The Christmas Tree

by Allyson Charles

  * * *

  They worked side by side through the afternoon. It was painstaking work unwinding the burned-out light strands from the tree without disturbing the ornaments. When Sadie would come across one of the old postcards, she would pause to read the note and her heart would break a little more each time.

  My dearest love. Christmas is around the corner and I ache knowing this is the second one that I will spend without you. This war is taking longer than I had thought it would but our fight against Germany is so important. There will be a small celebration at the base here, which should help our spirits. When I am down, I turn my thoughts to you and I feel better. I trust you and the children are well and I will think of you this Christmas as I do every day we are parted. Your loving husband.

  Trust. She couldn’t escape it. Colt was right. Trust wasn’t something that should need to be verified between people who cared about each other. She was so worried about protecting her heart from faithless men that she was going to end up with it broken anyway.

  He stood on the adjacent scaffolding, his brow furrowed in concentration as he delicately threaded a new strand of lights deep into the tree’s boughs. His arm knocked an ornament, sending it swinging, and he frowned at the dangling icicle until it hung still once more.

  He’d said he loved her.

  Sort of. Rather, he’d said that he’d fallen in love with one of her more annoying character traits. But that declaration had her heart jumping a triple axel just as much as a full-blown “I love you” would have.

  Why had he said it? Was he still trying to convince her to sell her home to him, and if she did, would he get the condemnation order lifted? He hadn’t sounded excited about the offer he’d made on her house. The only time he’d seemed interested in her home was when they’d agreed to work on the remodel. Together.

  She took a deep breath and placed a hand over her stomach. She felt as if she was on the precipice of a cliff, about to dive off. Trust her gut, Allison had said. She wanted to trust it, wanted to trust him. Her instincts told her, screamed at her really, that Colt was a good man. He wouldn’t have betrayed her.

  If she didn’t learn to believe in people, she would be alone in life. That was a lesson her mother had taught her well, so hurt after her divorce she’d never placed her faith in another man. Either scenario, believing in Colt or turning her back on him, could hurt her. Trusting Colt only to have him betray her would crush Sadie. But doubting him now, never giving them a chance, would end in the same result. Her alone. Without Colt. Heartbroken.

  Only by believing in him did she have a chance at happiness. She had been so afraid of being wrong, of looking like a fool for trusting someone she shouldn’t have, that she had almost thrown away her future.

  Not only did it feel right in her gut, but the choice to trust him turned out to be the rational one, too. A joyful laugh slipped from her mouth and her gaze flew to where he stood, threading the lights into the tree instead of just draping them over the branches. He was sturdy and sweet, someone to count on. The burden on her shoulders evaporated, leaving her weightless, buoyant. It was a moment of pure exhilaration. If Colt had asked her to jump out of a plane at that moment, she would have taken his hand and leaped. He would keep her safe.

  But would he ever trust her again?

  “It’s done.” Lips flat, Colt stood, hands at his hips.

  “What?”

  “The new strands of lights are plugged in. My section is all tucked in so there’s depth.” He twisted his mouth, his expression sour. “I’ll go flip the switch, make sure these ones work.”

  “Okay.” She gave him a tentative smile and his brows lowered before he turned and walked to the ladder, disappearing down the scaffolding. Her heart clenched. She had royally screwed this up.

  The lights flickered on, giving the big tree a soft glow in the creeping dusk. “It looks good,” she yelled down to Colt. He nodded and put his phone to his ear. Sadie climbed down to stand beside him as he hung up.

  “My men will be here shortly to remove the scaffolding. It will be done by eight.”

  She nodded. “Are you going to be here for the lighting?”

  “I wasn’t planning on it.” He rubbed the back of his neck, blew out a breath. “Yesterday I was.”

  “Planning on coming?” He nodded in response. “With me?” She held her breath as he hesitated with his answer.

  “Sadie . . .” From the tone of his voice, she could tell she wasn’t going to like what he said next. The dark blue minivan that rumbled down Main Street was a happy distraction.

  She clutched Colt’s arm. “That car. It’s the Christmas thief!” Spinning on her heel, she raced for her own vehicle, trying to keep the Grinch’s clunker in sight as she weaved through the booths scattered across the square. A heavy hand on her shoulder drew her up short.

  “What are you doing?” Colt panted a bit from his sprint to catch up to her.

  “What do you think? I’m going after the thief. Come on.” She turned toward her car, but he blocked her path.

  “Oh, of course,” he said sarcastically. “Why wouldn’t you be chasing after a criminal? Come on, Sadie. Use your head.”

  She shrugged out of his grip. “I’m only planning on following the minivan, seeing where it goes. I’m not going to tackle the thief to the ground.” Ducking around him, she ran for her car. As she slid behind the wheel, Colt yanked the passenger door open and threw himself inside. Smiling at him, at the fact that they were together even for something as silly as a chase, she looked over her shoulder and squealed out of her spot, pulling a U-turn on Main Street, scanning for the getaway vehicle. “Rats. I don’t see it.”

  He sighed and shook his head. “I’m so going to regret this, but they took a left at the corner. The car’s on the opposite side of the square.”

  She put her foot down and smirked as he grabbed for the seatbelt, securing himself in place. “I’m a good driver. Don’t worry.”

  “How we met would indicate otherwise.” He pulled a white pastry box, squashed in the middle, out from between his thigh and the center console, rested it on his lap.

  She hung another left, just making it before the light turned red. “One accident in the past fifteen years of driving. You have to get over it.” She paused in an empty intersection, looked both ways. Brake lights two blocks down on her right caught her eye and she spun the wheel sharply, stomping on the accelerator.

  Colt’s body slid toward her, his shoulder brushing her arm before he grabbed the handle above the door and pulled himself upright. “Maybe you’ve just been lucky for the past fifteen years. Your reckless behavior could be catching up with you.”

  A warm tingle raced through her heart. Reckless? Never before had she been accused of that. It felt . . . fun, being reckless with Colt. Still. She didn’t want to be responsible for another accident so she eased back with her right foot. “Better?” she asked. Colt merely scowled at her from his seat. “Sheesh. The streets are empty. Everyone’s home eating dinner before the ceremony. Lighten up, Grandpa.”

  “The reckless behavior isn’t just speeding,” he said tightly. “You’re chasing after someone you think is a criminal.”

  “This thief steals tinsel and decorations. Not exactly America’s Most Wanted. Besides, what do you mean ‘I think’ is a criminal? That’s the car Allison and I saw in the alley.” She merged onto an old county highway going north. “We’re heading out of town.”

  “You briefly saw a car in a dark alley. Jerome said you and Allison couldn’t even agree on what it looked like.” He squinted into the darkness. “In fact, wasn’t it Allison who thought the car was blue? Didn’t you think it was brown?”

  Sadie’s cheeks heated up. “Blue and brown look very similar in the dark.” He snorted. “Fine, so Allison was right about the color. But that’s the car. It has the same dent in the back and everything.” They entered a stretch where the two-lane road was enclosed in a forest of pine trees. The taillights of the car
in front of them disappeared around a bend in the road. “Where are we? This is kind of creepy out here.”

  “City girl.” He reached for the dash panel and turned the heat up. “This road leads to Clarion Township. Past that it meets up with Interstate 75, heading to Detroit. Or Canada, if you go north.” He shifted in his seat and placed his hand on her headrest. “Maybe your thief is on the lam. It’s a good thing we have an extradition treaty with Canada.”

  His teasing words rolled over her like honey. She glanced at him from the corner of her eye and her heart beat a staccato rhythm at the solid form so close beside her. Could there be hope for them?

  “Take a left.” He pointed to a road branching off fifty feet ahead. “The car went that way, into Clarion.” His stomach growled, long and loud. He shifted in his seat. “Sorry. I didn’t eat today.”

  She turned onto the road. “There are a couple cookies left in that box.” She nodded to his lap. “Help yourself.”

  He peeked under the lid, slid his glance to her. Picking up an oatmeal cookie, he brought it to his mouth, hesitated, took a small bite. He grunted. “Good. Thanks.”

  Smiling, she drove into Clarion. The outskirts were back-to-back strip malls and fast-food restaurants, but when they hit downtown, the turn-of-the-century charm rivaled Pineville’s. The center of town held a large roundabout, and a dark shape loomed at its center.

  “Clarion has their tree-lighting ceremony tomorrow. Lots of folks around here go to see both.”

  Sadie nodded but kept her attention on the minivan. “Look, they’re parking,” she whispered.

  “Why are we whispering?” he asked in a hushed voice.

  “It just feels like the thing to do.” She found her own spot behind the tree and cut the engine. Reaching for the ceiling light, she flipped a switch, ensuring that it wouldn’t go on when they opened their doors.

  Colt’s head followed her movements, his steady presence as soothing to her nerves as a glass of wine. “You do this type of thing a lot?” he asked, his voice holding a smile.

  “Turning off the light makes it easier to see through my night-vision goggles.”

  “What?” He jerked his head back, staring at her, mouth open.

  “Kidding.” She took one last deep breath. The car’s interior had filled with his scent, pine and musk, and she inhaled as much of it as her lungs would hold before stepping out of the car. Intending to use the tree as cover, she crept toward it, shoulders hunched. She started to circle around it when something metallic jangled on the far side, followed by a delicate sneeze. Sadie froze. The thief was on the other side of the tree.

  Not knowing which way to turn, she danced one way then the next before spinning around and sprinting back down the small incline toward the street. She crashed into a hard body and they went down, Sadie landing on top of Colt. His breath whooshed out of him on a groan. She put both her hands over his mouth and closed her eyes.

  “What was that? Did you hear that?” a feminine voice asked.

  An owl hooted in the distance.

  “I don’t hear anything,” another voice said. “Let’s get this ladder up. We don’t have much time before the ceremony.” More squealing of metal on metal, then some soft pants and gentle thuds broke the night air.

  She opened her eyes and took a deep breath. Colt’s dark gaze glittered up at her. Lifting her hands from his mouth, she placed them on the damp grass, one on either side of his head. For the first time she noticed where his hands had grabbed as they fell. One was molded to her upper thigh, holding her tight to him. The other rested on her lower back. Very low on her back.

  The chill in the air disappeared, heat sweeping through her body. She lowered her head an inch, keeping her gaze fixed on his. He didn’t turn away. Slowly, she closed the distance, fluttering her eyes shut at the last second. His breath tickled her lips, the touch she craved just millimeters away.

  A slimy tongue slapped against the side of her mouth and dragged up her cheek, leaving a damp trail in its wake. Her eyes flew open. Right beside her, its shaggy head inches from hers, was her childhood nightmare come to life.

  She screamed.

  Chapter Seventeen

  Sadie’s shriek split through the night.

  Colt rolled, crushing her body into the earth, his instinct to protect her. He turned his head from side to side, assessing the threat before sitting back on his heels. He looked down at her prone form, looked at the dog beside her, and started to laugh. Even when Sadie kicked out from beneath him in disgust and wiped her face with her sleeve, he kept laughing. He clutched his stomach when Shep went for her again, tongue lolling sideways out of his mouth, and she scrambled behind Colt, using him as a shield.

  “Stop laughing and do something! This dog is trying to molest me.” She gripped the shoulders of his parka, pulling at him to get up.

  “Miss Wilson?” a small voice asked. “Colt? Is that you?” Eugenie Shaw stepped from behind the tree, her small frame bundled all in black. “Shep! Come here right now.”

  Colt rose to his feet, rubbing his eyes with one hand and pulling Sadie up with the other. “Good evening, Miss Shaw.” A final chuckle escaped. “Interesting finding you here.”

  Sadie remained behind him. Her fingers didn’t ease their grip on his coat until Shep made his way back to his owner. “Interesting? Colt, those two are certifiable. They’re—” He stepped back, the heel of his boot landing on her toe and she broke off with a squawk.

  “Yes, well, I was just walking Shep. A change of scenery does him good.”

  “With Mrs. Garcia? You can come out from behind the tree, Mrs. Garcia. We do know you’re there,” he said.

  The plump woman, wearing a long black trench coat, sidled into view. Miss Shaw glanced her way. “Yes, with Deborah. She comes out walking with us often.”

  “And do you always go out walking with a ladder? I’ve heard of people carrying weights while they walk, but that seems excessive.” He strolled across the grass until he was standing beside the women, then bent down to pat Shep on his head, the only part of the poor dog’s body not covered in knitted wool. The sweater-vest Mrs. Garcia had knit for him was now accompanied by . . . good God, were those leg warmers? The dog’s hairy tail thumped on the ground.

  “How we take a walk is really none of your business, young man,” Mrs. Garcia said, the loose skin under her chin vibrating.

  Sadie stepped up beside him. “It is our business when you’re the Christmas thieves. Are you so angry that you’re no longer decorating the tree that you’re trying to ruin Christmas for everyone else? Because I hate to break it to you, but stealing a few knickknacks here and there isn’t going to wreck the holiday.”

  The back of her hand brushed against Colt’s and a shock ran through him, as it always did, at the feel of her skin against his. Her fingers were chilled. She wasn’t wearing gloves and he had to clench his fists to keep from warming her cold hands between his own. His body still hadn’t calmed down from their near kiss, from the feel of her body on top of his, under his hands. She’d said she wanted nothing to do with him, yet she had wanted that kiss just as badly as he. The muscles in his chest and back tightened. The woman drove him nuts.

  He turned his frustration on the women standing in front of him. “It doesn’t matter why they did it. Let the cops worry about that. I’m calling Jerome.” He pulled his phone from his pocket and started to punch in the number.

  “Please!” Miss Shaw said. “We can return everything. We were planning to anyway. It’s all sitting in Deborah’s garage. After tomorrow night, everyone was going to get back what we took.” Her small hand clutched her friend’s sleeve, her eyes wide with fright.

  “Why after tomorrow night?” He was curious despite himself.

  Mrs. Garcia lifted her chin. “We still have Pineville pride. Even if they don’t want us decorating the tree.”

  Colt glanced at Sadie, hoping for an interpretation. She shrugged, looking confused. “You’re going to have t
o explain that,” he said.

  The two thieves peered at one another, some sort of silent communication going on between them. Finally, Miss Shaw dropped her head and kicked at the ground with the toe of her boot. “We just wanted to make sure we won the competition,” she whispered.

  Colt and Sadie leaned forward. “Did you say win the competition?” he asked.

  “What competition?” Sadie said at the same time.

  Mrs. Garcia huffed. “The tree-lighting competition between Pineville and Clarion Township, of course.”

  Sadie poked him in the side. “There’s that competition business again. I would have spent more time on the design if I’d known we were being judged against another town.”

  “There is no competition. I don’t know what they’re talking about.”

  “Of course it’s a competition,” Mrs. Garcia said. “No one wants to admit it, something about not being in the Christmas spirit, blah, blah, blah, but everyone knows whose tree looks better each year, whose gets the most likes on Facebook, the most Twitter retweets. Last year, Phyllis’s bragging about how her tree didn’t catch on fire was . . . was . . .”

  “Unbearable,” Miss Shaw filled in. “She even posted a Vine on her Facebook of our tree going up in flames. It just kept going up like a torch, over and over and over—”

  Sadie poked him again. “Who’s Phyllis? What’s going on?”

  He captured her finger with one of his, making sure she couldn’t stab him anymore. Even that small touch was a mistake. It was an appetizer, making him hungry for more. “I don’t know,” he gritted out between clenched teeth.

  “Phyllis is in charge of Clarion’s tree-lighting ceremony,” Miss Shaw explained. “She really likes to rub our noses in the tiniest mistake.”

  Colt snorted. “A twenty-foot tree going up in flames really isn’t tiny . . .”

  Mrs. Garcia’s sad eyes matched Shep’s and Colt felt a twinge of regret for his words. He tipped his head back, took a deep breath. “Okay, so you want to beat Clarion’s tree. What does that have to do with stealing all that other stuff?”