Trapped Under the Christmas Tree (Christmas Tree, PA Sweet Romcom #1)

Chapter 4

Tessa

Jake’s suggestion is perfectly reasonable. I know this, and yet, I also know that there is almost no way that I am going to be able to lift this tree, and I really don’t want to throw my back out trying.

Jake Bilmer is such a charmer. He’s the current crown holder of the most eligible bachelor in town, and I’m pretty sure he’s won it a few times.

All right, I know exactly how many times he’s won it. I know exactly what year he graduated, and I know exactly where he lives and everything about him, but there’s a part of me that doesn’t want to admit this, because I know he probably barely knows my name. He certainly didn’t know where I lived and sounded shocked when he found out that it wasn’t that far away.

Still, I doubt I’m the only person in town who has a secret crush on Jake.

In fact, pretty much everyone I know is either married or secretly in love with Jake. I hear about it in the library all the time. He is the main person patrons love to gossip about. Did you hear what Jake did now? Did you hear how Jake did this? Did you hear that Jake donated this or that, and of course there are the reindeer that he raises, who have won awards for their antlers. Not just state awards but national awards.

That has brought attention to our small town, and people come here just to see his reindeer.

He generously allows them to be stabled at different places, the tree farm, even in the town square, for Christmas in July. Of course, reindeer lose their antlers every year, so the reindeer are just growing them at that time.

Still, people come. And Jake has kept all of the antlers that they’ve lost. Those are a big draw too.

Okay. Enough about Jake. So I have a little crush on him. Who doesn’t?

“Let me see what I can do,” I say, like I’m going to turn him down for anything.

Actually, I think I would. I might have a little crush, and I might be quiet, and I might enjoy reading a book in a corner versus going to a lot of parties and having a lot of people around, but that doesn’t mean I’m a pushover.

I step over the tree so that I have one foot on one side and one foot on the other. I almost lose my balance, and thankfully I’m able to catch myself before I fall down on top of the tree. If I did that, I’m sure Jake wouldn’t be able to figure out whether I was trying to help him or hurt him.

I know which I’m doing, but I guess I’m a little clumsy too.

Anyway, I get one foot balanced on one side of the tree and one foot balanced on the other side of the tree, and I’m able to link my hands underneath the tree. I’m just a few short inches from where his foot is stuck, so if I’m able to lift the tree up even a little bit, he’ll be able to get out.

“All right, on the count of three, I’m going to lift up. One, two, three!” I might as well have not counted. Absolutely nothing changed as I put all of the strength I have into lifting the tree. It’s stubbornly stuck, and it does not budge.

Still, I glance up at him and say, “Could you feel it lifting up at all?”

He shakes his head no, his lips pressed down tight, his face showing his obvious disappointment.

“Let’s try again.” I don’t know what else to do.

“That’s enough. It’s too heavy. I don’t want you to hurt yourself. I’ll...be okay.”

“I didn’t bring my phone out, but I can go in and call.”

We both know that’s not going to do any good, other than to get him on the wait list for the first person who comes back. They’re going to be tired and quite possibly traumatized if the wreck is as bad as what I fear could be.

“Mine is lying over there. Although, I dropped it when I fell off the ladder, so I’m not sure if it’s even going to work.”

“Those things are indestructible. I’m sure it’s just fine.”

I say that as I carefully lift my leg over the top of the Christmas tree, trying not to step on any branches as I walk out. I don’t want to do anything that will put any more weight on his leg. He hasn’t said anything about it hurting, but it has to. Possibly it’s even broken. And there I was thinking about my crush and not trying harder to get him out from underneath it.

“Do you think your leg is broken?” I ask, realizing I probably should have asked if anything was broken before I started trying to help. It’s obvious I’m not a first responder.

“I actually feel okay, considering how high I was up on the ladder before I fell and considering that I have a tree sitting on top of my leg. But no. I feel like I fell down but not like I’m in any kind of major pain.”

I nod, and then I walk to his phone.

So much for thinking that those things are indestructible. It’s smashed.

I grit my teeth and turn, an expression of apology on my face.

His eyes move from the phone in my hands to my face, then back to his phone, but his face has already fallen. He knows what my expression means.