Page 22 of A Biker for Noelle
I can’t help but giggle as I head off to the bedroom to get ready.
I wonder what Torin has in store for us today.
“Wow!” My brother starts bouncing in his seat as Torin pulls the truck into a gravel parking lot. “Is this what I think it is?”
Torin chuckles. “Yep.”
Zack wastes no time jumping out of the truck. Torin and I follow suit. The crisp air carries the unmistakable scent of pine, mingling with the cheerful sounds of laughter and holiday music. As we step into the winter wonderland, we are welcomed by towering evergreen trees, some decorated with sparkling red and gold ornaments and shimmering, twinkling lights. I am captivated by the magic of it all.
“Did you bring us to get a Christmas tree?” Zack peers up at Torin with a spark of hope in his eyes.
“Sure did, little man. Christmas is not far away, so I figured we better get ourselves a tree. Then after we leave here, we’ll go to the store and buy all the shit to put on it.”
“Yes!” Zack pumps his fist in the air. “Did you hear that, Nelly? We’re getting a real tree. We’ve never had a real one before.”
I blink back the tears that threaten to spill as I watch my brother become overjoyed at the thought of a real Christmas tree. Zacks’s dad never celebrated any holiday, let alone Christmas. My brother always spent Christmas with me at my tiny apartment. We’d put our little three-foot artificial tree up every year and bake cookies. Zack and I never had much, but we had each other. I’d save for months just to buy him a couple of presents to put under the tree. No kid should wake up Christmas morning without a Santa gift.
Torin squeezes my hand. “You ready to go pick out a tree?”
This time, I don’t try to hide my smile. “Yes.”
It’s nightfall by the time we return to Torin’s house. It took him and Zack three trips to bring our shopping haul inside. “Where do you want the tree, baby?” Torin asks.
I sit the bags on the sofa and turn toward Torin. “Where doIwant the tree?”
“Yeah. Where you want it.”
“I um… it’s your house. Where do you normally put it?”
“I don’t normally put it anywhere because I’ve never had a tree.”
“You’ve never had a Christmas tree?”
“Not in my house.” Torin shakes his head. “Ma puts one up at her place every year, and since I always spend Christmas there, I don’t need a tree at mine…” He pauses, then adds, “Until now.”
“Oh,” is all I can say.
“So, I’ll ask again, babe, where do you want it?”
My answer is immediate. “In front of the window.” I point toward the large floor-to-ceiling window in the living room.
Torin’s lip twitches. “Zack, come help me get the tree from the back of the truck.”
Zack drops the bags he carries onto the kitchen table before following Torin. Minutes later, they return with the tree, filling the house with the smell of pine.
Following a lot of fun, two hours later, the tree—all seven feet of it—is fully decorated with a million strands of lights.
“Zack, go put the lights on.” I practically squeal with excitement. Sitting on the sofa nursing a beer, Torin has been content with simply watching my brother and I meticulously place every light, ornament, and piece of tinsel. Not once did he get annoyed or bored with our constant excitement or how Zack insisted on showing him every ornament he picked out. Torin’s attention and smile never wavered. Tonight, I think I fell a little bit in love with him.
“Wow,” Zack and I say in unison.
A pair of strong arms wrap around me from behind. Torin’s husky voice is in my ear. “Looks good, babe.”
With the biggest smile on my face, I agree. “It’s perfect.” I tip my head back and meet his gaze. “This whole day was perfect. Thank you.”
Torin gently kisses me. “You’re welcome, baby.”
We tidy up, and an hour later, I’m sitting on the sofa, snuggled into Torin’s side in comfortable silence. Torin’s attention is on some action movie on the television while mine is on my brother, who is currently fast asleep with his bodypartially lying under the tree. I’m not sure how long he lay there staring at the lights before passing out.
