Rayah pulled over behind three other vehicles. “We’ll have to walk the rest. Jake will have got the tractor up there no problem, and he’ll have a trailer for the trees, but we’re on foot from here.”
Sorrell jumped out of the jeep into snow that was almost up to the top of her boots. She was aching from the day before now, her muscles unused to the walking, but there was no way she was going to complain to any of the Maynards, given what they’d done with the rescue.
The road narrowed further, the tracks of the tractor the only markings in it. Walking through deep snow was difficult at first and tiring, but the scenery took her mind off it. She could see the expanse of the peaks, the beginnings of a forest and the grey smoke from distant chimneys patterning against the white sky.
“I want to build a snowman,” she said, partly to herself. “I haven’t built one in forever.”
Rayah laughed, the giggle girlish as though she had caught it from the children she taught. “Tell Zack. He’ll probably help you build ten.” Her smile was knowing.
Sorrell said nothing, just giving a slight nod. She wanted to find out what Rayah thought: all the Maynards were close, and she imagined Zack had said something about her to Rayah, if not Jake and his brothers, but she didn’t want to pry.
“He really likes you,” Rayah said.
Clearly Sorrell didn’t need to pry.
“He asked me what to get you for Christmas. He wasn’t sure what would be appropriate given you’ve just started seeing each other. I haven’t seen him like this about a girl before,” she said.
“In what way?” The snow crunched underfoot, the sound satisfying. In the distance, through the still air, she could hear the sound of chopping wood.
“Thoughtful. He’s had loads of girlfriends, but not like Jake has. Jake has a girl around for two weeks max before one of them has got bored. Zack’s different, he dates. He likes going out and doing things, seeing places. Jake just wants to get his end away.” She sounded a little disgusted with her brother. “But Zack’s never been into anyone that much to—how do I explain it—want to get to know them more than just beyond sharing experiences. Does that make sense?”
“Kind of,” Sorrell said. “I get the feeling he’s worried about scaring me off.”
Rayah nodded, male voices now ringing through the dense forest. “You were in a long-term relationship. He doesn’t want to be your rebound and he’s bothered he’ll scare you off.”
“I get that. But I like him. I just don’t see why he likes me,” Sorrell said. There was a crack and a loud cheer. Clearly they were close to where the trees were being felled.
Rayah paused in her stride. “Honestly?” she said. “You don’t get it?”
Sorrell shook her head. “No, I mean, don’t get me wrong—I’m not hideous, I have my own business so I’m not after anybody’s money, and I can hold a conversation but…”
Rayah laughed. “You’re all that and more. You’re not showy like some of the women round here can be. You’re pretty and you don’t know just how so. You care about others—he told me you were thinking of volunteering your therapy skills at the school or the hospital. Just accept that whatever you have, he’s into. A lot.”
Sorrell wasn’t sure how to respond so she said nothing, glad when they finally got to the edge of the trees where the four Maynard men and Jonny were stood.
“Miss Rayah!” a small sweet voice yelled out from the top of a pile of trees and a very grubby Sadie Grace ran down. “Daddy says I have to call you Miss Maynard but it’s weird,”
Rayah picked Sadie up, the small ball of terror flinging her arms round Rayah’s neck.
“You can call me Rayah as long as we’re not in school and we’ve talked about that before. Where are your brothers?” Rayah said. Quite clearly the two were going to be holding on to each other for a while longer.
“At Tommy’s for a party. But girls aren’t allowed,” Sadie said, her lip quivering. “I don’t think that’s fair.”
Jonny shook his head and looked up to the tall elms which the fir trees were growing next to. “She thinks it’s fair when her friends come over and she bans her brothers from everything but breathing.” He glared at Rayah. “I think it’s your influence. Right, which one’s next?”
Zack had been doing something in the tractor when they’d got there, giving Sorrell a nod as his hands were full, but now he was down beside her, carrying an axe. “You need to pick your tree for the lounge,” he said, standing close to her but not touching.
Sorrell remembered Rayah’s words, about Zack’s caution, so she swallowed her own fears and turned to him, reaching up and kissing the side of his face. Then she saw him smile, looking down at the ground, not embarrassed but happy, trying to hide his happiness, probably from Jake and his brothers.
“I’ll do what the man with the axe says, I think,” she said. “Which do you recommend?”
He put his free arm around her waist and walked her away from the others who now had flasks out and were taking a break. “You want something that height. The high ceilings mean you can get away with a tall tree and that one needs felling this year, otherwise it’ll be a permanent fixture here.”
“I feel bad killing it,” she said. She’d never had a real tree before. Her parents had been alternative in their choice of decorations, preferring to make their own trees from branches that had broken away or other unusual ideas.
Zack laughed, but it was soft. “If you feel like that I can look at replanting it. It just means we’ll dig it out of the ground rather than chop it. When Christmas is over I can put it in the garden.”
“Won’t it take you longer to dig it up? And the ground will be frozen,” she looked around where it grew. The snow wasn’t too thick, the branches of the trees sheltering the ground.
