Tall Timbers Farm worked on the honor system during off hours. There were envelopes and a lock box at the entrance where tree shoppers could place their payments if no one was manning the booth by the gate.
Rick paid his twenty dollars and drove into the tree farm, on the lookout for the perfect balsam fir. He hadn’t planned to be here after dark. A flashlight would have helped, but his headlights would have to do. About a hundred yards in, he turned left down a little path and spied the tree he wanted.
He was looking forward to the physical labor of cutting down the tree. He hoped it would keep his mind from wandering back to Julianna and the look in her eyes when he touched her face and the smell of sugar on her skin. He couldn’t stop himself from wondering if she would have tasted as sweet.
If he could have kicked himself, he would have. There was no reason to speculate about that kiss. He was here to get a tree not to think about Julianna and her lips. His family’s holiday tradition depended on him getting a tree back to the house as soon as possible.
Snowflakes drifted down from the clouds like feathers. Snow had fallen a little bit every day this month. Rick grabbed his saw and went to work on the tree trunk. As hard as he worked, nothing stopped his thoughts from returning to Julianna.
Would she ever forgive him and let him have that kiss? What would it be like to kiss Julianna Kramer? Would he ever be able to stop kissing her once she let him do it once?
He stopped sawing and wiped his brow. His stomach growled. Finally, something else to think about. After a long shift, he had worked up quite an appetite. He hoped his mom made enough clam chowder to feed an army. Did Julianna like clam chowder?
This had to stop. He could not obsess over her. It was ridiculous. She certainly wasn’t thinking about him like this.
Rick turned his attention back to the tree. The sweet-smelling fir was about to fall. A couple more good swipes of the saw and he’d be shouting, “Timber!” He might not be able to make things better with Julianna, but he was sure going to get this tree home and up before the pageant was over. Time was running out.
Rick was just about to push the tree over when he was startled by the bark of a rambunctious border collie who appeared out of nowhere. He took a step forward and his feet immediately went out from under him. Reaching for something to keep him from falling on his face, he grasped the tree that was no longer being held up by its sturdy trunk. Instead of preventing his fall, the tree came down right along with him. He could have sworn the last thing he heard was Julianna’s voice.
Chapter 7
If there was one thing Julianna was certain of, it was that this had to be the worst Christmas Eve in the history of Christmas Eves. Her plan had been to spend the rest of the evening wallowing while her aunt and her grandfather went to the pageant without her.
They had put up quite a fuss, begging her to come. In the end, they agreed to leave her behind if she promised to come to midnight mass with them, which seemed like a fair enough trade off.
Her pity-party began the moment they left. Julianna curled up on the couch with her grandmother’s knitted afghan to keep her warm and cup of coffee to keep her awake past midnight. Rick Fisher’s words played over and over in her head.
Brave, gracious, and human. Was that really what he thought of her? The sincerity with which he spoke had been the reason for her tears earlier. She so badly needed to believe Rick had meant what he said.
Besides being right about using him to hide from her problems, Gavin had been right about one more thing — she was angry with herself. Not about ending their relationship but about giving into the doubt. Medical school hadn’t been right for her, but that didn’t mean she was wrong for medicine. Julianna could have taken her biology degree and med school experience and applied to veterinary school. Mrs. Fisher had reminded her today that taking care of animals had been a passion of hers since she was little. Rick had done the same.
Mabel barked for a bathroom break. Julianna didn’t want her going out back unsupervised given the current state of the yard and shed. She grabbed her coat and put on her boots so she could take Mabel for a quick walk to do her business.
Fat, lazy snowflakes floated through the air. Julianna held tight to Mabel’s leash as they walked down the driveway and along the sidewalk in front of the house.
Mabel’s nose was glued to the ground. There had been so many people gathered outside to watch the spectacle she’d created with her book burning, the dog had lots of new scents to track in the snow. Just as they passed the spot where the fire truck had been parked, Mabel stopped. Her ears shot straight up, listening to something only she could hear.
Julianna waited her out, watching the snowflakes make their languid trip from cloud to the ground. Wouldn’t it be nice to be so carefree and unhurried? Snow didn’t have to worry about where it was going; it just fell and rested where it landed.
Mabel let out a husky woof. When Julianna turned to see what the matter was, Mabel took off. Julianna’s grip on the leash was lax and Mabel’s chase so unexpected the dog easily broke free.
“Mabel! Come!” Julianna shouted after her, but the dog didn’t slow. Whatever had caught her attention had her complete focus.
There was part of Julianna that wanted to lie down in the snow and give up. This day had tried its best to defeat her. But there was a bigger part that wasn’t ready to give up at all. She wanted that part to win.
She followed Mabel all the way through the backyard, into the tree farm behind their house, and down one of the car paths. Julianna could see what appeared to be headlights up ahead. Thankfully they didn’t seem to be moving. She called for the dog again, but Mabel was on a mission.
Julianna trudged along, not as sure on her feet as the canine. The snow on the path had been compacted down, so it wasn’t deep but felt like she was walking on a sheet of ice.
Mabel barked and then howled as if she had been hurt.
The hair on the back of Julianna’s neck stood on end. Ice or not, she needed to get to her dog. Running toward the headlights, she noticed one of the bigger fir trees nearby had fallen. Like a rocket, Mabel shot out of the tree line near that spot.
“Mabel!”
Julianna’s fear was palpable. When she got close enough, she realized her dog was unharmed but worried about someone else. Rick was face down in the snow and not moving.
Julianna dropped to her knees. “Rick? Rick, are you okay?”
Standing up, she patted her pockets, looking for her phone. But she had clearly forgotten this was the worst day ever and her phone was sitting on the coffee table back at home.
Rick had chosen a fine tree. It was thick and full, at least seven feet tall, and would look fabulous in the Fishers’ family room as their Christmas tree. But its size also made it intimidating, at least to a woman who stood five foot five and only weighed 120 pounds. Julianna had to try to move it, though. Rick needed help and she was all he had at the moment.
Tossing her mittens aside, she took a hold of the trunk. Thankfully, it didn’t take much to roll the tree off of her fallen friend. The glow of the headlights allowed her to see the crimson blood staining the snow near his head. The tree had fallen on him, but it had been the ice he’d slipped and landed on that had done the most damage.
“Rick, can you hear me?” She gently brushed the hair off his forehead and checked to make sure he was still breathing.
He groaned and shifted.
“Careful,” she warned, so grateful he was indeed still alive. “Don’t move yet.”
“Jules?” Rick’s eyes fluttered open and he attempted to roll onto his back.
She tried to hold him still. “You’re hurt.”
Rick pushed himself up off the ground and got to his knees. “Mabel?”
It was sweet he was worried about the dog at a time like this. “She’s fine. I’m more concerned about you and that cut.”
Reaching up, he winced when he touched the gash on his head. “There’s a first aid k
it in the glove box in my truck.”
Of course there was. Being prepared was mandatory for someone like Rick. Julianna helped him sit up before retrieving the kit. Well, some might call it a kit. Jules would have referred to it as a portable hospital. Inside, there was a thermometer and tongue blades, two pairs of scissors and various splints. Everything she learned in her two years in medical school came rushing back. She unwrapped a couple gauze pads.
“Hold these on there until we can get the bleeding to stop.” She carefully pressed the stack of pads to his wound. “Do you think you can stand up? I need to get you in the truck and to the hospital.”
Rick shook his head and seemed to immediately regret it. “No hospitals. I need to get this tree to my parents’ house. We have to decorate it tonight.”
“I think your family will understand.”
“Help me up,” he said, ignoring her. She gave him her hand and steadied him when he got a little wobbly. “I’m fine, Jules.”
She would have laughed if she wasn’t so worried. He sounded like she had at the pie shop earlier today. “You might need stitches and probably have a concussion.”
“Is that your expert opinion, Dr. Kramer?”
“Yes, it is,” she said surely.
She led him to the truck and leaned over him to buckle him in. “I can’t go to the hospital. It’s Christmas Eve. The first one Ben has been home for in three years. My mom is counting on me. Both my brothers need cheering up. I can’t spend the night in the ER. Please, Jules.”
She made the mistake of turning her head and looking into those emerald eyes that no woman on the planet could say no to. She sighed and gave in but didn’t give up. “I’ll drive you back to my house and check you out. If I think you need to go to the hospital afterwards, you will go to the hospital without argument.”
His face broke into a smile. “Deal, but… can we bring the tree?”
His grin was as undeniable as his eyes.
Julianna turned the truck around and stood next to the open tailgate trying to figure out how she was going to manage this. She reminded herself that the tree wasn’t as heavy as it looked. It was awkward and all kinds of sticky, but she hoisted the tree trunk into the truck bed with Rick and Mabel watching from the cab. Once the Fishers’ tree was secured, she hopped in the driver’s seat and headed home.
“Jules to the rescue,” Rick said, placing his hand on her thigh. She rolled her eyes and chose not to respond. That hit to his head must have made him loopy. She did like the way his hand felt, though.
~*~
Back at the house, Julianna needed rubbing alcohol to get all the tree sap off her hands and found a handful of pine needles stuck in her hair. Her jacket was going to need to go to the cleaners and she’d forgotten her mittens back at the tree farm.
None of that mattered, though. Rick and his head wound were her only concern. Once she was washed up, she went to work cleaning his cut.
“I don’t think you need stitches, but you might want to get a second opinion,” she said, placing some butterfly bandages on it to close up the nasty gash.
“I trust yours.” He’d been staring, and it made her nervous.
“Guys with scars are kind of hot, so maybe you should leave it.” She turned her back so he couldn’t see her face when she said it. He had made her blush every time they’d been together today.
“Well then, let’s definitely leave it,” he replied.
Bandaged up, it was time to give him a thorough examination to rule out a concussion. He followed her finger with his eyes. His strength and reflexes were good. She had him stand on one foot for twenty seconds, and he did so without falling over. He also passed all her memory tests with flying colors.
“I’m not totally convinced, but there are no clear signs of a concussion.”
Rick clapped his hands together. “It’s a Christmas miracle.”
Julianna wasn’t feeling as enthusiastic. “Someone needs to keep a close eye on you, though. If you start to feel nauseous or you get a really bad headache, I need you to go to the hospital.”
“I will. I promise.” He grabbed her hands and pulled her closer. “Thank you for taking care of me, Jules. You really did save me out there.”
“It was nothing.”
He tipped her chin up so she couldn’t look away. “You’re good at this doctor stuff.”
“I am, aren’t I?” she asked, and he nodded. “I think I want to go back to school. I think I chose the wrong patients the first time around. Maybe I’d be better with animals.”
“I think you’d be good with either.”
They both smelled like antiseptic, but she didn’t care. Being this close made her feel the same way she did when she rode a rollercoaster—afraid but exhilarated at the same time.
“Well, I hope you don’t feel bad about needing some help tonight. I mean, it’s been twenty-four years since a woman has had to save you.”
Rick exhaled a laugh through his nose. “When I look back on today, there are only two things I’ll feel bad about. Both have to do with you and neither one of them is needing your help.”
Julianna could feel her eyebrows pinch together. “What other regrets could you possibly have?”
“One is hurting your feelings during the fire.”
His sincerity once again threatened to make her weepy. “I’ve already forgiven you for that. What’s the other?”
“Not letting those cookies burn … so I could do this.” Rick’s hands cradled her face as he pressed his lips to hers. Julianna wrapped her arms around his waist. Kissing Rick was better than being on a rollercoaster. This feeling was like free falling without having to worry about where she landed because she knew he’d be there to catch her.
Rick pulled back with the biggest grin on his face. “How do you feel about clam chowder?”
Chapter 8
“Oh, honey! That’s much worse than you said it was!” Rick’s mother exclaimed as they walked through the front door. Her hands cradled his face as she stood on her tip-toes to get a better look at his forehead.
“I’m fine, Ma. Jules patched me up and made sure I don’t have a concussion.”
“There were no signs of a concussion, but we should keep an eye on him just to be safe,” Julianna said. He couldn’t help but smile at the confidence in her tone.
Mrs. Fisher wrapped Julianna in a tight embrace. “Thank you for taking care of him. Now, give me your jacket and come get yourself something to eat.”
Rick’s mother ushered the two of them further into the house. His dad carried in the Christmas tree and placed it in the waiting tree stand. Julianna and Ivy exchanged hugs while Josh took a minute to relish in Rick’s misfortune.
“Do you have any idea how long I’ve waited for this moment?” Josh asked, bouncing on the balls of his feet. There would be no need for him to fake his merriment this evening thanks to Rick’s accident. “Actually being there to see you break your face is the only thing that could have made it better.”
Rick could only smile. “Hilarious coming from you, Crash.” He threw a thumb over his shoulder. “By the way, was that the old firehouse bell out front or did I hit my head so hard I’m hallucinating?”
His father’s chest puffed out with pride. “Ben found it. Well, Andrea Talbot found it for him, but it’s his Christmas present to me.”
That son of a gun. Ben had pulled it off. He bought the one thing their father would consider absolutely priceless. His big brother had done well.
“Show off,” Josh mumbled.
“Where is Ben?” Rick asked only now realizing there was one Fisher brother missing.
The front door opened and shut. “I’m home!” Ben called out. “And I brought a guest.” Ben and Andrea came around the corner holding hands.
Rick and Josh exchanged did-you-know-about-this looks. Apparently neither brother was aware Ben had more than a working relationship with the lovely antique dealer in town. They’d be sure to ply Ben with eggnog unt
il he gave them the whole story.
“What happened to you?” Ben asked as he greeted Rick.
“My Christmas present to Crash is overshadowing his accident on the ice with my own.”
“That was so generous of you,” Ben said with a snicker.
Josh didn’t think it was very funny. He elbowed Ben in the ribs and tried to put Rick in a headlock, but their mother would have none of it.
“Cut it out, you three! No roughhousing on Christmas Eve. Two of you are already injured and we will not have a repeat of Christmas 2005.”
Ten years ago, the three boys had gotten into a wrestling match that ended when they knocked over the Christmas tree and broke a few of their mother’s favorite ornaments. As punishment, their father had informed them they would have to shovel every driveway on the street the next time it snowed. Christmas Town had been hit by a blizzard the very next day. Seventeen inches had to be shoveled that day, a record amount for the holiday.
The concern on Julianna’s face wiped the goofy smile off Rick’s. He sidled up to her and whispered, “Are you okay?”
“I’m fine. You, on the other hand, are not,” she whispered back as his mom announced it was time to eat.
“What are you talking about? I’m totally fine.”
“The inch-and-a-half gash and growing bump on your head say different. Please don’t stress me out.”
Her anxiety made him grin so big his cheeks hurt. “You’re worried about me. That’s so cute.”
Julianna’s eyes rolled and her arms crossed over her chest. “Obviously, I’m trying to save myself from feeling guilty if you end up with brain damage.”
“You like me.” Rick nudged her. “Admit it.”
“I like not having my awesome bandaging skills compromised by your recklessness.” Jules waited until everyone had left for the dining room. “And I’ll enjoy kissing you more if you remain conscious.”
When she put it that way …
A Heartwarming Christmas: A Boxed Set of Twelve Sweet Holiday Romances Page 40
