Page 92 of For the Boys
Brent was too, but probably not for the same reasons.
Winter Festival was so named because it was a citywide celebration of the season. Large ice and snow sculptures were erected all over town, and people from all across the Midwest traveled to see them. There were tents serving beer as well as hot cocoa and cider, plus vendors cooking up all manner of cuisines. Even a month after Christmas, Frankenmuth hadn’t shed its holiday cheer, the German-inspired buildings making the city feel like Santa’s village year-round.
“My parents used to bring us here as kids,” Berkley said as they stopped in front of a trinket shop to admire the local architecture. “But this is the first time I’ve been back in ages.”
“You’ve been busy,” Brent said.
“Law school has been kicking my ass,” Berkley admitted.
“I’m making it my mission to take your mind off of it. What do you want to do first?”
“I want to go check out the ice and snow sculptures,” she said. “And wander through the trinket shops.”
So that’s exactly what they did.
The ice and snow sculptures were incredible. It was truly amazing, the way these people could take something as plain as snow and turn it into something as beautiful as a swan or a house of cards. There were animals of all shapes and sizes, buildings tall enough for Brent to easily walk into, and even one depicting children having a snowball fight.
“This is amazing,” Berkley said.
“I can’t believe I’ve lived in Michigan for almost ten years and never knew this existed,” he said.
“How did you find out about it?”
“Mitch,” Brent said with a shrug.
“You talked to Mitch about us?”
“Technically, he’s the one who brought it up. He was worried about you, and our relationship, after going public. He suggested taking a little trip.”
Berkley raised an eyebrow. “Do you get a lot of your ideas from Mitch?”
“He may or may not have helped me out a few times,” Brent said sheepishly, turning away from her as his cheeks heated.
“Like when?”
“Well… It was his idea to surprise you in TC.”
“What else? Was the birthday party his idea too?”
“Nope. That was all me,” he said proudly.
Berkley rolled her eyes. “Maybe one day you’ll stop surprising me.”
“Don’t hold your breath on that, my dear,” he said, grinning down at her and reaching for her hand.
For the next few hours, she led him through several shops, picking up ornaments, scarves, and other items for her family and friends. As they moved down the sidewalk toward another shop, they passed the entrance of a tent, and the smell of chicken and apple pie wafted out, stopping Berkley in her tracks.
“Are you hungry?” he asked.
In response, she tugged him inside. Long, rectangular tables loaded with food lined two of the walls, and small, circular tables filled the rest of the space. Brent paid at the door, and he and Berkley loaded their plates from the buffet-style spread and chose a table in the corner.
They ate in silence for a while before Brent spoke. “You know, it’s funny. I feel like I’ve known you forever, but I also feel like I hardly know you at all.”
“Well, to be fair, there is a lot each of us can still learn about the other.”
The way she said it had Brent snapping his eyes up to meet hers across the table. As he watched, she gave him a small smile and bit her lip, winking.
“Berkley Daniels,” he said, leaning closer. “Are you trying to take advantage of me?”
