Page 53 of A Whiskey River Princess

Gabriella returned the smile, giving his hand a gentle squeeze. “The prettiest one.”

He laughed. “Look, there’re many here to choose from. You can have any tree you like.” He grinned as he led the way through the trees, until there was no sign of the cabin.

Gabriella looked around, and then stepped closer and held tightly to Dirk’s arm.

“Is something wrong?” he asked as his eyebrows pulled together in concern.

She shook her head.

He patted her hand as he looked down at her. “You know, you don’t have anything to worry about when you’re with me.”

“It’s not you—”

“No,” he amended. “You misunderstood. I meant that you don’t have to worry about anyone hurting you around me. Besides, those… men… are probably long gone by now.” He pulled her to a stop. “I’ll protect you.”

She nodded. “Thank you.” The expression on her face told him that she was about to say more, but she stopped herself.

“Don’t be afraid to talk to me. You can trust me.” Dirk pulled her to him, giving her the opportunity to open up to him.

“I know,” she replied, taking a step back. “I appreciate that.” Then she turned and walked away, looking around. “Now, where are the trees you’ve been talking about?”

Dirk pointed the opposite way. “This way.”

Gabriella smiled as she walked with him but made no attempt to hold his hand. Soon, pine trees started dotting the landscape, springing up from the pristine white snow. “This is beautiful.”

The farther they walked into the woods, the denser the trees became. Soon, the trees were very close together. It was the same part of the forest that she had ran through before, when she was running from her kidnappers. But in the daylight with Dirk, when she wasn’t running for her life, it was a lot less terrifying.

“Très magnifique.” Her eyes widened as she looked around.

Dirk smiled, pleased with her reaction.

“It seems a shame to cut them down,” she mused, lost in thought as she looked over the trees.

Dirk hung back, enjoying watching her looking at the forest and the trees anew through her eyes. He had lived there for so long that he had become accustomed to its beauty. But now, everything seemed fresh and new, making him feel alive again. “Look at it this way. If we don’t thin out the forest, it’ll grow too dense, and they won’t have enough room to grow properly.”

A broad grin spread across her face. “All right then. Which one do you want?” she asked, clapping with glee.

Dirk laughed. “I don’t know. Which do you like?”

She looked around, excited as she began walking through the trees, examining each as she went. Finally, she stopped atone. It was about six-feet tall—not overly huge—but beautiful. “What do you think of this one?”

Dirk smiled as he walked around it. There wasn’t a bad side to it. “Are you certain you wouldn’t rather have a taller one?” After all, the ceilings in his cabin were high enough to have a taller tree.

She shook her head as a broad grin spread across her face. “No. This is perfect. Don’t you agree?”

Dirk pretended to look it over again, enjoying her anticipation, and then smiled. “I think it’s perfect.”

Gabriella walked among the other trees.

“If you find another one, we’re not taking it home!” he teased as he began sawing down the tree. It felt nice to include her in the word “home.” In some ways, it seemed as if they had always been together. In a way, it was hard for him to remember a time without her, even though they hadn’t known each other long.

She laughed a few yards away. “Well, we can always put it in my room!”

Dirk chuckled, liking the fact that she had referred to the spare room as hers. And a part of him hoped that she always would.

After Dirk finished cutting down the tree, Dirk handed Gabriella the saw. “Here, carry this and I’ll carry the tree.”

“Okay.” Gabriella took the saw with two fingers, and then wrapped her hand around it.

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