Page 14 of Snowed Under

“You have to say that. You’re my mom.”

“But it’s true, even if you weren’t my daughter. So, how about Cole…”

“Mom!”

Emma giggles. “We sound like a broken record. Fine, we’ll leave you alone,for now.”

“I’m just saying, he’s your neighbor…” Mom prattles on.

I give her a pretend glare. “And I’d like it to stay that way.”

She raises her hands in surrender. “Fine. But don’t look a gift horse in the mouth. I think he likes you.”

“He does not,” I sigh. “Mom, I don’t need you playing matchmaker.”

Emma links her arm with hers and they giggle together like school kids, heading back into the kitchen.

I bang my forehead against the wall, muttering, “Sanctuary, Sanctuary…”

CHAPTER 5

COLE

I shouldn’t be noticingthat Ainsley is wearing the cutest sweater known to man.

It’s knitted and has a giant pumpkin on the front. I know she’s the fall queen, and though she’s good at putting on a brave face for Christmas, I’ve always had the impression that she doesn’t really like it. I’m sure if I dug deep enough, there would be a lot of things I’d find about Ainsley Parsons that I didn’t know.

I sit here, pretending to read the meeting notes, but I’m secretly checking her out.

Those cute curls bobbing. Her glasses as they slip down to the end of her nose as she reads. Her skin is pale like it usually is, but she has this glow to her cheeks that — I’m sorry — makeup just doesn’t give you. Not in this case, anyway. Okay, I’ve been crushing on her since last year when we worked together, and it’s been eleven months of hell thinking about if I should ask her out. Then she got back with that dick face.

I pinch the bridge of my nose. I’d really like to rearrange his face. Anyone that causes Ainsley to frown deserves two black eyes.

“So, if there are no objections?” She scours the room.

Jessica Lockwood, the mayor, and Margaret, along with Keith from Presley’s vet’s office — who I secretly think she sent to spy — and Mrs. Henderson’s seventeen-year-old grandkid Marley, who’s using his detention time helping us, completes our group. Presley is the Chairperson of the committee, and Travis is usually in charge of the Christmas festivities, but they’ve handed the reins over this year to Ainsley and I, just so they can concentrate on baby April without all the Christmas drama. They’ll still partake in everything, but they just can’t be at every meeting.

“I think I missed the part where the town takes on the biggest snowball fight in Silver Pines history and breaks the Wyoming record,” I muse. Marley chuckles next to me.

I glance up and sure enough, Ainsley’s gaze meets mine. Her lips purse. I admit, I like ruffling her pretty little feathers just a little.

“Or the longest sled ride from the top of Silver Pine Falls to the bottom,” Marley pipes up, equally enthused as I am.

Jessica Lockwood is shaking her head in my periphery. “All we need is a kid to get hit in the eye with a flying snowball, or the break of a leg going down the slalom and we’ll get sued.”

“Still, think of the needy.” I shrug. “We could get more funding for Presley’s rescue, or the kids’ ward at the hospital. There’s always room for giving at Christmas time.”

“It’s true,” Keith chimes in. “There is always time for giving, and everyone loves a snowball fight. It’d put Silver Pines on the map. We’d do it safely, of course.”

Jessica narrows her eyes. Clearly we’re not encouraged to have ideas. The only time Jessica has ever smiled was when Travis came on the committee and blew all the decorating plans out of the water. I think she’s sulking because neither Travis nor Presley are here. “That may be so, but this is something I need to think about.”

“I think it’s a great idea,” Ainsley adds. “It’s just what Silver Pines needs to stay in the news.”

I hold my smirk. I mean, we need a snowball fight. Travis might have his fancy blow up frosty and an ice skating rink, but new ideas are what keep tourists coming to Silver Pines instead of Alpine Falls or the busy, overpopulated Jackson Hole.

The Mayor isn’t convinced, and I know she’s a no-fun haver, but some of us think outside the box.

“While I have some reservations, something different to add to the treasure hunt might be what we need to spice things up a bit,” Margaret says.

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