Page 81 of Hearts on Ice
Then it was our turn.
Drew picked up the marker. He glanced at me—quick, subtle, a silentready?
It shouldn’t have made my chest warm. But it did.
He sketched fast: a square, a peaked triangle roof, a little chimney, a set of lines that looked like steps.
“House,” I said.
He shook his head once.
“Cabin?”
He nodded.
“Cabin,” he confirmed, more softly than necessary.
A pulse of warmth hit my chest before I could suppress it.
“Alright,” Devin said, grabbing the pad from him. “I’m up.”
Beau leaned back on his hands. “You guessed that fast.”
I shrugged lightly. “It was a cabin. Not rocket science.”
“Still,” Beau said, “nice pull.”
Normal praise.
Nothing pointed or exposing.
I let out a slow breath I didn’t realize I was holding.
Devin cracked his knuckles dramatically. “Alright. Time to challenge you clowns.”
He drew fast, messy curves, a long shape, little circles around it.
Beau frowned. “Uh… a worm? No. A… submarine? No, wait—hot air balloon?”
Devin barked a laugh. “Dude. That is a hot air balloon. Yes.”
“Okay, but you drew it like it’s melting,” Beau said.
“It’s calledstyle,” Devin said.
We all cracked up.
My turn.
I picked up the top card.Lighthouse.
I bent over the page, drew the tall column, then the little room up top, then the light beams slicing outward. No letters or waves. Nothing that would get me disqualified.
Drew leaned closer, studying it like it was a scouting video. “Building… tower… water tower…” He squinted. “Fire tower?”
Beside us, Beau let out a low whistle—not because he knew the word, but maybe because evenhecould tell the guesses were circling the target without hitting it. “Tough one.”
“Ten seconds,” Devin added.
