Sutton,” the short fireman with the abnormally large upper body said, “you’re a lucky man. A minute or two more and your entire roof would’ve gone up in flames.”Sitting on the front steps of his porch wrapped in a blanket because he couldn’t find his ski jacket and his sheepskin had been taken by a lunatic pyro, James didn’t feel very lucky. Just exhausted. And stunned. What kind of a woman brings you a tree, gets naked, has sex with you, then almost torches your house? She was nuts. Completely nuts. And he was nuts for not keeping a closer eye on her.“Even your tree looks like it will survive.” The fireman leaned back and stared up at the charred branches of the maple tree. “So I guess you learned your lesson about waiting until Christmas Eve to pick up a tree. By this time, they’re nothing but fire starters. One tiny spark and whoosh.”Oh, James had learned his lesson, all right. About Christmas trees and hot-tempered women. At that moment, he wanted nothing to do with either one ever again.“It’s a good thing you hadn’t taken it inside yet,”
