pushed open the door and jumped out of the cab. The snow was deeper than it looked and as soon as they stepped off the packed down track of the road, they sank. Andi, her legs substantially shorter than Colin's, almost to her knees. Fortunately, they didn't have to go far to find the perfect tree. The forest was thick and they were surrounded by perfect pines, any of which would make beautiful a tree for the party.
"Have you ever done this before?" She asked Colin.
He walked next to her, trudging through the snow, with an ax swung over his shoulder. He glanced at Andi, who looked very sexy in her oversized wool sweater and scarf.
"I remember years ago going with my Dad into the woods," he said. "The plan was to chop down the perfect tree to surprise my mom. She always liked the big fir trees that you could buy in the parking lot of the grocery store."
"My parents always got one of those," Andi said. "They were always like a hundred dollars."
"Exactly," Colin said. "So one year, my dad got it in his head to prove to my mom that he could get an equally beautiful tree out of the forest. You have to understand, my mom loved her Christmas trees. It was the most important part of the holiday for her. So it had to be perfect."
"Okay." Andi smiled, encouraging him to go on. "So how did it go?"
"I must have been about eight or nine," he said. "And I remember driving and driving. After what seemed like hours, we got out of the truck and started walking, kind of like we're doing now. My feet were totally numb when Dad finally decided we'd found the perfect spot."
"And you got a great tree?"
"Well, no." Colin laughed. "That's the thing. The place we went had really spindly trees, but instead of admitting defeat, Dad chopped down three trees."
"Three?"
"Yup, then he lashed them all together and tried to pass it off as one, very full pine."
Andi laughed and almost stumbled in the deep snow. Colin caught her easily and steadied her. A jolt went through him at the touch. "What did your mom say?" Andi's voice came out in a breath. He thought it might be from the hard walking, but he hoped it wasn't.
Colin stopped walking, but didn't let go of her arm. "I think she knew, but she never said anything. Not even when we took it down after Boxing day. She just looked away and said something about it being the most beautiful tree we'd ever had."
"That's so sweet."
"It was," he said. "I didn't realize it at the time because I was too young, but they were so in love that Dad wanted it to be perfect for her, and she wouldn't wreck that for him. It's one of my favorite memories." He looked into the forest at the trees. He'd never told anyone that story before. Colin looked back at Andi. Why now?
"And now you get to do it again," Andi said softly.
"I do." He leaned down and met her lips with his. Her skin was cold, but her mouth was a warm haven and the kiss warmed his entire body. He slid a gloved hand down her cheek and pulled her closer, deepening the kiss.
He could have stood in the forest all day kissing her. But when a cloud moved over the sun, darkening the sky, he reluctantly pulled away. "We should probably hurry."
He spoke the words but didn't make any move to let her go until she stepped back and said, "We probably should. Besides, there will be lots of time for that later."
His body reacted at her words. But before he could reach for her again, Andi spun around and pointed at a tree. "How about that one? It's perfect."
It was. About eight feet tall, the tree was perfectly filled out. If the sun had still been shining, Colin would have expected it to glow with Christmas spirit.
"Good choice," he said.
She stepped back and pulled her scarf closer around her face. Without the sun, things were cooling off quickly. The clouds were starting to build and the air held the crisp promise of snow. He'd have to get her back to the warm truck soon.
It only took a few swings of the ax, and the tree came down
"Have you ever done this before?" She asked Colin.
He walked next to her, trudging through the snow, with an ax swung over his shoulder. He glanced at Andi, who looked very sexy in her oversized wool sweater and scarf.
"I remember years ago going with my Dad into the woods," he said. "The plan was to chop down the perfect tree to surprise my mom. She always liked the big fir trees that you could buy in the parking lot of the grocery store."
"My parents always got one of those," Andi said. "They were always like a hundred dollars."
"Exactly," Colin said. "So one year, my dad got it in his head to prove to my mom that he could get an equally beautiful tree out of the forest. You have to understand, my mom loved her Christmas trees. It was the most important part of the holiday for her. So it had to be perfect."
"Okay." Andi smiled, encouraging him to go on. "So how did it go?"
"I must have been about eight or nine," he said. "And I remember driving and driving. After what seemed like hours, we got out of the truck and started walking, kind of like we're doing now. My feet were totally numb when Dad finally decided we'd found the perfect spot."
"And you got a great tree?"
"Well, no." Colin laughed. "That's the thing. The place we went had really spindly trees, but instead of admitting defeat, Dad chopped down three trees."
"Three?"
"Yup, then he lashed them all together and tried to pass it off as one, very full pine."
Andi laughed and almost stumbled in the deep snow. Colin caught her easily and steadied her. A jolt went through him at the touch. "What did your mom say?" Andi's voice came out in a breath. He thought it might be from the hard walking, but he hoped it wasn't.
Colin stopped walking, but didn't let go of her arm. "I think she knew, but she never said anything. Not even when we took it down after Boxing day. She just looked away and said something about it being the most beautiful tree we'd ever had."
"That's so sweet."
"It was," he said. "I didn't realize it at the time because I was too young, but they were so in love that Dad wanted it to be perfect for her, and she wouldn't wreck that for him. It's one of my favorite memories." He looked into the forest at the trees. He'd never told anyone that story before. Colin looked back at Andi. Why now?
"And now you get to do it again," Andi said softly.
"I do." He leaned down and met her lips with his. Her skin was cold, but her mouth was a warm haven and the kiss warmed his entire body. He slid a gloved hand down her cheek and pulled her closer, deepening the kiss.
He could have stood in the forest all day kissing her. But when a cloud moved over the sun, darkening the sky, he reluctantly pulled away. "We should probably hurry."
He spoke the words but didn't make any move to let her go until she stepped back and said, "We probably should. Besides, there will be lots of time for that later."
His body reacted at her words. But before he could reach for her again, Andi spun around and pointed at a tree. "How about that one? It's perfect."
It was. About eight feet tall, the tree was perfectly filled out. If the sun had still been shining, Colin would have expected it to glow with Christmas spirit.
"Good choice," he said.
She stepped back and pulled her scarf closer around her face. Without the sun, things were cooling off quickly. The clouds were starting to build and the air held the crisp promise of snow. He'd have to get her back to the warm truck soon.
It only took a few swings of the ax, and the tree came down
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