“You’ll get over him soon,” he said firmly, reluctant to dwell on her broken heart too long. He wanted to believe Naomi was resilient, that she was far better off without this Justin jerk.
“I know I will.” She nodded matter-of-factly as she steered the car off the highway and onto a narrow side road that led toward the nearby hills. “But Justin was the first man I fell in love with. The first heartbreak you suffer will always be with you, don’t you think, even well after you’ve recovered?”
Her sudden reference to love took him by surprise, and he remained silent, too startled to reply.
“Sorry,” Naomi said. “Didn’t mean to embarrass you by mentioning love.” Her cheeks turned pink. “Please, just ignore what I said.”
“No, I’m not embarrassed,” he said even as the tightening in his gut gave the lie to his answer. But despite his discomfort, something in him wanted to confide in her, if only to make her feel better. “The first girl I fell in love with was Britt Burdett in my senior year at high school. I thought we’d be together forever, but she dumped me without warning.”
On Christmas Eve, too. He’d saved up his money and bought her a silver bracelet engraved with their initials, planning to give it to her on Christmas Day. Instead, he’d spent the day moping in his bedroom, with his mother repeatedly offering him various snacks in a vain attempt to ease his pain. News of the breakup had quickly spread, and enduring everyone’s pity had almost been as bad as the split. The silver bracelet had sat hidden in his closet for some years, until one year he’d cleaned out his belongings and given the bracelet to Goodwill.
“I’m sorry.” Naomi’s eyes were soft with sympathy.
The breakup was a distant memory now, but he’d never fallen in love again, so maybe what Naomi had said about the first heartbreak staying with you was true. He didn’t want to believe it. Not for himself, but for her. He didn’t want to think someone sensitive and lovable like Naomi wouldn’t find love again.
“Don’t be. Britt wanted a jock who liked to party and have a good time. I was too nerdy for her.”
“Nerdy!” The look she flashed at him was a mix of surprise and disbelief.
“You didn’t know me in high school. I was a skinny teenager, and I was in Math League and chess club. Most people thought I was a nerd. Britt was new in town. She went out with me before she realized I was a nerd.”
Naomi shook her head. “Bet she doesn’t think you’re a nerd now.”
Aaron didn’t answer. Two Christmases ago he’d bumped into Britt in Mecklenburg. She’d been all over him, smiling and gushing, inviting him out for a drink. It wasn’t the first Christmas he’d been propositioned by girls who hadn’t looked twice at him back in high school, and he’d had no problem declining Britt’s offer.
“Don’t know about that,” he said, “but I’m proud to be a nerd.”
A big roadside sign loomed up, welcoming them to Tumbalong’s Christmas Tree Farm. They drove through the gates and pulled up alongside a row of parked cars.
Soon Naomi was absorbed in her task of finding the perfect Christmas tree. Aaron followed her as they traipsed past columns of trees, all of them seeming more than adequate to him, but none of them appeared to be right for Naomi. The sun beat down on him, causing perspiration to prickle between his shoulder blades, but Naomi didn’t appear to be bothered by the broiling heat, so determined was she to pick the right tree.
As she contemplated a Monterey pine, he was reminded of his father. Just like Naomi, Frank Cade was a Christmas-tree nut. When Aaron was younger, he and his sister would accompany him each year on his trip to select a tree. They’d be bundled up in coats and scarves, and afterward they’d get hot chocolate with marshmallows at the farm café. He’d enjoyed those trips when he was a kid. By adolescence, it wasn’t cool to be seen with your dad, let alone getting a Christmas tree. He’d gone with his dad on sufferance, and when he had escaped to New York, he finally got out of the ritual. Nowadays his dad took his two granddaughters with him, who were young enough to love it.
Aaron hadn’t gone Christmas tree shopping with his dad in over a decade. A strange regret came over him at this realization. When he got back to Mecklenburg this year, he definitely had to tell his dad about Naomi and her studious tree-hunting. Dad would get such a kick out of hearing about her.
“This is the one,” Naomi said, spreading her arms wide in front of the Monterey pine she’d been circling for the past five minutes.
“You sure about that? You haven’t seen every single tree on the farm.” When she appeared to be giving his flippant remark serious thought, he said, “Only kidding!” He waved the saw that the front office had provided. “Look, I’m ready to cut it for you.”
Grinning, she let him get on with the job. By the time he’d felled the eight-foot tree and dragged it to the road where a truck would transport it back to the parking lot, he was sweating freely, and his T-shirt was clinging to his back.
Straightening to wipe a forearm across his brow, he caught Naomi’s gazed fixed on him. Was that admiration in her eyes? Their gazes crossed, and she quickly looked away, her cheeks coloring. Aaron smiled to himself. So she’d been ogling him while he labored. Gratification bubbled up as he fought the urge to puff out his chest. Pity there wasn’t another tree he could cut down for her.
“While we’re here, I’ll buy you some miniature conifers,” he said. “To replace the ones I damaged.”
“Oh, good. I saw them for sale back at the office.”
She chose three potted conifers. Their Monterey pine was netted and carted back to their SUV, where he and Naomi strapped it to the roof racks. Then they were speeding back to Burronga, Naomi exclaiming over the time, her fingers tapping impatiently on the wheel. Back at Luke’s place, he hefted the tree into the house while she got rid of the old one. By then, it was almost noon, and they were both ruddy from their exertions and the heat.
Using both hands, Naomi lifted her hair off her neck and blew out her cheeks. “I need a shower. I stink like a pig!”
Like a clean, sweet-smelling pig, Aaron thought, and then his overactive imagination veered to an image of Naomi naked in the shower. His blood surged; his body stirred. He moved behind the kitchen counter before his body could betray his interest in her.
“We should have time for showers and lunch before we head to the store,” he said, checking his wristwatch.
“You’ve helped me more than enough. At the shop yesterday, the tree this morning.” She twisted her hair up, then let it fall around her shoulders. “I can’t drag you back to the store this afternoon, or I’ll feel really terrible for taking advantage of you.”
Resting his hands on the counter, he gave her a pointed look. “You can make it up to me by letting me take you out for dinner tonight,” he said, keeping his tone light and playful.
A line appeared between her eyes, making him fear she was going to turn him down again, but then she gave him a diffident smile.
“Okay.” She fiddled with a lock of hair, before she continued more firmly, “I mean, yes, I’d like that.”
“Good.” Aaron felt as if he’d sealed a multimillion dollar deal. “I’ll make reservations at Carlotta’s Bistro.” He fished out his cell phone, eager to find the number and make the call before she changed her mind.
“Carlotta’s Bistro?” She made a slight grimace. “It’s rather upmarket. Wouldn’t you prefer to go somewhere more casual?”
He didn’t. He wanted to take Naomi to the best restaurant in town and pamper her. He wanted their night to be something she’d remember, not a quick feed in a nondescript place. “I’m only here for two more nights, and I’m hoping Luke and Tyler get back tomorrow so I can see them before I go. So we only have tonight, and I’d like to take you somewhere nice.”
We only have tonight. As he spoke, regret gnawed at him. His time with Naomi was finishing almost before it had begun. If they could only spend more time together, he could see them becoming fast friends. Okay, who was he kidding? His feelings were more than merely friendly. Luke had warned him off, and the reasons were all valid, but rationality couldn’t stop the leaping of his blood every time Naomi came near him. Couldn’t stop the mounting desire to fold her into his arms and kiss her breathless.
As Naomi gazed at him in silence, he was sure the intensity of what he was feeling showed in his face.
“One night,” she murmured, then lifted her shoulders and smiled. “You’re right. It is just one night, so let’s go to Carlotta’s.”
Aaron felt the rush of triumph and tried to temper it. He was only taking her out for a nice, friendly dinner. Nothing more. He wasn’t going to act on his surging lust. He had two more nights in Australia, and he knew he’d better keep them clean.
Naomi inhaled a deep breath as she took in her surroundings. Carlotta’s Bistro was a plush, elegant oasis of fine dining. Polished oak, vintage wallpaper, discreet lighting, muted background music, well-heeled diners. The attentive waiter poured her a glass of mineral water and handed her a menu promising epicurean delights. Across the table from her sat Aaron, looking like a million dollars. Dressed in a sumptuous, close-fitting cream shirt and flawless beige trousers, clean-shaven, his skin and hair glowing, he might have stepped off a cover for GQ. He was to die for; the restaurant was splendid; the night was pleasantly warm. Everything was perfect. Perfectbut the worm in the apple wouldn’t stop wriggling.