Page 33 of If Only In Our Dreams

“You don’t have much of an accent. Not like your brother.”

“Only when I’m horny,” I waggled my eyebrows, but my sexy one-liner was wasted on him.

Doctor Ben was back.

“Have you never seen snow?” Ben asked, continuing to fit the bones together.

“I’ve seen it.” I rolled my eyes, sticking my hands in my armpits to keep them warm. It was cold without Ben’s hand onmy face. A few more snowflakes melted on my cheeks. “Just not like this. Live. Actually falling. Where I could touch it.”

I did another happy jig, feet crunching on the grass.

“Have you really never been sledding?” Ben asked. Either I was going crazy, or he was working three times as fast as he had been before.Click, click, click.Bones notched back into place.

“No.Pshh. I wish. That’s like number one on my ‘Perfect Christmas To-Do List’.”

“Would you like to?” Ben’s voice was far away, like he was already plotting ahead.Click, click, click.

If I didn’t know any better—based on his current speed—and the fact that he was still able to maintain an entire conversation, Ben Montgomery had been stalling earlier. Just like I had.

Oh shit.

My heart beat like crazy.

“Would Iliketo go sledding? Hell yes.”

Ben paused, quiet for a solid thirty seconds before he spoke again.

“Every time it snows all the Montgomery’s get together at Knoll park and go sledding,” Ben informed me like this was a fact.Click, click, click.And suddenly, the skeleton was back in working order, aside from the femur I’d been toting around. It sat at my feet, and Ben twisted to grab it, lingering a little longer than necessary before he shoved it into place.

He rose to his feet, hung the skeleton back onto its stand, and turned to face me.

“That’s cool,” I echoed, a little too late—because holy shit. The dude was a genius.

“Would you like to maybe…come?”

“I always want to come,” I joked—then flushed because I realized what I’d said too late to stop the words. “I mean, yes. Please, Sir Bennington. Allow me to rideth your sledeths with your clan.” I saluted him, then waited for orders. “I don’tknoweth where Knoll Parketh is, but I will findeth out.” I twisted around, like an idiot, trying to see the magical sledding park he spoke of through the trees and past the buildings that dotted the road beside the B&B.

Ben’s eyes danced with amusement. “I’m feeding you first.”

“Boo,” I countered with a sigh.

Ah.Boo!

Nowthatwould be a fun way to scare him. K.I.S.S. Keep it simple, stupid. And all that.

Miles told me this year was unseasonably cold. That last year, the chill hadn’t hit till December. I couldn’t help but be glad. Felt like the world was planning on giving me the white Christmas of my dreams. And Ben Montgomery was the Christmas elf I hadn’t known I needed.

“Go upstairs and get your warmest clothes on,” I told Robin as I herded him toward the front door of the B&B. Matilda was behind the front counter, a book—my book—in hand. She raised her head when we entered, arching a brow our way before she huffed and turned her back to us so she could get back to her book.

“This is the warmest thing I have,” Robin frowned at his floor length, cotton jacket like it had personally betrayed him.

Right.

He lived in L.A.

I doubted the man had proper winter gear at all. “You didn’t bring sweaters?” I blinked, confused. Who comes to Vermont and doesn’t bring sweaters?

In truth, I needed to get rid of him for ten minutes. If I didn’t, there wouldn’t be time to call up my family and ask for their help. The twins were with Mama, so that was easy enough. But if I was going to make my lie believable I’d need all hands on deck.

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