“You should relax, and let it happen,” Travis said. “Are you enjoying spending time with me?” he asked.
“Yes, I am,” she said quickly, looking up to meet his gaze. “I’m just…”
“Afraid to trust it,” Travis finished for her.
Libby nodded. “I don’t want to hurt anymore. I finally got to a place that I could face each day, and now, I feel like I’m out balanced on a limb precariously, courting the same kinda pain that almost crushed me before.”
“I know. And that’s my fault. But you’re not going to hurt this time. All that was on me. But I’m not who I was then, Libby. I’m me again. It took me a while, but I found me again. And I’m having a hard time now being me without you.”
Libby smiled at Travis, her eyes bright, her smile easy and relaxed.
Travis shared her smile for a few moments before it seemed his attention was taken from her. “I think we have company,” he said.
He sat listening until there was a knock at the door.
Libby watched as his nose flared as he tried to scent whoever was outside, then he called out. “Come in!”
The door opened and Roman walked in. “Knock knock,” he said. “Heard ya’ll were getting ready for some kind of Christmas Village.”
“We are,” Libby said, getting up to hug Roman. “We’re going to invite all the families in town to come out and get their tree, and while they're here to have their pictures taken, make wreaths, paint ornaments, have a few treats and some hot cocoa.”
“I’d come to that,” Roman admitted. “Came to offer my help with whatever you might need.”
“That’s great, man. We could use all the help we can get,” Travis answered.
“Good, point me in the direction you want me to go,” Roman said.
“I will, but now, we just broke for lunch. You hungry?” Travis asked, as Roman walked over to the table and shook his hand.
“No, thank you. I had a steak at the diner,” Roman answered.
“Alright. Well, have a seat and visit while we finish lunch,” Travis said.
Roman pulled out a chair and sat down.
Before Libby retook her own seat, she reached out for Travis’s plate. “Want more?” she asked.
“Yes! Please,” Travis said, handing her his plate.
A couple of minutes later she was back with his plate filled again. “Here you go,” she said, placing it in front of him and handing Roman a glass of tea.
“Thanks, Libs,” Roman said.
“You’re welcome,” she answered.
“What do ya’ll have left to do?” Roman asked.
“We were just talking about that. We need to trim the trees that have ground level hanging branches and look for any that need a quick shaping. Those bottom branches will be used in the wreath making we’re offering.”
“Okay, I can help with that,” Roman said, nodding.
“Also need to assemble the arch and the candy cane supports,” Travis said.
“I can help you with that, too,” Roman said.
“And I need to bake all the Christmas cookies, banana bread, and brownies we’ll offer for sale,” Libby added.
“That’s all you,” Roman said. “At least if you want it edible, it’s all you.”
Libby laughed. “I figured as much.”
Twenty minutes later they’d finished lunch. “Let me help Libby with the dishes, and we’ll go get started with the trimming while she finishes painting,” Travis said.
“I have two plates, three glasses and two forks and knives. I think I can handle it,” Libby said chuckling.
“Well, yeah, but the kitchen…” Travis said.
“Everything’s already cleaned up except the skillet, and that won’t take a moment. Just have to put the leftovers away, then I’ll get back to painting. Ya’ll go ahead, I’ll be right behind you,” Libby said.
“Alright,” Travis said, before walking over to her and placing his fingers beneath her chin. He gently turned her face up to his. Then while she watched him wide-eyed, he pressed his lips to hers. “Thank you for lunch, Libs.”
Libby swallowed audibly. “You’re welcome,” she rasped out.
“I’ll see you in a bit,” Travis said, pecking her lips again before he and Roman left the house to go trim the lower hanging branches of the trees and to shape wherever needed.
When Travis stepped out onto the porch with Roman, he couldn’t help but notice Roman’s grin. “What?”
“Never seen you this happy,” Roman said. “I’m happy for you and Libby.”
“Thanks,” Travis said. “I still have a lot of work left to do, but at least she’s spending time with me. She let me kiss her, and she’s not scowling at me anymore. I think she can see I’m changing. I’m different than when I first got back.”
“I think she can see it, too. Anybody can,” Roman said. “And she cooked for you. Women don’t cook for you if they don’t care about you. She might have made you a sandwich, but she wouldn’t have cooked you a meal. It’s gonna be just fine,” Roman said.
“I think you’re right,” Travis said.
“Let’s go get those trees done,” Roman said, patting Travis on the back.
Not ten minutes later Libby walked out of Travis’s house and turned toward the work shop. She grinned when she realized for the first time in a long time, she was actually anticipating seeing him.
The first thing she did was paint the back of the arch as she’d told Travis she would. It only took about fifteen minutes to get it finished, white background with a green Christmas tree person complete with arms, legs, and a huge smiley face, and lettering in red inviting their customers back for next year’s fall pumpkin celebration. Then she moved on to the frames and began to paint them, too. Next she began cutting the spools of quarter inch red and green ribbon into ten inch pieces for use on the ornaments. She poked around the work shop a bit and found some old wicker baskets to put the ribbon in. Once that was done, she used another of the baskets to put the larger, two-inch-wide spools of ribbon in, along with the glue guns they’d bought, and the fake sprigs of holly and berries they’d decided to get. She used the last two baskets to hold the array of paints, glitter, sequins and paint brushes they’d bought for the ornaments.
By the time she was finished, the back of the arch was about dry, so she sealed the paint on it the same as she had the front to be sure it could stand up to the weather. She looked around herself and decided to straighten and organize the work shop since they’d managed to place things on every available surface while they’d been busy creating. Once done, she took another look around and satisfied that she’d done all she could for now, considered going out to help Travis and Roman with the trees and looking for boughs suitable for the wreath making. Her part of the preparation was basically on hold until it was time to put all the tables outside and lay out everything that was to go on them. Libby shrugged to herself. “I guess I could bake,” she said. “Yeah, I think I’ll get started on the baking,” she said, heading back to the house with a smile on her face. She was happy to be here, happy to be helping Travis, and very happy to be a part of all of his and Scotty's new plans. “Please let it work out,” she whispered quickly with a glance to the sky.