“Why are you all sweaty?”
“Huh?”
Her finger traced a path across my chest. “You look like you mud wrestled a mountain lion.”
“I, uh, went for a hike.”
Her nose scrunched up. “I hate hiking.”
I reeled back with surprise. Nellie was the textbook image of athleticism. “Miss jogs five miles a day?”
“Only on flat ground.”
Her eyes shot up when I captured her hand in mind, trapping it against my chest.
“I think that’s enough decorating for the night,” I told her.
Her eyes narrowed, lips flattening into a thin line. “But the Santa.” I looked over my shoulder when she pointed at St. Nick dangling from my roof. “He’s crooked.”
Ironically, the decoration had been designed to look like he was hanging off the edge, but Nellie had only nailed one of his hands to the roof before her tumble. It wasn’t perfect, and yet it was better.
“I don’t know,” I told her. “I kind of like him like that. Seems more playful and . . . messy.”
“Messy?”
“Not in a bad way. I find that usually, when somebody knows they’re being photographed, they get stiff. Like they’re putting on a show.” She squinted up at Santa while mulling over my words. “The best photos are usually candid. Fun, a little bit messy, but a beautiful mess. They tend to capture a piece of us that we often keep hidden.”
“A beautiful mess,” she repeated.
“But I can straighten him out, if you want me to.”
“No,” she said with a smile on her face. “I think I like him exactly how he is.”
I had a funny feeling that she wasn’t talking about Santa Claus anymore.
Chapter Five
December 11th
Nellie
Ihad never taken kindly to being told what to do, something both of my parents and sister would attest to—youngest child syndrome and all that. That being said, Austin could have very well ordered me to crawl to him on all fours and I would have done it. Happily.
“Okay, Nellie, lean in a little bit more.” I did as he said, pushing in an extra inch until my nose brushed the tree’s needles. “That’s it. And tilt your face up toward me.”
Our eyes met when I lifted my chin. The intensity of his gaze made me swallow. This was a different side of Austin, the same one I had seen a few nights ago when he’d saved me from what would have been another embarrassing fall. He was calm and collected, which was enough to put me on edge.
And make me wet.
“Keep your eyes on me.”
Yes, sir.
Woah, where had that come from?
“My arm is falling asleep.” Leighton moaned from the other side of the tree.
“Oh, be quiet. At least you have two good feet to stand on.”
