Page 27 of The Christmas Tree Farm

‘Snow?! More cold! Veto.’

He huffed. ‘It’s Christmas! Don’t you want a white Christmas?’

She shrugged. ‘I’ve never had one before. I don’t know why I would start now.’ Her family was never the sort to head to Aspen for Christmas. Her mother hated the cold as much as she did.

‘Well, I’ve missed snow out on the West Coast. It just doesn’t feel like Christmas without it.’

‘Australians have Christmas without snow every year.’

‘Okay, fine, but it doesn’t feel like Christmas for me. I’m not Australian, you might have noticed.’

‘So you’re asking Santa for snow?’

‘Among other things.’

She glanced at him from the corner of her eye. ‘Like?’

‘Can’t tell you or it won’t come true.’

‘I don’t think that’s how that works. That’s only for birthday wishes.’

‘Really? I don’t know. Might be different down South.’

She laughed. ‘You just don’t want to tell me.’ They’d reached Santa’s house and the line was long and filled with crying children. Two elves were handing out candy canes and trying in vain to keep the line somewhat orderly. The little girl in front of them had laid down in the cold dirt wearing her full Christmas outfit, frilly skirt and all, in some sort of peaceful protest. Her mother just gave them an exhausted smile when they got in line.

‘Correct, I don’t want to tell you,’ Bennett said, picking up their conversation.

‘Is it more weird books?’

He shook his head, his smile growing.

‘Some kind of Boy Scout badge?’

‘Okay, first of all, I told you I was never a Boy Scout. And secondly, you have to earn those. You can’t just ask for them.’

‘For someone who was never a Boy Scout, you sure know a lot about them,’ she muttered and Bennett chuckled. ‘Hmm … new tools?’

‘I have plenty of tools and why wouldn’t I want to tell you that?’

‘Because then I would live in fear that you would come back and try to fix more things.’

‘I forgot how traumatic that was for you.’

‘Truly.’ She pushed away the memory of Bennett crouched next to her radiator, sleeves rolled up, forearms flexing. She would not find this man attractive. Shecouldnot. ‘A new puppy?’

‘As much as I would love one, I think I’m at my max with three.’

Kira huffed. ‘I give up.’

He held her gaze for a second too long and heat rushed to Kira’s face. ‘I guess you’ll have to wait and see if I get it.’

‘I guess so.’ Why was her voice so breathy? Why was he looking at her likeshewas what he wanted?

The mother in front of them lifted her still prone daughter and moved her a few feet forward and then placed her back in the dirt. The little girl smiled up at her with the face of an angel. Kids were terrifying.

‘So what areyouasking Santa for?’ Bennett asked as they shuffled forward, the moment broken.

‘Weekend afternoons at the farm from now until Christmas. Hopefully he doesn’t have other gigs that pay better. I can’t offer him much.’ An elf walked past and handed them each a candy cane. ‘Thanks,’ Kira said, quickly unwrapping hers and sucking it into her mouth. Sweet and sticky. She sighed a little. Maybe Christmas wasn’t all bad.