Page 96 of Finding Delaware

“Uh.” Swallowing, I follow the way his gaze tracks down my torso, taking in my exposed belly button. “Just thinkin’.”

With my dick.

“Okay,” he says slowly, eyeing me curiously. “Well, do you want to take a break from that and go for a hike, maybe? I’m feeling cooped up.”

Hope spikes in my chest, and I sit up quickly. “Do we have snow shoes?”

He wants to hike with me? Like,actuallyspend time with me?

“Let’s find out.”

Ten minutes later, after searching the closet top to bottom, it’s clear that we do not, in fact, have snow shoes. Trying to hide my disappointment, I stand at the wall of windows,watching the snow lightly fall. Wherever Logan and Salem went, I hope they’re okay. I’m sure they are—Logan knows these woods inside out. But still. Worry niggles at the back of my mind. It’s not snowing hard, but it could pick up later.

“What now?” Huck asks, standing next to me, and an idea pops into my head.

“Wanna build a snowman?” Turning to him with a grin, I waggle my brows. “Doesn’t have to be a snowman.”

He blinks at me for several seconds, a gesture I’m beginning to understand means he’s confused or caught off guard.

“You’re quoting Frozen now? Are you five?”

With a snort, I turn toward the closet to grab my snowsuit off the hook. “If only you knew how often I had to watch that movie with Hannah. I can quote the whole thing in my sleep, I shit you not.”

“Who’s Hannah?”

He follows me in, leaning against the doorway as I pull the suit over my clothes. “Matty’s three-year-old daughter.”

“Oh.” A pause. “I didn’t know he had a daughter.”

“Yeah. He kinda messed up one night, got drunk, and fucked Valerie after he’d finally gotten rid of her. Well, I guess not ‘messed up’ because Hannah is the sweetest, coolest kid ever, but it sucks he has to share her with Val.” I start buttoning up the suit. “She’s not what you call motherly material, constantly on and off drugs, in and out of rehab. Sometimes even goes missing for a while. Matty has full custody, and Xed has pretty much helped raise Hannah for the last three years.”

I’m about to pull on my boots when Huckslee holds up a hand to stop me.

“I’m not building a snowman with you, Taylor.”

My shoulders slump as I deflate, and I push out my bottom lip while I peek at him from under my lashes.

Aw.

He blinks at me again, a myriad of emotions crossing his face before he mutters a curse and grabs his snowsuit.

Yay!

It’s freezing outside, but not as bad as yesterday, and I pull on my leather gloves before gathering a pile of snow. It’s fresh due to the current snowfall and doesn’t stick together at all. Huckslee stands on the porch, watching me struggle for several minutes with his lips twitching before he takes mercy on me and comes to help.

Eventually, we erect the saddest looking snowman you’ll ever see. Seriously, it looks half-melted already, and one of the rocks I used for eyes kind of droops. We stare at it for half a second before the fucker’s head just lolls to the side and falls clean off with aplop.

Huckslee bursts out laughing, startling me enough that I jump, and he doubles over while holding his midsection in the most full-bodied guffaw I’ve ever heard. It’s beautiful.

“Your...fucking face,” he says in between breaths, eyes actually watering while his cheeks puff up from grinning. “God, that was the...funniest shit.”

I’m also chuckling, bending to scoop up a handful of snow that I toss at him. “Don’t be a dick. I worked hard on that thing.”

“Seriously, don’t you know making a snowman with fresh snow is impossible? You have to wait until it hardens.”

“No, actually.” I grin crookedly, gazing down at the severed snowman head. “First one I’ve ever tried.”

“What?!” His lips part as he studies me. “You’ve lived in Utah your whole life, and you’ve never built a snowman?”

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