Page 35 of The Clause in Christmas
As Luke sat beside Cassie on the lowered tailgate of his pickup, he tried to focus on Ben as he sailed down the snow-covered slope on his plastic toboggan.Noton how close Cassie’s thigh was to touching his own.
Brushing his hand against hers the previous night had been a one-time thing. An impulse best left in the past. So why could he think of nothing else than scooting closer?
Luke drew in a breath, inhaling the faintest whiff of Cassie’s sultry perfume with the brisk winter breeze. Golden rays of sunlight stretched across the powder blue sky, and Luke marveled all the snow hadn’t melted yet. By the end of the following day, he imagined most of it would be gone.
Grasping for an excuse, Luke told himself that’s how he’d been cajoled into coming along. Eliza insisted it would be the last opportunity to sled until the next snowfall and Ben had begged him to come. How could he say no to those pleading brown eyes? But if Luke were honest, it was more than that. Alotmore. As hard as he fought against his feelings for Cassie, he couldn’t pass up a chance to spend time with her. Heart thrumming, he stole a glance in her direction.
Cassie’s gaze remained fixed on Ben as he flew down the hill. “Aren’t you worried he’ll hurt himself?” she asked Eliza.
Eliza stood off to the side, recording a video of Ben’s descent with her cell phone. She shrugged, a smile tugging the corners of her mouth. “Having a son means being worried about his safety ninety percent of the time.”
“Woo-hoo!” Ben shouted when he finally reached the bottom of the hill. “Mom, did you see that?”
“I sure did!” Eliza ended the recording, beaming proudly at her son as he hopped toward them, dragging his bright red toboggan through the snow.
“Uncle Luke, do you wanna go next?” Ben asked, his round cheeks glowing.
“I sure do!” Luke set his thermos of hot chocolate on the edge of the truck before lowering himself to the ground. Already the tempting scent of Cassie’s perfume faded, flooding him with both regret and relief. He wasn’t sure how much longer he could sit next to her without making a move.
“I have a better idea.” Eliza slipped her phone inside the zippered pocket of her neon pink jacket. “Let’s race. Ben and me against you and Cassie.”
Ben jumped up and down, cheering his approval.
“You’re on!” Luke grinned at Cassie. “What do you say?”
Her grip tightened around her thermos. “I don’t know…”
“Please, Cassie. It’s super fun,” Ben pleaded.
Cassie hesitated as if trying to contrive an airtight excuse.
Eliza crossed her arms, raising one eyebrow in a challenge. “I believe the Christmas Calendar said togosledding, not watch other people sled.”
Luke snorted with laughter. “She has a point, Ru.”
Cassie leveled her gaze on him. “Okay, Sprinkles. Let’s do this.” She slammed her thermos on the tailgate before hopping off with a defiantthud.
Eliza flashed a smirk between the two of them, clearly enjoying their flirtatious exchange. “See you two at the top of the hill. Then at the bottom, whenwewin.” She took off toward the slope, Ben gleefully following in her sunken footsteps.
Grinning, Luke reached for the second toboggan in the back of the truck. “Please tell me you’re secretly a gold medalist at the luge.”
“Actually, I’ve never been sledding before.”
“Never?” Luke repeated, incredulous.
“I’ve lived in San Francisco my entire life,” Cassie said, zipping her jacket as high as it would go. “The closest thing I’ve seen to snow is sleet. And on the streets of San Francisco, it’s basically brown sludge.”
“Then you’re in for a treat.” Luke hoisted the toboggan over his shoulder. “Sledding is a rush.”
As Luke set his toboggan at the top of the hill, several feet from Eliza’s, he realized this sled run would contain an extra thrill—more physical contact with Cassie than seemed safe.
Cassie’s gaze flitted to Eliza and Ben as they climbed onto their sled, Ben in front, Eliza tightly curled around him. Her eyes registered her own misgivings about the scenario.
Luke gestured toward the sled. “I’ll get on first, then you can settle yourself in the front.”
Cassie didn’t move, toying with a strand of dark hair that had escaped her loose braid.
Breathing steadily to settle his nerves, Luke situated himself in the back of the toboggan before waving Cassie over.
