Page 84 of Never Sleigh Never
“Thanks, Mom.” I hug her back. “Also, don’t tell anyone. Everything is new, and we haven’t even discussed what it is between us.”
Josie races down the stairs. “Bye, Grandma!”
After they say their goodbyes, I open the door for my mom, and she strolls to her car. For the rest of the evening, I sit on the couch with Josie while she tells me everything she and my mom did. As soon as she goes to bed, I spend the rest of the night thinking about Brie. About her laugh, her kisses, the way she feels curled against me. And about the fact that, for the first time in years, I actually want more.
Twenty-Seven
I’m Skating!
Logan
They say time apart makes the heart grow fonder. I’m hoping twenty-four hours qualifies as time apart, because I haven’t stopped thinking about Brie since she left my house. Sure, the sex was incredible. Life-changing. And yes, I want nothing more than to do it again. But also, I love talking to her. She’s like a fireplace in the middle of a snowstorm, melting the chill right out of me. When I’m with her, the rest of the world falls away until it’s just us—our own bubble where everything feels safe, easy, right.
When I spotted a red scarf with silver snowflakes while shopping for Josie, I bought it for Brie without hesitation. Red for her favorite color and snowflakes for me.
Would I be pushing the line toward stalker territory if I just drove past her house to see if she was home? Probably. Am I going to do it anyway? Yup. I turn the corner onto Mistletoe Street, looking for a place to make a U-turn, but the bright lights shining from the festival pique my interest. Instead of turning around, I continue driving down the road. After a few blocks, Brie’s SUV comes into view. I grin, pulling in beside it. Guess I don’t need to be a stalker tonight.
A light dusting of snow floats from the sky, twinkling in the rink lights. On the far side, a figure clings to the boards like a newborn deer on stilts. I laugh under my breath. Hopping out of my truck, I grab my skates and hockey stick from the back seat before strolling down the path leading to the opening. Brie stands up on wobbly legs. Staying out of sight, I slide my shoes off and replace them with my skates. Once they’re on, I walk to the opening of the rink and glide over the smooth ice. I drop my shoes off at the bench next to her belongings. Pulling the puck from my pocket, I toss it onto the ice. The scrape of my blades on the ice makes her head whip up. She gasps, knuckles whitening against the wall. Whizzing past her, I twist around so I’m skating backward.
“What are you doing here? Come to watch me embarrass myself?” She rises to her full height and loosens her grip.
“Saw the lights on and thought I would toss the puck around. I didn’t know you skate.”
“I don’t,” she says, laughing at herself. “These skates have been buried in my closet since high school. I figured now is a perfect time to break them out.”
Skating beside her, I smirk. “They’ll work better if you glide instead of walk.”
“Easy for the hockey pro to say.”
“Fair. So what did you tell everyone about the snowman?”
“I feigned surprise, and now the entire town thinks there’s a vandal on the loose. They’re locking their doors, and I overheard something about starting a neighborhood watch group.”
A chuckle escapes me. “I’m shocked there isn’t something already set up.”
“Don’t worry, they’ll be knocking on your door asking you to join soon enough.”
I glance down the ice. “This is a nice rink you’ve got. Way more glitz than mine. And the tree at the end?” I point to the towering spruce haloed in twinkle lights. “That’s a showstopper.”
“I needed a little spectacle. And since I couldn’t achieve that with height, I added extra twinkle lights.” She shoots me a sideways smile. “It’s hard to compete with Logan Crawford.”
“It doesn’t have to be a competition.”
She snorts. “Between us? It’s always a competition.”
“Maybe back in high school.”
Her gaze dips to her skates. “Anyway, I’m soaking this in while I can. The rink punted my budget straight into what-the-hell-was-I-thinking territory. We might have to cancel the Valentine’s Bouquet Drop, the Leprechaun Hunt, and—brace yourself—the Christmas in July Jamboree.”
I clutch my chest. “Not the Jamboree.”
Her laugh fogs the air in a pale cloud. “I know. The town will be so disappointed. One thing I didn’t anticipate when installing an ice rink is the upkeep it requires to maintain it. The ice wasn’t even in my budget, let alone the funds to keep it operational. I guess I’m enjoying it while it lasts. Because it won’t be around much longer.”
I hate she might lose the rink. Rival or not, I don’t want to see her defeated over something like this. “How much do you need to keep the ice rink afloat for the rest of the year?”
“Like… all of it.” She huffs out a humorless laugh. “Seeing as I’m already over budget for this entire festival, my chance of securing the event coordinator promotion is slowly slipping through my fingers.”
Shit. The budget issue is news to me. With all her hard work, I can clearly see how passionate she is about her job. “You’ve put on one hell of a festival. Josie’s been loving all the contests you’ve had.”
