Page 3

Holly

“ Y ou've got this,” I mutter, blowing a strand of hair from my face. “Only a few more feet of lights, and then I can show Nico the Instagram mock-ups.”

The ladder wobbles beneath me as I stretch to wrap another strand of twinkling lights around the massive display tree. My first official task as Bennett's Tree Farm's newest employee—try not to die while decorating.

Late afternoon sun streams through the freshly cleaned windows, making the newly organized shop sparkle. Not bad for my first day.

The temporary shop looks nothing like the chaos I walked into yesterday. Ornaments sorted by color and theme line the shelves I discovered under boxes of tangled tinsel. Price tags hang neatly on every pre-cut tree.

Even the ancient cash register sports a festive bow—though I'm hoping my social media pitch might convince Nico to upgrade to something from this century.

My hand brushes the spot on my arm where Nico steadied me yesterday, and warmth blooms in my chest. Who knew coming home would lead to working for my teenage crush? Although “crush” barely describes how my body reacts around Nico.

Get it together, Holly. Sure, Nico Bennett starring in my teenage dreams was one thing, but now I need to be professional. This job is about building my savings and launching my business. If I can prove my marketing skills by helping his farm succeed... that's just good strategy. No matter how distracting his forearms are.

A sharp bark draws my attention. Through the frost-kissed window, I glimpse Bear, Nico’s massive German Shepherd, stalking toward customers browsing the pre-cut trees.

But I'm a bit preoccupied with my own predicament. My foot is caught in a loop of lights, and suddenly, I'm doing an awkward dance six feet up. “Come on, you sparkly little menace.”

I tug at the strand wrapped around my boot. The ladder wobbles precariously. I grab the top rung, desperately holding on so I don't crash into the carefully arranged displays below.

This is what I get for thinking I could handle the giant display tree solo. At least the lights aren't plugged in. Yet. Although electrocution might be less embarrassing than having my new boss find me trussed up like a Christmas turkey on my first day.

A blast of cold air hits my legs as the door swings open. Heavy boots thud against the wooden floor, followed by the click of claws. I freeze mid-wobble, still tangled in the string of lights around my ankle.

Nico fills the doorway, snowflakes dusting his dark hair and broad shoulders. His presence makes the shop feel smaller somehow, like all the oxygen gets sucked toward him. Bear pads in beside him, both of them taking in my predicament.

I try to look casual, like getting trapped by Christmas lights is totally part of my decorating strategy. The ladder creaks ominously beneath me.

“Hi!” I chirp, aiming for professional but landing somewhere between breathless and squeaky. “I'm almost finished putting the finishing touches on our main display. What do you think of the?—”

Nico's sharp blue eyes sweep the room, taking in the transformed shop. His expression remains unreadable, but something flickers in his gaze as he notices the well-organized shelves, the clean windows, and the neat price tags.

Finally, his gaze lands on me again. He breaks the silence with a deep sigh. “You're going to fall.”

“Not a chance!” I beam down at him despite my precarious perch. I straighten my spine, determined to prove I can handle a simple decorating task without disaster striking. “I'm adding some festive flair to match all the improvements. Have you seen the new display window? And wait until I show you my ideas for?—”

Nico doesn't move. He stands there, arms crossed over his broad chest, watching me with those intense blue eyes. The corner of his mouth twitches—not quite a smirk, but close enough to make me want to prove him wrong even more.

I turn back to the lights, trying to focus on untangling the strand wrapped around the top branches. But his presence looms larger than life behind me, making my fingers clumsy. The ladder sways slightly as I shift my weight.

Bear circles the ladder, his tail giving a tentative wag. Yesterday's warning about his aggression toward strangers echoes in my mind, but those amber eyes look more curious than threatening.

“You could help, you know,” I suggest brightly, glancing down at Nico. “Instead of standing there looking broody.”

His eyebrows lift. “And miss the show?”

“Oh, so Mr. Grumpy Lumberjack has a sense of humor.” I wiggle my trapped foot, but the lights only tangle tighter.

He shifts below, boots scuffing against the wooden floor. “Holly?—”

“I've got it!” But I don't. The ladder gives an ominous creak.

I admit defeat and start my careful descent.

Three steps down, Bear moves closer. His ears flatten against his head, and his amber eyes lock onto me. The tail that was wagging a moment ago is now stiff, and I realize how sharp the teeth are in those strong jaws.

My foot hovers mid-step. “Nico?”

“Bear, heel.” Nico's clipped response does nothing to calm my nerves.

He moves smoothly, crouching to grip Bear's collar. His muscles flex beneath his flannel shirt as he holds the massive dog in check. Bear lets out a low growl, and Nico's jaw tightens. His piercing blue eyes dart between me and his dog, alert and focused.

But something in Bear's posture—the way his ears keep twitching forward despite his growl—tells me there's more curiosity than threat. Keeping my movements slow and deliberate, I lower myself to Bear's level, lights still trailing from my ankle.

“Hey there, handsome. You're just doing your job, aren't you? Making sure no one causes trouble in your territory.”

Bear's ears perk up slightly. His amber eyes stay locked on mine, but the growl softens to a curious rumble.

“That's right, you're such a good boy. So protective and strong.” I keep my hand low, palm up, letting him see I'm not a threat.

Nico's grip on Bear's collar hasn't loosened. He's in front of Bear, angled toward me; the protective stance sends a flutter through my stomach that has nothing to do with fear.

Bear's nose twitches as he scents the air. His tail gives another hesitant wag.

“See? We can be friends. I bet you're the best security guard this farm has ever had.”

The praise works magic. Bear's posture relaxes, and his tail picks up speed. He takes a tentative step forward, straining against Nico's hold.

“Easy,” Nico warns, a note of surprise in his deep voice.

I hold perfectly still as Bear stretches his neck, nose inching closer to my outstretched hand. His breath is warm against my palm as he takes in my scent.

“That's it, sweetheart. Just getting to know each other.”

The massive dog gives my fingers a delicate sniff, then another. His tail is wagging enthusiastically now, and his ears have perked up fully. Suddenly, he pushes forward eagerly, nearly pulling free of Nico's grip in his sudden enthusiasm to get closer to me.

“He never does that,” Nico says, his deep voice rough with disbelief. “Bear doesn't trust anyone.”

Pride blooms in my chest. I can't help the grin that spreads across my face as I scratch under Bear's chin, earning more enthusiastic tail wags.

“What can I say?” I quip, feeling bold from my success. “I have a way with grumpy guys.”

The words slip out before I can stop them. I bite my lip, sneaking a glance at Nico through my lashes. His blue eyes have gone soft around the edges as he watches Bear practically melt under my fingers. The corner of his mouth twitches like he's fighting a smile.

Nico reaches across, his fingers brushing my ankle as he untangles the lights. The touch sends electricity zipping through my body. I bite my lip to hold back a gasp.

“You're something else, Holly Carter,” he says, his deep voice sending shivers down my spine.

Bear nudges my hand, demanding more attention. “Well, your dog seems to think I'm okay.”

Nico releases Bear's collar slowly, like he's still not quite sure this is real. When Bear immediately flops onto his side, exposing his belly for rubs, Nico laughs. The sound is rough from disuse, but it transforms his whole face.

Oh. Oh wow. If I thought grumpy Nico was dangerous to my heart, smiling Nico is absolutely lethal.

Bear wriggles closer, shoving his head under my palm while his tail thumps a steady rhythm against the floor. I glance up to find Nico watching us, something unreadable flickering in his eyes.

“It's taken him six years to warm up to the staff,” he says quietly. “Even my brother can't pet him.”

“Really?” I scratch that sweet spot behind Bear's ears, but my attention is fixed on Nico. “Maybe he just needed the right approach.”

“Maybe.” His eyes lock with mine, intense and searching. “He's got good instincts about people.”

My breath catches. Is he saying what I think he's saying? Before I can respond, Bear lets out a whine and headbutts my hip, nearly knocking me off balance.

Nico's hand shoots out to steady me, his palm warm against my lower back. The touch sends electricity zipping through my body, and I bite my lip to hold back a gasp.

“Easy there, big guy,” Nico says, but I'm not sure if he's talking to Bear or himself. His hand lingers on my back a moment longer than necessary before he slowly pulls away.

Bear looks between us, his tail still wagging, and I swear that dog is smirking.

“Right.” Nico clears his throat, taking a step back. “The trees need unloading.” His gaze sweeps the transformed shop. “You've done good work today. But maybe tackle the rest of the decorating with both feet on the ground.”

“No promises.” I grin up at him. “I have big plans for this place. Wait until you see the social media mock-ups I've been working on?—”

“Holly.” My name in his deep voice sends shivers down my spine. “One miracle at a time.”

“Persistent, remember?” I scratch Bear's ears one last time. “And now I have an ally.”

Bear's tail thumps against the floor in agreement.

“Traitor,” Nico mutters, but his voice holds a warmth I haven't heard before. He shakes his head, walking toward the door. “Try not to let him convince you to give away all our inventory while I'm gone.”

I watch him go, absently scratching Bear's belly. Day one, and I've already won over the guard dog. Now for the bigger challenge—his equally guarded owner.