Part 3
Saturday, November 27th, 2010
“Oh, Micah! Come here! I think I have found the perfect tree for my house!” Rosalie loved this time of year and was excited to decorate her own place for a change, starting a new tradition of her own.
“Honey, that tree is huge! Wouldn’t you rather just buy a good fake?”
“Are you kidding me? It would not be Christmas without a real tree.” Rosalie had been trying all morning to concentrate on finding the perfect tree instead of keeping her eye out for the dashing, Tristan Channing. Luckily, work, Thanksgiving, and family had kept her busy the past week so she had easily avoided seeing him throughout town. Today was a different story. His father, Stephen Channing owned the best Christmas tree farm in the area. Tristan always had helped his father out with the family business around the holiday season. She was bound to run into him at some point, but she would do her best to avoid it.
“Rose, I’m going to run up to the lodge for a bit. I have to make a phone call and I have horrid signal out here in these trees.” Micah said, fumbling with his phone.
“Can’t it wait?” Rosalie hated how work always seemed to be Micah’s main concern.
“Work stuff, babe. I’ll see you in a bit.” Micah walked off dialing numbers, losing himself in his seemingly top priority.
“Yeah, I know.” Rosalie mumbled to herself and continued her quest for the perfect tree, circling the large patch numerous times until she decided upon the one she wanted.
“This is it!” Rosalie walked around the tree to double-check every side, only to collide head on into a big, brawny man. Luckily, he caught hold of her and she regained her balance, looking up into soulful, emerald green eyes.
“You.” Rosalie surprised herself with her curt comment and blushed. Tristan only laughed.
“Yes me.” Tristan grinned.
“I thought I would be seeing you here. Helping your dad out this year?”
“You know it. Can’t forego the Channing family tradition! It’s been a while since I have been home for the holidays. Didn’t realize how much I missed this…”
“Yes, it has been a while. But your dad has been getting along pretty well with it over the years.”
“I would have to say the same...” There was a sudden speechlessness between them but Tristan was fast to break the short silence.
“So, did I hear you say this is your tree?
“Yep! Do you approve? I think I have pretty good taste!” Rosalie looked up at the tree, satisfied of her choice and also secretly happy to see Tristan.
“Ha! Good taste in some things…by the way, where is that fiancé of yours?”
“Oh, he’s up at the lodge. Had some business to take care of.”
“Ah, I see. A busy man he must be, being a lawyer and all.”
“Yeah, his work is pretty important to him but he’s a great guy….” Rosalie was trying her best to stick up for Micah but she just felt as if she was making excuses for him.
“Hmmmm…” Tristan instantly didn’t like the man, but there was no reason Rosalie needed to know that. He would be sure to keep his thoughts and what he said around Rose in check.
“So, who’s cutting down this tree? Fabio over there is on his phone.” Tristan loved pulling Rosalie’s chain. He couldn’t help it, as much as he tried.
Rosalie laughed. “You are you goof!”
Both Tristan and Rosalie noticed how easily they fell back into that old pattern of familiarity. A feeling that both of them had missed.
“Okay, Okay, I suppose,” Tristan said with a wink.
A few minutes later, Tristan had a chainsaw and was lying on the snow covered ground, revving the saw and preparing to slice into the trunk of the tree.
“Rose, brace the trunk with your hand as I start cutting.” Rosalie did as Tristan said but instantly was side tracked when she looked down at Tristan. His coat and his thermal underneath had come up to expose the lower part of his abdomen. His olive skin covered his chiseled muscles. Her eyes went lower and her mind started to wander…
“Rose, you can let go now.” Rosalie snapped out of her day dreaming trance, shocked by the path of her thoughts.
“I’ll get this up to the lodge for you,” Tristan said, dragging off the tree and leaving Rosalie caught up in her thoughts.
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“So, it looks like I have to head back to Denver tonight.” Micah kept his eyes on the road as he spoke to Rosalie who had been daydreaming in the passenger seat.
“Seriously? Work really can’t wait? I thought we could spend some time together getting ready for the holidays.” Rosalie wasn’t surprised by his comment, she had even expected it.
“Yeah, I wish we could. This case is causing me a serious headache. I can’t wait to have some downtime with you. We should plan a little getaway trip in January or something.”
“Maybe…or we could do some serious wedding planning together for once.” Rosalie knew that probably wouldn’t happen. There was no use in getting her hopes up.
“Rose, I told you I’m not picky and I have total trust in your judgment for planning our wedding.”
“I know Micah but it would just be nice …. Oh, never mind. I’m really not in the mood to talk about it right now.”
Micah said nothing to her comment and they drove on in silence, reaching Rosalie’s house a few minutes later.
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The snow had begun to fall a little before a knock sounded on Rosalie’s front door. Stopping in the midst of her tree decorating, Rosalie walked to the door to greet her unexpected visitor, coming face to face with Tristan again.
“Hey…” Rosalie voice caught in her throat. She realized how happy she was to see Tristan again so soon.
“Hey good lookin', I brought you over a basket of baked goods from my mom. She’s been baking up a storm.”
“Oh, how nice of her! Come in, would you like a cup of coffee or hot cocoa?
“Coffee would be fantastic.” Tristan walked into the house, stopping to wipe the snow off his boots on the doormat.
“Did you guys get busy at the tree farm this afternoon?” Rosalie said, pouring Tristan a cup of steaming coffee.
“Yep, business sure did pick up. Dad’s thinking this year is going to be a pretty good one.”
Rosalie turned and walked over to where Tristan was sitting, handing him a cup of coffee, grazing his fingers with her own and meeting his gaze.
“Me too.”
Tristan considered her comment for a moment then decided to forget his thoughts. He was thinking too much again.
“So, where is Micah?”
“You have been having some serious concern to the whereabouts of my fiancé lately” Rosalie laughed.
“Oh, just curiosity. You were always the nosey one, remember?” Tristan said, raising his brow and giving one of his heart stopping grins.
“Oh, shush.” Damn, Tristan was handsome, Rosalie thought to herself. Tristan had taken his coat and gloves off and was sitting there in a pair of faded, thigh hugging jeans, and a black thermal that stretched across his large shoulders and built arms. The man was the very image of raw sex appeal. The type of man women dream of and read about in trashy romance novels. She couldn’t help imagining what was underneath…
“So, are you going to Chad Middleton’s wedding next Saturday?” Chad had been a good friend of both of them growing up. He was living in California but coming back to Colorado where his family and friends were to get married.
“Yeah, I was planning on it but Micah can’t go with me now so I don’t know.” Rosalie shrugged.
“Fantastic, it’s a date then!” With that comment, Tristan jumped up, grabbing his coat. “I better get back to dropping off Mom’s baked goods, thanks for the coffee Rose.”
“Now, wait a minute there, Mr. Smooth.”
“Yes Ma’am” And with that comment Tristan stopped and turned, facing Rosalie again.
“Next Saturday?”
Rosalie laughed. “Yeah, that sounds good.”
With that comment, Tristan made his way out the door, heading back into the snowy Colorado evening. Rosalie watched as the snow swirled around Tristan and couldn’t help but think about him.
Rosalie sighed to herself, “Oh Tristan, what am I going to do about you?”
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