees, but I’m pretty sure he’s never had to cut his own before, and you look like you were born for it.” Now it’s my turn to grin as Vic looks affronted. “And your car is probably better suited for transporting one the size I need.”
I glance at Vic’s car and shrug. She has a point, but, “I can pick a tree.”
“I’m sure you can, but just indulge a pregnant lady.” She looks up at me with big brown eyes, and even if I’m not interested in women that way, it still has the desired effect.
“Of course.”
She grins and pats my arm. “Thank you. Liz left us all the decorations from last year, so I’ve got Joe fetching them out of the loft. We’ll see you both in an hour or so. Have fun.” She has that twinkle in her eye that makes me think we’ve been played.
Vic waits until she’s disappeared back inside the pub, then sighs. “I can cut down a tree.”
“And I can pick a decent one out.” It’s not exactly rocket science.
“Fucking Hailey,” he grumbles, but his cheeks are red again when he looks at me. I can’t tell whether he’s pleased by her meddling or not.
For the first time since we’ve been out here, it’s starting to feel truly awkward between us, and I can’t say I’m a fan. “If you don’t want to go with me, I can drop you off somewhere and go on my own.” I hold my breath, not sure why his answer suddenly matters to me, but it does.
He glances back at the pub but looks torn.
Maybe I should let him come to his own decision, but now Hailey’s put the thought in my head, I want to do this. Want to spend more time with him, to get to know him. I didn’t get the chance when we were younger, and it’s one of my biggest regrets.
He’s going home in a month, so anything else is off the table. But friends? Surely we can try that?
“Come on,” I gesture towards my Discovery. It’s an older model, but better for transporting a big tree than Vic’s Audi. “It’ll be fun.”
He raises an eyebrow. “Fun?” he says, smirking. “I think you and I have very different ideas about what that word means.”
His eyes are still fixed on me, his gaze as intense as I remember, and my stomach flutters with the attention. “We never used to.” The words fall out of my mouth before I can catch them, voice rougher than I’d intended, and I’m rewarded with his sharp inhale.
Wow, and I thought the tension was bad before.
He rubs the back of his neck again, and I wonder if it’s something he does when nervous. “Are we talking about this then?” His voice is soft, uncertain,vulnerable.
It makes me change my mind about how I answer. I was all set to brush him off, no intention of rehashing the past with him, but then he had to go and look at me like that. Sound like that. I can’t do anything but nod.
I guess it’s something we should address if we’re going to be seeing more of each other. Asfriends, I remind myself. And it looks like I’m bound to bump into him if we’ve both offered to help Hailey out at the pub.
I don’t want things to stay awkward between us.
“Get in,” I murmur, hoping he won’t make me ask again. “Let’s go get a tree.” I hold my breath for the second time, only letting it go when Vic nods.
My heart skips a beat as he smiles at me and walks around to the passenger side of my car. It was my undoing nineteen years ago, but I refuse to let it do the same now.
