Page 26 of Icing on Top
“Nova and I were discussing the perfect cup of hot chocolate,” Ben explained, “and agreed that anyone who didn’t like whipped cream in their hot chocolate was an alien.”
“It’s the only explanation,” I giggled.
“You think I’m an alien, huh?” Grant growled. “I am a fan of probing. Come here.” He lunged for me, making me shriek as I ran from him. Ben and Linc groaned in dismay.
“Bad pun, bro,” Ben said.
“Uncool,” Linc agreed.
Grant caught me around my waist, and I clung to my hot chocolate with both hands so that it didn’t spill as he lifted me into the air. “Say I’m not an alien,” he ordered.
“Say you like whipped cream in your hot chocolate,” I countered through my laughter.
Grant set me down but didn’t release me as he nuzzled his face into my neck. “Do you like whipped cream in your hot chocolate?” he asked.
“Yes,” I replied. I was feeling all warm and gooey on the insides, and I had a feeling it had less to do with the hot chocolate and more to do with being wrapped up in this stud’s arms.
“Then I think I can learn to like it, too,” Grant whispered.
Yep. It was definitely Grant. “Then I guess you aren’t an alien after all,” I replied.
“I’m still gonna probe you,” Grant growled. He released me but took my hand as we returned to where Ben and Linc were waiting.
“We ready to get this show on the road?” Linc asked.
“Let’s do this,” I said.
Soon, Lincoln was tearing through the snowy forest. When we hadn’t seen another person for a while, he stopped the little buggy, and we started the hunt for the perfect tree.
“I can’t believe you guys did this,” I said honestly as I sipped my hot chocolate.
“We want to make you happy,” Ben replied, wrapping his arms around me from behind. “I know we fucked up, but everyone makes mistakes. Hopefully, you can forgive us for ours. Plus, this was on your list, right?”
“It is, but I figured we would just go down to the tree lot and pick one out. I didn’t expect you to be willing to get all rugged and cut one down.”
“There’s more to us than meets the eye,” Linc winked as he slung the chainsaw over his shoulder. “Now, Nova Lane, which tree do you want?”
I stepped out of Ben’s arms and began to weave through the trees, eyeing them critically. Picking out the perfect tree wasn’t a simple task. You had to consider the height, fullness, health, and branch strength. The last thing you wanted to do was get the tree home and find out it couldn’t support any of your ornaments, and I had a lot.
“What about this one?” Grant asked, standing next to a gorgeous fir.
“While it’s beautiful, it’s about a foot too tall,” I told him.
“This one is shorter,” Ben said from several rows away. We followed the sound of his voice and stood around the tree he suggested.
“The height is perfect, but it’s too fat around,” I replied. “It will take up my entire living room.”
We continued wandering through the forest until I stopped before a promising tree. It was slightly shorter than the tree Ben had found and had the perfect cone shape that I was looking for. It was a deep green color without browning to the branches, which meant it was at peak health. I tested some branches as I circled the tree to ensure it had no holes or noticeable imperfections. The branches seemed strong. I stepped back and grinned at the guys.
“This is the one!”
“Are you sure?” Grant asked.
“Positive! Cut that baby down and wrap her up.”
Lincoln fired up the chainsaw while Grant helped move higher branches out of the way, making it easier for Linc to cut off the lower branches and reach the trunk.
“Want to play a game?” Ben whispered in my ear.
