“Ready to cut down our tree,” I tell Hunter.
“You brought Brooks with you?” He raises a brow at me.
“Yes.” I grab Brooks by the arm. “Now, if you’ll excuse us, we’re going Christmas tree hunting.”
“Have fun!” Hunter calls out behind us.
After stopping at the small booth to get us hot chocolates, I trudge through the snow with Brooks nipping at my heels.
“Why are we not looking at these trees?” Brooks asks.
“Because there are too many people here.”
I dodge a family with little kids that are eyeing a healthy looking spruce. Something I’ve come to learn over the years of picking out my own trees.
There are so many more varieties than just pine.
“Okay, so where are we going then?” Brooks asks.
“To my spot.”
Brooks doesn’t say anything but just sips his hot chocolate as I lead us farther and farther away from the crowds. Thesmall lights that hang from wooden poles cast each tree in an ethereal glow.
Now that it’s quieter back here, it’s easier to be among the trees. Without as many people, I can examine each tree. See where there are holes. What ones might look sick.
Not that Hunter has bad trees, but sometimes there are ones that aren’t up to par.
“What about this one?” Brooks asks.
He’s standing next to a large fir, full at the base and tapering off to the perfect top. I can see my rainbow angel sitting on top of that tree.
“It doesn’t speak to me.”
“Okay.” I can see him fight a smile. One that says he wants to comment further, but he doesn’t.
I run my gloved hands through the needles on each tree as we walk up and down the rows.
When I stop suddenly, Brooks bumps into me.
“Did you find one?” he whispers into my ear.
I ignore how the sudden warmth makes me feel because the tree at the end of the row is just what I’m looking for.
It’s tall, well past nine feet. It’ll look perfect in my living room with the vaulted ceilings. It’s full at the bottom and the needles are just right to the touch.
Pick methis tree is telling me. It has a smile bursting on my face.
“This is the one.”
“It’s perfect,” Brooks confirms.
I spin around, and Brooks is impossibly close to me. I need some cool air to separate the two of us, so I take a step back. “Make sure no one takes it. I’ll go find Hunter.”
Brooks winks at me, and it does funny things to my insides. “I’ll guard our tree with my life.”
Our tree.
Fuck. I hate this. I really do.
