“Don’t tell me you went fake on me,” she chastises with a subtle look of scorn. “I haven’t seen you at the farm yet to get a tree.”
“I’d never do that to you,” I assure her. “I’ve been working so much with the Christmas Festival and all, so I let Dylan take care of it.”
“That’s good. And how are your mom and sister?”
“Great. Gen just found out she’s having a girl.”
She covers her heart with her hand. “She must be over the moon.” Then she leans closer. “I always knew she and Finn would get together someday.”
I laugh. “I think we all did.”
“Well, I know you’re not here to update me on the town gossip. Let’s get those centerpieces for you.”
“Thanks, Mrs. McKinley. Your donation means a lot.”
“You know I’m always happy to help when I can.” She heads toward the open door of the barn. “Theo! Can you help Claire bring the centerpieces to her car?”
“He doesn’t have to. I can manage myself.”
“Nonsense.” She waves me off. “He has to earn his paycheck some way,” she says with a wink, since Theo is her son and will be taking over the tree farm one day.
Theo McKinley appears in the open doorway, wiping his hands on a cloth. He’s always been handsome in a rugged, salt-of-the-earth kind of way.
“Hey, Claire,” he greets with a heartwarming smile.
“Good to see you, Theo.”
He easily lifts the three boxes containing the centerpieces like they weigh nothing, refusing to let me carry a single one. I lead him toward my SUV as we talk about the festival, my position at Holley Ridge, both of us commiserating about all the long hours we’ve been working this time of year.
Once he’s done loading the boxes, he leans against the side of my car and crosses his arms in front of his chest. It pulls his flannel shirt tight, and I sense he’s trying to show off. One thing is certain. The years he’s spent hauling trees have certainly paid off.
“Any chance you’d want to grab a drink after the holidays when things slow down?” he asks, treating me to the same smile that made my stomach flip when I was a teenager. “We can decompress a bit.”
A few weeks ago, I would’ve said yes without hesitation. He’s kind. Has an incredible work ethic. Wants a family. He’s rooted here. All the things I’ve always wanted.
Except now I want them with someone who is off limits in every meaning of the word.
But I can’t keep pining for something that can never be.
Plus, it’s only a drink. Not a marriage proposal.
“I’d like that,” I say, although my voice lacks any sort of enthusiasm.
He beams. “Great. I’ll call you.”
“Sounds good.”
He gives me one last smile before jogging off to help tie a tree onto someone’s car. I watch him for several long moments, trying to muster some sort of excitement at the prospect of going on a date with Theo McKinley, something teenage me would have lost sleep over.
But I can’t.
With a long sigh, I open my car door, stealing one last glance at the tree farm. Couples and families meander through row after row of trees, parents letting their kids tug them toward the biggest one they can find.
And then there’s Declan. Alone. Staring at a tree as if it’s some foreign object.
He looks like he’s wandered into someone else’s family photo and doesn’t quite know whether he should be a part of it.
It makes my heart squeeze, and before I can talk myself out of it, I close the door and head back to the tree farm, my boots crunching over frostbitten needles and leaves.
