Page 30 of Melting His Grumpy Heart
An idea formed, and Ru grinned. He finished his coffee and headed for the utility room, pulling on the layers and the boots Jake had lent him, along with the hat and gloves, ready to face the snow.
The cold hit him like a punch to the gut when he stepped outside.
Ru waded through it towards the flat, open area in front of the living room window, feeling light-headed with the brightness and the cold and the sheer relief of being outside. He scooped up a handful of snow, testing its consistency between his fingers. Yep, perfect for packing.
By the time he heard Jake’s return, Ru had already rolled a large ball of snow for the base of the snowman. He was struggling to get the middle section in place when a shadow fell across the snow.
“What are you doing?”
“Building a snowman.” Ru didn’t look up focusing, instead, on stopping the midsection from tumbling. “What does it look like I’m doing?”
“Looks like you’re making a mess of it.”
Ru looked up then, his cheeks pulsing with cold and exertion. “I’d like to see you do better.”
Jake said nothing, his expression unreadable, before he tutted, set down the toolbox he’d been carrying, and bent to gather snow.
“Your base is too small,” he said, rolling his own ball of snow with none of Ru’s huffing and puffing. “Won’t support the weight of the middle and the head.”
“Sorry, I left my professional snowman building credentials in London. How foolish of me.”
Jake’s mouth twitched, almost a smile. “Clearly.”
They worked in silence for a few minutes. Ru stole glances at Jake, noting the methodical way he packed the snow, the slight relaxation in his shoulders, and the tip of his nose, pink in the cold air.
Jake caught him looking and raised an eyebrow. “Problem?”
“Just admiring your technique.” Ru didn’t bother trying to hide his smile. “It’s very structured.”
“Efficient, you mean. No wasted energy.” His expression was deadpan, but there was a warmth in his voice that had been absent in the kitchen, earlier.
“Is there a military protocol for snowman construction I should know about?”
“Yes, but it’s classified.”
Ru laughed, the sound carrying in the crisp air. “Of course. Silly me.”
Jake stepped back, surveying their creation with critical eyes. “Not bad.”
“No, it’s not bad at all. It’s also very tall.”
The snowman must have been at least six foot tall, more than Ru’s own five seven, which shifted upwards to five eight on official forms. Ru patted the snowman’s middle section, his gloved hands leaving impressions in the packed snow.
“He should have a face. And arms.”
They combed the edge of the cleared area, gathering stones and pieces of fallen branches.
“He also needs accessories,” Ru said, after they’d used sticks for arms and stones for the face. “A gentleman snowman should be properly attired.”
Jake disappeared into the house without comment, returning moments later with a battered woollen hat and a faded red scarf.
“Will these do?”
“Perfect!” Ru clapped his gloved hands together, leaving puffs of snow in the air. “Though you’ll have to put his hat on.”
Instead of doing just that, Jake moved behind Ru, strong hands circling his waist. Before Ru could react to what was happening, he found himself lifted effortlessly, as if he weighed next to nothing.
“This high enough for you?”
