CHAPTER TWELVE
Rebecca—
After painting a copy of the photo Phoebe took of Buddy, I call JJ over. I’m at the dining table, and he’s in the kitchen. I’ve got the two-foot by four-foot sheet of wood JJ cut for me laid out on top of the table. “JJ, what do you think?”
He pauses behind my chair, studying the image. “It looks fantastic. Is that our new logo, then?”
“I think so. I love it.”
“Then I’ll mount it on the signposts. Think you can paint it on the door of the truck? That’d be pretty cool, right?”
“I’ll give it a try. I also converted the logo into a digital file. I’m going to see if I can get magnets and stickers printed up.”
“Cool. Want to put this up now?”
“Let’s do it. I know it’s silly, but I’m excited to see our Instagram spot take shape. Oh, and I got some light to string in the trees behind the truck.”
“Sounds great. Let’s go.” He reaches past me and grabs the large sign.
I grab the bag of lights and hold the door for him, then follow him out. He props it against the two posts he already put up, and we go to the barn. He finds a drill and extension cord and passes them to me.
“Here, hold these.”
Then he gets a stepladder, and we walk back.
I hold the sign while he screws it into place, then he helps me string the lights.
I start to climb the ladder to reach the tops of the trees.
“Give me a second and I’ll hold the ladder for you,” JJ says, wrapping the cord of the drill.
“I’m okay,” I protest, but when I lean too far, the ladder wobbles, and I’m about to fall on my ass when suddenly, JJ is there just in time to catch me.
I land in his arms, his strong muscles solid beneath me. A shriek escapes me, and I clutch his neck.
“I’ve got you,” he reassures, and I stare, wide-eyed, into his humorous gaze.
“Are you laughing at me?” I say.
“No, ma’am.” But he can’t fight the chuckle, and I feel his chest shake. “I told you to give me a second, and I’d help you. You made me drop the drill.”
“Sorry.”
“You always so stubborn?”
“Stubborn?” I hiss, insulted.
“Yeah. Seems like you always try to do everything yourself. It’s okay to ask for help or accept it when it's offered.”
He sets me on my feet, and I immediately miss the closeness.
I tuck my hair behind my ears. “I suppose I’ve always had to do things for myself. Is that so wrong?”
“Is that how it was with David?”
I bend over and pick up the string of lights I dropped while JJ rights the fallen ladder. “I really don’t want to talk about him.”
“Sure. I get that.”
We finish with the lights without speaking, then stand back to admire the spot.
JJ puts his hands on his hips. “It looks really good, Rebecca. This was a great idea.”
“Thanks.” I don’t know why, but his compliment means everything to me. I feel validated.
“You’re really good at this.” He turns and notices the wreaths I made for the front porch. There’s one on each post. “The place looks great. I think you’ve got a real talent for this stuff.”
We lock eyes, and something shoots through me. How can I be falling for my brother-in-law?
A car pulling up the drive breaks the moment, and we both turn to see Phoebe approaching.
“Oh, crap,” I say. “I’ve got to fix my makeup and hair. Stall her, will you? I need about fifteen minutes.”
“What the hell am I going to talk to her about for fifteen minutes?”
“Think of something.” I run for the cabin. “Oh, and start the bonfire!”
Twenty minutes later, I finish with a last swipe of lipstick, then quickly change into a black thermal shirt and add a red plaid flannel over it. I top it off with a cream knit hat with a fur pom-pom. I grab the matching men’s flannel shirt I picked up for JJ and meet them on the front porch.
His eyes sweep over me.
“Oh, don’t you look adorable,” Phoebe says.
“Here.” I shove the shirt at him, and his eyes hit it.
“You’re kidding, right? Matching shirts?”
“It’ll be perfect,” Phoebe encourages. “Try it on.”
JJ sighs, but shrugs it on over his cream thermal. “Please do not tell me there’s a matching hat.”
I roll my eyes. “No, but maybe I should have gotten you one just to piss you off.”
“Oh babe, I’m already there,” he says with a playful harrumph.
We head off to the field of Christmas trees and do a bunch of photos and video footage.
JJ already had a tree cut and ready for the shoot, and we take a few shots of him carrying it over his shoulder with his other arm around me, and a bunch of us laughing and smiling at each other like some happy couple in love.
We end up at the cabin, and do some videos of us feeding each other s’mores around the fire, then finish with us at the pickup truck. Buddy joins us for that shot, and Phoebe ties a red bow around his neck.
“I think we got some great stuff, guys,” she says, studying the photos on her camera. “I’ll get this edited tonight and send it to you for approval.”
“That would be great. I’m so excited to see them,” I say.
We say our goodbyes and watch her drive off.
“Was that so bad?” I ask JJ.
“No, but I’m glad it’s over with. I hope we got some good material for an ad.”
“I can’t wait to see it.” We head to the cabin, and I tug off the hat. Earlier today, JJ fixed up some chili and put it in a slow cooker he found in the pantry. The cabin smells amazing. “God, that’s making me starved.”
“I’ll dish us up. Go sit.”
“You sure?”
“Yep. I’ve got this covered,” he says.
“Okay.”
“Nothing like a bowl of chili on football night,” he calls over his shoulder.
“What channel is the game on?” I ask, heading to the TV.
“Five, I think.”
I get it on, then curl up on the couch with a blanket around me.
“Are you a cracker girl or a corn chip girl?” he calls from the kitchen.
“Cracker. You?”
“Corn chips, all the way.”
I smile, loving the easy camaraderie.
Soon, JJ joins me, passing me a steaming bowl.
“Thanks.” I dig in, then moan around a mouthful. “This is so good.”
We devour our chili, and by the time the game is over, I get a text from Phoebe.
“What does she say?” JJ asks.
“She says to check my email. She just sent the video and the stills.”
I grab my laptop and return to the couch, scooting close to JJ to view it together.
The ad is adorable, and she even overlayed some music. At the end, she put a still of our hours and address.
“This is fantastic,” I say.
“That’s way better than what I was expecting. She’s good.”
“We’re a pretty cute couple in these shots, you have to admit.” I stare at one of the stills of us cuddled in front of the truck. We look like a happy couple in love.
A tinge of sadness flares in me, wishing it were real.
“You okay?” JJ asks, and I paste on a smile.
“I’m fine. I’m going to go to bed and upload this ad to social media.” I stand, but JJ snags my hand, stopping me.
“Hey.”
When I pause, he rubs his thumb over the back of my hand. “This was a great idea.” He nods to the laptop. “You’re really smart about this stuff; even the matching shirts turned out to be a good idea.”
“Thanks.” My eyes fill, and a second later, he’s on his feet.
“Becca, what is it? What’s wrong?”
I shake my head. “I’m not used to the compliments.”
He shoves his hands in his pockets, almost like he’s doing it to keep from reaching for me. “You deserve them, and I’m sorry if you haven’t gotten them. I’m sure my brother never appreciated how great you are.”
For some insane reason, I take a step forward and press my lips to his, shocking him. I linger for a second longer than a quick peck, and his eyes flare when I pull back. “Thanks, JJ.”
Then before he can say or do anything, I walk to the bedroom and close the door. I press my back against it and touch my fingers to my lips.
God, I hope I didn’t just ruin everything.