Decked Out with Ivy (Red Maple Falls #13)

Chapter 6

After a long day on set, Cody couldn’t wait to get the hell out of there. He was playing an innkeeper. He couldn’t be something cooler, like an ice sculptor or even a toy store owner?

Jim had picked him up, and they were heading across town. He had to make a stop before he could close his eyes and forget about this day.

“What are your plans tonight?” Jim asked.

“Sleep.”

“I imagine you’re tired, but if you change your mind, the garden society is hosting a Christmas Bingo night. Ten dollars to play and all proceeds go to help fund the flowers that will be blooming all over town this spring.”

“I think I’ll pass.”

“Don’t blame you. I’d be tired too. You had a long day shooting. That’s why you get paid the big bucks.”

Jim parked the SUV outside Ivy’s Cozy Couture. The mannequins on snowboards were now holding perfectly wrapped gifts and a beautiful tree was set up in the far corner.

Cody opened the door and stopped. “Thanks, man. If I’m lucky, I’ll be out in a couple minutes.”

Jim laughed. “Take your time. I have today’s crossword. Jim reached over to the passenger seat and retrieved a newspaper.

Cody hopped out of the SUV and headed straight -for the door. Snow had started to fall, and he pulled his scarf tighter around his neck. It was hand knitted by Ivy and luckily was just solid navy blue. He had been afraid she’d hand him a red and green striped one.

He stepped into the store.

“Welcome to—Oh, it’s you.”

“The joy in your voice just warms my heart.” Cody smacked a hand to his chest, feeling lighter, happier at the sight of her.

“Why are you here?” She picked up a perfectly folded sweater and refolded it. “I already agreed to whatever charade you have planned.”

“Yes, and now we need to implement.”

“I haven’t seen a single paparazzo in town, so what’s the point if we’re not going to be seen?”

“We need to be out for people to see us.” Even if the paparazzi didn’t take pictures, someone was bound to post pictures of him on their social media account. People loved sharing celebrity sightings.

“Why? That didn’t stop them from getting that first picture.”

“I thought you wanted to make me fall in love with Christmas?”

A smile lit her face, and she about-faced it to the register. “You’re right. And I have the perfect thing to do.”

“What’s that?” He swallowed, preparing himself for whatever she was about to throw at him.

She handed him a scrap of paper. “Meet me at this address at ten am tomorrow.” He looked down at the piece of paper bordered with Christmas garland and ornaments. “Assuming you’re free, then?”

“I don’t have to be on set until the day after tomorrow.”

“Perfect.”

“And where exactly are we going?”

“You’ll see.”

He didn’t like the cheery lilt of her voice. He could only image what form of torture in the disguise of Christmas fun she had planned for him. “I guess I’ll see you tomorrow, then.” He saluted a goodbye and headed to the door. A flash reflected off the window, and he blinked away the unexpected burst of light. “Shit,” he grumbled under his breath. He spun back to Ivy. “Change of plans.”

“Excuse me?”

He snaked his hand around her waist and tugged her into him. She let out a squeak as he crashed his lips to hers. Her body and lips tightened, but as he cupped her cheek, ran his thumb across her soft skin and moved his mouth, she relaxed into him.

It was all for the cameras. After all, if this fake relationship was going to work, they needed to play the part. But as she softened against him, everything around them faded away. He dipped her slightly, swiped his tongue across her pouty bottom lip, not expecting her to part for him. He took her invitation, slipping into her welcoming mouth.

Desire shot right to his dick, forcing the eager appendage to press uncomfortably against his pants. Ivy’s hand slid over his, holding her cheek with him. She tasted like candy canes and sweetness. He didn’t want to stop, but the money shot was delivered, and he wanted to keep this PG.

He drew away, his breath heaving out as if all the air had been sucked from his lungs. Ivy’s big eyes blinked up at him. Her kiss-swollen lips glistened and begged for him to recapture them.

“What the heck was that?” she asked, her eyes glossy and dazed.

He leaned in, brushing his mouth against the curve of her ear. “Paparazzi. I couldn’t miss the chance to really make us public.”

Her eyes widened. Her sexy lips parted, but before she could release a string of knife tipped words, he kissed her again—hard and fast this time—before pulling away.

“Don’t want the cameras to see that anger,” he said. “It’ll ruin our cover.”

“You’re a jerk,” she muttered, plastering a smile on her face and slipping out of his hold. He didn’t know if she would play the part, but she was nailing it. She must have really wanted to torture him with Christmas bullshit.

“See you tomorrow.” She tossed a wave over her shoulder and strutted her sweet ass to the back of the store, disappearing into a side room.

He took a moment to let his dick recoil before he stepped out into the spotlight. It was one thing to be scattered across the interwebs kissing a Christmas angel and an entirely different thing to be caught alone on the sidewalk with a hard-on.

***

The snow had stopped falling, but there was a nice coating on the ground that mixed with dirt and mud and God only knew what else. He glanced at his designer shoes, then at the sludge that was once snow.

“A tree farm? What the hell are we doing here?” he said to Ivy as he met her at the entrance. His eyes drifted to her lips, sucking on the length of a candy cane, remembering how good they felt against his.

She pulled the candy cane from her mouth. “We’re going to cut down a Christmas tree and then decorate it.”

His head snapped to attention as she continued.

“My sister usually helps me. We live together. Only way we could afford rent. Anyway, she’s away on business and won’t be back for another week, and I simply can’t wait that long.”

“Can’t you call a delivery service and a decorator to do that for you?”

She gasped, and he startled, nearly busting his ass on the slippery mud.

“Stop doing that!” She constantly gasped like a child catching Santa in their living room. It was unnerving. He never knew if she was being dramatic, saw something shocking, or was hurt.

“Then stop saying stupid things. Now come on.” She waved him toward a path that cut right through a line of trees.

He once again glanced at his footwear. No wonder Jim had laughed at him as he got out of the SUV. “I wish you would have warned me. I would have worn different shoes.”

She stopped and turned, her light brown eyes raking over his legs to his feet. “What made you think those were the best choice to begin with?”

“I thought maybe we would be inside.” At a coffee shop, or a string quartet Christmas concert, or even a walk down Main Street to look at all the ridiculous Christmas displays.

“Even if we were, those shoes are never needed. If I were you, I’d invest in a pair of boots.”

“Let me guess. Your store sells them?”

“Of course. And if you’re nice to me, I’ll give you the friends and family discount.”

“How very generous of you.”

“It’s the least I can do, considering the shoes are about to be ruined.”

“Ruined?”

She pointed across a long path of what he was now calling snirt to a row of trees. “That’s the one,” she announced with too much conviction.

“Why that one? And not, oh I don’t know, one of the dozen right here?” He motioned to the array of trees lined up and just waiting to be cut.

“Where’s the fun in that?”

She wanted fun. He would play along. “Fine. Do we get someone to come with us to cut it down? How does this work?”

A laugh burst out of her with more gusto than he thought necessary. “Someone? We got a someone. You.”

“Me?” He had no idea how to cut down a tree. He wasn’t a fucking lumberjack, for Christ’s sake. He was an actor. Though a lumberjack would have been a better role than a damn innkeeper.

“Yes, you.”

“And how do you expect me to do that?” he asked, glancing around for a stack of chainsaws for rent.

Ivy walked to a small building that looked like a cabin in the woods and waved for him to follow. His eyes lingered on the tight jeans that molded to her legs and dipped into a pair of snow boots. Her red winter coat looked much warmer than his navy blue peacoat.

He reached into the pockets and felt the soft mittens she had insisted he buy. He didn’t want to bring them, but his hands had been damn icicles every time he stepped outside in this godforsaken state. He didn’t want to give her the satisfaction of wearing them, nor did he want to match his navy coat like she matched hers with her red coat and white and red mittens.

“Here we go,” she announced, holding a handsaw that looked like it had been left outside for the last thirty years.

“You’re joking, right?” There was no way she was serious. She was just trying to fuck with him.

A flash of a camera burst behind him, and he spun to see the paparazzo that had been following him around town. The pictures from last night had already hit the mainstream. Ronnie had called him at the ass crack of dawn to tell him she was proud. She was already working on a way to spin the story to show he was a reformed man and enjoying the small-town life. It was the biggest load of shit. He’d been here for barely a couple days, and he was already counting down the time until he could get on a plane and fly the hell out of here.

“No, flash photography!” a man yelled from behind the counter. He was an older man, but that didn’t make him any less intimidating. “You’ll scare the reindeer!”

“Reindeer?” Cody exclaimed. “There are freaking reindeer here? What is this, the North Pole?”

“Yes,” the man said matter-of-factly. Cody was starting to wonder if this whole town was part of the movie set, and no one clued him in.

The man moved out from behind the counter and stood like a brick wall in front of the man wielding a camera.

“They brought the reindeer last year. They’ve been a big draw for the locals.” Ivy motioned toward the rear of the building. “They’re in a barn on the other side of the property. Next to the hot cocoa stand.”

“Of course they are,” Cody mumbled.

The flash lit up the space again, and this time, Ivy grabbed his face and kissed him. Every rational thought he had vanished with that candy cane taste and sweet movement of her lips. Instinctively, his hand wrapped around her back, yanking her into him, pressing her tight against his chest.

She eased away, eyes dazed, tongue darting out to touch her lips.

“What was that for?” he asked.

“Cameras. Maybe if he gets the shot he wants, he’ll leave.”

“Smart,” he said, glancing toward the paparazzo, who was still releasing a series of flashes.

“If you don’t take your butt off my property, I will call the sheriff. The last one of you wound up with a hefty fine for trespassing.”

“This is a public business, buddy,” the paparazzo argued.

“I never said you trespassed. I said you were endangering the lives of wildlife. A very large fine in these parts and a Class B misdemeanor.”

“What wildlife? There’s nothing here.”

“You want to argue that with the sheriff? I have him on speed dial.”

The paparazzo held up his hands and stepped back. “I got my shot.” He didn’t leave, though. He slipped out his phone and tapped the screen. “Hey Cody. How you getting around without a license?” he asked, and every muscle in Cody’s body tensed. “DUI is a serious charge. You could have killed someone.”

The reindeer man stood in front of the asshole once again, this time holding his own phone. “I’m calling the sheriff.”

The paparazzo let out a derisive snort before peering around the man. “It’s only a matter of time,” he called out, “before I catch you fucking up again. And let me tell you, those pictures will be worth a lot more than whatever this Hallmark Christmas movie bullshit you are pretending to be a part of.”

“Out!” the man said again, this time moving toward the asshole and not giving him any berth. When he was gone, the man turned to him. “If he returns, we won’t need the sheriff. Well… maybe to hide the body.”

Cody’s eyes widened, and his head practically jerked off his body.

The man let out a loud, boisterous laugh. “I’m just kidding.” His hand slammed down on Cody’s shoulder. “You should see your face, young man.” He turned to Ivy. “You okay, Ivy?”

“I’m great, Hal. Thanks for your help.”

“You know I always have your back. Now I’ve been meaning to get to the store to see if you have any Santa sweaters in an extra-large.”

“I sure do. I’ll drop by tomorrow with one.”

“You don’t have to do that. I can come to you.”

Ivy waved her hand. “You’re busy here, holding down the North Pole. It’s the least I can do.”

Another boisterous laugh exploded from the man. “I appreciate you.” His finger turned to Cody. “You hurt my Ivy, and the sheriff will help me hide your body. You hear me?”

Cody didn’t doubt the man for a second. He nodded, unable to come up with a quick retort.

“Hal, he won’t hurt me. Besides, Trent and Rome taught me how to hold my own.”

Who the hell were Trent and Rome? Ex boyfriends? Men who wanted her but couldn’t have her? A pang of jealousy hit him low in the gut, confusing the ever-living hell out of him.

Ivy grabbed the decades old handsaw and his hand, tugging him back out into the blistering cold.

“Who are Rome and Trey?” he asked before she could ask him about the paparazzo’s threats.

“My cousins, but we grew up together, so they’re more like brothers. And while I can promise Hal you won’t hurt me, I can’t promise Trent or Rome won’t hurt you . They’re very protective.”

“Thanks for the warning, but I think I’ll be okay.”

“Confident. They’ll hate that.” With a smile, she walked away, leaving him to hurry after her. One step on the snirt, and his foot slipped, arms flailing to catch his balance.

“Shit!” he called, just as he swayed forward.

Ivy dropped the saw and ran to him, wrapping her arms around his waist. He swore if he fell, taking her with him, and they wound up in the quintessential Christmas movie position, he was going to pack up his shit and go home. But she managed to steady him, letting him regain his balance.

“Thank you,” he said as she continued to hold on. “I’m good.”

She slowly let go, holding her hands on either side of him as if she was ready to catch him again if he fell. Now that he knew how useless the soles of his shoes were, he’d be taking more measured steps.

“You sure?” she asked, and when he nodded, she dropped her arms and moved away. She held her mittened hand up. “Don’t move.” She hurried into the building and reemerged a couple minutes later, holding something.

She came to a stop in front of him with a massive smile on her face. The cold air had reddened her cheeks and the tip of her nose, making her even more adorable.

“What is that?” He pointed to whatever it was she was holding.

“Ice cleats. They’re like snow chains for your car but for your shoes. Here.” She bent down in front of him. “Put your hand on my shoulder and lift your foot.”

He couldn’t believe he was actually doing this. He rested his hand on her shoulder, making sure not to lean too heavily as he lifted his foot. She got to work, putting the monstrosities over his shoe. She tapped his knee, and he put the one leg down, lifting the other.

“There,” she announced and pushed from the ground. “Take a step, see how they feel.”

He walked on the same spot that nearly sent him face-first and didn’t even wobble. “They’ll work.”

She clapped her hands together and bounced. His lip cracked at the edge, unable to keep his smile at bay. He hated to admit that her joy was contagious.

“Ready?” she asked.

“Sure.”

“Good, and on the walk there, you can tell me all about this DUI.”

Any joy that he had completely fled as, once again, his past swept in, blocking out the light and covering him in darkness.