Cami walked with him to the couch. “I hope it’s a masterpiece .”
He took a bite and groaned. “It’s a masterpiece. Trust me .”
She smiled. “So it’s ok I stopped by? It wasn’t a mistake ?”
He glanced down. Her leg was slightly touching his. Her eyes sparkled. Something in his chest tugged at him. “Honestly ?”
He saw the worry .
“I couldn’t think of a better way to end this day.” He shoved another bite of mac and cheese in his mouth .
* * *
“W hat about this one?” Cami stared up at a ten-foot tall Frasir fir. It was practically twice her height .
“That’s way too tall. I’m a single guy. Something small and simple .”
“But you have those high ceilings. That living room begs for a tall tree next to the fireplace.” Cami made her argument, but he wasn’t going extreme this year .
“Smaller,” he warned. “Much smaller .”
They walked on to another line of trees. They moved past a family arguing about what type of tree to get for their living room. The wife wanted a pine and the husband said he didn’t like the needles. There were stumps were trees had been cut and removed by the Crawfords. They had five sons who worked the farm every season .
“But not Charlie Brown small?” Cami asked. “It has to have more character than that .”
He laughed. “No. But what tree has more character than the Charlie Brown tree?” He paused in front of a full fir. The branches were almost too thick to add ornaments. He didn’t think they would fit between the branches, let alone the strands of lights. He examined the one next to it. “Who is going to decorate this thing ?”
She twirled toward him. “I will. I’ll help you do it .”
“You want to decorate my tree .”
“Mmmhmm.”
When she answered that way, suddenly decorating a tree seemed like the most critical thing on his agenda. If it meant he got to spend more time with Cami, he wanted that. Maybe a taller tree was better. Look how it made her face light up .
“You choose,” he added. “Whichever one you think will look best .”
“I think this one.” She stood in front of the one next to the tree with thick needles. “It’s not too tall, but it has the perfect shape. It’s going to look gorgeous in your house. I just know it .”
“This is the one then. Wait here, and I’ll track down Trevor or Travis. I don’t know which one of the boys is working, maybe it was Trent and the gate. It doesn’t matter, I’ll get the saw .”
Cami wrapped her arms around the tree playfully. “It’s not going anywhere, but in your truck. I’ll guard it with my life .”
He returned a few minutes later with the saw and crouched to the ground to begin sawing back and forth. Cami braced the side of the branches as it started to sway and tip towards the piles of sawdust on the ground .
“Timber,” Evan called. He stood just as the tree tipped into her arms. He caught it before she had the full weight of the fir. He moved, closing his arms around hers. For a moment, he caught the scent of her hair mixed with the fresh cut fir .
“Let’s get this in the truck. I can take it from here. You should get in the cab where it’s warm .”
She wiggled out from underneath him and watched as he hauled the tree on his back and lugged it to the parking lot. After Evan paid Trevor Crawford they were headed back to his house .
Cami grabbed the tapered end and helped Evan take the tree in through the front door .
“It looks perfect in here.” She smiled when he finally had the tree straightened in the base. It only took a few times with the screws to align it .
“Maybe I should leave it like that.” He stood back to admire it. “It’s in its natural state .”
“No way. We’re putting lights and ornaments on it .”