Page 92 of Snow, Ice, and Spice
Theo’s brow hits his hairline before he grins. “Holy shit, Maya. This is huge.”
I let out a quiet squeal while nodding my head like I’m crazed. “Sadie Skinner wants to carry my jewelry in her shop. Oh my god…”
The excitement crests, which gives way to a wave of nerves. “That means I need to design and craft a whole new line of earrings. Crap, I don’t even know where to start. I mean, they’d need to be really special to be in her store. And what if I send her my designs and she hates them? God, that would be so humiliating…”
Theo scoops my hand in his and flashes that gorgeous easy grin. “Maya. You’re not allowed to freak out right now. All you’re allowed to do is get excited. All that other stuff can wait till later. Right now just soak in the moment.”
His calm, confident tone eases me. “You’re right. Thank you.”
I slink my arms around his neck and hug him. “None of this would have happened if you hadn’t signed me up for the festival.” I lean back and look him straight in the eye. “Thank you for believing in me, Theo.”
He grins and kisses me. “Always.”
Goosebumps flash across my skin and my heart thuds in my chest. This man. He is beyond amazing.
I give him a quick kiss before returning to the booth and helping more customers. The whole time I can’t stop thinking about how lucky I am to be with Theo Thompson.
Chapter31
Theo
“Alright, guys. Who’s ready for fun skate?” I ask the kids.
They all cheer, “me!” I pull up the playlist on my phone, hit “play,” and lead the kids out on the frozen pond.
I take the front like usual. One of the kids asks to hold Maya’s hand as we skate around the pond. As I turn the corner, I catch eyes with her. She flashes that gorgeous smile, and something in my chest rattles.
I’d be lying if I said this thing with Maya was still casual. I know in my heart it isn’t, that I’m starting to develop some serious feelings for her.
I think back to the other day when we were at the winter festival, what a hit her earrings were. She ended up selling out. And I still can’t stop thinking about the pure joy on her face when Sadie Skinner approached her about carrying her earrings in her boutique. I could feel the pride swelling in my chest. My Maya, kicking ass, making her dream come true.
My Maya
That rattled feeling inside of me intensifies. I know I don’t have any right to call her that. We’re technically still casual, still friends with benefits…but I know deep down, that’s not what I want anymore. I want something more. And I wonder if she feels the same.
I could ask her…
But then I remember what she said at Declan and Austin’s anniversary party after seeing her parents sneak around. She’s made it crystal clear she doesn’t want anything serious. She doesn’t ever want to get married either.
That intense feeling inside of me turns to pain. I clear my throat, take a breath, and try to ignore it. I can’t be thinking about this right now, not when I should be focused on camp.
Annabelle skates up next to me. “Coach Theo, I’m gonna do a fun skate at my birthday party this weekend at the ice skating rink,” she says.
“You are? That sounds really cool.”
She grins, her front two teeth missing. She tells me that she’s going to turn seven on Saturday.
“I’m gonna have pink cupcakes andpink lollipops, and my mom said I get to wear a tiara, and everyone from hockey camp is coming too,” she says excitedly.
“Whoa! Sounds like it’s gonna be a blast,” I say.
“I’m so, so, so excited!”
“You know, Saturday is my birthday too.”
Annabelle smiles wider. “It is?”
“Yup. We’re birthday buddies.” I high-five her.
