Page 9 of A Mistletoe Mix Up
My nose scrunches at the thought. I hate running. Maybe if there’s a reward at the end. Maybe.
Grayson stops abruptly, and I bump into him. “Whoa.”
I swat at his back. “Well, if you didn’t stop so suddenly, I wouldn’t have bumped into you.”
He grins. “I stopped because we’re here.”
“Oh, thank goodness.” I let out a deep breath and step in front of him. “It’s…wow.” I look beyond the trees to the breathtaking sky in front of me. It doesn’t look real; it looks like a painting. “I wish I had brought my sketchbook. This is beautiful, Gray.”
We stand there in comfortable silence, watching the sun disappear behind the horizon.
Grayson breaks the silence first, nudging me lightly with his elbow. “Told you it would be worth it.”
Chapter Five
Grayson
At the top of the hill, we stand together staring at the beautiful scene before us. I love this hike, and I’m so glad I did it. I needed a stress reliever, to get out of the norm and into nature. And I’m thrilled Tandy came with me. She makes thingslight and joyful. She’s like a breath of fresh air, refreshing and invigorating.
I sneak a glance at her, grateful for our friendship. With the nerves of this week, I’m feeling extra sentimental toward her. Her hazel eyes are wide as she soaks in the setting sun. Her fiery red hair flows in the breeze. She shivers slightly, pulling my coat tighter around her body.
Her nose scrunches up as she blows into her cupped palms. Before I think it through, I’m beside her with my arm around her shoulders. We don’t do this—our friendship lives in playful jabs and casual fist bumps. When her eyes lift to mine, surprise flickering across her features, she hesitates momentarily before resting her head against my chest.
“Better?” The word comes out softer than I intended.
“Mhm. Perfect.” She shifts closer, and something kicks in my chest.
Surely it’s the adrenaline from the hike—my body’s natural response to exertion or the altitude, not that we’re very high. We huddle together against the chill as the sun transforms into cool purples and blues.
“Before you turn into a Tandy-sicle, we should start heading down.”
She nods. As she untangles herself from my hold, I feel the loss of her warmth.
“Race you to the bottom.” A playful glint sparkles in her eyes right before she takes off down the trail.
I chuckle, shaking my head. “Cheater!” I shout as I run after her.
Catching up to her isn’t hard, not with my long strides. Tandy’s laughter turns into anxious giggles as I close the gap between us.
“Cheating’s only cheating if you get caught,” she tosses over her shoulder as she picks up speed.
This, right here, is what I love about our friendship. The carefree moments, the fun moments. And with Tandy, it’s always fun. The trees whip past me as I gradually get closer to her.
“Oh, no, you don’t!” I lunge for her, managing to catch hold of her hand. She lets out a small squeal of surprise as she turns around to face me. Her giggles are contagious, and I join the laughter.
“Got ya!”
“Fine, fine, you caught me,” she says, holding her hands up in surrender. “Go ahead, arrest me.” She holds her wrist out to me.
“I’ll let you off with a warning this time, ma’am.”
“You’re too kind, Officer Sanders.”
The sparkle in her eyes fades away, and her face becomes serious. Then, without warning, she breaks away from me and starts running again. “Last one to the truck buys hot chocolate!”
For a girl who hates to run, she sure is running a lot. I race after her again, but despite my longer strides, she reaches the truck before me. She throws her arms up in victory, panting heavily. “I win!”
I stop next to her, leaning against the truck to catch my breath. “Only because you cheated…twice!”
