Page 19 of Decked Out with Ivy

“I have no idea. But what I do know is I’m going to cut that tree down for you.”

She clapped and bounced as excitement for one of her favorite traditions slammed into her. “Then we can bring it to my house and decorate it.”

“You’re not going to make me string popcorn, are you?”

“Oh no. I have a fear it’ll invite little critters into the house.”

He tilted his head. “You wouldn’t welcome them in with open arms and knit them little sweaters?”

She snorted. “That would be cute. But no, I prefer nature to stay outside.”

“Okay, so what do you put on your tree?” he asked as he kneeled to the ground, evaluating the tree.

“Poppy—that’s my sister—and I buy ornaments every time we go somewhere. She travels a lot for work, so she’s contributed a lot more, but it’s like a roadmap of our travels and experiences. And I’ve also knitted some ornaments.”

A smile cracked at the edge of his mouth. “Like little sweaters or…”

“You’ll see.”

He lay on his side and positioned the saw against the trunk of the tree. “Right here?”

She bent and eyed the line. “Perfect. Leaves enough trunk in case we need to trim later. As my dad says, you can always cut away more, but you can’t put it back once it’s gone.”

“Smart man.”

“He is. I’ve learned a lot from him.”

“Like what?” Cody asked.

“You actually care?”

He peered from under the tree. “Considering how much I told you, I think it’s time I learned something about your life. Besides, with how dull this saw is, I have a feeling we’re going to be here for a while.”

A laugh slipped from her lips then she tapped her finger against her chin. “Let’s see. He taught me how to ride a bike. He taught me how to change a tire.”

“You can change a tire?”

“I can. Can’t you?”

“I taught myself when I was eighteen. Had no choice.”

She wanted to ask more about his childhood, but he’d already shared so much, and the man was laying in snow under a tree, cutting it down for her, so she’d give him a break. This time.

“What else?” he asked and sounded genuinely interested.

“He taught me how to set a campfire using nothing more than two sticks and some dried leaves.”

“Does that really work?”

“It does! Takes forever, but if we ever get lost in the woods and are going to freeze to death, I got us.”

“You might have to put that skill to use. At this rate, we might freeze to death out here.”

“Speak for yourself. She shoved her mittened hands into her big pockets and swayed back and forth. “I’m nice and toasty. You need to invest in a better coat.”

“Let me guess. Your store has down coats, too?”

“You know it, and remember—"

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