How To Bake The Perfect Christmas Cake. Gina Calanni

saw.”

      “Was it my singing?” Jack hops up and grabs the tree. “You can let go.”

      I sing ‘Let it Go’ back to him.

      “Now you’re talking, I haven’t heard that song in at least a couple of days.” Jack slowly lays the tree down on its side and walks to the trunk to inspect his cut.

      “Not bad.” He nods his head.

      I bend down and wipe my fingers over the bottom of the tree and nod my head. “Well, if the Uber thing doesn’t work out maybe you can try being a lumberjack.” I laugh.

      Jack scowls at me but it’s not real, it’s so obvious he is trying to withhold a laugh as well. He stalks towards me and I take off running. “Oh, now you want to play hide-and-seek?” Jack calls out at me. I laugh and then quickly silence myself. I’m a hide-and-seek pro, Megan and Luke and I use to run the neighborhood and always win. Our friends would try and break us up but we always said no, family sticks together.

      I slide through the trees. I’m at least five rows over from our tree and now, I’m on the hunt for the perfect waiting spot. The key to playing hide-and-seek is waiting it out until the hunter has passed and then changing your location. I crouch down and try to merge with one of the trees as I listen for any sounds. I’m sure I will hear the crunch of the grass or Jack might even call out again. That’s a rookie mistake, but since I’ve never played with him, I’m not sure what his method is. I peek my head around the left side of the tree and scan the area. Nothing but green. I peer to the right and inspect the rows of trees. Again, nothing.

      “Du bist nicht frei.” Jack wraps his arms around me.

      “What?” I glance back at him. He pulls me to my feet and leans into my ear.

      “Du bist nicht frei.” Jack breathes. “I thought you had played hide-and-seek before?”

      “Yes, but I don’t know what you’re saying.”

      “Sie sprechen Deutch?” Jack brushes his thumb over my chin.

      “No, pero hablo español.” I laugh.

      “Ah, my little Texas señorita wants to speak in Spanish now?” He cocks his head to the right.

      I shake my head. “God no, I have the worst pronunciation ever, I used to be made fun of in class when we had to do our oral presentations.” I flitter my eyes. “It was the worst.”

      “That’s too bad, I wouldn’t mind practicing my Spanish with you.” Jack leans down and kisses my head.

      “I like to maintain a small vocabulary of Spanish words: margarita, tequila, and salsa.” I laugh.

      Jack places his hand on my waist, grabs my hand and spins me around. I try not to trip over my own feet as he twirls me again. “Salsa, you want to work your hips?”

      I reach in and grab onto his arms. I can’t spin for a third time. “No, just my lips.” I pucker them and Jack’s meet mine. He kisses me and I’m warmed again. The sun is setting in the distance and a slight wind runs through my hair.

      I pull back from his embrace. “We should really get back, it’s getting dark and I don’t want to be out here with the wild animals.”

      Jack laughs and there is a glimmer in his eyes. I know this look: it’s one of warning. He is going all in and I’m not sure if I’m there.

      We trek back to our tree hand in hand. Jack picks up the rope and wraps it up around the branches. “All right, I’ll just drag it to the tractor and then we’re off.”

      I pace alongside of him. At the tractor Jack lifts the tree into the bed in one swift movement.

      I climb into my side of the tractor and Jack turns the key in the ignition. It makes a patter and a pop. My eyes bulge out of my head. We are deep in the forest. It is at least thirty something degrees and I’m already freezing, I can’t imagine being stuck out here. I have Jack’s jacket on and I’m still cold.

      Jack raises his index finger to me and cocks his head to the right. He taps on the steering wheel once and turns the key again. The engine roars.

      “Was that a Fonzie move?” I laugh.

      “No, that was all me.” Jack wiggles his eyebrows at me.

      I can’t help but roll my eyes at him and give him a shove on his arm. He flashes me a grin and puts the pedal to the metal and we are rolling through the forest at a whopping ten miles per hour. Our tractor is pushing past rows and rows of evergreen spiked towers as he curves, we are finally back on the main dirt road.

      “Lauren, can I ask you something?” Jack slants his eyes in my direction.

      “Um, sure.” I answer, though usually when someone prefaces a question with a question it’s not good

      “Do you have any Christmas tree decorations?” Jack raises an eyebrow at me.

      I laugh. “Yes, I do, they’re up in my attic.”

      “Spooky.” Jack parks the tractor next to the store. I grab my Santa cookie and hesitate on picking up his sexy elf. “Come on, you’re not going to leave Bambi on the seat, are you?” Jack grimaces at me.

      “Oh, sorry I didn’t even see her.” I pick up the elf cookie and hand it to him.

      “Lauren, come on, Bambi is hard to miss.” Jack laughs and opens the door to go in the store.

      “Yes, she does have some interesting features. I’m going to run to the ladies real quick.” I stride towards the back of the store where I see a Mister and Mrs. Claus signs indicating the restrooms. There is no way I can make it back to my place with all of the hot cocoa and coffee from earlier in me.

      I push the door of the ladies open and wander back out into the store. All of the décor causes me to blink my eyes several times. Jack is nowhere to be found. I sweep the whole store before I exit.