“Sorry,” Bethany’s mom apologized as she turned to chase after her daughter. “I gotta go after her…”
“Yeah, no worries,” Quinn assured her, her eyes glued to Nora. “Thanks for your help,” she added, though Bethany’s mom was already halfway to Fort and Nora and likely too far away to hear.
Quinn shook her head as Bethany and Fort collided in a joyous riot of excitement, and smiled as she watched Nora assure Bethany’s mom that the little girl was fine. Fort flopping onto his back and offering his belly for loves said quite clearly that he was more than okay with her attention. After a few minutes of Fort getting the attention he so rightly deserved, Bethany’s mom wrangled her away from Fort and, presumably, toward home to deposit their ornaments and make good on their plan to return for her demonstration.
Quinn leaned against the edge of one of her display tables as she watched Nora gather Fort’s leash and head her way. Butterflies swooped through her stomach as she watched the subtle sway of Nora’s hips as she walked, and she swallowed thickly in an attempt to force her heart back where it belonged as the pair drew near.
“Hey, strangers,” she called, the slight husk in her voice belying her attempt at casualness.
“Hey, yourself.” Nora’s golden eyes twinkled as she sidled closer to give the bobble at the end of Quinn’s Santa hat a playful tug. “Nice hat.”
“Thanks. I got another one in the truck, if you’d like one.”
Nora chuckled and shook her head. “No, thank you. I think I’ll pass.”
There was something in Nora’s tone that said she’d die before she wore a Santa hat, and Quinn couldn’t resist teasing, “Aww, come on. It’s so fun and festive!”
“Yes, well,” Nora said, shaking her head as she gestured toward the booths surrounding them, “I’m honestly not much for the whole festivities thing.”
Quinn gaped at her. She lived for the holidays—for the lights and the music, the perfectly swoon-worthy cheesy holiday movies on the TV, and especially the piles of brightly wrapped presents under the tree. “You can honestly stand here”—she gestured emphatically—“in the middle of a holiday market, and tell me you hate Christmas?”
“I never said IhatedChristmas,” Nora argued. “This market, for example, is great. Reminds me of home,” she added with a wistful smile. She shook her head. “I just…it’s too much, the way you all do it here. With the giant inflatable decorations and—”
Quinn had to admit that was a fair knock, but as a card-carrying member of Team Christmas Is Awesome, she felt obligated to defend the monstrosities. “Hey, those things are fantastic.”
Nora gave her a look that said she thought Quinn was wrong, but the slight tug at the corner of her lips suggested she found it amusing. The hint of a smile faded into slack-jawed amazement as her gaze traveled past Quinn. “Is this your booth?”
Quinn rubbed the back of her neck and ducked her head. “Yeah.”
“You…you made all this?” Nora waved an elegant hand at the ornaments on display. When Quinn nodded, she wandered closer for a better look. “These are…” Her voice trailed off as she picked up a hollowed ball with a trio of tiny reindeer beside a pine tree inside. She turned to show it to Quinn. “How do you even do this?”
“Very carefully.” Quinn laughed when Nora rolled her eyes. “No, seriously. One slip of the hand and the thing’s trash.”
“Of that, I have no doubt, but seriously—how?”
“The whole process?” When Nora nodded, Quinn explained, “I turn the ball on a lathe, use a band saw to slice it in half, carve the foreground into one half and the background into the other. Once they’re done, I glue the halves together and then finish it with some fine grit sandpaper and a little oil, varnish, or whatever I think will make it look best.”
An adorable frown furrowed Nora’s brow as she turned the ball in her hand. “How do you carve it?”
“With a Dremel.” When Nora’s frown deepened, Quinn explained, “It’s kinda like a little battery-powered grinder, but there are different tips I can use to create different effects.”
Nora shook her head. “I’m sorry, I have no idea what you’re talking about, but it sounds interesting.” She glanced at the ornament in her hand. “And you clearly know how to use it, so…”
“I use it a lot for the finishing detail work on my larger pieces.” Quinn shrugged. “It’s a fun little tool. Incredibly versatile.”
“Larger pieces?”
Quinn gestured toward the thick stump of blonde oak behind her that was waiting to be turned into something beautiful. “The bulk of my work is chainsaw sculptures. That’s actually why I’m here. The event organizers hired me to do a demonstration every night of the market.”
A horrified look flashed across Nora’s face. “But your hands…”
“Are fine.” Quinn held her palms up to Nora to prove her point. There were shallow scratches, but nothing that would give her any trouble. “They really are okay, I promise. Nothing I haven’t worked through before.”
Nora didn’t seem convinced, but she didn’t press. “So…how does chainsaw sculpting work?”
Even though Quinn thought she knew what Nora was asking, she couldn’t resist joking, “Well, I start my chainsaw, and then—”
Nora rolled her eyes. “I meant as a career? I’m guessing you do a lot of commission work when you’re not doing things like this?”
