"It's perfect. Alright... how do we do this?" He leaned down as if hitting a golf ball, and smacked the ax into the side of the tree. Snow flew off the tree and covered them as a bird flew from the center of the tree. It had Jamie running in one direction and Alex in the other.
She turned and burst into laughter, her eyes filling with tears at the wild look on his face.
"What?" He smirked. "It scared you too."
"That was priceless." She walked back toward the tree and pulled out her phone. "What's the number for the guy at the front? We don't have all day for this."
"Sure we do. I'll cut it some, and then you can too, Miss Eight Inches."
She shook her head and motioned for him to have at it.
He got on his knees and started to swing the ax at the trunk, never once hitting the same cut mark. A few minutes later he glanced up, sweaty and exhausted. "Right. Call the guy. Fuck this." He rolled onto his side and then his back, breathing deeply as he panted from working hard and attaining nothing.
Jamie laughed at him for a second, and then called the owner. She dropped down beside Alex as they waited and pressed her hand to his chest. "Real men don't cut down their own trees. You know that, right?"
"No? Shit! Why didn't someone tell me that from the start?"
"Because it was too much fun to watch you." She yelped as he pulled her down and rolled over in the snow with her, pressing his body on top of hers
.
"I’ve a lot of other things I'd rather you watch me do." He wagged his eyebrows, but pulled back at the sound of a little boy's voice.
"Daddy. What’re they doing in the snow? I thought you said I couldn't play in it, or my fingers would freeze off." The tyke couldn't have been more than eight. “Are they trying to make snow angels?”
Alex got up and pulled Jamie up with him.
The dad smiled and nodded, ignoring the boy's question. "You guys need help?"
"We sure do." Alex pulled out his wallet. "The owner was coming over here to do it, but I'd rather pay you guys if you're willing to help us."
"No need for that." The older man smiled and cranked up his chainsaw.
Jamie snuggled against Alex as they watched the tree come down moments later. It was too cute to watch the father and son team helping people at the tree farm together.
"There you go. Want us to help you drag it back to the car?" The boy brushed his hands on his little legs.
"I sure do." Alex smiled and moved up, grabbing a handful of the tree alongside the boy and his father. Jamie jogged to the truck and opened the tailgate, only helping when they reached the truck.
Alex slipped the dad a few hundred dollars, and gave one to the kid as well. The little boy’s eyes grew wide and he started to jump up and down.
"Merry Christmas." Alex opened Jamie's door and helped her in.
She reached out and stopped him from shutting the door. "That was so sweet of you."
"I did it to impress you." He shrugged and closed her door, but the slight lifting of his lip told her he was teasing.
"You did not." She glanced over at him and touched his shoulder lovingly. "You're just a good guy, whether you admit it or not."
"Right. Well, this good guy wants his prize." He started the truck and reached for her, pulling her along the bench seat toward him. "Tell me again what I get."
Jamie slid her hand along his package, and squeezed softly as she moved up to press her lips to his ear. "Tell me what you want."
"I want anything you're giving. I want you." He turned and kissed her quickly before turning his attention back to the road.
"You’re so good with words, baby." She moved to lay down on her stomach on the bench seat and bent her knees so her shins pressed against her door. Tugging at Alex's sweater, she pulled his undershirt free and worked to release him from his jeans.
He glanced down and slid his hand into her hair as he let out a soft growl. "Fuck, I need this."