Page 68 of Meet Me on Christmas Eve

He stopped and turned but didn’t make eye contact. “You ordered a tree, ma’am. And I’ve delivered it. Goodbye.”

“No, please,” I squeezed his arm, feeling the heat as the rest of me shivered on the cold open porch. “Terry, I … I need to talk to you. Please, just give me a few m-minutes.”

His jaw tensed, and he stood still for a long moment. “Fine. Speak. You have two minutes.”

I swallowed, trying to overcome my fear that anything I say might be the wrong thing, and then he’d leave, forever. “Can we please g-g-go inside?” I asked him, trembling from the freezing wind.

His eyes finally found mine then, and whatever he saw there caused him to groan. His lips were set in a firm line as he replied. “Fine. Two minutes.”

I was scared to ask him to carry the tree inside, so I decided I’d try it myself, but before I could take two steps in that direction, he put his thick arm out to block me. “Go inside.”

I nodded and turned to go inside, stopping to prop the door open for him. I stood just outside the entryway as he hauled the tree inside.

“Where to?” he asked gruffly when he entered the spacious entryway.

“Follow me,” I said, pivoting to walk down the short hallway leading to the living room. But I didn’t hear his heavy steps behind me, so I turned back to look. He was removing his boots. I bit my lip to hide a smile. Considerate even when he’s angry. But my sense of hope was brief when I noticed he kept his coat and hat on as he picked up the tree to follow me. He wasn’t planning to stay long.

Well, he did say two minutes.

So much was riding on those two minutes. My heart felt like galloping horses in my chest as I rounded the curve into the living room, stopping near a pair of chairs and a small table. “Will you sit with me?” I asked, my voice quivering.

He halted when he stepped into the room. I watched his stern expression transform as his eyes swept the large room, which Hazel and I had fully decorated for Christmas. Except one thing.

He pressed his lips together and tightened his jaw. But his eyes betrayed him as he gazed at me in silent wonder.

“All it needs is a Christmas tree, right?”

His eyes shuttered as he nodded and started toward the tree stand.

“You don’t have to—” I stopped when I realized he was just going to ignore me. Biting my lip, I hoped the time he spent putting the tree up wouldn’t count in my two minutes.

Hopefully he won’t hold you to any time limit anyway.

I needn’t have worried though, as he worked fast.

“Now I just need to decorate it,” I said lightly.

He turned from where he was standing to assess the placement. “OK, two minutes start now.”

I attempted to swallow my nerves and pointed to the chair a foot away from mine. “Will you sit?”

He released a long sigh. “Hot in here,” he muttered, looking at the fire as he removed his coat and hung it on the chair before sitting down.

This was it. I had spent over a week thinking about what I’d say in this moment.

But it all escaped me. I gazed into his eyes, trying to communicate my feelings, but his were guarded.

“Terry, I made a mistake,” I managed to say, my voice betraying my fear that he’d walk away at any moment.

His expression was still blank, but he shifted slightly in his chair.

“I’m sorry … I know it seems that I-I chose business over you.” I waited for him to reply, but he didn’t.

I licked my dry lips and took a fortifying breath. “I think I was just overwhelmed. You know what? I don’t care anymore. It’s yours, Terry. The village, I mean.”

The corners of his mouth curled downward as he stared at me and then repeated flatly, “You don’t care anymore … how inspiring.” He looked down at his watch. “Not much time left. Anything else?”

“That’s not—I didn’t mean it like that. The village, it’s not for me. It never was, I know that now. But even if it weren’t in your family, it wouldn’t really matter. My point is really … I’m making a mess of this. I …” I stopped, taking a shaky breath.

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