by Ann DeFee
When Matt strolled in the back door her heart leaped with joy. Thank God, he was safe!
“Lucy, I’m home.” His singsong parody of Ricky Ricardo on the I Love Lucy show sounded better than a choir of angels.
CHAPTER SEVEN
Should she or shouldn’t she risk her heart? That was the question of a lifetime. One thing Honey knew for certain—if she let this opportunity for happiness slip through her fingers, she’d regret it forever. If he didn’t reciprocate her feelings, it was his loss. In the big scheme of things, all she had to lose was a little dignity. And that was well worth taking a chance.
Matt was still shaking the snow out of his hair when Honey threw herself into his arms. How about that? He’d spent the past hour trying to decide what to do and then she took the initiative.
“That’s the kind of greeting I like,” he murmured, punctuating his delight with a nibble on her neck. He took her hand and pulled her toward the living room. “We can have a little privacy in here. Not much, but some,” he said with a chuckle. “Hopefully the kids won’t come looking for us. But I’m not all that optimistic. Until they discover we’re missing, we can do some necking. That is, if you’d like to.” He searched her eyes for any sign that he was on the wrong track.
“That sounds fantastic,” Honey whispered, smiling softly.
They were lost in each other for almost thirty minutes—they’d kiss, cuddle, talk, and then they’d go back to kissing—before they were interrupted.
“Uncle Matt, M&M is up and she wants a snack. What should I give her?” Although Colleen was still in the family room, she was obviously heading in their direction.
“Busted,” Matt muttered, running his fingers across Honey’s lips. “But we’re not through with this,” told her with a wink.
“In the living room,” he yelled.
“What are you guys doing in here?”
“Talking.” Matt didn’t even crack a grin.
“So what do you want me to give M&M?”
“I’ll take care of it, but would you keep her busy for a few minutes?”
“Okay,” she said, shooting them a suspicious look.
Matt waited until Colleen had left before giving Honey another heart-stopping kiss. “Why don’t you come and help me?”
“Of course.”
“I was going to tell you something interesting, but somehow I got…distracted,” he said. “After I fed the horses I checked on the snowmobile. It’s been moved.” Matt frowned. “What do you suppose that’s all about?”
Honey had a good idea, but she wasn’t about to voice it. “I don’t know. What do you think?”
“Beats me.” He shrugged. “Oh well, after I make M&M a snack I need to take the dog out.” He leaned over to pat Sweet Pea’s head. “You’re about to cross your legs, aren’t you?”
The pup responded with a soft woof.
“Where do you take her? I never thought about doggy potty accommodations.”
“I have a place outside the back door that’s covered. As long as the snow doesn’t swirl in and the roof doesn’t collapse, we’re fine.”
“There’s a chance the roof might fall in?” Honey asked with a squeak.
“Just on the shed. All the other buildings have roofs that are steep enough to keep the snow from accumulating.”
Whew! Honey knew that snow was cold and wet, but other than that she was clueless. Her building supervisor dealt with things like snow removal.
“If it gets too deep, all bets are off. So in the morning I might have to climb up and shovel it,” Matt said with a shrug.
“Is the blizzard supposed to stop?” If that happened, Honey would no longer have an excuse to stay. But whatever it took to make this part of her life come full circle, she was willing to try.
THE NEXT MORNING DAWNED CLEAR and very cold.
“Hey, sleepyhead. Up and at ’em.” Honey peeked out from under the edge of the duvet. She didn’t intend to leave her little nest—not unless someone provided some major motivation. And that inspiration came in the form of six feet of sexy male standing in the doorway. Yikes—she could see his breath in the air. She wouldn’t have been surprised to discover icicles hanging from his ears.
“No,” she muttered, pulling the pillow over her head.
“If you don’t get up, I’ll rip the covers off.” His voice was getting closer.
“Go away!”
The mattress dipped as he sat down. Last night she would’ve given anything to have him in her bed. Although they were getting reacquainted, they hadn’t become nearly as friendly as she would’ve liked.
Matt leaned over for an erotic exploration of her neck. “The kids are getting dressed to go outside and build a snowman. You’ve been invited to join them. And breakfast is ready.”
Honey didn’t know whether it was the children’s request, his intimate cajoling or the lure of coffee—whatever it was, she couldn’t resist. “Okay, hand me some warm clothes.”
He took the terry-cloth robe off the chair and dropped it on the end of the bed. “I’m heating some sweet rolls I found in the freezer.” He trailed kisses from her cheek to her collarbone. “It’s time to face the morning,” he said, emphasizing his assertion with a kiss.
HONEY HAD LEFT HER SKI OUTFIT—including her long underwear—back at the car, so she had to improvise. Matt’s parka went down to her knees, Patrick’s boots sort of fit, and Colleen had tossed in a hat and some mittens. Glancing in the hallway mirror, Honey thought she looked like a Pillsbury Doughboy that had run amuck at a Goodwill store.
The snow was knee deep, but due to the drifting, a small area of the yard was fairly clear. And that was where Colleen and Patrick decided to build a snowman.
“I’ll help you guys when I get through shoveling,” Matt said. “Honey, would you watch M&M? I don’t want her to get too cold.”
The child was flat on her back making snow angels. What three-year-old worried about the temperature?
“I doubt we could force her to go inside,” Honey observed with a smile.
“You’re right about that.”
Matt gave Honey another kiss before ambling off to shovel a path to the front door. Now that was the way to start the morning.
Honey scrunched down in her borrowed parka. The temperature had dipped well below zero so she could see every breath she took. Wow! This was a scene straight out of a movie. It was beautiful. It was pristine. And if she really thought about it—it was terrifying. Enough of that! She was exactly where she wanted to be—thanks to her Willie Nelson Santa.
Matt had almost finished clearing a path to the front door. Who would’ve believed that so much snow could pile up in one place? The entire front porch was covered, and there were snowdrifts halfway around the house. Her poor BMW was probably nothing more than a bump on the landscape. In fact, they might not find it until the spring thaw. But did that really matter? If she didn’t have a car, she couldn’t leave. Now, that was an interesting thought.
After he finished his chores, Matt joined Honey and the kids as they made a life-size snow person—complete with a muffler and a carrot nose.
“Cute snowman, or is it a snowwoman?” Matt asked, leaning on his shovel and looking more attractive than any man she’d ever seen.
“What do you think, kids? Is this a boy or a girl?” Honey asked.
Her innocent question brought on a chorus of opinions.
“Enough, you guys,” Matt ordered. “I want to show you our shop,” he told Honey. “Kids, I’m going to take Honey out to the store. Why don’t you come with us?”
Because of the huge drifts, Honey hadn’t noticed the rustic structure that was only a hundred yards from the house, but based on the effort it took to get there, it seemed to be miles. Built of old barn boards and featuring a hand-carved sign, it was exactly what she would’ve expected. Matt was one of the most artistic people she’d ever known. When they were in high school, he’d won multiple awards for his oil paintings.
&nb
sp; “I love the sign.” It was more like a piece of art than the symbol of a business. “Did you do it?”
“Uh-huh. This was my first attempt at wood carving. It was fun.” The sign depicted a gorgeous Christmas tree with lights, decorations and packages. The angel on the top was a miniature M&M.
“The Magic Tree Farm. That’s so appropriate.” Especially since Santa had led her to Matt—even if her rescuer had looked like Willie Nelson. This was a place where magic happened.
“Who named the farm?”
“My uncle Pietro. He used to joke that he’d stick around just to make sure we ran it right. And frankly, if anyone could come back from the hereafter, he’d be the guy. He was a true believer in the magic of Christmas.”
“I’m sure he’d be very proud of what you’ve done.”
“I hope so.” Matt pushed open the door. “It’ll be cold in here. We have a furnace, but it’s not connected to the generator. I do have a couple of the overhead lights hooked up, so at least we’ll be able to see what we’re doing. When the store’s open we use the woodstove for heat. People seem to think it feels more like Christmas.” Matt made a sweeping gesture with his arm. “This is the center of our cut-your-own-tree operation. In November and December we have sleigh rides, decorated trees like you see here and homemade refreshments. Folks come all the way from Boston to get in the holiday mood.”
“I’m not surprised. I love it.” The interior was Christmas at its best. There were wreaths, stockings hung from the fireplace mantel, and several beautifully decorated trees—one had a Disney theme and another featured more traditional ornaments, while the third was a Victorian confection. Honey could imagine what a fairyland it was when the lights were on and twinkling.
“This is the fun side of our business; however, we make most of our money from our wholesale operation. We send trees and wreaths from Maine to Florida.”
“I’m impressed.”
“Thanks. We’re doing well. I’m working hard to make this a legacy for my brother’s children.”
Honey nodded. That was exactly what she’d expect Matt to do. He always thought of others and he took his responsibilities seriously.
Then she noticed the wall of oil paintings. There was no doubt they were Matt’s work. “This landscape is beautiful,” she exclaimed as she examined one of the canvases. “Are you still painting?”
“Sometimes, but with everything else I have to deal with, it’s hard to find the time.”
“I know what you mean. I get so wrapped up in work that I forget to make time for the things I love.” Perhaps she needed to start nurturing her artistic side again, Honey thought.
MATT WATCHED HONEY STUDY HIS paintings. He still loved her; damn, that felt good to admit. No more struggling against the Fates, no more second-guessing—Matt De Luca was a man on a mission. Honey Campbell had better watch out, because he planned to make her a part of his life. Nope, she didn’t have a chance.
She was adorable in his parka with her bright eyes and pink cheeks. He could barely keep his hands off her. Soon, very soon, he’d have her in his bed, and then…
It was time to change the subject. Either that, or he was going to embarrass himself.
He turned to pull some snowshoes from the closet and held them out to her. “How about we snowshoe into the trees and cut down the balsam I selected for the church. That way if they plow the roads, we’ll be ready.”
While Colleen and Patrick were enthusiastic, Honey was unusually silent.
Matt was strapping on M&M’s shoes when he started picking up on Honey’s reluctance. “You do want to come with us, don’t you?”
“I’d like to, but I’m not too sure about the snowshoes. People in Alaska use these things. I wear stilettos. I’m a city girl.”
As Matt fastened M&M’s, he raised his eyebrows. “Are you going to let a three-year-old show you up?”
“I guess not,” she admitted. “But I don’t know how to get them on. You’ll have to help me.”
“My lady, your wish is my command.” Matt sketched a bow worthy of the finest courtier.
When everyone was fully equipped, they trooped out to the field where Matt’s perfect tree was standing in all its snow-covered beauty.
“I’ve been giving this guy special attention ever since I found out it was my turn to provide the tree.”
Honey had never really thought about the time and effort that went into growing Christmas trees. It obviously took an incredible amount of attention and a lot of hard work.
“I have an artificial one, but I usually don’t bother to put it up.”
“Artificial?” Colleen’s expression said it all.
“You need a reeducation. We don’t ever use the A word,” Matt said with mock sternness.
“Yes, sir,” she said with a mock salute.
Honey’s answer gained her a hug and a lingering kiss. Now that was nice!
“Come on, guys,” he called. “We have quite a hike back to the shop.”
Colleen and Patrick were having a snowball fight, and M&M was asleep in Honey’s arms. There was something comforting and warm about holding a tired child.
“I’m almost done,” Matt said as he wrapped the tree in netting. Then he propped it against the side of the store. “If she’s getting too heavy, you can take her back to the house,” he told Honey. “I hope the church folks don’t have to go retro. If they do, they’ll be talking about it for the next ten years. In towns like Snow Hill, stories like that take on lives of their own.”
M&M HAD SUCCUMBED TO SLEEP, and who could blame her? It was twilight before they returned to the house, and Matt saw that even the big kids seemed about to drop in their tracks.
He put his arm around Honey’s shoulders. “I had fun.”
“I did, too.”
“It’s Christmas Eve. That’s a time for miracles. Do you think there’s a miracle with our name on it?” he whispered.
“I certainly do. It’s already happened. Otherwise I wouldn’t be with you on the Magic Tree Farm.” Honey wrapped her arms around his neck and demonstrated some magic of her own.
CHAPTER EIGHT
It wasn’t a traditional Christmas Eve meal, but when it came to feeding kids you couldn’t go wrong with hot dogs and hamburgers. For dessert they had Christmas cookies—baked by committee the previous afternoon.
“Uncle Matt, can we stay up late? Please,” Colleen cajoled. “We never go to bed before midnight on Christmas Eve,” she said. “Please, please, please.”
“Yeah,” Patrick agreed. “Christmas is like the Fourth of July, you get special dis…uh, dispersing on bedtimes.”
“Dispensation, you dork,” Colleen chided smugly.
“Whatever,” he replied.
M&M was up from her nap but other than wanting to play with a strand of Honey’s hair, she didn’t seem to have an opinion.
“Tell you what, we’ll play some games and see how it goes,” Matt said. “You may get bored and not want to stay up.”
“I suppose that’ll be okay,” Colleen agreed in her inimitable teenage way. “I’ll get the Scrabble game.”
Honey noticed Matt’s grimace before he looked at her and mouthed, “She’s a Scrabble shark.”
Several hours later, Matt had gracefully bowed out and Honey was getting skunked again. What was it with these kids and games?
“Are you ready to…” Honey was about to suggest they quit when Colleen jumped up.
“What’s that?” the girl exclaimed, peering out the window. “There’s something with lights on out there.”
Her comment got everyone’s attention. Even M&M wanted to be part of the action.
“It’s a snowplow! Uncle Matt, it’s a snowplow and they’re driving up our lane!” Patrick was bouncing like a terrier on a biscuit binge.
Matt had given up on getting the tree to the church, but this was Christmas Eve.
“Sure looks like it.” He glanced at Honey. He’d give anything to know what she was thinking. S
he’d donned her ice-princess face, which was almost impossible to decipher.
The road was clear, so Honey could leave as soon as they found her car. Would she really walk out of their lives? Matt didn’t think so. During the past couple of days their spark had been rekindled. But he’d been blindsided before. Could he be mistaken this time?
“Look at all the people.” Honey seemed transfixed by the spectacle going on outside.
And what a sight it was. Not only was there a snowplow, there were at least a dozen snowmobiles and an equal number of 4x4s.
Matt chuckled. “Those folks really don’t want to use that seventies tree.”
“Do you blame them?” Honey’s icy demeanor had evaporated like water on a hot sunny day. And when she smiled, Matt was transported back fifteen years. He loved her, and this time, no matter what it took, he wasn’t going to let her leave. He needed her. They all needed her.
“Listen, Honey—” He took her hand, ready to bare his heart. Whether her answer was good, bad or indifferent, he had to ask. “I—”
Matt didn’t have a chance to complete his question before Colleen squealed, “We’re outta here! Oh cool, we’re outta here!” She pumped a fist in the air and danced around the room. “I can see my friends.”
“You don’t have any friends,” Patrick retorted.
“Do, too, dipstick!”
“Kids, put on your coats and go greet our guests.”
They dashed to the closet, each trying to beat the other out the door.
“Looks like we’re going to have a party.” Matt smiled sheepishly at Honey. He’d astonished himself by the use of we, but it was true—they were a we.
Before Honey could answer, the lights came back on. “Wow, everything’s happening at once.” The road was passable again, they could deliver the tree and Honey had a sneaking suspicion Matt was about to say something important.
“Up,” M&M demanded, raising her arms. Honey did as requested and then directed her attention to the citizens of Snow Hill who were arriving en masse at the front door.
