Never Been Ready (Ready #2)(32)

When Declan had called me this morning, he'd said, "What do you want to do today? I want to take you somewhere. Name anything, and we'll do it."

I'd instantly asked him to take me here, and he hadn't even hesitated with the odd request.

"Oh, I think I see it!" I said suddenly.

Declan jerked the wheel in the direction of my outstretched hand signaling him to turn. Sure enough, there was a sign that said, Lilac Greens Nursery and Tree Farm, with an arrow pointing us to our long-awaited destination.

"Yay! We found it!" I said happily.

Declan laughed. "You're just glad you won't be eating squirrel for dinner tonight," he joked.

"Damn right. Those things get stuck in your teeth. Wouldn't mind seeing you in a loincloth though," I teased, wiggling my eyebrows in his direction.

"We could definitely make that happen. I'll even get into character and bang my hands on my chest before throwing you on the floor and taking you like an animal."

"Um..." Yep, I had nothing. No witty comeback for that one.

My brain was suddenly playing out that entire scene in vivid detail, and there weren't enough brain cells left to speak.

"Rendering you speechless and flustered has become my new life calling, I think." He laughed before putting the car in park and leaning over to kiss my cheek. "We're here by the way."

"Huh? Oh!" I said, finally taking in my surroundings.

There were trees as far as the eye could see. Adjacent to the parking lot, a log cabin stood with large glass doors and a sign that said, Welcome. There were red bows and fresh wreaths everywhere. Christmas lights were strung on the roof of the cabin, and the surrounding trees were lit up even though it was still daytime. It looked like a mini North Pole, minus the snow.

We ventured out of the car, and I noticed it was a hell of a lot colder in the mountains. We made our way into the cabin, which served as the store. It was a Christmas lover's paradise. There were handmade ornaments, tree toppers, garlands, homemade treats, fresh cider, hot chocolate, and apple doughnuts. Oh my God. The apple doughnuts smelled like heaven in a pastry.

I took one look at Declan, and he instantly smiled.

"Doughnuts?" he asked.

This is a smart, smart man.

We bought an entire dozen and two steamy cups of cider. Along with our lifetime supply of doughnuts, the grandfatherly man at the register gave us a saw and directions to all the various types of trees before telling us to have fun. We headed out the door, and Declan looked at me and then looked down at the saw.

"That dude just handed me a huge-ass saw and just sent us on our merry way!"

I just laughed. He really was a city boy.

We headed toward the firs first. I liked the way they looked better than the spruces, and I thought they would hold ornaments better —at least, that was what I told Declan.

My real reason? Clare's family had always had a fir, and I'd known if I ever had a tree of my own, I wanted one that reminded me of the evenings I'd spent at their house while growing up.

We huddled in our coats with our apple doughnuts from heaven and our cups of cider as we weaved through the trees. I lost count of the number of doughnuts I'd shoved into my mouth after the fourth or fifth one. Between the two of us, we polished them all off in less than fifteen minutes. In our defense, they had been small. And they had been so good, so damn good. I made myself promise I'd go to the gym more that week, knowing that would never happen.

The mountain landscape was beautiful. All it needed was a bit of snow, and it would be perfect.

After a brisk walk, we finally made it to the part of the farm that held the firs.

Declan turned to me with the giant saw in hand. "Well, my queen, which shall it be?"

~Declan~

Leah looked around, bundled up in her red peacoat with her tight jeans and boots. She wore mittens and a matching hat to keep the winter air out, and all I could think at that second was how damn beautiful she was. She glanced around the trees, appraising each one by one, before moving on to the next.

When she'd asked me to bring her here today, I'd thought it was an odd request, but I had been game. With Leah, I was game for anything. After we'd started on our adventure, I realized she'd never been here, and I put two and two together. Leah, in her own way, was letting me in by showing me one of her fantasies.

The little girl that Leah had never gotten to be wanted a real Christmas with a real tree and a decorated house, and she'd asked me to bring her here —not Clare, not Garrett. Me.

Two months ago, I would have run away, feeling overwhelmed with responsibility I wasn't ready to handle. Now, I wanted nothing more than to buy out the entire Christmas section in every major department store and deliver it to her house, so we could decorate every square inch to make up for each minute of her lost youth.

I hadn't always had the greatest childhood. My dad was a dick, and my mom was a bit of a pushover, but they had given me a childhood. They loved me as best as they could, and I knew they had done what they could to provide for me.

"That's a mighty big ax you've got there, mister." Leah grinned before moving past me to check out another row of trees.

The scent of blackberries and vanilla from her perfume filled my senses as she drifted past, leaving me dizzy, and I quickly followed.

"That it is, ma'am...and I know how to use it. I think."