His jaw twitched. Shit, he didn’t like what I did.
“Warm cider’s calling my name. Come on, Mr. Grinch.”
Two hours later, we arrived home. Noah placed my tree in the stand in the corner.
“Tomorrow, after we install the new window, we can move the tree to the other side of the room. So no decorating yet.” He waved his finger.
“And no tree trimming for me.” His lips fell upon mine.
“I’ll unload the truck, then start a fire.”
“Ok.”
I peeked out the window as he removed the second tree from the roof of the truck. Wearing a brooding scowl, Noah carried it onto his porch and plopped it against the house. He carried in several bags and placed them on the kitchen counter.
“Noah, are you taking your tree into the house?”
“Later.”
Whipping off my red beanie, I stepped to the middle of the living room. “I can decorate yours in the meantime.”
“That’s unnecessary. Have a seat. I’ll crank the heat. Nothing better than a new furnace,” he stated excitedly.
I smirked, not feeling the same joy. “Noah, I’d like time alone. I’ll talk to you later.”
He removed his black beanie and threaded his fingers through his shiny brown locks. “Hope, is this about the tree?”
Every muscle throbbed in my body. Not because of all the work we’d performed, but because the man I was falling in love with wouldn’t open up to me. “Please close the door behind you.” I shrugged off my coat, tossed it on the light blue chair and sank into the new sofa. The Hallmark channel and I would spend a lot of time together today.
I heard the door shut softly. And instantly it felt like someone cut off a sliver of my heart. No more dancing around the problem. A conversation about whatever trauma he suffered was in order.