Page 14 of Cabin Fever Baby

A mix of modern and standard classic Christmas songs blasted through the speakers as I decorated banisters, the mantel, and even the windows, thanks to the non-destructive sticky hooks that had been on the end of every aisle of Target.

I made note of what else I’d need to pick up to finish off the room since I was running out of damn near everything. Target was going to give me a VIP sticker, no doubt.

George Michael was blaring as the doorbell chimed.

I rushed to the door to find a statuesque redhead on the other side. Her hair was pulled up in a high ponytail with gold garland wrapped around the base and a sprig of holly tucked in a clip. She wore all black with a red winter vest with a gold jingle bell on the zipper pull.

“Tree delivery!” she said brightly.

“Hi. Sorry the music is loud. Let me go turn it down.”

The woman waved me off. “No worries. We love music don’t we, babe?” she called over her shoulder.

Kane was climbing into the back of a massive black truck. He waved. “Hi,Moana.”

I laughed. “He does that a lot, huh?”

“Distills everything into a Hawaiian nickname? Yeah, but only if he likes you.”

“Then I’m honored. I’m Ocean, by the way.”

“I’m Bells.” She wiggled a little and her zipper tinkled. “I heard you tried to buy out the Christmas Tree Farm last night.”

“I guess you could say that. He was very helpful.” We both watched as he unhooked the massive tree from the back of the truck. Kane was wearing another thermal shirt—this one, in a deep forest green over another pair of matching striped pants. It should have looked ridiculous, and yet he was intensely attractive in a wild way that was very unique. “You’re a lucky woman.”

She grinned. “Yeah. I did the vows and everything to say I’d keep him.”

I snickered.

“I guess I should go help him. We already put the base on for you after we did a fresh cut, so we just need to set you up, give her a drink, and we’ll be out of your hair.”

“Lifesaver. I totally forgot to look for a tree base.”

She grinned. “Kane figured. And we have special ones for these beasts.”

“Great. Thanks.” I pushed the door open as wide as it would go and rushed down the steps to see if I could help them.

The massive tree looked even bigger now that he was hauling it off the truck bed.

Bells pulled a bright pair of red gloves out of her pockets and jumped in to help. They squabbled a bit over which end she was picking up, and I couldn’t stop the smile from widening on my face.

He muttered something in his lyrical blend of Hawaiian and what I could only imagine was slang as he fought to get the ropes untangled from the bungee cords from the drive over.

Finally, they came at me with a massive green base coming my way. There was no way a Target run could have covered that size. Holy jeez. I backed up as Kane grinned down at me, a dusting of pine needles in his luscious curls.

Before I needed to roll my tongue into my stupid mouth, I jogged ahead to make sure nothing was blocking the front door.

“Where do you want it,keike?”

“Does that thing end?” I asked as foot after foot came through the door.

He laughed. “Eleven-feet-six inches.” He glanced around. “You have plenty of room, thank God.”

“I do.”

“Where?”

“Sorry.” I pushed my fingers through my hair. “Window is probably best. The corner there behind the couches.”

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