Page 14 of The Christmas Tree Farm

‘What does that even mean?’

‘I thought I could do this…’ She waved her hand around, in a gesture that encompassed everything from the house to the farm outside. ‘All this. I thought I could buy an old farmhouse and have a garden and make pickles…’

‘Pickles?’

‘Yeah, like pickle all kinds of vegetables and line them up in neat little jars and I could just, I don’t know, do something for myself for once. By myself for once.’

He nodded slowly, not really sure what the hell to make of any of that, but she was talking to him and he liked it. He didn’t want to say something that would make her stop.

‘And I don’t know. Clearly, I screwed up. And now I’m here in this big, old house with this farm I never intended on having.’

He wanted to ask how that would happen. How do you end up buying a farm without knowing but he knew better than to say that out loud.

‘I’ve never been very … practical. That was Chloe’s thing.’

‘Chloe?’

‘My twin. She’s gone.’

‘Oh, God. I’m so sorry.’

Kira’s eyes widened. ‘Oh, no, I’m sorry! She’s not dead. She’s in Denmark.’

Bennett blew out a long breath. Jesus, he’d thought he’d dredged up memories of her dead twin.

‘She’s in Denmark with her new husband.’ Kira made a face at that as though this new husband was something foul. ‘And I’m here alone.’

Alone. And cold.

She shrugged and gave a self-deprecating laugh. ‘I couldn’t even survive one day of being open without needing you to rush in and help me.’

‘I didn’t actually do anything.’

‘Well, that’s true.’

He laughed and her smile grew, warming him up even in this drafty house. ‘How about I call my dad later and see if he has any tips about these old radiators?’

A sharp shake of her head sent her hair cascading over her shoulders. ‘You don’t have to do that.’

‘Consider it a favor to me,’ he said, leaning toward her across the table, just a little, just enough to watch her blush spread. ‘It gets me off, remember?’

She sputtered. ‘I never should have said that.’

‘You were right. I like it. I like feeling … useful.’

Her lips twitched somewhere between a smile and a scowl.

‘Okay, fine. But that’s it.’

‘Deal.’

She eyed him over the rim of her coffee mug, and he found he had more questions after this little chat than he’d had before they started.

‘I should go,’ he said, standing before he could do any more, offer any more. He needed to go before he did something crazy, like suggest he wrap Kira in his arms to warm her up. A pointless daydream.

‘Sure. Thanks again.’

There was just one more thing, because Bennett still wasn’t smart about women, despite his best efforts. ‘Will I see you at the tree lighting?’