Page 44 of Sweet Surprises

It hit Tag at once that he was close enough to her to notice her sweet-smelling shampoo again. He felt almost dizzy with awareness, though he wasn’t sure why something so innocent would have him clenching his jaw and willing his hands not to shake. He tied up her skates without a word as his heart crashed in his chest.

What’s happening to me?

“Okay,” he said, standing. “Let’s get you up.”

He held out his hands to her, wondering if he was going to blush like a teenager when she took them. But she grabbed on with such a vice-like grip that he forgot all about how small and warm her hands were in his.

“Are you okay?” he asked.

“Yes,” she said, though her voice was tense and her signature smile was gone. “I’m fine. Let’s do this.”

He almost laughed at that. What she meant wasLet’s get this over with.

“You’re okay,” he told her. “I’ve got you.”

Suddenly, her grip softened and her eyes were on his. Her cheeks seemed pinker than before, but maybe it was just the cold. He’d been trying so hard not to look at her that he wouldn’t have noticed before.

“What?” he asked.

“You keep saying that,” she said.

“I keep saying what?”

“That you’ve got me,” she said softly, looking down like she didn’t want to look into his eyes.

“I do have you,” he told her automatically, his chest filling with something that was a lot like pride.

She only smiled and shook her head.

“What?” he asked.

“Nothing,” she said. “Just thanks for having my back.”

He felt another burst of pride and did his best not to think anything about it as he led her to the ice.

Stepping onto the rink felt like coming home to Tag. But before he had a chance to move, the hand in his was tugging him backward.

“What’s wrong?” he asked, turning back.

“Nothing,” she said, plastering on a big smile. “You’ve got me, and besides, I’m going to be good at this.”

He could tell she didn’t mean it. She talked a big game, but she was scared.

“We’ll stay close to the wall,” he told her. “If you start to fall, I’ll catch you, but you can think of the wall as a backup.”

She still looked nervous, but she nodded and put on a brave smile that looked more sincere this time.

It was colder as they got close to the ice, but there were a bunch of people from around town gliding around, laughing and chatting. Strings of lights hung over the rink itself, giving the whole setting a happy glow. And just on the other side of the rink, the town Christmas tree stood tall. Soon, it would be beautifully lit and decorated—making an even better view for skaters.

When they reached the wall, he paused a moment to take it all in, including the surprising young woman who still clung to his hand.

“What are you thinking?” Charlotte asked softly.

“It’s so pretty,” he said.

She nodded, and didn’t say anything more. Somehow, that made him want to open his mouth again.

“Times like this,” he heard himself say, “I feel like maybe it’s not so bad that I never left home.”

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