Charley stepped over a mound of snow, her hands in her coat pockets. Her breath came out in puffs of fog. She hadn’t brought any boots. She didn’t own any. No need for boots in the winter in Florida. “Are we almost there?”

Alexander turned around and nodded at her, a backpack slung over one shoulder. “Yep. I see the perfect one, just a little way up this hill.”

“Good. Because this snow is slippery.”

He reached back and held out his hand. “Sorry. Let me help you.”

She couldn’t say no to that. She took his hand and he pulled her up onto a nearby rock jutting out of the mountainside. He smiled at her. She’d been noticing a lot more smiles out of him lately.

“I didn’t think about the climb.” He looked down at her flimsy shoes. “Do you want to wait here?”

“Heck, no. I want to help chop the tree down. We don’t have trees like this where I live in Florida. I may never again get this chance.”

“All right. I’ll help you. Tell me if I’m going too fast, okay?”

“Deal.” She held his hand as he took several steps. Her shoes slipped once, but he grabbed her so she didn’t fall on her behind. “Thanks,” she said, breathless.

“You’re crazy. You know that?”

“You’re the one who said this is how you always find a tree.”

He chuckled. “Yeah. But we wear boots when we go mountain climbing.”

He said it like he was talking to a child and she couldn’t help but laugh. “You’re such a dork.”

“A dork?”

She nodded, realizing that he was still holding her close. His mouth was only inches from hers. If she stood on her tiptoes, she could...she banished those thoughts from her head. No way was she going to make that mistake again. She was not out there to make out with Mr. Norris, no matter how sexy he looked in his leather jacket. What was the matter with her? Had she no self-control at all?

His smile faded and his gaze dipped to her lips. “Then I’ll try not to be so dorky. Isn’t chopping down a tree a manly thing to do? Doesn’t that mean I can turn in my dork card?”

She stood there, his arms around her, staring at the way the light showed the flecks of gold in his eyes. Her heart pounded out a staccato rhythm. What was he saying to her? She couldn’t think anymore. All her nerve endings came alive and all she could do was stare into his eyes. His smile widened and his laugh lines crinkled. “Come on. Let’s chop a tree down.”

He helped her up to a precipice where he stood back and surveyed the area. “There. That one.” He pointed to a tree. It was smaller than the trees surrounding it. “It’s perfect, don’t you think?”

She wasn’t sure her voice would work, so she just nodded. He set down his backpack and took a saw out. “Do you want to try?” He held it out to her.

She grinned at him, finally able to snap herself out of her awkwardness. “Of course.” She took the saw from him.

He held back some of the branches. “You’ll have to get down in there. Luckily, this little one isn’t too thick.”

She started sawing at the trunk. Alexander showed her how he was holding the tree back a little so it didn’t pinch the blade as she sawed through it. When it finally snapped and fell, she let out a squeal and did a victory dance. “I can’t believe I chopped down a tree. Well, not chopped. I thought maybe we’d use an ax or something, but the saw probably worked better.”

Alexander chuckled at her. “You get chatty when you’re excited.”

“I know. Sorry. One of my faults.”

“Come to think of it, you get chatty when you’re nervous too. And when you’re scared. And when you’re—”

She whacked him on the chest, his leather coat taking the brunt of it. “Stop. You’re not allowed to make fun of me.”

“Who made up that rule?”

“I did. Just now.” She laughed. “Now, how are we going to get the tree down to the house?”

He pulled a rope from the backpack. “That’s why I chose a small one. Can you imagine me trying to drag one of these monsters down the hill?” He pointed to the trees that were twice the size.

“Nope. You’re smart.”

He tied the rope to the trunk then began dragging it behind him. He held out his arm. “Better hang on. I don’t want you slipping down the slope.”

“Thanks.”

It took a little time getting the tree into the house, but once it was sitting in the tree stand, Charley stood back and admired it. “You picked a great tree.”

He gave her a bashful smile. “Let’s find the ornament box.”

Charley looked at the clock. “Ooh, can we decorate it later? I told Dorothy I’d go deliver cookies with her.”

He nodded. “Sure. That’s fine.” He took a step back and shrugged out of his coat. “I have work to do anyway.”

Had she hurt his feelings? She wasn’t sure, but he smiled at her and she felt better. “Maybe after I go shopping?”

“No, we can decorate tomorrow. We have The Nutcracker tonight and Dorothy threatened me if I didn’t take you out to eat before the show, she would put something nasty in my food.”

“What?” Charley could feel the heat rising to her cheeks. “Why would she say that?”

“Apparently she thinks I am taking you out on a date, even though we both told her it wasn’t.”

Charley’s stomach got a fluttery feeling. A date. Dorothy was trying to set them up again. Probably because she told her about the kiss. But it wasn’t a real kiss and this wasn’t a real date. Right? Charley took a step toward the kitchen. “She’s silly.”

As she left the room, she mentally smacked herself. Silly? That’s what she came up with? How stupid. Dorothy met her with a box in her arms. “I’m ready to deliver the cookies.”

“Good. Because I’m ready to get out of here.”

Dorothy followed her out to her car. Once they were seat-belted in, she motioned to the house. “Everything okay between you guys?”

“We’re fine.”

Dorothy shook her head. “I don’t believe you.”

Charley didn’t want to talk about it, but she knew Dorothy wouldn’t stop until she said something. “I mean it. We’re fine. It’s just a bit awkward since the kiss. And you,” she said, pointing. “You’re pushing us to have a date tonight. That’s even more awkward.”

Dorothy laughed. “You both need a night out. And going to dinner and a theater production won’t kill you. If you don’t want to call it a date, then don’t. But we’re finding you an amazing dress.”

Charley couldn’t argue with that. “I can agree to an amazing dress.”

They delivered the cookies then went back to the house. Dorothy went into the kitchen to make lunch, and Charley decided she’d better go to the garage and get at least one or two boxes done today. The garage wasn’t going to clean itself.

After Dorothy called her in for sandwiches, she sat at the table. Alexander sat across from her. He fussed with his shirt collar. “You have a preference where you’d like to eat tonight?”

“Nope. I like all food.”

“Chinese?”

“Sounds delicious.” She picked up her fork and stabbed a noodle.

“Italian?”

Charley made a face. “What part of ‘I like all food’ is hard to understand? I haven’t met a meal yet that I didn’t like.”

Alexander pointed to her with his fork. “How do you stay so thin, then?”

“Now, you’re just trying to flatter me, aren’t you?” Charley smiled at him, although secretly she made a mental note to get him something really great for Christmas.

“No. I’m seriously trying to figure out if you have a favorite restaurant.”

He did look a bit uncomfortable. Maybe she should make this easy on him. “Okay, let’s go Mongolian tonight. I saw a Mongolian grill not too far up the road from the Goodwill. The smells coming from it are always delicious.”

“Sounds perfect.”