Page 39 of If Only In Our Dreams

“Cool,” I said, because itwascool.

Super cool actually.

Except…I didn’t know how to do this.

And again, Jason-Statham-level child-yeeting was not on my Christmas to-do list. Not that he’d ever yeet a child. He’d yeet people—adult people. Like that scene inThe Beekeeper. But not kids. Obviously. Every version of Jason Statham was just honorable like that.

“Don’t look so nervous,” Ben laughed, eyes crinkling at the corners again. “All you have to do is sit down and hold on.”

“Hold on to what?” I fretted. “The kid or the sled?”

“Jane has her own handles. She’s an expert.” Ben looked far too amused by this. Jane did not look concerned, even though she should. Instead, she nodded seriously—like she was, in fact, an expert.

“Is she certified?” I half-joked, because the longer I kept talking the more I could stall.

Again, Jane nodded.

Yeah fucking right. There was no way she knew what the word certified meant. Unless she was a genius. Or like—a super baby, or whatever.

Still though…Ben didn’t look worried.

At all.

He took the sled back from me—like it was easy to yank it right out of my death grip, and lay it down. “Sit,” he commanded.

I sat.

The snow crunched beneath my weight and my heart thundered. Jane crawled onto the sled, settling in front of me, her cute little mittened hands latching on to the handles. “Do Ihold you?” I asked her, because again—no one had fucking told me.

Jane ignored me, staring resolutely ahead.

“Hold the handles,” Ben’s voice was right next to my ear. It tickled the shell of it, warmth bleeding through the hat he’d shoved on my head. I melted a little, my nerves fading. “Relax. It’s going to be fun.”

I’d been super fucking excited about this—and I knew realistically he was right—it was just…hard to let go of the nerves. They stuck to me like cling wrap. I could hardly breathe, I was so tense.

An awkward beat passed.

“You know what—how about…” Ben pulled back. I twisted to look at him, but only caught the tail end of the gesture he made. Thecrunch, thumpof the snow alerted me to someone approaching from behind.

“Paxton,” Ben asked.

“What?” a gruff, low voice replied. When I twisted to look, I realized I was looking at the only Montgomery brother I hadn’t met yet. The grumpy one. That’s what Bubba had told me.

“Would you watch the twins for a second while I take Robin down?” Ben’s voice was as calm and serious as ever. “It’s his first time. He’s nervous.”

Oh, thank God.

Embarrassed, I tried to tell him I was fine—but he didn’t listen. Both brothers ignored me actually, as Paxton leaned down to yank Jane right into the air. She released a fit of giggles—not quite as loud as the ones she and her sister had made when I’d fallen, but still joyful.

“Why don’t we watch, hmm?” Paxton hummed, surprisingly gentle as he grabbed Rosie too and hoisted both girls onto his shoulders. “Your daddy’s made his first friend.”

“Oh, fuck off,” Ben muttered.

“You owe me monies,” Rosie clapped back immediately.

Ben laughed.

And then he was sinking down behind me. He used his weight to keep the sled in place as he easily maneuvered me into Jane’s vacant spot and settled down at my back. He was so fucking warm. Christ. And big. His lovely, cultured-looking hands wound around my body, picking up the handles and forcing them into my grip.

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