The Christmas Tree Page 14

  Colt huffed and crossed his arms. “So you think we need more ornaments, too. I thought Sadie was crazy when she said we didn’t have enough on the tree. I guess I should listen to a designer.”

  “See what a difference two days has made?” The judge walked to a bench and sank down, pulling at the knees of his trousers as he sat. “Tell me what you see when you look at this tree.”

  Colt joined him with a sigh. All these questions were reminding him of his psychology class in college. If the judge was using the tree as some weird Rorschach test, he was going to be disappointed in Colt’s answer. He’d only earned a C-minus in that class.

  “I see a big green tree with a heck of a lot of lights, wrapped on the inside of the branches, very important,” he told the judge, “and plenty of bows and ornaments.”

  The judge cocked his head but remained silent.

  What the hell did the man want? How else do you describe a Christmas tree? “Uh, a lot of depth?”

  Judge Nichols nodded thoughtfully, as though Colt hadn’t just spouted nonsense. He leaned in toward Colt. “Do you want to know what I see?”

  “Why not.” If the judge didn’t care that he was sitting around chatting instead of hanging ornaments, who was he to complain?

  “I see the hard work of two people who started out their week of community service at odds with each other. I see compromise”—Colt snorted at that. It wasn’t so much compromise as Sadie telling him he did something wrong and Colt changing it to her liking—“and conflict turning into caring.” The judge lowered his bushy eyebrows. “You can’t deny that you and Miss Wilson have formed an attachment.”

  Colt swallowed down the little seed of panic that threatened to sprout. For people in the judge’s age bracket, didn’t “forming an attachment” mean something serious? “I don’t know what you mean by attachment, but I don’t dislike her anymore.”

  “If the bar for your behavior last night is that you don’t dislike someone, I will have to warn Officer Smith to have his ticket book handy. I do believe the fine for public indecency is forty dollars.” He tucked the loose end of his scarf into the collar of his coat. “And necking in a car on Main Street qualifies, young man.”

  Heat crawled up Colt’s face. It was like being caught by his father in the basement with Mary Jo Kelly all over again. Worse, actually. At seventeen he was expected to do stupid shit like that. “Judge, I really don’t want to discuss my private life.”

  “Well, keep it private then!” The old man harrumphed. Colt had to admit the judge was right. If he didn’t want to catch grief from Pineville, he’d have to stop mauling Sadie in public.

  “Anyway, I’m just saying that the tree is only as lovely as what went into it. And right now it’s looking pretty darned good.” The judge pushed himself to his feet, waving off Colt’s assistance.

  “You aren’t trying to play matchmaker from the bench, are you?” Colt knew Janice was eager to pair him off, get him settled, but he didn’t think it had become a government affair. No matter that he’d really started to like Sadie; he didn’t like the idea that this had been a setup. He could handle his own damn love life.

  The judge’s blue eyes went round with innocence. “Two offenders came into my courtroom. One needed to deal with his anger over his truck, the other needed a break from the stress of her job. And the town needed the tree decorated. Anything that comes from that confluence of events is entirely up to the two of you.” He shoved his hands into his pockets and rocked on his feet. “Now, I must be getting back. I’ll see you at the lighting.”

  Colt couldn’t shake the suspicion that he’d been played. But Judge Nichols had never met Sadie before their arraignment, and he couldn’t have known that she and Colt would do, well, whatever the hell it was that they were doing. What were they doing? Could they call it dating yet? He thought about the dinner she’d gone to with Carelli last night. That had just been business, but she was free to see whomever she wanted.

  He didn’t like that.

  He needed to lock her down, get her to agree to see only him. At least while they were working out whatever it was that had them pawing at each other in public places. And if he wanted to engage in more of said pawing, he needed to get his ass in gear making the tree as pretty as possible.

  Colt went through all the rolls of ribbon, fluffing each bow to Sadie’s exacting standard. He stepped back twenty paces and eyed the tree critically. In his mind, the city, and more importantly Judge Nichols, could have nothing to complain about. The tree looked damn good.

  He turned at the sharp clicking of heels, his shoulders bunching as Connie approached. She offered him a bright smile. “Hi, Colt.”

  He nodded. “Connie. How are you feeling today?”

  Her smile wobbled before flashing bigger than ever. “I’m great. You know me. Can’t keep me down.”

  “Good to hear.” She didn’t look great. She looked like she would shatter if the wind blew too hard. She also looked needy, and for purely selfish reasons, he cursed his brother all over for dying and leaving him to pick up the pieces. He turned back toward the tree. “Well, what do you think? Give me your honest opinion. How does it look?”

  She rested her hand on his forearm, her red lacquered nails standing out like drops of blood on his cream-colored sweater. “It looks great. You’ve done a real fine job.” She angled her body closer. “But I can’t help noticing you’re all alone out here. Where’s that woman who’s supposed to be helping you? She should be putting in her time, too.”

  “Sadie’s picking up supplies. She’s done more than her share of work.” He walked toward the tree, putting space between them. The clicking followed.

  “You have to be here for the tree lighting Thursday night, right, Colt?” Connie casually put her hands in her trouser pockets, her jacket pulling open at the front with the movement. She wore a low-cut V-neck sweater on top of an overachieving push-up bra.

  He snapped his eyes back to her face. He knew when a woman was trying to get his attention. Connie was pretty, but even if she hadn’t first been his brother’s woman, there was no chance what she was offering was ever going to happen. His body wanted only Sadie.

  “I was hoping we could go together,” she continued.

  “I’ll probably be busy making sure everything is ready. But even if I wasn’t, uh, I don’t think a date would be a good idea.” He shifted his weight, his boots suddenly feeling a size too small.

  Her hand returned to his arm and rubbed him through the sweater’s thick wool. “Then you’re not thinking straight. I promise you’d have a good time on a date with me.”

  Colt took her hand from his arm and lightly squeezed. “I just don’t think of you that way. Maybe if you and Caleb had never been an item, I would. But I don’t.” He tried to keep his voice gentle, noticing how her face had shuttered the moment he’d mentioned Caleb’s name. “And there is someone else I’m seeing. At least, I think there is.”

  “That woman. Sadie.” Connie’s voice held no inflection.

  “Yes.”

  A brittle smile crossed her face. “Well, she won’t be here for very long, right? She’s only here because Judge Nichols ordered her to stay. So when she’s gone and you feel a little lonely, think of me.” Her brown eyes stared into his with a hint of a challenge. “Caleb would have wanted me to be happy.”

  He squeezed her hand once more before releasing it. “You’re right. He would want you happy. But I’m not the guy that will make you so.”

  “We’ll see.” She stood on her tiptoes and pecked him on the cheek. “I’ll see you around.” She strode off without a backward look.

  Colt sighed and rolled his neck, trying to release the knots. When had life become so complicated? He caught sight of her when his head was cocked to one side, and a different kind of ache threaded through his body. Sadie was leaning against the hood of her car, her long legs crossed at the ankles, her arms crossed over her chest. Standing up, she walked toward him, a hesitant
smile crossing her face.

  He plucked the braid off her shoulder, ran his fingers over the rope of hair. “How did it go?”

  “Good. Everything is signed, sealed, and delivered. I am no longer a business owner.” She stared down at her feet.

  He put his finger under her chin and tilted her face up. “Life threw you a curve and you’re making the best of it. There’s no shame in that.” Sadie blew out a deep sigh, but nodded. “And just think of the possibilities. All of a sudden, your life has broken wide open. You’re free to do whatever you want.”

  The skin at the corner of her eyes crinkled. “You should have been a motivational speaker. Your talents are wasted in construction.”

  Colt’s fingers left her hair and traced across her lower lip. “A man can have many talents. I’m hoping you’ll discover all of mine.”

  The skin above her nose creased. “I don’t think I want to flirt with you while Connie—”

  “It wasn’t what it looked like. She approached me. There’s nothing going on between us.” Christ, first Pins ’N’ Pints, now this.

  “Okay, I believe you, but—”

  “She was important to my brother. I was just trying to let her down easy.”

  “That’s fine, but—”

  “She’s having a tough time right now and I couldn’t just tell her to get lost.” He cleared his throat. “You understand that, don’t you?”

  Sadie glared at him for a moment, her jaw set. “Oh, I can talk now? You’re not going to interrupt me again?”

  The tips of his ears heated up. “Sorry.”

  “As I was trying to say, I don’t want to flirt with a man who has another woman’s lipstick on his cheek.” She pulled a plastic package of tissues from her bag and scrubbed at his face. Grabbing his hand, she smacked the used tissue in his palm.

  Rubbing his cheek with his other hand, he tried to wipe off any lingering traces. He shrugged his shoulders, sheepish. “That didn’t used to happen when I had a beard. It hid any evidence.”

  She narrowed her eyes, then burst out laughing. “I’ll never trust a bearded man again.”

  Sadie’s laughter shot through Colt like helium, making his limbs feel weightless. He grinned down at her and yanked her braid. “It’s just about five. Let’s wrap this up and I’ll take you to dinner.”

  “Why don’t you come to my place and I’ll cook. I don’t usually cook at home because it’s just me there, but I enjoy it.”

  “I’m never going to turn down a home-cooked meal,” he said. “I’ll buy the groceries . . .”

  Sadie waved his words away. “I just deposited a big fat check in my bank account. This celebration is on me.”

  He walked her to her car and held the door open. “You will let me at least bring the wine, won’t you?” Colt asked, eyebrow raised.

  “Of course.” She settled in the car. “Make it red and expensive.” With a wink, she shut the door and started to pull out. Rolling down the window, she poked her head out. “Give me about an hour and a half before you come over, okay?”

  He nodded and she sped off. Dinner with Sadie. At her house. The possibilities stretched endlessly before him. He waved at Jerome across the square, then got in his truck and headed home, singing loudly and off-key to the radio the whole way. He couldn’t wait to see where the night would go.

  Chapter Eleven

  The knock at the door came as Sadie finished setting the dining room table. A red tablecloth hid the deep scratches marring the wood finish, and dim lighting hid the cheapness of the tablecloth. It was the best she could do on short notice, and really, if Colt was noticing the furnishings during dinner, she would have to be failing in other departments. She quickly lit two pillar candles, blew out the match, and went to greet Colt.

  His large body filled the doorway. He wore dark trousers and a charcoal-gray cashmere sweater that she couldn’t wait to run her hands over.

  “Come in. Dinner’s just about ready.”

  Colt stepped inside, leaning down to brush his lips softly against hers, sending a swarm of butterflies fluttering down her spine. He handed Sadie a bottle of wine. “You look fantastic.” His gaze swept up and down her body, pausing at her hips and breasts, where the fabric clung to her skin. The green of his eyes darkened to a stormy ocean.

  She smoothed the skirt of her burgundy wrap dress, satisfied she hadn’t failed in the wardrobe department. “Thanks. I picked up some more of my clothes while I was in Ann Arbor.” Holding up the bottle of wine, she said, “Why don’t I go open this so it can breathe for a bit.”

  Colt followed her into the kitchen. “I hope you approve of the vintage.”

  She studied the label. “I can’t pronounce anything written on the bottle, so I’m sure it will be delicious.” She popped the cork and placed the bottle aside.

  Resting his hands on the counter on either side of her, he caged her in his arms. He bent his head near her neck, inhaled deeply. Heat rolled off of him and her breathing quickened.

  “You smell so good, Sadie. What is that?”

  “Uh . . .” Her mind was a blank. Colt’s lips were so close to her skin she could feel each hot breath. “I’m not wearing any perfume. Oh.” Her face flushed. Colt raised his head and looked in her eyes. “I had a minor mishap with the vanilla extract when I was making dessert. I guess I didn’t wash it all off of me.”

  The edges of his eyes crinkled. “So you smell like my dessert? There’s a lot of ways my mind could go with that information.” The beeping of the oven’s timer saved Sadie from any response. She ducked under his arm and reached for an oven mitt.

  “Why don’t you take the wine and go sit down in the dining room. The glasses are already out there. I’ll bring dinner in a second.”

  “You don’t need any help?”

  She bent over to get the pan out of the oven. “Nope. I’ve got it all covered.” Putting the hot dish on the stove, she caught Colt eyeing her behind. She made shooing motions with her hands. “Get out of here. I’ll be right in.”

  She plated the rib roast and surrounded the meat with the cooked red potatoes, onions, and carrots. Platter in one hand and a basket of rolls in the other, Sadie carefully made her way into the dining room where Colt sat, pouring wine into their glasses. Popping up from his seat, he took the platter from her hands. After putting the food down, he pulled a chair out for her, his hand brushing her shoulder when she sank down.

  “Everything looks and smells great. Thank you for this.” Helping himself to some salad, he then passed her the bowl. He cut and served her a piece of the roast before helping himself. “I see you have your car back. Did everything check out okay?”

  She nodded. “The grill was bent into the engine and your friend fixed that. But the replacement parts to fix the damage to the front end were too expensive. So I’ll be driving around in a dented car for a while.”

  “And can you handle driving an imperfect car?” he asked teasingly. “With the front being dented, it’s rather two-dimensional.”

  “I’ve told you, I’m not a perfectionist. I just think people should try to do the best job they can.” Sadie poked at a leafy green. “And besides, even perfectionists have to bow to economics.”

  “What about the money from the sale of your business? You don’t want to use that to buy a new car or repair your old one?” Colt placed a bite of pink meat in his mouth and closed his eyes, an appreciative smile teasing his lips. “This is delicious.”

  “Thanks.” Turning, she stretched her legs out from under the table. She crossed them and swung her foot. “That money has a purpose. To pay off some bills and get myself out of debt. And the rest of it I need for an investment.”

  Colt cocked an eyebrow.

  “If we’re going to flip this house, we’re going to need some capital.” She smiled at his shocked expression.

  He leaned forward. “You’ve decided? You want to work with me on your grandmother’s home?”

  “If your offer is still open, th
en yes. I think we should do it.” She had changed her mind a thousand times on the drive back from Ann Arbor. She thought this was the right decision, but it was a risky one. For her personally and for her bottom line.

  A wide grin crossed his face. “Great. Let’s show Carelli a thing or two about flipping a house.”

  Her own smile dimmed. “Your first thought is about showing up David? Is that why you offered to help me? To stop him from getting my house?”

  “No, that was a stupid thing for me to say.” Colt covered her hand with his. “I’m doing this for you.”

  “I would say that you’re paranoid about David, but after my dinner with him, I don’t think you are. But I just don’t think you should keep poking at each other. It’s not healthy.”

  His grip on her hand tightened. “What do you mean you don’t think I’m paranoid? What happened during your dinner with him?”

  “Nothing happened.” She slid her hand from under his and rested it in her lap. Her nice dinner was going sideways, fast, and she didn’t know how to turn it back around. “No business happened between us anyway. But I saw him talking with a man David said was a client of his. It looked like they were arguing and I thought I heard them talking about your business. But I didn’t hear anything for sure. It might have been nothing.”

  “And it might have been something.” Colt’s eyes narrowed.

  Sadie’s chest felt tight. She tapped her fingers on the tablecloth. “I didn’t invite you over here to talk about David.”

  He heaved a deep sigh. “You’re right. I’m sorry.” Colt rested his hand on her knee. Although the gesture was meant as one of apology, the touch sparked straight to her core. She took a large sip of wine.

  “So, no more business talk tonight?” she asked.

  The candlelight flickered across his face. “There are so many other things I’d rather talk to you about anyway.” He skimmed his thumb across her knee, a thin barrier of nylon the only thing separating them. “For instance, we could talk about the beginning of a relationship, how exciting all the firsts are. First kisses, first touches, first . . .”