I was on board with avoiding people.
Natasha frowned when we reached the edge of the field of trees."What's the criteria for finding a good tree?"
"Your inn is filled with trees, and you don't know anything about them?"I asked.
She shrugged."We contract with a farm to provide them.I don't pick them myself."
I nodded."That's a nice gig for the farm that gets it."
"We went with the farm the inn had always worked with.It was one less thing I had to worry about."Then she sighed."It's an expensive endeavor, constantly changing out the trees."
"You could do fake ones," I said as we walked down a row of firs.A few had already been cut, but there were plenty to choose from.
"What's the fun in that?The guests want that evergreen smell."
I walked around one of the trees."It's got a big hole."
Her nose pinched."We have to find a perfect tree."
I shook my head, chuckling."You weren't even going to put one up, now you want the biggest and the best."
She smiled."Of course.Type-A personality.If you're going to do it, you might as well go big."
My lips twitched."I guess that's why you bought a town and not just the inn."
"This one came as a package deal, but yes.That's what has me worried.Did we get in over our heads?"
I threw my arm over her shoulders and pulled her into my side."You're not supposed to be talking about work.That's why we're here.To get your mind off it for a while."
She nodded."You're right."
There was a moment when I thought she wanted me to kiss her but we were in the middle of a farm, and I'd vowed to take things slow.
Her gaze moved to the tree in front of us."What about this one?It's tall."
I walked around it."It's got several holes on the other side."
She trudged away."Ugh.We're never going to find the perfect one."
"You have to be patient."I had a feeling Natasha was going a hundred miles an hour at all times.That's why she didn't bother slowing down to decorate her apartment.I wanted her to see what she'd been missing.
I wasn't in a hurry for this morning to be over.I knew as soon as we were back at the inn, she'd dive into work.I wondered if I should insist that we set it up and decorate it today."Do you have ornaments for a tree?"
"I have my parents' stuff in storage."
"We should hit Clara's shop and get new ones."I didn't want her to be inundated with sad memories, and I didn't have any decorations.
Her eyes lit up."That would be fun."
I relaxed, content that we'd spend the day together.
"What do you do when you're not at work?"
"I bought a fixer-upper.I'm working on the primary bathroom first."
She tipped her head to the side."And you went with the bathroom, not the kitchen?"
"Yeah, that was what I wanted to start with."
