Page 57 of Christmas with the Cowboy
She shouldn’t be feeling all warm inside because of the girl’s friendly farewell, but…she did, and that wasn’t helping her battle toward having zero expectations in regard to the Kellers—or rather one particular Keller.
What was happening to her?
And was getting the hell out of Dodge, with the help of Dr. Gilbert, the answer?
Chapter Twelve
Bruno jumped tohis feet and sailed to the door at the sound of the engine outside. Trenna followed more slowly. She wasn’t as concerned about Jay as she’d been prior to him asking Reed for employment advice, but her heart still beat a little faster as she went to the window and pulled back the curtain.
What the…?
Reed’s truck was outside and as she watched, he got out of one side and Lex out of the other. They went to the back of the truck and began pulling out a tree.
Trenna told Bruno to stay and went to the door.
“Surprise!” Lex called. She waved with one hand, while the other held the small end of the tree off the ground. She followed as Reed manhandled the trunk with one hand and the gate with the other. “We brought decorations, too.”
“Did you?”
Trenna met Reed’s gaze, but he simply gave her a what-could-I-do look. “I wish we could stay to help you decorate, but Dad’s taking me to town for Grandma’s bake sale.”
“And you just thought you’d drop a tree off on the way.”
The girl smiled and shrugged unrepentantly. “Everyone needs a Christmas tree. You don’t even have to decorate it.”
“I’ll set it up,” Reed said.
“I don’t have a stand.”
“It’s covered,” he said as Lex returned to the truck. “I…” He gave her another helpless shrug.
“It’s Christmas,” she said.
“Not trying to force you into tree decorating.”
“I may leave it as it is,” she said, touching a branch. It did smell good. “Did you just harvest it?”
“Lex picked it out. She said you needed a tree. She didn’t tell me until we got here that you didn’t know it was coming.”
“Wow.”
His expression sobered. “With everything going on, I’m kind of humoring her.”
“I understand. And…I’m touched.”
He nodded as Lex came in the door behind him.
“I hope you’re okay with this,” Lex said, a faint note of sudden uncertainty in her voice.
“I love a good tree ambush,” Trenna said.
“Let me get this in the stand.” Reed glanced over to Lex who was petting Bruno, apparently unfazed by his size. It was kind of hard to find him threatening when he was on his back with his eyes rolling comically and his tongue hanging out. “If you want it in the stand.”
“I totally do. I wasn’t going to go to the trouble, but…hey, free tree.”
His eyes crinkled at the corners. “Thanks.”
Reed went about setting the tree in the stand while Trenna and Lex called directions from either side. “To the left. No, not your left, my left…”
