CHAPTER SIXTEEN – SYLVIE #2
I glanced back at him with another little huff that was visible thanks to how cold it was and hauled the tree on my shoulder. “Okay, I think I’ve got it.”
“You sure?”
“No, so let’s move before I drop it.”
The tree shook as he laughed, and I pouted my way into the building. It was the first of the nine-footers, so we put it at the very back of the room where two of the biggest trees would frame the arch Hazel and Julian would be married under.
We made the trip a few more times, bringing the trees in one by one, and we stopped just long enough at the door for Thomas to pull away the door wedge so it would swing shut.
And thank God for that.
I was absolutely freezing.
“I think we’ve brought half the snow in with us.” Thomas eyed the slushy, wet mess that had been traipsed through the hall numerous times with all our trips back and forth. “Do you have a mop or anything?”
I shook my head. “No. I’ll have to bring one in tomorrow and sort it out.”
He glanced towards the window. “That’s bold. Have you seen that weather?”
“Of course, I’ve seen it. I might be a bit spoilt by the warmer temperatures down south, but I took my driving test in the snow. I can still drive in it. It’ll be fine.”
“Are you sure? I was going to suggest we come back and set the trees up in a couple of days.”
“Don’t they need to be put in water immediately?”
“No. I wasn’t sure if you were ready for that, so I didn’t cut the trunks again. I brought a chainsaw just in case, but they’ll be fine for a few days since they’re all sealed over now.”
“Didn’t you cut the big ones down for me?”
He nodded. “Yes, but they came down a couple of days ago so they could seal over just in case. They’ll be fine.”
I eyed the stacks of trees. “I’d really rather get them in water as soon as possible.”
“I’ll grab the chainsaw, then.”
“You can leave it with me. I’ll do it if you have somewhere to be.”
Thomas stopped and fixed his intense blue gaze on me. “I am not letting you loose with my chainsaw.”
“Why not?”
“Quite frankly, I don’t trust you with a chainsaw.”
I frowned. “What on Earth do you think I’m going to do with it?”
“I don’t know, but it doesn’t seem wise to give you a potentially deadly weapon while I’m in the same room as you.”
That was a fair point.
“Come on. I might not like you, but we’ve moved beyond me threatening you bodily harm.”
“Didn’t you just threaten to beat me with a crutch?”
“Well, I do owe you one.”
He dropped his head back as he spun around. “I knew you hadn’t forgiven me for the cricket ball.”
I laughed, leaning against the wall, and waited for him to come back with his bright orange chainsaw in hand. “Of course, I’ve forgiven you for that,” I said, letting my lips tug up into a little smile. “Sure, there’s a scar I’ll never ever get rid of, but it is what it is.”
He grasped the chainsaw in both hands and eyed me. “You’ve forgiven me?”
“Did you really think I hadn’t? I might tease you about it, but it was twenty years ago, Thomas. We were kids. You just happened to be an exceptionally stupid kid with the worst aim in the world.”
He stared at me for what felt both two seconds and an entire minute. I couldn’t describe the feeling—it was as if that moment of our childhoods played out in both slow motion and super sped up all at the same time.
Until he finally blinked.
“Well, why didn’t you fucking say so?”
I shrugged, dipping my head as I picked up one of the tree stands to examine it. “It didn’t seem like information I needed to share. In all honesty, I was hoping to spend as little time as possible with you, but that plan seems to have been thwarted by circumstances out of my control.”
“That was a long-arse way of saying you’ve forgiven me, but you don’t like me and unfortunately find yourself stuck with me.”
“I was trying to be polite, Thomas.”
“You suck at it.” He removed a battery from the chainsaw and pressed a button, then with a nod, put the battery back into its slot and checked the chain. “Right, where are we getting started?”
I hesitated. “You don’t have to do this.”
“I do. I wish I’d asked you before I came because it would have made my life easier. Now tell me where to start.” His voice was short and snippy, and my stomach twisted a little.
“The big ones,” I said quietly. “You cut all the bottoms, and I’ll find something to fill the stands with.”
Thomas jerked his head in a nod and walked over to the first pile to cut them.
I ducked away and went in search of a bucket or something similar to fill the stands. They all had dishes for the water built in, and I wish I’d thought to bring something with me to fill them up, even if it was empty water bottles.
If only I could think straight.
I couldn’t get Thomas’ expression out of my mind. That very moment when I’d said I didn’t hate him and had forgiven him, it was like he’d been punched in the stomach and had a belt whipped across his cheek.
But how?
Had he really not known?
Had the truth of the matter truly upset him? I hadn’t realised that he genuinely thought I wasn’t over it, nor had I ever assumed that me telling him the truth would be so momentous that it could hurt his feelings.
I thought me bringing the whole thing up and messing with him was a bit of light teasing. A good-natured ribbing, if you will. The staple of all good relationships, romantic and platonic.
It was twenty years ago, for the love of God.
Was there something Thomas wasn’t telling me?
We were friends. No matter what I said, I thought we were friends, and I’d assumed that he thought the same. Assuming got you nowhere, of course, except for making you look like a complete idiot, and maybe that’s where I was at right now.
I certainly felt like one.
I was too tired to deal with this right now. I knew the adult thing to do was to speak to him about it, but I just wanted to get these stupid trees in their stupid holders and go home to bed.
I didn’t care that it wasn’t even seven p.m. yet.
I was a ninety-year-old in a thirty-year-old body, and if I wanted to be in bed before nine o’clock at night, I was bloody well going to be.
I sourced a bucket in one of the bathrooms. I wasn’t even going to think about what it might have been used for, but my gloves were going straight in the laundry basket when I got home.
I rinsed out the bucket, then filled it and carried it through to the hall towards the sound of a chainsaw roaring through the air. Given the mood he was in, I wasn’t sure it was wise to leave Thomas with a potentially deadly weapon, never mind me.
Alas, he already had it.
I was just going to have to keep my mouth shut.
I wasn’t exactly the best at doing that, especially where he was concerned.
What could I say? The man wound me up like hell.
In related news, now would be a good time for a Christmas miracle.
I walked around and poured water in each of the bases, leaving him to his chainsaw business. I had to fill the bucket up a few times, but it was a surprisingly good workout that made me so warm I almost considered taking off my hat.
Almost.
I wasn’t quite that insane.
It took us around an hour to cut all the tree trunks and get them situated and secured in the stands where they were supposed to go.
I hated to admit it, but the room already looked a thousand times better than it did before.
I could barely imagine how amazing it would look when everything was decorated and ready for the actual wedding.
Sigh.
It was a ridiculous amount of money on trees, but somehow, it made a lot more sense when I saw some of it in action. Hazel’s vision really was something.
“Is that it done?” Thomas asked, pulling his gloves off and wiping his hands together.
I nodded. “Thanks for that. You didn’t need to. Julian could have done it.”
“Now there’s a video I’d have paid to watch,” he replied, grabbing his coat. “Are you all done here?”
“I think so.” I cast my gaze around the room, then nodded once more. “All done for now. I’ll have to call Cassandra to arrange decorating them and ask Hazel where all the decorations are, but yes. Thank you for doing all that.”
I wrapped my arms around my waist and dipped my chin, taking a deep breath.
“Are you going straight home?” he asked.
I peered up at him. “Yes.”
“I’ll follow you home. It’s still snowing out there, and I don’t want you getting stuck.” He picked up the chainsaw and walked towards the door, barely looking at me.
I picked up my bag and phone from one of the tables and rushed after him, only just avoiding one huge puddle from melted snow that had been trudged in. “You don’t need to follow me back. Gramps’ truck will manage just fine.”
“I’d still feel better knowing you were home safely in this weather.” He held open the door for me, fixing me with a firm look. “Don’t argue with me, Sylvie. For once in your life.”
I clenched my jaw. “Fine. But don’t think I’m going to wave to you when I get there.”
“Duly noted.”