Page 12 of We Wish You a Happily Ever After

Chapter Four

“I noticeda tree lot down by the hardware store when I came through town the other day.”

Jeremy didn’t even try to hide the shock on his face when he turned to Bella, who sat next to him in the cab of his truck. Close, but still too far away for his liking. He silently cursed his oversized truck. He’d prefer to have her closer. Much closer.

“A tree lot?”

Bella blinked hard. “Where else would we get a tree?”

He couldn’t help it; Jeremy burst out laughing. “I’m not sure if you’ve looked around lately, city girl, but we’re surrounded by trees. Almost all of which would make the perfect Christmas tree.”

When Roy had called him at the station to ask him a favor, Jeremy had jumped at the opportunity. If it involved spending the afternoon with Bella, he was in. Hell, if it involved spending any time with Bella, he’d make it a priority. And he was pretty sure Roy knew that. The old man was smarter than most people gave him credit for, but Jeremy saw right through him. He had ulterior motives, for sure. Not that Jeremy was complaining. He took another look at Bella in her red puffy jacket, her dark hair spilling out under a knit cap. She looked so perfectly at home in Glacier Falls.

She belonged there.

Except she didn’t.

He needed to remember that. Glacier Falls wasn’t her home. And she’d be leaving again.

But that didn’t mean he couldn’t enjoy his time with her while she was there.

And that’s exactly what he planned to do.

“So you mean…”

“We’re going to go into the woods and cut down a tree.” Jeremy grinned. “But not just any tree.” He winked at her and had to resist the urge to put his hand on her leg. It was incredible, and a little scary, how comfortable he felt with her so quickly. “We’re going to find the tree.”

“You’re serious?” She laughed and it was such a full sound in the cab of his truck that Jeremy instantly wanted her to do it again. “We’re going to cut it down?” She turned so she faced him. “Like with our bare hands?”

“Well, I don’t know what your hands are made of.” He laughed along with her. “But I thought maybe we could use an ax.”

She smacked him playfully.

“Does that sound good?”

Bella nodded before turning back to look out the window of the truck, where it had started snowing. “It sounds amazing. I can’t believe we never came to Glacier Falls for Christmas. Papa always came to us. Until he started playing Santa, that is. Then he’d only come if it didn’t interfere with his duties.”

Roy had made a great Santa. He himself had fond memories of more than one Christmas Eve where he’d sit on his lap and, with wide eyes, tell Santa all the things he wished for. And most of the time, those wishes would come true.

He glanced over at Bella and couldn’t help but wonder whether that strategy would work now. If he told Santa what he wanted for Christmas, maybe she would stay and—

“I ran into Katie at the store the other day.”

The name of his ex-girlfriend coming from the lips of the woman he was currently contemplating making Christmas wishes about startled Jeremy into reality.

“Did you?” He tried to sound casual. “I didn’t think you even really knew Katie.”

“Of course.” She laughed. “I mean, I didn’t think I’d actually recognize her, but her voice was a dead giveaway. She still has that same bubbly personality, doesn’t she?”

Jeremy nodded. He didn’t know how much Bella knew about his relationship with Katie. Not that it had ever been much of a relationship. Mostly just an on-again/off-again thing through high school and…well, beyond. Not that he’d actually thought it would go anywhere. Which it clearly didn’t, because she’d recently married her best friend, and his high school buddy, Damon Banks.

He’d be lying if he said it hadn’t taken him off guard, though. Truthfully, Damon and Katie were the best match and it had just been Jeremy’s pride that had been wounded. He really was happy for the two of them, even if their coupling forced him to face the fact that he was alone.

“She’s married now,” Jeremy said. “To Damon. Remember him?”

“Of course!” She spun again in her seat and her eyes gleamed. “Even when we were kids, he was tall and oh, those eyes.”

Despite himself, Jeremy felt a flash of jealousy in his gut. Bella had noticed Damon’s eyes? But it had been him she’d spent all her time with. It had been him who she’d—

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