Before severing the trunk completely, he paused before the last swing and tugged the tree to one side. The fragrance of the branches was alluring. Crisp. Piquant. Containing memories of childhood days long forgotten. Something about scent leaped barriers of time and place.
Standing here in the forest with sap on his hands and his muscles straining from exertion, he felt a wave of nostalgia. He turned to Phoebe. “I’m glad you wanted to do this. I remember Christmases when I begged for a real tree. But my dad was allergic. Our artificial trees were always beautiful—Mom had a knack for that—but just now, a whiff of the air brought it all back. It’s the smell of the holidays.”
“I’m glad you approve,” she said with a charming grin. Standing as she was in a splash of sunlight, her hair glistened with the sheen of a raven’s wing. The baby slept against her breast. Leo wondered what it said about his own life that he envied a little kid. Phoebe’s hand cradled Teddy’s head almost unconsciously. Every move she made to care for her sister’s child spoke eloquently of the love she had for her nephew.
Phoebe should have kids of her own. And a husband. The thought hit him like a revelation, and he didn’t know why it was startling. Most women Phoebe’s age were looking to settle down and start families. But maybe she wasn’t. Because, clearly, she had hidden herself away like the unfortunate heroine in Rapunzel’s castle. Only in Phoebe’s case, the incarceration was voluntary.
Why would a smart, attractive woman isolate herself in an out-of-the-way cabin where her nearest neighbors were knocking on heaven’s door? When was the last time she’d had a date? Nothing about Phoebe’s life made sense, especially since she had admitted to working once upon a time in a highly competitive career.
A few thin clouds had begun to roll in, dropping the temperature, so he chopped one last time and had the satisfaction of hearing the snap that freed their prize. Phoebe clapped softly. “Bravo, Paul Bunyan.”
He donned his coat and lifted an eyebrow. “Are you making fun of me?”
She joined him beside the tree and reached up awkwardly to kiss his cheek, the baby tucked between them. “Not even a little. You’re my hero. I couldn’t have done this on my own.”
“Happy to oblige.” Her gratitude warmed him. But her next words gave him pause.
“If we eat dinner early, we can probably get the whole thing decorated before bedtime.”
“Whoa. Back up the truck. I thought we had plans for bedtime.” He curled a hand behind her neck and stopped her in her tracks by the simple expedient of kissing her long and slow. Working around the kid was a challenge, but he was motivated.
Phoebe’s lashes fluttered downward as she leaned into him. “We do,” she whispered. The fact that she returned his kiss was noteworthy, but even more gratifying was her enthusiasm. She went up on tiptoes, aligned their lips perfectly and kissed him until he shuddered and groaned. “Good Lord, Phoebe.”
She smoothed a strand of hair behind his ear, her fingers warm against his chilled skin. “Are you complaining, Mr. Cavallo?”
“No,” he croaked.
“Then let’s get crackin’.”
Even though Phoebe carried a baby, and had been for some time, Leo was equally challenged by the difficulty of dragging the enormous tree, trunk first, back to the house. He walked at the edge of the road in the tall, dead grass, not wanting to shred the branches on gravel. By the time they reached their destination, he was breathing hard. “I think this thing weighs a hundred pounds.”
Phoebe looked over her shoulder, her smile wickedly teasing. “I’ve seen your biceps, Leo. I’m sure you can bench-press a single measly tree.” She unlocked the front door and propped it open. “I’ve already cleared a spot by the fireplace. Let me know if you need a hand.”
* * *
Phoebe couldn’t remember the last time she’d had so much fun. Leo was a good sport. Chopping down the large tree she had selected was not an easy task, but he hadn’t complained. If anything, he seemed to get a measure of satisfaction from conquering O Tannenbaum.
Phoebe unashamedly used Teddy as a shield for the rest of the day. It wasn’t that she didn’t want to be alone with Leo. But there was something jarring about feeling such wanton, breathless excitement for a man when she was, at the same time, cuddling a little baby.
It would probably be different if the child were one they shared. Then, over Teddy’s small, adorable head, she and Leo could exchanges smiles and loving glances as they remembered the night they created this precious bundle of joy. With no such scenario in existence, Phoebe decided her feelings were fractured...much like the time she’d had a high school babysitting job interrupted by the arrival of her boyfriend. That long-ago night as a sixteen-year-old, it had been all she could do to concentrate on her charges.
Almost a decade and a half later, with Leo prowling the interior of the cabin, all grumpy and masculine and gorgeous, she felt much the same way. Nevertheless, she focused on entertaining her nephew.
Fortunately, the baby was in an extremely good mood. He played in his high chair while Phoebe threw dinner together. Thanks to the largesse of Leo’s buddy—which Leo no doubt cofunded—it was no trouble to pick and choose. Chicken Alfredo. Spinach salad. Fruit crepes for dessert. It would be easy to get spoiled by having haute cuisine at her fingertips with minimal effort. She would have to resist, though. Because, like Leo’s presence in her life, the four-star meals were temporary.
Leo, after much cursing and struggling, and with a dollop of luck, finally pronounced himself satisfied with the security of their Christmas pièce de résistance. After changing the baby’s diaper, Phoebe served up two plates and set them on the table. “Hurry, then. Before it gets cold.”
Leo sat down with a groan. “Wouldn’t matter to me. I’m starving.”
She ended up sitting Teddy in his high chair and feeding him his bottle with one hand while she ate with the other. At the end of the meal, she scooped Teddy up and held him out to Leo. “If you wouldn’t mind playing with him on the sofa for a little while, I’ll clean up the kitchen, and we can start on the tree.”
A look of discomfort crossed Leo’s face. “I’m more of an observer when it comes to babies. I don’t think they like me.”
“Don’t be silly, Leo. And besides, you did offer to help with Teddy when I let you stay. Remember?”
He picked up his coat. “Buford says it’s going to snow tonight. I need to move half of that pile of wood you have out by the shed and stack it on the front porch. If it’s a heavy snow, we might lose power.” Before Phoebe could protest, he bundled up in his winter gear and was gone.
Phoebe felt the joy leach out of the room. She wanted Leo to love Teddy like she did, but that was silly. Leo had his own family, a brother, a sister-in-law, a niece, a nephew and a grandfather. Besides, he’d been pretty clear about not wanting kids. Some people didn’t get all warm and fuzzy when it came to infants.
Still, she felt a leaden sense of disappointment. Leo was a wonderful man. Being squeamish about babies was hardly a character flaw.
She put Teddy back in the high chair. “Sorry, kiddo. Looks like it’s you and me on KP duty tonight. I’ll be as quick as I can, and then I’ll read you a book. How about that?”
Teddy found the loose end of the safety strap and chewed it. His little chortling sounds and syllables were cute, but hardly helpful when it came to the question of Leo.
Tonight was a big bridge for Phoebe to cross. She was ready. She wanted Leo, no question. But she couldn’t help feeling anxiety about the future. In coming to the mountains, she had learned to be alone. Would agreeing to be Leo’s lover negate all the progress she had