Page 61 of Forbidden Dreams
"First time tree decorator here. But I could go to Clara's or just do lights. I think that could be pretty." The more I thought about it, the more I wanted to wait and collect ornaments over time. It would be more special then.
He got on the ground. "I'll cut it if you hold the trunk."
I reached through the branches, narrowly avoiding one smacking me in the face. The smell of pine enveloped me. "Got it."
"Good girl."
My face flushed. What if one of my brothers heard him talking that way to me? Hopefully, they would think we were just giving each other a hard time. "Don't let my brothers hear you say that."
I couldn't see his face. The trunk rocked, and I squeezed tighter.
"You got it?" he asked me.
"I'm holding as tight as I can."
I heard the scrape of the blade, and the tree was heavy in my arms.
Cooper hopped up and grabbed it. "I got it."
I let go and stepped back.
The entire afternoon was unexpected. It made me see how it was possible that I could be with Cooper and my family. But that only worked if my brothers accepted our relationship, and that was a pipe dream.
Chapter 16
Cooper
I put both trees in the bed of my truck and offered to deliver Aspen's to her apartment. I said I needed to check on work at the inn, so no one questioned me.
It was an excuse to see Aspen. After she'd come over to the house the other day, I told myself I'd keep my distance, but clearly that was impossible. I couldn't avoid her now when her family was the tie that bound us together.
Tomorrow, we'd have to pretend that there was nothing going on between us, but tonight I'd have her to myself.
After the last night we shared, I couldn't wait to spend more time with her. No matter how reckless it was.
I parked at the curb in front of Sweet Dreams Bakery and hefted her tree over my shoulder, taking the stairs to her apartment.
She followed, carrying the tree stand she bought at the tree farm.
I shifted the weight of the tree while I waited for her to unlock the door. She pushed it open for me to walk through. "Where do you want it?"
She closed the front door. "Let me see."
I set the tree on the ground while she opened the separate door to the deck. It was an enclosed space and every surface was covered in plants. "This is enchanting."
She was shifting pots around to make room for a tree, and she glanced up at me, a smile playing on her face. "Enchanting? I'm not sure I've heard you say that word before."
I had a feeling it was Aspen that was making my life look brighter. "You're rubbing off on me."
She set the stand in the space in the middle of the windows and asked, amusement tinging her tone, "Is that so?"
I moved to set the tree in the stand. "Can you hold this?"
"I'm the official tree holder today," she said dryly as she took the trunk from me.
I dropped to my knees to secure it. "Is it straight?"
She angled her head as she studied it. "I think so."
