quickly. “We’re going to find the tree.”
“You’re serious?” She laughed and it was such a full sound in the cab of his truck that Jeremy instantly wanted her to do it again. “We’re going to cut it down?” She turned so she faced him. “Like with our bare hands?”
“Well, I don’t know what your hands are made of.” He laughed along with her. “But I thought maybe we could use an ax.”
She smacked him playfully.
“Does that sound good?”
Bella nodded before turning back to look out the window of the truck, where it had started snowing. “It sounds amazing. I can’t believe we never came to Glacier Falls for Christmas. Papa always came to us. Until he started playing Santa, that is. Then he’d only come if it didn’t interfere with his duties.”
Roy had made a great Santa. He himself had fond memories of more than one Christmas Eve where he’d sit on his lap and, with wide eyes, tell Santa all the things he wished for. And most of the time, those wishes would come true.
He glanced over at Bella and couldn’t help but wonder whether that strategy would work now. If he told Santa what he wanted for Christmas, maybe she would stay and—
“I ran into Katie at the store the other day.”
The name of his ex-girlfriend coming from the lips of the woman he was currently contemplating making Christmas wishes about startled Jeremy into reality.
“Did you?” He tried to sound casual. “I didn’t think you even really knew Katie.”
“Of course.” She laughed. “I mean, I didn’t think I’d actually recognize her, but her voice was a dead giveaway. She still has that same bubbly personality, doesn’t she?”
Jeremy nodded. He didn’t know how much Bella knew about his relationship with Katie. Not that it had ever been much of a relationship. Mostly just an on-again/off-again thing through high school and…well, beyond. Not that he’d actually thought it would go anywhere. Which it clearly didn’t, because she’d recently married her best friend, and his high school buddy, Damon Banks.
He’d be lying if he said it hadn’t taken him off guard, though. Truthfully, Damon and Katie were the best match and it had just been Jeremy’s pride that had been wounded. He really was happy for the two of them, even if their coupling forced him to face the fact that he was alone.
“She’s married now,” Jeremy said. “To Damon. Remember him?”
“Of course!” She spun again in her seat and her eyes gleamed. “Even when we were kids, he was tall and oh, those eyes.”
Despite himself, Jeremy felt a flash of jealousy in his gut. Bella had noticed Damon’s eyes? But it had been him she’d spent all her time with. It had been him who she’d—
“I always knew they were into each other. The way they looked at each other.” Bella laughed. “I don’t think they even knew what was going on, but…you can’t miss a connection like that, even when you’re too young to know what it really means.”
“Do you really think that?”
He caught her gaze and held it for a moment before turning back to the road. He’d happily look at her all day if he wasn’t trying to navigate a snowy logging road in four-wheel drive.
Did they have that connection?
He was no expert, but dammed if he didn’t think they did.
He knew they did.
“So you’re enjoying your time back in town?” He was digging, but he couldn’t help it. Maybe if she liked it here, she’d stay and then…
“I am.” She grinned. “There’s something absolutely magical about being in the mountains in the winter. I had no idea. It’s like living in a snow globe.” She laughed again, and the sound filled him.
“It’s like that all the time.” Jeremy slowed the truck and pulled it into a snowy clearing. “A pretty awesome place to call home, actually.” Before she could respond, he put the truck into park and killed the engine. “Ready to go find the perfect tree for your snow globe Christmas?”
Snow slid down between her leggings and the boots Bella wore, soaking her socks and chilling her toes as she followed Jeremy through the deep snow, but she didn’t care. They’d warm up, but she’d never get this moment back.
Your snow globe Christmas, he’d called it. She couldn’t have described it better if she’d tried. That’s exactly what it was like, being in Glacier Falls for the season. Absolutely magical.
And spending time with Jeremy was just an added bonus. Something about being with him was