Page 26 of The Jellybean Dilemma

I felt like someone had wrapped me in a foam mat. “I’m supposed to move in all this?”

He laughed as he zipped up his own coat, tugging a black hat over his ears. “Come on.”

Chapter Eight

Mandy had a big SUV that fit the large wooden sleds she called toboggans in the back, and we all crammed in the front. It wasn’t a long drive, but it was pretty. The sun sparkled off the layer of snow, and I had to squint to see anything.

“We’ll be in the woods most of the time, so it won’t be as bright there,” Mandy said.

The spot she turned into was little more than a path between trees. If I hadn’t seen tire tracks leading into the distance, I would have been more worried. A clearing opened around the bend with several other vehicles parked in it.

Mandy and Greg leapt out first while I struggled to even get upright. Greg grabbed one toboggan, Mandy the other. Then we took off, our footsteps crunching through the crusted top layer of the snow as we walked toward the woods. Mandy raced ahead to see her friends as I dropped further behind.

Greg slowed, letting me catch up. “Maybe I should call you Shorty instead,” he teased.

“I’m only short compared to your family of giants! Five eight is a perfectly respectable height, thank you very much.” But I smiled, letting him know I was just playing. “Besides, I like Jellybean.”

His mouth tipped up in a crooked grin. “So do I.” His voice was husky, the words heavy.

My stomach flipped, and I had to look away. Does he mean my nickname? Or me?

As we neared the tree line, the sound of laughter and voices carried to us. It took a moment to adjust to the lower light of the shaded area. Finally I made out the group of ten people near Mandy. Several of them piled onto the toboggan she’d brought, then disappeared out of sight.

I drew closer, gasping at the huge, steep hill. “We’re going down that?” Trepidation raced through me. I’d pictured a normal hill like we had back home, but this was a freaking mountain.

Greg nudged me with his elbow. “It’ll be fun, I promise.”

“Do I have to go alone?” I turned, staring up at him.

He shook his head before brushing my cheek with his gloved hand. “Never.”

I breathed a sigh of relief, the word echoing through me and easing some of the tension. When we reached the others, Mandy introduced us, telling everyone that I was a sledding virgin. I turned to Greg for help, but he rocked back on his heels, shaking with silent laughter at the fuss they made. I couldn’t be mad, though, because it was all in fun.

Until they insisted we go next.

“Let her watch a couple times,” Greg said. “Plus, she needs to get her mittens on.”

I could have kissed him, welcoming the excuse for a delay. Though, once the image of kissing Greg was in my head, it wouldn’t leave, and my gaze dipped to his lips, imagining what they’d feel like pressed against mine. My many layers suddenly seemed like too much, as if someone had turned up the heat.

Mandy and Peter went down the hill next, letting out loud whoops that echoed through the trees. Other sleds sat off to one side in a heap, but the toboggans seemed to be the favorite. Someone else had brought one too, so there were three in total.

Greg pulled me away from the group and showed me the mittens. “I’ll help you put them on.” At my indignant frown, he chuckled. “Trust me, it’s easier this way. Hold your hand out, straight and stiff.”

I did my best, and he tugged the mitten over my glove. It took a moment to get my thumb in the right spot, then he yanked the cuff of the mitten over my coat sleeve.

“Keeps the snow out.” Then he did the other one.

He frowned when finished, reaching over to pull my zipper all the way up. His gloved hand hovered very close to my chest, and I didn’t breathe until he let go.

“Ready?”

I almost asked for what but caught myself just in time. Instead, I nodded, trying to gather my courage. We approached the edge of the slope, a toboggan waiting for us.

Greg held it steady. “Climb on.”

I’d seen enough to know that the front person should sit cross-legged. I tried but my normal flexibility was hindered by the extra padding. It took a minute.

Once I’d stopped shifting, Greg sat down behind me. His long legs needed to fit on the sled too, so I lifted my knees letting him stretch out on either side of me. My knees rested on his thighs, and despite the umpteen layers between us, I swore I felt his body heat.

---