Accidentally Under Your Tree (Grand Ridge Christmas #1)

15. Will

fifteen

Will

Four nights before Christmas

Lizzy, Rose, and I piled out of the rental car in front of a house with a large front porch and an attached garage. It had a tall gabled roof with dormers. Simple construction circa the 1940s, but it was well maintained and sat across the driveway from an enormous barn.

The wind bit frozen teeth at our cheeks and whipped at our coats.

Lizzy shrugged her shoulders toward her ears. Her hair blowing across her face.

"You cold?" I asked. "Do you want my hat?"

"No, I'll be fine." She jerked her head toward the barn. "It'll be warmer in the arena."

It took us a few more strides before we realized Rose had stopped. She shook her head and glared at me. "I'm going to need you to remember that you're supposed to be my boyfriend."

"Shit, right." As an afterthought, I added, "Do you want my hat?"

She turned to Lizzy, her eyes wide. "What did you do to him? He's, like, fully lost his mind."

Lizzy's face broke into a shy smile. If I hadn't already lost my mind, the dimple pressed into her cheek would have sent it on its way.

Cringing, I begged, "Be cool."

"You first," Rose demanded.

Avoiding a patch of ice, Lizzy started walking again. "Let's get inside it's freezing."

Stepping through the door, I let it slam behind me. It was warmer, not exactly comfortable, but the bitter wind couldn't snap at us anymore. The building was lit by rows of florescent lights. The smell of dirt and animal mixed in an almost pleasant way. At the far wall, stairs lead to an overlooking catwalk and offices. The dirt covered floor was mostly open, with only a sidewalk's width from the fence to the wall.

Rose narrowed her eyes, searching the face of a man speaking to a group of high school aged kids huddled together. He had at least some of their attention. His hands pushed deep into his pockets. "Is that Jack Brooks?"

"It is." Lizzy nodded.

Tilting her head, wrinkles creased Rose's forehead. "He looks different."

"He got a makeover for the bachelor auction a couple of months ago."

Rose's jaw dropped. "Bachelor auction?"

"It was so fun!" Lizzy's eyes glinted.

I couldn't help smiling at the two of them.

"Who is that?" Rose asked, her eyebrows shooting upward.

A man easily a few inches taller than my six foot one loomed to the right of Jack.

"That's Remi. He moved here to work at the animal clinic. Brooks works there too. Do you remember Hazel Matthews?"

"Nerdy girl, frizzy brown hair?"

"That's her. She bought the clinic from Doc March."

"Oh cool, good for her."

"Then she bagged Elijah March."

"No shit!"

"Yes!" Lizzy's eyes were bright as she passed on the gossip. "It's really freakin' adorable. He is so into her."

"Aw, well that's just cute." Rose pursed her lips to one side, before asking, "Is he still like…" She lifted her eyebrows.

"Oh yeah. The man has aged well."

"I'm still right here," I pointed out.

"Don't worry, you're pretty too," Rose joked.

"So pretty," Lizzy whispered to her boots.

I wouldn't say I liked being called pretty, but when it came from Lizzy…

A door on the second story opened and shut. A man in worn jeans, and a flannel waved down to us. He was obviously their cousin on their dad's side. He could have been a younger, slightly smaller version of Jim. "Horses are in the stables. Give me ten minutes. I'll be right down. Glad to see ya, Bud."

"You too," Rose called back, then she and Lizzy led me back to the freezing outside and into a different building. Wooden stalls with hay covering their floors lined the walls, most of them containing a horse. Just like every other time I'd come near one, I did not like their size.

We spent most of the day in the arena. The girls rode a couple of different horses to give the giant beasts exercise. My heart stuck in my throat each time either of them guided over a jump, kicking up patches of the dirt floor. They'd offered to help me ride. I'd almost said yes to Lizzy. Each time I shook my head, enjoying the feeling of my feet on the ground.

She did convince me to brush her mare before she led her to the stables.

"Like this?" I asked, more focused on the rise and fall of her breasts than my actual task.

"Not like that." She rounded under the horse's neck and placed a hand on mine. We froze, the sensation of her skin hot on my fingers. Her body was close enough that I could smell her sweet sweat over the scent of horse and dirt. My eyes followed her flannel covered arm to her face. Our mouths were inches apart.

The distance was dangerous.

She swallowed.

My blood rushed low.

"Like this," she directed, a little breathless.

It wasn't until she pulled her hand back and swiped it over her ponytail that I regained the presence of mind to glance around. Luckily, only Rose was positioned to see us, with an annoyed pinch of her lips.

I mouthed, Sorry .

She rolled her eyes.

I did a better job avoiding Lizzy after that.

Before we left, Rose, and I posed for a photo with one of the horses. It stood perfectly still, with its head between our shoulders. But I couldn't shake the fear that it might do something sketchy. It was just too big.

Lizzy lowered Rose's phone from in front of her face. "Will, you're glaring at Milkshake."

I leaned further away from the gargantuan animal. "It's called Milkshake?"

"How else would the boys get to the yard?" Rose asked.

She and Lizzy gave a sarcastic, "Duh," in unison.

Milkshake blew a gust of breath through its nostrils, and I jumped about three feet in the air.

"Let's get her away from him. She doesn't deserve this," Lizzy suggested.

I took a few steps sideways. "It's to my back. I can't relax."

"She, not it's," Rose corrected. Sharing an irritated look with Lizzy. "Go over by the fence next to the saddle. I'll be right there."

She made a clicking sound at the back of her teeth and began leading the mare away. My muscles were wound tight, but as the distance grew between me and Milkshake , my heart rate lowered. I rolled my shoulders and neck.

Lizzy tilted her head, considering me. "I didn't realize you were scared of horses."

"I'm not scared. I just don't trust them."

"Hmm. Important distinction."

I scoffed. "They're too big."

"Did you have any fun today?"

"Some. I liked watching you." I lowered my voice just above a whisper.

"I might have been showing off a little."

Denying the desire to hold her, to kiss her smirking lips, to tell her that the more I got to know her, the harder I fell was like denying that water was wet. She was right there, but completely out of my reach.

And I only had myself to blame.

"Alright," Rose called as she stepped back into the arena. "Let's get this photo and head home."